A laugh echoed trhough the dirty streets of Gotham City. It was a loud, scary, disharmonic laugh.
- Oh, no, Puddin'! Look what ya just did!-
Harley's voice had always sounded too high, too shrill, even annoying to someone normal.
Yeah, to someone normal.
But who the hell is normal in Gotham City? Sure as hell, not the guy in black cape and pointed ears who spended his nights out beating criminals almost to death. He dressed as a bat, dammit! How'd he be supposed to be normal?
Joker surrounded Harley's shoulders.-Have faith, my dear. It's all going according to plans-
Harley couldn't help but laugh again.-Since when do you have "plans", Mr. J?-
Joker smiled, looking somewhere in darkness, without saying a thing. Harley knew what that means. His mind, his wonderful mind, was working, planning, imagining. God, how much she loved him!
-Whad'ya think he'll do when he knows?-
Joker's eyes shined, his smile widened.-He'll run after us, Harley.-
And then he started laughing again. Gotham trembled and rumbled to that sound. The city - the mother - knew what was going to happen.
-Close you eyes-
-As you wish, mister Wayne- smiled Selina, closing her eyes.
-Don't peek!- Bruce's voice sounded further. Probably he had left the room.
A room as big as the whole Selina's house.
He didn't seem to come back. She was too curious and decided to peek.
She was sat next the chimnley, he was gone.
-Hey, I told you not to peek!- Bruce sounded a bit upset.
Selina shrugged.-I was just curious.-
Bruce stared at her, his eyes cold as ice.-Don't you know curiosity killed the cat?-
Selina chilled. Sometimes, when Bruce looked at her, she felt like he could watch under her skin, watch her soul. She felt vulnerable. And she hated that feeling. Besides, she was starting to see something in him, as well. Something scarying. The more she got to know him, the more she was convinced Bruce Wayne was not just the handsome rich playboy everybody in Gotham knew. There was something else. And Selina was not sure she'd like this side of him. The dark side of the moon.
-Anyway, here's to you.- before she realized, Bruce's hands, so warm and rough, were around her neck and something cold was touching her chest. A necklace. He was lacing it. A pearl necklace. The hugest and the best pearls Selina had ever seen.
-Wow. Well, Bruce... thank you- Selina got up and kissed him.
-Happy Valentine's day- whispered Bruce.
Selina smiled and kissed him again. She hadn't buy any present. He was Bruce Wayne, after all. He already had anything.
- This place's amazing.- claimed Selina, sipping some wine.
And it was amazing. They choose one of the best (and of the most expensive) restaurants in town, which was, of course, full of rich couples. It was Valentine's Day, after all. Bruce felt suddenly rilaxed. Nine o' clock and still nothing. Perhaps criminals too had something else to do on Valentine's Day. Somehow, he started thinking about the Joker. And Harley Quin. Even two psycho murderers seemed to have the right to love, to have someone to lean on. He laid his eyes on the delicate face of the woman in front of him. Selina Kyle. Catwoman. It was some time since he knew her secret identity. She was a thief, a criminal, an enemy. And yet, he kept wondering if he could find in Selina a person to relay on. She wasn't the villain. She wasn't a killer. There was much more that meets the eye, Bruce knew it, but he hadn't yet figure out what it was. But for then, all he knew for sure is that he could not trust her. Not yet.
They finished dinner, without much talking.
Each of them had his demons to hide.
-What are we doing, now?- asked Selina, once they were out of the restaurant -
buttoning up her coat.
-I know something- smiled Bruce, starting to kiss her.
-Help! Somebody help me!- an about 16-years-old boy run over them, keeping screaming. Bruce stopped him.-Wait! What's happening, kid?-
-People...- blubbered the boy, frightened.-In the Square... They're just... They're diying!-
-Dying?- cried Selina.-What does that mean?-
-Suddenly... they just... they just fall down and... and they're dead... It's chaos... I don't know... I just know... I just... HELP! HELP ME!-the boy shaked his shoulders and ran away.
Bruce and Selina stood there, in the alley, without saying a thing for some time.
-Selina... I'm... I'm scared. This must because of some lunatic or something...- lied Bruce, looking for an excuse to leave Selina and put on the Batsuite.
-Yeah, me too. Uhm... would you take me home?-Selina held on Bruce's arm.
Same as Bruce, Selina was looking for an excuse as well.
Bruce knew it, and once again, that night, strangely sweet thoughtsoccurred to him.
