Joker Imagines and Oneshots

Issues - Part 2 (Valeska)

Obviously, this is a continuation of the imagine titled "Issues - Part 1".

I have a very important note for this imagine.  I know that in the Gotham TV series, Bruce is quite a few years younger than Jerome. However, for the sake of this imagine, Bruce will be the same age as Jerome. If you can't deal with that, then.... I guess don't read this one. Lol!
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I stood behind a curtain, hiding myself away from view as I waited for the signal from the ringmaster, and scanned the crowd. The stands were completely full of Gotham City citizens. A sea of smiling faces.  The whole thing almost looked like a beautiful painting.  The people here were unbelievably beautiful, but I guess it only makes sense; Jerome said that Gotham was a big city and beautiful people tend to flock to big cities.

I looked down at the dark blue, sleeveless leotard with the ruffled bottom that I was wearing.  It had been worn by other people before me, so it was worn from time and use. However, I was used to such things; my normal day clothes were no better.  I only had a few items of clothing, so they were definitely suffering from overuse.

I did not fit in with those beautiful people out there.  This realization made me wonder if it was really a good idea for Jerome and me to stay here.  Maybe we would be better off staying with the circus.  We had been traveling with this circus for a few weeks now and I actually felt comfortable here. I wasn't sure if I would be able to find the same comfort in Gotham.

I suddenly felt a gentle nudge on my shoulder and, when I turned, Lola had her trunk right in my face.  Her and her sister, Lulu, were definitely my favorite part of traveling with the circus. I was basically the elephant keeper's assistant and I loved caring for such ginormous, but unbelievably kind animals. Part of my job was to lead the elephants in and out of the circus rings for the different acts they were involved in.

The ringmaster was announcing the final act when Jerome came up beside me, "God, I am so glad this is the last time I will hear his annoying voice," he folded his arms across his chest, "I have no idea why you wanted to stick around. We should have just bolted out of here as soon as we made it into town this morning."

I looked him, "Well, I actually wanted to talk to you about that. How about we just stay with the circus?"

He rolled his eyes at me as he growled at me, "Come on, babygirl, you can't really want to do that." 

God, his voice did things to me when he growled like that, but I always tried my best to ignore it.

"I'm just a little nervous."

He slithered an arm around my waist, a move he did a lot, "Got nothing to be worried about as long as you're with me."

I gently nudged him, giving him a hint that I didn't want him hanging on me like that, though he never took the hint, "What do you plan on doing here anyways?  Get a job?  Become an outstanding Gotham citizen?"

He laughed at my words, "And I thought I had jokes. No, babygirl. Gotham is known for being this big, progressive city, but it also has a dark underbelly of crime. A lot of fucked up shit goes on in the shadows and I plan on making myself a big player in all of that."

He looked at me with his big, sparkling green eyes and toothy grin that just screamed mischief.  During our travel with the circus, he basically did everything that he could do to get in trouble at every town we stopped at. He would start fights with strangers, disrupt the peace, prank people - especially cops -, and anything else he could get into.  I was actually surprised that the circus ringmaster continued to let us travel with them.

He was a pain in the ass for sure, but there was just something about him that just made it worth putting up with his shenanigans. It was those small sweet moments, those fleeting glimpses of softness, that I would witness from time to time.