Day Two-Hundred Seventy (continued)
Harley woke up at 4 in the morning thirsty. She went downstairs towards the kitchen when she saw the light on in the living room. She peeked and saw Bruce stitching his arm up by himself. "Mistah Wayne?" Harley asked. Bruce looked up but continued stitching his arm. She went to Bruce's side and sat next to him, watching him stitching.
"Your face is in the way, Harley," Bruce spoke firmly.
"Ya missed a stitch," Harley said. "Here, I'll do it." Harley took the needle and had to redo Bruce's stitching since he did it terribly. Bruce flinched a little from the pain. "So what attacked ya this time?"
"...villains..."
"Who was it this time? Killer Croc? Bane? Catwoman?" Harley scoffed at the last name she said.
"Your puddin'."
"What?" Harley gasped. "He did?" Bruce nodded.
"Don't feel flattered, Harley. He didn't fight me for you." Harley was quiet and just kept stitching. Bruce felt bad that he kept hurting Harley's feelings, but he couldn't bring down his walls just yet. He needed to know Harley really meant to change, and until then he needed to have his guard up.
"There. It's all done," she said and bit the stitch off the needle.
"Are you busy tomorrow?" Bruce asked.
"No. Why?"
"Don't plan anything tomorrow."
"Why? Where are we gonna go?" Harley asked with a smile. Bruce just stood up and Harley followed him. "C'mon, Mistah Wayne! I wanna know!"
"Just look at the counter," Bruce said. Harley ran to the kitchen counter and saw a movie ticket for a recent rom-com movie that was released. Harley looked but saw that Bruce was gone. She ran up the stairs and burst into Bruce's room, seeing him already in bed. Harley ran to Bruce's bed and bounced on it, tucking herself next to Bruce. "Harley!"
"Ah, c'mon, Mistah Wayne. Ya know ya sleep better when I'm around. I can tell. Your heartbeat gets all calm, and you don't even snore."
"I snore?"
"Yeah! When I'm not around. I can even hear you all the way from my room every night! Just go to sleep, Mistah Wayne," Harley smiled and leaned her head onto Bruce's chest, listening to his calm heart beat.
Day Two-Hundred Seventy One
Harley was in the mirror for over and hour, trying to decide what to wear for the movies today. "Out for a date, Miss Quinn?" Alfred asked.
"Yup! Okay, okay, A-Man. You need to help me decide. Cute and bubbly?" Harley asked lifting up an outfit that was cute and bubbly. "Or smoldering temptress?" She lifted another outfit that was like a smoldering tempress style.
"I'd say...cute and bubbly," Alfred smiled.
"Alright then!" Alfred left her room so that Harley could change, and she skipped downstairs to where Alfred was. She bid him goodbye and went to the movie theater. Harley sat outside on the bench waiting for Bruce. The movie was going to start in 20 minutes and he was still nowhere to be found. She called Bruce on his cell but he didn't answer. She sighed, hoping that Bruce wasn't going to ditch her.
Harley looked at her watch and it was already 5 minutes into the movie. She sighed and just went inside alone. She bought a bag of popcorn and a drink, heading into the theater. She sat down and started munching on the popcorn, feeling tears running down her eyes. Harley didn't understand why she kept crying so much lately, but she couldn't help it. Bruce was so mean to her, and she hated him once again.
When Harley wiped her tear away with her sleeve, she felt someone sitting next to her. She looked and saw Bruce with a cap over his head so he wouldn't be spotted. "You came," Harley gasped. "What took you so long?"
"I had to take care of a few things," Bruce whispered.
"I thought you were gonna ditch me again," Harley said with a sigh of relief.
"No, I would never," he smiled at her. "Now be quiet and watch the movie." When the movie was over, Harley left the theaters holding onto Bruce's hand tightly, even though she felt him trying to resist. She hopped into his Ferrari and he started driving away. Harley couldn't stop smiling at Bruce. She couldn't help but fall for the charming and handsome guy. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?" Harley asked with a dreamy smile.
"Like that. Stop." Just then, Bruce got a phone call and he picked up. "Alfred? Yeah...what? Okay. I'm going now." Bruce immediately made a sharp U-turn and Harley squealed.
"What? What happened? Where are we going?"
"The hospital," Bruce merely replied. He parked quickly and ran out of his car. Harley was wearing heels and it was harder for her to run after him faster if she had been wearing tennis shoes. Harley called out for Bruce to wait for her, but he didn't. He ran into the hospital and she saw him running into a room. She approached the room and read the name: Selina Kyle. Harley's heart dropped and she looked through the mirror to see Selina bruised and beaten up badly. "What happened?" Bruce asked holding Selina's hand warmly. "Who did this to you?"
"The Joker," Selina weakly replied.
"Why would he do this to you? Because of me?"
"Who else?" Selina smiled weakly. "You and Harley."
"I didn't mean to bring this upon you," Bruce replied and sat next to her. Harley watched sadly as Bruce was talking to Selina, holding her hand in his warmly as if he were still in love with her. Harley took in a deep breath and entered Selina's room.
"Oh...Harley..." she said surprised that she was here too.
"Hey, Cats," Harley waved lightly and tried to not look so sad. "What happened to ya?"
"You should go, Bruce," Selina said to him ignoring Harley's question. "You shouldn't keep Harley here."
"Are you sure you'll be fine?" Bruce asked.
"Yes, I'll be fine," she smiled. With a sigh, Bruce left Selina's side and walked out of the hospital with Harley following him from behind quietly.
Day Two-Hundred Seventy Two
Harley woke up to the smell of delicious food. Harley sniffed the air and went downstairs into the kitchen. "Mistah Wayne? I didn't know ya knew how tah make food! It smells delicious!"
"It's not for you, Harley," Bruce spoke as he made 5 different kinds of food, putting them all into a basket.
"Oh...who is it for?"
"It's for Selina."
"Oh," Harley said even sadder. "Will you ever make me food like this when I'm sick?" Bruce looked at Harley and saw that she was on the verge of tears again.
"Can you give this to her for me?" Bruce asked ignoring Harley's question. "I need to go to Wayne Enterprises right now."
"Okay," Harley nodded. Bruce packed up everything into the basket and left for work. Harley sighed and took the basket to the hospital. She knocked and entered Selina's hospital room, seeing her already wearing her normal clothing. "Oh, leavin' already, Cats?"
"Yes. Where's Bruce?"
"He said he was really busy today. Oh, and this is for you," Harley said lifting the basket of food.
"Thanks. Can you leave it right there on the table?" Harley did so. "So, Harley, how is it like living the Cinderella dream?"
"Huh?"
"It's a dramatic turn in your life, isn't it? Moving on from the Joker to Bruce." Harley was quiet. "I see you don't have an engagement ring yet."
"O-Oh..." Harley looked at her left ring finger and tried hiding it under her right hand.
"Do you feel awkward when you see me and Bruce together, Harley?"
"...no..." she lied.
"Really?" Selina asked, not believing Harley's response. "You know how much Bruce loved me. You can't take my place." Harley was speechless. She couldn't believe Selina was saying this to her. Selina smirked and grabbed the basket, leaving Harley in the hospital room.
I couldn't believe Cats said that to me. I mean, I thought she and Bats were over for good. I didn't know they still had feelings for one another. I guess you really can't forget your first love forever, just the way I can't ever forget my puddin' forever, no matter how hard I try. I missed my puddin' so much, but there was no way I wanted to end things with Bats just yet.
Harley and Bruce were at the diner table. Bruce was eating his dinner while Harley was eating an ice cream bar. She noticed that he looked a little bothered. "Is everything alright, Mistah Wayne?" she asked.
"Yes," Bruce simply stated indifferently.
"...um...wanna hear a funny story?"
"No."
"Okay, okay," Harley said excitedly, "so there's a cute bunny and a really really really really really really really fast turtle. Who wins the race?" Bruce didn't reply, just eating his dinner. "Who wins the race?"
"I don't know," Bruce said glaring at Harley annoyed of her. "The rabbit."
"Nope! Remember I said that the turtle was really really really really really really fast?" Harley burst into hysterical laughter and it almost reminded Bruce of the Joker. He dropped his fork, seeing such resemblance of the Joker in Harley. "Okay, ya gotta listen to this one, too! So there's the same cute bunny and it races against a turtle with sunglasses. Which wins?" Bruce shook his head. "Aw c'mon, guess Mistah Wayne!"
"I don't know!" Bruce shouted annoyed of Harley. "The rabbit, okay?"
"Nope! When the turtle took off its sunglasses, it was the really really really really really fast turtle again!" Harley cracked up and Bruce was trembling with anger, noticing how much Harley reminded him of the Joker by the way she laughed. Bruce stormed off without even finishing his dinner and Harley watched him storm away sadly.
"Miss Quinn?" Alfred asked. He went to clean up Bruce's plates but Harley went first.
"I'll clean it, A-Man. You're the one who made it. You should just sit and watch TV or somethin'."
"Miss Quinn, don't be saddened by Master Wayne. He does tend to lose his temper at times." Harley nodded.
"Do you know what Cats said to me today, A-Man? She said that I wasn't wearing my engagement ring. And you know what she said after? That I could never take her place in Mistah Wayne's heart, that she would always come first when it came between her and me."
"If you really want an engagement ring, you should ask Master Wayne."
"It's not about the ring..."
"Ah, so you wish to come first in Master Wayne's life?"
"Well, I don't necessarily have to be first. I just...I just wanna be the most important girl in his life. That's all..." Bruce sighed from upstairs. He didn't mean to hurt Harley like that, and he especially didn't want Selina to be getting involved in their relationship.
Day Two-Hundred Seventy Three
Bruce finished his breakfast and he put on his coat to go to work. "Bye, Mistah Wayne," Harley said bidding Bruce goodbye. Bruce walked towards Harley, who was cleaning the windows, and he held her left hand examining it.
"What's your ring size, Harley?" Bruce asked.
"R-Ring size?" Bruce nodded. "I...I don't really know. No one ever bought me a ring before."
"Really?" Bruce was a bit surprised. He surely thought that at least one of Harley's past friends or boyfriends would've bought her a ring. Bruce let go of Harley's hand and left the manor.
"Hey Mistah Wayne!" Harley shouted out for him. He turned back to look at her. "Will ya come home early today? I'll make your favorite food!"
"And how do YOU know what my favorite food is?"
"Cus I just know," Harley giggled. "So will ya come home early today?"
"Alright," Bruce merely nodded and headed into his Ferrari, driving away. Alfred walked into the kitchen and saw Harley humming while looking at a recipe she printed and posted on the fridge. Alfred smiled and continued doing the other chores. He was the one who told Harley what Bruce's favorite food was.
Bruce did keep his promise and he came home early. It was perfect timing because that was when Harley finished cooking. She set up the plate and sat in front of him, watching him eat her dish. "Well, how is it?" she asked.
"What is this?" Bruce asked and pushed the plate away.
"What? Is it bad?"
"Did you even taste it before giving it to me?" Harley took a bite and she immediately just swallowed it down.
"Okay, okay. So it's bad...but I followed the recipe and everything."
"Just following the recipe won't do. You have to taste the dish while making it. And I came home early for THIS?"
"I tried," Harley pouted sadly.
"Yes, well trying and getting it right are two completely different goals, Harley," Bruce stated.
"Well if ya hate it that much, then make somethin' on your own!" Harley growled. Bruce did so, and he just made a simple salad. "I can't do anything right. Hmph!"
"Really, you can't." Harley glared at Bruce and her anxiety level was rising since she didn't take her medication today. She was trembling and starting to get paranoid.
"You know what? You're nothin' but a sack of dead flowers, ya know that?" Bruce looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "Yeah! I shoulda listened to Mistah J. He told me you were just as crazy as he and I were put together. I didn't wanna believe him, even though I just agreed. He says you got problems just as bad as he does, as much of a psycho as he is. You and he are the same! The exact same!"
"Don't you dare compare me to the Joker," Bruce threatened and stepped forward to Harley with his fist trembling in anger. "If YOU'RE so sane, why do you still stick with him? Why do you still stick with me? Why don't you just leave and go back to him? Is it because you didn't fulfill your puddin's wishes? Were you planning on leaving when you get me to fall in love with you? Well game's up, Harley. I will NEVER fall in love with you. Ever! The Joker might have gotten to you, but he'll never get through me so you can just give it up already!"
"I'm not stickin' around because of Mistah J! I'm stickin' around because...because I want to..." Harley wiped her tears away with her sleeve and her words struck Bruce's heart. "I wanted to forget about Mistah J. I really did, I really wanted to move on but YOU'RE the reason why I keep wanting to run back to him! You're the reason why I keep wanting to go through with the plan so that I can see my puddin' smile at me and tell me that I did a good job for once in my life! I just wanna do somethin' right for once in my life...but I can't even do this simple task right...my puddin' doesn't deserve a half-wit like me."
"For thinking like that, I'd say you're not even close to being a half-wit. You'll never hear the Joker tell you that you did something good for him ever. And yet you'll just keep running back to him, only to be sent off to another task. And another, and another! You'll never be good enough in his eyes, and that's why he'll just use you until you drop dead, Harley!"
"You don't treat me any better! You just toy with my emotions the same way Mistah J does. And I'll never be good enough in your eyes either. Maybe I should've just been born as a dog instead of a human...then maybe life would've made more sense..." Harley wiped her tears from her face and walked upstairs. Bruce gave a loud sigh, knowing that he shouldn't let Harley go to sleep feeling like that. He didn't mean to say those cruel words to her. He really was starting to like Harley, but he was just getting more defensive because of the fact that he couldn't trust her yet.
"Alfred...what should I do?" Bruce asked seeing Alfred walking into the room. "What do you think?"
"Well, all I know is, Master Wayne, she did try very hard to make your dish perfect. I told her a few hints here and there, and she did bloody try." With that said, Alfred left the kitchen towards the garden to tend to the flowers. Bruce stepped into the kitchen and saw the recipe taped on the fridge. There were scribbles everywhere on it and little happy faces drawn everywhere.
Bruce smiled and he suddenly felt a pang in his heart of guilt.