Joker grinned looking down at the pinkette sleeping. She had no idea how many times she had saved him...
A shiver ran through her body, the bare skin above the lace on her chest prickling with goosebumps. His brows furrowed, watching her slim fingers subconsciously latching onto the fabric of the gown, her slim body seeking out warmth in the cold apartment.
"Tch." The clown's lips curled up as he stood. Snatching the purple trench coat from the back of the chair, he draped it over her while she sleepily shifted on the cushions. Despite the frigid temperature outside, the heat never seemed to be turned on. Every time he'd broken in so far, it hadn't been on, not even once.
'Does she just like the cold? Maybe it reminds her of the old days without realizing it.'
"That's better..." It looked good on her. Purple and green always accentuated the color of her hair. Those two were always her favorite colors when they were growing up, saying it reminded her of springtime and flowers. He liked red and black.. They usually had very different tastes, like how she enjoyed being out in the sun, while he would prefer staying inside. It was kind of ironic, considering the pinkette was white as snow, and he was tan.
The large trench coat completely covered the slender woman, resting below her chin and going far past the small bare feet subtly shifting beneath the thick layer. She let out a small hum, no longer shivering as her dainty hands curled into the interior of the purple fabric.
Satisfied, Joker knelt down in front of the couch. He leaned down low towards the carpet and reaching beneath it. Extending his arm out, fingers felt around the carpeted surface. While Sakura was sleeping, it would be a good time to do this. It wasn't like he could join her right now, feeling too full of vigor from the night to lie down and close his eyes. Sleep was something that always seemed to evade him... After all these years, he was used to it by now, running on very little, if any at all.
Brows shot up, feeling what he was looking for. Fingers coiled around the bundle, dragging the rolled up papers from under the piece of furniture with him. Scooping them up into his bare arms, the clown stood up, carrying the spoils from City Hall towards the table. These were necessary for the next course of action...
After the leaving the fundraiser, there was still much to do.
The way Batman had flung himself out of the window to rescue that woman was curious... No one chases after another person so-so desperately, without there being some sort of backstory behind it. His actions were frantic, rash...uncharacteristic for the typically stoic 'hero'. The way his eyes darkened when the clown held a gun to the brunette spoke volumes. Joker knew that look-the ferocity that comes with seeing something a man is protective of being threatened or harmed. He understood it very well, because he's been there. Their scenarios had one large difference... That woman already has a man and that wasn't the Bat. Something underhanded was going on, that was for sure. Perhaps the so called 'Dark Knight' really only held himself to one rule, willing to break all the others... Does Dent know?
"HAHAHA... I sure know how to put the fun in fundraiser..."
The Bat's "heroic" rescue gave him and his men enough to time to escape and move on to the next part of his plan. It was too easy drawing out the caped crusader. All he had to do was blow up one of the Chechen's large shipment of drugs on a vessel docked at the shipyard. The clown knew that after throwing his little bunny out of the window, he would be searching for him.
What a great twist it turned out to be. The little witch had a lot of nerve making jabs at Sakura for her appearance, being so...condescending. The pinkette was a beauty compared to that woman, who looked like a soccer mom from the suburbs in her very late thirties. Joker was already annoyed with her before she had the nerve to play the part of the 'hero', especially with a knife in his hand. Did she already know the Bat was there? Is that why she was willing to stand up like that? Perhaps she was trying to bid time for him to make a big entrance? Either way, he thoroughly enjoyed tossing her from that ledge, hoping she'd get hit by a speeding car passing by.
The cops that arrived immediately afterwards, as expected. They were easy to handle, but the clown needed the Bat to be across the city, while his men stole all the blueprints that were safely locked away in City Hall. There wasn't anyone else who could have gotten in the way, so he used himself as bait to keep the flying rat busy.
Instead of just taking a few, he had his men take them all. Otherwise, it would have given Gordon a clue about what's to come next. Well, even if they knew where something might occur, they wouldn't be able to grasp what was going to happen.
"HAHAHOHAHA!" Joker couldn't help laughing to himself at how ignorant the authorities were. Always a step behind, never able to get ahead.
Unraveling the papers, he pulled a few knives out of his pocket to weigh them down, to stop the corners from curling up. Dragging one of the chairs over and flopping down, he looked at each sheet carefully, images and plans forming themselves in his head.
"Da-da-da-ahh..." The important ones were here. The others carefully hidden in a warehouse where no one would find them, even if they tried. With the wreckage and fire burning everything, the police probably wouldn't even realize what was missing in all the debris or just assume they burned away with everything else.
'Wouldn't matter anyway.'
Dent's office, Arkham Asylum, the MCU were among the blueprints he looked over, committing the details to memory. Information was a key ingredient for a plan to be successful. Sending in a lackey to survey a building was a rookie mistake. The men under him weren't in their right minds anyway, wouldn't comprehend or take into consideration what the clown deemed important.
The last time he'd been in Arkham, Joker let the authorities believe he'd been caught from an underling getting the details of the building completely backwards. No... As if he would allow something like that to happen. Every piece was handled by him personally. It didn't matter what they thought of him. Either way, they just saw a psychotic freak and were more than vocal of their opinions.
How many times did they let him know exactly what they thought about him? Or felt? When they think no one is watching, the police and orderlies show you who they really are...
Grumbling, Joker looked down at his scarred chest.
'She doesn't care...'
From the look on the pinkette's face, it initially reminded him of how everyone else reacted. Blackgate, Arkham...whichever place he was forced to put on their stinking uniform. Everyone always made the same expression. Disgust and fear, always turning away faster than they can blink.
It wasn't revulsion on Sakura's face, she was upset. Bothered that he'd gotten hurt, again and again... The same way like when they younger and she used to bandage him up. Jack could have done it himself, but he enjoyed it when she would fuss over him. It meant someone cared. His own mother wouldn't take the time or put in the effort to do that much, even when he was a little kid.
The way the pinkette would drag out the first-aid kit she stole from the nurse's office at school and would lecture him, was a fond memory. No one else ever took the time to carefully clean him up and cover his wounds. She would change them and check up on it. Always keeping a file in her head of every time he was hurt, that way there was no lying about it.
Turning in his seat, Joker gazed at the sleeping woman on the couch. His attention was elsewhere, too distracted to focus on the blueprints any longer. Not with her being so close...
Did Sakura really understand what she was getting herself into? He was a dangerous criminal now, not the blonde-haired boy she used to fret over. The entire city was after him...
'She doesn't care...'
Did she truly comprehend those words? Or was she just getting ahead of herself?
No. This was still Sakura, even if she had been imprisoned in her own mind. The woman he'd been following these past few weeks wasn't really her. As he watched from a distance, that became painfully obvious. The person he knew would never let some guy bang on her wall and say nothing. Wouldn't have allowed a friend set her up to meet with a complete stranger and let them get away with it. The fiery pinkette would have never stood by quietly as the world and people pushed her around the way she'd been letting it.
If a stranger in clown makeup had shown up unannounced after leaving dubious threats, his Sakura would have smacked him over the head with a bat. Little by little as he pushed "Tasha" closer to the edge, he could see Sakura fighting to get out. That was one of the reasons he blew up the bridge, aside from not leaving any room for an easy escape. He needed to drag her out, before it was too late.
Tasha wouldn't keep his Sakura away from him... He would drive that stranger out, then kill it.
When the bridge collapsed in the explosion, he wasn't sure what she would do. If the pinkette had curled up into a ball and cried, it would have been devastating. How much further did things have to escalate, before it became clear that she wasn't coming back? Even if that possibility came true, then he would just steal her away, forcibly mold her into what he wanted. After all, Tasha still had Sakura's body. If the clown couldn't have it all, something was better than nothing. He was never one to leave empty-handed.
Thankfully, it didn't come to that... When the she lunged forward and started punching him in the face, he'd been ecstatic. It didn't bother him at all, even if she busted his nose. It only proved that the fiery fighter was still in there. That there was still hope...a chance. The only thing that hadn't gone his way was when she'd fallen from the ledge. He was a hair away from leaping down himself, not that it would have changed anything. It would have been too late to save her.
'I guess the Bat can come in handy...sometimes.'
Words can't express the relief he felt seeing that dumbass swinging by and grabbing her, before she hit the rocks at the bottom... He would have been horrified if she killed herself while trying to get away from him.
For seven years the Joker beat himself up, feeling that he killed the pinkette for money. Even if it wasn't his own hands that had personally done the deed...
'Either way... She's here now, in one piece.'
Honestly, there wasn't much of a choice in the matter. It wasn't like she could walk away from this-he wouldn't allow it. If there was anything he wanted, nothing would get in the way. That's how he lived all these years and that wasn't about to change anytime soon. It was preferable for her to come along willingly, but either way... This was happening. Snatching the pinkette up would have been child's play, taking the small woman away from the rest of the world and keeping her all to himself. The night in the hospital, he could have easily thrown her over his shoulder and no one would have known what happened. That wasn't what he wanted. He didn't want to drag her away, kicking and screaming. His Sakura would follow him willingly, because it was what she wanted to do, not from being forced. It wasn't a hostage that he needed. Someone who screamed and cursed every time he'd show his face. Hissing and spitting and clawing at him every chance she got, like an angry cat. No... Joker wanted her to desire him, only want to be with him, to make up her entire world, so that nothing else seemed to matter anymore-to feel the same way he did.
Staring at Sakura's face, he smacked his lips together when a strange thought surfaced. It hadn't been until that bastard Jin started using his ability on her that things started to change. Was it from his little "gift" and searching through her brain, that the original started to surface? It made sense... He must have delved deep if he knew who Jack was and was able to recognize his bare face, even when Sakura couldn't.
It was like picking up a stone from under the water at the edge of a lake. When it's pulled up, the dirt beneath it starts swirling and mixing into the water. Guess there was some good that came from his unwanted appearance.
Joker turned back to the blueprints on the table. Despite looking at the building plans, there was something nagging him in the back of his head. It reminded the clown of something that damn blonde said before. The doctor wanted to give him medication that would erase his mind... Was it possible to reverse the amnesia, instead of just hoping for it to come back naturally?
'No... I don't want to push it... The important parts are there... She's here now. It'll all come back eventually. I don't want those doctors touching her anyway...'
Something was still gnawing at him, but he couldn't exactly put a finger on it.
'Perhaps I should pay that stupid woman a visit...'
It only took a few minutes for Arkham to be thrown into utter chaos. One stab wound in the dining hall had thrown all the inmates into an uproar, fighting and throwing things. Tables were flipped, chairs were being used as weapons, fists and knees swung in every direction... The guards and orderlies had desperately tried to restrain the patients, but were overcome when the hidden blades and other sharp objects had come out. Small gifts that were handed out before dinner, courtesy of the Joker.
The residents of Arkham were completely out of control, ripping everything and everyone apart. Pills and papers were strewn over the cold floors of the asylum, blood and other bodily matter splattered all over the walls and windows. Doctors and nurses lying in puddles of their own fluids, after being paid back for the kindness they shown...a thousandfold.
A few stragglers hid in vacant rooms, praying to God to be overlooked.
The Joker strolled down the hall as patients ran back and forth past him, bloody footprints trailing behind him. Dark eyes narrowed in on one of the offices with a large glass window on the door that was ajar, trying to make it seem like it'd already been ransacked. He wasn't fooled, not for a second.
A wide grin was plastered on his face, thoroughly enjoying the violence unfolding from a front row seat. Not one to let everyone else have all the fun, he didn't hesitate joining in, taking his anger out on the security guards and doctors who tried their best to humiliate and degrade him. It hadn't worked, the man had an iron-will and steely resolve that couldn't be broken, no matter how many times the electrodes or batons were used.
The clown's eyes were already well accustomed to the dark, especially after being locked away in this hell hole. Twisting the knob and poking his head in through the doorway, his lips curled up at the sight of a young couple huddled in the corner of the room, hiding next to a large desk. '
Looking back down the hall at the senseless acts of violence going on all around him, he decided not to reveal their location to the other inmates, feeling greedy. They didn't need to know or get involved. There was more than enough to go around. Unlike the others, he preferred to take his time, to savor the emotions and reactions his was able to draw out.
Stepping into the dark room as the door slowly closed behind him, the couple whimpered when they saw who just came in. These two worked here, he'd seen them a few times in the hallway when the guards escorted him to his 'sessions'. They hadn't done anything that could be considered particularly offensive, neither having actually interacted with the clown, but that didn't matter. Wrong place, wrong time. That's all there was to it. Life wasn't fair and neither was he.
"Boo!" The frightened redhead cried out, making the Joker's grin widen, relishing the fear etched into her young face. The man threw his arm out in front of her, trying to hide her behind him. They were both trembling when he strolled closer, gripping the handle of a large butcher knife in his palm. It was the sharpest one in the kitchen that he could find when it all started. He quickly stole it, wanting to keep the best one for himself. These other schmucks didn't have the same appreciation for weapons the way he did. Any old thing would do for them...
Blood trailed along the edge of the blade, dripping on to the pristine tiled floor. The clown was covered in it, from all the fun he was having around the asylum. To these brats, he probably looked like something from their worst nightmares.
Stopping just a few feet away from the couple, they foolishly allowed themselves to be cornered with no chance of escaping. Even if they rushed him or managed to get through the door, there was only certain death waiting for them...and likely worse than that. Pitch-black eyes gleamed in the dim room, the only light filtering through the window from the bright hall. Watching the two tremble and holding each other tight only made this so much sweeter. It just wasn't as much fun without being able to see the desperation and fear coming from those who knew their end was near.
Standing at death's door, praying to God that he wouldn't answer...but he will. That's exactly what the Joker is-Death.
The woman arms were wrapped around the blonde, nails digging into the front of his uniform. She buried her face into his back, sobbing pitifully. It was such a sorry sight, if the clown's ever seen one. Gritting his teeth, the orderly was desperately trying to keep the redhead out of the Joker's line of sight, using his body to cover her small frame. It was a shame... Didn't they realize they were both going to die regardless? What was the point of such futile efforts?
Anyone could see that he was scared-absolutely petrified-yet he was still trying to protect the girl, even though it really was pointless...
Joker raised the knife for them to see, relishing in the terror visible on their young faces. The blonde put his arms out, using his feet the push the two as far back into the corner as possible.
"Please... Just leave her alone! Please!"
Joker stared down at the man, smacking his lips together at the sight of defiance in those brown eyes. What made this fool think he wouldn't kill the redhead if he asked? Even if he shielded her and begged, did he really think that someone who's supposed to be mentally unstable would keep their word, even if he gave it?
'Moron...'
"Please! I'm begging you! I don't care what you do to me... Just-Just don't hurt her!"
"HAHAHAHOHAHA! You got yourself a nice guard dog there, missy! He's even willing to die for you! How-How sweet !" The woman's hands trembled violently around his chest, too scared to say anything. "What are you two supposed to be? Hmm?... A hospital fling? No-t the place to bring someone for a hot date, buddy!"
"N-No..." Seeing the way his brows furrowed at the question, the clown's jaw shifted, carefully watching him. People were always easy to figure out by their body language alone. Words could lie, but eyes and actions didn't.
"Hold the phone! Don't tell me... You, ah, got a job here as an orderly, so you be closer to your little office bunny. Right?" The horrified look on the man's face was more than enough to confirm his deduction. It wasn't hard to figure out from watching and listening to the bullshit going on around the asylum. "How cute! I could throw up..."
Crouching down in front of the couple, he reached forward, quickly poking the back of the woman's hand with the knife tip. They weren't expecting it or how fast the clown actually was, despite usually being drugged and strapped to a gurney whenever they'd seen him. Too slow to stop him, man tried to swatting at him, trying to keep the blade away. There hadn't been enough pressure applied to pierce through, but a bead of blood ran along her pale skin. Instead of pulling back, her hold tightened, arms locked in a death grip, like she was expecting to suddenly be ripped away.
"Hmm... Looks like she doesn't wanna let go of you. Guess I'm gonna have to cut that pretty little hand off!"
The blonde snarled, face twisting in outrage that was taking over any sense of logic. "Don't you fucking touch her! I swear, I'll kill you!"
Joker leaned back, looking into the man's dark eyes with his own. Images crossed his mind watching the couple tremble. This man... He reminded him of his old self...
It was annoying.
The anger...defiance...desperation. Losing all reason as the feral urge to fight back and protect overran any sense of self-preservation. Yes, he used to know those feelings all too well. That was a long time ago.
"Oh, the old familiar places..." Lunging forward, a large hand grabbed the back of the man's head, fingers wrapping into the blonde hair and yanking him closer. Dark eyes widened, pupils dilating at the sight of the deranged inmates scarred face inches away. A shuddered breath made his chest lurch. Gripping the knife, Joker roughly shoved it between his lips with a snarl, nicking the corner of his mouth from the jerky movement. Perhaps he would finish the images of the past in his mind by giving this man a smile like his own. That would complete the picture...
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the woman's trembling hands as her nails dug into the man's chest, whimpering and crying out desperately. Pleading with him to spare the person he was holding on to, the pain in her soft voice grating on his ears as she begged him to stop. This felt disgustingly familiar... So goddamn nostalgic, it was almost unnerving.
"Please... Please!... Don't hurt him!" Was this woman insane? Shouldn't she be worried about herself? After he was done with this guy, she was next in line. Didn't that matter? Was she more afraid of her lover being hurt, than what would happen next?
'She was the same way...'
Cocking his head to the side, Joker stared into the blonde's face, dark eyes baring into the ones looking back into his. It made the muscles in his face twitch uncomfortably. That fucking look... It irritated him to no end.
"Mmgghh!" Holding on to the blade in the man's mouth, he rolled his head, growling out angrily. Nothing would be more entertaining than tearing these two to shreds, to get rid of those unwanted images and thoughts their presence provoked. To destroy the past and everything that came with it... No one gave him or Sakura a second chance, never looked down at them and hesitated. Why should these brats be any different? Someone tore her away without remorse, so wouldn't it only be fair for him to do the same? It wasn't fair. Why were others able to get away, when he couldn't? There was no escaping this... Life had made that perfectly clear to him years ago.
'Jack... Please...'
With a pop of his scarred lips, curling them up and baring his teeth, Joker pulled the blade from the man's mouth-none too gently. Rage filled every corner of his being, realizing he couldn't do it. If someone-anyone-had hesitated the way he was doing now...maybe even he could have been saved. It was too late for that now.
Sliding the blade between his own fingers and slashing the skin on his thumb, a grin tugged at the corners of the clown's mouth as he watched the man's confusion mixing in with the fear. The grip on the back of the blonde's head tightened when he tried to move back, holding him still. Ignoring the way he flinched, Joker ran the bleeding digit from the top of his cheek, down across his mouth and up along the other side. Leaning back to take a good look at the work of art, he barked out a piercing laugh, feeling satisfied. Now he had a smile painted across his horrified features.
'Perfect.'
"HahAHAHAHhahaHAHA!"
Standing up, he walked across the room and grabbed the door handle. What was the point of all this? Why not just kill them now, before the others ended up finding them anyway? Stopping just short of walking out, his dark eyes shifted back towards the couple. Seeing those two brought back memories he'd rather not think about... Of two brats trying to hide from the cold world.
The tip of his tongue ran along his scars, prodding the cracked skin as he admired his artwork on the blonde's face.
"Don't, ah, let them get to her...or you'll wish I had killed you."
Fingers deftly twisted the latch on the inside when he stepped out, silently closing the office door and locking the couple in. It wouldn't have mattered even if he slammed it closed. No one would have heard it over the screams and laughter bouncing off the walls of the asylum. His little bomb had was set to go off soon and would blow the side of the building to hell, allowing all the patients to be free. That was one of the reasons he allowed himself to be locked in this sad excuse for a hospital in the first place. Gotham deserved to see what this place was really like. People just throw anyone in here, leaving them to rot and be forgotten.
On another note, he could use some eccentric underlings. The men the mob typically hire just aren't much fun..
Striding down the hall, the office of that annoying doctor was wide open. Casually stepping into the room and closing the door behind him, it almost seemed like a usual session to him. Harleen didn't seem to feel the same way... Blue eyes widened at him in disbelief, thrashing against the binds holding the petite blonde down to the chair.
"Mista J! What is this?! I-I don't understand... I did everything you asked of me!" Tears brimmed her eyes, threatening to spill over at the apparent betrayal. Choking out a sob, her head hung low, unable to look up at him any longer.
"Yes. Yes, you did. Good job!" What did this woman really expect? That the two of them would run off into the sunset together? Roll around in the sheets and whisper sweet-nothings into each others ears? Screw all that.
The doctor wailed, struggling against the ropes around the chair that were digging into her sides. The room was starting to fill with smoke when two men burst through the door, laughing. They were covered in blood, knocking stacks of papers off the desk, not realizing who was in the room with them. The inmates must have come to have some fun with the blonde. How annoying...
"Hey! Hey... This is a private session. Get the hell out!" Hearing the Joker's familiar voice from long nights listening to him cackling and muttering for hours on end, the two froze on the spot. Their eyes widened and jaws dropped, glancing at each other and watching the clown in trepidation. All the inmates knew what he was about, and they wanted no part of that. There was no such thing as friend or foe, just victims. Taking a few steps in the opposite direction, they quickly backed off. As soon as the clown lazily waved them off, the two ran through the door they had just come through, slamming it on the way out. Even among the most simplest of patients, everyone knew the infamous Joker.
"Now, Doc... Where were we?" Picking up a clipboard and pen, he stared at her expectantly, the same way she had always done during their long sessions.
"Are you going to kill me too, Mista J?" The blonde stared at him intently. That look in those clear blue eyes always made his skin crawl. Fanatically worshipping him with her gaze, like he was some kind of deity sent to free her of the miserable life she had been leading. What did she want? A hospital romance of some fucked-up sort? That wasn't going to happen... Not even if someone held a gun to his head and said the only way to survive was to stick his dick in her.
'I'd bite the bullet first...'
"Nah. You're more useful alive." He wasn't going to kill her...not yet anyway. If he needed to get back into Arkham or ended up back here, it would be useful to have someone on the inside. No one ever knows when they might need information or have to break someone out.
"Heh... Thought as much. I did everything you told me to, puddin'. You knew that I wouldn't let you down..."
Joker furrowed his brows, absolutely positive that this woman was clinically insane. How they let someone like her become a doctor was beyond him...
Tossing the clipboard back on to the desk, the clown turned away, ready to get out of there. The bomb would be going off soon... This office was on the opposite side of the building, the damage wouldn't reach this far. If there was one thing he was an expert with besides blades, it was explosives and how to calculate a blast radius.
"W-Wait! Where are you going?" The blonde yelled when he gripped the door handle. Turning his head towards her, his face scrunched up at the foolish question, the answer being completely obvious.
"What does it look like? I'm checking myself out of the hospital."
Harleen struggled against the ropes, making the chair drag along the floor. "No! Wait... Take-Take me with you. Let me go with you, Mista J!"
Looking at the blonde like she was crazy, he sighed deeply, smacking his palm against his forehead in annoyance. Not this shit again... Couldn't this chick take a hint? Why the hell would he want to drag around some unstable woman who was infatuated with him? She had no idea what the underground was like and didn't know the first thing about the kind of lifestyle he lived. It would only make things difficult, and she'd get in the way. There was no doubt about it.
'She'd probably try molesting me in my sleep...'
"Ehh-Listen, pumpkin... I'd just love to take ya with me, but where I'm going is too dangerous for a pretty little lady like yourself. Ya need to stay here for when I come back. Mhmm. If the cops find out you're missing and haven't been killed... They'll, ah, assume you were in cahoots with the whole plan, then you can kiss your job and freedom goodbye." That should do it...
"You need me to stay for when you come back? I-I... Okay... I knew it, Mista J! You always try to act like you don't care, but I knew there was another side of you. Don't worry... Promise you'll come back, alright? You know you mean the world to me, puddin'..." That smile was unnerving... It only took a couple of weeks to have the blonde completely wrapped around his fingers. She was a promising doctor, a consultant with a bright future ahead of her. A high-ranking medalist in gymnastics who went to a great university with a multitude of opportunities. Ones that people like him and Sakura never had the chance of having...
It really was a shame... Little Harley had so much potential to get ahead, yet wanted to give it all up to live a life of crime with someone like him. She could have an honest life, get married, raise a family in a comfortable home and be safe without worrying about the terrors roaming the streets. That was everything he wanted to give Sakura... This woman had that and was willing to throw it all away.
Just a few sweet words, maybe a smile or two, and that was enough to make the doctor ready to turn her back on everything and everyone... If he told the blonde to get on her knees, she'd drop to the floor in an instant, mouth wide open. The last couple of weeks, she'd been practically begging him to fuck her... If the clown had any sense, he would have done it as soon as she bent over the desk to grab some papers... Letting her short skirt ride up to show that she wasn't wearing any panties. Leaning forward just enough for him to see how wet their long session had made her, shifting those long legs and spreading them, pretending she was having a hard time finding his file...
However... The Joker never had sense. Didn't care for it. Not. One. Bit.
Unfortunately for dear Harley, the things that could get him off, wouldn't have been anything she'd like. The clown wasn't just any man and sure as hell wouldn't let some foolish woman try to manipulate or wrap him around those slim fingers by using her pussy as bait. She wanted him to hand over his heart, to let down the walls he'd built over the years and let her in... She desired to be his partner and lover. It was all the delusional fantasies of a person trying to escape what they considered a boring existence, wanting to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
The clown couldn't give what he didn't have. Another woman had already taken what the doctor desperately wanted and there was nothing that could be done about it. No one could replace what was gone, leaving a gaping hole in his chest. There wasn't a single soul who could fill that empty space, the endless void with no bottom, and he didn't want them to.
Turning the handle of the door, the clown laughed as he stepped out, leaving the blonde tied to the chair.
"Don't worry, Har. I promise I'll come back and show you how much you mean to me..."
Joker jolted in his seat when two arms wrapped around him from behind. He'd been so engrossed in his own thoughts, he didn't realized the pinkette woke up.
"What are you doing?" The soft voice tickled his ear when she leaned in, resting her chin against his shoulder. It was an innocent question out of curiosity, but this was something she couldn't be a part of. As long as it was up to him-which everything was-the small woman would be kept far away from that world as physically possible. The clown didn't want her to be involved.
This apartment, the small space they were in...was the little slice of heaven. Somewhere away from all the chaos and destruction he lived for, a place he could come and take a break from everything. No one would come looking for him here as long as he was careful. It was somewhere safe Sakura could stay that he can come to and spend time together.
Grabbing the knives off the table, he tossed them onto the chair, not wanting her to look at them. The blueprints curled in on themselves, thankfully concealing the details from the curious eyes looking over his shoulder.
"Nothing much... The less you know, the better. Otherwise, you'd be an accomplice. We, ah, wouldn't want that now. Do we? Hmm?" Joker didn't want to burden her with his stunts. All that would do is make her worry for no reason. Not only that, but the more she knew, the more at risk she would be.
Sakura sighed, pressing her pink lips into a thin line, slowly nodding as she leaned in to the crook of his neck. She might not really know to what extent the danger would be, but was smart and understood that the risk was very real. He was grateful that she didn't press the subject, accepting his words of warning and mulling over them. Most people wouldn't have been able to drop it, letting the sheer curiosity get the best of them or demanding answers from his reluctance to elaborate. It told him that she still trusted him. Trusted that he said and did things for a reason, and was trying to keep her safe.
'Finally... A lot must have resurfaced for her to be acting this way towards me... So different compared to yesterday. Almost like night and day.'
Silky pink locks fell across his scarred chest, ticking his tan skin and making the muscles jump just from the slight touch. He shivered, goosebumps breaking out along his flesh at the close contact. How long has it been since he let someone get this close?
"Okay... I trust you. I know you have your reasons, Jack..." The clown froze when she ran her hands over his bare chest.
What was she doing? Dark eyes watched the dainty fingers trailing over his skin, tracing the harsh lines of his scars. Swallowing hard, he took a deep breath, trying to steady the violent pounding inside as his heart beat wildly.
"Sakura..." Did she have any idea what she was doing to him right now? How...difficult it was to sit there, while her hands roamed his chest? The restraint it took to not lose it, feeling those soft lips against his neck?
Seven years... Seven long, torturous years.
"Hmmm..." The pinkette hummed sweetly when he tilted his head back, looking up into her green eyes. A small smile played on her lips as she ran her fingers into his unkempt hair. What a little vixen... His eyes closed as she played with the faded green strands, raking her nails gently along his scalp. A deep growl resonated through his chest, not wanting it to stop, but also warning the small woman that his patience was running thin.
"I remember you used to like this..."
Sakura squeaked when he spun around, grabbing her by the waist and tossing her onto the blueprints scattered over the table. Her eyes widened as he leaned over her trembling form, harsh breaths pushing through his scarred lips. Now he knew her actions weren't as innocent as they seemed. She remembered what kind of reaction doing that would cause.
"Careful, kitty cat... This dog's hungry."
Sakura stared at him, not saying anything. Was she having second thoughts now? He hoped that wasn't the case, didn't know how much longer this game of 'cat-and-mouse' could go on for. It was one of the most difficult things he's tried to do. For over two weeks, everything he wanted was right at his fingertips, but this needed to be handled with finesse if it was going to work out the way he wanted. If he just did what he wanted and didn't take his time, it would all fall apart. She didn't remember him and would only see a psychotic monster, wanting nothing to do with him. If he played his cards right, he would have his woman back for good. The Joker could be a patient man when it came to pulling a plan off successfully. This had to work, he just needed to give her time, even if it was torturing him.
A trickle of sweat ran down the side of his face, not knowing how much more he could take... Did she realize what she was getting herself into?
Reaching up and grabbing the sides of his face, she pulled him closer. Soft lips kissed the jagged scars around his mouth, making the muscles in his face jump as he resisted the urge to pull away. No one else had ever been allowed to get this close to them. She was the only one who dared to touch them, lavishing the marred skin with mind-blowing affection. Who in their right mind would treat the poorly-healed flesh with such loving attention to detail? Always tracing the tips of her fingers over each groove as if trying to commit them to memory... As soon as she reached the upward curve along his cheek, the pinkette pulled him closer, tenderly pressing her lips against his.
Joker snapped, hungrily attacking her mouth as he leaned over her, pressing the pinkette down against the table. He gave her a chance, held himself back as much as physically possible. He gave a clear warning. It was Sakura who ignored it, taking the initiative and making this hard on him. She was the one who pulled the trigger this time.
Slender legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer, lacing her fingers through his hair. A large hand grabbed the pinkette's hip through the fabric of the gown, holding her still as he pressed himself up against her. He was losing his mind. The groan against his mouth sent him reeling. Gripping her hair, he craned her head back to expose the pale flesh along her neck. He could see the pulse pounding against the soft skin, trying to resist digging his teeth into it. Shaking it off, he stared at her mouth, watching the small breaths pushing out. It all just made him want to...devour her. His tongue swiped against the crease between her soft pink lips, demanding entrance. To his smug satisfaction, she willingly complied.
The Joker needed to have her...now.
'Damn dress..'
He couldn't feel anything with that in the way... Hands roamed everywhere along her body, seconds away from tearing the gown into pieces.
Breaking away, he trailed his lips along the smooth skin along Sakura's neck, pressing down above her pulse and reveling in the erratic beats. Hearing her heavy breathing and pants, he groaned at the thought of her wanting this just as badly as he did. Leaning back, the clown looked down at her flushed face. Does she realize the consequences of her actions?
"This is your last chance, dollface... Once you go forward, there's no going back.." His dark eyes studied her expression as she stared up at him, raising a brow. "Ya know everyone's after me. That I'm a criminal..." He wasn't going anywhere and she wouldn't get away from him. Not again... He wouldn't allow it. Sakura made him a promise a long time ago and he would hold her to it. Just as he would hold himself to his own. A man who couldn't keep his word was nothing. Even if there was no getting away from this, he wanted to hear her say it. That all those things didn't matter and she still wanted him anyway, regardless of who he was now.
Green eyes widened, staring up at him without saying a word. His chest tightened in uncertainty, not knowing what this meant. Was she thinking it all over?Finally having second thoughts? If she was going to be with him, she had to accept those facts. Jack was a criminal now, not the boy who used to chase after he around the complex. He was still tailing her, just in a different way. Things weren't going to be the same, they could never go back to the past, but that was okay. The Joker could do all the things Jack wasn't man enough to accomplish. He could provide and do what was necessary without hesitation. She would see he was better than before... He'd make her see.
'What's going on in that pretty little pink head of yours?'
Grabbing his face, Sakura ran her thumbs from the center of his lips and up along his scars, watching the dark eyes staring down wildly at her. Waiting on edge for her answer, trying to wrangle himself in with every passing second.
"I don't care... That doesn't matter to me, Jack..." Her eyes fluttered closed, hammering the final nail into her coffin. The Joker couldn't resist the sneer forming on his face, his lip curling up and baring his teeth. Sweet victory...
"So be it..."
