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Chapter I
Word count: 3,377
MLM Oc x Canon fic, featuring my oc Patrick Parker and Edward Nashton from Matt Reeves The Batman (2022). Proofread the first few chapters, things may change in the future due to the upcoming films. I’m trying to write Edward and the story as canon as possible, taking his character/personality from Riddler Year One by Paul Dano. I recommend reading it first since this fic takes place a whole year before Year One. No tw’s yet. Just a very slow slow-burn.
Enjoy. <?>
-Paul
. . . .
‘Shh. Just breathe.’
Edward thought to himself.
‘Just focus on the numbers.’
...
‘You’re okay.’ Edward told himself yet again. Every day, of telling himself he’ll be okay. He’ll get through it. ‘Keep going Edward’, ‘Don’t forget to eat Edward’, ‘Focus Edward’. Day after day. Edward sat silently at his desk, it was another week of the same thing over and over again. Living the same aggravating minutes of his life was torture.
Edward couldn’t focus, he couldn’t direct his focus in a place like Gotham. It scared him, it disgusted him. Edward envied those who kept going, those who no matter what they were told or what obstacles they faced- kept going, kept smiling. It was easy for them, but so hard for Edward.
Edward walked into the subway train along with a crowd. He sat himself down on one of the seats, silent and thinking about how today was just like the ones he’s lived for years. A constant routine with no change. Edward stared down at his feet blankly, as the dim light on the ceiling of the train shined through his clear glasses. He heard the train door open for a new crowd of people to get on the train, not caring who enters. The subway filled with citizens of Gotham, the usual faces Edward had recognized, he didn't care for them. He didn’t care for anyone. The seat next to Edward wasn’t the only one available for the person who sat next to him. A young man approached the seat, and sat next to Edward in silence. The young man took out a book, and began to read. Edward didn't turn his head as the man sat down next to him, his eyes still staring blankly at his feet as the subway continued moving. He turned his head a little so he could faintly see the book the man was reading, wondering what book it was. It was ‘The Grieving Brain’ by Mary-Frances O’Connor. The man didn't notice Edward’s faint glances at all. It seemed like the book was that enjoyable. So enjoyable that the entire ride to the next stop- the young man didn't stop reading. Once his stop arrived. He got up and made his way to the exit, leaving Edward sitting alone.
It was a regular cloudy day. Edward worked at KTMJ as a forensics accountant. He sat down to do his usual tasks... when a familiar face caught his eye. A young man, shorter than Edward, more lean, had messy black hair, a shag for a haircut, and tan skin. Edward's eyes watched the man walk by, his eyes glued on him. Edward's face showed no expression as he stared at the man, wondering who he was, where he had seen him before, and why he looked so familiar. His mouth was shut as he watched the man. Edward felt like he should recognize who he was but he couldn't put his finger on it, his mind felt like it was on a blank. He shouldn’t care though, he was just a stranger.
"Alright. Here’s your desk... you said Parker- correct?"
"Yes sir.”
The young man replied to the higher up. Parker sat down across from Edward as instructed, he began to do the tasks he was asked, so that solved the question. The young man was new to KTMJ. It was obvious, since he looked so out of place. Edward continued staring at who he could now tell was probably a new employee. He watched him sit across from him. He didn't turn his head away from Parker, he continued staring. It felt like his eyes couldn't leave his new coworker. Edward observed him for a few seconds before turning his attention back to his work, he had to get it done after all. Edward kept his eyes back to staring at his documents, writing on separate paper to make calculations.
The entire morning was normal for Edward, but new to Parker, the young man didn't seem to be struggling in anything he was doing. Even though he knew he’d be quicker with a computer. How did Gotham's largest accounting firm make their employees do calculations by hand? Parker thought it could be because he was new with no experience.. forensic accounting isn't so easy, but both Edward and Parker were working at a quick pace.
The wait for lunch hour felt quick for Parker, which was a good thing, but it meant he had to stop working. So he did. Parker put down his pen and glanced around, his eyes landing on Edward for a split second before turning to the coffee table. Edward's eyes peered from his writing. He had noticed Parker looking around, his eyes landing on him, but it only for a split second before he looked to the coffee table. This made Edward question why Parker looked at him, it was a small glance but he caught it. Edward's eyes were fixed on Parker's bangs, his hands paused. He had to admit it was an odd haircut, but just who he was and why he looked so familiar kept bothering him. After a few seconds of contemplating, Parker got up from his seat and walked towards the room's lounge towards the coffee table. The young man's attire was the same as Edward’s, a normal white long sleeve button up, and black pants, they looked big on him. Parker served himself a single cup of plain black coffee, no creamer, no sugar, and walked back to his desk. Not before catching Edward glancing at him, they both looked away. Edward felt a little embarrassed he was caught. He couldn't believe he was caught, he thought his staring was going unnoticed. Edward shook the embarrassment and continued working. His eyes glued to the pages. He couldn't stop wondering about his new coworker. He seemed like a very normal employee but why did he look so familiar was the question. He had an urge in him to talk to the guy, but he knew it would go wrong, he would go unnoticed, the young man would probably think Edward was a weirdo... Parker didn't seem to care that Edward had caught a glance at him. He was new. Parker was expecting to see eyes on a new face, he definitely got looks from more of his coworkers throughout the day. The young man continued to do his tasks as lunch hour ended.
The thick clouds didn’t go away, they never do in Gotham. Parker and Edward walked in the same direction as soon as they got off work. Of course, the subway. That’s why he looked so familiar... Edward sat down in one of the seats- Parker sat down as well, next to Edward once again, he couldn't help but notice there was another book in Parker's hands. It was a different book compared to when he last rode the train with him. His curiosity peaked and he wondered what book he was reading now. He debated with himself either to ask him or just stay quiet and look away, he went with the option to silently look away. The entire train ride was silent, there were some muffled conversations Parker and Edward could hear, Edward just listened to his self improvement podcasts, and Parker's world was shut down the second he flipped another page on his book. The subway came to a stop, and it was time for Parker to get off, the young man got up from his seat and bookmarked the page he was reading. Before Parker got off the subway cart, he stole a small glance at Edward. So he rode the same route as his new coworker. Okay. Edward remained seated after Parker got up. He tried to act like he didn't notice the glance he stole, even though he did notice. He tried to ignore the fact that they both took the same route to get home... Maybe Parker lived nearby? He shook his head before he could let too much into his mind, he shouldn't be getting too much into this guy. They were just coworkers; that's it.
The rain hit the ground hard. It had been raining since last night. Edward couldn't help but notice Parker walking in late, and one of their bosses couldn't help but notice either. The young man's hair was soaking wet, and his uniform as well. He didn't look presentable at all. “The weather's always like this in Gotham." said the higher up with a serious tone. "I won't forget my umbrella next time." said Parker in an unbothered tone. The young man sat down at his chair, making a "squish" sound. It bothered Parker to be soaking wet, but it didn't stop him from getting his work done. Edward looked up to see Parker walk in completely soaked. He couldn't help but stare at him. His hair and uniform were dripping with water, and their boss tried to be serious about it, but Parker dismissed with a casual tone. It amused him that Parker was called out.
Parker knew he had to hurry with whatever he was assigned to do, though it was quite difficult when your shirt is soaking wet, the young man grunted in frustration. It took hours for him to dry up, so much so he was finally dry when the day came to an end. Parker exited the building and walked towards the train station, where Edward was following behind. They took the same route after all. Edward was walking behind Parker the entire time until both of them reached the train station. He sat down next to Parker, still unable to get over the fact that they both took the same route home. He sat in silence and tried to avoid looking at him. But just Parker's presence by himself in itself was weirdly captivating. Edward tried to fight back the temptation to look at him. Parker noticed Edward sitting next to him, though he didn't glance at the other man or anything, the two sat there in silence, not particularly listening to the conversations around them. Parker took out a different book, this one being called ‘The Upward Spiral’ by Alex Korb. It’s like he goes through them like a newspaper.
The soft rain hit the windows, Parker glanced up to see the city of Gotham being consumed by the thick fog. It was a nice sight- that small action turned his gaze to Edward for a split second, before returning to his book. Edward caught the glance Parker made towards him, he felt nerves rise, was he going to catch another glimpse of him looking at him? Edward tried to avoid his gaze, but he found himself starting to stare at Parker's side profile. His nose was big. The man just quietly stared at him, debating if he should say something to Parker. The train came to a stop, Parker casually put his book away and stood up to leave, the young man didn't take another glance at Edward. He knew he was going to see him across his desk tomorrow anyway.
It was another rainy morning, and Parker came in dry. The young man sat down. Zach, Edward and Parker's case leader came up to both men, he had been working at KTMJ for far less than Edward, but more than Parker. "Morning, new guy! you brought an umbrella today!" Zach said, Parker's eyebrow twitched, he remained silent before speaking in a low tone. “I finished the Walker divorce, if that was what you wanted." Parker spoke, Zach nodded, he spoke again. “Anything from you rain man?" Zach asked, glancing at Edward’s quiet figure and waiting for him to speak, he stuttered. Edward stared in shock as he was referred to as "rain man". He hated it, he thought Zach was a prick. Edward quickly shook off the shock, trying to compose himself. “Uhh..." He quickly spoke as he thought of what to say. "I worked on the Miller case..." He spoke in a small tone, he hated how he stuttered the first time he spoke. He hoped Parker wouldn't pay attention to his awkwardness. "Great!" Zach said, Edward couldn't help but notice Parker rolling his eyes at Zach.
Zach took both Parker and Edward’s case binders and didn't even bother to thank either of them as he walked away. Parker's eyes narrowed slowly as he watched Zach walk away.”How long has he been working here?" Parker asked Edward, staring at his green eyes. Edward couldn't help but get captured in Parker's black eyes for a short moment. He shook his head and realized Parker was asking him a question. “Uh...f-for about two months now." Edward responded, trying not to stutter. He found himself feeling more nervous than usual. He tried to avoid directly meeting Parker's gaze, but he couldn't help but feel drawn to looking into Parker's eyes. Especially since it felt like a sudden and direct question was asked to him.
"Two months..." Parker repeated, he clicked and clicked his black pen, unaware of the impact he had on Edward, he wasn't even aware of his nervousness just now. Parker's eyes were huge, the black color looked like you could sink in them, they were surrounded by dark markings, as if he was sick. “What about you? How long?" Parker asked again. Edward felt his face heat as Parker's eyes fixed on him, his mind working overtime to process Parker's gaze.
"Uh..." Edward stuttered, his anxiety taking hold of his voice. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. He swallowed before responding. “I've been here for 4 years." Edward responded, feeling like the whole world around him was fading as his focus was solely on Parker. His eyes were glued on him, unable to look away from his gaze. Parker's demeanor switched, his expression softened upon hearing Edward had been working a long 4 years at this company- and Zach only 2 months, yet Edward takes orders from him.. Parker clicked and clicked the pen. Parker turned his gaze back to his work, time to work on a new case... he wasn't so motivated now, Parker questioned what it took for Zach to get a position so high so quickly. He was bound to find out. The young man began to work, leaving Edward staring at him.
Edward sat there in silence, feeling a mix of emotions. He couldn't help but feel a bit flustered by Parker's sudden change in attitude. He was relieved that his attention was no longer on him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Edward tried to work, but he found himself stealing glances at Parker as he worked. The way he carried himself, his diligence, the way he would click his pen repeatedly... Edward's mind felt like it was getting clouded as he watched Parker work. Parker didn't take notice of Edward's glances, he was too focused on his work despite the lack of motivation. As Parker questioned deeper and deeper how Zach has a higher position than someone who's been in the company for years,but he knew it would give him motivation soon. He wanted to be better than him. Better than anyone working in this company.
Parker got up from his desk as lunch hour hit, the young man made himself a plain black coffee, again, and sat back down, glancing at Edwards fingers move through the pages. "You're fast with numbers." Parker suddenly spoke, there was chats between coworkers here and there in the background, but Parker's stoic and low tone was loud enough to break Edwards focus. Edward felt his heart stop as he heard Parker's voice. He didn't expect him to break the silence, especially with a compliment. “Uh, y-yeah. I've always been good with numbers..." Edward responded, he tried to act nonchalant about it, but inside he felt flustered. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't prepared for Parker to say anything to him. He wasn’t ever expecting a compliment from anyone. Parker nodded, he observed how quickly Edward solved the equations with such ease. Parker leaned forward and tried to copy Edward's pace, the young man started as soon as Edward started a new equation, but he couldn't keep up with him. Parker's brows furrowed, he wanted to learn. "You make it look easy." Parker spoke up once more, reading off his work, it was all correct, just not fast enough.
Edward couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in hearing Parker say that he made it look easy. No one had ever complimented him on his work before, so hearing it from Parker caught him off guard. "Uh, th-thanks.” Edward responded sheepishly, a smile creeping onto his face. He felt a warm feeling of satisfaction growing inside of him, but it was quickly replaced by a feeling of nervousness once again as he heard the sound of Parker's pen clicking repeatedly. The young man continued his normal pace, but he still couldn't ignore how Edward could solve the math so quickly. It was frustrating! Parker had to remind himself he's an entry level fresh college graduate. Parker sighed softly and sipped his black coffee.
Parker and Edward finished their cases that same day, Edward finished first. The men turned in the cases to Zach, as he walked away- Parker rolled his eyes at him once more, it was only Parker's third day, and he didn’t like Zach. It didn't go unnoticed by Edward. Edward couldn't help but smile as he noticed Parker rolling his eyes at Zach again. He was glad that he wasn't the only one who felt annoyed by Zach's arrogance. Edward finished his work early, as always, and watched as Parker worked through his tasks. Again, he couldn't help but feel fixated on him. His hands moved quickly and fluently as he wrote, his eyes focused and his expression concentrated. Edward wanted to say something, but he didn't want to disturb him.
The clock hit 5. Edward didn't build up the courage to say something to his coworker. Parker finished whatever he was doing and organized his area. Parker grabbed his belongings and walked away. Eventually, Edward followed behind, as they took the same route home… Edward sat a seat away from Parker, not wanting to interrupt his reading, which was another new book. Edward was beginning to grow curious as to why he saw Parker with different books, it was rare to see, no one ever read, they just stuck to their screens…
The constant rain the next morning was starting to ease Parker, he sat across from Edward and began to work on his assignment. Edward shot a glance at Parker, they were both always quiet. The young man noticed his coworker glance at him, he ignored it, Edward mentally cursed himself for letting himself be caught staring.. Parker probably thought he was a creep. The clock finally hit 5 after another day of the same routine. There was no change, nothing to look forward to-
"We take the same train route."
Edward felt his heart sink as he heard Parker speak. He didn't expect him to say anything, especially about them sharing the same route home. "Uh, y-yeah." Edward replied in a small voice, he tried to compose himself but he couldn't hide the nervousness in his tone. Parker began to pack, once he was done, he simply stared at Edward blankly, and that's when Parker began to notice Edwards shy and awkward demeanor. The young man raised a brow. "So you live at work or-?" Parker asked sarcastically, wondering why Edward wasn't packing, and he doubted Edward received any overtime. Maybe Parker's implication to walk to the station together wasn't clear enough.
Edward felt his heart skip a beat again at Parker's sarcastic remark. He tried to laugh, but it came out strangled and nervous. "Uh, no...l just-" He froze as realization hit him, catching on to Parker's implied suggestion. He quickly began to pack his things.
"I'm ready. L-let's, uh, head to the station...”
Parker watched as Edward quickly gathered and packed his things, once he was ready- Parker took the lead and walked out of the building, Edward following behind.
