It had taken another week for Pam to make her decision, but finally, she found herself outside Wayne Tower. It was even larger than Pam had expected. It sported dozens upon dozens of large glass windows built into a cold grey exterior, and a giant 'W' at the top.
Subtle.
Pam stopped at the entrance, adjusting the suit jacket she'd bought with Selina's help and then pushed past the large doors. The lobby was spacious, polished stone floors and an ornate front desk in what was otherwise an austere room.
The woman behind the desk looked up when Pam approached. "May I help you?"
"I have an appointment with Mr. Wayne," she said, a hint of uncharacteristic nervousness fluttering in her chest. "Pamela Isley."
The woman's face brightened with recognition. "Of course. Mr. Wayne mentioned you'd be coming by. He seemed particularly enthusiastic to see you."
Well that's a good sign, I suppose.
"Right this way." The woman led Pam to the elevators, pressing the button for the seventh floor. She began chattering away, but Pam wasn't paying attention. She was busy going over the speech she'd rehearsed over and over again in front of the bathroom mirror, and later for Harley, who seemed impressed even when Pam stumbled. The elevator opened again far too soon for Pam's liking, and the secretary led her to an enormous wooden door with bright brass knobs.
She knocked lightly. "Mr. Wayne? Pamela Isley is here to see you."
Pam heard Bruce's deep voice even through the thick wooden door. "Come in."
The secretary led her inside and Bruce stood up from behind his desk, walking around it to greet Pam with a solid handshake.
"I'm glad you decided to come," he said, acknowledging his secretary with a polite smile before she slipped out of the office. Bruce led Pam to his desk, pulling out a chair for her before returning to his own.
"So," he began, lacing his hands together and leaning forward on the desk. "I assume you're here to talk about my offer."
"That's correct. Does it… still stand?" It had been a few long, very difficult, weeks since Bruce had offered her the position.
"Of course it does. We'd be lucky to have someone as intelligent as you working for the company."
Pam frowned. Bruce wasn't following the script she'd set up in her head. She'd expected she'd need to do a lot more convincing. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out the resume she'd brought and Bruce gave it a quick glance before setting it aside.
"When can you start?"
"I… Wouldn't you like to interview me first?"
"We'll get to that," Bruce assured her. "I'd just like a few preliminary questions answered."
"Well, I'd have to sell the shop before I could dedicate my time to your company entirely…"
"I can assist you there," Bruce replied. "In fact, I'd be happy to buy it from you."
"What?"
"Wayne Enterprises would own the property and pay to keep it up, employ it, but the shop would still be open to you. Does that sound like something you would want?"
"Yes. That… would be ideal," Pam replied. Keeping the shop close, property of Wayne Industries, and Bruce specifically…. They wouldn't really lose it after all.
"Excellent," Bruce replied. "Now that we've settled that, let's take a look at this resume, shall we?"
/
The first snow of the season came early. And the moment Harley saw the heavy flakes falling outside their bedroom window, she bounded out of bed and snatched up her cellphone, dialing everyone they knew and begging them to join her for a snow excursion. Pam watched her with amusement, reveling in the joyful glow Harley seemed to emit. It wasn't long before she'd gathered a small group of willing participants and began throwing on her winter clothes as fast as she possibly could, while Pam followed more slowly. Once they were both ready, Harley grabbed Pam's hand and dragged her down to Robinson Park, where they met the others at the entrance. By the time they got there, a few inches of snow had already accumulated on the ground, blanketing the park and turning it into a winter wonderland, hiding the ugliness that Pam had seen when she first arrived in Gotham.
Fat fluffy snowflakes drifted down from the endless gray sky, collecting in Pam's hair and eyelashes. As they crystallized, she realized belatedly that she probably should have worn a hat. But they had left in such a rush…. She glanced over at Harley, who trudged beside her in heavy boots, purposefully scuffing the soles against the ground to leave track marks behind her. Pam eyed her red and black beanie, and matching scarf, with jealousy.
Harley seemed unaffected by the chill in the air. Her eyes danced around the white wonderland that lay before them, rosy cheeks spread by an enormous smile.
Selina and Bruce walked nearby, enjoying a much more leisurely pace. And both were appropriately bundled up against the weather. Selina hung onto Bruce's arm, her head resting against his broad shoulder. They looked content and somehow still incredibly graceful in their boots and heavy coats. Pam hadn't been prepared for the early snow. And in Gotham, it seemed particularly cold.
Floyd and his daughter, Zoe, walked on their other side. Zoe kept tugging on her father's arm, pointing out lights that hung around the park and the various wildlife that peeked out through the snow-covered underbrush. Floyd laughed as he watched his daughter chase a flock of geese until they all took flight.
Barbara and Dick had set up camp near the entrance to the park since Barbara's wheelchair wouldn't allow her to move through the heavy snow. But she'd insisted on being a part of the outing anyway, so she'd convinced her boyfriend to huddle with her near a few of the park's picnic tables. They did look happy, Pam noted, casting a quick glance behind her to see them cuddled close together, and watching the snow drift down from the sky.
Suddenly, Pam felt a gloved hand slip into her own and she looked over to see Harley grinning at her from behind her scarf.
"Whatcha think, Pam-a-lamb?" she asked, her breath puffing out in a white cloud. She gestured to the falling snow and the dazzling lights around them, but all Pam could focus on was the fact that the chill was already creeping through her light coat and leggings.
"I think I've lost all feeling in my face," she replied.
"Oh, I can't feel my face when I'm with you!" Harley burst into song, earning an eye roll from Pam.
"Harley."
"But I love it." She cackled giddily when Pam swung her around and silenced her with a quick kiss. She pulled away, running her thumb along Harley's bottom lip and raising a challenging brow.
"As much as I love your singing. I'm not ever in the mood for The Weeknd."
Harley grinned wider, if that was at all possible, her blue eyes twinkling. She raised her gloved hands to Pam's reddened cheeks and patted them gently before reaching around and unwinding the red and black scarf she wore.
"Here you go." Harley wrapped the scarf around Pam's neck before she could protest, coiling the material until it covered Pam's mouth, leaving only her nose exposed. Pam blinked at her, a little surprised at the speed of which Harley had transferred the scarf. She giggled and kissed the tip of Pam's red nose.
"What about you?" Pam asked, tugging the scarf away from her mouth. Harley just shook her head, small snowflakes falling off her beanie.
"This ain't my first winter in Gotham," she replied "I'll be just fine. Plus, I have you to keep me warm!" She grabbed Pam's arm and wrapped it around her own shoulders, burrowing against Pam's side and nuzzling her cheek with a cold nose. Pam smiled, the warmth filling her having nothing to do with her new scarf. The group continued through the park, Zoe begging her father to help her climb one of the decorated trees. Floyd almost looked convinced until Selina pointed out the dangers of climbing a tall icy object in the middle of winter.
Harley had drifted away from Pam. They were connected now only by their laced fingers, and she gazed up at the sky, sticking out her tongue to catch a few fat snowflakes. They fell mostly in her eyes instead and she flinched away, letting go of Pam's hand and rubbing one eye furiously, frowning when Pam began to laugh.
"Hey, it's not funny," she whined. "Snow hurts."
"Maybe it wasn't the best idea to stick your face directly into it then?"
Harley pouted. "Catching snow on your tongue is like…a winter tradition. Look! Even Bruce is doing it!"
Pam glanced over her shoulder to see Bruce doing nothing of the sort. In fact, he was busy studying his boots, and that was when Pam felt the wet ball of snow smack her square in the back of the head. She stumbled forward, whipping around just in time to see Harley packing another snowball. She squeaked and launched it at Pam. It nailed her in the chest, just below the bottom of her scarf. Pam's eyes rose slowly from the smear of snow on her coat to Harley, who giggled. Then she saw the look in Pam's eyes and bolted, nearly slipping in the process.
Pamela would have calmly brushed the snow from her coat and continued with her leisurely walk. Pamela wouldn't have thought twice about involving herself in a snowball fight. It was juvenile. It wasn't behavior befitting of a lady. It was messy and pointless. But Pamela had been left behind in Seattle a long time ago.
And Pam was dead set on getting revenge. Scooping up a handful of snow, Pam packed it into a tight ball and dashed after Harley as quickly as her booted feet would carry her. Harley looked over her shoulder and yelped, scurrying away even faster towards Floyd and Zoe.
"Save me!" she shrieked, laughing all the while. "I'm being chased by a mad woman!"
She scurried behind Floyd, just as Pam threw her snowball. It smacked Floyd in the chest and in a manner similar to Pam, he studied it before raising his eyes to pin her with a challenging glare.
"She started it," Pam mumbled sheepishly. A slow grin grew on Floyd's face and then he shook Harley off his shoulder and scooped up his own handful of snow.
"Snowball fight!" He declared, launching his snowball at Pam. She ducked and the projectile flew through the air, hitting Selina's shoulder.
"What the hell?" Her voice echoed through the park, accompanied by Bruce's laugh. It wasn't a moment later that Selina retaliated, misjudging the distance of her throw and hitting Pam again. Harley fell into a fit of giggles until Floyd nailed her with two snowballs, the force of which nearly drove her to the ground.
"Floyd!"
"They don't call me Deadshot for nothin', sweetcheeks!" he laughed, ducking behind the cover of a frozen bush.
"No one calls you that!"
Pam took advantage of Harley's distraction, pelting her with another snowball. Harley whirled around, a grin breaking out on her snow-covered face and she chased after Pam with two fistfuls of snow. Bruce and Selina joined the war, focusing their attention of Floyd and Zoe who had taken up cover behind a row of hedges. And Barbara and Dick cheered from the sidelines, calling out fouls and headshots.
Pam ducked behind a tree, panting, her breath coming out in wispy clouds. She peeked around the side of the tree carefully.
No sign of Harley—
The blonde appeared out of nowhere, popping up in front of Pam and smooshing wet snow all over her jacket.
"Harley, those weren't even snowballs!"
Harley simply laughed in response. She was an absolute mess, hair sticking to her forehead, beanie falling off, clothes caked in snow. But she looked so wonderfully happy that Pam couldn't help but find her beautiful. Harley turned to run again when Pam lunged forward, grabbing her around the waist, as the two tumbled into the snow together.
Pam rolled them through the heavy snow until she lay above Harley, propped up only by her elbows. Harley's sparkling eyes met hers and then she stuck her tongue out, squirming underneath Pam in an attempt to free herself. Pam didn't waste any time leaning down and pressing her lips to Harley's. She made a muffled squeak, followed by a short moan, and then her hands were in Pam's snow covered hair, then running down her back to gently cup her rear.
Pam couldn't even feel the cold anymore, she was so wrapped up in Harley. Coaxing Harley's lips open, she slid her tongue against the one that had been mocking her a few moments before. Harley whined, her hips moving slightly against Pam's when suddenly they heard Selina's voice right above them.
"Ahem." They tore apart quickly, glancing up at Selina, who stood over them with her arms crossed, like she was a mother who had just walked in on two very naughty teenagers. "There are literally children here."
"Child," Pam corrected. "Singular."
Selina rolled her eyes. "Point is, watching you two getting down and dirty in the snow is definitely not what the rest of us signed up for today."
"Sorry Kitty," Harley grinned, not looking sorry in the slightest. A small smile broke Selina's cold expression and she shook her head, the snow falling off her short hair.
"Just…. take it behind a tree or something."
Harley saluted, pursing her lips in the most serious expression she could manage, while Pam rolled off her and pulled her to her feet. She popped up, giggling, and cupped Pam's cheeks, pressing a tender kiss to her chapped lips. They stood there for another moment, smiling dumbly at one another until another snowball nailed Harley in the shoulder.
"Hey! Get your head in the game!" Floyd shouted from his impromptu snow fort.
"Oh, it's on, deadhead!" Harley released Pam and scurried through the snow, grabbing handfuls of it as she went. Pam watched her go with a soft smile, taking in the scene around her. Never in her life would she have imagined that she'd end up here, surrounded by friends, playing in the snow, deeply in love…. happy. Not after Woodrue. Not when she was growing up, lonely, and crushed beneath the weight of her parent's expectations. And she had Harley to thank for this newfound sense of freedom.
Filled with a joy that made her buoyant, Pam bent and packed a few snowballs. She charged after Harley with her armful of ammo, prepared to make Floyd eat his words.
/
Before long, the group decided to call it a day. They were cold, soaked and tired, but the promise of warm fireplaces and hot cocoa kept smiles on their faces. Everyone went their separate ways at the park entrance. Pam made her way down the street to their apartment, Harley shivering beside her, her hands tucked underneath her armpits.
"Almost there," she encouraged, when Harley sniffed and rubbed her reddening nose.
"I'm fine!" Harley promised, unwilling to let go of her pride. "This is nothin'." Her red coat was soaked through, and she'd lost one of her gloves in the snow fight. Her hat was askew and Pam still had her scarf. They would have to break out the space heater the moment they got home. Not exactly as romantic as a real fireplace, but it would have to do.
Harley kicked her boots off on the welcome mat as they stepped through the door of the apartment, leaving fluffy piles of snow behind. Pam tried not to grimace as she tracked snow through the apartment too, shedding her clothes as she went. Pam undressed a little more carefully, picking up Harley's things and hanging them on the chairs around the kitchen table to dry. By the time she'd finished cleaning up, Harley was already huddled in front of the space heater, holding her hands out to warm them.
Pam didn't join her until she'd made two mugs of hot cocoa. Then she carried them carefully into the living room, sidling up behind Harley and handing her a mug. She took it gratefully, not even waiting for it to cool down before taking an enormous gulp.
"Gak!" She choked on the steaming liquid and Pam couldn't help but laugh. She pulled a large blanket around both of them and leaned back against the edge of the couch for support.
"You deserved that," she teased, pulling Harley back against her chest. Harley was too busy blowing on her cocoa to respond. She did, however, shoot Pam a sheepish smile over her shoulder. Setting her mug down, Harley leaned back, settling against Pam and sighing. The warm air from the heater buffeted them, partnered with the warmth their body heat created underneath the blanket.
"I'm sorry there's no fireplace," Pam lamented, unable to erase the image of what it would have been like to curl up with Harley in front of one.
"That's okay." Harley straightened suddenly. "Oh! I know." She scrambled out from underneath the blanket and reached for the TV remote, flipping through the channels until she found the one displaying a crackling yule tide log. Pam laughed again as Harley crawled back under the blanket with her.
"That's… comparable, I suppose."
"Discount fireplace," Harley giggled, leaning back against Pam once again. They sat in comfortable silence, the whir of the space heater the only sound filling the room. Harley sighed again and turned her head, her lips finding the underside of Pam's jaw. She let them linger there for a moment, enjoying the soft whimper Pam made, before placing a small kiss on the skin just below her ear.
"Thank you," she said softly, her voice rumbling against Pam's neck.
"For what?"
"For today. I know it probably wasn't that much fun for you with the cold and the snow balls and-"
"Harley, I really enjoyed myself," she interrupted, kissing Harley's forehead. "I wasn't sure I would, I'm not exactly a 'snow ball fight' type of person."
"But…?" Harley drew the word out playfully.
"But, it was the most fun I've had in a long time."
Harley beamed and turned back to face the yule log, squirming against Pam until she was comfortable again. "Me too."
"And that's thanks to you," Pam continued, nuzzling Harley's cheek. "I have a lot of things to thank you for."
Harley hummed. "Like mind blowing sex?"
"Charming," Pam snorted. Harley bounced her eyebrows up and down, laughing when Pam rolled her eyes.
"Sorry," she said, managing to get a hold of herself, although her body still quivered with suppressed giggles. "Serious time. Go."
"Nope, you've ruined the moment." Pam slid her arms around Harley's middle, squeezing gently when the blonde pouted.
"I'm really sorry?" she tried. Pam just smiled and shook her head.
"Mmm, you're not weaseling your way out of this one."
Putting her gymnastic training to good use, Harley suddenly twisted in Pam's grasp and straddled her, wrapping both legs around her waist. She lifted her hands, cupping Pam's cheeks, and leaned forward until their noses brushed.
"Oh no?"
Pam dragged her eyes away from Harley's lips and locked gazes with her. Her blue eyes were smiling, a hint of hunger deep within them. Their lips met a moment later in a slow kiss and one of Harley's hands slid around the back of Pam's neck, pulling her closer. Her fingers twisted in Harley's shirt when she felt a soft tongue swiping across her bottom lip.
The blanket covering them began slipping off Harley's shoulders as she started moving on top of Pam, sweeping her hips back and forth, almost imperceptibly. But it was enough to make Pam's breath catch. She kept her hands on those rolling hips, squeezing whenever Harley ground against her at just the right angle.
Harley seemed to be getting lost in the moment too. She twisted her fingers in red locks and moaned into Pam's mouth, her gentle thrusts becoming more insistent. Pam parted her lips readily, meeting Harley's tongue in a frantic dance.
Harley pulled away abruptly and Pam groaned at the sudden loss of contact. The smirk on Harley's face was proof that she'd won their little stand-off.
"So…. I was thinkin'," she trailed off, letting her hand slide away from Pam's cheek and down towards her chest, where her fingers tapped idly against Pam's collar. "Whaddya say we pick up where we left off at the park?... D'you wanna-"
Pam was on her feet before Harley could finish her sentence, hoisting the blonde up with her. Harley yelped and wrapped her legs tighter around Pam's waist. Their lips connected again in a sloppy kiss as Pam blindly made her way to the bedroom, trusting her feet not to lead her into any walls.
Miraculously, they made it to the bedroom without breaking the kiss. Pam's knees hit the edge of the bed and Harley flopped back onto the sheets, her legs falling away from Pam's waist.
Harley gazed up at her through hooded eyes. Powder blue had turned dark with lust, her reddened lips parted slightly as she panted. She smiled invitingly at Pam, who quickly tore her shirt over her head, leaving her hair a tangled mess. Harley giggled and reached for her, catching Pam in a tight embrace as she dove in for another kiss.
/
Pam stroked her fingers through Harley's tangled blonde hair. The blue and pink tips had all but faded, she noted. They would need to be redone soon. Harley was wrapped around her, her sweat damp skin pressed against Pam's. She could feel the rapid thump of Harley's heart against her own ribs and the blonde's breath was still coming in heavy pants.
Her eyes were closed, though, as Pam stroked her hair rhythmically. Pam watched her face quietly, smiling when her features began to relax. It wasn't hard to put Harley to sleep on a good day, but it was especially easy after a satisfying orgasm.
She held very still, soaking in the warmth of another body pressed tightly against hers. Shivering as gentle fingers traced slow patterns on her waist, and gentle puffs of breath tickled her neck.
Tucked away in bed with the girl who meant more to her than anything in the world.
Pam turned and pressed a kiss to Harley's forehead. She closed her eyes, sighing, and then rested her cheek against the top of Harley's head, while the snow fell silently outside the window and the icy tree branches blew in a frigid wind that they couldn't feel.
"I've been thinkin'," Harley murmured suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence.
"A dangerous pastime," Pam teased, earning a pinch from Harley.
"Pammy, I'm bein' serious."
"I'm sorry," she said, a broad grin appearing on her face anyway. She mimicked Harley's earlier words, "Serious time, go."
Harley pursed her lips and traced small circles around Pam's navel. "I've been thinkin' about school. About goin' back."
Pam could still remember the conversation they'd had months ago, back when they were nothing more than next door neighbors. Reveling in the memory almost made her miss Harley's next words.
"I dunno if I could do it. I think… I know I wanna. But," she paused and heaved a weary sigh. "All this stuff with Jay…"
"Don't let Jay be the reason you don't go back to school," Pam admonished. "That gives him power."
"I know, I know," Harley said, rolling away from Pam and onto her back, staring up at the chipped paint in the ceiling. "But there's other stuff too. Like, you just got your new job with Bruce and the parlor's getting busier. If I left it now I'd be lettin' the guys down-"
"Harley," Pam stopped her mental spiral. "Do you really think that's what's stopping you?" She turned onto her side, propping herself on her elbow and gazing down at Harley. Her face twisted and she refused to meet Pam's eyes.
"Maybe it's just that you're afraid to go out onto a limb," Pam tried. "I know this is something you want. You know… You just need to convince yourself to follow through."
"But what if I'm not… good enough?" she said, her voice quiet. "What if I'm not smart enough? I had so much trouble the first time. And the money…."
"I work for Bruce Wayne. I'll help you cover your tuition," Pam replied, sliding a hand across Harley's stomach. Harley didn't seem convinced. Her lips twisted into a frown, but finally she met Pam's gaze. "There's nothing wrong with needing help. If anyone knows that, it's me."
"Why do you care so much? What would me goin' back to school do for you?"
"It's not about what it would do for me. It's about what it would do for you, your confidence, your future." Pam explained. "And shouldn't I want the world to see the brilliant girl that inspires me? Don't you think that now is as good a time as any to be ambitious? To try something new?"
Pam sat up, pulling Harley with her. "Don't be afraid to say goodbye to the shop. It's part of your past. It got you here. But now it's time to welcome what you can be." She spread her hands out in front of her, painting a picture. "Doctor Harleen Francis Quinzel, a successful, confident, well-renowned psychiatrist."
Harley's face lit up, her eyes trained on the space in front of them, as if she could see the future rolling out before her. "You really think I could do it?"
"I think you can do anything you set your mind to," Pam replied. "And more importantly, I think you deserve to be happy." She pulled Harley close and, just as the girl let her guard down and sunk against her, Pam's ran her fingers up and down her sides. Harley squeaked and burst into a fit of giggles, squirming away. But Pam followed her and they fell against the mattress, Pam tickling relentlessly while Harley kicked at the covers and wriggled and laughed until tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.
"Happy yet?" Pam dodged Harley's attempt to shove her away. Finally, Pam relented, panting and grinning. She trapped Harley underneath her, waiting until she'd regained her breath, and then stroked a gentle hand across her cheek. "Take a breath, Harley. Take a step. Take a chance."
Harley's own grin softened into a small smile at Pam's words. Leaning down, Pam pressed a featherlight kiss to her lips, and when she drew back she saw a glassy sheen in Harley's blue eyes.
"Have I mentioned today," she whispered, her thumb brushing the small heart on Harley's cheek. "How lucky I am… to be in love with you?"