How the Joker Fell in Love Part 36
Danger came awake to a feeling of pure comfort and contentedness. She couldn't believe last night had just happened.
She used to wonder what she'd feel like afterward. She'd always heard her friends - the ones who already had been with guys - say that it hurt, and you felt like a slut afterward. Like you've disappointed a lot of people, or that you've ended your future. Or you get afraid that you're gonna get pregnant. Or, worst case senario, you feel like "whatever, that was nothing".
But she'd never felt so happy. She was extatic, but calm. It was a really weird feeling that she'd never really felt before. That kind of feeling you get when you're just sitting in bed on a cold winter morning and you don't have to get up for another three hours, so you can just lay in the warmth and go back to sleep. That was the closest she'd ever been to this feeling. And she loved it.
She shut her eyes and snuggled against Bruce's chest, loving the feeling of his arm around her.
She couldn't believe this. She'd always been wrong about him. She remembered the first time she'd seen him in person at his fundraiser. She'd thought he was just some rich, senseless manwhore with a superiority complex.
But now she knew otherwise. He was probably one of the sweetest guys she'd met in a very long time. Perhaps ever! He always wanted to make her happy, and he didn't even care if she was nineteen! He was, what, thirty-two? There was a fucking thirteen year difference!
And yet he loved her for her, and didn't care about how old she was.
The Joker never even liked her. He just wanted to hurt her. He just wanted someone who wouldn't fight back; someone he could push around as much as he wanted, and they wouldn't do anything about it.
She'd never realized how spineless she was! All that time, she just let him step all over her! Ugh, she was disgusted with herself.
And yet he acted like he had feelings for her! Like when he got pissed that she was spending so much time with Bruce. Or when she wore that slutty red dress for his party. What was his problem? Why did he hate him so much?
And then Danger felt her heart literally stop. Her mind stopped working and she froze up in fear.
What if he figured out that she'd slept with Bruce?
Bruce groaned as he woke up and tightened his arm around her. "Morning," he said with the whisper of a smile on his face as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes.
Danger hardly heard him. Her mind finally started working, but it was racing too fast for her to keep up with. Her heart was pounding out a beat so fast that someone could dance to it. Her eyes widenend slowly, and she started breathing fast.
Bruce looked worried, then a little scared. He was saying something, but she couldn't hear him. She could just hear him laughing, that same hysterical cackle that he always had. She shook with chills at the way he whispered her nicknames in her ear, at the feeling of his cold hands on her shoulders, holding her where she stood.
Bruce's room faded away, and she was back in her room, in the Joker's apartment. The room was dark, only lit by the light of dusk from the window. The Joker stood, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, looking down, next to it. The light gave made him a silhouette.
Danger couldn't help herself from taking in a sharp breath, and he glanced up at her.
His emotionless face quickly changed to that of happy surprise, and he smirked at her. "Well," he cooed, sauntering toward her lazily, as if he had all the time, "it's been a while, hasn't it, darling?"
"I'm not your darling," she managed to choke out. It sounded a lot less powerful than she'd meant it to be, and she watched carefully for his reaction.
He chuckled. "Right, right. You belong to Wayne now, don't you?"
That actually got her a little mad. "I don't belong to anyone," she snapped, proud of herself for sounding at least little threatening. Even though she really felt a deep connection with Bruce, she would never belong to him, to anyone.
The Joker his eyebrows appraisingly, then smiled his cocky smile. "And how would he feel if he heard you say that?"
Danger was a little caught of guard by his question. Why would he care? Since when was he some kind of therapist? "He wouldn't care," she answered. "He knows me, and he knows how I think."
"Oh really?" he asked, a challenging look coming into his eyes. He was in front of her now, and he turned to his left, beginning to circle her. "Saying to you don't belong to anyone generally means that you don't love anyone. And how would our little Brucie feel if he knew you were lying to him, hm?"
"I'm not lying to him!" Danger growled, whipping around to face him. "You have no idea what you're talking about!"
"Oh, don't I?" he asked, getting up in her face.
Danger felt the wall at her back, which was weird, since she was nowhere near the wall just a second ago.
The Joker grabbed her arms just below her shoulders and kept her pressed against the wall. "All you ever do is lie, Danger." Danger was left speechless; he'd actually used her real name! "How many times have I told you how much of a pretender you are? When have you ever told the truth to me? Hm?"
Danger couldn't stop herself from saying the next words that came out of her mouth. After all, this was dream, too, wasn't it? "When I said I love you," she whispered.
Now it was the Joker's turn to be speechless. He just stared at her in shock, his eyes wide. The grip on her arms loosened slightly.
Danger couldn't stop herself. She leaned forward and kissed him.
But the second her lips touched his, he slapped her to the ground. Danger tasted the blood in her mouth and coughed. She pushed herself up to stand and face him.
"LIAR!!!!!" the Joker roared, and plunged his knife deep into her heart.
Danger screamed, grabbing fistfuls of her hair, sobbing her eyes out.
"Danger, it's okay!" Bruce said, holding her close. She clutched at his clothes, then finally wrapped her arms around his waist, crying hysterically into his chest.
"He's gonna find me," she cried. "He's gonna find out; he'll know; he'll kill me!"
"Danger, don't worry. You're safe, it's okay," Bruce said, running his fingers through her hair, hugging her softly.
"Please, Bruce, I don't want him to find me," Danger whispered, mumbling into his shirt, soaked through by her tears.
"Don't worry, Danger. He won't find you; I promise."
Danger looked up at him with big, red eyes. "Promise?" she asked weakly.
Bruce smiled down at her and wiped away her tears. "I promise. He'll never have you again. I'll keep you safe."
"How can you be sure?" she asked, calming down, but still looking hopeless. "How can you keep me safe?"
Bruce had to bite back what he was about to say. No matter how much he loved her, he couldn't tell her yet. Maybe later, when she wasn't so... hysterical. It would just freak her out even more. No, he wouldn't tell her. Not yet, at least. "I have everything anyone could have to keep you safe. I'll make sure he never finds you, no matter how much it costs." Yeah, money was always the backup excuse. Just like always.
Danger seemed to believe it. "Thank you, Bruce," she smiled. She cuddled up to him and closed her eyes, finally starting to breathe more normally.
Bruce hugged her to him, feeling his heart rip into two.