Letters From Jack
Remembering
When he walked back into the living room he was surprised to see all the lights out, and the curtains pulled blocking sunlight from entering the apartment. Zoey was lighting candles all around the room. He licked over his lips, and walked silently over to her. He planned on scaring her. He remembered how she used to jump when someone would sneak up behind her. Just as he was about to place his hands on her hips, and scare her, she turned around with a smirk.
"I knew you were there."
He smiled, "I was just going to scare you. . . like old times."
She reach down and grabbed his hand, and pulled him over to the couch. She sat down and then pulled him down with her. He looked at her, and could tell she wanted to ask him something. He sighed, "Go ahead, ask me."
"Why this, Jack?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you become the Joker?"
"I didn't have many choices, whose going to hire a freak with a smile sliced into his face?"
She cringed when he mentioned his scars. She felt like she was the reason for them. Even if she hadn't been the one to actually take the knife and run it across his flesh, she was still the reason they were there.
"You had options." She whispered.
"No, I didn't. I couldn't work in the public, people would be scared of me. I dropped out of high school, therefore I had no education. What were my options?"
"This is all my fault." She mumbled.
He had dropped out of high school so he could work two jobs to give her a better future for when she was old enough to move out with him. He had the scars because she left him. Everything turned out to be her fault in the end.
"It's not your fault. None of this is your fault. I quit school because I wanted to."
"Because of me though."
"Because I wanted to give you a good future. I planned on getting my GED when I was with you."
"What changed about that?"
"I had no reason to get it."
"Jack, how did you even get involved in this life?"
He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, "It wasn't too long after I got my scars. I had lost both of my jobs because I just wouldn't go in to work. I went out one night to apply for some jobs at a few different places and that's where I met a man named Victor Moore. He pulled me into an alley, and offered me a job. It was small. I just had to take a man a box. I got paid two hundred dollars for that gig. Eventually, I began working for Victor more and more. I landed some bigger jobs, and eventually I learned that he was ripping off the mobs, among other things. Then I got the idea that I would become a criminal as well. I had nothing else going for me. Though, I didn't want to go as Jack Napier. . ."
"Why not? Why create a guy named The Joker?"
"Because. . . if you ever came back, I didn't want you to be disappointed in me." He said in a low voice.
She shook her head, "I could never be disappointed in you." She said, leaning over and kissing him softly on the lips.
He sighed, and tugged her body closer to him, and placed his hands on the back of her neck, deepening the kiss. He was finally ready to open up to her a hundred percent. He was done holding back. He knew he didn't ever fall out of love with her. He loved her, and he always would. The passion in this kiss could not be ignored. Her lips seemed to fit against his perfectly.
Zoey kissed him deeper, and felt every ounce of love she had for this man. She smiled into the kiss remembering how he had once kissed her. Jack was still the same after all this years.
Her eyes flew open, and she pulled away from him. Her hand covered her mouth and tears were now flowing out of her eyes. Jack looked at her petrified. Had she realized how dangerous this was?
"Zoey?"
"Jack!" She said, tossing her arms around his neck and clinging to him. He didn't know what to do, so he just stayed there, and allowed her to sob on his shirt.
"I love you Jack, I love you so fucking much." She said, between her sobs. He immediately tensed up.
"What?" He asked.
"I remember." She said, backing away and looking at him. "I remember everything. I remember every kiss, every touch, every letter, every moment we spent together. You pushed me on the swing. You gave me my locket and my ring on your grandmother's front porch. You snuck in my window late at night just to tell me you loved me. You tutored me in Math so I wouldn't get grounded. I remember everything."
He just starred at her for a couple of moments, completely blown away. How did one kiss bring up those memories? He swallowed hard and then looked at her. She had told him she loved him.
"You don't still love me." He stated.
"I do." She whispered, moving herself even closer to him. She was practically in his lap, with her arms around his neck, "I love you more than anything. That's why I never felt comfortable getting close to another man. It's because I already had who I wanted. I love you, Jack. I do."
"Zoey. . ."
"I'm not asking you to say it back, I'm just telling you. I love you, and I remember everything."
He sighed, "Zoey. . ."
He looked at her and watched as she nervously licked over her lips. He then smiled, "I. . . I. . ." He had admitted it to himself mentally, but could he say it out loud now? "I lo--love. . . you too." He said, saying those words out loud for the first time in many years. The last person he had said them to had actually been her.
She smiled, and then leaned in and molded her lips against his yet again.
"I knew you were there."
He smiled, "I was just going to scare you. . . like old times."
She reach down and grabbed his hand, and pulled him over to the couch. She sat down and then pulled him down with her. He looked at her, and could tell she wanted to ask him something. He sighed, "Go ahead, ask me."
"Why this, Jack?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you become the Joker?"
"I didn't have many choices, whose going to hire a freak with a smile sliced into his face?"
She cringed when he mentioned his scars. She felt like she was the reason for them. Even if she hadn't been the one to actually take the knife and run it across his flesh, she was still the reason they were there.
"You had options." She whispered.
"No, I didn't. I couldn't work in the public, people would be scared of me. I dropped out of high school, therefore I had no education. What were my options?"
"This is all my fault." She mumbled.
He had dropped out of high school so he could work two jobs to give her a better future for when she was old enough to move out with him. He had the scars because she left him. Everything turned out to be her fault in the end.
"It's not your fault. None of this is your fault. I quit school because I wanted to."
"Because of me though."
"Because I wanted to give you a good future. I planned on getting my GED when I was with you."
"What changed about that?"
"I had no reason to get it."
"Jack, how did you even get involved in this life?"
He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, "It wasn't too long after I got my scars. I had lost both of my jobs because I just wouldn't go in to work. I went out one night to apply for some jobs at a few different places and that's where I met a man named Victor Moore. He pulled me into an alley, and offered me a job. It was small. I just had to take a man a box. I got paid two hundred dollars for that gig. Eventually, I began working for Victor more and more. I landed some bigger jobs, and eventually I learned that he was ripping off the mobs, among other things. Then I got the idea that I would become a criminal as well. I had nothing else going for me. Though, I didn't want to go as Jack Napier. . ."
"Why not? Why create a guy named The Joker?"
"Because. . . if you ever came back, I didn't want you to be disappointed in me." He said in a low voice.
She shook her head, "I could never be disappointed in you." She said, leaning over and kissing him softly on the lips.
He sighed, and tugged her body closer to him, and placed his hands on the back of her neck, deepening the kiss. He was finally ready to open up to her a hundred percent. He was done holding back. He knew he didn't ever fall out of love with her. He loved her, and he always would. The passion in this kiss could not be ignored. Her lips seemed to fit against his perfectly.
Zoey kissed him deeper, and felt every ounce of love she had for this man. She smiled into the kiss remembering how he had once kissed her. Jack was still the same after all this years.
Her eyes flew open, and she pulled away from him. Her hand covered her mouth and tears were now flowing out of her eyes. Jack looked at her petrified. Had she realized how dangerous this was?
"Zoey?"
"Jack!" She said, tossing her arms around his neck and clinging to him. He didn't know what to do, so he just stayed there, and allowed her to sob on his shirt.
"I love you Jack, I love you so fucking much." She said, between her sobs. He immediately tensed up.
"What?" He asked.
"I remember." She said, backing away and looking at him. "I remember everything. I remember every kiss, every touch, every letter, every moment we spent together. You pushed me on the swing. You gave me my locket and my ring on your grandmother's front porch. You snuck in my window late at night just to tell me you loved me. You tutored me in Math so I wouldn't get grounded. I remember everything."
He just starred at her for a couple of moments, completely blown away. How did one kiss bring up those memories? He swallowed hard and then looked at her. She had told him she loved him.
"You don't still love me." He stated.
"I do." She whispered, moving herself even closer to him. She was practically in his lap, with her arms around his neck, "I love you more than anything. That's why I never felt comfortable getting close to another man. It's because I already had who I wanted. I love you, Jack. I do."
"Zoey. . ."
"I'm not asking you to say it back, I'm just telling you. I love you, and I remember everything."
He sighed, "Zoey. . ."
He looked at her and watched as she nervously licked over her lips. He then smiled, "I. . . I. . ." He had admitted it to himself mentally, but could he say it out loud now? "I lo--love. . . you too." He said, saying those words out loud for the first time in many years. The last person he had said them to had actually been her.
She smiled, and then leaned in and molded her lips against his yet again.
♠ ♠ ♠
