Hi Everyone. I'm so sorry I haven't updated in forever. I'm also sorry that this is such a short chapter. It's just a small exchange between Harleen and Joker.
I hope you like it anyway. Thank you so much for all the lovely comments and follows and favourites. You're all just lovely folks.
Joker's cackling echoed off the walls as Harleen rolled her eyes so far into the back of head it hurt.
"What? You said you wanted to take care of me." Harleen shook her head in disbelief as she continued to massage Joker's feet. He lay back against the pillows on his bed with his arms neatly tucked behind his head. Harleen pushed her thumbs deep into the sole of Joker's left foot. "This isn't exactly what I had in mind boss." Joker chuckled quietly.
"Well Harls you can't always get what you want." Did he just call me Harls? Harleen's heart leapt into her throat at the sound of the nickname. It triggered a strangely familiar comfort in her gut. Harleen knew that Joker was beginning to relax around her and maybe, just maybe, his old feelings for his new Harley Quinn were returning.
Suddenly Joker's giggles increased in volume and pitch. "THAT TICKLES!" His leg kicked straight out and Joker's foot struck Harleen square in the chest, causing her to fly off the bed with a thud. Seeing Harleen lying on the ground massaging the space between her breasts caused Joker to tilt his head back in laughter. His laughter was high and loud as he pointed at his poor bruised masseuse. Harleen's eyes darkened as her sore chest filled with rage. With an enraged roar, she jumped onto her feet then jumped onto the bed, pinning Joker to the mattress. Her hand clenched and swung forward, but Harleen missed, just grazing Joker's cheek. His smile widened, but the laughter died away. "All right baby. Let's play."
Gathering his knees beneath him, Joker kicked hard and pushed Harleen back off the bed, but this time she landed on her feet. Harleen stood with bent knees, ready to dodge whatever Joker was about to throw her way. He smiled as a flash of silver gleamed in his hand. Where the hell did the knife come from? Joker gracefully vaulted off the bed and came at Harleen swinging his weapon back and forth, aiming for any bit of flesh the blade might slice. Harleen ducked and weaved like a trained boxer, carefully avoiding Joker's manic stabs. As Joker continued his assault, Harleen found herself backing up in the fight until her back hit the wall nearest the bathroom. Joker saw his opportunity and pinned her with his free hand. Gripping her throat tightly, Harleen's eyes filled with strained tears as Joker's grimace grew into a sadistic grin.
"Now kitten, are you going to come quietly?"
Harleen formed an evil smile on her lips. "Oh baby, you know I never come quietly." For a moment, Joker's grin dropped and his eyes widened at the surprise response. His Harley never talked back. Harleen saw her moment and whipped the knife out of her stunned clown's hand, spun it around and rammed it into his thigh. An agonized grunt escaped Joker's lips as he struggled to remove the sharp metal from his leg. As he pulled, Harleen looked around anxiously to prepare herself for the next onslaught. She looked over to the chair in the corner and spotted Joker's jacket and holster draped over the back. That'll work.
A cry of success came from the clown prince as Joker stood holding the bloody knife. With crimson staining his pants, Joker ran towards Harleen with a final yell for battle. Harleen stopped him dead in his tracks as she held his own gun straight in front of his face, finger on the trigger. Joker raised his hands in defeat, then slowly walked towards her, closing the distance between them.
"You wouldn't dare. You don't have the guts." Harleen's hand trembled, but her finger remained on the trigger.
Joker's eyes went almost black like a shark's as his grin formed an angry sneer. "DO IT!" Harleen cried out and pulled the trigger.
A small –bang bang- flag flipped out with a tiny little pop sound. Harleen lowered her hand, stared into the barrel and then looked back at Joker. He smiled and lifted his hands with a shrug.
"Why do you even have a gun like this?" Harleen asked. She tossed the gun to the floor where the trigger hit and fired off a real bullet, making Harleen jump.
"Jesus Mr. J. You really are the craziest son of a bitch this side of Metropolis aren't you?" Joker tilted his head to the side and laughed and he walked over, picked up the gun and returned it to his holster.
A few minutes later, Harleen and Joker found themselves in the kitchen, Joker once again pouring two glasses of golden liquid, Harleen once again lighting a fresh cigarette. Swinging her hips slowly back and forth, Harleen walked over to Joker and bending low, slipped the cigarette between his smiling lips. Joker took the tube between his two fingers and before Harleen could turn away he grabbed the back of her head and brought her face to his, his mouth taking hers forcefully. She smiled beneath his kiss and returned it hungrily. Joker pulled away and returned the cigarette to his lips.
"A kiss and a smoke won't make up for stabbing me in the leg kitten." Harleen smiled as she unraveled a length of thread and prepped the needle. "You love it."
She knelt down next to Joker. "These pants are ruined right?" Joker took a long drag off the cigarette and let the smoke float out and swirl around his head. "Yeah I would say that." Harleen nodded and ripped the leg of the pants open. Joker chuckled lowly and then winced as Harleen began to stitch up his knife wound. The thread weaved in and out of skin in silence.
"Mr. J, there's something I've always wanted to ask you?"
Joker exhaled another round of smoke. "What's that kitten?"
"How old are you?" Joker giggled and waggled a finger in front of Harleen.
"A lady never tells." Harleen jerked on the thread, startling Joker.
"No, seriously Mr. J. Where are you on this mortal journey?" Joker scoffed as Harleen waxed poetic.
"Baby, I'm immortal." Harleen nodded thoughtfully and continued her work. The answer seemed to satiate her curiosity. As she finished sewing skin to skin, Harleen felt Joker sink a little in his chair. She looked up and found her clown prince staring at the butt of his cigarette, but he seemed to be looking through it, lost in his own head. When he did speak, his voice was low and without its characteristic glee.
"i'm on a journey that will never end. There's no grand destination for me. I've seen thousands of souls leap off at their stops to find their families and friends waiting to greet them. Hell, there are a lot of folks I've pushed off the train myself. So many people getting on and off their trains, but my train never even slows down. There's no one waiting for my arrival. My train just rides on the same loop of track over and over again. It will never derail nor change direction and it will never, ever stop. That's my immortal damnation…and his."
Harleen snapped the thread. "Whose Mr. J?" Joker butted out the last embers of his cigarette in the ashtray.
"Nice stitch work kitten; not as good as mine, but hey, perfection ain't easy." Joker finished the last of his drink and caught Harleen's sad eyes staring at him as he set his glass down. "What's with you?" Harleen lowered herself onto Joker's uninjured thigh and wrapped her pale arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. Joker's arm unconsciously wrapped around her waist, holding her in place.
"I love you Mr. J." Harleen closed her eyes and breathed in asphalt and aftershave.
Joker sighed. "I know you do kitten."