When Alaska Met Jerome

Christmas

"Merry Christmas Joker." I rolled over in bed to face my maniac only to see him already staring at me with an insane grin.

"Merry Christmas doll," he whispered and leaned in to kiss me. This was technically our first Christmas together, because the other two he'd either been dead or in Arkham, so this was new for us and amazing.

"I think Potter and Jeremiah are coming over later for dinner or maybe lunch, but until then it's just you and me." I looked into his eyes to see the excitement I knew I also held.

"So you're telling me that we're all alone until then?" I nodded at him and he let out his sadistic yet beautiful laugh. "Didn't anyone tell you not to invite a maniac into your home."

"I might've heard the warning once or twice, but I wasn't ever one to follow rules."

"Well we'll have to see about that." We spent the majority of the day in bed, doing what couples do before I decided I needed to get lunch together. Jer and I decided on going out, everyone knew he was alive and psychotic but nobody had the balls to take him in. Jim had come sniffing around the apartment, but that didn't last long. Even Gotham's golden boy couldn't take on my J.

"Get dressed Jerome. I'd like to eat at some point close to lunch. " I rushed him for the seventh time in the last hour. I wasn't a typically bossy person, but when it came to food I could get pushy.

"I don't have anything for the occasion," he said with his hands on his hips. The only clothing on his body was a thin red robe that he'd bought shortly after moving in with me. It painted an extremely funny and sexy picture. The hair I'd refused to let him cut was messy as everything and his frustration was the icing on the cake.

"C'mon Ginger, jeans and a t-shirt should do it. I'm starving," I said pleadingly, but Jerome wasn't budging.

"Look gorgeous, I'm Jerome Valeska I don't do jeans and a t-shirt-" he din't get to finish before I threw a bundle of red plaid at him accompanied by dark jeans.

"You do when your fiancee is starving, get dressed." I must have come off more intimidating than meant, because he pulled the clothes on and walked over to wrap an arm around my waist.

"Happy Laskie?" He looked down at me in fake anger but he couldn't keep the smile off his face and neither could I. "Ya know, your smile is my favorite."

"And yours is mine." I leaned my head on his shoulder as we walked out of the apartment and down the Gotham streets.

•*•*•*•

"Did you see that guy's face when we walked in?" I laughed as Jerome began to get animated. "He actually thought we were there to kill him! As fun as that would've been-"

"Jerome, point please?" I couldn't contain my laughter and I was positive that the neighbors could hear the two of us cutting up.

"Point is, I don't have one so there." He sat down beside me and crossed his arms. I looked at him, but he wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Jer babe," I said poking his cheek and earning a small grin. He dramatically flipped his head to meet my eyes and gave me the most lazy yet adorable look ever.

"Yes Queenie?"

"I love you," I said and crawled onto his lap, sitting criss crossed.

"Well good, cause if you loved someone else we'd have a problem." I leaned closer to him and pecked his lips causing him to laugh. "Why ya gotta be so cute?" He flipped us over so I was laying out on the couch and he was hovering over top of me.

"I love you too doll face."

•*•*•*•

It was nearing six in the afternoon when Potter and Jeremiah walked in with a bag full of presents and takeout.

"I know we were supposed to make food, but this is better trust me," she says taking off her coat.

"It's fine Potty. Jerome could you help your brother please love." I shot him a smile and got an eye roll in return. "Thanks babe."

"Uh huh, don't babe me doll," he grumbled taking a bag from Jeremiah.

We all sat down on the floor of the living room and ate the hamburgers from the one open fast food restaurant in Gotham. It was nice in a way, having a mismatched little family that was dysfunctional, but full of love or at the least tolerance.

"Hey should we do presents?" Potter asked as she nursed her second mug of eggnog.

"Of course!" I screamed causing us all to erupt in laughter, even Jeremiah.

Passing out the gifts didn't take too long, seeing as we were a small group. At the end everyone had two presents, one from each couple and then from their partner.

Potter opened here first, because she's Potter. Jerome and I had gotten her a set of high end paint brushes that she's been wanting for a while. Jeremiah though had gone all out, getting her a little kitten that had her squealing with excitement.

"Oh my gosh Mistah J, it's wonderful! I love you so much!" She launched herself at the pale man who caught her with ease.

"I love you too, Potter. I'm pleased you like the gift." His perfect grammar was a bit boring, but part of him.

After she finished the rest of us went. I received a leather bound journal from Potter and Jeremiah and one of those fancy pens from Jerome. The pen was a bit weird, but when I wrote the ink was blood red, obviously a Jerome move.

Speaking of Jerome, he got a new assortment of weapons from his brother and my sister. I on the other hand got him a suit, because he was always complaining about never having anything spectacular to wear.

The thing that surprised everyone the most though was Jeremiah's gift from Potter. J and I had gotten him a tie that matched Jerome's 'hahaha' tie, but Potter had gone all out. She laid in front of him the deed to a plot of land, bigger than what he'd blown up, with the plans to a new underground maze home. Needless to say, he was ecstatic.

We talked and laughed through the night until it was absolutely necessary for them to leave. We waved goodbye out the door and as soon as it shut J turned to me.

"Come here gorgeous." He pulled me into a hug before whispering into my ear? "You've got a second gift from me."

I pulled away to look at him in confusion, but I had to look to my feet because he was down on his knee. The little red box in his hand was all I needed to see to know what was happening. We'd already agreed to get married, but now he had a ring.

"I know we decided this a while ago, but I had to find the perfect ring. You're my Queen doll and I love ya, marry me?" The simplicity of the proposal wasn't very Jerome like, yet somehow it fit him perfectly. He opened the box to reveal a rock of a ring. The band was thin and looked barely able to support the diamond that was placed in the middle. At some point I had said yes and he'd lifted me off the ground, putting the ring on my finger, and picking me up. It was the perfect end to a perfect night and that was all I needed.

•*•*•*•