Nothing could describe the emotion Willow felt as they drove up the small, dirt path to the apartments. She hadn't been there in forever it seemed, and yet the building looked the exact same. She narrowed her eyes on the group of thugs that sat outside of the main entrance, laughing and smoking cigarettes, and her heart pounded nervously when she saw Loc in the middle of it all. She watched him for a minute before she turned to Joker just as he turned the car off.
"Shall we?" He asked, and Willow nodded before she opened the door. She closed it gently behind her after Joker had closed his. Loc, mid drag on his cigarette, looked up towards the car when he heard two doors shut, and he felt his stomach sink when he saw Willow, wearing some tiny little stripper outfit, walking behind Joker. His mouth fell as he watched them approach. The rest of the men seemed to notice they were now in the middle of a very awkward moment for they all quieted down.
"Gentlemen," Joker said as he stopped before them all. "I'm sure you all remember Willow." He glanced over to Loc, and he narrowed his eyes at him when he saw the shocked look on his face. "Is there a problem, Loc?" Joker asked as he rose his eyebrows, and Loc quickly tore his eyes off of Willow and looked up to his boss.
"N-no," he said.
"Good," Joker said. "Because I would hate for there to be." He finally continued passed the men and he opened the door. Willow quickly stepped passed Loc, trying hard not to look at him as he did. Still in disbelief he turned his head once she stepped onto the small porch, and he narrowed his eyes onto her ankle. His throat was dry and he licked his lips as the door shut behind her, and he turned forward again.
"What's your deal, dude?" one of the thugs asked Loc as he pushed him playfully, but Loc remained staring at the ground with wide eyes, wondering how on Earth it was possible that she was back.
"Don't worry about it," he said. He threw his half finished cigarette to the ground before he went inside the building, and he disappeared into his own complex.
Willow had just stepped inside Joker's apartment as he closed the door behind him. He watched as Willow slowly looked around, her lips slightly parted. The place was exactly the same as she remembered, though she couldn't help but feel a little bit nervous. She turned around and saw Joker leaning against door, watching her, and she quickly looked away. She was still a little mad at him, it was only natural for her to be. Just because she had come to apartment didn't necessarily mean that she forgiven him. She had only come because she didn't want to lose out on her chance. For the most part she was ready to put it behind her, but something told her not to do it quite yet.
"Not much has uh... changed," Joker said in a toneless voice as he leaned off the door. He took his gloves off and placed them on the small table by the door, Willow watching his movements and she noticed a pack of cigarettes on the table along with a pack of cherry Prime Times. She licked her lips; it had been a long time since she smoked, and a cigarette or even one of those Prime Times sounded perfect right now.
She looked back up to Joker as he shrugged his coat off, and he folded it in half once before he walked over to place it on the top of the couch. She looked over him, taking in the appearance of his purple pants and green vest. She pictured his muscular arms and broad back muscles underneath his blue patterned shirt, trying to remember how they had once felt against her skin. She finally snapped out of her daze, wondering what to do next. She felt as though she was again new to the place as she waited for Joker to tell her what she should do. Joker was looking at her again, and he cleared his throat before he nodded at the door behind her, his way of telling her she should go inside her room. She seemed to understand the hint and she turned, her back to him as she reached for the handle. Joker's eyes slid down and came to pause on her right shoulder; something wasn't right there. Walked up to her as Willow walked inside, and she paused. Her clothes were still all over, her bed slightly unmade, and she noticed her window was still open. It was as if she had just been in there...
"I didn't go in here much," Joker explained as he took a step inside now, and he flipped the light switch up, the room suddenly filled with an orange glow. Willow didn't say anything as she continued to look around, and she noticed her knife still sitting on the end table. She sort of smiled at it, suddenly wanting to go play with it. She took a moment to be thankful she hadn't brought it with her that night. If she had, she knew she would have never seen it again.
She turned around however and saw Joker somewhat awkwardly looking down at her and she watched as his eyes traveled down to her right shoulder. His eyebrows met in the middle at her started at the thin, red line on it, and she sighed.
"They fixed them," she finally spoke up as Joker shifted his eyes back to hers.
"Fixed them?" Joker repeated as he looked to her. Admittedly he was a little upset about that. He had enjoyed those scars he had given Willow, they were a symbol of him on her, and a great memory. He looked back down to her shoulder. "And uh... how did you feel about that?"
Willow swallowed, wondering what to say. Joker looked back at her now, his face expressionless as he waited for an answer.
"Um," she started. "I was... upset." She nodded her head, unable to help but smirk. 'Upset' was really a downplay on how she had really been. For a short second she considered telling Joker this, but it would only show him that she wasn't really as mad at him as she was trying to make it seem. If Joker only knew how much Willow missed him at Arkham, she knew it would change things, quickly, and only make him that much more cocky. Joker cocked an eyebrow at her as he continued to look into her eyes. "They also took my nipple rings out."
Joker grinned slightly at this, which caused Willow to smile slightly, and she shyly turned her head away.
"Why?" Joker asked, his tone somewhat playful now.
"They said it was 'procedure'. And that they didn't want to risk me having anything I could hurt myself with."
Joker giggled at this as he rolled his eyes. "They told me the same thing. Took mine out too."
Willow's eyebrows furrowed as she continued to look at him. "But then how did-"
"I re-pierced it," he said simply with a shrug. His grin widened as he leaned down closer to her, his voice low. "I could re-pierce yours, if you want."
Willow instantly shook her head as her eyes widened. There was no way she could do that. All of her piercings had been professionally done, and she couldn't imagine the how painful it would be doing it at home. Joker's grin disappeared some as he leaned back.
"Why?" He asked her.
"It would hurt," she said simply, the thought sending a shock up her spine, and she tried to force herself to stop thinking about it. To this Joker rolled his eyes with a sigh and Willow grinned.
"Better learn to live with pain, girlie," he said as he started towards the door. "There's much more to come," he added with a growl that sent a shiver up Willow's spine. Willow wasn't sure if she should feel threatened by that or excited, so she shrugged it off.
"Well," Joker said now with a sigh, deicing that tomorrow he was for sure done with this awkwardness thing. He figured he'd give Willow one more night to get over everything that had happened before he'd have to step in. "Take a shower, then go to bed," he commanded. "I want to hear all about your experiences tomorrow."
Willow continued to just look at him, already feeling as though things had suddenly gone back to how they were. She forced a smile however, deciding it best not to anger him on her first night back.
"Can I smoke a cigarette first?" She asked. Joker sighed as he rolled his eyes before he turned to head out of her room.
"If you must," he said. Willow took a step to follow him out, but she paused suddenly and turned. She reached back and grabbed her knife off of the end table before she put it in her tiny pocket and she walked out towards the door. Joker had already disappeared into his room as Willow went about picking up that black lighter and she pulled out a cigarette from the pack, happy to see that for once the pack was menthol.
Joker grunted slightly as he loosened his tie once he had carelessly dropped his vest to the ground and he proceeded to undo his shirt buttons. He took it off and dropped it on the floor as he made his way into his bathroom and he snapped on the light, a big yawn escaping passed him as he took a moment to stretch, raising his arms high above his head as he arched his back. He blinked his eyes rapidly for a second as he took a step up to the sink.
He leaned over it, his palms on either side of the sink as he waited for the water to turn somewhat warm, and he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He stared into his own eyes before they traveled down to his right scar, the one that curved upward before he looked to the left one, the one that he had messed up on. He stared at it as he traced his tongue along his from the inside of his mouth, his cheek pushed out slightly as he recalled the experience, and all that blood...
He grinned slightly as he finally looked down, running his hands under the warm water and he brought them to his face. He pumped some soap into his hand before he brought it back to his face, using his hands and fingers to get all the paint off. Once the water rinsed clear, he turned the water off, and reached over for his towel. He patted his face dry before he tossed it back on the sink, and he looked to his scars one more time. He found it somewhat irritating that Willow had spent all those weeks in his apartment, the apartment where everything had gone down. He just knew that Willow had discovered everything else other than that knife that laid in the sink, and he growled slightly as he turned the light off in the bathroom. He then went on to take off his pants and he walked out of them, leaving them where they had dropped and he wasted no time in crawling into his bed.
He settled his head comfortably on the pillow as he sighed contentedly, feeling rather tired. He thought about how at that very minute Willow was most likely sitting in the graveyard, re-acquainting herself with James and the family. It annoyed him to realize that he was most likely going to get a great nights sleep now that Willow was back where she belonged. She closed his eyes as he thought about it, and he cute, but somewhat pathetic attempt to keep him begging. Begging, Joker thought to himself. Surely that was not what he had been doing. More like... convincing, though it obviously didn't take much to get her to agree.
If Joker hadn't been so tired, he would have ended up laying awake, thinking about all that had happened with Willow all the way to the night he left her to how she was there with him now, but it seemed within a matter of minutes Joker was fast asleep, his breathing rough and deep as his body slowly rose and fell.
Willow had just stepped onto the small porch of the apartment and she looked around momentarily before she looked down to the cigarette between her fingers. The wind blew slightly as she brought the lighter up to the cigarette in her mouth, and she flicked it, but the flame wouldn't ignite. She sighed as she tried turning away from the wind, only to fail at lighting her cigarette, again. She had just turned to the door to go light it inside when she jumped suddenly. Loc grinned down at her as he closed the door behind him, and Willow rolled her eyes.
"What do you want?" She asked as she went to try the lighter again, but she had no luck.
"Looks like you need help," Loc said smoothly as he stood in front of her now. He took each side of black coat and he held it open as he looked at Willow. "Community service?"
Willow eyed him for a moment before she decided to give in, unsure of whether it was a stupid idea or not. But she was desperate for a cigarette, once she realized how long it had been since she had one she knew she'd do anything to get it. She leaned forward towards him as he blocked the wind and finally she lit the cigarette, and she leaned up quickly with a roll of her eyes.
"Thanks," she said rather offhandedly, the smoke escaping passed her lips as she spoke. She started off towards the side of the building, not entirely sure where she was going. Loc stood his ground, his eyes slowly wandering down her body to those swaying hips, until finally his eyes came to focus on her ankle. Flashes of that night ran through his head; he had been so sure he had ruptured her Achilles tendon; what had gone wrong? He took in a deep breath before he followed after her.
"How was Arkham?" He asked casually, and Willow rolled her eyes as she continued to walk. Loc was ruining her cigarette break real quickly. She didn't answer as she continued to the side of the building, passed all the cars, and she couldn't help but notice her Audi TT there, shining under the moon light. "I'm surprised they let you out so early. How'd you manage that one?"
Willow sighed loudly as she blew out the smoke from her second drag, but she continued to walk, hoping that if she ignored him he'd take the hint and leave.
"I saw all the news coverage," he went on as she continued to follow closely behind her. Willow looked over to the graveyard that was almost parallel with where she was. "You looked like you'd been to hell and back. I see your ankle healed up pretty well-"
"What do you want?" Willow asked as she spun around quickly, her green eyes staring into his.
"Just tryin' to strike up a friendly conversation," he said with a smile. Willow's eyes leaped from eye to eye on him before she shook her head.
"Leave me alone," she said. She went to take a step away from him but he reached out, placing his hand on her shoulder to turn her around. She pushed his arm off of her and took a step back as she shouted, "stop!"
"What are you doing back here, seriously?" Loc asked. His tone had changed, he sounded angry now, but Willow held her ground, not exactly sure how to answer that question. Before she could say a word though, he was quick to speak up. "You're useless here," he went on. "A waste of space. All you do is hang out upstairs, then come down every now and again for a cigarette, acting like you're better than everyone, thinkin' you're so tough 'cause you got the Joker on your side."
Willow glared at him as she took a deep breath in. Her heart began to race with anger, and she tried not to take what he was saying to heart.
"You know one day he's not gonna be there to protect you, and you're gonna be fucked," he added, notching his tone down a little. "Like, now..." He took a step towards her. "You're all alone, looking like shit, and vulnerable."
A blind anger flash flew through Willow, and once Loc had gotten a little to close to her, she instinctively raised her hand and pressed the glowing end of her cigarette to his face, gritting her teeth as she quickly twisted her fingers side to side to rub it in his skin quickly. He yelled out loudly as he stumbled back, quickly bringing his hands to the burn mark, and Willow's eyes widened as she quickly started around him.
"You're not as tough as you think, either!" She spat at him as she turned around for a moment, mid stride. Loc angrily looked up at her as he held his hand to his cheek, and in a state of panic Willow quickly took off towards the building, her heart racing at the thought of him chasing her. She threw the door open to the apartments and ran up the stairs as quickly as her shaking legs would let her. She finally reached Joker's door, and she quickly opened it before she let his slam shut behind her. She froze suddenly, her breath hitching in her throat as she looked down the hall to Joker's door; that noise had been incredibly loud. Her heart pounded, and she felt as though she could almost hear it as she waited for Joker's door to be thrown open and for a very irritated Joker to emerge. But as the seconds ticked on nothing happened, and Willow finally let out a sigh of relief as she went to quickly lock up all the locks on the door. The last thing she needed to was infuriate Joker on her first night back.
She felt dizzy now as she leaned against the door, and she listened as she heard the main apartment door squeak open. She listened as Loc opened up his own door and slammed it shut. She closed her eyes as she continued to deeply breathe, thinking back on what she had just done. With the the words Loc had been telling her and what she yelled back at him, she knew it was silly to run, but she was not about to take that fight any further. She didn't even have the intentions of hurting him, but he had gotten way to close to her, and what he was telling her angered her like no other. What else could she have done? She sighed now as she opened her eyes; that was not how she wanted her first smoking break in over half a year to go.
As quietly as she could as she crept towards her bedroom door, and she opened it as quietly as she could. She figured Joker must be in a very deep sleep if he did not even stir to Loc's screams and that door slamming shut, the vibrations from it rattling the walls. She continued to be as silent as she could as she took her knife out of her pocket, and she placed it on her end table before she went about searching for something to sleep in. A short few minutes later she frowned at herself in the full length mirror by her door. Her big, baggy black rock band shirt she wore looked bigger than ever, and she literally had to hold her gray pajama pants at her side to keep them from falling. It was unbelievable to her how much weight she had lost, and she knew that none of her clothes would fit now. She debated on just leaving the pants off, but it was actually rather cold, and she didn't want to be stuck shivering all night. With a roll of her eyes she left the pants on, and she held them up on her waist as she made her way over to her bed once she had turned the light off. A loud, peaceful sigh escaped passed her as she laid her head on the pillow. Her bed was nearly twenty times more comfortable than the cot at Arkham and Joker's old bed combined. She closed her eyes, taking a moment to realize how good it felt to finally be back with Joker, despite her best efforts to still try and be mad at him...
–
Willow awoke the next morning feeling more rested and relaxed than she ever had. She laid in bed for a few moments, debating with herself on whether she should sleep longer or go make some coffee. Eventually the thought of enjoying her first cup of coffee in a long while overpowered her will to sleep, and she threw the covers over her. A chill ran all throughout her body, her room was rather cold. She sighed as she got up, figuring it was just a bad contrast to how warm and cozy her bed had been. Surely Joker was smart enough to put a heater in his apartment.
She turned towards her bed to pull the comforter up to at least make her room look half way decent, and she went around picking up her stray clothes and throwing them all in a pile, figuring she'd do some laundry later. And once her pajama pants started to fall from her hips for the sixth time since waking up, she reached down with a huff and took them off before she threw them into the pile. She was absolutely tired of none of her clothes fitting, and she wondered what she could, or what Joker would allow her to do about it. She paused just as she reached her door, wondering if she really wanted to go out there wearing nothing but her giant black t-shirt and a thong. She was in no mood to mess around with her pants, pulling them up every few seconds and having to stop what she was doing. Plus, she was a little curious to see what Joker would do.
She slowly opened her door and crept out into the hallway. Joker's bedroom door was still closed, so she ventured out towards the kitchen. It felt odd going through the cabinets to find the necessary things she needed for the coffee, and she wondered how Joker would feel about it. She continued to set up the coffee maker, however, figuring that making coffee was an okay thing to do. After all, it was Joker who had wanted her to come back. It wasn't like she had to twist his arm, begging him to let her.
Joker had just walked out his bedroom, fresh out of the shower. He scratched his head with his fingers to keep his drying hair from sticking flatly to it. He had slept fabulously, and was now in a rather good mood. He turned the corner and headed towards the entrance archway, only to pause before he could take a step inside. Bent directly before him was Willow, her black t-shit raised up as she reached for something on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Joker couldn't help but let his eyes wander up her slender legs, and he lingered on her exposed ass, just barely able to see that red thong poking out from underneath the shirt. But all too soon Willow was leaning back up to close the fridge, a container of creamer in her hand, she jumped once she turned around. She came to face a smirking Joker, his paint freshly done, and her lips parted slightly as she allowed her eyes to roam down Joker's body. He wore his usual blue button down shirt, only this time the shirt was undone, exposing the middle of his chest and his bellybutton. He wore his normal purple pants, the chain that usually hung from his pocket missing, and she noticed he was barefoot. Her eyes finally wondered back up and she looked into his eyes as she wondered what to say.
"Morning," she said in a quiet voice finally.
"Morning," Joker said in a low voice. He looked over to the coffee machine and noticed the coffee was just finished, the brown liquid as high as it could reach in the coffee pot, and he noticed two mugs sitting in front of it. "So, no pants this morning?" He asked in a gruff voice, and Willow felt herself redden.
"Well, um..." she started. "None of my clothes fit..."
"And why ever not?" Joker asked as he went about pouring his own cup of coffee before he stepped to the side to let Willow make her own.
"I didn't eat much at Arkham," she explained.
"Oh," Joker said in a monotone voice. She remained silent, figuring he wasn't interested and she went about stirring in the vanilla creamer and one spoonful of sugar into her coffee. "Come and tell me all about it," Joker said as he started out of the kitchen. Willow raised an eyebrow as she took a sip from her mug, taking a moment enjoy the taste, before she ventured out of the kitchen. She sat down in her normal spot on the couch, forgetting how comfortable it had been as Joker situated himself in his spot.
"So," Joker started as he crossed his leg, his ankle on his knee, and he looked over to her, unable to help but glance at her legs and notice how far back her shirt sat as she took another large sip from her mug. The liquid nearly burnt her tongue, she ignored the pain and went on to hungrily take another large sip. "Enjoying that coffee, are we?"
Willow looked over to him with a sloppy, embarrassed grin on her face that seemed to just say it all. Joker laughed slightly through his nose as he rolled his eyes.
"I'd hate to imagine how your first cigarette went."
Willow nearly choked on her fourth sip of coffee now, and she tried hard to make it seem like everything was fine. Yeah, you would.
"So tell me everything," Joker said now as he leaned into the corner of the couch, where the arm met the back cushion, and he stared intently at Willow as she finally forced herself to set the mug down on the coffee table. He watched with a slightly amused expression as Willow brought her knee's to her chest, and he was able to quickly see another flash of her ass before she placed the shirt over her legs, only her feet sticking out as her arms disappeared into the shirt as well. His eyebrows met in the middle as he looked over Willow again, who had transformed herself into a little black ball, complete with two feet and a head.
"Everything?" Willow asked as she looked over to him, ignoring his slightly confused face at her mechanism to warm herself. He finally nodded once, waiting for her to start talking, accepting her odd way of getting comfortable. He couldn't explain it, but he was rather interested in what she had to say about her experience, if she was being truthful about it. But he knew when she was lying, he could tell when practically anybody was lying, so he knew he'd be getting the truth either way. Willow on the other hand thought of where to start as she wrapped her arms around her legs from within the shirt, or more importantly what to hold back. She wondered what his reaction would be if she told him about Jonathan, and she just knew he'd forever mock her for her rather childish behavior she displayed while there. "Well..." she started finally as she thought of what to say. Joker noticed she was having a hard time, so he figured he'd start her off.
"Which holding area did they keep you in?" He asked.
"Um... B, I think," she answered. In Arkham they labeled their cell areas with letters. A-B were moderate criminals, while C-D were the more intense. Willow could only imagine where Joker had fallen.
"And did you have any friends?"
Willow paused at this, and she slowly shook her head.
"Willow, even I had people I talked to there. So I know you're lying. What was her name?" He asked, his tone suddenly bouncy. Willow would have smiled at this, but she was too busy trying to figure out what his reaction would be when he found it that Jonathan was, in fact, a he.
"Jonathan," she answered in a small voice, and Joker raised his eyebrows.
"You mean, little Willow had a boyfriend while in the crazy house?" His eyes were wide with sarcasm, and to this Willow finally grinned and rolled her eyes.
"No," she said. "Just a friend. He... helped me out." She said. "He was once a doctor, and-"
"Wait, wait, wait," Joker interrupted as he held up his bare hand. "Was his last name... Crane?" He seemed to cringe as he said his name, and Willow slowly nodded. Now Joker rolled his eyes as he slouched his back dramatically, and Willow wondered why he was being so animated. "Well isn't it such a small world..." he said in a bored tone now as he leaned back again.
"What's wrong?" Willow asked somewhat nervously, studying his every reaction, and she waited for him to turn angry. But his good mood seemed to stick around as he placed his elbow on the arm of the couch, waving his hand as he spoke.
"Oh, nothing," Joker growled. "He's just... a very strange man."
"And you're not?" Willow shot back as she grinned slightly to show she was only kidding, and it relieved her when Joker laughed.
"I didn't say that," he said. As he pointed to her loosely. "I saw him on the news a few times. Thinking he was such a big-shot doctor, and so... sneaky with the way he made the members of the mob go 'insane'," he held up quotations with his fingers as he continued to laugh. "Or, did he fail to mention this to you?"
"No, he told me," Willow said, not finding it to be as big of a deal as he currently did.
"Well, how did he help you?" Joker went on to ask as he continued to grin and shake his head.
"He just, knew how the doctors there worked," she said. "He told me all I needed to know to get out of there as quickly as I could."
"Really?" Joker growled slightly now as he raised an eyebrow, still staring directly into her bright green eyes. "And what was that?"
"He told me that I should say what they wanted to hear. That I had truly gotten over..." she paused, and Joker raised both his eyebrows again as he waited for her to go on.
"Gotten over... me?" He guessed, and Willow nodded. Joker smirked at this now. "Some deep, annoying feeling in the pit of my stomach says you didn't," he added, and Willow felt dizzy.
Obviously, she thought, but instead she shook her head. "Not... exactly. I thought I had," she went on to truthfully say. "But I guess, I didn't." She looked away now, thinking back to what she had just said while Joker continued to evilly grin.
"Well I guess the doctor did something right," he said, and Willow turned back to him. "What else did you do, besides converse with Mister Crane and refuse to eat?"
"Not much," she said now. She slipped her arms through the shirt sleeves and she leaned over to the table to grab her mug. She took another large sip, Joker smirking at her all the while. "Talked to my doctor. Slept..."
"I have a hard time believing that," Joker said as he took a breath in. "What aren't you telling me?"
It was on the tip of Willow's tongue to tell him what a wreck she had been over every, little thing. The small grin that slid onto her face didn't help matters, especially when she shyly turned her head away to hide it. But Joker had seen it, and this only proved his case even more.
"Well...?" He beckoned on, and Willow finally turned to him, making a point to stare at his knee.
"I guess you could say I was pretty... difficult."
"Difficult?" Joker asked. "How so?"
"I... freaked out... a lot." Willow nodded her head slightly as she looked up to Joker, who had risen an eyebrow, again.
"How so?" He asked, that eerie grin creeping up onto his face.
"They threatened to put me in a straightjacket," she said, as if it was most horrible thing on Earth, and Joker chuckled to this. "They said they'd have to keep me isolated."
"How sweet of them to warn you," he said. "They put me in that damn thing the second I was hauled through the doors." he shrugged now. "I liked it though. It was fun."
Willow wanted to ask him how, on any planet, he could think sitting all day in a straightjacket was fun, but Joker was quick to interrupt.
"So, it's safe to imagine... that when you found out that those," he pointed to her shoulder, referring to her scars, "were gone, you threw a fit, yes?"
Willow slowly nodded. "Yeah," she said. "I kind of threw a fit over everything..." She finished off her coffee as the room turned silent. Joker continued to look at her, picturing in his mind how completely crazy Willow must have looked. He pictured her hair thrashing all around, and he pictured how loud her screams must have been. His grin widened as he wished he could have been there to see it, been able to seen how much he had taken a toll on this poor girl's life.
"That's funny," Joker finally spoke up, and Willow looked back to him.
"It is now," she mumbled. She stood up from the couch now, after she had fixed her shirt, and she rounded the corner to the kitchen. Joker took his own mug now, and took a few, large sips before he followed her into the kitchen, watching her for a second as she went about pouring herself some more coffee.
"Save some for tomorrow, kiddo," he said as he placed his mug into the sink. "And if you're going down for a cigarette, which I'm sure is going to be your next move," he said with a roll of his eyes as he started towards the arch of the kitchen. "Tell Loc he needs to take a trip to the grocery store. There's a list on the table," he added. Willow grinned slightly, thankful that the hair in her face hid it from the Joker. She had a hard time picturing him sitting there, writing out a grocery list, and maybe even walking around the kitchen deciding what was gone that he needed more of. But hey, someone had to it. But on the other hand, she wasn't so happy about having to already face Loc, and so early in the morning. Her plan had been to quietly sneak passed his door, but Joker was quick to ruin that idea. But it wasn't like he knew what had happened...
Joker continued to watch her as she stirred the creamer into her coffee again, and his eyes traveled back down her bare legs before he forced them back up.
"We also need to do something about you're little wardrobe malfunction," he added and Willow turned to him, catching him eying her legs again. "Since it's getting rather cold."
She smiled slightly again as she turned back to her coffee, knowing the weather was really no concern to the issue. She could tell in Joker's tone that it wasn't what he had meant either, and a chill ran up her spine as she took a sip from her mug.
About a half hour later, after Willow had finished her coffee, she stood at the table as she took a cigarette from the pack. She had put her pajama pants back on; she was not about to go outside pant-less, especially if she had to talk to Loc. She sighed as she started down the stairs now, wishing that she wasn't the one who had to speak to Loc, especially after what had been the night before. She paused at his door and she sighed as she knocked on the it. A short second later the door open, and Loc scowled down at Willow. Now, his day had been ruined. She swallowed as she handed him the list, and she continued to look at the ground.
"Joker says you have to go to the store," she said, and she finally looked up to his face as he snatched the paper from her hands. Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw that horrible burn mark on his cheek, and she didn't realize she was staring until he spoke.
"Looks good, huh?" He finally asked as he continued to glare at her, and Willow finally tore her eyes from the mark to look into his. "I'm wondering what I can tell Joker," he added. "No, actually I'm wondering what lie I can tell him, so he doesn't fucking kill me," he spat. Willow scowled at him.
"Am I supposed to feel bad for you?" she asked. "Learn to leave me the fuck alone."
Loc continued to frown at her, his eyes narrowed. "I'll leave you alone when I'm dead," he said to her, and Willow rolled her eyes.
"Fine," she said as she raised her eyebrows. "I wonder what Joker's gonna do when I tell him." She now taunted as she turned around.
Loc's face fell from angered to slightly worried as he watched her head towards the door.
"I'm sure that burn won't seem so bad when he's done with you."
She sounded so sure of herself, so cocky, and Loc hated it. He glared at her before he finally stepped out of his room and he forced her to turn around.
"Don't tell him," he said to her.
"You don't have a choice," she said. "I'm sick of you bothering me."
"That's what you resort to. Telling on people, like a fucking child? That's cute. I mean that. Really proves how fucking fake you are."
Willow knew he was only trying to start an argument, and she rolled her eyes as she started away, finally stepping outside, and she tried hard not to shiver. Talk about being childish, she thought.
She noticed Loc was gone now after she had lit her cigarette, and she sat down on the porch, the air outside too cold to venture anywhere, especially since she didn't have a jacket. She wanted to tell Joker what he had done, and see him put an end to it once and for all, but at the same time, she didn't want to seem like such a bother on her first, real day back. She hung her head as she thought of what to do. She figured maybe the threat of telling Joker alone would keep Loc from bothering her. She knew it was stupid to not tell Joker, but at the same time it made sense. Joker seemed to be in a pretty good mood upstairs, and she didn't want to be the one to ruin it. But at the same time she didn't want Joker to find out she had kept the issue from him, again. She took another long hit from her cigarette and quickly blew out the smoke, figuring she'd tell him later, and she made herself swear that she would.
–
After coming inside after her cigarette, the only thing on Willow's mind was taking a nice, hot shower. It was getting incredibly cold outside, and she knew she couldn't go on much longer without a coat, and she wondered if Joker had a spare one hanging around. She rolled her eyes with a smile as she walked into the bathroom once she noticed Joker was no where in sight. Already things seemed to be back on the track to normality.
She eagerly started the shower, excited to see that her fruity shampoos and conditioners were still on the rim of the tub. She undressed quickly, just about to step in the shower when her eyes fell over her breasts. She stared at them for a minute with a frown; they looked so odd without the jewelry that had once been there. She continued to idly stare at them, the thought crossing her mind on having Joker re-pierce them. She shuddered a second later, too worried about the pain. She finally forced herself to look away and she stepped into the shower, the warm water splashing down on her. She had never felt so relaxed.
As she worked her citrus scented shampoo into her hair, she debated with herself on the issue. She remembered how upset she had been when she was forced to take them out, and she knew she wasn't about to get back into dancing without them. She knew that if she really wanted to feel like her old self had been before Arkham, she'd need her piercing back. She took a deep breath as she titled her head back now, rinsing her long hair. She figured Joker would know what he was doing, and that he could probably have it done, all together, within a matter of minutes. Besides, it wasn't like she could go to a public piercer. Due to her state as missing since leaving Arkham, she was once again wanted by the city. She groaned out loud to herself.
After a long, soothing shower, and after she had shaved and washed her hair and body to perfection, she wrapped herself in a towel now. Her hair dripped onto her shoulders as she made her way out of the bathroom and into her room, and she sighed when she saw her big pile of laundry. She was forced to settle on wearing her giant t-shirt again and she put back on a pair of shorts she had stole from work. After she towel dried her hair, she let it sit over her shoulders, and she ventured out into the kitchen for a drink.
She sat down on the couch, arranging her pillows in her old-fashioned way, and after taking a large sip of her water, she set the glass down and reached for the remote. She slouched down a little, crossing her soft legs in front of her as she held up the remote. She pushed the power button, and grew confused when nothing happened. Irritated now, she continued to press the button rapidly and at all different pressures, thinking it would work the TV, but it didn't. She sighed as she turned the remote in her hands, opening the back; batteries were inside, and she raised an eyebrow now
Finally with a growl of her own she stood from the couch and took long strides to the TV. After searching around it for it's power button, she successfully found it located on the side, and sighed with a roll of her eyes when the TV did not turn on upon pushing it. She tried the cable box finally, and it refused to turn on as well.
Joker had just come from his office now, and upon hearing the door open Willow quickly looked over to him just as he had stopped to look at her.
"The TV doesn't work," she stated, and Joker chuckled at how irritated she sounded.
"I know," he said as he adjusted his tie, putting his chin in the air before he looked back down to Willow. "The boys got to fucking around with some wires, and now none of the TV's work."
Willow frowned, one of the largest Joker had seen yet, and he laughed again as he shook his head. "Looks like you're gonna have to entertain yourself some other way, lovey."
Willow continued to pout on the floor until she finally realized how silly she must look. She stood up finally and went to sit back down on her spot in the couch, hating the silence.
"Where are you going?" She finally asked as Joker walked passed her again towards the door.
"Places," he answered, and Willow sighed as she looked forward again.
"Hey I need to do some laundry," she said as as she quickly turned back around again.
"Okay," Joker said.
"Do I need change for it?" Willow asked.
"It might help," he answered smartly. Willow paused, hoping he'd take the hint. She watched as Joker put his coat on until finally she grew frustrated and she turned back around, only to smile a second later when she heard him drop a pile of quarters onto the table. Without a word Joker disappeared out the door, and she listened as he bounced down the stairs. She got up from the couch and walked over towards the living room window, stopping in front of it just in time to watch Joker make his way over to the cars. He walked slowly, talking long strides to them, and she watched as he opened the door of the black SUV. A second later the tail lights lit up, and she watched as he backed the truck up before he proceeded on down the dirt path, passed the open gate, and he turned left to vanish down the street.
Willow found herself wandering around the apartment most of the day, waiting for Joker to get home. She had cleaned up her room a little bit more, and had finally done that laundry, and now all that was left to do was wait for it to be done in the dryer. She had smoked a few cigarettes on the porch, arguing with herself over the piercing issue until finally she had come to a conclusion.
Willow had just been lying in her bed, absentmindedly staring up at the ceiling when she heard somebody walking up the stairs around four o' clock. She sat up once she heard the door open, only to freeze when Joker called her name.
"Oh, Willow dearest."
She slowly emerged out of her room, and she watched as Joker removed his gloves and coat just as he normal did.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Haven't I told you before to keep this door locked?" Willow thought back for a moment, not being able to remember if he had or had not.
"Loc came back with the groceries," she explained. "I took them and put them away." Joker didn't say anything to this, though it wasn't like Willow had been expecting a thank you. She watched as he made his way towards his bedroom, and she quickly stepped out into the hallway.
"Also..." she started, and Joker stopped dramatically before he turned on his heel to face the wall, and he looked behind his shoulder to stare at her. "I think I want to re-pierce... my nipples," she said in a small voice and she looked down slightly. A wide grin spread onto Joker's face as he now turned all the way around and he took a step towards her.
"Really," he growled. "Why the change of heart?" He titled his head to the side.
Willow shrugged as she looked back up to him. "I just do," she said. Joker continued staring at her a moment longer before he finally closed his eyes slowly to nod a few times.
"I need to make a few calls," he stated. "Then we'll go do it."
"Okay," Willow said, and she took a few deep, steadying breaths as she headed back into the living room, Joker going into his bedroom as she did.
A few short minutes later, once Willow had finally told herself that no matter what, she was going through with it and that she could no longer back down since she had already asked Joker, Joker came walking back down the hallway, a black cell phone in his hand.
"Joey says you don't have to go into work tonight," he said. "If you go back to dancing."
Willow's face fell into a frown and she rolled her eyes. "Seriously?" She asked. What a dick.
"Seriously," Joker repeated in a bored tone as he stared at her. He placed the cell phone on the table near the door and went about taking his jacket off finally.
Willow groaned again as she got off the arm of the couch. "What time?" she asked.
"Ten," Joker answered for her. A whole hour earlier than before. Willow groaned again as stood up straight now. "Is it really that bad?" Joker asked as he cocked an eyebrow at her, already starting to get annoyed at her attitude.
"No," Willow said truthfully. "I guess not."
"Then stop complaining," Joker said as he threw his gloves down on the table. "Let's go."
Without a word Willow followed him out of the apartment, and she closed the door behind her. She wondered exactly where they were heading as she followed Joker down the stairs, though instead of turning to Loc's door or going straight outside, they made an immediate left. Joker opened the white door that was there reveling a hallway that Willow could not remember ever seeing. The door closed behind her as she continued to stay behind Joker in the dimly lit hallway. It creeped her out, if she was being honest, and she figured all the rooms they were passing was where the rest of the thugs stayed. Once they had reached the end of the hallway, Joker turned to the left and started up a flight of stairs. At the top he opened the first door on the right, and allowed Willow to take a step in the dark room. She stared blindly ahead of her, wondering where they were now, and she squinted her eyes when Joker flipped on the blinding light, letting the door slam behind him.
Through her squinted eyes and the blinding light that seemed to make everything ten times more shiny and bright, she noticed they were in a sort of medical looking room, of sorts. Directly in front of her sat a long, metal table, and directly behind it, where Joker was now headed, was a long counter with a series of black cabinets on it and above it in their own separate row. The white, tile floors shone brightly due to the giant, glaring lights over head.
Now she looked down to Joker, his back to her, as he easily reached up into a cabinet to bring down a small, green, plastic box. She continued to stand there as she watched Joker now place the box on the metal table. This room seemed so familiar, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. As far as she knew she had never been in the room before.
"C'mere," Joker said , not even bothering to look at her as he rummaged through the box. Willow did as she was told and took a step over to him, still not exactly at the table where he was. She watched as he placed a rather long looking needle on the table and some sort of disinfectant spray next to it before he placed two barbells next to the spray along with some odd looking tool, and she wondered why he had all this. She swallowed as he closed the green box, and she watched as he headed back over to the counters. He ripped off a piece of paper towel and held it as he rummaged around another drawer, and finally he turned around holding a blue marker.
He placed the items on the table by the needle and he turned to Willow, taking a step closer to her as he pushed up his shirt sleeves.
"Take your shirt off," he commanded, and suddenly Willow froze, her breath caught in her throat. She hadn't even thought of that part. She felt somewhat dizzy now as she tried to think of a way she could get out of it; she didn't need them pierced that bad. She continued to stare at him with wide eyes, her lips slightly parted. Joker cocked an eyebrow, and he took another step closer to her. By the look on her face he knew what her dilemma was, but at the moment he didn't really care. He cleared his throat, waiting as he stood directly in front of her. "I can't pierce them through your shirt, toots," he said as he tilted his head to the side, and he grinned at her, his smile wide, and Willow studied those dimples on either side of it before she raised her eyes back up to meet his. She swallowed once more before she looked down, and she slowly slid her shirt up and off her, and she dropped it right next to her on the floor. Joker's eyes wondered down before they looked back up to hers, and he grinned again, indicating she had to take off the bra. She sighed now as she reached behind her back, undoing the clasp, and she let it fall in front of her. She looked up to him now as she thinned her lips and raised her eyebrows.
"Very nice," Joker growled, and he turned to head back towards the table. He looked back over to her and motioned her over with his finger, and she slowly stepped over to him. He sprayed the disinfectant onto the paper towel before he turned to her and Willow held her breath as he wiped the paper towel over her right nipple before the left. She stared dead ahead, where the wall met the ceiling, trying to ignore how cold the disinfectant was. Finally he tossed the paper towel onto the table, and she looked down, sighing quietly at how erect her nipples now were. She felt so odd standing there like that. Had they been doing this before she went to Arkham she knew the circumstances would be different. But right now she felt completely awkward, and almost violated. But she reminded herself that it was her choice to get it done. Joker was simple just helping her out, or so she thought.
"Stand straight," he told her now, and she noticed he was holding the marker. A look of confusion overcame her face but she did what he had commanded, and straightened her back. "Shoulders back," he added as he uncapped the marker. Willow brought her shoulders back, trying to stand as still as she possibly could. She thought it odd that Joker was doing the complete procedure she had gone through when she had gotten them professionally done. She figured he would simply just pierce both of them, now caring how even they were or how clean, just to get it over with. She she watched Joker's concentrated face as he bent down, and a shiver ran through her spine as he marked them up on each side with a little dot, indicating where the needle should go through. He capped the marker now as he turned back to the table. If he was going to go completely by the procedure she had gone though, she knew her next move was to lay down on the rather cold looking table. She stared at it, getting more and more nervous about the pain she was about to undergo. Joker patting the table snapped her out of her daze, and she quickly hopped onto it, the metal freezing against her legs. She placed her palms on either side of the table as she watched Joker pick up the needle.
"Shouldn't we numb them first?" she asked, her voice slightly quivering, and Joker rolled his eyes.
"No," he answered simply, sounding a little bit grouchy. Willow sighed as she looked away, and Joker looked over to her, an idea forming in his head. "I can honestly tell you it's not going to be as bad as your letting yourself think it is," he told her in a flat voice. "But since I can see how scared you are..."
Willow was about to protest to what he had just said, but remained quiet as she watched him pull up a large, black chair close to the table. Needle still in hand, he sat down in it and looked up to her from where she sat on the table. He grinned deviously as he patted his knee, and nervousness ran through her as her eyes widened. The situation seem to go from awkward to creepy in a matter of seconds and her heart pounded roughly against her. She bit her lip; she was in no mood to anger Joker, so she got down from the table and slowly sat down on his lap, facing him with her legs on either side of his. Joker traced his tongue along his left scar from inside his mouth as he gently grabbed her hips and he pulled her further onto him, enjoying Willow's slightly frightened face. He then put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her back a few inches so she could rest her back against the table directly behind her.
"Ready?" He asked as he looked into her eyes, smirking at her before he reached around her to pick up what Willow recognized as a tool used to clamp the skin around her nipple to easily guide the needle, and she shuddered upon seeing it.
"No," Willow mumbled. Joker only grinned and shook his head at this, and her breath hitched in her throat again as she watched him look back down to her chest. He rotated the needle around between his fingers as he thought of which one to do first. The room was deathly quiet as Willow continued to watch him. She hated herself for it, but she couldn't help but to feel a little more at ease sitting on his lap like that. She thought back to how he had kissed her before she had left with him at his old apartment, and now it was the only thing she could think of doing.
Her lips parted slightly as Joker leaned forward a little, and she watched his face, noticing how relaxed he seemed. She bit her lip now as Joker used the instrument to clamp her skin. She wanted to look away, but she felt frozen on the spot, and her eyes widened slightly as she watched Joker advance with the needle.
"Take a deep breath," he said in that clowny voice, and just as Willow took a deep breath in Joker pushed the needle through, instantly looking up to study her reaction. She closed her tightly as she gasped out, her head titled back and Joker laughed out from his nose, the noises deep. Willow took another breath in and out as she looked back down to him, her nipple stinging badly. She swallowed and bit her lip as he now pushed the jewelery in as he took the needle out, and he quick screwed back on the ball.
"Was that so bad?" He asked. "Honestly?"
"Yes," Willow mumbled as she looked into his eyes, and her stomach fluttered when she saw the blue in them, shining brightly due to the lights. Her lips parted slightly as she continued to look into them; it had been so long since she had seen the color in them, so long she had almost forgotten it existed. He rolled his eyes as he reached behind her for that paper towel and he pressed it against her to clean off some of the blood that formed around the ring. He put it on the table again after wiping off the needle, and Willow held her breath as he prepared to do the left one now. He touched the tip of the needle to the side of it before he glanced up at her with only his eyes. She continued to look into his.
"The second one always hurts the most," she said, her voice low.
"I wouldn't know," Joker said as he grinned, causing Willow to only frown more. Her heart continued to race as she continued to look at him before her eyes dropped down to his painted lips, the red smeared again all over his chin. Joker bit down on his left scar as he dropped his eyes to study the placement of the needle before he looked back up to hers. Without another word he leaned forward, pressing his lips against Willow's. Butterflies started in her stomach and the biggest shock of all ran up Willow's spine as she closed her eyes, moaning slightly against his lips. As she started to recover from the shock she finally kissed him back, not caring what his intentions were on doing it. His eyes still closed, she felt him grin and chuckle against her lips evilly, and before she could wonder why she felt that damn needle go through her skin. She sighed loudly as she titled her head back again, smearing some of the red paint onto her own chin as it rubbed against Joker's skin, Joker continuing to evilly laugh as he went about placing the jewelry in. Willow continued to deeply breathe, understanding now what that kiss was for: a distraction.
She continued to watch Joker as she remained on his lap. He continued to grin at her, everything seeming to move in slow motion, and all she could think about was kissing him again. Dizziness washed over her as she watched Joker touch his finger to her freshly pierced nipple where blood started to form, and her lips parted and her eyebrows met in the middle as he touched the tip of his finger to his tongue as he stared intently into her eyes, licking blood off from it. Goosebumps erupted all over her arms at his insanely creepy act, but at the same time she couldn't help but feel a little turned on, and she knew she'd never be able to explain why. That sinister grin widened on Joker's face as he pulled her hips closer to his before he slid his hands up her sides, the cold instruments still in his hands, and he leaned in to kiss her again. Willow felt as though she couldn't breathe correctly as she kissed him back, sliding her hands up his chest to rest where his neck met his shoulders. Joker slid his hands back down and he squeezed gently on her hips as his tongue traced her bottom lip. Willow moaned slightly as she opened her mouth to trace her tongue against his, and Joker growled slightly as he placed his hand on her back to force her even closer to him, her chest right against his. Her breasts hurt and stung, but she ignored it, the urge to continue to kiss him too strong. She brought her hands up into his hair, and she raked her nails against his scalp as she tangled his hair in between her fingers, and she gently pulled it, grinning slightly as Joker growled louder.
"Better be careful," he warned now pausing the kiss for a moment to speak, his voice low. "You wouldn't want to take this any further, would you?"
Willow kissed him once more before realization struck her, and she pulled away, keeping her forehead against his. He looked down to her lips, noticing how they were stained in red, as was some of her chin, before he looked back up to hers.
"Thank you," she said, smiling slightly as Joker grinned again, and she closed her eyes as she leaned off of him. Joker continued to hold her hips, and Willow was unsure of what to do or what he wanted her to do. All she knew is she really didn't want to take things to another level at that moment, though her body was in deep disagreement with her thoughts. Her body trembled slightly, her heart raced, and she felt slightly dizzy, but her mind continued to force her to stay still.
Joker shrugged now, as if saying it was no big deal, but to Willow it had been, or at least that kiss had been. She considered kissing him again but instead forced herself to keep her body leaning away from him and she watched as Joker looked down to her chest, studying it for a moment, admiring his work, before he looked back up to her.
"Smoke with me?" She asked, smiling slightly. Joker continued to stare at her, getting slightly annoyed with how big the urge was to just kiss her again.
"Sure," he grumbled finally, and Willow's smile widened as she finally forced herself off his lap. Joker closed his eyes tightly and shook his head as Willow went about picking her clothes up off the floor as if trying to shake off the weird emotions he was feeling. He finally stood up from the chair and licked his lips slowly before he started to clean up, tossing the needle in the trash next to the table.
Sorry for the wait. I can't thank you all enough for the reviews! Please, keep them coming! I wanna know specifically what you liked! :D