The Half Lies of the Circus

III - Back To Reality

III

After having snuck out last night to take off my makeup and then coming back to go to sleep; when Joker came to awake me this morning I was less than happy.

"Rise and shine Doll-face." He chimes and as he opens a cut patch of my tent as a window, it splays sunlight onto my features.

"No~, Joker please~... I wanna sleep~!" I call out and he just laughs at me and my whining voice.

"Sorry but no can do darlin. Time to get up and at 'em." He responds laughing and I just throw my pillow at his face.

"Go~!" I whine and he goes silent. I peek one eye open to see if he's gone, to see his face entirely too close to my own. I yelp in surprise and he only stares at me.

"Do... Do you really want me to go?" He asks, his voice showing a vulnerability I rarely hear and I get a sense of regret wash over me.

"I... No. I'm sorry." I say quietly and it's not soon before a smile repairs itself onto his frown.

"Ah, that's the girl I know. Come on. Get up." He says, and when I bury my head in my blankets, i feel him tuck the blanket in underneath me.

"Joker? What are you doing?" i ask, my voice squeaking with curiosity and I can practically feel his smile.

"This!" He says before he picks me up and I let out a short scream.

"Put me down!" i yelp, my voice high-pitched but he just laughs at me.

"Not until you're awake!" He says in a sing-song voice and he carried me to the eating tent, me hollering protests the whole time. When we got in I heard laughter from everyone at the table... It's not uncommon for Joker to wake me up and carry me to breakfast. I grumble to the other circus members who are still laughing but I shrug at them, and then cuddle into Joker's arm as usual... but usually he just ignores the fact that i'm leaning on him. Today, he wraps his arm around my shoulders and continues his conversation with callie. I play it off as coincidence though, and look to Nick. But of course, Nick looks past me, and at the arm slung around my shoulders. He looks at it as if it is a snake, that will slowly kill him one day. I stick my tongue out at him yo grab his attention and after a bit he notices. I smile at him and he loses the look of hate and takes on one of something I can't identify.

"Nick, he's not going to kill either of us you know? You can calm down a little bit." I tease and Joker tenses up from beneath me. His chin sits on top of my head and I assume he looks at Nick.

"I'm not going to kill any of you. You're my family. The only thing I have that is worth hanging onto." He says and Prince smiles.

"So is your gun." Prince cheeps and Princess smiles.

"If i didn't have you guys, this gun would be my demise." He says and I punch him in the torso. He makes a noise of surprise and i wrap my arm around his back.

"Don't say that." I growl under my breath and Princess looks confused.

"And then I'd have to sew you back together." Henry sighs and I smile at him. I tilt my head up to look at Joker's face.

"Don't... don't ever do that alright?" I ask and I see a bit of joy register in his eyes. His arm tightens around me and he smiles.

"I won't."