#◖𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 ? / 𝐢𝐜

[halfdent]

POV: he's growling at you

[halfdent]

That  isn't  love  .  Not  even  a  fanciful  semblance  of  what  the  word  means  and  ,  maybe  Harvey  with  a  temperament  so  unpredictable  ,  anger  so  displaced  yet  full  inside  of  him  ;  had  no  right  to  make  a  comment  on  that  .  Gilda  ...  one  moment  collapsing  into  her  lap  in  a  pitiful  shell  of  himself  and  the  other  ,  blackout  --  he  would  shout  sometimes  .  Break  things  ,  at  least  that's  what  remained  when  he  came  back  to  himself  .  Sweet  sometimes  ,  frightening  the  others  .  Yet  Gilda  was  strong  she  could  still  love  him  .  On  account  of  her  own  heart  being  split  between  black  and  white  ,  perhaps  .  --  What  a  magnificent  creature  she  was  .  It's  over  now  .  Old  ghosts  .

That's  just  how  their  hearts  are  carved  .  It  was  a  sentiment  he  understood  yet  didn't  want  to  understand  .

On  his  mind  ?  Yes  .  So  much  .  The  two  people  that  mattered  most  to  him  .  Both  of  them  were  out  of  reach  ,  both  of  them  so  equally  bisected  as  him  .  Though  there  secondary  mask  could  come  off  .  --  Bruce  ,  one  day  this  will  end  and  he  just  hopes  ,  though  he  knows  ,  Bruce  doesn't  have  a  heart  black  enough  to  put  this  conjoined  monstrocity  out  of  its  misery.

❝  Bothering  .  Is  an  inconvenience  .   ❞  He  waved  a  hand  ,  fingers  coiled  around  a  cigarette  .  ❝  I  can  get  by  on  inconveniences  .   ❞  He's  a  glass  and  a  half  in  and  on  his  third  cigarette  this  hour  .  So  he  isn't  so  tight-lipped  for  long  .  ❝  Batman  and  I  worked  together  once  .  We  were  allies  .   ❞  Every  part  of  Wayne  was  an  ally  so  it  turned  out  .  ❝  Sometimes  I  watch  it  all  unfold  ,  unable  to  do  anything  .  I  couldn't  anyway  --  not  without  order  .  No  matter  what  bias'  each  side  of  me  may  have  .  Such  prejudices  neither  I  nor  HE  can  afford  to  spend  .   ❞

places like gotham, they collect the miserable and the ill. those that carried their resentment, scarred thick over their skin. THIS CITY IS CORRUPT! anybody could tell you that who lived here. 🎶 the rich get richer and the poor get poorer 🎶. it seemed the eternal refrain that hung over gotham, with the bruce waynes of the world gliding about the top, and the rest of them left as if captured beneath ice, forever staring enviously upwards to the elite that seemed to only see all of this as a good time.

it's why alice finds she has FEW QUALMS about working at a place like this. everyone's just looking to survive. and people here, oh, aren't they so much more honest? so much more real? thieves and murders and scam artists ,all of them! a few drinks in a place that felt like they were surrounded by their own ilk and oh, their hearts felt so wide open. harvey, not so much. two face, more so. but she always did like him, even if he was a little unpredictable. everything about him though was made of black and whites. pristine chance and opportunity. fairness. was anybody surprised that the old DA was someone who looked for something that had always served as the shining ideal in his career? if it wasn't going to happen when things were drawn out, fair and square... well. when he was the one setting the odds, then he'd know how to create a world just so!

"poor thing-" she twitters, a sigh on her lips. the drink's empty ; a fish, she leaves it on a ledge, her palms grasping at the edge of her seat. "i think that's what love can do to people. i can't say who loves who or for what but i do think at least she does love him. to her it's a romance story! and for him, it feels like a comedy. i really do wonder what will happen when they realize their MOVIE NIGHTS might not be what they expected them to be~ but what do i know? they've been at it for years. they'll be at it still to come! some people. that's just how their hearts are carved, you know?"

she finds over time he has rather strict ideals. it feels fitting. she wonders how much of that has loosened now that he runs about with the company that he does. mr harvey dent, twoface, one a symbol of something within gotham. she wonders if people fill him with stories of glory or anger now. to wear the shoe on the other foot, most people can't handle that! though she wonders if he sees himself a villain, or as much as a vigilante crusader as the bat he talks about. she laughs. a half smile. "out of everyone i know, at least you don't get SOUR about it. you're right. things are working out as they should~" a pause, a half smile. "thank god." if only because she found that if nothing else? it did reinforce something essential to what she felt he needed around him.

the cigarette is lit, alice holding out the lighter. she's meant to be company, fodder, a willing sacrifice. but people mistake the kind of brutality that gotham held within it as random and chaotic. it was rarely ever that. alice enjoys the work, the people, the madness. for her, this was the REALEST THING about this city, wasn't it? "something bothering you?"

- @halfdent

[halfdent]

They  were  in  mid-speech  when  a  displaced  piece  of  debris  from  their  inner  ,  corrupted  eye  decides  to  momentarily  distract  them  .

It  was  nothing  they  were  unaccustomed  to  but  this  dark  speck  in  particular  proved  to  be  a  persistent  irritation.

❝  FUCK !  Hold  on  ...  bastard floater right where I can't ignore it . ❞  It  was  pointless  trying  to  read  someone's  expression  when  your  scrutiny  was  only  half  as  reliable  .

[halfdent]

❝    𝐁𝐀𝐃 ? ! 𝐁𝐀𝐃 ? !  Yer  call  this  bad  yer  frickin'  harlot  ? !  This  is  beyond  that  ,  this  is  𝐀  𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐓  𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖  - is  what  this  is  !   ❞   Turning  their  head  to  see  just  how  many  pigs  were  on  their  tail  now  .  ❝    𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐓  !  Get  in  !   ❞   Flinging  the  passenger  seat  door  open  . 

It  should  be  𝘏𝘈𝘙𝘝𝘌𝘠  driving  Miss  Daisy  not  him  ,  𝐓𝐖𝐎-𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄  despised  being  the  getaway  driver  .  That's  not  what  he's  meant  for  .  He's  a  big  fucking  deal  around  here  .  Crazy  broad  .

Foot  slams  against  the  accelerator  ,  partly  because  he  doesn't  want  to  go  back  to  Arkham  so  damn  soon  after  escaping  the  damned  place  and  two  parts  because  he's  furious  that  there's  at  least  three  sirens  shrieking  ,  ear  splitting  as  they  cut  through  the  night  .  ❝   Next  time  get  a  look  out  or  somethin'  damn  ammatuer  ,  here  shoot  someone !   ❞   At  this  point  that  gravelly  tone  is  just  spouting  out  aggression  and  nothing  more  , as  he  tosses  one  of  his  twins  to  her . 

*@qnzel ✘ / 𝙿𝙻𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙴𝙳: “ i’ll admit, this looks bad. ” ― 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍 / 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 .

[halfdent]

The  idiots  he's  hired  brought  in  a  runt  .  And  while  𝐓𝐖𝐎-𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄  is  prepared  to  shoot  a  kid  between  the  eyes  if  fate  says  she  dies  today  ,  there's  always  that  piece  of  𝙷𝚊𝚛𝚟𝚎𝚢  ,  hands  splayed  across  the  one  way-  sheeted-barricade  in  their  mind  ,  pleading  that  fate  leans  towards  mercy  .  𝙻𝚎𝚝  𝚝𝚑𝚎  𝚔𝚒𝚍  𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚢  .  𝙻𝚎𝚝  𝚑𝚎𝚛  𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 .  How  many  times  does  he  have  to  go  through  the  motions  ?  Watching  himself  harm  another  child  ? 

Anyone  was  bad  enough  but  children  -  like  he  so  wanted  with  is  beloved  -  their  dreams  dashed  by  her  loss  why  dash  the  life  of  another  ?The barrel of one of the sister's poised right between [ @extraordinarygrrls / her ] eyes .

  𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄  𝐈𝐓'𝐒  𝐍𝐎𝐓  𝐔𝐏  𝐓𝐎  𝐇𝐈𝐌  𝐎𝐑  𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄  𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐄  .  There's  bigger  elements  at  play  here  .  Binaries  .  All  of  it  hinges  on  the  coin's  verdict  .  𝚃𝚑𝚎  𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍  𝚒𝚜  𝚌𝚛𝚞𝚎𝚕  𝚊𝚗𝚍  𝚝𝚑𝚎  𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚐  𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎  𝚐𝚘𝚝  𝚝𝚘  𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚗  𝚒𝚝  𝚝𝚑𝚎  𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍  𝚠𝚊𝚢  𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝  𝚊𝚜  𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢  𝚍𝚒𝚍  .  A  lesson  everyone  learns  some  way  or  another  even  if  it's  battered  into  them  time  and  time  again  .

𝙷𝚊𝚛𝚟𝚎𝚢  would  hold  their  breath  as  the  silver  piece  takes  flight  ,  stopping  it  before  it  can  fall  from  eyeline  ,  then  turning  it  to  the  sole  of  their  hand  .  𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬  .  She  lives  .  A  barely  audible  sigh  of  relief  .

❝    Welcome  to  the  family  , 𝚁𝚄𝙽𝚃 .  ❞  It's  for  the  better  that  𝐓𝐖𝐎-𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄  has  taken  charge  for  now  ,  𝙷𝚊𝚛𝚟𝚎𝚢  will  only  live  this  nightmare  over  and  over  again  .  How  close  he  really  was  from  wiping  the  poor  girl's  brains  up  off  of  the  floor  will  always  haunt  him  as  it  so  often  did  .

/ 𝙿𝙻𝙾𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙳 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁 .

[halfdent]

He's  mad  as  all  fuck  .  He  drew  all  of  you  a  picture  of  𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐇𝐄  𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒  𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄  and  you  called  him  a  𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍  𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍  𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐃𝐎𝐆 !

[halfdent]

◖ @divingdownthehole / 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐒 :  "Sit down before you fall down.

⚖  ― blood, blood, gallons of the stuff ! 彡

They  are  displaced  .  They  don't  know  right  this  second  who  is  in  the  forefront  of  their  mind  ,  breath  tight  .  Their  ribs  feel  full  of  fluid  ,  it  was  just  a  sensation  ,  though  it  constricted  their  chest  nonetheless  .  Panic .

Their  body  heavy  while  they  seem  to  be  out  of  bounds  and  out  of  their  body  .  Soon  came  a  voice  .  Sit  down  .

Can  they  sit  ?  Would  their  body  allow  for  that  ?  They  willed  it  anyway  ,  breathing  in  ,  air  trying  to  join  the  mugginess  of  their  lungs  .

❝  What  ?  -  Who  .  ❞  Vision  abstracts  until  it  doesn't  ,  it  settles  ,  focusing  on  the  figure  in  front  of  them  .  ❝  You  .  ❞  It  yields  no  malice  ,  no  their  words  are  escaping  their  split  lips  ,  though  not  quite  registering  to  their  own  ears  .  ...  Jervis  Tetch  .  That's  who  this  is  .  They  look  to  their  hands  ,  squeezing  them  tight  .

[halfdent]

God  ,  equal  parts  hate  equal  parts  the  same  .  Skin  and  scars  conjoined  curl  up  to  bare  teeth  across  gape  and  lips  .  They  keep  his  cell  next  to  the  inscrutably  annoying  man  as  torture  now  don't  they  ?  It  has  to  be  .

@rihdler /𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐃: “you can’t lie to me, harv’. i know all your tells.”

❝    Tellin'  yer  to  𝐅𝐔𝐂𝐊  𝐔𝐏  right  now  ,  that's  what  we  tells  .  No  lies  there  ;  𝐖𝐄  𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓  𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓  𝐓'𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊  𝐓𝐎  𝐘𝐄𝐑  !  ❞ Let  them  lick  their  wounds  in  peace  .

Slumped  against  the  wall  they  can  hear  the  latter's  prattle  as  always  .  Annoying  but  never  boring  nonetheless  .

❝    'Sides  ,  we'll  tell  ya  ,  𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒  𝐀𝐑𝐄  𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐑  𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍  𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐒 . . .  Trust  that  .   ❞

[halfdent]

❝   𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧  𝐈  𝐝𝐢𝐞  just  sever  this  chain  and  split  us  down  the  middle  .  So  we  can  have  𝐭𝐰𝐨  𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞  𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐬  . That  way  they  can  separate  𝐦𝐚𝐧  from  𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑  at  last  .    ❞  

❝  Such  pretty  theatrics,  𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯  .  Ain't  nobody  gunna  bury  us  when  we're  𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃  an'  gone  we'd  be  left  to  𝐑𝐎𝐓  some  place  lyin'  in  our  own  𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒  an'  whatever  else  .    ❞  

[halfdent]

𝐏𝐎𝐕: you stared  𝐓𝐎𝐎 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆  &&  now  they  are  staring  𝐀𝐓  𝐘𝐎𝐔  .

[halfdent]

❝  You  should  know  by  now  ; this _𝐀𝐈𝐍'𝐓 𝐍𝐎 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍  ,  it's  a  trial  .  So  Sionis  .  Roman  "  Black  Mask "  Sionis  .  Yer  been  accused  with  the  brutalization  of  a  one  𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐗 𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐀𝐃𝐎  .  How  do  you  plead  ?  ❞

Moments  pass  and  two  voices  speak  in  seizless  quarry  .  One  the  defense  one  the  prosecution  .  Of  course  they  wanted  to  hear  the  full  story  ,  idling  around  him  in  the  squalid  ,  dilapidated  building  ,  they  had  to  keep  this  under wraps  after  all  . 

❝  We  asked  you  a  𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧  ,  Sionis [ @catfcng / 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 ] , 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 .   ❞

[halfdent]

Mad  men  talk , talk  to  themselves  and  among  themselves  .  He  had  see  John  talk  to  himself  in  the  mirror  before  .  Seemed  a  little  vain  but  that's  what  most  men  do  .  Perhaps  that  was  even  sane  .  Saner  than  himself  anyways  .

He  waved  his  hand  dismissively  ,  not  to  any  of  Homelander's  propositions  but  to  the  idea  of  breaking  anything  else  .

❝   No  ,  no  this  WAS  an  accident  .  ❞

To  take  him  on  a  date  .  Ah  now  THAT  did  call  for  counsel  .

❝   Lets see  what  the  co in  says  .  ❞  Two  Face  abruptly  interrupted  ,  it  was  only  a  matter  of  time  before  he  did  really.  Harvey  would  usually  be  disconcerted  by  it  ,  though  he  knew  John  and  Two  Face  were  equally  partners  .  So  it's  silent  discontempt  .  ❝   Heads  we  go  on  a  date  ,  tails  we  stay  'ere  .  How  'bout  that  ?  ❞

"well, my love, if you keep breaking furniture of mine here and there it won't be comforting anymore, unless, well.." he presses closer to him, blushing a faint shade of pink "unless it involves our special activities." he's just joking, Harvey can break everything as long as he gets to see that sweet, shy smile of his. ah well, aren't you a hopeless romantic? we were born to be belonged to each other, you talk to your damn picture in the mirror while he has his other personality.. I never felt this close to anyone else, I want him.. "but you're right, that fancy chair was important for me.. going to have you make it up to me. maybe by..hmm" he makes a thoughtful face then "taking me out on a date this afternoon maybe?" he leans up, fuck I have to hover in the air a little to reach his lips, and kisses Harvey once before pulling back. "my tall, strong, handsome boy.."

[halfdent]

❝    Heh  ,  s'pose  yer  don't  .  How  'bout  it  ,  one  way  or  the  other;  𝐈'𝐃  𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋  𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐒𝐇  𝐘𝐄𝐑  𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄  𝐀  𝐁𝐔𝐆 !  ❞   Liable  that  the  insect -  themed  victor  has  heard  it  all  before  .  It  mattered  not  .  It  didn't  matter  who  came  running  around  these  streets  ,  Bat  ,  God  Damn  aliens  in  tight  pants  ,  or  some  kind  of  Ant  freak  .

❝    Lets  see  yer  𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐑𝐌  yer  way  outta  this  one  alive  .   ❞   Around  the  abandoned  warehouse  there  are  crates  for  cover  ,  𝙶𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙰𝙼'𝚂  𝙵𝙰𝙻𝙻𝙴𝙽  𝙲𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚄𝙱𝙸𝙼   sought  no  refuge  as  they  stand  in  the  shrouded  darkness  of  what  was  once  a  money  laundering  outlet  for  the  mob  .  This  place  used  to  be  stacked  to  the  Heaven's  full  of  cash  before  it  was  almost  burned  down  .

Tommy  gun  in  hand  ,  the  other  viced  to  his  own  hip  he  aligns  the  sight  ,  trying  to  keep  up  with  the  little  pest  !

*@aston1sh1ng ✘ / 𝙿𝙻𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙴𝙳: “  i  don’t  have  to  prove  anything  to  you.  ” ― 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍 / 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 .

[halfdent]

The  very  air  around  them  seems  to  distort  ,  nulling  into  nothing  ,  seeing  shades  of  red  creep  up  the  walls  .  The  name  that  escaped  the  officer's  lips  it's  something  neither  Harvey  or  Two  Face  could  bare  .  Gilda  .  Their  united  heart  feeling  as  though  it  had  been  pierced  and  breath  rising  out  of  their  chest  .  Harvey  tried  to  hold  Two  Face's  leash  taught  in  their  mindspace.  How  is  this  bastard  still  breathing ?!  He's  bluffing  @stainedpast  knows  nothing  ,  he  doesn't  know.  The  case  was  closed  months  ago  .  We  were  sentenced  for The Holiday Killings  . 

Two  Face  ,  it  seems  ,  wasn't  willing  to  take  that  chance  ,  fighting  nail  and  tooth  in  the  sinew  of  their  mind  .  Harvey's  restraint  was  slipping  still  he  manages  to  be  the  one  to  speak  . 

❝    My  Ex  wife  .  What  of  her  ?  I  don't  think  even  YOU  know  what  you're  insinuating  here  .  ❞ He  challenged  ,  though  he  knew  it  was  only  a   matter  of  seconds  before  the  beast  would  slip  the  chain  .

/ ⚖  𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 !  彡

[halfdent]

Calls  himself  a  professional  .  The  dorsal-side  of  his  hand  elects  to  smear  away  the  lingering  residue  of  this  mornings  coffee  that  seeped  where  he  lacks  the soft  pliable  structure  of  lips  or  mantle  of  skin  .  Two  Face  leered  at  @bruz3r  from  his  desk  curious  and  contemplative  .  The  man  appeared  one  day  while  the  boss  of  crime  was  at  the  very  lilt  of  his  frustrations  .  There's  a  rat  somewhere  in  the  gang  ,  someone  he  couldn't  trust  .  Not  that  he  trusted  the  men  he  hired  but  you  expect  loyalty  in  fear  .

Matches  Malone  claims  to  be  the  best  of  the  best  .  While  he  can't  disprove  it  ,  there's  something  about  him  that  tells  him  otherwise  .  Not  that  he  can  put  his  finger  on  it  .  The  man  also  lacks  the  fear  he  would  prefer  in  his  men  .  If  they  couldn't  keep  their  lunches  down  at  the  sight  of  him  on  the  first  day  or  even  week  ;  usually  it  was  a  better  sign  than  none  .

The  coin  warranted  Malone's  stay  ,  it's  verdict  decided  that  he  lived  to  join  the  gang  .  He  both  irritated  and  beguiled  .  Likewise  Twos  both  wanted  to  strangle  the  annoying  little  nobody  --  shut  his  smart  mouth  once  and  for  all  ,  damn  him  for  the  looks  he  couldn't  see  him  give  under  those  blacked-off  lenses  of  his  and  that  smile  .  His  smile  .  Nauseating  .  --  OR  show  him  just  how  small  he  was  in  his  presence  ,  stand  shoe  to  cranium  with  Matches  head  pressed  into  the  cold  ,  hard  ground  .

❝  Malone  .  Get  over  'ere  .  I  wanna  talk  t'ya  .  ❞  He  growled  low  and  guttural  would  his  natural  rasp  allow  it  .  ❝  I  said  now  ,  you  sack  of  shit  !  ❞

[halfdent]

Harvey  had  heard  it  unfold  more  so  than  seen  it  .  The  way  Bogdan's  disapproval  must  have  pressed  down  on  his  son  .  Leonardo  sounded  wounded  by  the  words  and  though  Two  Face  had  wanted  to  intervene  ,  teach  the  old  bastard  a  lesson  like  he  had  their  old  man  so  many  years  ago  ,  he  was  stilled  by  Harvey  .  Still  was  ,  he  was  fighting  back  now  more  than  he  has  in  a  long  time  .  If  the  other  Harvey  could  drag  their  own  father  on  live  broadcasting  in  an  attempt  of  public  execution  he  didn't  want  to  know  what  he  could  do  when  their  lover's  father  acted  just  as  disagreeable  as  their  own  .

Sanity  was  a  ever  changing  scale  ,  sometimes  the  books  on  one  side  out  weighed  the  other  then  they  blossomed  ,  the  turning  of  pages  swaying  the  balance  this  way  or  that  .  Harvey  had  thought  the  law  ,  that  pretending  would  keep  him  sane  would  somehow  keep  him  whole  .  It  only  worked  for  so  long  now  didn't  it  ?

He  noticed  the  way  hands  squeezed  jagerred  glass  ,  cutting  into  skin  .  Adrenaline  was  sometimes  the  rush  needed  in  any  anger  .  Still  ,  gentle  Harvey  took  the  son  of  Netto  by  the  rest  ,  twisting  the  palm  to  face  up  in  an  attempt  to  remove  the  offending  glass.

❝  I  -  'm  sorry  you  feel  so  strongly  about  𝐡𝐢𝐬  𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥  𝐨𝐟  𝐮𝐬  ,  I've  seen  this  before  ... ❞ 

Gilda  .  Not  with  their  love  ,  no  ,  no  .  She  had  been  broken  by  the  rejection  of  love  from  another  family  she  had  wedded  long  before  she  sought  asylum  with  Harvey  ,  eventually  finding  love  their  in  their  home  .  Such  a  long  time  ago  now  .  Criminals  are  superstitious  .  Especially  fathers  who  happen  among  criminals  . 

❝ 𝐈  𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞  𝐢𝐧  𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞    ,  I  can't  say  what  it  has  in  store  for  us  but  I  know  I  can  also  only  hope  that  your  father  is  an  outlier  among  what  I  have  come  to  know  for  fact  .  Or  that  somehow  𝐛𝐚𝐝  𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐬  𝐜𝐚𝐧  𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤  . There  are  so  many  things  we  have  accomplished  already  that  I  had  long  thought  died  in  me  .  So  if  nothing  else ;  I  have  a  reason  to  hope . ❞

He might not know their pain, not the taste of it, but he feels them, agonizes with them. He is always there for them; Two Face shall not be alone in protecting Harvey, not anymore. Isn’t this why he has stood to his own father? Refused to kneel or submit despite the tremendous pressure to do so if he so values their familial relationship? It has brought RAGE out of them, WRATH in the way they belittled most of what he stood for against them, most of his life choices, ridiculed the softness in his heart. Leonardo took it all with silence, not declining nor conforming because it is him they have wronged; he can take that blow, but he cannot allow the same treatment towards his partner, never. The way the words out of his mouth were coated with venom and anger was almost a shock to Bogdan; their son has always been stubborn, argumentative when his mind is set on something like his career, but never this raging, almost hateful in the way his words bite. He can never hate them, they know that. The boy they know and raised would have showed anger through a mere glare even after a slap to the face, but this time, he dared to hold them by the wrist to prevent whatever they were planning to do. Outrageous.

There is a part of him that worries: has he SEVERED every connection between him and Bogdan? Nah. No matter what happens, they will always find a way back to be the family they are, to fix the holes their mistakes have dug.

They sit beside him, he doesn’t look but it is already apparent with the peripherals of his vision along with the shift of heavy weight dipping the cushion. No, it is not alright. It will never be alright. Not to him. ❝ Not being content isn’t a reason to act like a— that, Harv! ❞ There is bite to his words- Regret? Blame? He knows part of Bogdan’s behavior stems from worry, FEAR for they can see their son’s love for them reflective on his eyes, on the way he looks at them, the way he DARES stand against his own blood when they are wronged. What shall become of the Netto family if its only successor decides there is nothing to this life comparable to this disfigured man? Then again, fear has blinded them for deep inside, they know their son would never tarnish the name, would never turn his back on it. ❝ It’s not like any of us is sane to begin with. ❞ His hands grip on one another, the broken glass cutting a little, but the rage in his blood is like a phantom anesthetic, temporary numbing until the anger wears off. Will it?