Author's Note: All I have say is that I'm too obsessed with the Joker right now. I spend my time watching old cartoons/movies, playing my Arkham Asylum and Arkham City game that I passed like 5 times each already and listening to songs like "Deranged" by Coheed and Cambria and Joker's song done by Miracle of Sound when I should be doing homework or working on my other neglected projects. I really need to learn how to prioritize, but hey, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." But I digress, enjoy the story.
Warmth enveloped the usually cold Caliph of Clowns. He was surrounded by darkness but the shadows brought comfort and respite. Was he actually sleeping? Sleep had always eluded him that he no longer knew how it felt to drift into repose naturally. He was usually in and out consciousness either because his Bats had knocked the living day lights out of him or when the doctors at Arkham pumped him full of drugs to keep the clown heavily sedated. Either scenario didn't feel as good as this though. Unwillingly, Joker began to open his eyes to a rather dark but open place. His vision focused on the rocks around him, his ears perked to the sound of water cascading somewhere nearby and his lungs were filled with a brisk and cold air. Something told the jester he was definitely not in Arkham. He managed to prop himself up against the bed's headboard and pillows. The clown became aware that someone had bandaged his wounds and attended to his bruised and abused skin. Another thing became evident to the Clown Prince of Crime; he was completely naked underneath the thick covers that provided protection from this exposed and cold environment. Just where in the blazes was he?! The last thing he remembered was lying in some dark alleyway waiting to shake the grim reaper's hand and stick a "kick me" sign on his back. After he had chuckled a bit imagining how he would act with death, curiosity began to overwhelm the smiling man. He grabbed hold of the lightest blanket and wrapped it around his pale form and inched himself carefully off the bed. Once he placed his feet on the frigid ground and steadied himself, he began to take slow strides as he looked around this new place. He was now feet away from the secluded bed that seemed in its own little world compared to the rest of this "Cave of Wonders". A huge and fancy computer glared down on him with bright lights, an array of tools and gadgets greeted him displayed on a table, and vehicles were parked at a distance all black and bat themed. The Harlequin of Hate had seen some of this stuff many times before but never all in one place. Had he died and gone to heaven?! He knew exactly who all these treasures belonged to the question on the clown's mind was, where his lovely host was hiding.
Just then the Batmobile sped in the cave then came into a complete stop. The hull hiss as it opened and out climbed the answer to the giddy clown's prayers. Batman didn't look all too happy when he laid eyes on the clown. Bruce immediately made a mental note to handcuff the Joker next time.
"Hey Bats long time no see, what's it been a month since our last romp around town," greeted the Joker with a smile.
"What are you doing up? You should be in bed resting," Batman barked, completely ignoring the clown's statement.
"So this is the famous Batcave. Gotta say I was half-expecting to find a coffin or something of the like around," the Ace of Knaves joked, returning the sentiment of being ignored. The Dark Knight sighed heavily at the clown's joke; this guy never took anything seriously. The smile on Joker's face grew as he sensed Batman's exasperation. He lowered the blanket that covered his naked body to reveal a patch of pale skin from his chest. "You know Batsy you should really take guy out to dinner first before doing the dance with no pants. I thought my Dark Knight would be a bit more of a gentleman. Was it nice for you, I would've liked to be conscious for it at least."
Bruce blushed madly at the jester's insinuations, why the hell does he always have to be this vulgar!? "That is not what happened," he retorted darkly.
"Hehehe! Whatever you say sweetheart," giggled softly Joker taking pride that he can still make his Bats respond to him. "So, what did happen?"
"You tell me, I just found you lying in an alley bleeding to death," the detective responded. Joker placed a finger to his lips either contemplating an answer or deciding to make another joke.
"Eh, just old Ugly Face reacting badly to a little joke I said. But what else is new, people don't ever get the joke. C'est la vie," he smiled nonchalantly.
"Do you even care what happens to you? If I hadn't found you, you'd be dead."
"No, but you care and I love ya for it," said the clown as he blew a fake kiss.
"Why do I even bother," muttered Bruce to himself but the jester caught on to the black clad bat's snarky comment.
"Hey, I didn't ask for your help. Don't treat me like you did me some big favor Bats!" growled the now unhappy clown.
"You would've died, what is it about that statement you don't get!?" Batman fought back.
"Whatever Batso, I don't need this! I always bounce back, I didn't need you to come find me or to save me!" he screamed as he attempted to turn. The movement was too sudden for his stumbling legs to follow; the pale clown fell on the freezing stone ground with a loud thud. He did his best to hold back a groan but to little success. The knight rushed over to the fallen jester and placed a hand on his shoulder as he attempted to get up. "Don't touch me! I said I don't need your help!"
Batman pulled away his hand as he watched as Joker try with all his might to stand. The clown smacked his head pretty hard, hard enough to bust his head and draw blood. Blood and sweat began to flow down his face. His breathing became erratic but still he continued his efforts. His body was trembling; the blanket clung loosely to his form threatening to fall off. But his eyes, those piecing green eyes held so much conviction to prove he didn't need anyone, though his body betrayed him by having limits. The man underneath the mask couldn't stand idly by as the clown was hurting at his feet. Joker was barely on his knees when Bruce adjusted the blanket over him and carried him in his more than capable arms. This was just like before when he saved the Joker, except this time the madman wasn't quiet and fought back. "Let me go Bats! I can stand myself, I don't need you!" screamed Joker as he punched the armored torso of Batman and fidgeted in his leather clad hands.
"Yes you do Joker! Look at yourself, you can't even stand you are WEAK!" shouted Batman. Immediately the clown grew silent and still. He stared coldly into Bruce's sapphire eyes that lay hidden behind his mask; those green eyes stared at him as if they could see right through him.
"I'm not weak Batman," he said in a soft yet menacing whisper. At that moment he realized that he deeply insulted the clown, Joker almost seemed hurt if it wasn't for that pent up rage lying on the surface. Bruce really only wanted to help, he didn't mean to come off so brash. Joker sometimes really brought the worse in him, even when sometimes his intentions were good.
"I just want to help you," said Bruce after a small period of silence. Joker was taken aback at how soft and sincere the sentiment sounded. His eyes soften up as the knight began to walk back to the bed. Throughout the small journey back to his resting place the jester felt warmth in his knight's embrace. Why did he feel so warm in his arms all of a sudden? He's had contact with the man in black before, whether it is a punch or a round kick to the face but oddly something about this made the clown feel happy. But he wasn't smiling on the outside. Batman placed Joker gently on top of the bed. He then went for a first-aid kit while the clown made himself comfortable under the other thicker covers. He opened the box on the bed and reached for an alcohol pad to clean the gash on Joker's head. "Does it hurt?"
"No," Joker replied simply. He still didn't know what to make of the situation. One minute they're screaming at each other and the next they were at a loss of words. His knight's touch still had a warm sensation as he treated his wound even though it was concealed behind leather and rubber. Bruce was also confused by all this. The madman was actually letting him touch his pale skin though a moment ago it looked like his eyes held a murderous intent. But now he was quiet and his expression softened. Once he was finished he put the kit away and began to walk off.
He turned back to the clown and said, "I'll go see if I can get something for you to wear." Joker could feel the warmth between him and his bat seep from his increasingly cold skin as the distance between them grew. Whatever this was, he didn't want it to go away.
"Bats wait!" called out Joker before the detective was out of sight. He returned to see what the jester wanted. Joker took a few moments to collect his request as if he wasn't sure if his plea would fall on deaf ears. "Could you – stay a bit longer," said Joker as sincere as he wanted to sound. He didn't want his bat to leave; something in him just didn't want to be alone right now. Bruce was honestly shocked by the request. The Clown Prince sounded so vulnerable, it was so unlike him. He returned to the clown's bedside and pulled up the chair he had used to keep an eye on his guest as he recuperated for the last few days. Nothing was said between them, Bruce didn't even prod Joker about the sentiment in his voice as he asked him to stay. He didn't want there to be another argument between him and his greatest enemy. They didn't even meet each other's gaze as they remained in each other's company. It was as if they were both lost in thought. Eventually, Joker's eyes closed unable to stay open. Sleep never came to the clown naturally, but for some reason now this warmth he felt with his enemy seemed to calm him. Bruce could tell from the steady movement in Joker's breathing that he was now asleep. There was something about all this that made the billionaire unsteady. Something inside him couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen between him and the Joker.