Disclaimer: The Dark Knight, Batman & The Joker are sadly not mine. *crie*

Beta: Me, Myself & I.

A/N: Wrote this about forever and a couple hundred years ago and kept forgetting to upload it here. This isn't completely finished in the sense that the fik as a whole still has no set direction at the moment, however I feel this can stand as is on its own, even if it does kind of end abruptly.

Reviews are love and makes the world go round, so please if you liked, let me know.

By A Thread

"Joker." A light puff of barely there breath against the shell of an ear, soft green curls stirring at the warm touch.

Bruce feels his lips twitch, almost tempted into a smile as the man beside him mumbles unintelligibly in his sleep and burrows his nose further into his pillow.

Hmmm... Leaning downward Bruce places a light kiss on one prominent shoulder blade, repeating the Joker's name against that too pale skin. A light growl is his only response before the Joker hunches his shoulders inward, yanking the covers up to cover them.

Bruce does smile at this, scooting closer to align himself with the slighter man under the covers, letting his hand, which had been resting on the Joker's hip trail slightly downwards until fingertips rest against soft curls, flexing them so that his nails scrap rhythmically against the sensitive area.

"I'm going to kill you."

Words smothered by the pillow Bruce barely catches the threat, but he does and his smile widens as he once more leans down to place his lips against the back of the other mans neck, breathing in the scent of him. "No you're not."

The Joker growls beneath him, his shoulders twitching in irritation and succeeding in their mission to get him to back off. Bruce's hand, however is quite content to continue in its endeavors and the Joker either too tired or uncaring, makes no move to stop him. "Hmm... Go away Not Bat."

Not intentionally, no, but Bruce does falter at the softly grumbled words. 'Not Bat.' He would never admit it, but it hurt, deeply hurt, to know that the man he lo... that the Joker would never see him as anyone other than 'Batman', that Bruce himself was only tolerated. To know that even with him, someone who professed to being his other half, Bruce could never be complete, never truly be a part of their world.

Sighing quietly Bruce leans over the Joker, brushing his lips against the side of the other mans jaw, ghosting them up and along the Joker's scars, barely feeling them move as the rugged flesh is pulled taunt as the Joker no doubtlessly scowls unseen into his pillow. His previous sullenness forgotten Bruce moves on to nibble on the shell of the Joker's ear before nipping and pulling lightly. He was nothing if not persistent. "Joker."

"What?"

Satisfied Bruce smirks into the Jokers hair, his fingers trailing lower until they encounter soft flesh and with no conscious thought of his own, begin a long, slow rhythm that was a far cry from his usual fare. "Why me?"

With an irritated huff the other man forces Bruce to back off slightly as the Joker repositions himself so that he's lying more or less on his side, instead of under Bruce, his back leaning flush against Bruce's chest as his long legs shift slightly to allow the larger man's hand more room to move. The more open position aside Bruce could still feel the irritation thrumming through the slighter body, still hear it in the sleep fogged voice. "Why you what?"

Hesitating, suddenly unsure of his question or the want of an answer Bruce studies the man beside him, his eyes tracing the smeared patterns in the Jokers makeup, his attempts to get the other man to remove it the previous night having been futile, as they usually were. His eyes lingering, wanting to see the Joker's expression Bruce swallows. "Why did you choose me?"

Regretting the words immediately Bruce's brows furrow as what could only pass as a grimace flitted over the Joker's features, his green eyes slitting open to peer sideways up at him before closing again, his words thick and with a barely noticed undercurrent of bitterness. "I didn't."

The same sadness as before comes back to pull at Bruce once again. Perhaps the Joker had misunderstood his question? Sighing Bruce unconsciously pulls the other man closer, his own sense of bitterness filling his words. "Batman then. Why did you choose him?"

Sighing the Joker reaches down, removing Bruce's hand before turning so that he can properly face the other. "I didn't choose either one of you."

Perplexed Bruce reaches up to brush stray strands of green from the Joker's eyes. "I don't understand."

Licking his lips the Joker's eyes catch Bruce's briefly before lowering, his voice filled with an undercurrent of emotion that Bruce couldn't identity but knew, knew was not of his Joker. "You chose me. I'm just ah, I'm just hanging on."