Oh the weather outside is frightful…
Dick had thought it would be a good idea to take the entire family ice skating, to escape the chaotic stress of Bruce and Selina's wedding. He and Harley are practically inseparable, and this way, they got to spend more time together than they already did.
After the ice skating party, they all went their separate ways. Batman and Robin on the streets, Selina and Barbara busy with as much wedding planning as they could cram into one night, and Dick and Harley went off to revisit some old dreams.
Harley stomped the snow off her boots as soon as they entered the bar. The wind whipped her hair around until Dick got the door closed. The heat of the bar started to wash over her.
"It is way too cold out there," she complained, putting her mittens over her red ears.
"Let me warm you up," Dick beamed, kissing her ears as he wrapped his arms around her, laughing.
"But you're cold too," she whined, wrinkling her nose.
"Well let's warm each other up then," he smiled broadly at her and kissed her cheek, tugging his beanie down on her head. His eyes shone as he looked at her, and then yanked the hat down over her glasses, laughing. Harley swatted blindly at him, smacking his chest.
"Jerk." She pulled it back up, sticking her tongue out at him. Dick caught her tongue in his mouth and kissed her playfully, still smiling mischieviously as his gloved hands stroked her cheeks. He leaned back, narrowing his eyes.
"You taste good. But you know what would be even better? Wings. Come on," he grinned, taking her hand and turning around, only to run into Joe behind him, knocking the tray of dirty dishes in his hands onto the floor.
"You know you tend to do that a lot," Joe told him.
"Hi!" Harley hugged Joe, beaming. "It's good to see you."
"You too, Lee." Joe patted her on the back with one hand. He was the only one she still visited that called her that. It was strange to hear her old nickname. Dick finished cleaning up the dishes and putting them back on the tray.
"DejaVu," he muttered, looking around. "Hi Joe!" he smiled, waving a little.
"Come on son," Joe clapped Dick on the shoulder, "let's get you sat down before you trip my waitress." He laughed cheerily and followed him to the booth, still holding Harley's hand.
"How have you been, Joe?" he asked, smiling as he sat down beside Harley in the booth.
"Keeping busy." Joe shrugged. "The usual I suppose?"
"Oh!" Harley squealed. "I just realized that you wouldn't know-" She pulled her mitten off with her teeth, showing her ring to Joe. She smiled around the mitten in her mouth.
Joe whistled. "That looks like an expensive ring."
"Ah," Dick shrugged, looking down at his hands. He smiled.
"You did good kid," Joe said before walking back behind the bar.
"You know you're the first boyfriend I've had that he likes. Well, that he's known about," she corrected. "Not that I think he would have approved of the Joker."
"I don't know how many people would have approved," Dick smiled and took her hand, watching the ring sparkle on her finger. "Of him, I mean."
"Let's just chalk it down to my rebellious phase being pretty hardcore." Harley giggled, taking his hand and playing with it.
"What does that make me?" he smiled, nudging her with his elbow.
"That makes you the right man that I found at the right time." She grinned at him, her eyes shining before getting distracted as Joe slid two Shirley Temples on their table instead of their usual waters. "I haven't had one of these in years!" She happily took a sip.
"I thought you deserved a treat," Joe told her before heading back to the kitchen.
"Seriously, these things are the best," Harley assured Dick. He shook his head, smiling.
"I'm not arguing with you there," he laughed, taking a sip. "Perfect."
"So are you." Harley kissed his cheek. "Or are only you allowed to say cheesy lines like that?" She stirred her drink with the straw. "If so, you missed a golden opportunity," she told him with a wicked grin.
"Damn," he snapped. "I guess I'll have to settle for the silver," Dick smirked, taking a drink again. He nearly choked. "Wait, is there karaoke tonight?"
"No," Harley said too quickly. Dick's eyes widened.
"There is!" he shouted, and a couple of people glanced over from the bar. "I knew it! I'm singing my Christmas songs, and you can't stop me." Harley groaned before suddenly smiling.
"I could stop you."
"But…?" Dick glanced at her, narrowing his eyes. "What's the catch? You said that like you do when you have a catch," he stared at her.
"Well," Harley scooted closer to him in the booth, putting her hand on his thigh, "you can't sing if you're lips are busy," she murmured, her breath on his skin. She kissed him sweetly. Dick smiled into her kiss and squeezed her hand. He savored the kiss before leaning back, out of her reach.
"I think I'll still sing," he beamed, and kissed her nose. Harley wrinkled it, shooting him a look.
"Fine, then keep those lips to yourself." She scooted back away from him.
"Please, like you can keep your hands off of me any more than I can resist you," Dick laughed, and then slid out of the booth as Joe brought their wings.
"Oh no," he groaned, watching Dick pick up the mic. He tapped it, to make sure it was on, and smiled.
"Um, hi-" the microphone screeched and Joe sat down across from Harley, smiling. Dick winced away, his blue eyes standing out starkly in the light on the stage.
"Whoo! You sing, cutie!" a woman cried from the bar, before taking a drink of her martini. Dick blushed, tucking his hand in his pocket.
"So last time I humiliated myself with karaoke, I went all out, but… Well I see Joe has Christmas music, and… tis the season, right? So I want to sing for my beautiful fiancee." He grinned at Harley from the stage and then fiddled with the machine. It began to play a soft and slow piano melody.
"I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love
Even more than I usually do
And although I know it's a long road back
I promise you-"
He smiled at Harley, his eyes shining as he sang slow and deep with the music, his voice wavering every now and then, but overall gentle and beautiful.
"-I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents by the tree."
Harley smiled, crinkling her nose at him as she giggled.
"I can't say he's a bad singer," Joe admitted.
"It would make not enjoying this so much easier," Harley agreed, watching Dick.
Dick returned her smile, holding the mic with one hand, his other stuck in the pocket of his jeans. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, sitting and watching him from the booth like she had so long ago.
"Christmas eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams."
He put the mic back on it's stand, leaning forward a bit. He looked around the room for a split second and then his eyes returned to her, the light catching the blue. He took a deep breath, finishing off the song.
"I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have some snow and mistletoe
And presents by the tree-"
He blew her a kiss, laughing slightly.
"Christmas eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams."
The women at the bar and the few filled tables around the room clapped and cheered him off the stage as he wound his way back to their booth, panting a bit. Dick beamed at her as he sat down, and then kissed her cheek.
"Nope," Harley leaned away with a smile, "the deal was that you keep your lips to yourself." She grinned at Joe, who got up and went to help a customer at the bar, before picking up a wing.
"Oh come on, Harles," he looked at the basket of wings, trying to decide which one to take. "Was my singing really that bad? It wasn't even a long song!"
"It was really good," Harley told him. "I'm just saying you missed your chance." She shrugged, tearing off a piece of wing. "But I think that woman at the bar would be more than happy to oblige."
"Please, she's older than Bruce is. Plus she doesn't have all the things going for her that you do." He winked and plucked up a wing, licking the barbecue sauce off of his finger.
"You know, you find me being pregnant with your child scarily attractive. I think it's a guy pride thing." Harley took a drink of her Shirley Temple.
"So what? It's not a bad thing," he shrugged, smiling to himself. "And you don't know that's what I was going to say."
"Oh, and this doesn't turn you on?" She waved her ring by her face with a smirk.
"Okay so maybe it's kinda fun, knowing that you're mine and no one can have you," he laughed, wiping his hands on a napkin. "But that wasn't what I was going to say."
"Okay fine, what were you going to say?"
"I was going to say that you're much prettier than her, for one," Dick sipped his drink. "Two, she only looks older than Bruce because she's a smoker- obviously- which might make her Bruce's age; let's face it, I like older women but not that much older. And three, I'd put money on the fact that her name isn't Harley Quinn, and she doesn't know pretty much everything about who I am. Which you do. You know me, inside and out, and that is so much more of a turn on than a ring on your finger."
"You know if we want to get technical, my name isn't Harley Quinn either," she smirked.
"That wasn't-" he laughed in exasperation, smiling despite it. "You know what I meant, I was trying to make a point."
"And I'm being difficult." Harley smiled, grabbing another wing. "Way more fun this way." Dick laughed.
"You're pretty good at it, too," he mused, finishing his wing. He set it down and looked at her, crossing his arms on the table. Harley leaned her elbow on the table, resting her head in her hand.
"Have I upset you?" she teased. Dick smiled.
"It takes a lot to upset me, and I can honestly say… you test the definition of 'a lot', a lot," he laughed, shaking his head. "No, you know I can't even be irritated with you. One look at that pretty face, and I'm bewitched."
"Oh really?" Harley asked innocently. "Does this bewitching come with any perks?"
"Plenty, believe me," Dick beamed. Harley sat back up.
"Is a honeymoon to a beach going to be one of them? Because I am looking forward to when I'm in bikini shape again," she laughed.
"Oh… Honeymoon," Dick smiled. "I'd forgotten about that. Honestly, you want to go to a beach location? Isn't that a bit cliched? I've always wanted to go back to Greece. What about a European tour? There are beaches in Europe. Do you think we should leave Haly with Bruce and Selina?" He chuckled. "Selina would love that."
"Well having a baby on a honeymoon wouldn't be a honeymoon; it'd be a vacation. Alfred would just love it if we left her there, until we actually left." Harley giggled. "And I'm not saying exclusively beach. The European tour has always been a dream of mine. Seeing London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Amsterdam, Athens, ooo even Egypt. I'm just saying we'd be getting nowhere near Russia."
"That sounds amazing. It sounds long. Europe it is, then. I don't know where Bruce was planning on taking Selina, but it was a beachy location. The Bahamas? Tahiti? Bruce loves Tahiti." Dick sipped his drink.
"It's a magical place," Harley agreed. "And that doesn't surprise me. I'm sure they'd want to go somewhere where it's just the two of them… in minimal clothes… with no chance of interruption." She giggled.
"Yeah, we'll see how long it lasts," Dick snorted. "How long do you think Bruce will stay away from Gotham and the cowl?" He shook his head, muttering irritably in another language.
"Hey, you know I hate it when you say things in languages I don't know. It makes me feel left out." Harley mock pouted. Dick smiled and looked at her, kissing her cheek.
"I was just saying how much I loved you," Dick smirked. "Nah, I don't think Bruce will relax. His honeymoon will be hell. I'm just afraid that this wedding won't be all that Selina is hoping it will be. At the same time, I'm hoping that it will be. She deserves it. He deserves it, he just won't relax." Dick looked down, picking at the last wing in the basket. His slender, straight nose and perfect profile were silhouetted in the stage lights behind him as he looked down at the table. Shrugging, he glanced over at the stage, where a woman was singing a slow jazz song with a lazy, beautiful voice. "It makes the rest of us tense, too," he muttered irritably.
"I think, he's going to relax just as soon as he sees Selina walking down the aisle." She shrugged. "It's just a theory I have. He'll be fine on his honeymoon. It's when he's flying back that he's going to start freaking out. Now," she smiled at him, "finish off your wing so we can go. My coat is getting hot now that it's not being pelted by sub zero temperatures."
"Yeah," Dick sat up, eating his wing and pulling his gloves on. He stood up out of the booth and helped Harley stand up, kissing her cheek. He walked towards the bar with her hand in his, and tapped on the counter in front of Joe. "Hey. We're going to go." Joe smiled and came around the bar to hug Harley.
"I'll see you around kid. Don't forget to visit," he told her.
"I won't. And you better come to my wedding." She gave him one last smile.
"Oh I wouldn't miss it. You two are good together. And I misjudged you," he clapped Dick on the shoulder. "Your boy asked me for your hand before he asked you," Joe chuckled. "Told him it was your call, and nobody would change that fact. Still, I appreciated the gesture. You kids have a good night, and drive safe!" He hugged Harley quick again before Dick led her out of the bar, opening the door of his car for her.
"You asked for my hand?" Harley taunted, getting into the passenger seat. "I don't know whether to be offended or go count my dowry."
"Okay, first-" Dick started the car- "I don't think that's how dowry works. Second, it was just something I wanted to do." Harley buckled her seat belt as he started to drive.
"Okay first off, I know how a dowry works." She wrinkled her nose at him. "Also, I'm touched and impressed by it, and only a little condescending. And third," she smiled mischievously. "Remember what I said about cheating?" She leaned toward him, putting her hand on his thigh. "I don't know why, but you having to focus on the road seems like the perfect form of revenge."
"You didn't say a two," Dick swallowed hard, his hands tightening on the wheel. He glanced at her, his lips pursed. "Come on, it's snowy. That's not funny."
"No one cares about two," she murmured by his ear. "And I'm hilarious." Her hand trailed higher up his leg.
"Harley-" Dick groaned in frustration. "Sit back and buckle up. Stop it, I mean it," he warned, his cheeks flushing a bit, and not from the cold.
"I am buckled up. However, you are not," she teased. "Let me help you with that." Harley reached across and pulled his seat belt into place, being precise with where she brushed her hand. "There. Safety first."
He bit his lip, only now realizing that he'd been speeding. Dick took his foot off of the gas, and he clenched the steering wheel; he couldn't stop his heart from beating faster. "Your timing is terrible," he mumbled, his cheeks redder.
"I've never been very good with that," Harley admitted, her lips on his ear. "But I wasn't the one late to our second date. Didn't you say you liked the sweater I wore? Or was it that short black dress from our first date?" Her hand trailed down then back up his leg. "Or your cop button up the morning after our second date? I know," she kissed below his ear, "it was the bikini on the boat." She chuckled. "Maybe I'll bring that bikini on our honeymoon. For dessert."
"Harles…" Dick took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a split second before focusing on the road again, slowing to a stop at a red light.
"Of course we both know your favorite piece of clothing." Her breath tickled against his skin as she whispered against his neck. "Which is when I wear only…" she kissed his jaw, "my engagement ring."
"I'm trying to focus," he said forcefully and turned his head a little, his lips brushing hers. He froze for a moment, staring into her eyes and scarcely breathing.
"I'm sorry. Am I distracting you?" she asked against his lips before kissing him slowly, her tongue searching for his.
A soft moan escaped his lips as he weakly kissed her back, the car behind them honking as the light turned green. Dick reluctantly leaned away from her and pressed on the gas a little too quickly, jerking the car into motion. He took a shaky breath, glancing out his window and speeding again.
"Careful." Harley trailed her hand up to his waist, running it under his jacket. Her hand felt cool as she brought it to rest over his heart. "I've heard speeding is illegal. I'd hate for you to get pulled over while you're so… revved up." She traced his abs with the tips of her fingers, her lips brushing along his jawline. His head turned a bit, his parted lips searching for hers. Dick's muscles were tense under her touch, and she felt his abs tighten suddenly; his lips pulled the gasp from hers as he lost control for a split second, swerving over the line. He jerked the steering wheel back and Harley fell back into her seat, laughing as he turned onto their street.
"Damn it, Harley," he snapped, shocked into anger. There had been no one else on the road, but it had still surprised him.
"I'm sorry," she giggled into her hands.
"Well, I told you to stop," he said irritably, taking a deep breath. "What if that had been worse? What if I had hit something, or someone…" Dick parked the car in the garage, pressing the button to close the door behind them as he turned the car off.
"I'm sorry," Harley repeated a little more serious. "I thought you were in control. I guess I got to you more than I thought." She pursed her lips to stop from smiling.
"Stop it. I know you're smiling. And you know you're my kryptonite," he glanced at her, running a hand through his hair as he bit his lip.
"Okay I really am sorry. But," she smirked, "the good news is that we finally know that I'm the better tease."
"I think we both knew that already," Dick smirked, opening his car door.
"That's okay." Harley unbuckled her seat belt, climbing slowly out of the car. "I'm sure Wally has plenty of kisses to give you if you need practice."
"If I need practice," Dick smiled as he came around the front of the car and caught Harley's hand, twirling her into his arms; "it won't be with the dog." He smirked, wrapping one arm around her waist as he dipped her, kissing her with dizzying passion. He broke it off just a moment too early as he set her back on her feet and walked towards the door, glancing over his shoulder. "But I could probably use some lessons."