Gotham Imagines and Preferences

Acceptance

Requested by anonymous
Jerome x reader
Italics= Flashback

I click the 'on' button to the television as I plop down on the couch. I run a hand through my hair and sigh. My mother had called my phone earlier today, sharing some stressful news.

"Y/N, you need to come! We're your family for Christ's sake!" I huff in frustration, "Well, you aren't much of a family if you always make me feel so insecure." She laughs, "Those are only jokes! Lighten up a little." I can hear the annoyance in her tone.

"Got a boyfriend?"
"What?"
"Well, there must be something holding you up. Although, I'd be surprised if your chubby a** could find anybody." I hear the laugh of someone else in the background, giggling right along with her. I can feel my face burning with rage, "You know what? Laugh all you want. I'll come to your stupid reunion and, you never know, I might bring him, too." I make sure to emphasize the 'him' and I claim their silence as a victory.

The sound of the latest news story is soon interrupted by the front door opening. Jerome takes of his coat and shoes when he comes in, then turns to me.

"Hello my love." He says with that sinister smile playing on his lips. I can't help but return it as he makes his way to crouch down in front of me. He places his hands onto my thighs, gripping them tightly as though they are his property. We lean in at the same time, pressing our lips together in a tender kiss.

"How was your day?" I ask him and he grabs the remote, turning up the volume on the tv. On the screen, it shows him holding the camera with a dead man in a chair behind him. There's blood all over his face and he is wearing a police uniform. I glance down to see that he is still wearing it.

"We're here to spread the message of wisdom and oop..." I hear someone groan and his face shows no remorse as he pulls the trigger and kills the man. He turns his face back to the screen and says, "Some people have no manners."

He gets insanely serious as he pulls the camera closer to him. "Your all prisoners." He takes a deep, shaky breath, "What you call sanity is just a prison in your minds that stops you from seeing that you're just tiny little cogs in a giant absurd machine. Wake up!!"

He screams the last part, making me jump, then laugh in delight. "Why be a cog? Be free like us..." He laughs, "Just remember... smile." He turns the dead guy's mouth upwards into a smirk as he laughs maniacally.

"... and then the police came," he crawls up onto the couch to sit beside me, "... and ruined all the fun." He pulls me close, staring into my eyes. "What's wrong?" He can always see right through me. "How did you know something was wrong?"
"I know you too well for you to hide something from me." I smile and he kisses my nose.

"So, my mom called today and told me that I should come to our family reunion. I told her that I didn't want to and she just started teasing me about not having a boyfriend. Then, I just fessed up about how I have you and so now we basically have to come." He nods, taking it all in, "Well, what day is it on?"

"Tomorrow at two o'clock." He kisses the top of my head, pulling my hair back behind my ears. "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be fine. Besides, I'll be right there with you."

The next morning, we get ready and go to my parents house. I take a deep breath and walk through the door. "You can just hang your coat there, if you want." I tell Jerome as I do so myself.

"Y/N, darling, you made it!" My mother ran over to to give me a hug. "Hey, everybody, Y/N's here! And..." She glances over at Jerome, "I'm Jerome, Y/N's boyfriend." He reaches for her hand and I have to supress my laughter when I see the look on her face.

She couldn't believe anyone would ever love me. Well, now she has proof that it can happen. Her expression soon changes, though, to one of 'happiness' as she's fakes a smile. "Nice to meet you, Jerome. Now, since everyone's here, shall we eat?"

She motions for us to follow her into the dining area. We take a seat beside each other, filling our plates with food. Everyone catches up with one another, asking questions and telling jokes. No one seems to be paying attention to us until my sister-in-law asks, "So, Jerome, how old are you? You seem younger than Y/N, but I could be wrong." She sticks a spoonful of mashed potatoes in her mouth as she's waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, I'm eighteen, two years younger than her." She nods and I see my mom open her mouth. Here we go with the interregation of Y/N's new boyfriend. Woo-hoo.

"How did you all meet? If you don't mind me asking." Oh, of course I don't mind, mother. "Well..." I look to Jerome nervously, but then decide that I should tell them. "We met at the circus, the one that always comes around? Haly's?" Everyone nods, very intrigued about my life.

"I was trying to win this stuffed bear and I didn't, so I went along to get some cotton candy. However, when I turned around from the stand, he was there waiting with the bear in his hands to give to me." I gaze into his eyes as I say these things and when I finish, I hear nothing but 'aww's.

"Hey, aren't you the guy that killed the cop lady?" All of our eyes turn to my cousin and I gulp, wondering how we're going to explain this. "Oh, Essen? Yeah. What a rush, am I right?" My eyes go wide at his remark, but my mom just smiles and says, "But aren't you hired by someone?"

"No, I don't get paid. The boss gives suggestions... but I do what I want." He shows his signature smile.

"Y/N, may I speak with you in the kitchen please?" My mom asks me and we make our way there, with my grandmother and sister-in-law in tow.
"Y/N, what is he talking about? He killed someone? I can't believe you would bring him in here with your family! He could've killed us all!" I hold back all of the things I want to say and instead give them a load of crap. "C'mon, you guys. He was just joking. He's weird like that. He likes to see how people react."

"Oh, yeah? And how do you explain him on the tv?" My sister-in-law questions me defensively. "He has a twin brother that everyone always gets him confused with. He likes to see how far he can go with the act until he gets in trouble."

I look around at all their faces and see that they are starting to believe me. "Trust me, he's fine." We walk back into the dining area and sit down after my mom announces that Jerome was just joking. While everyone gets up to go get a piece of pie for dessert, I stay back to talk to Jerome.

"Do you not understand that my family will kick us out forever if you don't stop telling them about your killing sprees?" He smiles, "You're so cute when you're mad." He tries to touch my cheek, but I swat away his hand. "Doesn't your family always degrade you? Why would you want to be close to that? What's the point?" I think about it for a moment, "Good point."

People start making their way back to their seats. As we're sitting there, I feel Jerome nudge my arm. "Watch this, I'm gonna get you outta this h*** hole." He whispers to me and pulls a lighter out of his pocket.

He places a cigarette between his lips and flicks the lighter. My mother notices and stands up, "There is to be no smoking in my house!" Jerome pushes her buttons just a little bit more by blowing the smoke towards her.

Her face is as red as an apple as she says, "Okay, Y/N! This is enough! We have tried to accept this, but I should have known you'd always be a disappointment! You are not my daughter and you never will be if you're with this lunatic!" I stand up also, looking at her menacingly.

"So, you're asking me to choose between you all or Jerome?" She nods, crossing her arms. "Hmm... let me think. The people who have put me down my whole life... or the man who loves me for exactly who I am and wouldn't ever ask for more? I think the choice is obvious."

I grab Jerome's arm and he stands up, "Let's get out of this place."

And we walk out, never to come back.

A/N
Thanks for reading! I hope you all like it, especially the person who requested! Also, I wanted to thank all of you for over 30,000 reads and over 700 votes!! You guys are awesome!!!