Pumpkin and Apples without Halloween? 🍎🎃
Gobblepot Hurt/Comfort (Angst+Fluff)
/AO3 (without the picture)
Plot: Jim doesn't want to be seen with his new boyfriend Oswald during the Halloween party hosted by the King of Gotham. They argue about it, but ultimately, both want the best for each other.
Challenge: Gobblepot Autumn Dance by @gobblepotgazette (I used the prompts Fog, Halloween, Cold, Apples, Free Space (Pumpkins 🤗) & Rain)
Warnings: arguments, canon insecurities (Oswald not having friends), eating (normal eating, throughout the fic)
Words: 1678
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Oswald sighed as he exited his car to sleep at his boyfriend's apartment once again.
They couldn't use the kingpin's place with functional heating, no, Jim hated the idea of people finding out about their relationship or even just getting suspicious, thinking if he came by more often their secret would be revealed to the public in a day.
Their work times didn't exactly align either. Why was he doing this?
He rang the bell. At least there are no stairs.
Jim opened the door, silently asking him to step inside. Then and only then did he greet Oswald, with excitement in his voice, "Hey." He cleared his throat. "Look what I got."
"Floor heating?"
"No." Jim chuckled and grabbed something. "Here."
Oswald unfolded the knitted fabric. It was a cardigan in a red, almost purple tone, soft, not scratchy like some of the pieces his mother had once given him.
"So you won't be that cold anymore. What d'you think?"
The color was something that Oswald would wear, right? The choice had been between brown, orange, green and this. And it had been September back then. He hadn't wanted to wait for the right color.
"It's...thank you, Jim." His eyes, currently more green than blue, lit up. "I'll try it right away. Coincidentally I happen to have something for you too." Oswald changed his coat with the cardigan first, not sure about his idea yet. "But perhaps it can wait."
"Oh? Let's sit down, then."
They walked to the sofa, Oswald thankful he didn't have to stand around much longer. Their busy lives often made the times for meeting each other unusual.
The sweater or whatever it was gave Oswald an innocent appearance, Jim thought. Could just be that he's looking at me, though.
Hopefully the piece of clothing showed him that Jim was serious about their relationship.
They were very obviously boyfriends, with Oswald not touching anyone he didn't trust anyways and Jim clearly only invested in this, but you could never know.
Jim leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Oswald's heart picked up speed. He turned his head so their lips aligned and closed his eyes. This was it. Jim was in love with him. He wouldn't be rejected again.
Halloween had often been a scary day for him in the past, but he wasn't a lonely child anymore. He was the King of Gotham, event host, and people from multiple places of this city would come to witness his spectacle.
They parted, the detective now smiling softly, then frowning. "Are you warm enough?"
"With you next to me, I'll live."
Jim laughed and remembered, "You wanted to show me something."
"Yes! Uh..." He offered Jim an envelope with seasonal leaves in the corner, and waited for a reaction.
"It's...an invitation for Halloween."
"Yes, for the party I'm hosting."
Jim swallowed. "Who'll be there?"
"What?"
"Who else is invited?"
Oswald's mouth dropped open. "Uh—business partners, old acquaintances, new people."
"So criminals."
"Yes," Oswald admitted with a sinking heart. "But you know how things work. There'll be security and... You don't have to stay for long," he explained patiently, "but I'd be happy if you came by to say hello."
"Uh-huh. And how would that go? I just walk up to the host and hope no one recognizes me?" He shook his head. "We're already riskin' enough by our number of visits."
"I just thought we could do something together." Oswald threw up his hands and huffed. "So you won't come?"
"No," he answered as if the thought was ridiculous. "I don't have time anyways."
Oswald's voice strained, "It's your choice." He wanted to argue more, but Jim decided to peck him on the cheek and put his arms around him in that moment.
On another day, he might've complained, but it was foggy outside and cozy in here, so he let it be. For now.
Jim really did wanna spend the season with Oswald, but anything he thought of was a bad idea. They couldn't just go out in public, for obvious reasons, and anything with cooking or baking wouldn't impress the son of a cook.
Maybe a movie...then again, that wasn't exactly doing something.
Damnit.
He buried his head in Oswald's neck and sighed, not wanting to apologize for being himself.
The next week, a case about two switched bodies made him forget all about it, trying to catch the running perpetrator.
Meanwhile, Oswald was in his stronghold of a building, surrounded by bodyguards and staff who followed his orders, most of the time regardless of their nature.
They don't care what I do, he thought grimly. That party is probably just another big wish of mine they don't think about.
No one in his work environment was genuinely happy for him. Either they liked Halloween parties or they didn't.
It was supposed to be a demonstration of social status, his way to finally be the cool host.
What if not enough people came? Some would, he could count on it, but if they were few, it might become apparent that he didn't have any friends.
Jim had it easier: his best friend was game to do whatever — alright, mostly investigate — and they didn't need a stupid event to let everyone know they weren't alone.
Oswald on the other hand, had been bullied as a child, hurt as an underling, and was now feared as kingpin. They respected him, yes, but didn't think he was cool or handsome or creative.
Let them underestimate me, he'd tried to convince himself. Now he wanted to impress them.
To Jim's defense: he did try to come up with some date ideas or, well, at this point it was narrowed down to food and decoration, ideally both at the same time.
He had pumpkins and some apples in his apartment, waiting for Oswald.
It took days until he even heard from him, and all he got then was a "I'm a little tired Jim, call me back tomorrow?". He shrugged it off. I didn't do anything wrong.
Indeed, Oswald sounded normal the day. They even scheduled a date for the end of the week, the King of Gotham hoping Jim would accept the invitation. It was then that he made the mistake of voicing his thoughts, and was quickly reminded that Jim wouldn't come, "like I said."
On the evening of their date, Oswald was already in a bad mood and the rain on his way to the car and back out again didn't help. He was cold in his four layers and the outer one was wet. Leave it to Jim Gordon to make the King of Gotham shiver for a date in a small apartment. Really.
Still he attempted to be civil, "How was your week?"
"I'm not going to the party."
"That wasn't the question. How was the week, Jim? Come on, now, I'm sure it was interesting."
"Yeah, I tried...finding pumpkin recipes?" He chuckled nervously. He'd figured since he'd once thrown Oswald's invitation into the trash, he now owed it to him to at least do something else if he didn't come.
"Pumpkin?" Oswald raised his eyesbrows.
"And I got apples too. Speaking of: you want some?"
"Oh, uhm, yes, thanks." He watched Jim get up and go to the sink to wash one. Never in his life would he have thought they'd become a couple. Friends, once, yes, but that was...actually: they weren't really friends, were they? If Jim wasn't in love with him, Oswald would just be the person he came to for favors. Nothing more.
He took the apple and bit into it, then absentmindedly licked off a bit of juice running down the fruit.
Jim wondered what Oswald would be for Halloween. A vampire, maybe? It would suit him: he had this allure about him, such strikingly emotive eyes...
Jim let him eat instead of kissing him.
"Did you dress up as a kid?" he started on what he hoped was neutral ground and offered, "I did, for a few years. Wanted to be a musketeer but I think my mask probably looked more like a bank robber's." He laughed and hoped Oswald would join in.
"Is that so?" The man asked after eating a piece of apple.
"Very intimidating, too. Not all robbers have swords."
Oswald laughed, his eyes crinkling from amusement. "Only in Gotham."
Jim nodded in, "Only in Gotham."
Together they tried to make something with the pumpkin: Oswald insisted that pumpkin spice didn't actually contain pumpkin, so Jim refrained from pureeing a slice of the vegetable —fruit? (Jim wasn't sure whether he believed Getrud's knowledge there) — to use for seasoning.
They didn't find any cloves, so the result tasted a bit gingery, but it was alright. They were happy.
"Did you make Halloween-themed food as a child?" Jim asked.
"Always," Oswald replied. "Even if it was often just a small pumpkin or something else to carve. What about you?"
"Ah, we mostly ate candy." He grinned. "Had to use all that stolen money."
Oswald laughed full-heartedly. "Sly kids." He sighed with a soft smile. "Good old times."
Jim scrunched his face in thought. He wasn't always sure which of his boyfriend's memories were positive and which weren't. Apparently Halloween was more of a good thing.
"Did you ever go trick-or-treating?"
"Hm? Yes. Sort of. Though one of the neighbors was pretty scary. He thought we were trying to poison him."
"Is that so?"
"Nearly called the police."
Jim groaned. "You just reminded me: we're gonna be so freakin' busy on Halloween."
"It's on a weekend," Oswald said rolling his eyes.
"Wait, what?"
"You didn't know?"
"No, I mean — Os, I'm not going to your party."
"Whatever you say."
"Seriously."
"Uh-huh."
Oswald took his hand. "You know, if you could wear a mask when you were younger, you can do so too."
Jim hesitated. "I guess. Someone could rip it off, though."
"Then only come by for a few minutes."
"Hm."
He seriously considered it.
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Author's note: Happy Halloween/whenever you read this 😊
Check out my follow's creation too @nevereverthem
