Strange - A Nygmobblepot Story

Ignorance Is Bliss

Oswald's lip trembled and his eyes burned as he tried to keep his tears at bay. His knees were shaking and he was struggling to stay upright, leaning onto Ivy for support. He could tell that she was trying to say something to him, but there was a loud ringing in his ears and he couldn't hear her. The world seemed to be spinning around him and he collapsed back into his chair, thoroughly shaken.
Ed loved him. Ed loved him. Ed loved him.
This couldn't be real. His brain was firing off excuses left and right, not convinced that he wasn't dreaming.
Maybe the perfume wore off.
No... Ed still appeared to be in that drugged up state, sitting there and smiling at nothing.
Maybe he was never under the perfume's influence in the first place.
No, he would have never been so open and honest without the perfume. And Ivy had made an extra strong batch anyway.
Maybe Ivy had brewed some sort of love potion instead.
No... She cared about him. She wouldn't have done that...
Oswald stared up at Ivy, who gripping his shoulders tightly and looking at him with worry in her eyes.
"Ozzie, are you ok?", she asked, shaking him lightly.
To Oswald it seemed as if she was shouting at him from miles away. He saw her eyes widen at his lack of response and she started to panic. She ran to the cupboard, unlocking it quickly and then grabbing a big blue bottle. She turned back to Oswald and sprayed the liquid in his face, causing him to come to his senses. The ringing in his ears stopped and the world straightened itself. He stood up from his chair and muttered, "I'm fine, Ivy." She let out a sigh of relief and smiled at down at him.
"Oh thank god! I thought you were having some sort of panic attack. But you're back now! Oh just in time too, Ed's waking up!"
Oswald nodded distractedly and walked over to Ed. His eyes were lowered to the ground, and he was shaking slightly.
"What did I... what did I say?"
Oswald blinked at him in confusion.
"You don't remember?"
Ed shook his head slowly, completely unaware that he'd just confessed his love to the man standing before him. Oswald took a deep breath to calm himself down and then spun around to Ivy, looking for an explanation.
"Ivy, why can't he remember anything?!", he demanded, his face turning red.
Ivy sighed and folded her arms across her chest, obviously annoyed. She glanced over at Ed and then whispered to Oswald,
"That is a side effect of the perfume, remember? It couldn't be helped!"
Oswald clenched his fists and turned away from Ivy, angry at himself for forgetting. The first time he had seen Ivy use her perfume the exact same thing happened. Why didn't he think of this? He tried to convince himself that it didn't change anything, but it did. If Ed didn't remember telling him that he loved him... Oswald sighed and turned back to Ivy.
"We need a plan."
She rolled her eyes and looked down at her freshly manicured nails.
"Well, duh? I have one already."
Oswald's face lit up and he stared at her hopefully.
"Well, what is it?"
"Just tell him that he confessed his love for you! Easy peasey lemon squeezey Ozzie!"
Ivy smiled down at him, pleased with herself. She obviously thought that just telling him would work.
"Ivy, I can't do that!", Oswald explained, hoping that Ed couldn't hear them.
Ivy frowned down at him and narrowed her eyes in confusion.
"Why not? That would fix everything, right?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"Then just go for it!"
Ivy spun him round to face Ed and she grinned at the pair delightedly.
"Eddie? Oswald is gonna tell you everything you told him while you were in la la land, aren't you Ozzie?"
Ed got out of his chair expectantly, and looked over to him. Oswald's mouth fell open and he started to stammer out excuses but Ivy would hear none of it.
"You better tell him, or I will.", she muttered into his ear. Before Oswald could think of a response she pushed him towards Ed, making him fall against his chest and making both of them blush.
"Now go, go, off into the living room! Tell him exactly what he said! I'll send you that picture Ozzie, in case you need proof!", Ivy exclaimed, pushing them out of the greenhouse and into the hallway. She winked at Oswald and gave Ed a thumbs up before closing the door and going back to her plants.
Oswald turned reluctantly to Ed and tried to smile at him. It didn't quite reach his eyes.
Ed didn't appear to notice.
"What picture was Ivy talking about?", he asked.
Oswald gulped.
"Ahh... well... you'll see Ed. Come on."
Oswald lead the way to the living room, filled with sudden resolve. He could do this. This was exactly what he had wanted, and he wasn't going to let it slip through his fingertips.

He sat down first and gestured for Ed to sit next to him. The other man did so hesitantly, still worried about what he had said while under Ivy's influence. He turned to face Oswald, who was visibly shaking, and tried to calm down. Everything was fine. If it wasn't, he would be dead already.
"So, uh.... Ed?, Oswald mumbled.
"Yes?"
"Do you want to know what you told me?"
Edward leaned closer to Oswald.
"Yes."
Oswald blinked up at him, his cheeks turning pink.
"Well, umm, f-first you told us about how you felt after k-killing me, about how you regretted doing it."
Ed nodded, having expected that.
"Th-then you told us why you took the pills. I knew most of this of course, but some of what you said was new... You told us about your hallucinations... you, uhh, said that I sang to you?"
Ed blushed and he looked to the ground, embarrassed. That was certainly a... a moment.
"Yes... you sang."
"And then....", Oswald said nervously,  "You told us that you eventually dumped the pills in the sea. But... I showed up again, for the last time. You said you missed me. You said you had cared about me. And then you said goodbye."
"I wish I had never said goodbye Oswald."
The words were out of Ed's mouth before he could stop them, and they caused Oswald to turn even redder than he was before.
"Me either." he whispered, barely loud enough for Ed to hear. He then shook himself slightly and got back to the task at hand.
"The perfume's effects don't last long, and I thought I had time for only one more question. So I asked you if you truly forgave me and wanted to be friends again. You smiled at me, and said yes. You said you'd rather have me than.. than anyone else."
Ed nodded slowly, trying to keep calm. He thought that that was all he would have said, but it was clear that Oswald wasn't finished.
"The picture that Ivy was talking about... I-I hugged you. After you said that. I was just so... happy."
Ed smiled down at him then, knowing that whatever else he had said didn't matter. He and Oswald could just go back to the way things were.
"But then... just before the perfume wore off... Ivy stepped in. She asked you a certain question, Ed, without clearing it with me first. I don't know if you'll believe me, but I promise I'm not lying to you. Cross my heart, okay?"
Ed nodded, now confused. What on earth had Ivy asked him? And what did he respond?

Oswald stared up at him, as if searching for something in his eyes.
"Ed..."
"Yes?"
"She asked you if you were in love with me. And you said yes."