- Chapter 7 -
The dynamic duo watched as the Riddler was led into the van that which was suppose to bring said rogue back to Arkham. Robin was smiling to himself while Batman kept to his usual stoic expression. After the van left, Batman turned around with not a word to Robin, but eventually the Boy Wonder caught up.
"Last time it was Penguin," said Robin, following close behind the Dark Knight. "Then just last week, it was Freeze. And now Riddler? Tough nights we're having, huh?"
"There are still others out there, Robin," replied the Dark Knight. "There will be other tough nights. Perhaps even tougher."
"Can't you lighten up for one second?" snapped Robin, hopping in on the passenger's seat of the Batmobile. "But yeah, I get it. You're talking about Scarecrow and the Mad Hatter, right?"
As soon as Batman was all settled in his set, he started the engine and drove away.
"Scarecrow's been wrecking havoc for weeks now and he just keep slipping from our fingers, we have to stop him before his schemes get's bigger," said the Dark Knight, not even giving his sidekick a glance.
"Don't you mean, spreading fear?" countered the said sidekick, smirking to himself.
"Haven't you been wondering, Dick?" asked Batman, trying to change the subject; using real names was alright since they were quite alone. "Tetch hadn't been seen around the city since he escaped. The rumors has it that he may have left Gotham for good."
"Yeah, but we know that's not true. But if he's still around here in Gotham, question is: where?"
Batman's eyes narrowed behind his mask.
He didn't know the answer himself, but he knew he'd find out eventually.
"Question is why he hadn't tried doing anything yet," he said - it wasn't entirely a question - causing the Boy Wonder to consider this words.
The words were not clear even as she read it for more than three times, and each time she tried focusing on it more, she'd feel a strong sting of pain on the back of her head. So far, the only thing she could do was rub her temples with a hand, as her grip on her pen tightened.
"...ascending, a vision of trees; Bright volumes of vapour through Lothbury glide, And a river flows on through the vale of Cheapside..."
She had been reciting silently under her breath William Wordsworth's poem, The Reverie of Poor Susan. Reciting poems was what she would usually do from trying to distract her attention from the pain. It had served her well the past few years, but today, it was getting difficult.
"...she so often has tripped with her pail; And a single small cottage, a nest like a dove's, The one only dwelling on earth that she loves..."
Always the on who worries about Alex's well being, Tobi had popped his head out of the only thing dividing his cubicle from Alex's, and regarded the brunette with an utter worried expression written all over his face.
"Hey, you sure you okay?" he asked his co-worker.
She looked up but just for a second. "And worse I may be yet: the worst is not; So long as we can say 'This is the worst'."
Tobi quirked up a brow. "I'll be taking that as a 'yes'." The brunette made a short nod. "By the way, that's Shakespeare, right?"
This time as she looked up briefly once again, she smiled. "Yeah, that's right. I'm surprised."
"Hey, don't you underestimate me. I know Shakespeare when I hear it," countered Tobi, trying to hold back a smile of his own. He was relieved in seeing Alex smile for the first time in half an hour. "Besides, I've already read the tragedy of King Lear."
There was another approving nod from the brunette, but Tobi's smile that was threatening to show had slowly vanished completely, his worried expression once again resurfacing. "You can go home now. Take a rest."
"But it's still early," said Alex, trying to focus once more on her work. "I have to make up for those last couple of times I went home early."
"Go home, Alex," insisted Tobi. "You've been working late at night with your story and then you had to work here again in the morning. Take a rest, you deserve it. Fitzralph's gonna understand, you're one of his best writers here."
Go home. Looking up to the only wall clock in the office, Alex read: a quarter after six. She considered things more clearly, then leaned back on her office chair with a heavy sigh, finally admitting her tiredness. "You're right," she said, directing her words to Tobi. "Okay, I'll go home."
Yes, home. Jervis would be there waiting for her.
It was already ten in the evening, yet neither Alex nor Jervis couldn't sleep.
While Alex hadn't given up on working on her story, Jervis couldn't help but be worried about her. Just before they retired to their respective rooms, he had offered her to take some rest but, with a sweet smile to him, she politely replied that she wouldn't. But Jervis took it the other way; she simply couldn't. Even so, he didn't press further on the matter.
He had supposed that he understood the writer, because he'd went through the same thing with his work and researches. Still he could remember how he'd spent late hours at night especially when he started working with the mind-control band. Though he may never know what writers might be going through, but at least he had an idea what it feels like being dedicated to your work.
As he sat alone on the edge of his bed, dressed in his night clothes, he tried reading his favorite book, hoping that somehow by reading it may help to get him to sleep. But after two hours passed, he was still wide awake.
Meanwhile, inside her own room, Alex slammed her fist on her desk.
Nothing. NOTHING was processing smoothly in her mind. Everything was so crumpled, every single idea that would pop out were only in pieces and never whole. It was one of those times again. She needed to clear her mind, but as of the moment, what could possibly help her?
Thinking about it only made it more frustrating, as Alex found herself burying her head in her arms on the desk, groaning as she did so.
She needed a distraction. At least before she goes to sleep. But what?
That was when a thought flashed in her mind. She slowly sat up, shifting on her chair as she faced the door of her room, her thoughts were of the Englishman who was currently in her studio.
She shook her head to such a thought.
That would be a stupid thing to do. But... No. Surely he must be asleep by now? What time is it exactly? Then again, she could always just knock on his door, see if he was still awake or not.
Hesitating to even move from her seat, she urged her feet to walk out of the door when she finally stood up, only to find herself hesitating once again the moment she got face to face with the door of her studio.
She raised her fist to the door. Then pulled it back. Again she raised it, then finally, she knocked...
Jervis had set down the book on the small drawer near the bed just beside the lampshade and was just about to lie down when he heard the knock on the door.
"Hey, uh, Jervis? Are you still awake?" said a womanly, muffled voice from the other side of the door.
Alex...
"Um, yes, my dear," he replied, coming to sit up again on bed, sweeping his legs over the edge. "I'm still awake. What is it?"
"Can I come in?"
"Why, of course. Come right in, lass."
The knob turned as the door slowly opened, revealing Alex in a sleeve-less shirt and black short shorts.
Jervis reflexively swallowed as she approached him at the bed. It was the first time he had ever had a good view of her slender legs. But he tried not staring at it, diverting his gaze towards her face. She was smiling at him, one of her sweetest smile.
Finally, she sat down beside him on bed.
"You really do look good in pj's," she started to say, eyeing the Englishman's clothes.
"Please, Alex," replied the scientist, briefly looking down on his night clothes, then back to the brunette. "No teasing. Not tonight, if you will."
She chuckled to herself, a sound that which gave relief to Jervis, causing him to relax a little.
They fell into silence. Several heart-beats later, Alex reached for Jervis's hand.
"Listen," she looked up to him, "Jervis, I don't know how to put this into words, so I think I'd have to take it into action instead."
He looked back at her with confusion. "What is it?"
To Jervis's surprise, Alex leaned in closer, taking his mouth into a deep kiss. He froze in place almost immediately, eyes widened, not knowing how to react, yet he didn't do anything to protest. When she pulled back, slowly, they looked deeply into each other's eyes, as though asking one another what just happened.
When Alex made off to lean over again, this time Jervis pulled back.
"No, Alex, please," he said to her.
"But why?" she asked in return.
"Because..." He bit his lip, trying to look for a good reason to tell her. "B-Because... because this isn't right."
She carefully raised a hand, stopping to rest on his cheek. "But...I want you."
Jervis's mind was racing.
What? Did I fell asleep? Is this a dream? This can't be real. It's not possible!
She tried once more to lean closer up to him, and he didn't move, he just watched her, he was trying to figure out if what was happening at the moment was real. And yet, if it indeed was a dream, he wasn't certain whether he'd want to wake up.
Once again their lips met, as Jervis closed his eyes and surrendered but for a moment, and although he was all tensed at first he relaxed as she parted her lips for him; he got to taste her more properly as he returned the kiss. Damn, why does she had to taste so good? It wasn't long before he found his hands cupping her face, as it slowly lowered to her neck down to her shoulders, then rested on both her arms. With that, though he didn't want to, he slowly and carefully pushed her away.
They looked at each for a moment before he spoke.
"Alex, please, don't do this," he tried again, looking into her eyes imploringly, but he knew it was in vain. "I'm already mad, what you want to happen will only feed that madness."
She just looked at him, then nodded. "Alright, let's do it this way: if you really don't want to...then stop me again."
He didn't say a word to reply.
The next thing he realized, he was squeezing his eyes shut as she planted feathery kisses from his ear, to his cheek down to his neck. He felt her hands slowly unbuttoning his night shirt but he didn't move to protest, and once she placed a hand on his then bare chest, he opened his eyes to look at her. The first thing he saw was her dark pupils, looking straight back at him.
"Alex, not this way," he shook his head.
"You still have time to stop me," she replied, as she slid her hand down to his stomach.
It wasn't long before she had slipped her hand down his pants.
He gasped the moment he felt her warm touch, finding himself once again closing his eyes. Slowly, he could feel himself hardening down there under her touch, and all that he could do was clutch at the bed sheets. Again, he felt her wet lips on his neck, nibbling so sweetly.
No, he had to stop this. He had to resist it. If not... If not he... He will... He'd lose it... He'd lose... Lose... Control.
Suddenly, a voice from the past... His voice... His words...
"It's always been my philosophy that people should take what they want in life."
When Jervis snapped open his eyes, he yanked Alex to sit up a little straighter to make her look at him. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes that Alex found herself, for the first time, being afraid of the Englishman.
He lost it.
He pulled her close rather roughly, crushing her against him, taking her lips in a passionate kiss, devouring her. Everything went so fast from there. Within minutes, Alex found herself lying down on bed, having lost every bit of clothing she had. She could feel her heart pounding within her chest, as though it wanted to burst out from its place. Seeing the blond-haired man who towered atop her wasn't helping, having both hands on the bed on either of her sides as though wanting to be certain she wouldn't go anywhere. It was like she was his prisoner.
But what she was feeling at the moment wasn't fear, it was longing. Lust. Desire. It had been a long time since she felt this way again.
Suddenly, he slowly lowered his head, his eyes unseen behind those blond mass of hair.
"Is this what you want then?" she heard him whisper, she could feel his warm breath against her skin.
She nodded. "Y-Y-Yes," she breathed, stuttering.
"If so, when I possess you tonight, promise me one thing."
"W-What is it?"
He didn't speak for several heartbeats, until, she heard him again.
"Promise me...you'll be mine."
She closed her eyes. She felt so much emotion in those words.
"I...I promise," she said.
With that, she surrendered herself to him...
A quarter after three... In the early morning.
Blinking out into the distance, only to find that he was facing the window, Jervis found himself lying on his belly with his left arm dangling on the edge of his bed and his fingers were touching the floor. Slowly he rolled to his side, only to be surprised to find someone in bed with him. Apparently in deep slumber, she was facing him, one hand on the pillow near her cheek.
So it wasn't a dream after all.
He lay down there for a minute, just simply looking at her. He could remember the events that occurred about their...he didn't want to say it. Actually, he didn't know what to call it. Though he had to admit that it was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to him, he also had to admit that he lost a part of him in the middle of it. Or was it, at the start of it?
He stirred on bed, deciding to look over the wall clock in the room. It was still very early. Slowly, he got up and tried looking to wherever his night pants went. Later he found it a near three feet from the bed with no less than a few seconds. Just as he had already pulled up his pants, he felt Alex stirring on bed. When he turned to the bed, she had propped herself on one elbow and had one hand rubbing her eye.
"Morning already?" she asked him as she yawned.
"No," he smiled, coming to sit on the bed. "Still too early, I'm afraid."
"Then why are you out?" She reached out a hand to his arm. "Come back to bed."
Without fuss, he climbed back to bed on his side, pulling up the covers. When she scooted closer to him, he was alarmed but settled with their position after she had cozied up to his chest. To help himself be more comfortable, he cautiously wrap one arm around her waist. He allowed himself a smile when she didn't even flinched under his touch.
The entire situation was almost impossible, yet it was real. It was happening, right in front of his eyes.
"Jervis," he heard her murmured against his chest.
"Hmm? Yes, my dear?"
"About what you made me promise you."
He felt something twitched in his heart.
"Um, yes, what of it?" he asked, biting his lip as soon as the words escaped his mouth. He couldn't see her face, just her head.
"Do you, really expect that from me?"
She sounded sleepy, making it hard to understand whether she was aware of what she was saying or not. But with that tone in her voice, it was even harder to know whether if this was a serious discussion or...or what.
"I..." He swallowed. "Well, I...Yes. Yes, I suppose I do. After...After what happened between us, I have assumed..."
He trailed off.
Have assumed what? That she had feelings for him? That she would be his forever? That she wouldn't break his heart? That he wouldn't have to go through...through that same path again?
Oh you foolish, foolish man! Jervis told himself bitterly in his thoughts. What have you gotten yourself into this time?
"Alex," he started again. "What...What am I to you?"
No immediate answer came, and she kept silent for the next couple of seconds, that Jervis had assumed she may have fallen asleep. But when he felt movement from under him, he expected she was about to answer, as he braced himself.
"I won't lie to you. As of the moment, I don't know what you are to me."
Her words had caused a small sting of pain in his chest, but she wasn't done yet.
"But I gave you my word, so I'll keep to it."
A subtle frown slowly appeared on Jervis's brows, not certain of what he heard.
"A promise is a promise," she yawned, as he felt her warm breath against his chest. "So yeah, I'll be your's, don't worry. That is, if you'll have me."
As Alex slowly drifted back to sleep, the last thing she knew she felt arms were being wrapped around her, pulling her close against something warm. She also heard a continuous beating sound.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
It was the last she heard before she fell asleep again.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
She never felt so much in peace before.
Thump, thump...