Ed relaxes a little, the hand doing the job because sometimes, for a psychological problem, you need a psychological solution. And thinking that the sound is being blocked is enough for the sound to actually be blocked.
He reaches out, touching the skin with the ink before he thinks about it and presses down to feel the ink, feel the scar tissue. Traces the letters, especially his own 'e' represented in it. He nods at the question and then comes to rest against John's chest, one ear to his chest to listen to his heartbeat.
Some unflattering stereotype of a dude might be a bit tiffed by prospects of being laid turning to cuddles, but affection and attention are too valuable for John to pass up. A wild smile begins to curve the corners of his mouth and for half a second, he almost looks so happy he doesn't know what to do with himself.
John shifts slightly, giving Eddie an easier time reaching for the stylish green ink. It'll be a while before the skin heals well enough to be completely smooth again, particularly because John is a perfectionist who inked himself by hand.
Nerves under a tattoo can also be a funny thing; over-sensitivity is common enough on freshly healing wounds, so it takes little more than the pressure of those curious fingers to send a few shots of pleasing pain spiraling across his senses. He doesn't react too much, aside from a stutter in his heartbeat and a slightly rushed exhale.
He wants to say. Something. But he doesn't want to compromise the trick of perception that has whatever asshole bugging Eddie shutting the hell up. He could ask Eddie to quit with the drugs, but he knows his friend is smart enough to realize that's an option. It's just not an option he wants, which is entirely his choice.
Ed knows he could make it quiet by quitting the pills. Riddler knows it.
But they're here, pressed into John, letting him drown out everything else and Ed's fingers are digging lightly into the ink, pressing firm enough to make it felt without going for outright cruelty in it.
And after a few minutes when he's feeling calmer, he sits up a bit straighter, looks John in the eye and then leans in to give him a soft, chaste kiss on the mouth. "Thanks."
Some people might consider it a friendship fail that John hasn't at least suggested Eddie quit with the drugs. Or tried to force him to. Or spoken to him about it seriously. Honestly the quirky man feels it's more friendship-y not to comment; he doesn't presume he has the right to take that choice from his BDB.
So, he's also not gonna rag on Eddie about suffering the side effects either, as though comforting him through them is some kind of bother. It's the opposite of that; he gets to be here and close and helping when he's needed, and all that is like water to a man dying of thirst. Though he's still restless and too-warm he settles into enjoying the friction against his freshly healing skin; the way he can't quite anticipate how his nerves will read even a tepid touch.
When Eddie sits up seeming calmer, John almost exclaims in delight but that goes right out of his head when he's suddenly being kissed.
His genius mile-a-minute mind lags and freezes for a good five seconds and all he can think to do is blink and breath and touch his fingertips to his own mouth in stupefied surprise.
"You're welcome," look those are words. John feels a smile bloom across his mouth and suddenly he's laughing, quiet and giddy and sheepish. "Jeez, maybe I should get more tattoos," he jests, of course understanding his buddy's appreciation was for more than that.
Ed on the drugs lacks the filters that he normally does, the things that tell him not to do whatever pops into his head. Which is a little bit why he had the impulse to kiss John and just go with it, but also because Ed is not Riddler and he likes physical affection when he can get it.
Until now, it's mostly been limited to Vrenille and sometimes Ginger. But Ginger's busy a lot and John is a better friend anyway and it's not like their alters don't have sex. Well, Ed's alter.
He pokes the tattoo a little more sharply at the dumb comment, though not cruelly still.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2020-04-29 08:55 am (UTC)He reaches out, touching the skin with the ink before he thinks about it and presses down to feel the ink, feel the scar tissue. Traces the letters, especially his own 'e' represented in it. He nods at the question and then comes to rest against John's chest, one ear to his chest to listen to his heartbeat.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-30 12:27 am (UTC)John shifts slightly, giving Eddie an easier time reaching for the stylish green ink. It'll be a while before the skin heals well enough to be completely smooth again, particularly because John is a perfectionist who inked himself by hand.
Nerves under a tattoo can also be a funny thing; over-sensitivity is common enough on freshly healing wounds, so it takes little more than the pressure of those curious fingers to send a few shots of pleasing pain spiraling across his senses. He doesn't react too much, aside from a stutter in his heartbeat and a slightly rushed exhale.
He wants to say. Something. But he doesn't want to compromise the trick of perception that has whatever asshole bugging Eddie shutting the hell up. He could ask Eddie to quit with the drugs, but he knows his friend is smart enough to realize that's an option. It's just not an option he wants, which is entirely his choice.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-30 12:59 pm (UTC)But they're here, pressed into John, letting him drown out everything else and Ed's fingers are digging lightly into the ink, pressing firm enough to make it felt without going for outright cruelty in it.
And after a few minutes when he's feeling calmer, he sits up a bit straighter, looks John in the eye and then leans in to give him a soft, chaste kiss on the mouth. "Thanks."
no subject
Date: 2020-05-01 11:37 pm (UTC)So, he's also not gonna rag on Eddie about suffering the side effects either, as though comforting him through them is some kind of bother. It's the opposite of that; he gets to be here and close and helping when he's needed, and all that is like water to a man dying of thirst. Though he's still restless and too-warm he settles into enjoying the friction against his freshly healing skin; the way he can't quite anticipate how his nerves will read even a tepid touch.
When Eddie sits up seeming calmer, John almost exclaims in delight but that goes right out of his head when he's suddenly being kissed.
His genius mile-a-minute mind lags and freezes for a good five seconds and all he can think to do is blink and breath and touch his fingertips to his own mouth in stupefied surprise.
"You're welcome," look those are words. John feels a smile bloom across his mouth and suddenly he's laughing, quiet and giddy and sheepish. "Jeez, maybe I should get more tattoos," he jests, of course understanding his buddy's appreciation was for more than that.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-03 11:28 am (UTC)Until now, it's mostly been limited to Vrenille and sometimes Ginger. But Ginger's busy a lot and John is a better friend anyway and it's not like their alters don't have sex. Well, Ed's alter.
He pokes the tattoo a little more sharply at the dumb comment, though not cruelly still.