It had been difficult to sleep after the emotional ups and downs that she had dealt with the night before. Events from the day kept running through her mind creating an emotional roller coaster that was nearly impossible to stop. It wasn't until the Joker had flopped into bed that she finally managed to relax enough to sleep. And the irony of that didn't escape her for a second but she was too exhausted to care. She knew that he took pride in being able to rile her up to intense levels of anger or fear. But neither of them would ever talk about how he also comforted her. And as much as she hated it…hated him, there was little she could do about it. She needed to sleep, and if quietly inching close to his body in the middle of the night until their backs were almost touching was what it took to get a decent night's rest, then so be it.
And when morning came, she was sure that he hadn't realized it even though he was gone when she awoke. Her body was already spread across the other side of the bed and she was certain that she had moved in her sleep before either of them awoke. It didn't matter, though. Neither of them would bother to bring it up anyway.
Pulling herself out of bed with a groggy yawn, she padded over to the bathroom clumsily and pulled the tee shirt over her head as she did, dropping it onto the floor. Even in her state of sleep, she marveled at how comfortable she had gotten here, despite the fact that she was being held against her will. A comfortableness that had seemed to grow exponentially since her breakdown only days before. Her fingers slid into the waistband of her black pants she pulled both her pants and underpants off in one swoop, using her toe to flick them away as she finally entered the bathroom. Stretching, she bent down and turned on the shower, giving it a moment to warm up before finally climbing in, waking up completely when the hot water hit her.
A smile crossed her face as she began to hum to herself as she relaxed under the stream of water. Like the morning before, her mood had lifted again to one that she wouldn't hesitate to describe as happy. Hopefully this wasn't the start of a trend, insanely happy mornings that dipped off into nervous uncertainty on better days, and a deep depression on the worst ones. But right now it didn't matter, she hated to analyze too much when she was in a good mood. A good mood that persisted as she dried off and pulled on the cleanest clothes she could find in a heap at the bottom of her wardrobe: A pair of white shorts and a loose fitting black and white striped long sleeve shirt. Pulling her curly hair into a high ponytail, she slipped on her boots and headed out of the door. She wanted to go shooting today. It had been days since she had practiced and she could use a bit of sun.
Jogging down the stairs, she felt a pep in her step as she neared the bottom.
"Hey Dougie." She sang confidently to the empty hallway, knowing that he'd be in his room.
He looked out of the room with a scowl as she stepped off of the bottom stop. The same scowl he always reserved for her. It didn't faze her anymore. His looks of contempt never did. If anything, it was a game for her to try and goad him into talking. She had succeeded a few times, but had only managed one or two gruff words from him. It was probably making him hate her more, but after the first few months, she decided that there wasn't much chance in him liking her anyway. She also didn't fear him, knowing the Joker wouldn't allow him to hurt her. Even though he hated her, it was refreshing to not be afraid.
"Can I go shooting?"
He rolled his eyes slowly as if he was trying extra hard to convey just how annoyed he was, grabbing the gun off of the wall nearby and slinging it over his shoulder before grabbing a smaller gun and a large box of bullets and starting to shut the door behind him. Not even bothering to spare her a second glance.
She peered passed him into the room, tilting her head slightly to take an assessment of the large amounts of guns and weapons before turning to him with a slight smile. "Can I try one of the bigger ones?" She questioned, hopefully.
But Dougie barely batted an eyelash as he ignored her starting down the hallway.
Her lips pursed in annoyance as she turned on her heels to follow him. She figured she'd simply ask the Joker tonight if she could try something different. It was doubtful that Dougie would let her try anything without explicit permission. And He was normally happy to indulge in anything destructive.
As they walked towards the elevator and down to the first floor, Arella stayed a few steps behind him in a comfortable silence that they were painfully used to. Each ignoring that the other person was there. Each wishing so hard that it was true. But they were stuck, because dealing with each other was better than dealing with whatever consequences might arise if they were to disobey.
Making their way down the familiar hallway, they passed the usual set of dirty windows looking out into a grassy courtyard surrounded on all sides by the looking building. On most days, it was empty whenever she walked by. But she had left her relative isolation early today and apparently He had been willing enough to let his men have some free time. A luxury that the men spent playing with an old dirty soccer ball. Stopping, she moved closer to the window, not bothering to alert Dougie as she peered out of the glass. There seemed to be about four or five of them, all in their mid-twenties or early thirties running around the field playfully in the warm summer sun. It was strange to see them like this, almost normal, when she knew that the same ones were responsible for so much mayhem at his bequest. But right now, they were simply young men enjoying some free time.
Her eyes widened wistfully as she stare out of the window with an aching desire to join them. The Joker had never said anything about her interacting with his henchmen, he had only threatened her against venturing down to the first floor alone. And with Dougie here, she was positive that the men wouldn't try anything. None of them were armed at the moment. The idea was completely possible, and she wouldn't be breaking any rules.
Biting her lip excitedly, she turned to her right where Dougie had stopped walking almost twenty feet away, glaring at her.
"Do you mind if I go kick the ball around for a little? Just a couple of minutes." She questioned, her hands pressed against the window, resembling a small child watching all the schoolyard children having fun without her. To her left, she could see an exit door only a few feet away that led out to the grounds.
He gave a deep frown, a movement that was usually Dougie speak for 'no'. But if he wanted to stop her, he was going to have to try harder than that. What she was doing was reckless, she realized that much, but for some reason, she couldn't be bothered enough to care.
Staring at him for a moment, she weighed her options. Even with the large gun in hand, she was almost positive that he wouldn't shoot her, not if she wasn't running away. Not if he wanted to avoid that Joker's wrath. The most he could do was physically pull her back upstairs and he had yet to touch her so it was plausible that she could actually play for a while.
Glancing back out of the window, she turned to Dougie who seemed to know exactly what she was planning as a rage built up behind his frown.
"Don't you dare." He threatened finally, his voice slow and gravelly.
She glanced at him again, considering abandoning her need to join in for a brief moment before pursing her lips and moving towards the nearby exit door with determined steps.
Dougie gave an annoyed growl as she did, storming after her. "Stop." He shouted at her, moving his gun from over his shoulder to hold it ready.
But she ignored him, pushing the door open and stepping into the sun, standing a few yards away from where the others were kicking the ball around. There was an intense feeling of freedom that washed over her as she stepped outside of the metal doors. The freedom to make a choice that didn't have to do with him. It was small, but he hadn't shot her, and she'd take that victory.
She smiled as she watched their feet in awe, excited to be able to do something that she enjoyed. Something that reminded her of her old life and that the Joker didn't control. She would probably pay for it later, but she was too far gone at this point.
The men didn't notice her standing near the building as they continued towards the building. Glancing behind her, she could see Dougie standing near the door with a deep frown, a phone to his ear. She knew who he was calling and her heart dropped a little. But she was already outside, and the offense was already committed, so hopefully she could have a bit of fun before she was pulled back in. Turning back around, a wayward ball rolled her way, causing the men to turn, finally noticing her standing there. Stopping the ball with her foot, she looked up at the others who were staring at her as if they were unsure of what to do.
"Can I join you guys?" She questioned finally, her eyes wide with both fear and hope as her foot rolled over the ball excitedly.
The men looked at each other , glancing back at Dougie as they all tried to figure out whether it was a good idea to be anywhere near her. She wasn't sure what kind of expression Dougie gave them behind her back, but with one glance, they all lowered their heads and began walking inside. A couple flashed her annoyed looks but mostly they ignored her and the ball she was holding.
She opened her mouth to protest but she knew it was worthless. She had forgotten how much control Dougie had over the men. And he may not be able to force her back inside, but he could definitely control everyone around her. And just like that, her good mood was gone. Flashing an angry glare behind her as Dougie smirked she picked up the ball defiantly, deciding she would simply play alone.
For a long time, she dribbled the ball around the grass, kicking it as hard as she could against the side of the building. It was relaxing. Every now and again, she would glance back at Dougie whose smirk had returned to a frown. But he didn't move. Just glared at her. The change made her smile as they were stuck in a battle of wills. Right now she was winning, and she would take that victory right now. It made her feel powerful. Humming to herself she continued to play alone, enjoying the change. It was about thirty minutes before she finally heard the metal door open again with a heavy slam. Freezing, she fought the urge to turn around, knowing who would be glaring at her. She knew that slam and she knew that Dougie was still waiting patiently by the wall.
Letting out a heavy sigh that boarded on annoyed, she continued juggling the ball on her knees, letting it drop and catching it again with her ankle, trying to ignore the sense of impending doom as she could hear the feet shuffling in the grass behind her. She watched the ball, ignoring the shadow looming over her. Ignoring the fear, and it wasn't until she felt a hand grip the back of her neck tightly that she finally let out a pained gasp, cringing and letting the ball bounce to the ground and roll away.
Looking up, the Joker's mouth was set in a tight frown as he turned back towards the door, not bothering with a second glance as he dragged her back inside past a smirking Dougie. She knew better than to try and reason with him right now, not when his men were possibly watching. So she stumbled in front of him, allowing him to push her towards the elevator. It wasn't until they were safely hidden by the elevator door did he finally react.
Releasing her against the wall with a light shove, the Joker glared at her, pressing the elevator hold button so that they wouldn't be interrupted.
"Why do you insist on making me angry, Ella?" He finally said in a terrifyingly calm tone of voice as he pressed the elevator hold button, locking them in the small area until he was ready to let her out. It wasn't a pointless question; he was actually confused for once. She had never bothered to blatantly defy him, not in the past couple of months at least, and he wasn't quite sure what had caused her to deviate. That's not to say he wasn't angry. He was spitting angry.
She let out a slow breath, resting her back against the wall as she relaxed slightly. "I just wanted some fresh air. And they had a ball."
He squinted at her, stepping closer so that she was trapped between him and the wall as he studied her with a low growl. "You'd better come up with a better reason than that-ah."
She glanced up at him, not feeling the same level of fear rise in her that she was used to. "You never said I couldn't." She finally said with a shrug.
He tilted his head slightly, halting his movements as he thought back to the conversation they had concerning her trips to the first floor.
"You just said I couldn't go to the first floor without Dougie. And he was right there."
Pursing his lips, he glared at her as he contemplated whether he was okay with this line of reasoning. For nearly a full minute, he stare at her, only inches away from her face as her eyes remained lowered, thinking back to the conversation that had transpired about the matter all of those months ago. His memory was meticulous, always had been. And the stipulations he had placed on her played back in his head like a recording.
Finally after replaying the conversation twice, he realized that she was right. A fact that initially angered him. But instead, he burst into a loud cackling laughter, finally leaning away from her. He was never one to punish disobedience, even if it was because she had found a loophole. Instead, he found it as a challenge, next time he would simply have to be more specific. He did love a good game.
"Oh you." He wagged his finger at her with a smile and a squint of the eyes that betrayed how annoyed he really was. "Sometimes I just wanna squeeze the life right out of ya." He mimed, chewing his cheeks before going over and unlocking the elevator, pressing the button to the fourth floor.
Her face dropped as the elevator began to ascend. She had been looking forward to spending time outdoors and she hoped that she wasn't being relegated inside again. Glancing over, she assessed the Joker's demeanor as he tapped his foot impatiently, chewing on his cheeks as he waited for the slow climb to end. He didn't seem angry anymore as far as she could tell, so there was a small chance that she could convince otherwise. A chance that she was willing to take.
"Can I still go out and shoot, then?" The elevator came to a stop on the fourth level before she managed to work up the courage to ask in a soft voice.
He stopped sucking his cheeks, casting her a side glance before letting out a humored snort, turning back to the doors as they began to open. He really wasn't sure what it was that had broken inside of her that night he found her in the bathroom. But this new boldness he was really starting to enjoy. He couldn't be prouder of himself. "Sorry Sweet cheeks. If Dougie has to watch you anymore today he might just shoot your pretty little face off, and then where would you be, hmm?"
"Outside." She muttered sarcastically before she could stop herself. She knew that Dougie was more dangerous than most, but the idea of him shooting her was laughable.
The Joker snapped his head towards her, narrowing his eyes only slightly as he looked at her with an unreadable expression, trying to decide if her smart comment had annoyed him enough to want to punish her for it. It hadn't really bothered him, but he couldn't help but wonder if it should. It was a strange position they found themselves in these days; where he toyed with how much leeway he should allow her. It only took him a second to decide that it was too much effort to force himself to care. She always did have a smart mouth, even as a child in mortal danger on the streets of Gotham and he had already figured that it would be near impossible to beat it out of her. Impossible and pointless. It was how she coped, and for the most part he enjoyed it. At least she had mostly learned when to shut up. With a click of the tongue he stepped closer to her.
"Just so we're clear," He started with a low hum, forcing her back against the wall. "If I have to stop what I'm doing to come get you again, you won't be seeing the light of day for a long time."
Arella stood between him and the wall, his face only inches away from hers as he growled at her, trying his best to look as angry as possible. But she could tell that he wasn't. His tone was too casual…too even. The best he could get by with was mild annoyance. For a moment, she considered reminding him that it was Dougie's fault that he was called to the first floor, not hers, but it was pointless. She'd be lying. And she knew that she should be thanking her lucky stars that she was still standing unharmed after testing him the way she had. So she simply listened, setting a solemn expression on her face as she gazed up at him with wide brown eyes under long lashes, trying hard to convey that she was both listening, and apologetic about the situation as disingenuous as it was.
It was strange standing here so close to him: The man that had held Gotham hostage for months, that had destroyed her life, the very man that would one day kill her and not feel the fear or contempt that she had come to expect rise like it should.
"I understand." She said with a curt nod.
The Joker's face twisted into an annoyed frown as she stare up at him with that faux innocence that she seemed to be excellent at perfecting. The one that was almost as bad as her outright lying to him. It wasn't the first time he had seen it, but it was the first time that it had affected him. He had watched her make nearly that same face the morning before in the throes of release. And though he was almost positive that she didn't realize how similar the expressions were, one simply a fiercer version of the other, he did. And it excited him. For a moment, he considered taking a break from the nonstop planning he had been doing all morning and taking her right against the wall of the elevator. But he wouldn't make a move because he wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle a 'no' right now. Not if he wanted to be able to concentrate for the next few hours. Besides, she didn't deserve it. At least that was what he told himself, even though he knew that all it would take was one positive indication and he'd give in. That thought angered him even more.
Gnashing his teeth, he wrapped his fingers tightly around her arm, yanking her from the wall and shoving her out of the elevator in front of him, probably a little rougher than necessary, but he wanted her as far away from him as possible right now.
"Go put something warm on your face." He snapped, slamming the door shut before she had a chance to reply. .
Arella stumbled for a second before turning to throw an angry glare at the closed door, unsure of what had just happened as she stood alone in the hallway for the first time ever. He had gone from annoyed to angry almost immediately, at what she couldn't be sure, but enough to leave her in the hallway alone. The same hallway that she had been attacked in months earlier and hadn't walked through without Dougie by her side since. The silence was a bit unnerving at first, and she could hear the faint sounds of people moving throughout some of the rooms nearby. For a long time she simply stood there, waiting for the Joker to open the elevator door again and realize that he'd left her there, but it never happened. And after what seemed like hours, she finally let out an anxious sigh. Glancing to her right, she looked towards the down staircase door standing so innocuously. She could just walk through it right now and no one would know. Not for a bit anyway, unless he had men guarding that too. Shrugging, she turned to her left and started down the hallway, rubbing her arm. She was still in a good mood. Too much of a good mood to try and run. He probably thought that he was punishing her by forcing her upstairs. But it didn't matter. She'd figure out a way to get back outside tomorrow, even if it meant having to beg. And in the meantime, she'd find something on the fifth level to keep her occupied.
Later that evening, the Joker finally headed back upstairs after a long day of planning. Things were now perfectly on track for the next couple of days and that always put him in a good mood. So good of a mood that he figured he'd make today up to his favorite toy. He hadn't intended to be so rough with her earlier or force her to stay inside all day. He was already well aware from their first few months together that it was extremely detrimental to the complacent state he enjoyed from her. But he had gotten so wrapped up in work that he hadn't had time to venture back upstairs. Now that everything was ready to go, he could finally enjoy some downtime. And to his surprise, he was actually looking forward to sharing that time with someone else. It was nice having someone to go back to at the end of the night. Someone who knew when to talk and when to shut up…for the most part. As absolutely frustrating as she tended to be at times, she didn't annoy him as much as she should. Not yet anyway.
Rounding the hallway, he whistled to himself as he entered the room, surprised to see all of the lights out. Looking around the dark room, he paused in the doorway before grunting, flipping the nearby switch on before taking another sweep around the room. He immediately saw her, lying curled up into tight ball in the middle of the bed, hoarding both of the pillows in her arms. He thought that she would wake up at the sudden illumination, but aside from burying her head further into one of the pillows, she didn't move a muscle.
Sucking his cheeks, his mouth turned into an annoyed frown. Normally he was perfectly fine with her sleeping state whenever he returned, but tonight he already had plans, and this just wouldn't do.
With heavy footfalls, he moved closer to the bed, making as much noise as possible between the sound of heavy footfalls, the noisy sucking of his cheeks, and the jingling of keys in his pocket.
Nothing.
Finally, he came to a stop next to the bed, giving an annoyed gnash of the teeth. He could just drag her out of bed, but that probably wouldn't end well, not if he planned on having a good end to the day. So with a roll of the eyes, he finally flopped down heavily into the bed next to her, forcing her to gasp and sit up straight for a moment, looking around confused in a half sleep state. He grinned as her eyes landed on him.
"You asleep, sweet cheeks?" He joked, folding his hands behind his head with a lazy smirk.
She narrowed her eyes letting out an angry grunt before flopping back down to the bed and pulling the blanket over her head, almost immediately falling into a state of near sleep.
But he wasn't about to be deterred, shifting closer to her, he rolled over so that his mouth hovered near her ear. "Wakey, wakey." He smiled in that nasally voice that he knew she hated so much.
"Go. The fuck. Away." She growled at him, not removing the blanket from her head, drifting off to sleep again.
The Joker leaned away with a purse of the lips. She was always such a grouch when she was sleeping. It was why he let her sleep most mornings. He wouldn't have the patience for it so early and Attempting to wake her up would have been detrimental to them both. It didn't matter how hard he was on her, and how much better she'd gotten at maintaining a neutral composure around him, she never bothered to hide her contempt in her half asleep state. It was if she forgot who she was talking to. To be perfectly fair, she probably did.
Crossing his arms he regarded her for a moment, briefly considering just letting her sleep. But he had already gotten things together downstairs for a fun night and there was no use in letting it go to waste. Smacking his lips once more, he finally placed his foot on her backside, unceremoniously kicking her off of the bed and onto the floor with a surprised yelp, looking around in utter bewilderment again. It wasn't until she heard that annoying cackle did she finally realize what happened.
His face leaned over the edge of the bed, peering down at her with a smile. "Need a hand?"
She growled, kicking away the blanket tangled around her legs with much difficulty, before climbing back onto the bed. "Why?" She demanded with an exhasperated glare.
He looked around the room with wide eyes, feigning innocence. "Me?" He finally I dreplied, his tongue coming out to wet his lips. "Do I look like the type of guy who would-."
"Stop it." She ordered with a roll of the eyes, starting to fix the pillows so that she could lie back down.
"Careful cupcake." He smirked, his black eyes borring into her for a second, his low voice serving as a warning.
She glanced up, frowning tiredly before turning away without a word, deciding against provoking him further.
Changing the subject, his tone finally returned to the lyrical tone. "Well. Now that you're up." He Jumped up from the bed, clapping his hands together. "How about a field trip?" He grinned, twirling on his heels and moving towards the wardrobe with a hum before she could answer.
She let out an unnoticed groan, flopping back into the bed for a moment. Not one part of her wanted to get up right now, even if it was for a field trip. But she knew that 'no' wouldn't be an option. It never was.
"Move it." He snapped at her, throwing a tee shirt and a pair of jeans on the bed.
She winced, the loud tone giving her a headache in her drowsy state. Grabbing the bottem of the tee shirt she was wearing, she pulled it over her head absentmindedly and tossed it to the floor. Reaching blindly for the replacement.
Across the room, the Joker stare at her with a raised brow, making no secret of his enjoyment of the view. Normally she disappeared into the bathroom or some other unseen spot to change, but, judging by her lack of concern, it seemed as if her attitude change was persisting and he couldn't help but grin as he thought of all the positive implications it would mean for him. As she finally laced up her boot, he stood off of the wall he had leaned on to watch the show, heading to the door with long strides.
"Let's go."
She stumbled out of the bed, almost tripping over her feet sleepily before catching herself and rushing to follow him out of the door, finding it difficult to keep up with his long strides. Rubbing her eyes, she let out a sleepy yawn following him down to the first level, heading to the backyard that she normally practiced shooting in. Halfway to the doors, she finally began to perk up, looking up at him with a look that switched between confusion and excitement.
"Are we going shooting?" She questioned, trying hard to hide the tentative excitement that bubbled up. She hoped that they were. It had been beyond dull lazing around the fifth level of the hospital trying desperately to occupy herself with something.
He glanced at her over his shoulder, taking in her wide eyed hopefulness with a smirk, turning back around without a word. Sometimes she was almost too easy, and it was amazing how well she'd taken to learning to shoot when she'd been so jittery about it the first time.
She pouted for a moment at the lack of response her steps faultering as she considered questioning him again, but she thought better of it. They'd be whever they were going soon anyay and she'd find out then. No point in annoying him any further than necessary. Pursing her lips, she jogged to catch up, falling back into step just a few strides behind him.
The pair made their way out to the area that she always followed Dougie to whenever she wanted to go shooting, spotlights from the building shining down on the area casting a comforting glow over the roughly cut grass. As the door shut behind her, she had to physically bite her lip to keep from grinning excitedly, forgetting how tired she'd been only a couple of seconds ago and revealing in the clear, comfortable night air.
It was rare that she got to enjoy the night air, even before she'd come here. She was always worried about the danger that it could-and did-hold in Gotham. Ever since that night. But standing out here now, without a fear in the world aside from the one she had come to terms with beside her, she could finally see how beautiful it was.
She could taste the blood starting to seep into her mouth as she took in her surroundings, but it didn't matter. Letting her eyes pass over a makeshift table created out of a couple of cinderblocks and an old, discarded door where at least five guns lay on their sides; different sizes, different types, and at least a grenade or two.
Inside she was bouncing with excitement. But on the outside, she just stood there, a stupid crooked smile on her face that she desperately tried to hide. It was reflex at this point. She didn't care if he saw her happy for once, but she'd gotten so good at perfecting a blank gaze that she had a hard time stopping.
He threw a passing glance over his shoulder as he walked over to the table, letting out a humored snort. "Get over here" He called back, not bothering with a second glance.
She couldn't even be bothered by the order, enjoying the crisp night air as she moved over to the table to stand next to him at the table. Glancing up at him, he seemed to ignore her, focusing more on loading the large gun in his hand, waving it around a little to carelessly for her taste as he checked the magazine. But she was well aware at this point that he was far more careful…more calculated than his careless nature let on. And though he would probably shoot her one day, he was too excited about that prospect to let it be an accident. So with a purse of the lips, she turned to look back at the variety of weapons at the table.
It was strange standing next to him like this, so anxious to play with the weapons that had probably killed numerous people over the years. It was rare she got to interact with him at all outside of the evenings when he finally returned to the top floor. And to be out here now, with instead of Dougie was a treat in and of itself. She didn't care what they did. But clearly, they were doing exactly what she'd wanted.
The Joker clicked the magazine into place, glancing at her again as she looked around with absolute glee in her eye. It had occurred to him earlier when Dougie had mentioned her request in his angry tirade that though she was getting pretty good at handling the handgun she always practiced with, it would probably be a good idea to let her handle other weapons. And it would keep her docile which is what he wanted for now.
Idly, he wondered if she was aware of how much it annoyed him when she was wound up so tightly; more so now that she was sleeping in his room. In his effort to control her emotional state at any given time, he wondered if she was using that annoyance to control him. Pausing, he turned his head slightly to glare at her suspiciously as the thought consumed him for a moment.
He hated being controlled, even by someone with as pretty a face as hers. And if his hunches were right, she was getting better at it day by day and that just wouldn't do. Not one bit. His eyes shifted to the gun in his hand quickly before returning to her face. It'd be so easy just to end it all right now and he wouldn't have to worry about his idle suspicions and whether or not they were true. So easy to just pull the trigger. It'd be quick, and she wouldn't feel a thing. Not that it ever mattered to him. He could feel his trigger finger aching to pull.
His mind oscelated back and forth, wondering how he wanted to handle the next few seconds as he watched her look around in awe at the night sky, completely ignoring him. Completely oblivious to the danger right over her shoulder. Turning slightly so that the tip of the gun was facing her back, he tested the way it felt, knowing that it would only take a split second. One finger twitch and he'd be done with his little project. Feeling his scars twitch, he tightened his finger on the trigger slowly. Just a millimeter more…
Arella gave the night sky another once over, a wistful smile on her lips before letting out a sigh, turning back to face the Joker who was staring in her direction with a sharp frown on his face, his eyes squinted as he seemed to look through her.
The smile faded from her face as she took in his expression, unsure of what she did to cause the expression change or what she should do in response to it.
He quickly took his finger away from the trigger as she turned, shifting the gun away so that it looked like the gun was only casually pointed in her direction, not aimed to kill. Quickly turning his frown upside down.
"You just gonna stand there, Dummy?" He said lightly, shoving the gun into her hand, trying hard to counteract the guilt that he suddenly felt as she stare up at him with those wide brown, confused eyes. "Start shooting." He ordered, turning away from her to face the targets, immediately feeling angry that he had hesitated. Maybe next time.
A couple of afternoons later, Arella was woken relatively early to the sound of silverware clinking nearby. Rolling over in the bed with a groan, she rolled over onto her stomach to face the source of the sound, taking a long moment before finally opening her eyes to see the Joker sitting at the desk chair, staring at her as he ate what looked like a plate full of eggs loudly.
"Finally." He said with an overly exasperated tone once he was satisfied that she was actually awake, setting the plate aside on the desk as she looked at him oddly. Though she had just awoken, he had actually been sitting there for nearly fifteen minutes now, making as much noise as possible between stomping on the floor, banking the silverware against the desk, and clearing his throat extra loudly. He truly did hate having to wake her up. Unless she thought waking up was her idea, she was like a demon in the morning, and for as feared as he was throughout Gotham, even he didn't have the patience for dealing with it more than once every few months. Especially not today when impending events loomed over his head like a grey cloud. Letting her wakeup on her own always seemed to work better for the both of them.
"Eat and put something on. We got lots to do today and not a whole lot of time to do it." He snapped, standing and leaving the forgotten eggs on the desk, grabbing a dirty pair of jean shorts and a tee shirt from the floor and throwing it onto the bed so that it landed next to her side with a soft ruffle.
She lifted her head from the pillow only slightly, her eyes narrowed in a state of half sleep still as she tried to figure out what on earth he was talking about. Surely he didn't expect her to register everything he was saying within seconds of waking up.
Turning to look at her over his shoulder, the deep frown that crossed his lips told her otherwise. He gave an annoyed smack of the lips before turning around fully, his voice raising to a loud tone that she was in no shape to handle right now.
"Heya, cupcake." He threw his hands up. "Get. Up. Five minutes or you don't eat and you're going out naked. Ya got that?" He set his lips into a tight line, turning around and moving towards one of the boxes on the floor to grab a few papers with determined steps.
She hesitated for another second, wondering what had put him in such an agitated state this morning, and what she could possibly have to do with any plans he had today. She had long ago figured that all she was to him was a pretty distraction from all the things he had to do outside of the hospital. A toy for him to play with when he finally retired for the night. And she hated that, but she was quickly learning to come to terms with it. As long as she didn't make him too angry, it wasn't the worst thing in the world. She didn't dwell on it long however, quickly grabbing the shirt he had thrown her and beginning to switch the one she had been sleeping in and the one she was given which was honestly probably much dirtier, and pulling on the shorts that were probably far too short to be wearing around a headquarter full of frustrated men. It was pointless to question him though, and she knew that right now it was also pointless to worry about it.
Stumbling out of bed, she grabbed her nearby boots, sitting at the recently vacated desk chair and sliding her feet in while she grabbed the plate of eggs, not wasting any time to shove them in her mouth.
She hadn't gotten more than two forkfuls in before he turned around with an armful of papers, scowling slightly as he started towards the door. "Let's go." He muttered over his shoulder.
For a second she considered reminding him that it had only been about a two minutes, but in his annoyed state, she was sure he wouldn't take kindly to that. So with an unheard sigh, she shoved the rest of the eggs in her mouth, setting the plate down and running after him, trying hard to chew the giant mouthful of food.
Walking down the hallway, the Joker glanced over his hunched shoulders at the sound of boots running towards him. Giving a grunt when he was satisfied that she was following, he whipped his head back around, pulling his shoulders closer to his ears as he scowled to himself, muttering specifics to the plan over and over again to make sure that he hadn't forgotten anything. His brisk steps carrying him down the steps at a near jog, a pace that he knew it made it difficult for her to keep up, but he was too preoccupied to care. As the time for his plan's inception drew nearer, his agitation grew to a point where his men had begun avoiding him again.
Until today, he had managed to keep it mostly in check, but as the countdown ticked from days to hours, and with each passing day she spent sleeping in his bed, he questioned whether it was even necessary to go through with it. She had changed. After her mental breakdown only days before, she was finally changing into what he wanted making the elaborate scheme little more than mere redundancy. A redundancy that had that chance of going very, very wrong. He liked keeping her locked up in his hideout, where he could find her easily, where she couldn't get into any trouble. A place where he could go out and handle his own business without having to care about her safety. But soon she was going to be on her own. And there was so many things that could deviate from his calculations. So with each run through of possibilities in his mutterings that sounded so incoherent to everyone else, he reminded himself that he had planned for every possible outcome. It was what he was good at, and it was impossible for something to go wrong. He continued to remind himself that everything was in order, but none of it eased his uneasiness.
Heading down the elevator to the first floor, he led her back to the kitchen storage area where she would sometimes practice her knife work. Opening the heavy freezer door, he finally turned towards the entrance of the kitchen to look at her as she jogged to catch up with him and the open waiting door.
Glancing up at him, she could see that he wasn't any less agitated than he was upstairs. It was starting to make her uneasy. Mentally, she started thinking back to the past few days to try and figure out if she had done anything wrong. Something that she'd missed. But nothing came to mind. Nothing that hadn't long ago been solved. For a moment, she considered asking. But she knew how much he hated her questions. So with a sigh, she placed a slightly shaky hand on his upper arm as she squeezed past him in the small spot left between his body and the doorframe. She wasn't sure what she had done, but she was already sorry for it, and hopefully the small gesture would show that. She couldn't go back to being ignored. To being punished with relative isolation. They had at least become tolerant of each other in the past few days, or so she'd thought. But it came as no surprise when he recoiled away as if her hand had burned him.
Pulling her hand away quickly, she wrapped her arms around her waist protectively turning her attention instead to the room immediately noticing the hook that on most days held a chilled pig for her to practice on, but today, instead held a fully grown man. One that had been dead for at least a few days judging by the complete palour of his skin. His eyes were mostly closed except for the slightest of slits that revealed only white beneath them. His mouth gaping as his arms and legs dangled heavily from the hook. She wasn't sure how he was secured to the hooks, and she didn't bother wondering too much about it. Her mind had gone completely blank as her mouth dropped open to mirror the corpse in front of her. It was immediately clear what she'd been brought here to do and the idea was so unsavory that she started to feel sick. Taking a step back, she started to turn and beg forgiveness for whatever slight she had done. This was too much. But a firm hand on her shoulder held her in place.
"Let's not act like this is something new, hmm?" He grumbled, pushing her forward
Her legs resisted the movement, only letting her move a foot forward before she froze again, letting out the huge breath that she hadn't even realized that she'd been holding. For hours she stood there, trying to figure out what to do, hours that passed by in only seconds. Finally she turned around to face him, tears beginning to brim at the outer edges of her eyes as she tried to find any way out of it.
"I'm sorry." She said finally, unsure of what else would work.
He squinted his eyes with a slight turn of the head, trying to figure out what her problem was. "For what?" He snapped, a little harsher than was necessary.
Her lips parted as she tried to answer the question with something. Anything that might be right. But nothing came to mind, so she settled on shaking her head with a sigh. "I don't know. I don't know what I did. But I'm sorry. Please don't make me do this." She begged, her eyes wide with fear.
He smacked his lips with an exasperated roll of the eye, finally understanding what she was talking about. He could almost laugh at her terrified expression if he wasn't already in such a foul mood. But her reaction to the situation only solidified the need for the exercise in his mind. She was more than capable of defending herself when she was angry but he wouldn't feel comfortable until he knew she could handle it calmly as well. This exercise would put her just one step closer.
"Well I'm not punishing you, Ella." Raising his brows at her judgementally with a humored snort. "And trust me, Ralph's dead as a doornail." He lifted his arms into a shrug as he slid around her, flopping his feet over to the body and giving it a light, playful shove so that it swung back and forth listlessly on the meat hooks. "See? Ya a'int gonna kill him any more than that."
She turned her head away from him, unable to watch the body swaying in the air for fear of the eggs she'd recently devoured making their way up her throat. The body whose name was Ralph, a fact she'd rather not have known.
He ignored her grimace. Normally he'd take the time to laugh at her, make fun of her for being so easily impacted by the body after everything she'd done. But there was no time for that today. She needed to practice. And he had things to finish up. Pulling out a knife from his back pocket, one of his favorite ones, and grabbing her hand he shoved the hilt into her limp palm roughly. "Here. Give him a good one." He stepped away from her, licking his lips in anticipation. He was still aggravated, but there was nothing like watching her kill, watching the varying emotions play on her animated face to put him in a slightly better mood.
Glancing back up at the body, the knife felt heavy in her hands, like a burden that she had no desire to carry. What she wouldn't give to be able to throw it down and simply walk away. But she supposed he was right, it was just a body. A lifeless, unfeeling body no different than the pig. There was no reason for her to be acting this way right now; especially not in light of everything she'd done till this point. But that didn't make the pale body scare her any less. She never was good around dead things. She had once called a friend to drive twenty miles to dispose of a mouse in a trap. But that was a lifetime ago. That was an entirely different person.
"Tick Tock, cupcake." Came the nasally voice next to her.
Her eyes drifted up to those black orbs that looked back at her with an expressionless gaze, not so patiently waiting beside the body. She could tell that he wasn't budging. He wouldn't let her out of the exercise, as much as she hated it. So with a purse of the lips, she took a deep breath before stepping forward and swinging the knife forward, driving it deep under the ribs before pulling it out again, squeezing her eyes shut so that she wouldn't have to think about what she was doing.
Stepping back, she opened her eyes and looked back at the body. It hadn't moved, it hadn't uttered out in pain, it hadn't even bled. Even the feel hadn't been much different from the pig that she normally practiced with. It hadn't felt like anything new or horrible, something that in and of itself was terrifying to her. Even still, much of the fear and horror that she had been feeling began to ebb away almost as quickly as it had come. She wasn't being punished. He was annoyed, but not at her. And she wasn't actually having to kill anything right now.
"See. Now that wasn't so bad. Hmm?" He crossed his arms, taking to her as if she were a child again. Before standing up straight. "Keep going." He muttered, turning towards the door.
"You're leaving me in here with it?" She whirled around, staring at his back. Stabbing the body didn't scare her as much, but she still wasn't looking forward to spending any kind of quality time with it. "For how long?"
His mouth turned into an unseen frown as he continued moving towards the door. "Until I come get you." He said slowly a growling undertone warning her to not ask any more questions.
She took the opportunity of him not being able to see her to narrow her eyes at him, her suspicions rising as he moved away. If they had so much to do today and this was only the beginning, she was nervous about what would be going on tonight. What she would be made to do."
"Why am I doing this?" She demanded. "What's happening tonight?"
But he didn't reply, didn't even bother to make a face at her, just left with the stack of papers he had come in with.
She gave an infuriated growl. This was not how she liked to start her day, and if this was how it was going in the first ten minutes, she didn't have a whole lot of hope for the rest of the day. Turning around, she was greeted by the passive face of the corpse hanging in the air and flinched. It was easy to forget how gruesome the figure looked. For a second, she wondered who the man was. What he had done, if anything, to get on the Joker's bad side. But trying to put a story to the body quickly became depressing so she shook her head with a sigh, reminding herself that none of that mattered. He was just the punching bag now. Gripping the knife in her hand, she let out another breath before beginning to practice again, reminding herself after each knife thrust that it was no different than what she'd been doing before. And after about ten minutes of repeating the mantra to herself, it started to become true. The action stopped bothering her and it really did just become part of another exercise that she had to do.
In the back of her mind, she knew that she should feel bad. Should still be horrified. But the cold, calculated thrusts were what got her through then she squelched it. For nearly an hour, she practiced, remembering all the ways she'd been taught to dispatch of someone. Every few minutes or so, she took a break, simply walking in circles around the room wondering how much longer she'd be stuck in the room. But the moments didn't last long. It'd be her luck that he walked in while she was lazing about. Eventually, she got bored with the process and decided to try throwing the knife. She had seen him doing it multiple times and figures she'd give it a try. Tries that were pathetic to watch if she were perfectly honest with herself. She only managed to get four to hit with anything other than the hilt and only one stayed for a second before clattering to the floor. But it served as a nice distraction.
"Ya know, if your tryna give someone a good tickle that might work." Came a voice behind her. She jumped, turning around to see him standing in front of the door with crossed arms, his brows raised as he looked at the knife that was barely embedded in the corpse's arm. As if on cue, the knife clattered to the floor.
"Ooh. There it goes." He said with a loud giggle as if he'd been waiting on it.
She frowned, glancing back at the knife lying on the floor as if taunting her. "I was just trying it." She said slowly, annoyed with his comment. He should be happy that she was trying anything at all.
"Well when you're right you're right." He said with a shrug, smacking his lips. "Because you definitely weren't doing it." Glaring down at her judgementally, he moved forward to grab the knife off of the floor, wiping it carelessly on the body's shirt before studying the inflicted wounds.
"Not bad." He muttered. "Not bad. Not bad." He truly was surprised that she had even bothered to continue with the attempts once he had left. He expected to find her sitting on the floor defiantly, refusing to do anything. But she hadn't. Judging by the sheer number of stab wounds, she had enjoyed it. It did make him feel a little more at ease about the next few days. Enough that he could effectively lead his men at least. But still, something tugged at the back of his mind, telling him that there was something that he forgot. Something that, despite his obsessive checking, wouldn't come to him. It was like having an itch that he couldn't scratch, and nothing would make that go away. Nothing except cancelling the plans, and that wouldn't happen. Not when his reputation with his men was on the line.
She watched him circle the body, thinking before finally spinning around on his heels to face her. "Go back upstairs. Ya got two hours to get ready. Not a second more."
She looked at him confused. She was already dressed, what else would she be getting dressed for, and why would she need two hours to do it? Was she also supposed to walk back upstairs by herself? The fourth floor was one thing, but she'd never had to make the long trek herself. Opening her mouth to question him, he stopped her.
"Go." He ordered sharply, before she could get anything out. A frown on his face as he pointed towards the door.
She pressed her lips together in a thin line, turning on her heels and walking out of the door. She hated his cryptic way of planning. The way he never told her what was going on until he felt like he absolutely had to. Blind obedience was never her strong suit. But she supposed that she didn't really have a choice right now. She still didn't dare challenge him, not with the mood that he'd woken up in. Leaving the kitchen area, she made her way back through the labyrinth of hallways towards the old elevator. The Joker's men were littered throughout the route. She could tell that many of them were preparing for something, checking their weapons and relaxing in rooms. The type of relaxation that occurred when the mind was desperately trying to forget why it was nervous in the first place. It was clear by the almost endless amount of cigarette butts that she saw scattered about. Most of them barely bothered to look at her as she moved towards the elevator, others giving brief glances at her moving figure and checking around for the Joker before nervously turning away. She supposed that guarding the door wasn't their job. She'd seen other, larger goons near the door entrances. Still, she liked being able to move through the weapon clad men, even if it was because they were terrified of the Joker. It was almost as neat as being able to walk through the narrows alone. Being here had been one shitty situation after another, but she'd be lying if she said there hadn't been perks. She was no longer afraid. Not of anyone but him at least.
When she finally made it back to her room…his room, she let out a relieved sigh, shutting the door behind her. Immediately, she noticed the foreign red fabric resting on the bed so innocuously and moved closer for a better look. Raising her brow in interest, she could see that the Joker had laid out a red, boatnecked, sleeveless dress and was-judging by the scarcity of the fabric-not an incredibly long one. Next to it were a pair of flesh toned pumps that she hadn't seen before and accessories to match the outfit. He had even picked out the underclothes he wanted her to wear. For a long moment, she stare at the ensemble, unmoving, trying hard to figure out where they were going tonight. He couldn't have her killing anyone in that outfit. It was way too nice and stains would be stuck in the expensive material forever. It only made the last few hours confuse her even more. She found herself both mildly interested and extremely nervous to find out what tonight held.
Moving to the bathroom, she stopped when she saw a duffle bag sitting on the sink next to his products that normally made up the entirety of the bathroom decoration. Peeking in, her eyes widened in shock to see it full of makeup, hair products, and body products. It was clear that whoever had done the shopping had no clue what they should be getting and had piled in anything that would fit because many of the items were redundant including the five different shades of foundation. But in the clutter, she could see that she had everything she needed to return the level of personal care that she had always been accustomed to. Now the two hour limit made sense. She had a lot of work to do.
Running a hand along her frizzy braid, she was almost reduced to a deluge of happy tears, but there was no time for that. It had been months since she'd been able to take time out for herself and her hair, more specifically. There was no point in wasting a second. Scrounging through the bag with a grin, she settled on a big bottle of body wash, and a shampoo/conditioner set before turning on the shower behind her, clutching the bottles for dear life.
Though her opinion was probably clouded by the less than stellar conditions she'd been kept in for the last few months, she was pretty sure that tonight's shower was the best one she'd ever taken. With an endless supply of shampoo, conditioner, lotions, and body wash, she stayed under the warm water for nearly forty five minutes enjoying the feel of complete cleanliness. Even after the water began to run cold, she stayed, using the time to step out of the stream and shave for the first time in what felt like forever.
The smile remained plastered on her face nearly the entire time as she sang to herself loudly, taking full advantage of the alone time. She was sure that when she was finally done showering that they were going somewhere. Hopefully somewhere nice judging by the outfit he'd picked out for her. He obviously wanted her done up and she was more than happy to oblige.
Finally stepping out of the shower, she used the rest of the time to figure out how to do her hair before diving into the makeup. The whole process took nearly another hour before she was finally putting the final touches on her makeup in the mirror. She had decided on a bright red lipstick to mirror the dress and accentuate one of her best features as well as toned down eye makeup with heavily mascaraed lashed that looked almost twice as long. She truly did miss this.
Applying the last of the lipstick, the muffled sound of the bedroom door opening caused her to freeze. She hadn't been paying as prudent attention to the clock as she should have been and as she heard the sound of heavy footsteps entering the room, she mentally patted herself on the back for being finished. Annoying an already irritated Joker wouldn't be preferable. Not if she didn't want to be relegated to the room for the rest of the night.
Letting out a relieved sigh, she turned back to the mirror to give herself a once over, immediately smiling at the long lost girl that stare back at her. She had almost forgotten how pretty she felt when she actually tried. And she had to admit that the dress looked amazing on her; fitted in all the right places but not so tight that she would be confused with a prostitute. The flared a-line skirt was about as short as she imagined, much more than she was used too. But paired with the nude heels, her legs looked insanely long and lean. It was almost laughable, but clearly the joker was better at dressing her body than she was. It shouldn't surprise her, not considering the amount of time he put into keeping his own custom made outfits up to par, but it did.
Using the flat iron that had been mixed with the rest of the random objects in the bag, she had straightened her hair to a sheen, spinning the ends into loose curls that cascaded over her shoulder and down her back. After being knotted into a braid every day for the last few months, it felt amazing to be able to run her fingers through it right now. Silently, she hoped that he wouldn't take the items away again once their night was over.
Giving another slight smile, a movement out of the corner of her eye caused her to turn to the doorway, seeing the Joker's fully dressed figure taking up most of the small arch as his shoulder leaned against one of the frames. His eyes roamed up and down her body, and though his lips were pursed tightly, trying hard to keep his face blank, his glittering eyes betrayed his pure enjoyment.
Turning to face him, she held her arms out slightly before letting them drop back to her side, unsure of what to do.
"Is this okay?" She finally asked with a shrug.
Finally, he abandoned all attempts at objectivity and gave an exaggerated shiver before giving a tooth filled grin. "I don't know, babe." He wagged a gloved finger at her accusingly. "If you're not careful, we might not make it out of here tonight-ah."
She turned up her nose slightly in confusion at the use of the pet name. It was new one to be sure, normally he chose ones tempered with condescension and the word sounded weird to her ears. But he made no acknowledgement of the change as he kept his eyes on her, so she figured there was no point in her bringing it up either.
Moving forward slowly, he made a small circle around her before placing a hand on her waist, gently turning her around in front of him to face the mirror.
"You are going to be perfect." He hummed in her ear as he stood behind her, his hand slowly trailing around to the front of her stomach before moving up her ribs. When he had been trying to figure out what he'd wanted her to wear, he knew the dress would look incredible, but he hadn't been aware of how well. Now more than ever, he wanted to call of his plan. To keep her locked up in the room, wearing that dress or nothing at all. But he'd survived years on his own. He was sure that he could make it the next few days. She was making it hard.
Arella opened her mouth to ask him 'for what', but her breath hitched in her throat as fingers explored her body and his eyes followed every inch. His touch both gentle and firm at the same time, much like a massage going up her sides. She quickly decided that there was no point in interrupting him with her questions. She'd find out soon enough anyway, and this was nice. Especially considering his mood this morning. So instead she stare blankly in the mirror as her mind drifted to the varying possibilities that could be happening tonight and whether or not she'd regret being so excited. Eventually she found her eyes watching his fingers as they drifted up her shoulder and to the nape of her neck, beginning to entangle themselves in her hair.
For a split second, she let him, yearning for the massage that she hadn't received since their first shower together. But her eyes quickly widened, remembering that they were going out.
"Don't." She requested softly, her hand shooting up to pull her strands from his grip gently. "You'll…I just curled it."
He tilted his head as he studied her for a moment with a slight pout, not in the least wanting to remove his hands, but they had places to be, and she needed to stay as perfect as she looked right now. It was truly painful for him to pull away. To look but not touch so as not to get his makeup on her. It had been days since she last let him touch her the way he wanted. Hopefully that would change when she returned.
Unlacing his fingers, he let out an annoyed grunt before pulling away from her and walking back towards the bedroom.
"Get in here so we can finish getting you ready." He shouted back gruffly.
She tilted her head in confusion before following. Aside from slipping on the heels, she thought that she looked perfectly ready to leave. Try as she might, she couldn't think of anything else she had to do.
When she entered the bedroom, the Joker was already sitting on the side of the bed, an ecstatic grin plastered on his face as he spun around a thin, lacy piece of fabric on his fingers. Using his other hand to gesture her closer. It took a moment for her eyes to study the object before recognizing it as a black garter belt.
She flicked her eyes up at him, confused, but bit her tongue. She was trying all her might to not end her no question streak but it was starting to get hard. With each new curve that he threw at her, she became more and more confused.
When she finally came within arm's reach, his ecstatic grin quickly belayed his impatience as he reached forward and grabbed her calf, lifting her foot to rest on his knee so quickly that she nearly fell forward with a yelp. Her hands shooting out to grip his shoulder's for stability.
He barely seemed to notice at first, not even bothering to look up as he lifted her foot and slid the garter belt around her ankle.
"I know it's hard to keep your hands off me, babe. But you're going to have to control yourself." He said in an overly calm voice as he began sliding the belt up her leg before looking up at her with a smirk. "For now."
She gave an exaggerated roll of the eyes as he turned his attention back to pulling the thin fabric up her leg. But she also didn't bother to remove her hands, watching was he grinned, leaning forward to trace his lips along her shin while his hands moved towards her upper thigh. It was clear from the all of five minutes that he'd been in the room that he was having a hard time not touching her tonight. And she couldn't blame him. After taking the time out on herself she felt incredible again and it was hard for her not to stand in front of the mirror staring at herself all night. The fact that he was so unabashedly open about his wants was refreshing, and just reinforced how great she felt. She wouldn't be completely opposed to taking a little longer to leave. But for the cleanliness of her outfit, it would probably prove more productive to wait. At least until the night was over, however long this night was going to take.
Letting out a heavy sigh to relax herself, she finally attempted to divert both of their attentions, the tension was growing in the room with each inch that he rose closer to where her thighs met. And she knew that if he so much as brushed against her she'd come undone. They wouldn't get out of here for a while. Finally removing her hands from his shoulder, she stood up straight so that the only thing touching him was her foot.
"Wha…what are we doing tonight?" She questioned, her voice wavering as she settled the clenching of her lower stomach.
He let out a short chuckle completely aware of what they were both trying to pretend wasn't happening. Turning his face to drag his scars along her leg for a long moment as his hands pulled the garter in place only inches away from the spot that would probably ruin their night, he finally sat up with a content sigh.
"You…" He smiled, a serpant like tongue coming out to trace his scars. His hand reached over to grab a much smaller gun than the one she was used to from the desk as his left hand still clasped her ankle. "Are going to a party…with Dougie." He answered finally, sliding the gun into the garter belt snuggly as she finally realized that it was actually a holster.
That wasn't what she was expecting to hear. To be honest, she wasn't expecting anything more than an annoyed grunt, but he seemed to be happy with the distraction, even if the price were her incessant questions.
Confused eyes narrowed at him as she tried to figure out what he was talking about.
"Wait, what? With Dougie? Is this a date?"
"Yea," He drawled, not bothering to look up at her. Licking his lips as he used his teeth to pull off one of his gloves, wiping the smeared white paint from her leg with a thumb.
"I don't…he doesn't even talk to me. I don't understand. Why?"
He let out a grunt as he focused on rubbing out the last bit of stubborn paint roughly before pushing her foot from his knee with a careless shove, almost making her fall again. But she quickly righted herself, looking at him stubbornly as she awaited an explanation.
"Well..." He finally looked up at her, resting one hand on his thigh as the other held the glove he had yet to slide back on. "Our friend the mayor is having a..ah…small get together tonight. Something about lowered crime rates after the whole…Harvey Dent thing." He waved the glove dismissively over his shoulder, furrowing his brows with a smack of the lips as if he truly couldn't remember every last detail. "But we can't let them get too content in the lie…hmm?"
Her eyes didn't move from him, still confused about what their part was in the whole thing. Her silence relaying all of the questions that she still had.
Taking in her almost childlike expression as she tried to figure out what was going on for a moment, he finally giggled, moving to one side of the couch and patting the space next to him excitedly. He waited for her to take a seat next to him before leaning forward with a suck of the cheeks, his face only inches from hers as he continued.
"Think about it." He held his hands up with a shrug. "How much fun would it be to rob the mayor…at an event about low crime rates?" He leaned back with a boisterous laugh, slapping his knee before moving back towards her. "It's hilarious."
She only pursed her lips, hating the loud laughter in her ears and waiting for it to settle before continuing.
"But…what am I for?"
"Oh you're just a pretty distraction. Dougie's going to need a gun, but he can't take it in himself. Oh no. They'll search him. But you. Little. Old. You." He tapped the tip of her nose playfully, ignoring her annoyed swatting hand as he continued. "Will get through without a problem. And after he…retrieves his prize and you distract the necessary guards, he'll open the back door for me and the boys. All you do is wait." He smiled smugly.
For a long moment, she stare at him with mouth agape as she took in his words. Realized that he was putting her in the middle of one of his 'plans'. That she would have to be out with Dougie and his men without him. Working for him. She couldn't figure out whether she wanted to be excited or terrified. Part of her wanted to pull the dress off and go hide under the blankets. Going out wasn't worth it. Not with what was at stake. Having to be in public with all of Gotham's elite. It had to be impossible. She wanted to protest, wanted to ask why, but as usual, none of it came out.
"How am I supposed to distract armed guards?" She blurted out finally, wanting to kick herself for not being able to get out something more productive.
He cast her a side glance as he finally pulled on the purple glove. "Oh trust me, sweet cheeks. You won't have to do a whole lot more than wear that dress. And if necessary, get creative."
"You're serious?" She looked at him in shock.
"Deadly." He smirked. "Besides, I know how much you're dying to get out."
She didn't reply, moving her leg slightly as she got a feel for the gun. "I can't play sexy. I'm not that girl."
"Oh but you are…whether you want to be or not. You're whatever I want you to be. And you already know what's going to happen if you mess anything up?" He said in a lyrical tone.
She gave a hesitant nod. Truthfully, she wasn't quite sure what would happen, but she knew that she wouldn't want to find out.
"Good." He grinned before standing, clapping his hands together, grabbing the heels from the side of the couch and tossing them on the floor in front of her. "This is going to be so much fun."
"Are you going to kill anyone?" She questioned softly, her voice unsteady. She didn't want to know. Not really. He had still yet to get tired of telling her of his going ons outside of the hospital whenever he thought of new ways to dispatch of someone. And each tale still tore at her, but the words had come out before she could stop herself.
"Who am I to say no to a good time?" He grinned vaguely with a shrug.
She gave an annoyed snort, bending down and sliding the heels on easily and standing as well, taking a moment to get a feel for the change before looking over at him. It took a moment for his eyes to gravitate back up to her face as the lazy smile on his own told her that he had been looking at anything but.
"Will Dougie actually be allowed to talk to me, then?" She pursed her lips, maybe a little too snarkly. Her eyes widened briefly as the words came out before she settled her face back into an innocent, inquisitive expression to hopefully counteract her tone. Luckily he ignored them both.
"Oh why not. I wouldn't want you kids to have a bad date." He smiled and stood before lowering his tone, his eyes narrowing at her as he moved a step closer to her, his arm sliding around her to grip her waist tightly. "But don't get too comfortable. I'll be watching you, and you know how much I hate to share." He growled.
"I know." She replied, twisting away from his grip. "I won't do anything."
"I know you won't." He smiled before releasing her. "Let's go, sweet cheeks." He leaned down, picking her up by her thighs and lifting her over his shoulder before she had a chance to protest, forcing an oomph from her mouth as her stomach landed on his shoulder. .
"My dress." She said frantically, trying to desperately pull the dress down over her exposed underwear. But the unfortunate angle they were at made that nearly impossible. There simply wasn't enough fabric to force it.
"Well don't worry. The view from here is lovely." He snickered, taking her out of the room, patting her almost bare ass with emphasis.
She growled angrily, propping herself up in protest but remaining still as he descended the stairs. She tried to make sure that her pointy elbows were placed as uncomfortably as possible along his back without it being too obvious what she was doing. If she had to suffer, than so did he. She hated being manhandled and though he hadn't dropped her yet, it didn't stop the fear from surfacing every time. A few times, on the way down, he shifted her with a grunt as if trying force her to move, but each time she propped herself up again, earning another wince or shift. And each time, she didn't bother to hide the smile on her face. He didn't acknowledge it, but she still got was a perverse sort of satisfaction to make him as uncomfortable as possible. It made the trip bearable.
"Oh Dougie." He sang, reaching the bottom of the stairs, setting her back on her feet a little rougher than normal with outstretched arms as if presenting her to him. "I brought you a gift." He finished with a satisfied hum.
Arella flashed him an annoyed look-one that hid the smile she had plastered on her face for the last few seconds-and yanked her dress down defiantly before turning to Dougie, her eyes widening in shock. He had cleaned up to say the least. The suit he was wearing was obviously not cheap and seemed to have been tailored for him, though she wouldn't be surprised if the Joker had stolen it off of someone that matched his measurements. His hair had been slicked back and his stubble had been cleaned up, though not shaved completely. Most strangely, though, was that a simple black mask covered his eyes.
Quickly pulling her eyes away from Dougie, less the Joker mistake her surprise for admiration, she turned around to look at him with a confused frown. "Is this a masquerade?"
"Almost too easy, isn't it?" He smirked, holding up a second mask which was also relatively simple.
She took it without another word, sliding it over her head but not bothering to pull it down over her eyes yet.
He grinned, looking her over again with a happy shiver before putting an arm around each of their shoulders. "Let's go party, hmm?" He patted Dougie's shoulder roughly, leading them to the elevator.
Hey again Guys! Sorry about the long wait but hope you enjoyed the chapter. Not a ton happening in this one, but I wanted to take a moment to explore the evolving relationship between the two and get everything set up for the next chapter when they FINALLY get to leave the hospital! Fun things will be happening.
Also, if you've made it to the bottom of the page, you're probably well aware that this is a long one! I'm super excited about writing the party and figured I'd just combine two so that we can get to it...That and it's been a little over a month.
Anyway, thanks everyone for sticking with me so far! And thanks even more for reviewing. I started writing the story just for fun to waste some time after graduating college, and I love to hear that there are other stone cold weirdo's out there that enjoy it too. :)
Thanks!