Who You Really Are - Batjokes

IX

As Bruce stormed into the library, his heart was still racing, the adrenaline driving him between the shelves of old records and vinyls as if his life depended on it. He didn't even notice his butler approaching him, left alone the looks of surprise gracing his wrinkled face.
"Master Bruce?", Alfred asked carefully, not sure how to interpret Bruce's unusual behaviour and his head shot around.
"Alfred, you startled me!", he laughed amused and went back to searching the records for a few good picks.
"Has the date not gone well?", the butler now asked rather concerned and watched as Bruce shook his head heavily.
"Quite the opposite, it's going wonderfully"
Now, though Bruce couldn't see, Alfred raised an eyebrow, studying his Master.
"Then, if you may allow the question Sir, what are you doing here?"
"Isn't that obvious? I'm searching for music to dance to!"
The Butler shook his head as he suddenly remembered that one time he ought to teach young Bruce the Walz and had failed so terribly that the roofer had to be paid a severance pay.
"Given the fact I haven't seen you dance in years and always thought you had the sense of rhythm like a pigeon then no, it was not quite obvious. Perhaps you'd like to go through a few steps before-"
"Thanks Alfred but I'm good. I'm not ten anymore, I can handle a bit of dancing and laughing"
"Very well", Alfred eventually sighed,
"what exactly are you looking for?"
He stepped next to Bruce and helped him search the endless widths of disks over disks over disks.
"Oh Sir, you have there-"
He tried keeping his surprise to himself as his eyes fell onto deep red smudges of lipstick around the corners of Bruce's mouth.
"Hm?"
The younger man now looked at his butler surprised and hesitantly wiped over his mouth. A soft blush began to grace his cheeks as he realised what it was and he quickly tried wiping off the rest of it, though Joker's makeup seemed to be full on water- and Batmanproof.
Both embarrassed such as excited, feeling the traces of true intimacy upon his very lips, the billionaire elegantly changed the topic and was glad the other man went along.
"So uh.. I was looking for something classy but not too boring! Peppy but not.. not too much over the top! Just something nice, romantic perhaps! D'you think we have something of that sort here?"
Five minutes later, Bruce ran down the corridors of Wayne Manor, back to where Joker would be waiting, in his arms a pile of records too high for him to look above, too heavy for any mere mortal to carry. After all, he's asked the Butler of the house of Wayne, as old as time and classy as it gets.
Joy once again filled him as he pictured the slightly shorter man dancing within his arms, his head leaned against his chest and his arms wrapped around his waist.
His stomach began to tingle at the thought of it, though suddenly it turned into a sting, like the kindhearted butterflies within his stomach had turned into bloodthirsty bees. It weren't doubts but merciless insecurity that hit him like a wall, all of this still felt strangely unfamiliar to him and he was afraid of the future. After all he never went further than first dates with all the people he's dated before so anything beyond tonight would be strangely new to him and that scared him. Thinking back, Bruce was never quite the keeper, only a playboy and that didn't even help him with love. The only person he reconed he ever allowed himself to get further involved with was-
"Selina?"

Bruce stood like frozen in the door, felt all his hopes for a calm evening shatter as his gaze found Joker with a scratched face throwing a knife at Selina while she, with a black eye, attacked the clown with her claws. His hands tightened around the records as his eyes watched the guy he's fallen in love with fight the woman he's once given his heart to and actually never taken it back. As he scanned the room, he found various chairs torn, knives all over the walls and Joker's wine glass empty on the ground.
"What have you done to Bruce?", Selina screamed at Joker and dodged his knife just in time before it cut her face. Bruce knew the clown couldn't help it but was still surprised to hear hallowing laughter coming from the depths of his chest.
"Why are you asking me? You're the one breaking in here uninvited!"
He ducked away from her claws and glared at her.
"So back off, Kitty Cat. You've almost ruined a very special night", he now growled deeply and stormed towards her as Bruce eventually managed to gather himself and headed towards the two of them.
"Joker, stop!", he called out but Joker didn't hear him, he dodged all of Selina's attacks and grabbed her by the waist, pushing her further towards the open window she had come through.
"Bruce!", Selina exclaimed relieved as she spotted him by the door. She grabbed Joker by the shoulders, trying to get out his grip. He slammed her against the wall barely an inch away from the window and watched her cough out in pain with a wide grin on his face. Bruce now stepped between them, dropping the records on the spot and still feeling confused about what was actually happening.
"What's going on, what happened?", he asked the two of them, visibly perplexed. Joker only squeezed his hand around Selina's throat.
"What happened is that Catwoman here broke in and started attacking me!"
"I only came here asking for help but that psychopath was already there! I tried to stop him before he could hurt you, please tell me he didn't harm you or Alfred!", she countered and looked at Bruce surprisingly worried.
"Alright, this is all just a huge misunderstanding, if we could just-"
"Teach this fur ball a lesson? Oh, I'm all in!"
The wider his grin, the more sinister the look on Joker's face, something that sent shivers down Bruce's spine as he realised in how long he hadn't witnessed this version of the clown in front of him. This was a relapse and he needed to handle it carefully or the damage would be irreparable.
"You know this is wrong, let her go and we can talk this through but violence is never the answer", he began and watched as the manic expression on Joker's face first stiffened and then fell within an instant, leaving behind only his tense limbs keeping up a doubtful figure, still Catwoman did not dare move at all.
Hesitantly, Bruce now laid a hand on Joker's shoulder as to comfort him and felt a quick twitch jerk through his upper body.
"It's alright now, J. You're better than that."
That was all it took for the hand around Selina's neck to loosen and the clown's arm to fall back to his side, where he'd only lift his hands a tad and gaze down upon them.
"Shit", he mumbled and Bruce wrapped his hands around his.
"What the fuck?", Selina whispered to herself, watching the two of them stand there hand in hand, more familiar than the Crusader of Justice and the embodiment of Criminality should be.
Bruce turned around to face Selina and put on an apologetic look.
"Bruce, what the hell is going on?"
"Selina, I can explain-"
"He hasn't broken in, has he?", she asked disillusioned and Bruce only shook his head.
"He hasn't, I'm keeping him here to rehabilitate him."
It was obvious that Selina didn't think of it as the whole truth, she studied the men's outfits disapprovingly before she stepped closer to the dining table.
"So what's all this about? I doubt it's for therapy and-", she stopped abruptly as her eyes fell onto Bruce's face and then quickly Joker's, they widened at the realisation, the hint of smeared lipstick on both of their faces.
"No, this can't be..", she stammered and stumbled backwards.
"What's wrong?", Bruce asked concerned whilst Joker only giggled hysterically.
"Looks like someone's seen a ghost or something!", he snorted and shook his head amused.
"Don't tell me you and the clown-
Are you- is this- is this a date or something?"
Bruce swallowed harshly thinking about his next words. He wanted to look over to Joker and search for his reaction, though he knew the way he'd react by himself was crucial to the signal he'd give his date on how open he was towards their relationship at the moment.
"Please tell me you won't share this with a single soul", he warned her first, knowing if she promised, she wouldn't.
"I promise, so tell me!"
"...Yes, it's a date"
Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at the billionaire in disbelief.
"Tell me this isn't true", she whispered.
"Tell me you haven't lost your mind"
"Selina-"
"No, don't! Like what the hell, Bruce! What's gotten into your righteous mind that you of all people as Gotham's symbol of justice let yourself in with the most evil, manipulative maniac to ever exist, the person who stands most against what you believe in?"
"He isn't that person anymore, he's changed! You know that, otherwise he wouldn't have hesitated to slit your throat open and dance about it!"
A short snort was to hear from Joker at the imagination of it.
Selina didn't say anything in return, she only glanced at Bruce like she was looking for something she knew she wouldn't find.
"Why?", she eventually asked, her voice weak and face empty of expression.
Bruce felt tension build within his chest, tension that tightened around his heart, his lungs, his soul. He had wondered what was going on with him so many times, has spent sleepless nights searching for a reason, an answer. However, the only conclusion he's ever come to was that "Love needs to be enough of an answer"and that's what he told her with no hesitation.
He felt Joker's hands twitch between his own as he spoke these words and felt a discouraging feeling of coldness as he removed his thin hands from his.
"So you're in love with him?"
Bruce gave her a silent nod,
"I am", he said and she snarked.
"For fucks sake, Bruce. You know this won't work out, right?"
"I'm ready to try it"
Now she shook her head and raised her voice.
"The way he just attacked me still doesn't seem too promising for his rehabilitation, to be honest"
"It was only a relapse, he'll do better soon"
"Bruce, you don't understand what you're doing here, what you're putting at risk and for what, that pathetic clown?"
"For myself", Bruce spoke serious and stared Selina deep into her eyes.
After everything he's said tonight, these two words have probably been the hardest to speak. Of course Joker's happiness was at the top of his priorities but just this once he wanted for himself to be happy too. Selina knew that for she didn't argue.
"This love better not get you killed, Bruce"
"It won't", Joker's voice suddenly spoke behind them and Bruce felt a spark of warmth ignite his heart.
"You know I came here looking for help but I might as well just ask Ivy", Selina now stammered and backed away carefully.
"I'm always willing to help if you need anything, Selina", Bruce reasoned but she only shook her head.
"No I- I think I'll need some time to process this. The look of his lipstick on your face alone is enough to make me sick!"
"Careful", Joker warned her but she ignored him and looked back at the other man.
"Just tell me one thing, Bruce, and please be honest with me"
"What is it?"
"Did you ever feel anything for me? It's not like I care but I wanna know when I waste my time"
Bruce looked at her sincerely and told her with a steady voice: "I did. Believe me, I did."