Musings of a Riddler

Love at first sight.

I'm still not sure I believe in that.

At least not the whole deal.

You don't just look at someone and say, "Yep! Gonna marry them." with absolute certainty unless it's one of those sugary sweet love stories that are told by people of a very different generation.

So I don't believe in full on, never-going-to-let-you-go love at first sight.

But I know that when I met Jonathan Crane, I fell.

And I fell hard.

Oh, Jonathan Crane.

What a guy.

What a name, really, all hard edges.

Looking back on it, I suppose you could say that I never really bonded with anyone before him.

Sure, I knew other people and had my share of alliances and, dare I say it, friendships.

But no one was ever quite like Jonathan.

Oh, let's face it.

No one was ever anywhere near like Jonathan.

He was sharp and moody and snippy and angry and tall and dark and hands-

But I'm getting carried away.

My point is- Jonathan Crane wasn't a "nice man".

But he was never boring.

He was sharp, but he was also sharp-witted.

He was moody, but at least he had moods.

He was snippy, but he made sure people heard his opinions.

He was angry, but he had a reason to be.

I used to tell myself that that's why I liked him. He was exciting.

But deep down, I suppose I always knew that he was more than that. He was exciting, but he could be quiet…introverted. He seemed to think that he was ugly…but he wasn't at all. Not to me. Not ever.

I mean, look at me. I know beauty.

His hair stood on end half the time but it was endearing- fit his personality. He had pale skin, but a surprising amount of freckles if you looked closely enough, or when he'd been out in the sun.

He had delicate hands with long, slender, startlingly strong fingers.

And he had the most…amazing…blue eyes…

I used to think to myself that you could swim in them.

Once, I was tired and maybe just a little tipsy and I voiced this thought aloud.

I don't know if I can remember a time where I was more embarrassed, which is funny really, considering all I've been through in my life, but he simply looked at me with this adorable, mildly shocked expression and smiled slightly.

I think that was when I truly realized that it wasn't just a one-sided attraction.

Shortly after we began to get a bit closer.

I found excuses to stay over: it was late…we had been going over a heist…his lair was closer…

You name it, I used it.

They weren't technically lies and I wasn't the only one making excuses after awhile.

It wasn't really an outspoken thing, more like an understood mutual agreement, when we both decided to drop the excuses one day.

His lips were dry and cracked, but mine were covered in vanilla lipbalm and he seemed to like that.

His were soft by the time we stopped.

It didn't all happen in a whirlwind. There was time to adjust, time to think, time to feel, time to just…be.

Us. We.

Two words I hadn't used in awhile.

It felt nice.

Gradually, we grew to trust each other more and more.

He told me about his wretched Granny- the crows.

I told him about my father…and his favorite metal bat.

I held him.

And he held me.

And everything was perfect.

Actually, I'm not quite sure why I'm writing this in the past tense.

You see, Jonathan Crane is now trying to peer over my shoulder as I type this. Wants his breakfast, I suppose, or perhaps something else…

Either way, it will be fun.

Have to go, he's pulling me back on the bed now and