Alphabet Soup Table - 1. Anticipate - Batman
Title: Their Spring
Author: Kat Lee
Fandom: Batman
Character/Pairing: Harley/Ivy
Rating: PG/K+
Challenge/Prompt: FemSlash100100 Alphabet Soup: Anticipate
Warning(s): None
Word Count: 1,204
Date Written: 22 March, 2016
Summary:
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to DC Comics, not the author, and are used without permission.
She shivers as she shuts the door to the outside world. Every one was disappointed today, and for a change, she could actually relate. Every one had been feeling better the last few weeks. It felt like Spring had finally arrived in Gotham City, but as nice and warm as they days have been, it was as though Freeze had taken one of his ice guns to the whole city today. She had been cold all day, even the warmth of the radiator in her office had done little to chase the icy fingers of Winter from inside her blood and bones.
Harley shivers, still trembling, and reaches a hand up to dust the snowflakes from her blonde hair. "It's snowing again," she calls to Ivy, pouting. She was so ready for Spring! She had been cart wheeling in the park just two days ago, and they had made plans to see the circus as soon as it arrived in the city. The days were longer, the sun was warmer, and everything somehow seemed more beautiful. But then the snow came again last night, sneaking in quietly like a thief to steal the joy from them all.
There are bits and pieces Harley remembers from her education and experiences as a psychiatrist. Her mind is vastly different now than it was then. She's overheard some people, especially the dirty Bat, remark on how shameful it is than she's lost her intellect, but she hasn't lost it. She just chooses not to always use it, but she remembers well her mindset from those days. She can almost say now even that snow always comes into every life.
But heat is flushing over Harley's freezing face. Her fingers no longer feel numb, and warmth is spreading through her body. She looks up just as her best friend arrives and carefully scoops the plant from her arms. It's just an ordinary house plant, but it was one of the first gifts Ivy surprised her with at her new office. In Ivy's hands, the dying plant immediately begins to flourish again, its little leaves lifting toward her beautiful face.
Harley likewise feels her own self lifting toward her girlfriend. She's smiling again, something Red was the first one to do after the Joker hurt her so much. The Batman wants to say she chose to chase after him, and perhaps she did. Perhaps she was blinded by the Joker, but he broke her much as the ice that was once water in her plant's pot had tried to do to it. But just as Ivy is now doing for her plant, she, too, healed Harley.
Harley pushes away from the door. She's no longer cold and instead feels warmth again spreading throughout her body. She moves through their shared apartment, stepping carefully over wines and other plant tendrils. She removes her gloves first, one finger at a time, and lets them drop to the floor. A vine lifts them and puts them onto the nearest table.
Her jacket and cap are the next things to go, and soon Harley is stepping out of her heavy boots, too. She drops her socks, and the plants whisk them away, too. It's nice to have vines to do the housework for you, but then everything about living with Ivy is nice. The world outside is cold, but inside, they're warm, toasty, and free. They can do whatever they choose, think whatever they choose, and there is no condemnation here.
Harley's bare toes wriggle in the dirt. Their apartment doesn't even look like an apartment, she thinks, glancing around. From the plants stretching out of the top of the skylight to the premium dirt that covers their floor, it looks much more like a fancy greenhouse. Harley tilts her face up toward the sun, and suddenly, she can feel Spring again.
Winter's gone, perhaps not entirely, certainly not outside, but here, in their little space, Winter is gone. It has been for months. Ivy keeps the whole place warm. She keeps her plants warm, and she dotes on Harley almost as sweetly as she does her favorite plants. She's watching now, as Harley's toes wriggle in the dirt. She's anticipated this moment all day, but coming home feels even better than she thought it would.
She squeals suddenly and rolls into a cartwheel. Then she's flipping through their apartment, the beat of circus drums pounding a rhythm in her head and heart. She hears Ivy laugh, but she's not laughing at her. It's also not a cruel laugh. It's a sound of joy and of love, and soon, Ivy's plants are chasing along with Harley.
The redhead watches them as they soar together through their apartment that takes up the whole top level of their building. The landlord never comes calling any more, but Harley never considers it. Ivy doesn't have, too, because she knows the landlord isn't able to come calling. She made sure of that the first day they moved in. This is their space, and no one, not the cold of Winter or the chill of man, will ever again enter their domain.
Harley's laughter makes Ivy smile. She's the only human in the world the redhead trusts. She'd wipe the rest of them from the face of her planet, if she could, but she'll always keep Harley around. She'll keep her around to make her smile, to make her laugh, and to love her. She'll keep her around to dote on her, too, because there are few things in this life she enjoys more than doting on her girlfriend. Harley's innocence is tainted, by the Joker, by the Bat, and by the real world, but at heart, she's still an innocent. Ivy will protect her innocence just as she will protect her plans: until the very end.
But here, in this space, they don't need to think about any of that. They don't have to consider what the world has done to them or what it will still do if given a chance to reach them. Ivy won't let them have that chance, though, she swears again, as new thorns grow over the outside of their door. No one will reach them here ever. She'll let Harley go out again when she's ready, but no force will ever reach them inside her domain.
She's waiting when her vines drop Harley into her lap. More of her vines catch her and hold the squirming blonde still. Ivy leans up, even as Harley's trying to break free so she can keep flipping, and kisses her lips. Anything that might have still held to the cold or doubt is melted by that simple, passionate kiss. Harley grins against her lips, her blue eyes sparkling with the joy Ivy gives her. "You know I love you, babe."
"I know," Ivy replies softly, grinning in response, and gently touching the beautiful face of the woman she cherishes. "I love you, too, and I've got you, Harley. Always." The world can't reach them here. The Joker and the Bat can't find them. Here, in her domain, they'll stay and love and always, always be safe and warm where the Spring of their love lasts eternally.
The End
Author: Kat Lee
Fandom: Batman
Character/Pairing: Harley/Ivy
Rating: PG/K+
Challenge/Prompt: FemSlash100100 Alphabet Soup: Anticipate
Warning(s): None
Word Count: 1,204
Date Written: 22 March, 2016
Summary:
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to DC Comics, not the author, and are used without permission.
She shivers as she shuts the door to the outside world. Every one was disappointed today, and for a change, she could actually relate. Every one had been feeling better the last few weeks. It felt like Spring had finally arrived in Gotham City, but as nice and warm as they days have been, it was as though Freeze had taken one of his ice guns to the whole city today. She had been cold all day, even the warmth of the radiator in her office had done little to chase the icy fingers of Winter from inside her blood and bones.
Harley shivers, still trembling, and reaches a hand up to dust the snowflakes from her blonde hair. "It's snowing again," she calls to Ivy, pouting. She was so ready for Spring! She had been cart wheeling in the park just two days ago, and they had made plans to see the circus as soon as it arrived in the city. The days were longer, the sun was warmer, and everything somehow seemed more beautiful. But then the snow came again last night, sneaking in quietly like a thief to steal the joy from them all.
There are bits and pieces Harley remembers from her education and experiences as a psychiatrist. Her mind is vastly different now than it was then. She's overheard some people, especially the dirty Bat, remark on how shameful it is than she's lost her intellect, but she hasn't lost it. She just chooses not to always use it, but she remembers well her mindset from those days. She can almost say now even that snow always comes into every life.
But heat is flushing over Harley's freezing face. Her fingers no longer feel numb, and warmth is spreading through her body. She looks up just as her best friend arrives and carefully scoops the plant from her arms. It's just an ordinary house plant, but it was one of the first gifts Ivy surprised her with at her new office. In Ivy's hands, the dying plant immediately begins to flourish again, its little leaves lifting toward her beautiful face.
Harley likewise feels her own self lifting toward her girlfriend. She's smiling again, something Red was the first one to do after the Joker hurt her so much. The Batman wants to say she chose to chase after him, and perhaps she did. Perhaps she was blinded by the Joker, but he broke her much as the ice that was once water in her plant's pot had tried to do to it. But just as Ivy is now doing for her plant, she, too, healed Harley.
Harley pushes away from the door. She's no longer cold and instead feels warmth again spreading throughout her body. She moves through their shared apartment, stepping carefully over wines and other plant tendrils. She removes her gloves first, one finger at a time, and lets them drop to the floor. A vine lifts them and puts them onto the nearest table.
Her jacket and cap are the next things to go, and soon Harley is stepping out of her heavy boots, too. She drops her socks, and the plants whisk them away, too. It's nice to have vines to do the housework for you, but then everything about living with Ivy is nice. The world outside is cold, but inside, they're warm, toasty, and free. They can do whatever they choose, think whatever they choose, and there is no condemnation here.
Harley's bare toes wriggle in the dirt. Their apartment doesn't even look like an apartment, she thinks, glancing around. From the plants stretching out of the top of the skylight to the premium dirt that covers their floor, it looks much more like a fancy greenhouse. Harley tilts her face up toward the sun, and suddenly, she can feel Spring again.
Winter's gone, perhaps not entirely, certainly not outside, but here, in their little space, Winter is gone. It has been for months. Ivy keeps the whole place warm. She keeps her plants warm, and she dotes on Harley almost as sweetly as she does her favorite plants. She's watching now, as Harley's toes wriggle in the dirt. She's anticipated this moment all day, but coming home feels even better than she thought it would.
She squeals suddenly and rolls into a cartwheel. Then she's flipping through their apartment, the beat of circus drums pounding a rhythm in her head and heart. She hears Ivy laugh, but she's not laughing at her. It's also not a cruel laugh. It's a sound of joy and of love, and soon, Ivy's plants are chasing along with Harley.
The redhead watches them as they soar together through their apartment that takes up the whole top level of their building. The landlord never comes calling any more, but Harley never considers it. Ivy doesn't have, too, because she knows the landlord isn't able to come calling. She made sure of that the first day they moved in. This is their space, and no one, not the cold of Winter or the chill of man, will ever again enter their domain.
Harley's laughter makes Ivy smile. She's the only human in the world the redhead trusts. She'd wipe the rest of them from the face of her planet, if she could, but she'll always keep Harley around. She'll keep her around to make her smile, to make her laugh, and to love her. She'll keep her around to dote on her, too, because there are few things in this life she enjoys more than doting on her girlfriend. Harley's innocence is tainted, by the Joker, by the Bat, and by the real world, but at heart, she's still an innocent. Ivy will protect her innocence just as she will protect her plans: until the very end.
But here, in this space, they don't need to think about any of that. They don't have to consider what the world has done to them or what it will still do if given a chance to reach them. Ivy won't let them have that chance, though, she swears again, as new thorns grow over the outside of their door. No one will reach them here ever. She'll let Harley go out again when she's ready, but no force will ever reach them inside her domain.
She's waiting when her vines drop Harley into her lap. More of her vines catch her and hold the squirming blonde still. Ivy leans up, even as Harley's trying to break free so she can keep flipping, and kisses her lips. Anything that might have still held to the cold or doubt is melted by that simple, passionate kiss. Harley grins against her lips, her blue eyes sparkling with the joy Ivy gives her. "You know I love you, babe."
"I know," Ivy replies softly, grinning in response, and gently touching the beautiful face of the woman she cherishes. "I love you, too, and I've got you, Harley. Always." The world can't reach them here. The Joker and the Bat can't find them. Here, in her domain, they'll stay and love and always, always be safe and warm where the Spring of their love lasts eternally.
The End