Hurt me: Joker's flame

Confessions

"It's because you were there."
"All those times I killed was only because you were there."
"You gave me the strength to do it."
"You inspire me."
"That's what love does."
Joker jolted awake as her voice echoed through his skull. He immediately stood up and bent over the figure lying in front of him.

He stared at her bruised face. Her perfect lips were swollen, eyes bruised. Her breathing was ragged but was much better than before.
He wondered continuously why she couldn't have defended herself. Why had she been so vulnerable.

"Why didn't you just kill him?" He whispered. He sighed and sat back in his seat, not taking his eyes off of her.

Frost walked in with a bag of medication.
"I was able to get all the meds," he mumbled as he sat the bag down next to the Joker.
"You know boss, I've never seen you so..." before Frost can finish he was cut off by the Joker.

"Save it," he whispered in an almost raspy voice. Frost chuckled to himself and left, taking one last glance at them before leaving the room.

~~~~

It had been two days since the incident. Leyla hadn't opened her eyes the entire time. This did concern the Joker but Frost had to explain multiple times that the medication being injected into her delicate skin would induce drowsiness anyway so she would continue to sleep it off until they let up.

Of course, the Joker couldn't be there the entire time. He had been able to hire new henchmen, strike new deals, and reclaim his place as the King of Gotham.

One day he returned to the mansion to find Leyla sitting up in bed. He couldn't believe it.

He stood at the doorway paralyzed at first. But slowly approached her. The moment she saw him, her face twisted in pain and she held her arms out to him.
He grinned as he also stretched his arms out towards her and gently embraced her.

"Oh honey," he said in a deep voice as he stroked her hair, "daddy's home."
She pushed her face on his white dress shirt and sobbed. She needed to empty all the fear and anxiety bottled up in her body.

After a few minutes, he was sitting beside her telling her about how he had hired a new set of goons and how he had been successful in all the deals he was trying to reach with other mobsters.

She noticed he was excited, so much fervor in his eyes as he spoke.

She smiled and cupped his cheeks as he was leaning into her. She placed a gentle kiss on his lips and pulled away.

He leaned in closer and continued the kiss and stopped, looking down at her lips.

"No one will hurt you again." he whispered, brushing her lips with his index fingers.

She felt a feeling of pride and happiness wash over her as the terrifying crime lord made this promise.

"I must be pretty damn special," she smirked. Her slashed cheeks hurt at this but she didn't care. When he was near her, there was no pain. Just warmth.

"Oh, that you are," he said as he looked deep into her eyes. "And Leyla, you give me the strength I didn't know I needed."

She smiled and looked down as he straightened back up in his seat.

"I could have taken that bastard," she almost whispered. "I should have. I'm not some damned damsel in distress." Her voice was louder now as she grew irritated at the memory of allowing someone to hurt her. "I panicked. I was alone. I-"

The joker cut her off by raising his hand up.

"Why is it that I give you strength then, Leyla?" He asked.

She simply looked at him. "Because...in the short time I have known you, you have been able to bring out the real me. You have done nothing but embrace the monster I really am. The monster I WANT to be. And when you weren't there that day...I felt like I couldn't. I felt like..." her voice trailed off as tears formed in her eyes.

Joker gently took ahold of her chin and brought it up to gave him.
"I love you," she confessed as her breathing became hitched. 
It was as if time froze. No one had muttered those words to him.
No one loved him or even LIKED him.

His face twisted to a grin and he brought his lips closer to hers.
"I know, doll," he said as he placed his lips on hers.

He'd never admit it.

Instead, he stood up and placed a rose in her hand.  Attached to it was a note. As she clutched at the note, he stood up and walked to the door.

He looked back at her as she read it, uncertain of her reaction.

She looked up at him and their eyes met.
Once she smiled at him, he knew his gift was well received. He shoved his hands in his pockets and twisted on his heels, walking out the door.

Note: Get well soon, Love J

She clutched the note at her chest and closed her eyes. He does.