leaf me alone.

the date

#harley 002 #( harley quinn )

inky-harley:

“Oh and boy is that true! I got my first when I was 18 and haven’t stopped gettin’ ‘em since! Of course my first one was pretty small but even so.” Harley giggled and then pulled arranged the drawings out on the desk so that they could all be seen side by side. They were varying sizes but none exceeded 5 inches in length. She didn’t want to scare Ivy off after all. Not to mention that she knew that she she could make them bigger or smaller on command. Detail work on small pieces was never a problem for Harley. Her specialty was her line and detail work.

“So yeah! I did a few different styles. I kept your skin tone in mind as well as flower meaning but I can do pretty much any flower ya want. These are just…well they are just sort of mock ups. The vines are poison ivy. A little…on the nose maybe but I thought they looked beautiful and plus there is just something so interesting about a beautiful play that also protects itself ya know!” by the end of her sentence Harley was bouncing around. She hadn’t noticed and immediately calmed herself a little and chuckled to herself.

Barbara had been watching and shook her head with a laugh. Everyone at the shop was used to Harley at that point. Many of them had known her for years by then.

“Just some ideas to play around with. I’m always happy to draw more if you have any ideas or even to just freehand and see what comes up. Of course I’d only actually tattoo it if you liked it.”

Harley’s giggle made him laugh a little. It was easy to see that she loved what she did, and he appreciated that. There weren’t a lot of people around Gotham that seemed to be doing something that they genuinely loved, so it was nice to see someone else who had found their little niche. And he silently hoped that he might be able to fit into her niche too.

He looked down at the drawing as Harley laid them all out on the table in front of them. They were all gorgeous. So much so that he was only able to stand there in silence for a second as he looked at them. The ivy was beautiful. It was exactly what he wanted, what he needed, really, and her explanation of the reasoning was how he felt. It was strange that she understood him so well, after only meeting him the other day.

“Harley. I... I love them all. Especially the poison ivy. It’s beautiful. Maybe you could do that? Except bigger, maybe even around my whole arm?” he suggested, trying not to get too excited by the prospect. “God, it’s just so perfect. How did you know?”

the date

#harley 002 #( harley quinn )

inky-harley:

“I know isn’t it? Babs did a great job on it! She built this sucker from the ground up…well remodeled it at least. She’s a dang genius that girl.” Harley giggled and then blew a kiss to Barbara who turned and looked at her when her name was mentioned. The woman in question simply smiled and then turned in her chair and made her way back to what she was doing.

“And thank you” somehow Harley had the decency to blush at Ivy’s compliment. It was the first time in a while that she felt truly complimented. Most other times when people mentioned her appearance it was less…innocent. It felt good to be complimented, especially by Ivy.

“And no worries, I honestly love doing drawings. Especially when I’m inspired, I made a very different designs, some more science-y ones from botanical books, some in my style and I also made some vine designs. The shop was so beautiful and the knowledge you had just really…inspired me. You obviously don’t have to go with any of these if you get a tattoo, these were just….ideas really.” Harley trailed off realizing that she had started to ramble.

He liked listening to Harley talk. Everything she said, she said with such excitement and enthusiasm, which was rare to find in a place like Gotham. And everyone else in the shop seemed just as genuine and kind as Harley was. It made him wonder how they had managed to find so many people that shared these feelings.

It made him wish he had a place like this, with people like this. Funny, he usually didn’t want to be around anybody, considering how bad things had gone before when he let himself get close to people. But Harley was different. He could already tell that.

And he wasn’t just being cliché.

“I’m sure I’ll love whatever you’ve come up with! I don’t really know what I’m looking for, so maybe I’ll end up having to go for a few. I’ve been told that once you get one, you’ll want another immediately,” he said with a little laugh. “Show me what you’ve got!”

the date

#harley 002 #( harley quinn )#THAT OUTFIT THO

inky-harley:

Harley had been excited about the date from the moment the plan was made. She had practically bounced all the way to her daughter’s school and then home. Despite normally not telling her daughter about these sort of things she had decided that it was alright just that once. Romina had been very excited for her and decided that whoever had made the beautiful flower arrangement was worthy of her mom. Having her daughter’s blessing had only made the whole event that much more exciting for her.

On the day of the actual date Harley had spent more time than usual getting ready, which was really saying something. The previous night she had gone through several outfits with her daughter before finally landing on the perfect one. It was very representative of her but suitable for a first date, well at least in her mind.

The moment her friends saw her they knew something was up. Harley explained, not being able to keep her mouth shut about it. Not to mention that Selina already knew and had offered to take care of Romi for her. So she figured it would be cruel not to tell the others. They were all excited for her and promised to act cool.

The second Ivy arrived it was like a chain reaction. All of the girls at the shop motioned to each other until it got to Harley who was in the back on the drawing table. Without even thinking about it Harley popped up and made her way to the front to Ivy.

“Hiya! I was just working on that design we talked about. Wanna see before we head out?” she smiled brightly and grabbed his hand before he could answer and lead him to where she had been working on several different flower designs.

He barely had a second to look around before Harley appeared in front of him, grabbing his hand and leading him back towards the rear of the shop. Overwhelmed was one way to put it, but in a good way. The feeling of her hand in his made his cheeks heat up, and he was glad that she was leading him onward so that maybe she wouldn’t notice.

Harley looked... she looked fantastic. Ivy couldn’t help but be a little self conscious of what he was wearing, just a floral button down and white skinny jeans, but he was more distracted by how good she looked. So much so that he barely even noticed the other artists looking at them as Harley led him onward, a few giggles and whispers from the girls as they watched Harley pull him through the shop.

“Yeah! I’d love to see it. I can’t believe you’ve already started on it, I can only imagine that you’re busy over here,” he said, taking in the art on the walls even as she pulled him back.

“This shop is amazing, by the way.... And, uh, also you look really nice,” he said, a little quiet, slightly embarrassed by how affected he was.

the date

@inky-harley

It was funny just how nervous he was for something that was supposed to be casual. But it was a big combination of factors. He’d never once set foot in a tattoo parlor, for one, even just too look around, and his preference for floral button downs and white skinny jeans made him stick out like a sore thumb inside one. But more than that, he was nervous to see Harley again, even if she had been just as enthusiastic as he was to meet up at the tattoo parlor to show him some of her drawings before heading out to a nice dinner.

Dinner. He was going to have dinner with her. And it was almost certainly a date. The very thought made him nearly turn back around and go home, even though he was nearly at the tattoo shop.

The last time he had been on a date was when he was still in school. He’d tried to date a guy after the incident, which had been fine for a while, until it was suddenly completely and utterly not fine, thanks to the bastard being a lying, transphobic cheater. And before that… Ivy shuddered just thinking of that. So this was a big deal. A really, really big deal. But it felt worth it. Harley was different. She seemed to have the same sort of fears that he did. The same hesitance that he did. And maybe, just maybe, that meant that things would work out.

So he took a deep breath, and pushed through the front door of the tattoo place, looking around for Harley.

#( harley quinn )#harley 002

Starting Over

#harley 001 #( harley quinn )#THE END!!!#i'll put up starter for the next one soon :)

inky-harley:

“I think that sounds lovely. I’m sure she would love that. She already loves reorganizing her toys, her trucks go in many different arrangements and so do her video games and other toys. It really depends on the mood shes in.” Harley laughed and held the vase carefully. She knew that they vase would become a permanent part of their home, something new from a new friend. Harley was completely sentimental about things like that.

“It’s a date.” she said it without hesitation and smiled not caring about the implication or anything. This was her being impulsive again and she knew that maybe it wasn’t a fantastic idea but what was the harm. Ivy didn’t seem like anyone else she knew. He hadn’t immediately hit on her, assumed anything about her, or been rude. Ivy was a big change from who she was used to and she enjoyed it. There was no harm in trying out whatever this might turn out to be.

“You’ll have to pick though because so far I only know the places Selena has taken me and those are mostly bars” Harley laughed and then put the vase down carefully. She pulled out her wallet remembering that she needed to pay.

“Oh and before I forget. How much do I owe ya for this amazing arrangement.”

There the blush was again. The mention of a date, something he hadn’t done in a long time, was a bit terrifying, but also terribly exciting with her. She was nothing like anyone else he’d ever been attracted to, and it made him alright with the implication. More than alright with it actually. He was already thinking of places he could take her, things he wanted to show her. The thrill of meeting someone new and wanting to see them again was an unfamiliar one after being alone for so long, but welcomed.

When she asked how much it was, Ivy gave a bit of a shrug. This seemed right to him.

“Don’t worry about this one. It’s not a very expensive arrangement, anyway, and my boss won’t know any different, since she’s rarely around nowadays anyway. You’ve made my day a little brighter with your visit, consider this me saying thank you. Your daughter deserves something special,” Ivy said, waving away her wallet, and following her towards the door. “I promise I’ll give you a call later about this weekend.”

It had been a long time since he’d been so adamant about keeping a promise, but this one was one he knew he’d keep. Harley was different in the best way possible, and he wasn’t going to be the one to give up a chance like that.

Starting Over

#harley 001 #( harley quinn )#probs end this thread soon?

inky-harley:

Harley shifted and grew slightly uncomfortable at the question of if she was a doctor. It wasn’t that it was an intrusive question, it just brought up a lot of bad memories for her. She was a doctor, at least by degree. After everything with J she had lost her license and just didn’t have the heart to ever get it back. There was a deep shame in her, a part of her that didn’t think she deserved to be called such despite all her hard work. She had messed up, big time.

“Somethin’ like that” she said evasively with a nervous laugh. She didn’t want to lie but at the same time she didn’t want to talk about it. Ever, if possible.

“Yeah! I’ll try to bring her when she gets off of school. She comes to the shop with me sometimes so I’m sure it won’t be that hard. I’m sure she’d love to visit this place. I’ll be sure to take her to the Botanical gardens too!” she pushed onto the next subject and smiled at Ivy trying her best to just forget the whole doctor thing. The subject left her chest aching just slightly and she wanted to forget. The point of her new life was to be happy and she would do just that.

“She’s ganna love these flowers. Thanks so much Ivy!” Harley admired the flowers and smiled really genuinely. The vase looked so incredible and the flowers looked almost more vibrant than Harley had ever seen them.

“You have’ta promise to come to the shop okay! I’m ganna draw you the most amazing designs for you to pick from! You’ll look even more beautiful I promise!”

He could tell immediately that the whole doctor thing was a tough topic for her, as well, for some unknown reason, so he was glad not to push it, even if he did wonder what she was feeling. It seemed too personal, though, and he wasn’t one to try to pry, especially with someone he had only just met. It didn’t help that Harley seemed as uncomfortable with the topic as he was, so it was very easy to appreciate Harley’s change of subject.

“We don’t really get that many customers, so maybe I could even show her how to make an arrangement when you bring her in,” Ivy said with a smile, glad to accept the change of subject. He gave the flowers one last adjustment before sliding the vase towards Harley. “You’re welcome! It is my job, after all...” he laughed, the blush still there seeing how much she really did seem to appreciate the vase.

“And I promise to come by! I’m off this weekend, so maybe I can come by sometime then?” he offered. “At least to look around, see what you can come up with. And, uh, maybe we could even get lunch or something... I don’t really know many people around, it could be nice to go out with someone,” Ivy said, before realizing just what he had said, “As friends, of course!” he amended.

Starting Over

inky-harley:

“Well it’s always good to have something ya love like that! I had gymnastics when I was a kid. I still practice it with my little girl. Could’a probably gone to the Olympics or something but things don’t always work it. It’s alright though! I ended up studying psychology! I really loved it but well, life sorta got in the way.” Harley explained it all in a happy tone. She didn’t want to get into the reason she stopped. She didn’t want to explain that she threw her career away from a stupid green haired asshole.

“I think you should do it if that’s what ya want! It’s never too late to chase your dreams. I don’t think so at least!” she leaned against the counter on her elbows and smiled at Ivy, her eyes sparkling. This was the first time since she had moved that she had felt comfortable with someone knew. After everything that had happened she thought it would have been hard for her to feel even remotely comfortable with a stranger. Yet here she was practically telling the cute florist her entire story.

“The flowers look beautiful. My little girl’s really ganna love ‘em!” Harley admired the vase for a moment as she tried to think of where she would place it. As she thought, another idea popped into her brain and she sprang up.

“Oh! Before I forget.” she pulled out one of the tattoo shops business cards and wrote down her personal number and her name with a heart.

“Here’s my number” she presented it to him with a little hop.

Ivy smiled. It was nice to hear someone being so encouraging. To hear her own history, or at least a little part of it, made him think she would know better than anyone else. “That’s amazing. I’ve never been very flexible. And I’ve always been too tall for gymnastics, but it’s so amazing what people can do. Psychology, though... does that mean you’re a doctor?” Ivy asked suddenly timid.

It would’ve been a lie to say he wasn’t intimidated by doctors. There was a point where becoming a doctor had been his grand plan, but, just as it seemed to have happened with Harley, things had gotten in the way. He’d been to so many different doctors, made uncomfortable by so many doctors. Been betrayed by one specific doctor. Harley didn’t seem like any of them, though, she seemed more gentle, more understanding.

He was pretty certain he hadn’t stopped blushing since Harley first complimented him, and the sudden presentation of her phone number, her personal number scrawled on the back of her tattoo shop’s business cards, was enough to make it so he might not ever return to his rather translucent shade of pale. “I’ll be sure to use it, I promise,” he smiled, taking the card from her. He turned back to the flowers and adjusted one of the sunflowers. “Maybe next time you stop in, you can bring your daughter along too.”

Starting Over

inky-harley:

“I think she would love that. She really loves flowers. She would help her aunt take care of her garden back home. My sister was always a bit more of a nature person than me. That’s the only real thing I don’t like about the apartment is Romi’s so used to having a yard to play around in with her cousins so I’ve been taking her to the park a lot. Hopefully now that she’s in school she won’t feel so cooped up.” she stared in awe at the flowers knowing that they would look perfect in her daughter’s room. The decorations that they had already put up were all flowers along with her favorite monster posters.

“Maybe I can get ‘er some kinda indoor garden or somethin’ I guess I’d have to talk to her about it, see if that is something she would even like. Also maybe try to learn how to help her.” Harley giggled and bounced behind Ivy, watching what he did with the flowers.

“It’s amazing that you can do this! I woulda just thrown a mishmash of flowers together and called it a day.”

“The parks are great. There’s a fantastic public greenhouse in Robinson Park that you should take her to, if she likes flowers. They have some beautiful things in there.”

Ivy chose a vase, a nice light purple glass to match the flowers, as he listened to Harley talking about her daughter. He liked listening to her talk; she was very earnest and open, unlike most people in Gotham. It was a change he appreciated, although he wasn’t usually the most social of people.

“If she does seem interested, I’d be more than happy to help you figure out some potted plants for her, maybe a window box even. I could teach you how to take care of them, too. I always loved my mother’s garden as a kid; taking care of the plants was very relaxing, even when life wasn’t so kind. I guess it’s still sort of that way,” he said, realizing a moment too late that what he had said was strangely personal. The blush returned to his cheeks and he busied himself arranging the flowers he had pulled out in the vase. He had to calm his racing heart before he spoke again.

“There’s not much too it, really, just having an eye for the aesthetic. It’s not what I really want to do. I was studying to be a botanist before I moved to Gotham.”

Starting Over

inky-harley:

“Oh could ya!” Harley got excited at the prospect of a beautiful arrangement for her daughter. She hadn’t even really thought of that, in her head she had just planned on the flowers and maybe one of the toys Romina had been looking at. However she knew her daughter and this would surprise her even more. Especially since they were still in the process of decorating their apartment. She figured that the flowers would always be a nice touch.

“The flowers are for my little girl. She loves sunflowers and she just started a new school so I figured I’d give her a little surprise!” normally she wouldn’t have told a stranger about her daughter. Her little girl was still her best kept secret. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t proud of her or loved her, she just preferred to keep her safe. Especially in case her father came looking, she wanted nothing pointing him to them.

“Can other flowers go with those? I kinda always figured they went alone but I really don’t know nothin’ about flowers” Harley giggled as she bounced on her feet excited to see the florist at work.

For her little girl. She has a daughter. It was strange how that knowledge didn’t actually scare him off. He was only twenty-five, had only ever been in two relationships before swearing off them entirely, at least for a while, and here was this person he’d just met, who he was already thinking about in that way, telling him she had a daughter. And the thought actually excited him.

He wouldn’t admit it to most, but he’d always wanted a family of his own. His parents had never been very attentive, and once he transitioned that was the end of it completely. So Ivy had always looked forward to having his own kids one day. A dream that had ended during his masters. After that, in a way he’d accepted the flowers and plants that he surrounded himself with as his family; he didn’t think he could ever see another person like that after being hurt so badly.

And yet...

“Of course! I’d love to make an arrangement for her. Let’s see what we can find that she’d like,” he hummed, picking a few of the biggest sunflowers out before turning and looking around the store. Ivy gestured for her to follow him as he stared around, picking different flowers out on the way. “Usually people do just get them alone, but you can put other flowers with them! It’s really just about the aesthetic when you’re making arrangements. I’ve always loved how purple looks with yellow, so maybe some lilacs? With baby’s breath to accent, maybe.”

Starting Over

inky-harley:

The moment the words left his mouth Harley perked up. She had a special spot in her heart for tattoos with a purpose, especially a purpose so pure. This was what she always wanted to be. It was something she had never thought she would be able to do again since giving up on her dream to become a psychiatrist. Ever since J had ripped that from her, feeding her lies and pulling her away from everything she loved. With the exception of her daughter he had never done a single good thing for her. But she now had a chance to redeem herself.

“I would really love to help with that. It would be an honor actually. I’ll start working on it right away. I want you to feel as beautiful and powerful as I believe you are. I can see it in your eyes. I promise you’ll love what I make for you!” Harley clapped her hands around Ivy’s and bounced a little with excitement.

“We have completely strayed away from the topic of flowers” the small artist laughed out loud and then turned towards the sunflowers again.

Ivy couldn’t help but smile widely at how excited Harley seemed to be at the prospect of giving him his tattoo. Her words were beautiful, too. He’d never heard someone else talk about tattoos in that way, but it made this all feel even more important, somehow. He actually believed her when she said that she thought he was beautiful and powerful. How could this complete stranger somehow manage to know him better than anyone else he had ever met.

“Right, flowers. That is why you’re here, of course,” he said with a little laugh, before turning to the sunflowers and assessing the crop. “Are the flowers for you or for someone else? I could always make a special arrangement if you want...”

He couldn’t help but ask that question, his ulterior motives probably as clear as day to her. Real subtle, Ivy. But he had to know if he was getting his hopes up for nothing. Maybe Harley was just like this with everyone, and he was reading into the flirting more than he should have been.

Starting Over

inky-harley:

“I would love nothing more than to draw something pretty for you. As a matter of fact I already have a few ideas. But you’ll have to tell me what your favorite plants and flowers are before I really draw anything up. Although I think some vines wrapping around…” subconsciously Harley stepped close to him as she traced his body with her eyes, visualizing the placement.

“your arm, I think, would look beautiful.” her fingers traced lightly over the exposed part of Ivy’s arm. A second later she realized what she was doing and snapped out of it.

“Woah! I’m sorry,” she stepped back and gave an apologetic smile.

“I’m so used to touching people when I talk about tattoos. Still I shouldn’t have. Sorry.” she scrunched her face and hoped that she hadn’t made him uncomfortable.

Ivy’s attention was completely rapt as Harley stepped closer to him, looking at his body, not as something strange, but as a canvas. It had been a long time since he had thought of his body as anything other than strange, and strangely enough he didn’t feel shy from her look. He felt almost glad for it. Appreciated, by a complete stranger. He wondered if she realized the way she was looking at him.

Her sudden, but gentle touch sent a pleasant jolt of electricity through his body. If it had been anyone else, any other complete stranger, he would have jerked away already, would’ve asked them to leave, maybe, given his general aversion to that sort of thing ever since school. But Harley for some reason felt different. Everything she did was different, and although he had only met her a few minutes earlier, he already felt comfortable with her.

“It’s okay. Really. I, um, I actually think that would be really nice. I’ve always loved ivy. Especially poison ivy. I know that’s weird, but... it’s such a beautiful plant, but it has the hidden venom. It’s kind of stupid, but I’ve always hoped I have a bit of that. That maybe there’s some hidden strength down there I just haven’t found yet,” he said, being completely honest and open. “Maybe getting some vines tattooed on my arm would help me find it...”

Starting Over

inky-harley:

“Ivy’s a really pretty name. It suits you. You sort of just fit in with the plants. I’m glad I came in.” a genuine smile painted Harley’s face. There was something so compelling about Ivy that she had completely forgotten why she was there to begin with. All that Harley could focus on was him.

“You should definitely come in and let me draw something up for you. You have really great skin, an amazing canvas for any artist to work on.” Harley giggled and then widened her eyes.

“I don’t mean that in a creepy way I swear” she laughed and pushed her hair to the side with one hand, embarrassed. Harley really needed to learn to control what she said. Not everything that came into her mind was completely appropriate to say, you would think she would have learned that by now. Yet here she was possibly scaring one of the first people out of the shop she had met.

At least the only person that she was genuinely interested outside of the shop. She had gone out with Selena a few nights ago and met a few people at the bar, but no one she had truly wanted to see again. Selena noticed and promised to introduce her to more of her friends once they were around.

“Thanks! It’s more of a self imposed nickname of sorts, but it just feels a lot more appropriate than my actual name... Sometimes I feel like I fit in better with the plants than with people,” he admitted.

He laughed with her, but the ever present blush on his cheeks stayed there. Harley was so open with her words, even with a complete stranger, he envied that. But yet somehow he felt like he could be more open with her, even though he only just met her. It was a strange feeling to have after going so long without really connecting with any other human being.

“I get it. I’m nearly translucent. It’d be nice to cover some of the paleness up with maybe some pretty flowers or something... Maybe I’ll have to come in to your shop this weekend. I do have Saturday off,” Ivy said thoughtfully, a little bit exhilarated by the prospect not only of a tattoo, but of getting to see Harley work in her element. She was much more open than any of the other people he had met so far in Gotham, and he already knew that he wanted to see more of her if her could.

Starting Over

inky-harley:

Harley followed behind him and found that she had a hard time not checking him out. There was something so different about him. He reminded her of a flower or some kind of exotic plant. His skin seemed to have this slight tint to it that contrasted beautifully against his hair. He was unique, she had never seen a person like him. There was no way to describe him other than beautiful. It was no wonder Harley has slipped up so easily, he mesmerized her.

“Yeah I live not far from here. I work down the street though. The Gotham City Siren tattoo shop? I finished my only appointment of the day and decided to take a look around, see if I can find any cool places. Which I did, and I think this is my new favorite place in the city.” despite not knowing this person Harley felt confident in talking to them. They had and air of protectiveness about them that seemed to guard an almost imperceptible warmth.

“I’m Harley by the way. I didn’t introduce myself. Odd seeing as I seem to have no stopped talking since you came up to me.” Harley had to laugh at herself for that one. Though the florist seemed to be taking it well, not many people in Gotham seemed to react the same. Selena told her that it was just how people were there.

She was a tattoo artist. Damn. There was something supremely attractive of knowing that this already cute customer was actually a talented, badass artist. Ivy was suddenly intimidated. But it seemed to fit her so well. He came to a stop at the sunflowers and looked back at her again, taking in her appearance. She was beautiful that was for sure. It had been a long time since he had let himself think that way about someone else, but he had to admit that he was interested, despite his better judgement.

He could feel the blush spreading across his cheeks, deepening at her words. “It’s my favorite spot in the city too, but I’m a little biased. The botanical gardens are great, too, though. You should definitely check them out... I walk past that tattoo parlor every day on my way here; it makes me want to get a tattoo or two myself. That’s amazing that you work there!”

“Most people just call my Ivy. It’s really good to meet you, Harley. Honestly, we don’t get many people coming through here that want to talk. This is a nice change. Don’t get me wrong,” he corrected quickly, a hint of a laugh in his voice, “I love being around the plants, love taking care of them, making arrangements. But it does get a little too quiet sometimes. Everyone needs someone to talk to...” Ivy trailed off, realizing how that could come off.

Starting Over

inky-harley:

Harley looked up and smiled wide. She hadn’t expected the florist to be so cute but she controlled herself. She was only there to look at the flowers and possibly buy some for her daughter. As she stared at the florist though she couldn’t help but hope that maybe she could stay in the store a little longer than planned. There was no harm in making friends anyway, right?

“Hi…um” Harley walked over to the counter enthusiastically “you are ah..your shop is beautiful!”

At her near slip Harley had to laugh. She looked down to hide her embarrassment and then looked back up a second later. Her face was slightly pink but she ignored it.

“I’m new around here! I just saw your shop and thought it looked beautiful so I thought I’d come in. It’s like a jungle of flowers or somethin’. It’s a nice bit of color compared to the rest’a the neighborhood.” the words spilled out of her mouth before she could stop them. It was a bad habit of hers to talk as much as she did but it was pretty hard to stop herself.

“oh! Sorry yeah I was actually wondering if ya had any sunflowers?” Harley pushed her hand through her hair and scrunched her face in embarrassment. For some reason this florist was making it extra hard for her to control her mouth.

In all honesty, as soon as she turned around, he was a little more than taken back with just how gorgeous she was. Her smile was so welcoming in a way that he hadn’t felt from another person in a long time. Her smile felt safe. And he had to remind himself not to stare at her, to nod and smile back.

Which worked fine, until the stranger accidentally called him beautiful. Ivy could feel the blush spreading across his cheeks, and he knew that she could see it, given the horrible shade of red he always blushed, clashing wonderfully with his hair. “Thank you, you’re too sweet,” he said, honestly, the smile on his face completely genuine.

“Here, let me show you where the sunflowers are. They’re not in season, so they’re not as big as they could be, but they’re still pretty,” Ivy explained, finally regaining some of his footing, enough to start leading her towards the flowers she wanted. “Well, welcome to Gotham! I’ve only been here for a year, but it’s a nice enough city, if not a little gray. The shop is sort of like a safe haven here. I do like the neighborhood, but it’s a little drab. Do you live around here now?”

Starting Over

inky-harley:

The sky was clear that day and the air was slightly crisp. It was strange that everything seemed to take on a more vibrant air now that Harley was away from him. She had started her life over. Decided that she couldn’t let herself live like that; that she couldn’t let her daughter live like that. So a few months after finally leaving him she pulled everything she had out of her savings, packed her and her daughter’s bags and moved. She could have moved sooner but she wanted her daughter to at least finish her summer camp. Then a friend of Harley’s offered her a job at her tattoo shop and that was that. Harley was starting a new life. Finally free.

It wasn’t until 2 weeks after starting her job that she decided to finally explore the surrounding area. With the move, job and getting her daughter acclimated at her school she hadn’t had much time to herself. With her only appointment of the day done and satisfied she ventured out for lunch. The buildings surround her, tall and looming. They felt like a protective barrier between her and the life she left behind. Here in Gotham she could get lost, she could become herself. No one knew who she had been. No one would judge her daughter based on her mother’s poor life decisions.

Around the studio were so many shops that Harley almost felt overwhelmed. She could see restaurants, cafes, bodegas, art supply stores, bakeries, comic shops and even a flower shop. The outside of the flower shop called out to her the most. Flowers and plants seemed to spill out, the front of the store was a vibrant green that called her to it. It was a bright spot amidst the, beautiful, but mostly plain street. Before she could really think about it she made her way to the store. Her excuse being that her place needed some flowers. Maybe she could even surprise her daughter, Romina, with some sunflowers.

The chime that sounded as the door to the shop opened was pleasant. Harley closed her eyes for a moment to listen to it before stepping all the way in. She was surprised to find the shop empty but soon her movement from the back. As she waited for the florist she walked around and admired the different flowers. The smell of the shop was all consuming, it made Harley feel peaceful. The scent made her feel at home almost, it made her feel safe in a way she couldn’t explain.

The city was alive. He could feel it.

He’d only been in Gotham for a year or so, but he still felt like he was figuring out his footing. After the disaster that had caused him to drop out of his Masters program and move away, he had a hard time really connecting with anyone else, and moving to Gotham was more of the same thing. Besides his boss and the few regular customers, he hadn’t even really met many people.He didn’t mind so much, though. Honestly, he wouldn’t have been very upset if he didn’t have to interact with any people ever again. He was happy with his plants.

So it had only made sense that he’d taken a job at one of the small flower shops located in the Fashion District as soon as he arrived. His boss hadn’t even batted an eyelash when he’d asked to be called Ivy instead of Patrick. And he’d learned pretty quickly that the people of Gotham had a knack for that sort of dramatic flair. A name like that was nothing out of the ordinary here. It was nice, for once, to feel completely unremarkable somewhere. It was nice to be left alone with the plants, no expectations from anyone, no chance of being hurt.

It only helped that his boss was trying to get a catering business off the ground, too, and more often than not, after a year of working there, left Ivy to tend the shop by himself. Not many people came by, anyway. So he actually jumped, nearly knocking the vase he was arranging off of the table in the back room when he heard the bell ring indicating someone had come into the shop in the middle of a quiet afternoon. Ivy brushed the dirt from his hands and came out into the shop, weaving his way through flowers to try to find whoever had entered.

“Hi, there. Is there anything I could help you find?” he offered as he rounded a corner and saw the customer admiring a bouquet of lilies.