Harley's POV

I woke up in Bruce's bed slowly and glanced over at my clock. 12:37pm. I had slept almost half of the day, I was late for work and I had a splitting headache. I groaned, not even wanting to get up. I tried to remember what happened last night but nothing came to me, just a horrible nightmare I had about The Joker. I forced myself up, feeling sore around my waist. At this realization, I rushed into the bathroom and turned on the light. I let out a short scream of horror when I saw my face had two long, curved wounds on either side of my face. It wasn't a nightmare-I had really been carved by that clown. I gently traced the stitched up wounds and recognized it as Alfred's handy work. Both he and Bruce knew how much I hated hospitals-too many unpleasant memories. I noticed that I had been put in a pair of pajamas and I was thankful-if I'd been left in my dress I'd be itchy and uncomfortable no doubt.

"I'm sorry, I was too late..."

The same rugged voice from the evening before came from the doorway. I looked up to see Batman there, stoic as ever. I shook my head.

"It isn't your fault. I knew better than to provoke him, I just...couldn't let him hurt my friend...is anyone else hurt?"

I asked, turning to him.

"No, your friend was thrown out the window but other than getting the scare of a life time, she's fine. Everyone else, made it out unharmed."

He told me. I smiled carefully, trying not to hurt myself in the process. I looked down at my toes and wiggled them, not sure if I was still dreaming or not.

"Then it was worth it. Thank you for saving her."

I looked back up but he was gone. How the hell did he do that? I ignored it and closed the door. I decided to shower, stripping myself of my pajamas. I made the water lukewarm but that did little to sooth my injuries. I stood there under the stream of water, thinking. What was I going to do now? I was horribly disfigured in the most obvious place with no way of hiding it. Would I still be able to work at Arkham? My patients could use these scars as a weapon against me, break me down if they wanted to. What was Bruce going to think? Would he still want to marry me if I looked like...this? I could lose everything I had because of this, because of him. I sat down on the bottom of the shower and pulled my legs into my chest. I buried my face in my knees as I felt tears well up in my eyes. What am I gonna do if I lose everything? All I ever worked for, gone...no, Harley don't pout, you just have to stand up. Be brave and smile in spite of everything. You'll pull through, you always do. I stood up carefully, steadying myself on the wall to keep myself upright. I couldn't stay in here forever, though it was a tempting idea. I washed myself, careful not to get any soap in the cuts. I toweled myself off and gingerly padded my wounds dry. I discarded my towel in the clothes hamper and put on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts that almost didn't cover my butt. I found my phone on the bedside table and walked out into the living room. There, I was greeted by Alfred.

"Ah, Ms. Quinzel. I see you're awake finally."

He said, forcing a smile. I did the same.

"Yeah, I'm late for work-"

"No need to worry, I made sure to call in for you. Given the circumstances, they understand if you'd like some time to recover from...the incident."

He told me, his expression becoming solemn.

"Thank you so much, for everything. I can't tell you how glad I am that you didn't take me to the hospital."

I replied, trying to be positive. He grinned at me.

"Well, god knows how much you hate health care."

He teased with a wink. I laughed a little.

"But I do have work to do, I left my folders at home too. So I think I'll be leaving soon."

I said, a little less discouraged now that Arkham hadn't fired me on the spot. His brow creased in worry.

"You plan on going back so soon?"

He asked, taken aback by my resilience. I brought an almost believable smile to my lips and nodded.

"I've worked too hard to let it all fall apart now. Besides, wounds heal and we're already short handed as it is."

I explained, a little stubbornly. Alfred sighed in defeat and came closer to me, examining the lacerations on my face.

"Then I insist that I dress these and drive you home."

He suggested in a stern manner that told me he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Alright. You're the only one I know who's more stubborn than I am."

I joked. He simply smiled at me before he got to work on dressing my wounds. He offered to make me something to eat but I refused, saying there was a McDonalds near my apartment. I won that argument but he still drove me home. My apartment felt cold when I walked in and I made sure I hadn't left any windows open. Once I was in my room, I turned to my bed and fell back on it. My eyes focused on a small white object on my pillow that I hadn't seen before I plopped down. I grabbed it and brought it closer to my eyes. I couldn't read it and growled to myself. I grabbed my glasses off of my nightstand and put them on so I could read the text on the card.

'So testosterone boys and harlequin girls, Will you dance, and hold a lover close?'

I already could tell this was from The Joker. Of course it was, and of course he would twist my name into Harlequin-I had been called that before. I turned the card over to find more writing.

'I'll be by soon to see you. -J'

Oh god...no...I don't want to see him, not again. And especially not in my apartment. What did he want anyway? He had only met me last night, he couldn't have developed some infatuation already, could he? God, shut up Harley, quit being so full of yourself. He doesn't seem to be that kind of psycho, he's probably a narcissist anyway, no room to obsess over or feel anything for another. This made me feel a little better, thinking I was just another target. But he liked to play with his food, I assume that's why he was coming back for me-to torture me psychologically and maybe even physically. He appeared to have sadistic tendencies from the way he treated me before, he was sure to make every touch painful on my part. I lifted my shirt up to see purplish-brown bruises forming in the shape of a hand and fingers near my hip; where he'd grabbed me. My chest hurt too still from how hard he was pressing me against him. None of this helped me figure out what he wanted from me. Why hadn't he just killed me when he had the chance? Drawing out the hunt I suppose-in many instances he acted like a predator, an animal. My head was swimming with all of these thoughts and theories, abuzz with fear and dread. Despite my busy head, I managed to fall into a light sleep.

I was rudely awoken by a loud clap of thunder, making me shoot up in bed. I was breathing heavily as my heart raced and a lightning strike illuminated the room. I jolted in surprise at the sight of a dark figure in the corner of my room. His arms were crossed and his head was down.

"Miss me, Harls?"

He asked, coming out of the shadows with a smirk. I slowly got out of my bed, backing up to my window.

"Don't call me that."

I said stiffly, curling my hands into fists against my chest-I was trying in vein to calm my heart. He smiled now.

"Aw, don't be like that. You still don't remember me?"

He asked, raising a brow questioningly. I swallowed the nervous lump in my throat before speaking and shook my head.

"Why, should I?"

I challenged, daring to get sassy.

"I would hope so, we were pretty close."

He replied, coming closer. I took a step back.

"What do you mean?"

I questioned, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Open up your locket."

He ordered with a nod in my direction. I eyed him suspiciously as I reached down to grab it off of my bedside table. I opened it to see a little note and a picture of a boy inside it. I put my glasses on and looked closer at the picture. He had curly, dirty-blond hair and a Glasgow smile, just like the Joker. He wasn't quite smiling in the picture, more of a sneer-I guess he wasn't very photogenic.

"Don't forget about me. -J"

I read the note aloud. The Joker raised his eyebrows as if to say: I told ya. My brow furrowed in confusion.

"When was this taken?"

I asked, looking up at him finally.

"Back in 10th grade."

He replied, crossing his arms over his chest. I studied the picture more.

"Well, I can't say you look any different now...just kinda...y'know...the makeup threw me off."

I gestured to his face and I looked between him and the picture. He shrugged in response and took a few steps towards me. I didn't trust him, regardless of ever knowing him from before but I stepped a little closer myself. He was near like the night before, close enough to touch...I stared up at him, my face void of the fear I felt inside me and he stared down at me, almost curiously. Nothing was said between us, just recognition of our physical closeness. He moved to wrap and arm around me, but remembering the last time he had held me, I backed away from him.

"What do you want from me anyway?"

I inquired, crossing my arms over my chest. He smiled a bit.

"You...are an interesting woman."

He said simply. I raised a brow, coaxing him to expand.

"You're not afraid of me like everyone else. No, you have rational fear of me and clouding that is curiosity. That curiosity, that 'bravery', well you'll actually listen."

He continued. My brow creased in sheer confusion.

"What am I supposed to be hearing, then?"

I demanded, frustrated that he was dragging this all out.

"I'm just trying to show you the truth. See, I'm not some crazy man just blowing shit up for laughs!"

He answered back.

"You mean you think what you do is good?"

I proposed, raising a brow inquisitively. He shook his head.

"You're not getting the big picture, Harls. What I do, isn't random, it isn't without purpose. Right now, you see things as good and evil. That's it, no grey area in between. Truth is, there is no black and white, no good without evil. You ever wonder why things are always going bad? Why it's so hard to make things good again? It's because that's the true nature of this world-chaos is the only way."

My expression softened as I listened thoughtfully about what he was saying.

"Batman represents good, justice, the people of this city. Me, I'm just an agent of chaos. Everyone has a place in this uh battle. I'm just giving you the choice to pick your own."

He explained. He slowly extended a hand towards me, offering it.

"Come with me and I can show you everything you thought you knew is wrong."

He said, his voice surprisingly gentle. I just looked at it for a long time, debating my choices. He's right, I can't even think of a way to prove him wrong. Maybe he isn't crazy...maybe he just sees the world...for what it is. Harley, snap out of it! Are you fucking insane? He isn't trying to help you, Harley. He's trying to break you, play with you-and when he's done with you or gets bored, he'll kill you and toss you aside. He wants you as a toy, to use and manipulate like a puppet. But he doesn't seem to want to hurt me. If he wanted to kill me, he could've done it last night: hell, he could've done it while I was asleep, but he didn't. I took a step forward and I could reach him now. I started to ease my hand towards his. Are you forgetting he carved your face like a goddamned pumpkin last night?! At the startling reminder, I drew my hand back jerkily. I darted my eyes up to his but he still hadn't moved.

"Why did you...give me,"

I waved a hand around my Chelsea grin.

"These?"

I asked quietly, some common sense finally settling in me. He smirked and came forward as he tilted my chin so I was looking him straight in the eyes. I froze in fear and curiosity. His finger traced along the stitches on my left cheek. I closed my eyes, feeling a strange buzz everywhere he touched me. I could look into his deep, black eyes now and I wasn't scared anymore.

"I did it because I wanted you to smile. You're so beautiful when you smile."

He said, the corner of his mouth turning up in a smirk. I grinned and let my head hang.

"That's...sweet. In a really sadistic kinda way."

I laughed a bit. He stepped back and extended his hand again.

"Well?"

He demanded, raising a brow, challenging me to take it. My eyes darted between his eyes and his hand, outstretched for me. I chewed on my bottom lip nervously, still afraid to trust him. I shut my eyes tight and shoved my hand into his quickly before I could think of any more reasons not to trust him. The leather of his gloves creaked as his hand enclosed around mine. I slowly opened my eyes again and I took him not breaking my hand as a good sign. He started pulling me closer to him and I felt panic for a moment. When I didn't follow his lead he just yanked me into his chest. I gasped in surprise but did my best to cover it up. He wrapped both of his arms around me, almost cautiously, like he was afraid to break me-funny, he didn't seem too worried about that last night. I hesitated, my mind completely scrambled from having him so close to me. Finally, I reciprocated the embrace and closed my eyes. He was warm and soft, though you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at him. He felt human, more so than he had the night before.

"I don't have to kill anyone, do I?"

I asked, shattering the moment. The Joker chuckled and looked down at me with a smile.

"I think it's in the job description."

He murmured, tucking a few strands of hair behind my ear. My voice of reason chimed in once again. This was wrong. I had a fiancé. Though, he seemed more interested in Rachel. He hadn't shown me any real affection in months. For the first time in what seemed like forever, I felt wanted.

"Then I guess I'll have to suck it up."

I replied, earning a grin from the Joker.

"Atta girl!"

He said cheerfully, patting my shoulder a little harder than he should've.

"But I need to know if you can defend yourself."

He said. I cocked my head to the side.

"And you're gonna test me?"

I questioned as he started taking off his greatcoat.

"Something like that."

He answered vaguely.

"I want you to show me what you can do."

He said, his expression and tone completely serious. I giggled a little.

"You're kidding."

I accused, smiling. He held his stance, his face not changing. My jaw dropped a little.

"Oh, you're serious?"

I asked, incredulous. He raised his eyebrows as if to say: yes dammit, I'm serious. I suddenly felt nervous again.

"O-okay..."

I said, not very sure of myself. It'd been a few years since I'd actually spared with someone so I knew I'd be rusty. Without warning, I aimed a soft punch at his shoulder-I made a weird noise, close to an 'eh' or a 'nhhn'. The joker dropped his fists to his sides and gave me a look that said, really Harley? I smiled sheepishly at him.

"Okay, I'm gonna need you to actually hit me so I can gauge your strength. I know damn well you can punch harder than that. If I think you're holding out on me, I'm gonna cut those stitches."

He said sternly. My eyes widened and I felt the blood drain from my face.

"You cannot be-"

He shot me a look, say it, I dare you, Harley. I shut my mouth mid-note and nodded.

"Got it."

I stated curtly. He motioned for me to attack him. I nodded again and I aimed a kick for his head, which he blocked. I tried a punch for his gut, another block. I began to think that he was good with combat from a distance, and tried to get in closer, believing it to be his week spot. I was dead wrong, he excelled even. He threw a few punches himself, each I would either block or dodge and I felt proud. I aimed a false punch for his face and when he went to block it, I kicked him in the stomach. He went stumbling back a few steps, holding his gut, then began to laugh. I smiled a bit, unsure of my victory. He continued to laugh and I began to think that we were done. He looked up at me his eyes burning maliciously. He got me with an uppercut, then a kick to the chest. It landed me flat on my back, knocking the wind out of me. I coughed, my eyes wide in fear of the fact that I couldn't inhale, all I could do was cough out the air I didn't have to spare. He grabbed my hand and helped me up, patting me on the back with a smile on his painted lips.

"Alright, we'll work on that later."

He told me. I nodded, air returning to my lungs.

"I'll take you on a few recon missions before you come to anything big. But for that, you'll need something a little more...professional to wear."

He said as he pulled his coat back on. My brow creased in confusion.

"You want we to wear a pantsuit or something?"

I laughed. He smirked.

"Not exactly, I'm one more for the theatrics and suits are my thing."

He explained as he walked to the door. He threw me a pair of my Chuck Taylor's and I put them on before walking over to him.

"Where are we going?"

I inquired. He just opened the door, leaving me no choice but to follow him and find out where we were going. Once we got outside, I realized that it was night time and it had stopped raining. I followed him behind my apartment building to a black car. He got in on the driver's side and I got in on the passenger's side. When he turned on the car I reached to turn on the radio. When I did, the Joker gave me a glare and turned it off.

"What? You don't like music?"

I asked, tilting my head against the back of my seat.

"Nope."

He said simply, shaking his head. I rolled my eyes.

"Never figured you'd have a musical stick shoved up your-"

He made eye contact with me, a dangerous look in his eyes. I just laughed it off.

"Com'mon, puddin'. Don't pout."

I had no clue where the pet name came from but it disarmed him completely and he sighed, exasperated by my persistence. He jammed his finger on the button, music taking the place of his malice and I smiled, satisfied. For a few minutes I didn't know anything that the station was playing until Teenagers by My Chemical Romance came on. I looked over at the Joker with a stupid grin on my face.

"They're gonna clean up your looks, with all the lies in the books to make a citizen out you. Because they sleep with a gun and keep an eye on you son so they can watch all the things you do."

I sang along, trying to be silly and make him smile. He glanced over at me for a second-he looked somewhat surprised that I knew the song.

"Because the drugs never work, they're gonna give you a smirk. Cause they've got methods of keeping you clean. They're gonna rip off your heads, your aspersions to shreds! Another cog in the murder machine!"

I continued, making strange faces whenever he looked over at me. The corner of his mouth began to twitch so I kept it up.

"They said all teenagers scare the living shit out me. They could care less as long as someone'll bleed. So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose. Maybe they'll leave you alone but not me."

Finally he broke, smiling as he drove.

"Victory thy name is Harley!"

I proclaimed, raising a fist into the air. The Joker shook his head in mock disapproval. We pulled up to a costume store a few minutes later and we got out.

"Find something you can move around in easily. And remember to think: colorful."

He said, leaning against the counter. The cashier was terrified obviously and I smirked as I walked off. I skimmed through the store's selection.

'Black and red...Black and red...'

I thought as I continued my search. Those were my two favorite colors and if it hadn't caught my eye right away, I would've passed it. It was perfect, a black and red catsuit that was supposed to be a harlequin from what the label said. It came with ruffled cuffs, gloves and a white collar like thingy. It came with a cowl as well but there was no way in hell I would wear that thing on my head-I had some dignity. I looked around for some makeup too, white and black. On my way back up to the counter, I spotted a black eye mask made of leather. I grinned to myself and continued up to the cashier and the Joker.

"That was fast."

Joker mumbled. I looked up at him happily.

"Trust me, it's almost too perfect."

I replied with a small giggle. The woman at the cash register looked completely appalled that I was a willing participant in this. The joker sighed, pulling a handgun out of his pocket and put it on top of the supplies.

"Hurry it up, huh?"

He commanded casually as he exited the shop. My eyes widened in shock and I grabbed the gun, aiming it at the woman. She was tearing up now and sniffling.

"Please-"

I cocked my head sideways and blinked at her.

"Strictly business, ma'am."

I told her numbly and I pulled the trigger. The back of her head went all over the wall behind her. The flash of a memory rushed inside my head.

A man lay dead on the sidewalk, his blood seeping out onto the pavement. I walked over to another man who was pinned on the ground by a younger boy.

"Want me to kill him or...?"

I was shocked to hear my own voice saying those words so calmly. I shot the next man without any sort of hesitation and when the BANG sounded, I was brought out of my reverie.

I blinked, confused by what I had seen but I pushed it aside, grabbing the stuff I had gathered from the store and I left swiftly. I got back in the car with the Joker, puzzled by how little I felt when I killed that woman.

"Nice job, doll."

He praised, patting my leg. I felt butterflies in my stomach at his words and smiled.

"Thanks, Mistah' J."

I said, looking out the window to hide my gleeful smile.

"Mmm, I always loved that nickname."

He purred. I blushed a bit. He drove us to another part of the narrows, clear on the opposite side from Arkham. I wasn't surprised by that though, it made perfect sense. Naturally, the apartment he guided me into was abandoned. I almost expected something worse than this and was pleasantly surprised that the electricity and water were still working.

"Don't get too attached, it's only for tonight. I want you to put your costume on so I can see what it looks like on you. The bathroom is over there on the left."

He said, pointing where I was to go. I walked down the dim hallway and closed the door behind me. I stripped off my clothes and slipped into the skintight catsuit and zipped it up. Oddly, the zipper was in the front rather than the back like I half expected it to be. It looked great on me-but upon closer inspection, I realized that my bra was visible under the velvet. I sighed to myself and as I took off my bra, I prayed that I'd never get caught wearing this in the cold. After that, I painted my face with the white, making sure to only put on enough to make me look super pale-the Joker appeared to just carelessly cake the stuff on. I painted my lips black and put the eye mask on. It fit almost flush against my face and I smiled. I took the two hair ties off of my wrists and put my golden locks in messy pigtails. I looked in the mirror, I really looked and found that I actually liked what I saw. I put on the cuffs and gloves as I thought to myself about putting black on my scars too once they where healed. With a deep breath, I opened the door and turned off the light as I left. I walked out, my body poised and my steps careful and slow. The Joker was sitting hunched over on the couch, intensely watching the news-More on Harvey Dent I guessed. I noticed that he had shed his coat and gloves while I was in the bathroom. I stood there shyly, my hands fidgeting anxiously behind my back as I waited for his dark brown eyes to focus on me. When they finally did, his eyebrows raised in surprise and his grimace curled into a grin. He stood to his feet and circled me, nodding in approval.

"You were right, it's almost too perfect."

He hummed, pulling me close.

"I'm glad you like it, pud."

I cooed sweetly with a small smile. I heard his switchblade open and he hooked it on one of my stitches, tugging at it painfully.

"Daddy still has to punish you though, baby girl."

He whispered into my ear. I shivered in fear. I swallowed and thought quick.

"Isn't there anything else I can do to make it up to you?"

I asked, pursing my bottom lip. He narrowed his eyes and gave me a side look.

"I don't know..."

He said, not wanting to let me get out of my punishment. I was tempted to get on my knees and beg but I refrained.

"Pretty please, Mistah' J?"

I pleaded. He looked at me silently for a while and I trapped my lip between my teeth as I felt dread welling up inside me. He didn't say or do anything for a moment but eventually grabbed my face forcefully and stared right through me.

"You make me want to bite that lip."

He growled, crushing his lips against mine in a fiery kiss. At first, I didn't respond, caught off guard by the sudden action. Soon enough though, my brain caught up and I kissed him back. I wrapped my arms around his neck while he held me tighter. The Joker gripped one of my pigtails and pulled at it just enough to make it burn my scalp. I groaned in pain but found that I didn't want him to stop-I found a strange pleasure in him being so aggressive. In this moment I realized that I would give him anything, everything he wanted. How had he done this to me so easily? Just this afternoon I was terrified of loosing everything I had and now, I felt I could throw it all away without a second thought. The Joker pulled away and I watched curiously as he sat back down on the couch, patting his lap. I obeyed with a coquettish smile playing at my lips as I straddled his lap. He sighed as his hands gripped my hips tightly.

"How the hell...am I supposed to work with you looking like that?"

He asked rhetorically. I giggled.

"You've got a strong will, I'm sure you can push through it."

I whispered, pulling back just enough to look him in the eyes. They were...brown. They were so familiar, what was his name again?

"Jack?"

I breathed, overwhelmed by nostalgia. I could only savor the feeling for a split second before his lips were back on mine. I was tossed back against the seat of the couch, hitting my head on the armrest in the process. I cringed in pain but refused to ruin the moment just because I got a booboo. He continued to kiss me and I took the plunge. I pressed my tongue against his lips, begging to deepen the kiss. Now, grease paint isn't necessarily the best tasting or best smelling thing on the plant-however, I had a feeling I would be getting used to it rather quickly. He obliged, his tongue gliding over mine. He tasted faintly of cigarettes and I didn't really mind so much, I just hated bad habits like that. I pulled at the zipper on my costume and he broke the kiss to see what I was doing. I bit my bottom lip shyly as the zipper stopped just below my belly button. The Joker let out a soft chuckle, his hot breath raising goosebumps all over my body.

"That's convenient."

He murmured, kissing down my neck and chest to my stomach. I blushed and closed my eyes in embarrassment. I may be a grown woman, but I'd only ever gone so far-saving myself for marriage you know? He came back up after a moment, kissing me roughly. I grinned to myself, feeling his growing arousal brush against my inner thigh. I began to grind against him, earning a rumbling growl from him. Animal indeed, I thought.

Joker's POV

I opened my blade again but she didn't seem to notice. I opened my eyes and peered up at her, still kissing her. Her eyes were closed and I wanted to smile. I ran my finger over her stitches to which she did not react either. I then swiftly cut two of her stitches. She groaned against my mouth in pain and sat up. She held the side of her face and felt the two cut stitches. She turned to me with a pout.

"Jeez daddy, you said you would only cut one for each mistake."

She huffed angrily.

"I did cut one for each mistake."

I said slyly. She frowned more.

"What was my second mistake?"

She inquired, truly not knowing. I paused for a moment.

"Never mind it. The lesson is, you can't get out of punishment, especially not mine. You can't atone by stroking my cock."

I said coolly. Her eyebrows knitted together in anger and her jaw dropped.

"I wasn't doing that to get out of my punishment. I was doing it because I wanted to! It's you who started it anyways!"

She shouted, pointing her finger at me.

Harley's POV

He looked at me, perplexed.

"Wanted to?"

He inquired. I blushed.

"Yes, wanted to! You think I was just using what tools I had to get my way?"

I demanded.

"Pretty much."

He replied. I shook my head.

"You're an idiot. I don't know if you noticed but I was actually enjoying-"

He pushed his lips against mine aggressively and I slowly melted into the kiss.

"You talk a lot, doll face."

He whispered, breaking the kiss only for a moment.

"You. Should rest."

He said between kisses. I hummed a bit on the thought.

"I don't have any Pjs..."

I argued, taking a breath.

"You've got your birthday suit, hm?"

He laughed, nipping at my lip. I wanted to pout but chuckled instead.

"I don't think this couch is really big enough for two."

I added with a grin. He chortled at my words.

"Who said you're sleeping on the couch?"

He inquired with a smirk. I gasped dramatically.

"I can't believe I've been demoted to the floor already?!"

I whaled, draping a hand theatrically over my eyes. The Joker clicked his tongue and I peeked up at him through my fingers, unable to hide my grin.

"I have a bed, even I'm not that shady."

He retorted with a half smile and I giggled. He stood beside the couch and offered me his hand. I took it and he led me to a room across from the bathroom I had changed in. I sat down on the bed and watched as he opened the closet. The bed didn't have anything on it except for a pillow, which kinda caught me by surprise-then again, it was only for tonight, I'm lucky he's even willing to share his bed with me. He took a dress shirt off of its hanger and flung it at me.

"Good enough for ya, princess?"

He asked with a smirk. I shrunk a bit and nodded. He walked into the other bathroom that was attached to his bedroom.

"W-will you be coming to bed with me?"

I questioned. He glanced back at me and nodded.

"Mhm."

Was all he uttered before walking into the bathroom. He messed with something on the sink and began to add more paint to his face in the places where it had rubbed off on me. I took this chance while he was busy to change into his shirt and resisted the urge to chuckle at the smeared trail of red and white on my stomach. I tugged off the restricting costume and gingerly hung it on one of the empty hangers. I sat crisscross on the bed and waited for Joker to come out as I watched him shift about the small space, searching for something. I started making faces and goofing off since he was engrossed with his makeup.

"I can see you, sweet cheeks."

He said, spreading some black on his eyelid. I stopped making faces and just watched silently as he continued what he was doing. When he was finished, he flicked off the bathroom light and began to undress. The only light filtered in through the window-the moon was full tonight and it was beautiful. When I turned my focus back on the Joker, he was down to his boxers and I hopped up and ran to the bathroom across the hall to wash my face, as an escape from my embarrassment and dirty thoughts. I took off my mask and gently scrubbed the makeup off. The Joker stood in the doorway with a questioning look on his face. I dried my face with a towel and turned my face back to him.

"It's coming off one way or another-weather I take it off or it gets all over the pillow is my choice."

I said with a smile, walking past him. I climbed into the queen-sized bed and made sure to stay on the better right side. I didn't want to risk setting the Joker off by getting clingy too soon-I wasn't even sure he felt anything like that towards me. Of course he doesn't feel that way about you, dummy! Psychotic, mass-murdering clowns don't feel anything! You just wait, I'll be saying, 'I told you' so by tomorrow. I shook the thought as the Joker got in next to me.

He stared at me and I stared back before he broke into a fit of laughter.

"What?"

I questioned, my tone a bit pouty. He shook his head with a grin.

"You go from making out with me to 'too afraid to come near me.'"

He teased, his voice humoresque. I pursed my bottom lip.

"That's not...I just didn't want to invade your personal space."

I replied, cutting my eyes away from him in embarrassment. Without warning he wedged his arm under me and wrapped it around my waist before pulling me towards him. We were almost nose to nose and I could feel my cheeks heat up.

"I think we're past personal space."

He murmured, his voice deeper and void of the usual lilt I could pick up in his voice. He started to play with the stitches he had cut and frowned.

"I'll fix those back up for you tomorrow."

He promised. I didn't reply, just staring unblinking at him.

"Is it the scars, Harl?"

He inquired-the bored way he said it was like he expected me to say yes. I shook my head.

"Nah, I'm just thinking that cannot be comfortable-wearing the face paint all the time."

I said with a smile.

"I'm used to it."

He told me.

"Do you ever take this stuff off?"

I asked. He smiled a bit.

"Well yeah, I mean. It comes off when I take showers."

He answered, making me laugh.

"That can't be good for your skin."

I commented. He smiled more, arching his eyebrows.

"I've had you with me for, what? Two hours? And you're already nagging me."

He joked. I snuggled closer into him and smiled.

"If I don't do it then who will?"

I questioned. I felt him stiffen.

"You don't have to take care of me."

He grumbled. I smirked.

"I'm not trying to, I'm simply expressing my concern."

I said, trying to sound like I didn't care. Of course I did, though.

"You don't have to worry about me either."

He continued. I sighed, a little aggravated with him now.

"I can't really help it, Jack-"

"Don't call me that."

He snapped. I refused to let his tone intimidate me.

"You're the boss."

I sighed dismissively, turning my back to him. It was silent for a moment before the Joker sighing loudly broke through. He pulled my back against his chest tightly.

"Fine, just stop being so fickle."

He growled in my ear. I couldn't help the smile spreading across my face.

"Goodnight."

I said quietly.

"Goodnight, Harls."

He whispered back.