Chapter Fifty-Three: Truth or Dare
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"The mayor's living and a cop is dead," Allegra summarized the mad media after turning on the news ten minutes earlier. She sat on the floor, bare legs kicked up on the coffee table at an acute angle; her back laid against the bottom of the couch. Joker was behind her, feet on the ground; she sat in between them. As her summary was more or less equal to Mike Engel's one-hour explanation of what just happened three days ago, Joker found watching the news soul-stirring—the chaos stirred by the attempted murder of the mayor turned out to be more exciting when Joker incidentally hit Gordon, who, for the time being, was presumed dead.
Allegra didn't seem to shed too many tears over his death. Joker didn't bother to ask why; he knew—Gordon had been one of the few people she'd trusted at a young age and when he failed to believe her 'stories' of fatherly abuse, Gordon quickly became one of the top people she could care less about.
Allegra had a box of assorted chocolates in her lap. One of the boys had picked it up for her while they'd been at the store. Currently, it was only one of the several items the men had taken to picking up for her when they went out for a shopping spree...by shopping, it was of course shoplifting. Joker didn't concern himself with the terms. With the box already having been half-eaten, Allegra laid back her head on the cushion of the couch, looking at him upside down.
"Do you want one?" she asked sweetly.
"No."
"Not even a caramel-filled one?" Allegra teased. Her head laid between his legs, and her eyes searched his imploringly. With her night shirt barely covering her smooth legs and her red-polished toes, and giving him a grand view of her cleavage, Joker found her smile too adorable.
"No," Joker returned after a moment's thought.
"Strawberry flavored?"
"You must have forgotten the meaning of the word 'no'." Joker replied. He leaned forward, but not for her; he was after the half-full (or half-empty, depending on the philosophical bend) bottle of beer on the coffee table. When he'd taken this, Allegra looked at him again, smirking.
"Beer for dinner, Killer?"
"One of the elite."
"Not really healthy."
Joker snorted with laughter. He indicated himself, saying, "Do I really look like a guy who cares about his health?"
Allegra shrugged, bringing her attention back to the television. She popped another chocolate in her mouth, then sighed with a pleasure. Joker found her sigh appealing. If this chocolate had a brain and maybe a piece, she might as well been having an illicit affair. The commercials ended on the telly, and Mike Engel was back on the air, once more about the Mayor's rescue and Gordon's sad death.
Allegra leaned back her head on the cushion, looking at him again.
"What if I gave you one that was filled with sherbert?" she asked.
"I already said 'no'."
"I know that."
"So why would repeat yourself?"
"The same reason you do," said she, smirking at him with obvious teasing. She turned, standing on her knees; her hands on his pant legs. "To hear myself talk."
Joker gave her a considered gaze. It was hard to argue with that logic. She continued to look at him with a smile as he took a drink of the beer, finishing it off. Allegra took the empty bottle and placed it on the coffee table behind her, never breaking contact.
"Do you want another one—maybe if I get you lit enough, then you'll eat a piece of chocolate," Allegra stated, her soft laugh echoing right after as though she couldn't keep a straight face.
"You're a persistent woman, aren't you?"
"I always get what I want." Allegra stated. She shrugged modestly: "Within reason."
"I didn't realize I was dealing with a negotiator."
"Always," Allegra responded. "Like you've said many times—'this is business'."
Joker smiled when she quoted his words to him. There was a brief interlude in which Allegra stood slowly to her feet, leaned over and kissed him briefly on the mouth. His war paint mixed with her makeup, giving the impression that Allegra was overly enthusiastic with her lipstick. It was a slow kiss, but the moment their lips locked, it swarmed with a depth. Allegra touched his neck, thumb stroked his throat just barely; his hand met the left side of her jaw, prolonging the kiss for a minute more. When they simultaneously broke apart, Allegra gave him a cheek smile.
"I'll get you another one," Allegra told him, referring to the alcohol. "Maybe I should get one myself."
She left the room briefly, then returned with two drinks in her hand. She handed him the first, and then opened the second. Allegra sat in her original position: on the carpet, facing the TV, between his legs, her feet lifting to a ninety-degree angle on the coffee table.
Mike Engel came on the news again. He was reporting the recent breaking-and-entering and robbery in one weapon armory called "Sinhouse Emporium." Ten miles from the Narrows, it could have been picked by anyone, but the inventory had a miscalculation; it would be for nothing but this was a Mob's armory. This made Joker curious. He turned up the volume.
"'Arrested for the theft of 30 misplaced firearms, Sheila Brynwolf is now being questioned for her illicit activity; staffed at the Emporium for nearly ten years, it's a shock to Mr. Sinhouse of this lady's thievery. More to this story at nine.'" Engel explained, then the line went to someone else.
Joker looked down at Allegra.
"Do you have something to do with this?" asked Joker suspiciously.
"What makes you so sure it was me—Sheila Brynwolf is the suspect, not I, good sir," said Allegra, looking up at him upside down, like before.
Up until the last bit, Joker had believed her but now the tone of her voice had changed from defensively righteous to one of teasing suspicion. Joker found the smile too mischievous for her own good.
When Joker's expression deceived his speculation, Allegra straightened, and turned her body around to look at him. A wicked grin spread like an epidemic on her face as she said, "Wanna know what I've been up to in the last few days, Captain?"
"Well, you've peaked my curiosity. It'd be a shame to stop now." Joker reasoned.
Allegra nodded, agreeing with him. She stood to her feet.
"Wait here."
Joker remained seated—he hadn't planned on getting up anyway. When Allegra disappeared upstairs, she only came down five minutes later, holding a large case that was nearly half her size and twice her width; Because of this, she staggered briefly, placing it on the coffee table with a deep sigh of relief.
"What is this?" Joker inquired.
"Well," said Allegra as she took a seat beside him, "I felt a bit guilty about our fight a few days ago" (she indicated her wrist that was bandaged in elastic wrap, considering it was still broken but she used it frequently) "So I went shopping."
"Buying me off with a present, Allegra? That's more of my department." Joker replied, half-serious.
"Not trying to so much as buy you off as I am trying to win a bit of your favor for tonight," Allegra replied, smiling at him. The grin on her face was innocent but that familiar glint of mischief in her eyes sent Joker a brief blood rush. He didn't let her see it though; give this broad a single thought she had a power hold over him and then he'd have to extenuate the circumstances. He smiled at that idea, but then became distracted when she opened the case.
She pointed to the two weapons respectively: "Meet Thing 1 and Thing 2: Bazooka. Rocket launcher."
"You took this from the Mob." Joker stated. It was more of an observation than scorning or surprise. Allegra had proven herself multiple times in the past to be a talented pickpocket. This was only expected, but it was also impressive. He took out the rocket launcher, giving it once-over. He smiled at her.
"You shouldn't have," He mocked lightly.
"I know," said Allegra seriously. "But I know, for you, Maroni is a bit of sore spot, so I hit him where it hurt."
Joker caught her own mockery of him—his bringing forth Maroni into their conversations for her own frustrations had finally bit him where it hurt, but her tone indicated obvious poking fun.
"And I met his mistress," Allegra added as an afterthought.
Joker glanced at her curiously. This was all he needed to do for Allegra explained.
"Well, after I went to the Emporium, I took a few things, naturally, and then on my way to leave, I went into this rave, had a drink or two. While I was enjoying myself, I met Maroni's girlfriend, not his wife."
Joker smiled at her as she added, "She's beautiful."
"Jealous?" Joker asked.
Allegra gave him an odd look, saying, "Why would I be jealous of her? I'm more jealous of Maroni."
"Why is that?" Joker asked as he put the rocket launcher in its Styrofoam catacomb.
"Aforementioned observation that she is beautiful," said Allegra. "If I wasn't fucking you currently, I'd have made a pass on her."
Joker was in mid-drink of his beer and coughed half of it out, hearing her statement. Allegra laughed at him, finding this to be a hoot. As he cleared his lungs of his shock and misplaced drinking flow, Allegra left him shortly, taking a third alcoholic beverage from the refrigerator. Given her distaste for beer, Allegra was on a wine trip. She sat on the couch, giggling as Joker cleared his throat.
"Anyway," she bypassed the topic, "Sheila Brynwolf wasn't at the crime scene but her fingerprints are all over the weaponry department. There's a reason most people in the armory wear gloves, particularly considering the mob." She wiggled her ten digits. "I don't have to worry about that."
Joker knew why: it was hard to forget Allegra burning or knifing her fingertips so she couldn't be identified.
"So," she continued, looking at him with a grin. "Do you like your present?"
"I do," said Joker, closing the case. "Wouldn't have minded it being wrapped or having a card."
"It's your present, not your birthday." Allegra responded smoothly.
"And if it was?"
"Then I'd give you chocolate."
"Does every occasion call for chocolate?"
"Any occasion calls for chocolate," Allegra emphasized. "Besides, I thought these" (she glanced at the case) "seemed to have your name written all over them."
"Mmhmm, why's that?"
Allegra ate a piece of her said chocolate, smiling at him.
"Well, they're both big, powerful, and extremely dangerous." Allegra stated. She licked her lips of the sweet delicacy, and smirked at him.
Joker rolled his eyes: "You're trying too hard to flatter me, Allegra."
"Who said I was flattering anyone?" asked Allegra. "I told you once before that it's not flattery if it's true." She shrugged, putting the chocolate on the table. "Sometimes, they just happen to be the same."
"Is this a ploy to get me to eat your chocolate?" Joker questioned.
"Well, it doesn't necessarily have to be about that chocolate," Allegra returned.
When she sent him a devious crooked grin, Joker caught her double meaning. When she kissed him again, there was that subtle deeper understanding she was in a natural urgency—Joker never ceased to be amazed at how well she was able to convey in a typical kissing battle of tongues. It surprised him when she backed off, smiling at him.
"But before we get into that," Allegra breathed—she reached behind her and placed the box in front of him—"Have one."
Joker genuinely smiled at her humor. After he did take one of her chocolates just to appease her, the kiss she gave him next was no longer masked with the smallest amount of control she'd retained. Clothes were discard, bottles of beer and box of chocolate forgotten. The story of Sheila Brynwolf's arrest was lost in the moans emitted from Joker and Allegra.
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Still on the couch except with a blanket taken from upstairs and guided over the two of them, Allegra and Joker laid across the cushions. Closest to the edge was Allegra, lying on her right side, intentionally to lull her broken wrist asleep. Her eyes were closed but her mind and body were completely alert, especially as the hand belonging to the clown behind her kept stroking up and down her left hip. His fingertips would move up from her waistline to her ribcage then graze down to its origin—and repeat.
Darkness enveloped them for save the flashing lights of the television. Currently, the news had gone off for the night and instead of the typical fiery deploy of onset criminal activity gushing red out of Gotham's sewers was the replacement of the same, except in a Hallmark film where criminals were put behind bars, there to stay and never to return on the streets. The movie itself made both criminals on the couch chuckle good-humoredly.
Allegra could hear Joker breathing behind her; his lips touched her neck, the slightest movement he made, she could feel him. The blanket that covered their chests and down made no attempt to ease her little shivers that crawled up and down her spine with each stroke the clown made with his hand on her. It was a fire licking her insides, but Allegra bit her lip with renewal of desire, and the bullet that accompanied her uneasy, guilty pleasures of his rare gentle moments.
"I...might have been lying a few days ago," Allegra finally spoke, her voice was quiet.
Joker emitted a deep chuckle from his throat, finding her statement not to his surprise.
"I wonder what that would be," Joker sighed from behind.
Allegra was half-relieved he didn't stop petting her side, despite his knowing tone. Had it been more apparent to him than what she realized? Evidently so, for Joker seemed stoic about it.
To his rhetorical curiosity of a guessing game, Allegra responded:
"I don't like playing Twenty Questions."
"Me neither, so we'll play 'Truth or Dare'." Joker told her quietly. His voice was a breeze against her neck; his breath on her skin made Allegra's eyes roll in the back of her head with little effort; that was until Allegra managed to regain her senses—it was a sin what he could do to her. Joker might have felt this reaction for the lips on her neck curved with a knowing smirk.
"Fine..." Allegra uttered. "I'll play your game." She sighed deeply.
"Truth or Dare, Bunny."
"Truth."
Joker made a soft giggle from behind her, uttering, "I was for certain you'd shy away and say 'Dare'."
"Just ask me a question," Allegra said.
"What is the happiest memory you have of your father?"
This question disarmed Allegra so much she nearly snapped to a reality. She glanced back at him curiously.
"You're not going to ask me what I've lied about?"
"That comes in time—I like to enjoy my little games, not ruin them all with a final throw down," Joker told her.
Allegra found this to be fair so she turned her head back to watch the Hallmark film on TV. Not that she paid any attention to it, for Joker's ever-teasing gestures under the blankets had left her side to trace the 'J' on her hip, making Allegra's mind become scattered to the winds. She thought of the question, then the answer.
"When I was five," said Allegra lightly, "Dad and I went to jail."
Joker looked at her for a second. Hearing how odd that sounded, Allegra explained: "Dad was a detective—I went with him to work. I met Gordon, the other cops." Allegra shrugged—the movement alone she felt against his chest made her shiver.
"And what was so great about that day?"
"I experienced what it was like to be in an interrogation," said Allegra. "Earlier that day, I had taken a cookie from the cookie jar; I didn't think he knew about it. But when I was placed in the interrogation room, the officers came in and interrogated me about the missing cookie—they claimed my fingerprints were found and everything."
"And you believed them?" asked Joker.
"I was five," repeated Allegra. "I didn't know they couldn't take fingerprints off a digested cookie."
Joker chuckled at this.
"Anyway, Gordon drilled me—well, he drilled me in a way a playful officer would drill a five-year-old about a missing cookie. I didn't realize they were teasing me," said Allegra, smiling fondly of the memory. "I was crying by the end of the interrogation."
"Why?"
Allegra chuckled at herself: "They handcuffed me and said I was going to be sent to Candyland for two days if I didn't confess to taking the cookie. When I started crying, Gordon told me he was just kidding—behind the two-way mirror, I was able to watch my own reactions in a video tape. After I realized they had been kidding with me, I was feeling better."
"And what happened to the cookie jar afterward?" Joker inquired curiously.
Allegra frowned. "Dad took it away."
There was a silence between them as the Hallmark movie revealed a sentimental moment between two officers sharing their lifetime story of their bad histories. Allegra felt Joker's left hand move from the scar on her hip. She felt it return, on the back of her left hand, his fingers interlacing over hers; unable to not return it, Allegra reciprocated.
"My turn," Joker whispered, his lips touching the nape of her neck. Once more, Allegra shivered with desire and instant gratification.
"Truth or Dare." Allegra asked him.
"Truth." Joker said—his tone was a mix of mocking and honesty, making plain to Allegra that the odds of him really telling her any truth would be obscured to a point she'd doubt his honesty. However, Allegra complied.
"When we're fucking," Allegra said softly, her eyes looking at but never truly seeing the TV (her attention was completely on everything Joker was doing to her), "Are you thinking of someone else?"
Joker found her question really interesting—for save the fact that it was downright personal (wouldn't be Allegra if it'd been impersonal) but her soft tone meant no offense if he did. After all, this entire thing was a game so be damned if either of them was lying.
"No," Joker told her gently (the unnatural quiet of his tone made Allegra uneasy for it appealed to her feminine, emotion-based senses), "I don't."
Allegra nodded with satisfaction to the answer...even if there was a shred of possibility that he wasn't telling the truth, just hearing him say it made Allegra's stomach churn with a guilty pleasure.
"Truth or Dare, Allegra." Joker drawled, intentionally placing his lips to her ear closest to him so her shiver was more pronounced. Yeah...he knew what he did to her. He left his hand from her fingers to her leg, touching the skin towards her inner thigh with an agonizing slow motion until his thumb lightly stroked between the wet folds of her sex. In response to him, Allegra's hips moved against him. He grinned against the back of her head at her reaction.
"Dare." Allegra finally answered, finding her voice.
Joker clicked his tongue twice, tapping her thigh with his middle finger. As though synchronized with his mind, she understood his nonverbal order. She turned towards him, her back to the television.
"Kiss me..." Joker stated.
Allegra moved towards him to do so but Joker touched her jaw, stopping her. She looked at him curiously.
"...Like a good wife kisses her husband." Joker finished.
This made Allegra's stomach drop, her jaw mimicking the metaphor with a subtle impression. However, the look Joker gave her was enough meaning for her to do what she was told exactly as he'd described it. Allegra bit her lip uncertainly, but moved towards him with a will.
Her lips touched his briefly, stopping for a second before they moved towards them with a harder pressure. Her tongue touched his upper lip in a smooth lick before he kissed her back, bringing the caress inside her mouth. Allegra's stomach churned and ignited with a raw hunger like she'd never felt before. When she allowed herself to submit to his domineering tongue, Allegra heard a low, deep sigh of satisfaction. Allegra broke the kiss with a calm, looking at him but her eyes betrayed her subtle confusion.
"I knew you were lying to me, Allegra," Joker stated plainly.
Allegra couldn't think of a response. She was still remembering the kiss that just finished.
"Are you letting me go?" she managed quietly.
"Letting you g—you think I'm firing you?" asked Joker incredulously, a breathy laugh found its way after as he grinned at her.
"I'm a liability."
"Actually, I think we've hit a rut in the company." Joker told her in a matter-of-fact tone. "When I say 'we', I'm of course talking about 'me'."
Allegra looked at him with uncertainty.
"I don't understand."
Joker smiled at her confusion. "Tell me, Allegra. Does the idea of being my wife arouse you?"
Allegra bit her lip when she felt him against her thigh, a steady, growing erection making her hormones tighten and fuss.
"Yes." Allegra whispered honestly.
Joker grinned, knowingly—she was a river between her legs; he could feel her.
"Almost as much..." she added quietly, "as the idea of being my husband does for you." (For she could feel him too.)
"You know what would be funny, Allegra." Joker said quietly.
"What...?"
"If we fooled everyone else into thinking we are."
"We are what?" Allegra asked obliviously. She was watching him lick his lips (out of habit); between this and his cock hardening against her sex, she was two minds of mounting him.
As though on the same mindful page as she, Joker took her shoulders and moved her underneath him, his hands separating her knees effortlessly for she complied wholeheartedly. His cock teased Allegra's clit—her hips moved involuntarily towards him.
"Into thinking we are husband and wife." Joker told her, his voice deepening with lust—even if both he and Allegra were truly distilled at the idea of an actual marriage (too much effort, too many 'friends', and what a waste of time and money).
"That'd be impossible to do," Allegra breathed, her voice just above a pant.
Joker laughed shortly, saying, "Why's that?"
"Married couples don't have sex these days." Allegra told him.
"Well, if that's the case..." Joker began, about to move from her.
Allegra touched his forearms quickly: "Then again, we...um...were just engaged." Allegra reasoned; Her tone teetered between playful and desirous; her lustful flame was exposed. "Honeymooners."
Joker rolled his eyes at her, but his giggle revealed how much he was enjoying the scenario. Allegra squeaked happily when he took her legs and pulled her to him so when her hips met his, it was an immediate, deep thrust. Her happy giggle went 180 degrees into a low, pained but equally pleasurable moan.
"Sh, sh, sh—you'll wake the manager." Joker scolded.
"I hope I do—this hotel has terrible room service."
Joker kissed her lower lip, nibbling a pause before moving it into a rough kiss that made Allegra smile in the middle of it. They reciprocated a small skirmish between their tongues, one attempting to dominate the other—he had the upper hand when he began thrusting in and out of her, making her lose several points.
"That's cheating." Allegra pouted—but the illegality felt sinfully great.
"Marriage is no picnic, Dollface." Joker purred, "Now, do for me what a good little wife would do for her husband on her honeymoon."
Allegra laughed—harder than intended, jokingly responding: "Say I have a headache and tell you to get off me?"
Joker made one hell of a thrust, deep inside her core that made Allegra cry out in surprise but audible delight. His hand touched her neck, moving her head so he growled in her ear: "Keep your legs open and do nothing while I watch you squirm."
Allegra's eyes widened at this, but the grin on her face was the immaculate impression of an aroused wife. Joker found her reaction to his satisfactory. In the commemoration of a fucked up honeymoon, Allegra's moans were the loudest they'd ever been. Both of them were really under the impression that 'house' had never been played like this before, ever.
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A/N: Just to clarify—Yes: Allegra and Joker are now going to not only play "Mommy and Daddy" but they're also "Husband and Wife".
NO: Joker did not propose. This isn't a story in which two people who jones for each other suddenly get hitched in the middle of no where. No—it's all an illusion, it's a role play...just a very sexy one.
YES: You may hate me for making Allegra and Joker partake in a "Husband and Wife" role play but mind you, this is my story. You've read this much, why not just finish what I have left to write?
YES: All this shit about Gordon and Allegra's father and yada yada yada DOES make a difference in the story. I have a lot planned for the rest of the movie!
AND PLEASE PLEASE review :D Thanks!
