Inflorescence • Poison Ivy's Daughter

chapter twenty five ~ tragic villain

Bella threw her overly large bag on the floor with a thud and got to work removing her father's unconscious body from the bag. Kicking opened the bathroom door she shuffled backwards into the small tiled room, dragging her father's limb, bound body by his armpits with her and into the bathtub. Dick found himself a loss for words.

'You take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch.' She said casually, dusting off her hands as if to wipe the memory of touching her father from them. Dick didn't answer, she looked up, tilting her head in question 'What?'

Dick flinched slightly, but he couldn't stop the words from spilling from his mouth, 'Are you... are you alright?'

Her eyes hardened, 'Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?' Her voice carried a razor edge.

Dick bit back a laugh, 'I don't know. Maybe everything that just happened in the last 24 hours?'

'It nothing I haven't been through before.' she reminded him, a haunting ease to her words.

'Doesn't mean it didn't affect you. Stop pretending like nothing gets to you, you're not fearless-'

'When have I ever said I was.' She hissed,  'I've never claimed to be anything I'm not. Which is more than can be said about you.'

Dick bristled, 'What's that supposed to mean?'

Bella scoffed with a shrug, 'You play this role of righteousness, but how exactly are you any better than me?'

'I...'

'That's just it. You're not. You've broken the law, hurt people, lied about who you are. So why do you get treated like the hero, the golden boy? Why, does everything work out for you?' Her voice was sharp, cutting deep.

'Things don't always work out for me. Do you think my life is perfect?'

'Ye- No. No, that's not what I'm saying.' She blurted, running her hands through her hair. Her nails coming out sticky with red. She stared at them a moment longer before turning back to Dick her voice now low and hushed. 

'Just don't act so above everything Dick. You just got a glimpse into my life,  don't act like you've got me all figured out.

Just because I can't trust or smile like you doesn't mean I'm broken. I never had a chance to be soft. It was always broken bones and needles. And that is what made me who I am, it's not something you can change. So please, do me a favour Dick. Don't think you can save me. You can't save everyone.'

Dicks reply was more quiet, hardly more than a whisper. But it was firm and 'I can try.'

Bella laughed, turning her back on him, 'Don't play the tragic hero act, it's not attractive.'

'And being an anti-hero is?' He bit back.

'Hey, don't categorise me!' she whirled.

Dick smirked, 'So you saying you're not?'

She took a step forward, 'Shut up.'

'with your tragic backstory and lone wolf additude.'

She took another step, her voice lower, 'Shut up, Grayson. I mean it.'

'No,' he cried, 'I'm sick of you playing the tragic villain. You're not and we both know it.'

'Shut up!' In a quick movement she lunged at him, Dick retreated a step back and hit the wall. Bella's palms slammed down on either side of him, her face an inch from his 'Don't get me the idea of me you've created in that wholesome brain of yours. Don't get tricked by your own delusions, it never ends well.'

' Why would you save me then? Why help? If you really are a villain, why do all that?'

'Don't you get it? I didn't do those things for you, I did them for me. So I can feel better about myself. So I feel justified in telling myself that I am not what he made me, that I am somewhat more.

'But, I'm a lier Grayson, it's my nature, and I'm not fooling anyone.'

'Fine, you're a lier. I'll accept that. But you forget, so am I.  You don't think I ever do this selfishly, you don't think sometimes I just want to quit it, run away? You don't think I lie to everyone I met about where I am, what I'm doing and who I am? These things don't make you bad, they make you human.'

Her green eyes flashed in amusement, 'Human?', she scoffed

'You're more human than most.' Dick replied, not a hint of humour in his tone.

Bella faltered, her gaze lingering on him a second too long. Suddenly they were all too aware of the closeness they held to each other, the breath which brushed each other's cheeks.

Bella pulled herself back, turning her face from him. 'You should get some rest, we'll leave at dusk.'

'Your not going to sleep?'

She shook her head, 'I'm having a shower.' She seemed to make an extra effort not to look down at her bloody clothes.

'What about-.'

'Got it covered.' she grunted as she dragged her father out of the tub by his feet, and kicked him outside the small bathroom, his head leaning against the wall. 

'If he wakes up, hit him over the head with something hard.'