going crazy for edward nashton <3
(edward nashton x f! reader)
synopsis: this is one of three parts! you're losing interest in your dreary day-to-day when a cute coworker catches your eye in more ways than one <3
warnings: i wrote you to be... a little dumb... sorry... hints of unwanted romantic attention, canon compliant violence, murder, obsession, stalking, food
a/n: i spent all day writing this... i hope its not the ramblings of a madwoman...
part one | part two | part three
Let’s face it, working at KTMJ wasn’t your childhood dream. You had no interest in the stuffy office building or the stacks and stacks of paper you had to manage. But it paid the bills, and you’d rather be doing this than spending the night out on the street. You were one of the lucky ones in Gotham, not having to turn to a life of crime or other unsavory work- but does that mean you can’t complain? These are the things you ponder as you go about your work day, sorting and stacking papers, making copies and uninspired conversation. You hide your discontent behind a smile and try to keep things friendly between your coworkers.
Then you met Edward. The man was quiet, his gaze barely left his computer. You had been tasked with dropping off some copies he requested. Straightening your white button down, you walked slowly up to him. Admittedly, you were a little nervous. You’d heard bad things about him from your co-workers. It’s not that you trusted their word, but if they’d gone out of their way to warn you, there must be a reason, right?
You cleared your throat to get his attention, shifting on your heels. “Sorry, you’re Edward, right? I have the copies you requested.” You say with a smile. He glances up at you, eyes widening slightly. “Uh- yes. Thank you.” He mutters, making room on his desk for you to put the papers down. They were the yearly spendings of some animal rescue- New Beginnings. Not that you cared, this part of KTMJ was out of your jurisdiction. You just brought things to people who were too lazy to get them for themselves.
You break out of your thoughts to glance up at Edward, who was staring back at you. Part of you had expected something from him- some mean comment that would justify the warnings you’d received from your peers. But nothing came. He just sat there- watching you. You quickly fix your smile, straightening up, “Right, I’ll uh- I’ll see you around Edward.” You say, turning on your heel and leaving.
A week later you heard news of Zach, your least favorite manager, getting a promotion. Apparently, he cracked the case of a missing 10,000 dollars from an “animal rescue”. Something about that didn’t feel right, Zach was an idiot. There was no way he could do that by himself. It took you a couple hours, but you remembered that rescue being brought up before. Edward had asked you to bring him some files on them, of course- it was him.
You watched Edward as he stared at the plaque on Zach’s new office. His jaw was set, he was clutching his pen tightly. This isn’t right, you thought, Edward doesn’t deserve this. So, you walk up to him- maybe out of hatred for Zach or a newfound sense of camaraderie in your coworker, you decided you couldn’t let him sit angry by himself.
“Hey, Edward”, you say, putting a gentle hand on his chair. He scrambles to cover some doodles on his papers, turning to face you with wide eyes. You smile, “Don’t worry, I draw a lot during slow workdays too.” Edward nods, not quite knowing what to say. You continue, “I had a question for you, if you don’t mind.” Finally finding his voice, Edward responds, “Yeah?”
“Zach wasn’t the one who found out about that animal shelter, right? It was you, wasn’t it?” You ask. Edward feels his heart leap. He was proud of his work, but the way you asked him- it felt like he was caught doing something he shouldn’t have. He stutters out another “Yeah.” and feels his cheeks warm under your gaze. You tilt your head, rolling your eyes, “It’s just like Zach to take the credit, that guy’s a jerk.” You say with a hushed voice, “I’m sorry that happened Eddie, I see you.”
Edward’s shoulders tense, his face glowing red. I see you. I see you. She sees me. The phrase repeats in his head over and over before being interrupted by your worried expression. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to call you that- that nickname just slipped out.” Edward shakes his head quickly, “No, no, it’s fine, I don’t mind!” You smile again, and Eddie feels a great swell of pride in his chest. I made her smile, she’s smiling because of me.
Your rosy conversation was cut short when Zach called you over for help with his printer (it was just unplugged). Edward watched you leave, his heart slowly sinking back to place. How had he not seen you before? You saw him. You smiled at him. You called him Eddie. He let out a small sigh and turned back to his work before Zach could notice his staring.
Over the next few months, you spend more time with Edward. You’d eat lunch with him every once in a while, and he was always a welcome stop whenever you went around delivering files and papers. Edward found himself falling harder and harder for you. You took over his mind, his ever waking thought was spent gleefully on you. He could make the city better- better for you. The Bat would help him, he’d change your world, create a Gotham that actually deserved you.
As Edwards' obsession for you grew, the Riddler grew alongside it. He was making a name for himself, people were getting curious. People were seeing him. He wondered if you’d noticed him, what you thought of the Riddler. God, he hoped you liked him.
On a rather rainy lunch break, you found yourself with Edward at a diner right outside of the KTMJ building. You sat together at the booth, making small talk about the company’s CEO, and the ridiculous shoes Zach had been wearing. “So, why’d you decide to work here anyways, Eddie?” You ask, head leaning on your palm. “I uh- I dunno, I’m good with numbers.” He responds, hoping he’s not bragging. You grin, “That’s an understatement. I’ve never met anyone as smart as you before.” Edward feels his heart race and desperately attempts to change the topic, “How about you? I mean- why are you here?”
Your smile falters, and Edward can tell immediately that he hit a nerve. I fucked it up, he thinks, She hates me, she’s realized I’m not good at this- she’s realized I’m faking. You look down at your half-eaten sandwich, your hand moving to your neck. “I- um, I had a bad run-in with my old boss back at a different company. I used to be a psychologist but…,” You explain, “He wanted to… ‘date’ me and when I refused I got fired.”
Edward’s jaw tensed. Feelings of anger and guilt swarming within him, “I’m sorry to hear that.” He says, voice grave. You quickly brighten up, waving your hands as if you were trying to physically get rid of the tension in the air, “It’s fine! It’s in the past, and I’m here now, so…” you pause, “It’s… yeah, it’s fine.” Edward nods, he wants nothing more than to hug you, to reassure you and take you away and promise you everything is okay.
When Edward goes home that night, he knows his work isn’t over. Edward knew where you worked before coming to KTMJ, of course he did- he knew where you grew up and where you lived and what your favorite movie was (he’d seen it a million times just for you). So it wasn’t a difficult feat to find out where your old boss was.
A week later your boss’ death is being covered on just about every news station in Gotham. A man who died in shame after the Riddler leaked his messages to his female coworkers to the world, who will never harm anyone ever again. Edward observes from his cubicle as you watch the announcement on your computer. Your beautiful eyes were wide, mouth slightly parted. Maybe he was imagining it, but he swears he saw the faintest of smiles appear on your face.
You couldn’t believe what you were seeing. He was gone, the man who turned your world upside down and set it aflame, you’d never have to see him again. The Riddler, your knight in shining armour, he saved you. You’d heard of him before, a vigilante who started killing CEOs and corrupt politicians in Gotham. To be honest, you never paid him any mind. That sentiment would be weird in any other city but in Gotham, things like this happen every Tuesday. But now, it’s safe to say he’s on your radar.
You found the Riddler’s website, but to be honest, his puzzles to get into the website confused you. You’d visit it constantly, trying to piece it together just to be frustrated. You were losing sleep. When you came to work one day, you decided to try and see if Eddie could help you.
“Hey Eddie,” You say casually, getting his attention as he sat beside you in the diner again. “You’re, like, a puzzle master right?” He nods, struggling to make eye contact. “I’m stuck on a riddle,” You admit, “It’s something like, ‘I cannot eat but I consume the hearts of many, when you lose it is when you’ll find me… what am I?” Edward’s eyes widened, “Rage.” He mutters under his breath, “Where did you hear that?” He’s panicking, he’s certain you can tell, did you find him out so soon? Are the police on their way? Are you some sort of agent here to take him away before he can finish his work?
“Oh, rage! Of course!” You say, straightening up, “I saw it on this forum online, I looked up ‘hard riddles’ and this guy was looking for the answer! I knew you’d know it Eddie!” You feel bad for lying to Eddie, you knew he could do it, but you didn’t really want him to know about your budding obsession with a murderer. He was one of your only real friends at work, you wanted to keep him close.
Edward believes you, but your lie didn’t quite quell his fears. He didn’t want you to find him out- you’d surely be horrified if he wasn’t there to explain it to you. He needed to be the one to break it to you- maybe on your fifth wedding anniversary when he’s finally sure he’s got you.
Eddie logs into his website that night to find his follower count went up by ten. One username stuck out to him. A user by the name of [rdlrfan]. He feels his chest swell in pride. His fan? How sweet. Soon there’d be hundreds, thousands, joining you.
Life goes on just as expected, the Riddler continues his plans, and you continue to support him. You wanted to know who he was behind the mask, what he looked like, how tall he was, what his room looked like. You’d fall asleep to his streams sometimes. He was charming, and he felt familiar- his voice put you at ease, even if he was saying scary things. You wanted him to succeed, to pair up with the Batman and save the day. You wanted him to be happy.
Meanwhile, Edward was working up to his biggest plan yet- flooding the city. The city needed a cleanse, and he’d bring it on. The project took all of his attention, especially as he grew more and more excited. It started to bleed into his daily life. He drew his plans at his cubicle, mind racing between what was to come and what he had to do now.
You happened to be a little late to work, the train had to pause due to interference from the dropheads, so you snuck into the office hoping Zach didn’t see you. As you were sneaking past Eddie’s desk, you saw something on his computer that caught your eye. It was his personal computer, not the one the office gave him, and on it was The Riddler website. It looked… different than how you knew it, and after a couple more seconds of staring you realized why. He was editing it.
You felt your vision spin. It couldn’t be, Eddie is… he’s- Your thoughts are interrupted as you remember you’re still walking (albeit slowly) and you trip and fall over a small trashcan on the floor. Edward spins around, closing the tab on his computer and rushing to your side. “Are you okay?” He asks, holding a hand out to you. You take it, letting him help you up, “Yeah-yes. Sorry.. I uh- I…” You took a second to really look at him. His glasses- God, how did you not realize this before? You thank him and hurry away, taking the next hour to calm your racing heart with your head buried at your desk.
Over the next week you do everything you can to help Eddie. He’s been so tired recently, and there’s really no wonder as to why. He’s been going on and on about his big plans on his website, he’s been working so hard… You get him coffee daily, brushing it off as an extra from the coffee runs you have to do for upper management. Your presence only fuels Eddie’s resolve to “save” the city. You who are so sweet and beautiful, so kind to him. He’ll protect you from the cruelty this city breeds.
So, Edward gave it his best shot, his plan went so well- up until he was arrested and the Batman revealed he had no intention to team up with him. He was stuck. In a cold Arkham prison cell with a heavy heart filled with regret. He should’ve talked to you more. He should’ve told you who he was- what he’d done for you. But let’s be real- what would he get out of that? You didn’t think of him like that, you probably didn’t think of him much at all.
He wouldn’t have done this if he hadn’t met you, but Edward put special effort into keeping his identity a secret. He got a separate ID and covered his tracks between his Riddler and real-life persona. He knew those efforts were in vain, though, and that soon enough he’d be truly found out.
Edward sunk deeper and deeper into that familiar feeling of self hatred. He hung onto every detail of your face he could remember, knowing that he’d likely never see you again. What he wouldn’t give to see you, to smell you as you leaned over his desk to hand him another coffee, to feel your hand on his chair as you get his attention.
You were also distraught. Your Eddie was locked away, you never got to thank him for what he did to your boss. You never got to tell him how much you love him. He’s sitting there somewhere, scared and alone. You just couldn’t stand it, there had to be something you could do!
As you sat there in your sadness, your phone buzzed. It was a friend from your old psych job- Harleen Quinzel.
a/n: yeah its gonna get crazy buckle up!
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