The tightness to Barnaby's expression hampered his gaze from inching far past it. Did he mention something he shouldn't? His posture stiffened. Parents weren't a common topic of conversation for him - it'd probably been years since he last mentioned them to anyone other than August Gallagher. So, when it came down to it, he wasn't quite sure what constituted as 'too much' and what was just conversational.

These anxieties subsided a bit once Barnaby divulged further while offering his condolences. "Oh." Eyes softened to the man's gaze. There was hurt behind those special blue eyes, and even if Felix had nothing to offer in response, he wanted to be there. To hold him. But he couldn't -- his legs didn't have the strength to push him forward, and his heart still held a pang of fear.

"...What were they like? If...you don't mind me asking.."

@tag

When faced with the brightest this world has to offer, it can be hard to remind oneself that the other is as human as anyone else. That they express pain, hurt, regret, just as he did. It was this fact that rested on Felix's mind as he intently listened to the unraveling of Barnaby's true, purest self. The self only a few had the pleasure of learning about.



As his words trailed off into a gentle silence, Felix's gaze dripped downward, as the gears of the brain began to churn rapidly, and steam spewed from out his ears. Something, he had to say something of merit, but what?



His jaw fell open. The words rested on the tip of the tongue, begging to be released.



"that's so cheesy Felix," His brother's words came back to him, reminding him of their own personal heart-to-heart. When he tried to offer a response -- something more impactful than his typical straight-to-the-point answers -- that was the reaction he had received. Cheesy. He didn't want to be cheesy.





"...perfect." Strangled and barely audible, the word managed to free itself from the shackles of his worries. Cheesy or not, something was infinitely better than nothing, right? Still, the process of transforming thoughts into words was becoming increasingly difficult for the already emotionally constipated man.



After a long pause, he finally breathed out the end of his thought, "You're perfect as you are."

BARNABY FINCH

Felix let out a hard sniff, inwardly condemning himself for his inept social skills. 'You're perfect'? How did that compete with ANYTHING Barnaby had said and done to lift his own spirits? A trembling pain overtook his chest. It hurt knowing this was the extent of his powers. Just a pathetically "cheesy" string of words that he may or may not even believe in.

Before these thoughts could continue to fester, Barnaby's unbelievably warm touch shattered everything, making every thought or fear powerless against the blaze of fire he sparked within him. Turning, his worried eyes met his, and for a moment the world fell to a hush.

Nothing outside their orbit existed, or mattered, or even held a single shred of importance. Here -- this moment -- was all Felix's mind could wrap itself around.

"But you... you are as close to perfect as anyone could possibly be."

Perfect, huh.

Felix's lips curled into a half-smile and a content sigh slithered from his lips. Heart swelled up in his chest, his body begged him to swallow the space between them. So he did.

Hands caressing Barnaby's face, thumbs lightly stroking his cheeks, the dark knight leaned into a kiss.

BARNABY FINCH