Rapunzel <J. Valeska>

0.2

Somehow the dark streets seem less threatening when there is a warm hand to cling to and a strong body to walk beside you. The blond girl feels oddly protected and safe in the presence of a total stranger. Something about him just exudes security and comfort to her, warding off whatever frightening terrors that may be lurking in wait in the shadows.

Little does she know that she can't see the monsters in the alleys because the monster beside her is warding them off. There seems to be less darkness around her because the center of all darkness is walking beside her, masked by red hair and a pretty face.

But Jerome knows.

He can't shake the little half smirk from his face because he can't help but be amused by the sheer naivety of the blond teen he's so easily kidnapped. Because this is a kidnapping. Though she may not know it right now, as she willingly follows this monster of a man into the gaping jaws of danger, there is no escape for her now. She's his until he decides he doesn't want her anymore. And even then, she'll never be anyone else's again.

The thought nearly forces a chuckle through his carefully constructed expression, but Jerome manages to remain in control. After all, control is everything in a chaotic world.

The boy and girl walk together at midnight down a dirty Gotham street, neither knowing much of anything about the other further than their appearance. They don't even know each other's names.

But somehow, that doesn't seem as important as it should, the atmosphere between them feeling natural despite the girl's slight fear. Neither speaks, the girl because she can't, and the boy because there's nothing to be said.

The girl wishes she would've tried harder with Pepper to learn ASL. Questions like 'where are we going?' didn't seem all that important at the time, but now she would give almost anything to be able to tug the boy to a stop and ask what's happening.

Though, she muses. That wouldn't do much good considering he probably doesn't know any ASL.

Lost in her thoughts, the girl doesn't recognize for a moment that the boy has stopped. That is, until his grip on her hand prohibits her from moving forward anymore. A gasp escapes her lips at the sudden sensation, her arm being jerked back as she returns to reality, looking (and feeling) rather sheepish.

"Don't worry about it, princess. Daddy was mesmerized by your pretty face too," Jerome laughs.

Both the embarrassing nature of his comment and hearing that word again cause the girl to blush profusely, staring down at her feet in all their captivating wonder. The feeling of skin beneath her chin makes her flinch, the whorls of Jerome's fingertip caressing her chin and gently lifting up her head so she meets his eyes.

"Rapunzel, I said it's fine. You don't need to be embarrassed for looking at your daddy," he tuts kindly.

On second thought, maybe I should have asked Pepper how to ask why someone is referring to themselves as my daddy.

But there goes that tickling tingle again, making everything fuzzy and confused in the girl's mind. Between the firm but easy grip on her chin and the lightly scolding words just uttered, she feels oddly small in this moment. Physically speaking, the boy towers over her smaller stature easily. But his words and actions also make her feel emotionally small. Perhaps little would be a better word for it.

She feels like she's being treated like a child, and as of this moment she's not quite sure how she feels about it. On the one hand, it all seems very odd, but it also feels strangely right. Like it's been the something she's been missing for a while now.

"Alright, then. This is where Daddy works, sweetheart. I'd love to take you inside to my room, but first I need to know your name," the ginger says.