~There is beauty in violence

And you are my beauty

And you are my violent smile

And you are my violent prayer

And you're not my oxygen

But I breathe your air~

The room seems darker than usual, the temperature reaching close to zero.

Or maybe it was Harley's screams that gave him chills.

So used to the lack of light his eyes adjusted almost right away, and he could see her.

Her usual still composure had been lost and her limbs were slamming into any surface they could find, with no visible pattern. Her normally impeccable blonde locks were frazzled, yellow strands sticking out everywhere and her azure eyes were ringed with red. She was a mess.

She didn't even notice Jerome's arrival, still screaming at her invisible attackers. "Please! I'll do anything, just don't... don't let them mummy!"

Then her voice changed, deepening in it's tone. "We need to Harleen, we need to make you sparkle! Do you get that little murdering bitch? We need the money for you daddy's campaign. It won't hurt, it won't hurt a bit."

Jerome shivered, that didn't even sound like Harley! It was probably meant to be her mother, but still, the change was unnerving.

"Please," Harley cried. "Anything! Anything, but that!"

Jerome moved closer till he was centimeters away from the erratic girl. "Harley?"

She didn't respond, she couldn't hear him, not when her mind was so far away. He gently tapped her cheek. "Hey dollface, you alright?"

Her eyes moved everywhere, landing on anything than him. "Please! Anything but that. Please, I would rather to hurt, I would rather have to say ouch a thousand times than feel that way again, please!"

Jerome cursed. He had never had to deal with case like this before. Much less had to deal with a fondness for said person. He was genuinely concerned for her, and he was not sure what to do, which was, needless to say, an unpleasant sensation he was not used to feeling. He looked at her splayed arms and terror filled face. He harrumphed, and rolled his eyes, before stepping back.

Well, you know. Carpe Diem and all that.

He swung his leg with tremendous speed, kicking Harley in the stomach. She gagged, her mental state momentarily jolted.

Jerome laughed.

He did it again.

And again.

And again.

"C'mon Harlequin. You said you would rather say ouch a thousand times. Well come on! Wake up!"

He moved his foot, and stomped on her side, his attacks becoming more vicious. He hadn't had this much fun in ages!

Harley was coughing blood, and her slim arms gripped her waist.

Jerome squatted down next to her and grabbed a fistful of her hair, lifting her face close to his. "Well, do you have anything to say to me Harley-girl?" He said, beaming as he did so.

She whimpered.

He sighed in exaggerated exasperation. "Audiences these days, so hard to please." He brought his fist back and punched her, still holding her hair, making her head swing back and forth.

He continued this for a while, murmuring under his breath, giggles erupting from the back of his throat every now and then.

About an hour later he asked her again. "Are you awake Harlequin?"

Her eyelids fluttered softly, rather like butterfly wings. When they were fully open the first thing they saw was him.

"Jerome?" His name was posed as a question in her hoarse whisper that sounded so, so sweet to his ears.

Instantly he pulled her close, pulled her fragile frame to his chest and locked his arms around her. They had never been so close before, except in the dream, and he much preferred the reality. This reality. You had to be this close to appreciate just how tiny she was. Her collarbone jutted out, and her bruised stomach concaved into it's own crevice. It was amazing, amazing how she could be so little and do so much.

"Can you say it again?" He asked.

"Say what?"

"My name."

Harley smiled. "Wasn't once enough?"

"Of course not. I have low self esteem and I need compliments to reassure me of my witty sense of humor and incredible good looks."

The girl laughed, and pressed her face into his striped jumpsuit. "Jerome." She whispered.

He gripped her shoulders and moved her in front of him. "What was that? I can't hear you when you mumble."

He stared at her, challenging her, and she steadfastly stared right back. "Jerome."

His hand traveled to the back of her head, fingers lightly tangling her hair. A slight smile graced Harley's lips. Curving rosebuds.

Jerome inhaled sharply through his nose. Heaven help me...

His grip tightened on her and he suddenly pushed forward, lips slamming into hers.

Jerome was kissing her.

He was kissing her because he wanted to, because he didn't care if she kissed him back or not,if she felt anything when he kissed her, because he was kissing her for him. He was kissing her for all the years he'd looked for her, all the portraits of her he'd spent hours on, all the time he endured with Barbara just to get a glimpse inside of Harley's beautiful violent mind.

He kissed her because it felt good.

His kiss wasn't sweet or soft, it was hard and violent and he was probably was hurting her but he didn't care. All he could think about was the sweet caramel taste of her lips, the fresh spring rain fragrance of her hair and the metallic tang of blood that coated her tongue.

This was bliss.

He didn't know how long he kissed her for. How long she remained still under the assault of his mouth. But when he pulled away, her eyes were unchanged, no flicker of surprise or pain or disgust to be found in them.

Only curiosity.

Two of her fingers found their way to her swollen lips, as if she was trying to make sure they were still there.

Her eyes met his before sweeping down his mouth.

Harley leaned forward. Just a bit at first, a colt trying out it's legs for the first time. Her face tilted, their noses mere millimeters from touching. Her lashes brushed cheeks as her eyes closed at the same time as his, and lips pressed her so gently into Jerome's.

Her kiss was as delicate as Jerome's was rough. It was butterfly like and her mouth was tender. Her confidence grew and she pushed a bit harder. They were both explorers, their fingertips discovering new pathways of flesh and scar tissue, their lungs found a new oxygen that quickly became an addiction and they fought and struggled to swallow the air, the sweet breath that escaped the other's esophagus, the corruption that charred their cheeks.

Jerome's senses were overwhelmed. Never in his whole 18 years had he felt like this. The best part was that he wasn't in control for once, he could abandon all precautions with her and throw it all to the wind. He didn't care-

A sharp pain struck his lip.

Harley pulled back grinning maliciously, proudly displaying the blood on her once pristine teeth.

The little bitch had bit him.

They were both bleeding now, all is fair in love and war. And he had spent the last hour beating the shit out of her.

Jerome let out a laugh.

She's perfect for me.

She was his missing puzzle piece, his other half. She completed him.

So they kissed for such a long time that it could only be measured by the number of times they crashed into each other, like waves crashing into the ocean. They drowned in this ocean, and every time they came up for air they dived back in, begging for more.

There was no one else in the world, just them. There was no Doctor Strange and Miss Peabody watching intently through the cameras, there was no rapists and cannibals gallivanting in the asylum rec room a few halls down, there was no corpses of snake dancers, politicians, family and boyfriends buried beneath them.

There was just joy, happiness, laughter, and the silent whispers of Jerome persuading the supposedly emotionless murderer to smile, smile for me, and she graciously responded, blushing like a schoolgirl.

He pulled away and bopped her nose.

"Puddin."

Harley looked surprised for a moment, before lifting a slender finger and doing the same.

"Puddin." She said, her voice light and filled with stardust.

Jerome repeated his movements and responded in turn.

"Puddin."

"Puddin."

"Puddin."

They continued until they couldn't anymore, as they burst into a fit of giggles and soon were rolling on the ground in laughter.

"Puddin!" Harley crowed.

The sounds of their laughter drifted through Arkham's corridors, a lullaby that would disturb the asylum's inmates for many years to come.

Notes:

WELL HERE IS THE CHAPTER ALL YOU JEROME/HARLEY SHIPPERS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!

Wow, I'm sorry it took so long to post. I am not good at writing kiss scenes as you can obviously tell so it took me forever to write. Legit I got the first part done in a day but then when I got to the kissing I had to stop because I could see it clearly in my head but COULD NOT PUT IT IN WORDS! I did my best ok, don't judge my poor writing skills.

Anyways I went to the anime convention which was SO FRIGGIN COOL! I got to see Muse(Love Live) preform, I got interview Cherami Leigh (Sword Art Online, Fairy Tail, Sailor Moon) and got her autograph (and she signed by Asuna, I died), I made new friends, bought a crapton of fanart and a Mirai Nikki t shirt. It was so amazing and going with my awesome friend who you should go find on Instagram and Youtube, Exxaonline, made it even better.

The Marvel expo is coming up next, and ooh boy I can't wait see all them props and fangirl really hard.

Also I've also started uploading nightcore to my Youtube channel. And I uploaded a new Gotham video which I am actually quite proud of, the death compilation at the end with the words "die die die" repeating in the background was on point!

Moving back to the story, it's going to be interesting now, as Jerome and Harley are actually a thing now. Like how will the inmates and Doctor Strange and Miss Peabody react, and also... WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN JEROME GOES WITH THE MANIAX? That's what a lot of this story is going to cover, and his death and Harley's reaction to that. Meanwhile in the next installment of the Playmate series we will have them really becoming the Joker and Harley Quinn. Also, I'M REALLY SCARED AT HOW YA'LL WILL REACT TO THE ENDING BECAUSE IT'S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I'M DOING IT! You will all die at the ending tho, like if you don't watch the video I can't think of a single way to predict it. Like, really.

So keep calm and Gotham on and remember, you ain't seen nothing yet!