Harley hadn't been able to sleep. After her talk with Crane and Joker, she'd been too restless and nervous to lie down and had ended up heading to her and Dick's place. It was still well before sunrise, but she was impatient. Once she'd made it there, it hadn't been any better. There was still too much time to kill and nothing to do. The summer heat hadn't subsided over the evening, so she'd taken her jacket off. After wandering aimlessly around the dark hotel room for a while, she'd decided to clean.
The place was nearly spotless from the last time she'd stayed here, so there wasn't enough to kill the entire amount of time. She'd taken to pacing again, biting the inside of her cheek nervously. At the first sign of sunrise, she'd pulled her jacket back on and zipped it back up to her neck. It wouldn't take long for the day to become sweltering, especially in their room. And she had no way of knowing if Dick would even show up. She sat on the edge of the bed and groaned in frustration. She'd told herself it didn't matter what happened with Dick today, but her stomach still felt tight, almost nauseous. She fell back on the bed.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you missed me," Dick smiled, speaking quietly as he stepped over the balcony rails. "You know if you keep these doors closed and the curtains drawn, it will cool off in here." He smiled again. He wore a black t-shirt, with what looked like an armored version of his Nightwing suit over it.
"But then I can't hear if you're coming or not," she reasoned. She propped herself up on her elbows to look at him, ignoring the twinge of pain it caused in her wound. She blushed as she looked at him.
"What?" Dick asked softly, taking his belt with his weapons on it off. He unclipped the holsters on his legs and put them on the table beside the windows. When he'd removed his armor, he walked to the bed and flopped down beside her.
"What what?" She glanced over at him.
"You're blushing," Dick smiled softly, stroking her cheek. "I've missed you. I had the worst couple days..." he rubbed his face.
"I'm sorry." She pulled his hand away from his face. "Are ya okay?"
"I am now," Dick smiled gently, turning his hand to lace his fingers with hers. Rope burns snaked around his wrists, just visible under his gloves. "How are you?"
She gasped. "What happened?" She examined his wrists.
"Work. Apparently a post apocalyptic cult of zombie enthusiasts was living in the sewers and I fell right into the middle of a ritual sacrifice," he joked, but he took a deep, shaky breath.
"Ew!" Harley cried and shuddered. "Aw that's just terrible. How does that even happen?" She pulled him close and gave him a hug. "Wait," she moved back, "sewers? Please tell me you took a shower."
"Of course," he laughed, his arms still around her as he smiled at her. "But if you're offering..."
"Oh haha." She smacked his chest. "Ya think you're so cute." Her entire body felt hot, and she felt sweaty in her jacket.
"I think you're a lot cuter actually," he grinned, biting his lip as he watched her. She rolled her eyes but smiled.
"You just got here. Slow your roll Casanova."
"I can't help it," he smiled back, stroking her cheek. "How are you?"
"I'm... good." She gave him a small smile and sat up. "But can I just ask ya one question?" She pulled her jacket out of place to try and get the pressure off the bandage; the stitches ached. "An apocalyptic cult? Really? Isn't that kinda like beating a dead horse? Just a little unnecessary?"
"Right?! That's what I said," he chuckled, pulling her close. He turned his head to press his lips against her forehead, inhaling slightly. "I've missed you."
"Ya know, I think you said that already," she giggled. She reached up and gently pulled his mask off so she could see his eyes.
"I did. To both things," he grinned, pulling out the scarlet pigtail in her hair gently. Dick ran his fingers through it.
"Well why don't you come up with something new to say then?" she teased, smiling at him.
"I..." He smiled a little. He'd almost said 'I love you.' They both knew it, looking in each other's eyes. "I'm actually quite hungry," Dick laughed.
"And you came to Arkham in search of food?" She laughed and kissed his nose, hoping to smooth over the awkward moment. Dick smiled and closed his eyes.
"I just forgot to bring something to eat when I rushed out this morning," he confessed, shifting her a bit against his side to get more comfortable. He took his gloves off and then pulled her other pigtail out and smoothed her hair.
"In a hurry to get somewhere?" she taunted. She tucked her hair behind her ear and grabbed his hand, playing with his fingers.
"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about," Dick grinned, watching their hands together.
"Uh huh, and that's why the sun could technically still be considered rising, and you're already here." She giggled.
"I've missed you," he repeated with a smile.
"You keep saying that, and it'll go to my head," Harley warned with a smile, kissing his cheek. She couldn't help beaming at the fact he wanted to see her. Dick watched her face. He could hardly breathe, and he smiled back, hoping his absolute adoration wasn't as obvious as it probably was.
"Maybe I want it to go to your head," he chuckled, cupping a hand under her chin to lift her lips to his. Harley let herself drown in the sensation as she kissed him back. After a second, she hesitated and pulled back. There was a constant pain in her wound that was a reminder of why she shouldn't get close to him.
"So who's on patrol with you today?" she asked, hoping to distract him. "Is Robin gonna barge in here all mad at me again?"
"Actually I'm with Batwoman. And she knows I'm here, believe it or not," Dick smiled, stroking her cheek.
"Somehow I don't believe that," she teased.
"Neither did I," he agreed. Harley giggled, dropping her forehead against his chest.
"Liar, liar pants on fire."
Dick laughed, stroking her hair. "We should get them off then," he said seriously. Her hands tightened into fists in his t-shirt, and she closed her eyes, her head still resting against his chest. She wondered if she was visibly sweating with how hot she felt, but despite knowing she'd have to get it over with eventually, she wasn't ready for Dick to know about the stitches yet. She wasn't ready for him to get upset. He chuckled awkwardly when she didn't respond. "Just a joke," he smiled, kissing her head.
"I know," she mumbled. She took a deep breath and leaned back, looking up at him and smiling. "Sorry."
He pursed his lips and watched her, frowning slightly as he did. "Are you ok?" He pushed the hair out of her face, tracing her smile with a finger.
"Yeah," she said quickly. "Yeah. I'm just... thinking. Um," she glanced around the room, "wasn't there supposed to be a tiny sized dog here with you?"
"I forgot him. Next time, I promise," Dick assured her.
If there is a next time, she thought. "I miss him," she mused, glancing out the window as she chewed on the inside of her cheek.
"I know. I should've brought him, but Robin has gotten kind of attached to him as well," He laughed. "Like he needs another pet." Harley'd jumped at his laugh before smiling back at him.
"Don't you dare let him steal my dog," she warned.
"I won't." Dick smiled at her gently, and then he reached for the zipper of her jacket. "Aren't you a little hot? It's sweltering out-"
"-No!" She caught his hand. "I'm fine." She stood up and paced nervously away from him.
"Ok," he said in surrender, sitting up to look at her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... intrude, or something," Dick ran a hand through his hair, his face remorseful. "You're sure you're ok?"
"Yeah, I'm-" Harley glanced at him before quickly looking away, "I'm fine." She wrapped her arms around her stomach.
"No you're not," he stood, eyebrows knit in concern. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. Please let it go," she begged. She kept her back to him. Dick put his hands on her arms gently.
"I will. I'm sorry," he said quietly, pressing his nose into her hair. His lips brushed her ear, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close. He could practically sense whatever pain it was that she was in, and he only wanted to make it go away. Dick tucked his nose against her neck in her hair.
"No, I'm sorry," she breathed. "I'm sorry." She hung her head, closing her eyes.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for," Dick said gently, kissing her neck. He held her tight, his arms wrapped around her protectively.
"You don't know that," she mumbled. With his arms around her, her stomach felt even more tense. The tighter he held her, the more she felt like he was going to leave.
"Yes I do," Dick smiled against her neck. "You are a beautiful woman, who also happens to be crazy and wonderful and just my type," he praised, sighing deeply.
"You don't know that," she repeated and shook her head.
"Oh yes I do," he insisted, grinning. Dick spun her around in his arms suddenly, stroking her cheek as he rested his forehead against hers. His other arm was still around her waist, and he looked in her eyes. "I know it. I'm a guy, I know everything," he laughed.
"Because that's how that works?" Harley giggled a little, rolling her eyes.
"Of course. I'm always right, except when you're always right," he clarified, kissing her nose. "Then you're right."
"Ya know, people have to be wrong sometime," she told him. "Nobody's perfect."
"Well the criminal record as long as my arm is a flaw, and I'm sure I have my own considerable psychological issues to consider, but..." Dick kissed her slowly, a smile still on his lips. He pulled back, his eyes still closed. "Yep. Perfect."
"I thought you said the crazy was a good thing," Harley teased, "now the criminal record is bad?"
"Hey. I'm always right," he grinned, kissing her again.
"They can't both be right." She laughed, swatting his shoulder.
"Why not? I say so," Dick stroked her cheek, watching her. "You really do have such a pretty smile. I just never saw it before."
"Was it that hard to miss? I never stopped smiling."
"It was always kind of behind a gun or a fist," he chuckled, biting her lip. He kissed her slowly, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Or a hammer." She giggled, leaning her forehead against his. She couldn't help inching closer to him.
"Right," Dick smiled, kissing her again. He pulled her close, a hand slipping under her jacket and up her back to pull her against his chest. Her taste was intoxicating, and he'd missed it. Harley bit his lip, cupping his face. She traced her thumbs along his cheekbones. Dick pulled her close, lifting her up and wrapping her legs around his waist. He kissed her again, running a hand through her hair. She gasped against his lips and clung to him. She felt dizzy and feverish and wanted more of his kiss. When he pulled back with a moan, it was only to breathe before he was kissing her again, walking across the room to push her down on the bed. When they were together, Dick couldn't control himself. She brought out something in him that he hadn't felt in a long time. He tangled his hands in her hair as he kissed her slowly. Harley pulled him down closer as she kissed him harder. She hadn't been close to him in so long she was impatient. She bit his lip, her hands sliding along his chest. Dick held her face as he kissed her, inhaling deeply, taking in her scent, her taste- he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her hips up against his, a hand twisted in her jacket at her side. His breathing spiked, and he kissed her harder, biting at her lips.
"Dick," Harley sighed, her back arching. She clawed desperately at the hem of his shirt and yanked it up over his head. She tossed it aside and kissed down his neck and along his shoulder. He moaned in response, his hands again moving to unzip her jacket as he bit his lip.
She moved to tug at his lip with her teeth, grinning before she gasped against his lips. "No!" She'd completely let him distract her, and she fumbled to pull the edges of her jacket together before he could see the exposed bandage. Dick had to catch himself so that he didn't fall on her, staring at her in shock.
"What?" he breathed, taking her hands away from her jacket and pulling it open. Dick ran a thumb over the bandage so gently she could hardly feel it. "What happened?" he asked, kissing her neck. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. It's nothing." She took a deep breath, turning her face away from him as she blushed. She could feel herself overheating, her hair sticking to her neck. Dick pursed his lips and then pulled her jacket off carefully, kissing her ear.
"Ok," he whispered with a small smile. "I won't pry." He kissed down her neck, tossing her jacket aside and pulling her close.
"Thank you." She let out a shaky breath and turned her face to look at him again. She pulled his face up, smoothing her fingers through his hair and kissing him. Dick smiled into her kiss and breathed slowly, taking in the sweet smell of her hair and her skin. His hands trailed up her sides, holding her against him. She stretched up to kiss him deeper, but it pulled at her stitches. She sucked in a deep breath, her brow furrowing before kissing him again.
"Don't hurt yourself," he whispered against her lips, lifting her up to him so that she didn't have to stretch. One hand cupped her face. Harley blushed and rested her forehead against his.
"I'm sorry," she breathed. Her hands clung to his neck and shoulder.
"Shhhh," Dick smiled, kissing down her neck as he gently pulled her top up her waist, his hands tracing along her skin, feeling every inch of her body as he did. She dropped her head back. Her hands crept down to his waist to pull his hips against hers as she gasped for air. Dick smiled, pulling her shirt over her head and kissing her chest carefully to avoid the bandage under her collarbone. "Harley," he sighed against her skin. Her hands tightened at his waist, her hips bucking against his as she moaned. Dick caught her hip with one hand and kissed her lips steadily and deliberately, lingering against them when the kiss finished. He opened his eyes to look into hers, whispering against her mouth. "Slow down," he breathed, his light eyes flicking between hers, a playfulness behind the seductive blue. "I promise, you might even enjoy it." He smiled against her lips before kissing her again. Dick's tongue slipped into her mouth as he pulled her shorts down her legs, and his fingers followed the fabric over her skin. Harley grinned against his lips, rolling them over.
"But if we go fast," she smiled down at him, straddling his hips, "we can get more done in the short amount of time we have."
"Who said anything about short?" Dick laughed breathlessly, watching her as his hands crept up her sides. Her hands skimmed up his chest as she leaned forward. Her voice was a breath in his ear as her hands slid into his hair.
"Any amount of time is too short for what I have in mind." Dick moaned, his hands tightening on her skin at her waist. He closed his eyes and smiled. His hands trailed up her back and lazily played with the clasp of her bra. He suddenly turned his head and kissed her fiercely, and he pulled her closer as he did, his fingers trailing down her spine again. His hands wouldn't stop moving, exploring every inch of exposed skin. Harley giggled and tugged at his bottom lip with her teeth. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her hands moving to undo the button on his pants.
"Harley," he moaned her name again, kissing her hard.
"Diiiiiick," Batwoman imitated him, and he choked on Harley's kiss in surprise. "Dude, your comm is on," she laughed. "I don't need a live action play by play."
"Yes, no thank you," Damian added quietly.
"Sorry, Kate, Dam-Robin-" he muted it and pulled it out, tossing it on the floor by his shirt, his cheeks bright red as he kissed Harley again. She giggled at his embarrassment.
"Ya know, you're just spewing people's names now. There's not gonna be a secret identity left." She worked his pants down past his hips as she gave him a quick kiss, still giggling.
"Kate doesn't care about secret identities, she never really did," he had to concentrate to speak, and then kissed her, his hand on the back of her head, his fingers in her hair. He didn't want to let her go. Harley gasped and giggled, grinding her hips against his.
"You don't seem that protective 'a yours either," she reminded him and kissed his nose.
"That's because I trust you, probably against my better judgement," he groaned, catching her waist and throwing her back down on the bed, rolling above her and kissing her with everything he had. He couldn't stand it. He did trust her. He also knew that if the Joker told her to stab him in his sleep tonight, she probably would. But that didn't change anything, and that was what made this so exhilarating. Harley moaned, her hand cupping his face as her tongue sought his. Her other arm wrapped around his back to pull him against her. She knew this was exactly the sort of thing that had made her accuse him of just using her for sex, but she wouldn't stop for the world. Joker and Crane telling her to come here aside, she might have made that decision anyway. She couldn't stay away. Dick sat up out of her arms and yanked her bra off before he was kissing her again, gasping against her lips.
"I thought someone wanted to take it slow." Her breath rasped against his, and she reached up to tighten her hands in his hair. Dick grinned against her mouth and ran his hands slowly down her torso, biting her tongue as he kissed her.
"I can't control myself when I'm with you," he breathed, kissing down her neck and over her chest. Harley moaned, her back arching.
"I know the feeling," she breathed. Her fingers were twisted in his hair, her stitches a dull ache. Dick kissed above her underwear and bit the waistband, grinning up at her, his dark hair falling over her bleached skin. He ran his hands up her legs, still watching her. "I missed you," she gasped. She grabbed onto the bedsheets, biting her lip.
"Say it again," he teased, pulling her underwear down her legs.
"You wish." She lifted her head and grinned at him.
"No cuz this way I get to make you," Dick grinned and moved closer to her lips, kissing her again.
"But it's so much easier to make you." She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him against her. He moaned, his arms going weak as he nodded against her lips.
"Yeah, we've established that I'm... easily persuaded," he laughed, kissing her hungrily.
"That's not usually something to brag about." She kissed along his jaw to his ear, biting it.
"Only you can do it though," he grinned.
"That makes it better," she breathed before rolling them over again and smiling down at him. Dick's breathing came fast, his powerfully muscled chest rising and falling frantically with it. He ran his hands up her legs and bit his lip. Closing his eyes, Dick let his fingers feel every inch of her skin. Harley sighed and enjoyed the feeling before leaning down and kissing along his neck before she kissed slowly down his chest. Dick sighed slowly, his hands tangling in her hair. She grinned, kissing lower. She kissed down along the waistline of his boxers before pulling them down with her teeth.
"Copycat," he choked, his head falling back against the pillows as he groaned. "I could die, right here, and be content," he stuttered, his hands still twisted in her hair. Harley sat up, grinning as she crept up his body, planting kisses as she went. She leaned down to his face, still smiling.
"That can be arranged," she whispered in his ear, and then slammed a pillow over his face, laughing.
Dick gasped awake in the dark, sitting up so fast his head spun. He felt cold, and when he ran his hands through his hair, it was damp with sweat. He shuddered and tried to catch his breath. Glancing at his watch on the bedside table, he realized that they must have dozed off after spending the day together. The sun had almost set now, and Dick covered his face, taking deep, steady breaths. It was only a dream. Harley was balled up next to him, her hands tucked against her chest as she slept. The sheets were tangled in her legs, but she still seemed hot. Her forehead glistened with sweat, her breathing fast. Dick's brow furrowed as he watched her.
"Harley?" He touched her shoulder and then felt her head. "Harley..." He kissed her forehead. She was burning up.
"Mmm?" She blinked her eyes open and looked at him before groaning and rolling onto her back.
"Are you feeling ok?" he asked quietly, his palm cool against her cheek as he held her face.
"Yeah," she waved his hand away, "I'm fine." She blinked her eyes, lifting her head up to look around the room in confusion. "What time is it?"
"A little after nine," he replied, smoothing her hair back. "Are you sure you're ok? You're burning up," he touched her face again, growing more worried. In this day, sickness wasn't just a couple days off work and then you'd be better. It was life or death; even the common cold.
"What? No." She shook her head. "No. I'm fine." She rubbed her eyes. "What time did you say it was?"
Dick watched her. "I said it was nine."
"Oh." Harley moved to lay her head on his shoulder, wincing at the sharp pain when it pulled at her wound. She hid her face in his shoulder, his skin felt cool against her forehead. Dick stroked her hair, sighing happily.
"I could stay here forever," he breathed, staring at the ceiling. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close.
"I don't think you're allowed to do that," she sighed, tucking herself into his side. Dick turned his head and kissed her forehead, closing his eyes.
"Do what?" He chuckled, stroking her hair.
"Stay forever. You've got work and stuff."
"I can pretend." Harley giggled, kissing his shoulder.
"Look at you. Wanting to pretend you don't have responsibilities to see me." She beamed up at him. "That's adorable."
"You are very persuasive," Dick said quietly, stroking her cheek.
"I never persuaded you to do anything!" she defended with a smile. She laid her head back down on his shoulder; the room was spinning.
"You definitely persuaded me to do a few things today..." Dick grinned, and then looked down at her in concern. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, just tired I think." She blinked her eyes repeatedly again, trying to focus. "You did keep me up pretty late last night." She grinned up at him. Dick looked at the window and then sat up with her in his arms.
"The sun's only just set," he said gently, looking in her eyes. He got up and began to light the candles around the room, before coming back to her and looking at her face better.
"Really? It's not morning?" Harley ran her hand through hair, taking a deep breath. Of course it wasn't morning; if it was, it'd be light out and he'd be gone. She shook her head a little.
"No." Dick knelt down in front of her, looking between her eyes. "Be honest. How do you feel?" he asked her seriously. His light eyes were intent as he looked at her, and she was distracted by the sharp angles of his face framed by his dark hair.
"I'm... I'm fine." She glanced away, biting the inside of her cheek. She knew she was lying but didn't want to upset him.
"I didn't ask if you were fine, I asked how you felt," he watched her, glancing at the bandage on her chest.
"I feel..." She took a shaky breath, resting her forehead on his shoulder. "Fine. I'm fine. Please," she breathed. She wanted to pretend everything was okay; she didn't want to ruin her time with him. She wanted to pretend she wasn't sick so they could just be together.
"You have to understand that I want you to feel better. I want you to be ok." He stroked her hair. "Ok? You can tell me."
"It's nothing," she whimpered. "Please."
"Harley, you're fevery and hot," he said gently, holding her tight.
"So? Maybe that's just what being with you does ta me." The blood was rushing through her head, and she closed her eyes.
"Well now I definitely know something's wrong," he chuckled.
"I'm just a little lightheaded is all." She nosed closer to his neck, kissing it gently. Dick closed his eyes, biting his lip.
"Harley..." He sighed.
"Dick," she mimicked, giggling. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He smiled and kissed her cheek, looking around the room at the candles.
"This'd be romantic, if we didn't need them in order to see at all," he commented.
"It's still romantic," she murmured, her breath tickling his neck. Dick smiled.
"If you say so," he sighed, biting his lip. His hand trailed up her back, pulling her closer.
"You told me I'm always right," she whispered in his ear. She nuzzled her nose against his neck. Dick laughed and turned his head to kiss her ear. She was still hot, and he was worried, but he tried not to show it. "Haven't you had enough 'a me yet?" she teased. She grinned against his shoulder.
"Why would I ever have had enough of you?" Dick breathed, kissing her forehead. "Are... Are you absolutely sure that you're ok?" he asked guiltily with a smile. "I just want to make sure." She reached around and caught his hand.
"Please stop worrying."
"I can't. You could be sick, or you could have an infection. I'm worried about you," he smiled gently.
"Don't be." Harley kissed his hand. He was making her worried, but she'd just go see Crane when she got back in Arkham. She didn't want to waste the time with him she had. She may have permission to see him, but he was only in Uptown for twenty-four hours. "I'll be fine."
"I'm not so sure. But I'll trust you." He smiled, cupping a hand under her chin to kiss her gently.
"You and the whole trustin' me thing," she pulled him closer, "it's adorable."
"I do. If it came down to it, I'd trust you with my life. It's up to you if that's a bad decision or not," he breathed, his lips brushing hers. She grinned against his lips.
"Well so far it's been a lotta bad." She slid her hands up into his hair. "And a whole lotta good," she murmured. She kissed him back hard, still grinning. Dick sighed into her kiss, biting her lip. He smiled a little and then took a deep breath, pulling away from her.
"Come on," he breathed, standing up. He pulled his boxers on and took her hand, tugging her a bit. She quickly snatched up his shirt, pulling it on as she followed.
"Where are we going?"
"Up," Dick grinned and grabbed an escrima stick as they passed his belt on their way out the doors. He pulled her close and fired the grappling hook up, pulling them to the roof. He caught the edge and lifted her up to sit on the ledge, and his shoulder muscles worked as he effortlessly pulled himself up beside her. Dick sighed and looked up at the stars with a smile.
"Very nice," Harley giggled, snuggling against his side and resting her head on his shoulder. He glanced down at her and wrapped an arm over her side.
"You know what I would say if I could say it, right?" Dick kissed her forehead and then looked up again. She nudged him, rolling her eyes before resuming looking for constellations. It's not that him telling her he loved her was bad, she should love to hear it. It just confused her. He wasn't supposed to love her. She wasn't supposed to want to be with him either; she did love Joker. So why was she here?
"So, how've ya been over the past month?"
"Exhausted. Confused. Busy... Satellite," he pointed at the small light in the sky as it slowly cut its path through the stars. "Isn't it weird that they're still up there? What if there are astronauts up there!"
"Then they probably would've run out of food and died," she reasoned. She kissed his cheek. "Sorry."
"No don't they usually stay up there for a while? Maybe they went up just last year," he argued, "and they are still up there. Do you think they know what happened?"
"They used to consistently shuttle food up to the space station. It could be possible someone's floating around up there, but I doubt it. Besides," she looked up, "even if you could still be up there alone, would you want to be?"
"I don't know," he said quietly.
"No one would think to check NASA communications before everything shut down." Her eyes searched the sky. "It'd be so quiet."
"That wouldn't be so bad," he smiled a little. "But at the same time... Lonely," he sighed. "All those stars. I was so excited when there was something out there. Turns out that's exactly what did us in." Harley let out a deep breath and turned, draping her legs over his lap and tucking her face into the crook of his neck.
"Now the stars are sad."
"Not always. I used to lay on top of my trailer at Haly's with a blanket and look at them. No matter where I went, they were always the same, and I was home. Some people say that people who travel a lot are homeless, but I disagree. I was always home. Always under the same stars." he breathed, his arms around her lovingly. Harley sighed. The night air felt cool on her skin, which she knew should worry her; it was summer and still hot out.
"Can I... ask you something?" Harley leaned back to look at him.
"Of course," Dick glanced at her and smiled.
"What would've happened if we hadn't run into each other a couple days ago?" She pursed her lips. "Would we have just never seen each other again?"
"No," Dick smiled, and then he looked down at her. "I was about two days from coming after you and begging you to see me again," he chuckled.
"Liar." She elbowed him in the side, smiling as she rested her head back on his shoulder.
"I'm a hero, I never lie," he laughed.
"Excuse me while I completely don't believe that. Heroes lie the most." She switched to a fake deep voice. "I have no idea how all those people were saved. Sorry I'm late, there was traffic. That Nightwing fellow seems like a great guy." She giggled.
"Ok I've never said that last one," he laughed, grinning up at the sky. "And you're one to talk."
"Oh please," she scoffed. "What's the point in being a criminal if ya can't take credit for your actions?"
"Like you're some kind of artist? That's twisted," he mumbled, reaching over to stroke her hair gently. His legs dangled over the ledge, and Dick laid back with her in his arms on the gravel rooftop.
"No... it's like... it's a lot worse being twisted alone. At least if you're crazy for the world to see, they say there's something wrong with ya, and you know it's not all in your head." She rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him. "That's the difference between the heroes and the criminals. We don't hide our crazy, so we're not alone with it. That's your biggest lie. You guys are as messed up as us, just on the other side."
"And that seems to be our biggest agreement," he said quietly. "We're two extremes. I watched my parents die right in front of me- I just didn't tip the wrong way on that scale. I still fell off, just in a different direction." His slender fingers brushed her black hair behind her ear, and then reached over to do the same to the red.
"You've got some serious psychological problems there buddy," she mumbled and kissed his chest. Dick closed his eyes.
"You would know," he chuckled. Harley sighed and rested her cheek on his chest. The fever was getting to her, and she tried to keep her breathing steady. She wrapped her arms around him and snuggled closer despite the overwhelming feeling of both of their body heat.
"You feel hot," he said again, his words laced with worry like cyanide to their time together. He sat up and brushed her hair out of her face.
"No," she whined. It had been such a perfect moment. "Please don't."
"Harley it's ok," he said gently. "Look at it this way, if you're Infected, then there won't be any more moments like this. Plus you'll smell. There's a time frame in which we have to act on these things," he pulled her into his lap. If she was Infected, she was already contagious, yet he was fearlessly close to her. "Answer me now, with the truth," Dick said firmly. "How do you feel?"
"Why does anything have to be wrong?" She looked down at her hands. "Why can't we just stay here?" She was finally allowed to be here. "Please," she begged.
"Harley you've got a fever. Even a cold could kill you nowadays, and I need you to tell me your symptoms," he cupped a hand under her chin, making her look at him. Into those clear, focused eyes. "I don't want to interrupt our time together, but I really don't want you to die."
"I'm not gonna die... I just... I don't wanna upset you." She moved her face out of his hand, looking away. Dick laughed quietly, turning her face back gently to look at him.
"Why on earth would you upset me? I just don't want you to be sick is all. I can get you medicine, or anything else you need. Why would I be upset?" he asked quietly, stroking her cheek.
"I can find some medicine in Arkham." She closed her eyes. "Please let it go."
"Harley," Dick begged. "I'm worried about you."
"I'm sorry," she breathed, gasping. Her breathing was ragged, and she hid her face in her hands as she tried to steady it. Dick stared at her, his face a bit pale.
"Harley are you dizzy?" he asked quietly. He pulled her close and tied her hair back with one of the ponytails around her wrist. She opened her mouth to lie, but there wasn't a point anymore.
"A little." It was comfortable leaning against him. If he stopped asking questions, Harley groggily wondered if she'd be able to fall back asleep. Dick took a shaky breath.
"And you feel hot. Are you cold?" he pressed, holding her weight with his torso as he felt her cheek.
"Well you feel cool. Are you cold?" She curled up next to him hoping the longer she danced around his questions the longer they could stay where they were.
"I need to see under that bandage, Harls," Dick said quietly. She squeezed her eyes closed.
"No you don't," she breathed.
"If you turn into a damn zombie, I'll never forgive myself," he said seriously. "I need to make sure you're ok." Harley shook her head. He was going to blame himself if he saw under the bandage. He wasn't going to look at her the same.
"How about I just tell you I'm okay."
"You're lying," Dick sighed. "Don't lie to me. Please. I get that you're a criminal or- or whatever but- don't lie to me. Especially right now. I think I've earned that," Dick watched her, and then tugged the collar of the shirt down to look at the bandages. She grabbed his hand.
"You don't know what you're asking. Please don't."
"Would you rather die?" he snapped, staring at her in disbelief. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't be terrified of turning. Why she wouldn't just let him help her.
"Well I'd rather see you again," she bit back. "We just got here. I don't want you to leave," she said meekly.
"Why would I leave?" Dick asked her hesitantly. Harley turned away; she couldn't look at him. She looked up at the sky, not seeing the stars.
"What if I promise I won't leave. I'll pinkie swear," he pleaded. "You can't break one of those. I promise I won't leave if you let me help you." Dick watched her. She sat stiffly for a moment.
"Fine." She turned to face him, her eyes blank and jaw set. "You asked for it." She looked to the side of him, not wanting to watch his face as she yanked the collar of the shirt to the side and carefully peeled up the tape holding the bandages in place. She couldn't look at the cut either; she knew it was probably infected but didn't want to see it to know it was real. The knuckles on the hand holding her shirt out of the way turned white as the jagged J was revealed. The edges of the wound were red and swollen painfully against the stitches. Worrying red streaks branched out from the wound.
"Harley, this is..." Dick took a shaky breath, nodding slowly. "This is infected. We need to treat this." He stood carefully, picking her up with him in his arms. "See? I told you it wouldn't be so bad if you just let me help you," he smiled reassuringly, but he felt sick. Dick kissed her forehead and grappled down to the balcony, carrying her through the rooms to the bathroom. He sat her on the counter and went about lighting more candles in the room. Harley sat where he left her and stared at her hands. She closed her eyes; there was nothing she could think to say to him. Dick returned to her with a smile and set his utility belt on the counter. "Ok. My turn to play doctor," he said gently, looking at the wound. He glanced up at her face and did a double take. "Hey." He cupped a hand under her face, lifting it to look at him. "It'll be ok."
"Will it?" She stared up at him, her eyes wide. Dick smiled a little.
"Pinkie promise." He wrapped his little finger around hers and kissed her head. "Now. Let's get you better. I'm going to take these stitches out and put in fresh ones after I've cleaned it. We'll start with the infected cut and then worry about the 'Infection,'" he said hesitantly, carefully cutting through the stitches with a pair of small medical scissors and pulling them out as gently as he could.
"Whatever you say doctor," she mumbled. She grabbed onto the counter and looked over at them in the mirror. Dick's dark hair fell over his shoulders and nearly to his bare shoulder blades, still wearing only his boxers.
"Shhhh," he said gently. "I have a local anesthetic to take the pain away. Hold still," he said, injecting the wound carefully and then putting the needle down on the counter. Dick paused to dig through his utility belt.
"How many people do you think are still alive out there?" Harley asked quietly, staring at the wall like she could see through it for the answer. She shifted her position on the counter a little, waiting for the numbing to kick in. She couldn't decide if the initial cutting of the wound hurt more or all of the pain that had come after.
"We have a rough estimate. Heroes around, the Flash makes the rounds, Green Lantern... We try to keep a gauge." Dick busied himself with digging things out of the pockets of his utility belt.
"So," she looked back over at him, "humanity's not extinct yet." She kicked her feet a little, watching him work.
"You're right," he smiled a little. Medicine bottles, a needle, surgical thread, rubbing alcohol- there was no end to the things he pulled out of his utility belt. He got to work cleaning the wound, biting his lip as he did. She pulled the collar of the shirt out of the way and held it as he worked.
"You can say it." She looked at the top of his head. "You can't avoid it forever. I already tried that," she sighed.
"Say what?" he answered, a quiet scoff escaping his lips. He paused in his working, looking at the jagged J carved into her skin. This was a brand. A mark to prevent one man from stealing another's property. That's all she was to him. Property. Dick's jaw clenched furiously. It was all his fault. "How long ago did this happen? When did you stitch it up?" he asked, gaining careful control over his emotions again as he put down his supplies.
"Three days ago," she sighed and looked back over at the mirror. "The stitches were put in a half day after that. The fever started yesterday," she added, "and I came here last night, so I didn't check the wound."
"Ok. Ok, um... I'm going to leave this open for just a little while to let it breathe. But you're..." She was Infected. She would get worse and turn at any time now. "I'll be right back." Dick walked out into the bedroom and picked up his comm, turning it on. "Batgirl, secure channel," he said hesitantly. It was this or let Harley die; he was running out of options. After a second, Barbara's comm activated on his channel.
"What is it, Nightwing?" she asked stiffly. Dick bit his lip.
"I... I need your help."
He could hear her sigh in frustration. "Does it have to do with Harley Quinn?"
"Please don't hang up," Dick begged. "She's Infected. As in- I don't know what to do." Dick bit his fist, silently screaming. He knew Barbara would be pissed. Barbara pressed her fingers against her forehead, her elbows resting on her desk. After a long moment, she let out a frustrated huff of air.
"Symptoms? Is her blood thickening?"
"Um..." Dick walked back into the bathroom, looking at the wound. "I don't think so."
"Okay, so source of Infection? Chills? Pain?" She tapped her pen impatiently on her desk, and TJ glanced over at her.
"Source of Infection is a... a cut just under her collarbone. She had chills, but they've lessened, and yes, pain, but I gave her a numbing agent." Dick glanced up at Harley, frowning anxiously. Barbara paused.
"Does she have an infection or is she Infected? It's not necessarily both, Dick."
"I don't... I don't know." He rubbed his face in frustration. "She's incredibly hot and fevery, the wound looks really bad- something just feels off," he replied. Harley peeked at the wound before back at him.
"Give her an anti inflammatory to start taking any swelling down, and she'll need antibiotics to fight off infection," Barbara instructed. "Give her all of whatever infection fighting antibiotic you keep in your belt to take at least once a day. Is the cut big enough to need stitches?"
"Yes?" Dick glanced at Harley, biting his lip.
"I can't see it, so you're going to have to make the call on whether it's more dangerous to close it with an infection or leave it open and risk getting Infected. Because, no, it doesn't sound like she's Infected with a capital 'I.'"
"Oh," Dick frowned, "t-thank you Batgirl."
"Go ahead and stay with her to see if she develops symptoms," she suggested harshly before turning her comm off. Dick took it out of his ear, wincing a bit.
"Yikes," he breathed, and then shook his head. Dick took a deep breath. "Ok." He dumped a few pills into his hand. "Antibiotics, anti inflammatory, and painkillers." He held them up to her, giving her his canteen of water before starting to sterilize the surgical supplies.
"You people are gonna turn me into a drug addict," she mumbled before taking the pills. "So what's the verdict? Am I gonna live, doc?" She handed him back the canteen.
"You are zombie free, yes," he smiled a little. "But I'm going to re stitch this, to prevent it from getting Infected. I'll also send some stuff with you so you can keep it clean."
"Aye aye captain." She mock saluted. Dick chuckled and got to work stitching the cut closed. The tension hung heavy in the silence.
"This is all my fault isn't it?" he asked quietly.
"No." She leaned her head back against the wall as he worked. "It's my fault."
"Ok," he whispered and smiled at her. He finished his work, cutting the string and sighing slowly, putting things back in the pockets of his utility belt.
"Are you sure you're not the doctor?" she joked as she examined the stitched wound. She hopped off the counter and stretched out her back. Dick chuckled.
"I've had a lot of experience with stitching cuts," he smiled and kissed her forehead before going back to putting things away. It was so casual and so affectionate a gesture, and he did it so nonchalantly.
"Somehow I'm not surprised." She rested her elbows on his upper back as she waited for him to finish packing up. Dick smiled a little and took a deep breath.
"Some of them were from you," he looked up. From where he stood, he could see her reflection in the mirror over the sink, and she could see him raise his eyebrows at her.
"I told you I wasn't surprised," she giggled. Dick turned around and slipped his arms around her waist.
"We have a limited amount of time," he smiled down at her, his dark hair falling over his face.
"A limited time to build the world's best pillow fort? Or what?" She grinned. "You didn't exactly specify."
"Limited time together." Dick's voice was low as he watched her. There were dark circles under his eyes, and they were narrowed attentively, so clear and focused on her. He felt guilty, somewhere in the back of his mind, thinking about Barbara. She was his oldest friend, and it hurt to betray her like this, but- Harley pressed against him, her hair, scarlet and midnight black against her pale skin somehow making her crystalline eyes stand out all the more, dark makeup smudged around them- something about Harley was so right. He couldn't help himself as his hand trailed up her spine under his shirt that she wore.
"You have limited time here. I have all the time in the world." She stood on tiptoe to drape her arms over his shoulders. The numbing was still in full effect, so she couldn't even feel a tug at the wound. Dick grinned.
"I said together." He kissed her gently.
"And whose fault is that?" she breathed, pulling him closer. Dick grinned against her lips.
"Fault implies that I'm taking responsibility for my negative actions." He kissed her playfully. "I'll take responsibility."
"And how," she bit his bottom lip, "do you plan on doing that?" He chuckled and grinned again, kissing her harder.
"I can think of a few ways," he breathed, running his hands through her hair as he pushed her back against the mirrors on the wall.
"I think you've already done those." She grinned. She wrapped her arms tighter around him as she jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist.
"I'll bet I can surprise you." His hand slid under her leg and towards the hem of her shirt, his breath fast against her lips as he smiled. His head was bent to hers as if he couldn't stay too far away from her. Dick kissed her again, his hand twisted in her hair, and he pulled her against him.
"Well you are off to a very good start," she gasped. She didn't want him to leave in a few hours; this was all the time she had with him. She pulled her shirt off and tossed it on the ground before she caught his face and kissed him hard. Dick moaned into her mouth and grinned, kissing down her neck. Her back was pressed against the cool glass of the mirror, and Dick kissed to her ear, biting it. Harley grabbed at his back, holding herself against him. Her breath rasped past her lips as she closed her eyes.
"Ce que je vais faire pour vous," Dick purred in her ear, his lips trailing down her jaw to her mouth, where he kissed her desperately, pushing her against the wall. His hand twisted in her hair. Harley lifted herself up to push his boxers down out of the way. She kissed slowly down his neck and along his shoulder.
"You were saying?" she breathed.
"Let's take this to the bedroom," he grinned, carrying her out.