A Clever Fascination

Chapter 33 - Silver Lining

Kit was hiding. Well, not so much hiding as avoiding. Since she was still on the come down from chemicals that aren't made for people, Kit decided she'd bide her time until she shook the undertones of anxiety. That, and she was processing.

Everything Ed had told her... surely it wasn't the truth. She didn't believe that he'd be so cruel as to lie about such a thing, not to her anyway, but there had to be something more. There had to be. Otherwise, it was true. If The Riddler had indeed fallen in love with the Detective, that was only trouble for both of them. Obviously, it was an issue for Kit and Ed was just opening himself up to rejection. So why would he tell her that? What did he have to gain from it?

Kit sat on the ground, back against the side of the bed, her little black and white feline was laying belly up on her arched legs.

"I'm sorry I've been gone so long, it wasn't on purpose. I know, I don't like leaving you either."

If she lived anywhere but Gotham, she might try and integrate Pemberley into being an outdoor cat. But the main problem was that the cat didn't want to go outside. Kit had spoiled him too much. He had just sat staring at her when she tried to let him out, as if to say; 'You're wasting both of our time here.' 

"What was he like with you? Did he speak to you? Was he kind? He didn't kick you across the room?" She asked. Half of her hoped that the cat would open his mouth and answer. Kit was almost too curious. As if the way he treated her beloved pet would change any of the things she was thinking about. Like she was searching for a level of humanity in him, that would suggest he wasn't a terrible person. A terrible person that was in love with her. It was so very conceded, when she thought about it.

Her little companion was barely awake. The feeling of a warm, comforting hand and a soft, caring voice was sending him to sleep.

Kit wished she could be so lucky. How sweet it would be to be able to just sleep. The envy she held for people that could close their eyes and be out in seconds. It was not an ability Kit possessed. Rather, she would be awake for hours as she lay there. Her head was a loud place and it need organising before she'd have a hope of sleeping.

-

Ed would have envied Kit's privilege to speak and get no response. He didn't have that. Ed had Edward.

"I should have known you'd make a mess." Edward had feared letting Ed take control for as long as he saw fit. Edward was silent for a while. And now he appeared in Ed's sight, looking polished and neat in comparison.

"Oh Edward, the lines between the two of us are blurring. I can hardly remember who's who."

"You've changed your tune." Edward rebuffed his taunt with a blunt comment.

Ed lifted his heavy head to be able to fully see his counter part. There was nothing that he wanted to say to him. He didn't want yet another mental back and forth with himself. Still, as his composure wavered, he knew he was going to be able to hide from himself for much longer. He knew something at the very least. For now, Ed would avoid the subject.

"I'm assuming you'll be wanting the reigns back?"

"Were you going to plead your case? You never listen, I told you to let me handle it if-"

"If things went wrong. Yeah, I know. And they did, they went extraordinarily wrong! Do you wanna fix my mess or should I do it myself? I assumed that's why you went so quiet on me, Mr Silent Treatment." His tone was calm, as usual. Ed didn't care to sugar coat the situation, it had gone terribly and he was responsible.

Edward didn't answer himself straight away. He was angry, of course. Ed had taken control and undone all the progress he might've made with Kathrine.

"I didn't even bother because it would've have changed anything. You might have better grasp on situations like this usually, but at least I have the awareness to admit when I screw up" Usually the scolding was the other way around, but Ed had been stupid. The very thing he feared had followed him to his alter and become a reality. "Whatever. You look awful. Is she okay?"