Green eyes fluttered open as she sighed. Looking up and blinking rapidly, focus was slowly coming back. It took a few moments for Sakura to realize she was staring at a ceiling. Her brows furrowed, shifting against the sheets, raking dainty fingers down her tired face.
'This... This is the ceiling in my room...'
Surprisingly, Sakura's head felt fine compared to earlier. It didn't hurt... After ingesting whatever had knocked her out, she assumed she would have felt sluggish and drained, like a terrible hangover.
'What happened?'
Wiggling her fingers and toes experimentally, it was a relief that there wasn't anything preventing them from moving. Honestly, it wouldn't have been a big shock to wake up tied to a chair at this point...
Rolling over, Sakura almost jumped out of her skin seeing the person lying nose-to-nose with her. Trying to hold back a scream, her small hand covered her mouth in shock.
Joker was laying on the bed, sleeping soundly... Still wearing the purple button up shirt and green waistcoat that everyone in Gotham would recognize instantly. He was on his side, using one of her fluffy pillows that she loved so much. The sight of his tan arm slung around her waist made the pinkette sputter out in surprise. Why the hell did crawl into her bed and think he could just sleep next to her like this? Part of her wanted to grab one of the pillows and smother him, completely fed up with his antics.
Gritting her teeth, the pinkette carefully sat up, pulling on the blanket that was covering her. Suspicious of what the slumbering maniac could have done, she sighed in relief seeing that the same clothes from earlier were still on... He hadn't done anything she really would have killed him in his sleep for.
'Thank God...'
Looking back to the man next to her, she felt confused. What was the point? Did he really give her something, just so he could sleep undisturbed? Why in this bed? How could he bring her in here with him, not knowing if she would try to pull anything. It would only take a second to call the police...
Trying to stay quiet and not wake the sleeping clown, Sakura carefully slid back down against the mattress. What would happen now? What about when he finally gets up? Something rubbed against the sheet when she pulled it back up.
Glancing down, there were bandages wrapped around her forearm where the glass cut her open. Staring at the covering, the image of him licking her blood made her stomach churn. This man was so strange... Everything was so unpredictable. Out of the box, just as he said.
'Why did he clean it up? Why does everything have to be some theatrical performance and drawn out? It would have been easier just to say what he wanted to... He really is a damn clown.'
Staring at the man sleeping on his side across from her, Sakura studied his face. It was easier to do that when he wasn't moving around animatedly and laughing...or when she wasn't scared out of her mind.
'Hmm... This is weird...'
Without the greasepaint, it seemed like there was such a different person lying there, instead of the Joker himself. It felt hard to imagine this face all over the news, threatening and tormenting a hostage tied up in the background.
How could he sleep like that? Without a care in the world... In someone else's bed at that. Was he really that confident that nothing would happen? All it would take was a single phone call and the police would be hauling his ass off to Arkham Asylum.
'He would just escape anyway...always does.'
The way his mind works is different than anyone could comprehend. Someone like this would give psychiatrists a field day. It was hard to imagine how a person could become so twisted...and yet, it was undeniable the man was a genius. No 'average Joe' could pull off the schemes he did...and get away with them.
Everyday on the television and in the newspapers, there were articles and broadcasts all over the city about the stunts he was able to pull off. No one could stop him, not unless he wanted them to... That only seemed to result in something even more terrible happening afterwards.
Sakura had recently read an article in the paper recalling an incident from a while back After the authorities had subdued the clown and put him away in Arkham, all hell broke loose. A riot had started and it quickly got out of control out, ending with one of the sides of the old building being blown up. Dozens of patients fled into the night, causing havoc all over the city as the police tried to track down each and every person who escaped. Even now, there were still a few missing... The reason the old story resurfaced was because one of the men who had been on the run had finally been captured.
Journalists' claimed that someone must have assisted the clown from the inside. Otherwise, there shouldn't have been any way for him to get his hands on any type of explosives. Security was said to be impossibly tight there, so how was such a crazy plan pulled off? Aside from Blackgate, Arkham was thought to be impenetrable. Once someone goes in there, they usually never get out...
'...Interesting...'
This man...was he really a genius or just insane? Maybe a mix of both. Dangerous and mysterious...
Green eyes roamed his face and over the wavy locks on the pillow. It looked like they could use a good washing. It didn't seem like he cared about his appearance whatsoever... The green dye in his hair was terribly faded... Dark roots were coming in and lightened down the length of wild strands.
Without the clown makeup smeared all over, he may have been considered handsome. If someone could look past everything-
-The violent and manic behaviors, the odd quirks and manhandling. His willingness to kill everyone and insatiable blood thirst. Those snarky rude comments. Terrible habit of breaking and entering. All the stealing, stalking, and lack of common decency. His blatant disregard for color coordination and personal hygiene-
'What an asshole...'
Sakura could go on all day about the unruly bastard who was probably drooling all over her clean pillows.
Looking down towards his mouth, his lips were slightly parted as warm breaths pushed themselves out. The scars... It was undoubtedly the first thing anyone would stare at when looking at him. Well, if they were unfortunate enough to get a good look at him. The greasepaint was the initial thing that would draw the eyes... It was striking.
Maybe that's why he wore it... It took away from his disfigurement and easily struck fear into his victims. What is it about this city drives someone to become this way? What is he trying to prove or accomplish? Perhaps was it like he said, he just does things?
Sakura couldn't take her eyes away from the jagged, swollen marks around his mouth... They looked so painful. Why would someone do that to another person? How could they?
'What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I pitying this beast?'
The feeling just wouldn't go away, despite wanting to just be enraged at him for all that he's done. Part of her knew him. She didn't want to admit it, but deep down...it was a fact. Why else was he harassing her and causing so much trouble? If she'd been someone who ripped him off or did something offensive, he wouldn't have hesitated to kill or harm her.
Staring at those scars made her chest tighten, the same way his dark eyes did. Sucking in her lower lip, Sakura grazed her teeth over the soft skin gently, trying to recall his face in her mind... Trying to place it somewhere in the sea of images that had been lost and jumbled around.
Green eyes widened as something resurfaced from long ago...from somewhere hidden deep in the recesses of her mind...
"Oh...no..."
"Where are you? Where did that little slut go now?!" A man angrily slammed the door to the bedroom. Sakura quietly hid next to the dresser, thankful that he hadn't noticed her tiny form in the dark. Seems like something good had come from him breaking the light the day before in another one of his drunken fits..
Crawling across the floor, the pinkette reached up to feel along the wall, gently pressing against the smooth surface...searching for that certain spot. A sigh of relief came when it gave way, opening up an exit to escape from this godforsaken apartment.
In the background, two people were screaming and cursing so loud it would have been a surprise that no one called the police...except for the fact that they were in The Narrows. People don't just call the authority around here, even if something terrible happens. The police wouldn't have come anyway, unless there's some kind of agreement or money involved.
Leaning down, Sakura stooped low and carefully stepped into the next room of the neighbor's apartment. This was safety... She knew that no one could hurt her here... He wouldn't let them.
Straightening up, she quickly brushes the dust away from her yellow sundress. The pinkette couldn't help thinking it might have been a bad idea to wear it...at least with Todd at home. It ended in a short scuffle. Thankfully, he was too drunk to put up too much of a fight. Out of everything the pinkette possessed, this was the only thing that didn't scream "Narrow trash". A beautiful gift from Jack...that was most likely stolen, knowing him. They were supposed to go out and sneak into Gotham Park, one of their favorite spots in the entire city. He preferred going at night, after the gates were closed and when no one would be around to disturb them. It was a good thing he was so tall, climbing over those metal bars would have been difficult on her own.
Sakura glanced around the shoddy room, looking for the man in question. There was a mattress on the floor with sheets strewn around messily, like someone just rolled out of bed and tossed them back on. That's how they always looked, no matter how long he'd been up... Some clothes were thrown next to it in a heap. Even if they were clean, they would never be folded. Not by Jack anyway. The dingy room was practically barren, except for an old wooden chair against the wall. No matter how anyone looked at it...it didn't seem like whoever lived here cared at all...and that was fine with Sakura. Things like that didn't matter.
'Where is he?'
The room was empty, no one was in here. If Jack had been, she would have seen his tall silhouette lurking around somewhere. It was odd that he wasn't waiting here for her, especially when they had plans. Being on time for their little excursions was always so important to him... Whenever she'd been a few minutes late, he'd come barreling through the little door between their rooms, expecting a good excuse for being late.
Walking through the dark room, Sakura slowly headed towards the door, feeling anxious1. The dirty blonde rarely went anywhere without at least mentioning it...especially when they were about to go somewhere together. He might not always say what he's up to, but would let her know he was going out, just incase...
'Don't think about it...'
It was quiet...too quiet. Pressing her ear up against the door, the pinkette's brows furrowed. It was a Tuesday night, usually there would be the sounds of someone arguing or bottles being pushed around and a woman complaining. There was only dead silence.
Grabbing the handle to the door, Sakura twisted it carefully, pulling it open. The old wood creaked loudly with every movement. Stepping out of the room, she looked around in surprise not seeing anyone around. It was rare for no one to be home at this time of night...
The deep laugh resonating from the kitchen made the pinkette jump out of her skin. She knew that laugh... It was rare to ever hear it, but once anyone did, they wouldn't be able to forget it. Biting her bottom lip, she took tentative steps towards the source of the noise, an uneasy feeling pooling in her gut.
'Bad idea, bad idea... Turn the hell around and run the other way...'
The apartment was dark, the streetlights and neon signs from across the way being the only source of light. It was enough to see for the most part...
Getting closer, there was a faint sound coming from across the kitchen, but the shadows cast from the darkness made it hard to make out much. Something strained, harsh...gurgling... It made the pinkette freeze on the spot. A shuddered breath forced itself out as her eyes darted back and forth.
'What's that noise?..'
It came and went, slow and barely audible. Sakura was afraid...terrified of finding the source of the strangled sounds. A sickening sensation loomed over head as she kept going, despite the trembling making it difficult. Whatever it was, it didn't sound human...
"Ah!" The pinkette's foot hit something in the threshold of the kitchen, making her tip over in surprise. Unable to grab anything or break the fall, she yelled out, smacking her face hard against the tiled floor. Sucking in a deep breath, it hurt...The sudden impact made her eyes water as she lifted her head up from the hard surface, gingerly holding her throbbing jaw.
"S-Shit..."
Sitting up with a grunt, she swatted her hair out of the way, trying to get a look at what was on the floor. Green eyes widened at the sight of the thin silhouette lying in a heap. It was a person... A person's body that she fell over.
A woman with curly hair laid on the tiled floor, eyes wide open with a grimace plastered on her tired features. Dark splatters covered everything...All over her worn clothing, trailing up to the ghostly white skin of her face. Her arm hung limply above, bent at an unnatural angle...broken.
"Oh...my God!" Jack's mom was lying in a pool of blood. Gasping, her hand clutched at her chest, trying to keep her heart from breaking through. Something wet was covering it, transferring onto the yellow fabric and seeping through. Trying to swallow the lump forming in her throat, Sakura hesitantly peeked down, crying out when she saw it was covering everything... Down the front of the sundress, dripping from her dainty hands, making her knees planted against the floor start to slide.
"Hahaha..." Laughter bounced off the walls of the kitchen as a dim light turned on. Panting hard, the pinkette looked up at the tall man standing by the switch.
Dark eyes narrowed in on the small form curling in on itself. Grinning, he looked every bit of a devil, just like everyone called him.
'...Jack's dad! What the hell's going on?!'
Glancing back down towards the floor, there were stab wounds and slash marks littering the woman lying just inches away from the pinkette. There wasn't any signs of movement or breathing. No one could have survived such a vicious attack... Jack's mom was dead.. His father murdered her.
Hands shook as the lump came back with a vengeance, cutting off any oxygen. She gasped, desperate to force anything in her lungs. She couldn't breathe.. What was happening? This couldn't be real... This must be some terrible nightmare full of everything she'd ever been afraid of happening.
Jack's dad was known for being a crazy asshole, but this was...unbelievable. The drunk had always been a piece of shit, who enjoyed beating his family, but to take it this far? To stab his wife to death and laugh about it?
The older man had blood splattered all down the front of his beater, smiling like the devil as he watched realization pass over the pinkette's face. A chill spread through her quaking body, unable to move or do anything. When the dirty blonde took a step forward, her green eyes widened as they noticed the kitchen knife his large hand was gripping.
"N-No!" Was he going to kill her now? If he'd murder his own wife, what would stop him from killing a neighbor?
'Where's Jack?!'
The sound from earlier started up again and that's when she noticed him...
Sakura choked out a sob, hands flying up to her face, shaking in disbelief. Jack was on the floor by the table... The lower half of his face was covered in blood. Fluids ran down his neck, dripping onto the floor and forming a small puddle beneath his head. The sides of his mouth and bottom lip were completely slit open.
The dirty blonde curls lying against the tiled surface were dyed red along bottom. Harsh pained gasps pushed through his ruined lips, trying hard to breath with great difficulty. Something was blocking his airway... Small tremors shook his chest as the muscles in his leg twitched involuntarily. His bare feet were covered in the crimson liquid with smears beneath them. A struggle happened before he fell...
The noises she heard...had been him choking on his own blood as it filled his throat...
"Oh my God! J-Jack!" Sakura fell onto her hands, body racked with tremors seeing the person she spent most of her life with in ruins. "What did you do to him?!"
"Heheh! You know how serious Jack always is... I just wanted to see him smile for once!" He walked forward, waltzing across the floor, making his way towards the pinkette. He explained like it was the most obvious, rational thing in this world. As if she was the one who wasn't making any sense. The way his lips curled up into salacious grin made her skin crawl.
The shock of it all had her frozen on the spot. They were all going to die, because of this drunk bastard. The pounding from her heart was slamming against her ears. She was in a daze, everything starting to go in slow motion.
"Jack!" Unable to move a muscle, Sakura didn't know what to do as panic gripped every part of her small body. There was no way for her to fight off a big guy like his dad, especially with the kitchen knife he was wielding. Would it be possible to run to Jack's room and through the hidden door to call the police? With all the noise next door and how everyone in the complex was, screaming at the top of her lungs wouldn't get anyone's attention. Worst of all...by the time anything could happen, this maniac would finish off Jack. That's if he didn't end up dying from the wounds by then.
The bruises visible that weren't covered with blood showed that he'd been beaten horribly. He could have internal damage or hemorrhaging. There was no way in hell she could leave him. He would never leave her, even if it meant something terrible happening to him. That's already been proven.
'Jack... He's still moving...still alive.'
Before Sakura realized it, a bloody hand coiled around her slim neck, lifting the pinkette up from the puddle of blood she'd been sitting in. The tremors made her legs shake when they left the floor, swinging wildly towards the large body. She kicked as hard as she could, trying to get the man choking her to let go. Coughing and gasping for air, the hands around her throat shook her hard. Sharp nails scratched at his wrists in desperation. It only amused him as the manic laughter echoed around the room.
Pulling the small, flailing body closer, calloused thumbs dug into the soft skin beneath her jaw, forcing her to look up at him. In the crazed man's dark eyes, she could see her own terrified expression in their depths, looking right back at her.
'I'm dead... I'm going to die!'
"Jack can't help you now... No one can." The air was knocked from her lungs when the hands around her throat threw the pinkette down, slamming her small form against the floor with a loud bang. Bright lights erupted from the back of her eyes as her head smacked hard against the tiled surface. Pain shot in every direction through her skull from the impact, making her cry out.
He crawled on top of Sakura before she gained focus, not realizing what was happening with the room spinning. The only thing she could make out was the twisted grin from the man looming above as she sputtered, coughing and trying to catch her breath.
"J-Jack! Jack!" Feeling the knife against her pale skin, the only thing she could do was scream out the one word that came to mind. The only thing that's ever been reliable and made pinkette feel safe. It wouldn't matter now, they were all screwed. Jack was in tatters, lying across the floor in a puddle of blood. If he was gone, there was no point in going on anyway... There wasn't anything to live for now.
Was this psycho going to carve her face up like Jack's? Or just start stabbing until the life left her body, like his wife?
"What's wrong, pumpkin? Are you scared?" The tip of the blade ran along her bottom lip, a small streak of blood coming off of the cold metal. "You're always smiling when you're with my son... So, I don't think I need to cut that pretty mouth of yours up...yet. Hmm... Let's see..."
The knife trailed along her pale skin, running towards her collarbone. There wasn't enough pressure to break the skin, but any second now, the knife would be covered in more blood... Her blood.
Tears ran down her face as she whimpered, terrified of what was about to happen. She couldn't move an inch... A sob broke through as she involuntarily shook, only exciting the man looking down at her.
"I like that expression on your face. I betcha ya Jack's never seen it... That boy couldn't do anything right... Ah! I know..." Moving the blade from her bone, it twisted in his fingers to the serrated side. He dragged it along the soft flesh of her chest, towards the top of the yellow sundress.
Sakura shrieked when the knife easily cut through the thin fabric and down the front of her dress. No way... No way was she going to let him do what he seemed to have in mind. Kicking her legs and screaming at the top of her lungs, the pinkette pulled every ounce of strength left to fight the man that was straddling and pinning her to the floor.
Even if there was nothing left to live for...if both her and Jack were going to die tonight..there was no way in hell she would let it end like this. To allow this man to humiliate her in the most degrading and barbaric way, take what isn't his and do as he pleased with her body. If she was going to be killed, it would at least be going down swinging. Imagining the police finding her naked on the floor was adding insult to injury. Not only that, but Jack was right across the room, still breathing.
She didn't want to be shamed like this...in front of him. His father beating him to a bloody pulp and ripping his face open, then raping and killing his girlfriend... If he did survive by some miracle, Sakura didn't want him to have to live with that. Knowing how he was, Jack wouldn't be able to. She knew he'd only blame himself for not being able to stop his father from doing this..and taking away his mother.
The pinkette smacked and frantically clawed at the man above her, not willing to let him have his way. His bloody hands grabbed the top of her dress, pulling her thin shoulders up off the floor. He growled out in agitation, slamming her down against the hard surface, knocking the air right out of her.
Sakura gasped and cried, screaming out in desperation, hoping to God that someone would have enough humanity left to intervene or call the police. Right now, even Todd would have been a welcome reprieve...
Lifting his arm up, the back of his fist came crashing into the side of her face, hitting the pinkette hard to stop her resistance. Nothing pissed the drunk off more than someone fighting back or trying to stop him...
Seeing the small woman freeze in shock from the blow, he grabbed at her slender forearms against the floor. lifting them over her head, he pinned them together with a soiled hand. All too easy... A snarl ripped through his throat, holding the lithe body down in a bruising grip. The knife dropped onto the floor, no longer needing it at the moment with what he planned. This required the use of both hands and the one was already preoccupied. The sundress was ripped open the rest of the way, exposing the bra underneath.
"STOP!" Feeling her legs being pushed apart as he settled between them, Sakura jolted back to reality from the daze the blow had smacked her into. The man above her was much stronger, easily holding her down against the tile with a grin on his face.
"Ohh... Jack sure was a lucky guy in one way... You really are a sight for sore eyes." His hand ran along the smooth skin along her stomach, trailing up and over the fabric covering her breasts. The urge to throw up was overwhelming from the stench of alcohol coming from the lunatic pushing himself up against her. "Even for a half-breed..."
"Let's see now-"
"JACK!" Sakura cried out, thrashing wildly as his hand slipped under her bra, roughly palming her breast. A piercing shrieked left her lips, wanting this to stop. The man's eyes suddenly widened, bugging out as he froze.
"Arghhhh!" Before she could blink, the weight pinning her to the floor quickly disappeared. He was ripped off of her, thrown to the side as Jack pulled the knife out of his back. The pinkette gasped, green eyes glossy as the tears kept flowing. Her heart pounded erratically at the sight of the him standing there.
The man shouted as he fell to the floor. His hands tried to reach towards his back, to the spot where he'd been stabbed. He seemed to be in shock at what just happened, almost in disbelief when he turned his head towards his son. Dark eyes looked at the young man incredulously, changing into trepidation as he stared up at him.
"W-Wait! Just wait, Jack! It's n-"
Jack growled out, lunging forward and knocking his father over. Getting on top of him, he didn't hesitate for a moment, plunging the blade into his chest.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" The pinkette pushed herself up, eyes widening as she watched him pull the knife out, bringing it back down...over and over again. Screaming and cursing, the slits in the corners of his mouth tore open. Fresh blood started overlapping what had already started drying.
The look on his face...it chilled her to the bone. Those warm brown eyes she adored turned pitch black, almost unrecognizable. Sakura had never seen it before, even after all the things they'd been through over the years. Wild, manic, feral...full of rage. Unadulterated anger that could suffocate anyone foolish enough to get too close. Hatred like a black flame, burning and tearing everything apart in its path...
Blood splattered everywhere, running down his sides and pooling on the floor. The blade kept going, slashing and tearing at anything and everything it could. Bile rose to her throat as the knife went through his eye socket. Jack was taking out all his fury on the body beneath him, growling like a wild animal.
Sakura was terrified...of what she was seeing and what he as doing. There seemed to be no end to it, even when his father stopped moving.
Panting and shaking, the pinkette pushed herself up off the floor onto her unsteady feet, forcing herself to move. She needed to stop him... He was losing himself to the rage. The scum was already dead and Jack needed help. He needed to go to the hospital right away.
Almost falling over, a harsh breath left her lips, trying desperately to get over to him. The trembling was making it hard to move. Any moment her legs might give out. Everything ached from what his father had done. The sundress torn down the front, barely hanging from her shoulders.
Stumbling over, Sakura dropped to her knees hard against the floor, but it was close enough... Reaching forward, she wrapped her arms around him tightly from behind him, pressing her face into his back.
"Jack! Jack, stop!... He-He's already dead..." Jack froze as he heard the soft voice, grip still tight around the handle of the knife. She could feel him trembling...
"Hah.. Ah..." The man in her arms breathed out heavily, shaking like a leaf. Letting his head drop down, it lulled back and forth as the pinkette sobbed against him, holding on tightly. Waking from a daze, his shook it off, looking down at the weapon in his grasp with disgust. Panting, he threw the knife across the kitchen floor, leaving a trail of blood across the tiled surface.
"S-Sakura..." His voice was deep and raspy, blood still running from his mouth where it had been carved open. "Are you...okay?"
"I'm...alright... Don't worry about me. We need to-" Shifting and turning around, long arms wrapped around the pinkette, pulling her away from the mutilated corpse. Jack's grip tightened, holding her tightly against him. Using his bare feet, he pushed off against the floor to slide towards the counter, dragging Sakura along with him. Leaning his back against the cabinets under the sink, he squeezed her tightly, taking deep breaths from his ruined mouth.
"No. If we...call the cops... With my luck, they'll just take me away...again." He didn't trust anyone in Gotham that had any sort of authority. Time and time again, the police have shown their true colors. They were always running in sync with the mob and doing dirty business, especially in this area of town. His father had always been arm-in-arm with the area's underbelly, dealing with drugs and gambling. Now, one of their dealers would be off the streets and someone's pocket was about to get lighter, even if just a little.
He was still shaking as the pinkette cried into his bloody shirt. What would they do now? Glancing up, the man above her was grimacing in pain. The wounds were so terrible... His face would forever be scarred after it healed. There was no way to pay for a surgery that could help lessen the brunt of the damage done.
Jack's dark eyes were looking towards the body across the floor. His mother... She was dead...and now, so was his father.
"I'm sorry..." Her voice was quiet, not knowing what could possibly be said at this point. Their lives were never going to be the same from now on.
"Ahh..dammit!..." His jaw moved experimentally, eyes screwing shut from the pain. "It was her own fault... She damn well knew..hah..what he was and still wanted to stay.." Sakura's eyes widened, not believing what she just heard. The only rationalization that came to mind was that he said it out of anger.
Perhaps he really did mean it. For years he complained about his mother keeping them both there, for allowing the abuse to continue. She hadn't even tried finding a way out or attempted to get rid of his father. The beatings and torment had gone on for as long as Sakura could remember. It seemed like there hadn't been a time when it asn't going on. His mother always slithered into the shadows or some corner, hoping it wouldn't be her next. She allowed Jack to take her place, to start taking the brunt of it all the older he got.
"Jack, you need to go to the hospital. Your mouth..." She just couldn't stop crying, barely able to believe what happened. How would they even explain this?
"No. Don't call anyone...ahhh... I'm not-I'm not going anywhere. I'll just...stitch it up later..." Laying his head back against the cabinet door, he stretched his legs out from underneath them. Wrapping his arms around her tighter, they finally stopped shaking.
"... If I didn't hear you calling my name...I probably wouldn't...have been able to stop him."
For the first time, Sakura saw tears running down his face, mixing themselves in with the blood. It was a sight the pinkette hoped she'd never have to see. He was in excruciating pain, emotionally drowning in turmoil. She choked out a sob, balling her fists into his shirt. Why did this have to happen?
His hand caressed the back of her head, running wet red fingers through her pink hair. Jack was the one with his face slit open, who just lost any family he had. Any life he had, no matter how aweful it had been, was now turned upside down and forever changed...yet she was the one being comforted.
Looking back up at him with swollen eyes, she noticed him staring at the wall across the kitchen. His dark eyes narrowed, snaking his tongue over his bottom lip, licking up the blood still coming from the corners of his mouth.
"Jack..." His gaze didn't waver, staring forward with a dazed, far-away look in his eyes. Instead of pain now, there was something cold washing over his young features.. "Jack?"
Turning his head away, he wouldn't look at her. The grip on her tightened as he bit his bottom lip, angry tears still flowing. She didn't know what could be going through his head, not in this moment.
In all the years they had known each other, Jack Napier never cried. Not when his dad would beat him black and blue, or when he would hurt himself. Not even when the dog he'd taken in had been run over by a speeding cop car...
The closest anyone had seen him upset was when she had run away from home, hiding in the warehouse a couple of blocks from their street. Jack had spent most of the day looking everywhere for her, and it wasn't until late in the evening that he found her when she finally came out from her secret hiding spot.
The pinkette hadn't intended to make him upset, but that didn't stop him from yelling as he dragged her back home. Despite the angry words, she knew it was because he was afraid when he couldn't find her anywhere. It was after that incident that the door between their rooms had been built with his own hands... That way, instead of running off somewhere, she could run to him...
Jack constantly warned her not to go out the window onto the fire escape, that it was dangerous... That's what she had done until that point. The steps were old and rusted, always shaking and threatening to give way under the smallest bit of weight. It was safer to go through the door and be with him in a locked room where they could hide out, until it was over.
"Jack?..." He still wouldn't face her, gritting his teeth. Cursing under his breath, he clenched his jaw tightly. "Please... What can I do? You're in pain... We need to do something."
"Don't look at me." Sakura's widened as the man holding her screwed his eyes shut. A hiss left his mangled lips. "Please... Don't look at me.."
Sakura went to sit up and look at him, to try to do anything. He was shutting her out, collapsing in on himself. When she tried to move, he held her down tightly, not letting her move. Tugging onto his shirt, she buried her face into his chest. The metallic smell was overwhelming, starting to make her head spin. It ached from earlier, after his dad slammed it against the floor. Compared to what Jack went through, it wasn't even worth mentioning. She was lucky that was all she would walk away with.
"...You... You should go home." The pinkette sucked in a sharp breath as she looked up at him, not believing what he was saying. "Don't look at me. Just..go."
"I'm not leaving! I'm staying with you..."
"Ahhah...ugh..." His face twisted into a grimace of pain, blood dripping from his chin. The dark eyes she had come to adore were so cold, full of anger and resentment.
"Hah..ha..hahah...hahahHAHAHAHA!" Sakura froze when she heard the chuckle coming from the broken man, his chest shaking as he threw his head back, banging it against the cabinet door. It didn't seem to even faze him. He laughed louder, startling the pinkette at the drastic change.
Sakura was nervous... When they were alone, he laughed quite a bit, but this was different. There wasn't anything even remotely funny and this wasn't the time or place. For the first time, she felt a space between herself and the person who was always by her side.
"Jack!" Whatever was going through his head was completely lost on her. After almost being murdered and killing his own father, he was laughing like a maniac while his mother's dead body was lying across the room on the floor. Was he going insane?
Pushing off against his chest, Sakura sat up to look him straight in the face. As soon as she did that, he stopped laughing, turning away again.
"I told you not to look at me." The bite in his tone made her chest tighten. He never talked to her like that or tried to push her away. Part of her debated if he just needed space after all that's happened, but something was telling the pinkette not to. She just had the feeling that leaving him alone-even if he was demanding it-would be a terrible mistake. He was trying to put distance between them for a reason, but knowing him, it wasn't a good one.
Jack was one of the strongest people she knew. He could take just about anything, without showing how it affected him. Yet here he was, silently shedding tears after seemingly losing everything. What would happen if she left like he wanted? She didn't want to know or find out. Sakura knew better, no matter what he said. This was the time that he needed someone by his side more than ever, and she wasn't going anywhere.
"Please, stop... I-I..." What could ever be said at this point?
"...My mouth is ruined. Even if I stitch it up...ah..the scars are going to be bad..." His dark eyes wouldn't even glance at her, but she could see the anger and sadness in them. Is that why he didn't want her to look at him so badly? He was worried about his face? "You don't wanna..see this."
"Don't tell me what I do or don't want to see. No matter what they look like, it doesn't matter to me! You're still Jack..scars or no scars." She meant it. The slashes around his mouth were horrible, painful to even look at. How could she walk away from him just because of that after everything they've been through. If it was her instead, she knows he wouldn't throw what they had away over something so superficial.
"...There's no way...you can still want me like this... I won't even be able to get a normal job...or take care of you... What am I going to do?... I can't- I can't do anything with a face like this... Everyone is just going to see me as a freak...more than they already do. It's all over..." His head dropped down, blood dripping onto his chest. He sounded so bitter, yet remorseful. Angry at the his own situation and how it would impact his life from now on.
From the beginning, Jack never had much of anything and now it was all gone, and he was expecting her to go with it. Every so often, he would doubt what she saw in him, why she stayed by his side. Always doubting his own self-worth and thinking he didn't deserve anything good in life. Never expecting any of it to go his way or stay. His dad drilled that into his head, filling it with harsh criticisms and insults, tearing him down at every turn. The world hadn't been very kind to him either, always turning a blind eye to his suffering. Now that he would be permanently disfigured, those demons that always whispered words of self-loathing were screaming in his ears.
Carefully putting her hands on the sides of his head, the pinkette gently pulled his face up, trying not to hurt him more than he already was.
"It doesn't matter! I don't care what your face looks like. We're in this together. You saved me... If anything, I'll provide for you, I don't care. It's not like either of us had money before, and we were happy. As long as we have each other, everything will be okay. I promise..." He looked at her with a bewildered expression, dark eyes widening. Was he really expecting her to reject him? It was insulting. She wasn't a shallow person who cared about his physical appearance. That meant nothing...
"I love you... Scars and all." Leaning forward, she gently pecked his lips, just barely grazing them. There was no doubt they were painful... He went through so much, but was more worried about her not wanting him. How ridiculous.
Jack stared at her like she had two heads. He wasn't sure if maybe Sakura had a concussion from hitting her head on the floor, because she was speaking nonsense. Why would someone want to be with a man who's face was carved like this? Who would have a difficult time just getting the necessities they would need to survive? It was hard enough trying to get a job without having a facial disfigurement. If she stayed with him, her life would only be more difficult than it already was.
If someone like her could look past all of it and choses to stay with him...then that was that. He would just have to work harder at everything, make sure she wouldn't regret her decision.
Moving forward, Jack wrapped his arms around her, pulling the pinkette close and kissing her hard. Blood smeared around her mouth as he deepened the kiss, refusing to let go despite the jolting pain shooting through his face. Holding on tight, he pushed himself from off the floor, pulling her up with him. Hands grabbed onto the Sakura's hips, making her wrap her legs around his waist to balance themselves.
Jack ignored the agonizing wounds, only focused on the woman clinging to him. His lips didn't stop as he kissed her roughly, walking through the kitchen. Without even a glance, he stepped over his mother's body, heading towards his room.
Kicking the door open, his stalked through the room, stepping onto the mattress lying on the floor. Her slim hands ran through his damp waves, making him groan into the pinkette's mouth as he laid her down on the sheets. Ripping away what was left of the sundress, his hands roamed up her body, finding their way into her pink hair.
"Ahh.. Jack..." Hearing his name spurred him on. He wrapped his hand into her silky locks, tugging her head back and kissing her deeply. There wasn't a single care about the skin tearing at the corners of his mouth.
Blood smeared all over, staining her white skin. It didn't matter...not anymore. He broke away from her, running his lips down the column of her neck as ragged breaths left his damaged mouth.
Sakura's back arched when he trailed down towards her chest, hands quickly disposing of the fabric concealing her from his dark eyes. Her nails raked over his scalp and through the messy curls hanging down over his face. All the horrible things that happened in the apartment seemed to fade off into the shadows. The only part either of them couldn't bear to lose was still there and no one would change that. They still had each other, even if everything else was gone.
His lips were hot against her skin as they nipped and kissed their way down her body, leaving a bloody trail in their wake...
Sakura's eyes widened as she stared at the man next to her. Now it all made sense...
"That's right... How could I forget?"
Reaching forward, the pinkette carefully ran her fingers along the scars around his mouth. It had been him...it always was. That's what had been missing.
This man...this criminal...had been the missing piece to the puzzle of her life. The door, the boy...it was all him. There were still so many things that still hadn't resurfaced yet, but one thing was for sure...
The Joker was the key that would unlock it all.
"Joker... No... Jack..." A breath hitched in her throat, hot tears forming in her eyes. He hadn't just been some psychotic clown toying with her for kicks. He was her friend that grew up watching over her...had saved her from not only others, but even herself.
The pinkette sobbed as realization hit. She had been the one who left... The one who forgot everything and lived a normal life for the last seven years, while he rotted away in this city. He'd lost his family and then lost the only one who really mattered to him. Her chest throbbed as it tightened, imaging how horrible life had been to him. While she had made friends and started over, he was left all alone... Forgotten and rejected by the world.
Sakura hadn't been the only one who lost something the day that incident happened that stole her memories... If anything, Jack had lost far more. His best friend...companion...lover. Unlike the pinkette, he had to live with everything. Had to go day after day, carrying the weight of it all on his broad shoulders.
'No wonder... Christ...'
All her life growing up, he watched over her, did his best to keep them both safe. Despite all the years that had gone by since she disappeared and finally showed up in Gotham, things had changed and at the same time, they really didn't.
Even now...after all this time...he was still watching over her.
"...I'm so sorry..." She whispered softly, leaning forward and burying her face into his chest, crying into his green waistcoat.
Joker's dark eyes stared at the wall as Sakura sobbed against him, no end to the tears she was shedding.
