To the Point of Obsession

I was sitting on the bench for the organ, pretending to be reading some piano music that I was pretending I knew how to play. Doug was sitting in one of the benches beside me, staring longingly at the Joker and the clowns in the sanctuary.

"Doug, you can go with them," I repeated for the, what seemed like, thousandth time.

"I'm babysitting you, remember?" he answered again.

I sighed and looked back at the music. I wasn't completely lying about the reading; I had taken piano lessons when I was ten. I stopped when I was fifteen though. After finding one simple enough for me to play, I turned on the organ and started playing it. I immediately stopped due to the loud noise emitted from the big pipes. The talk below stopped as I yelled, "That is freaking cool!"

There was an awkward silence when I knew one of the clowns was complaining about why I was kept around, and I counted the seconds off before a gunshot would ring out in the large church. I was a second off, but kept on playing. I had no idea what it was called, but the music was pretty. It sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't find the name anywhere on the paper.

While I was playing, I hadn't noticed that the Joker had stopped talking and was behind me. "Are you trying to give me a hint?" he asked.

I jumped a foot and turned around. "What?"

"The Wedding Song?" he asked, walking towards me.

"That was the song!" I said, knowing instantaneously what song I had been playing.

He looked at me. "Well?"

"Oh. No," I smiled, jumping off the bench. "This seriously is the most amazing hideout ever, J."

"You don't want to marry me?" he asked, staring straight through my eyes.

I heard Doug walk away when I answered, "Well, I do, but…" I decided to stop talking and looked down. I examined the dingy floor and did my best to ignore Jack's eyes staring through the top of my head.

Jack's phone buzzed and I looked up when he answered it. He closed his eyes as the other end told him what was going on. He hung up without saying a word, but met my eyes. "We're leaving soon," he said.

"That's good, right?" I asked. I was unsure of what exactly they were doing, but I caught on to a little bit of 'semi, bazooka, and fire.' It sounded fun.

He shrugged, "Is it?"

"Do you think Dent is Batman, even at all?" I asked, sitting next to him.

"I don't know," he shrugged again.

I sighed. "Do you want me to say yes?" I asked, looking over at his clown-like profile.

He looked at me.

"Because yes, I will marry you, if that'll make you smile."

He smiled slightly. "You always have me smiling," he joked.

I kissed him, tangling my shaking hands around his neck. I frowned as he pulled away from me, grabbing my hands.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking at my hands.

I shrugged. "If anything happens to you, I won't be able to help."

"I'll make sure nothing happens."

I breathed out, mad at his sureness. "Still-"

"Shush," he said, bringing his lips to mine again. It scared me because I knew he was
worried beneath his faked security.

After what seemed like minutes, a voice from the staircase yelled up, "We're ready, Boss!"
Jack pulled away and smiled at me. "I'll be back before that smile has a chance to leave your lips," he smiled. He kissed the left corner of my lip, and I knew he was referring to the small scar that he made just after I met him. He kissed me once before walking away to the stairs.

I stayed put, knowing if I went downstairs I'd just find a way to follow him. I really wanted to make sure he was okay, but I knew he wanted me to stay.

I heard all the other clowns leave, and Jack yelled up at me, "Oh, and Dahl?"

I poked my head out over the railing to see him. "Yeah?"

"I love you."

I smiled; his words making my legs feel like jelly. I nodded at him, watching him as he walked out of the church.