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j0kers-light · 1 year

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His Lighthouse: The Morning After (LedgerJoker x f!reader)

The Morning After

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series summary:

Y/n is an aspiring writer living in Gotham City and struggling to find her next muse. Her recent novel is getting all the buzz, earning her far more attention than she signed up for. But when a chance encounter results in her nursing The Joker back to health, will she find the time to write another best seller or will her own story become front page of the Gotham Gazette?

chapter summary:

The elusive 'morning after' a romantic night with a lover, whatever will Joker and Y/n get into? Now that they are set on dating and getting to know one another will anything separate them from that goal.

authors note:

Hello! Hello! I’m back with another update and I must say, I'm a humble girl at heart but I sob cry knowing that there's really that many people that enjoy my story! I intended this to only reach a few people, if any at all, yet here we are... It only makes me wanna write more! Did I mention this story is farrrrrr from over?

Taglist!

@blackreaderatrisk @twinkledinkle @clemdango04 @l3ejm @tears-of-amber @what-an-angell

Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

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You were absolutely stunning.

A natural beauty amplified in the morning light. Joker was so lucky he woke up at odd hours of the night. He would have hated himself for all of eternity for missing this. You, fast asleep and looking drop dead gorgeous.

Sometime during the night you wiggled your way out of his hold and rolled over onto your back. Joker still kept you close, it seemed that he craved physical contact even asleep, and he threw a possessive arm over your waist.

You had created some space between the two of you but your face was the first thing he got to see when he opened his eyes.

Joker wanted to wake up to the sight of you everyday.

Your beautiful lips slightly parted to allow for soft puffs of air to escape. Your dark lashes fluttering every so often in a deep R.E.M., (he wished you were dreaming of him) and your soft skin was highlighted by a ray of sunshine flooding in from the window. You didn't like that and it almost roused you awake.

You grumbled and turned into Joker's chest resuming your slumber. Suddenly he became the teddy bear. My, how the tables turned in just a few short hours.

You sought him out for protection and clung to him in your most vulnerable state. That subconscious choice had Joker speechless. No one had ever relied on him before yet you did just that. Seeking out his comfort while vastly unaware of the reaction that tiny decision would forever have on him.

He took extra care not to wake you up as he located the room remote on the nightstand and programmed the automatic curtains to move and shield you from the rising sun.

You earned your rest and then some. Joker would make sure that nothing bothered you.

On top of being kidnapped, (and quickly rescued) you let Joker finally have sex with you. And the clown definitely made up for lost time. Freaking overachiever. He might've gone overboard yet he heard no complaints. You were exhausted both mentally and physically.

Joker didn't consider himself much of a savior but he would do everything in his power to keep you safe. Not much could disturb you in the penthouse but he wouldn't take any chances.

You entrusted Joker with your heart until he had to leave and shatter it into a million pieces.

But that was negative thinking. Who knows? Maybe he could find a way to lessen the pain before then.

Joker chose to focus on the positive. Live in the moment. That's all you have. He pulled you closer in his arms and fell back asleep, holding you tighter than ever.

You woke up disoriented, sore, and clutching a pillow for dear life.

You wiped your mouth knowing there was probably drool present with how well rested you felt. That was the best night of sleep you had in weeks.

Not much was said after Joker tucked the both of you into bed last night. You tried your best to say something heartfelt; you epically failed.

"You're stuck with me for five more months."

He said it with such confidence you wanted to believe it was true. That you finally had a chance with Joker.

Things were still unclear but hopefully you and Joker were on the same page going forward. Things seemed to be off to a good start. Joker physically slid right back into your life as if nothing had happened. It was the emotional aspect of things that you were worried about. You hoped you weren't moving too fast but then again there was a deadline here underlined in red twice.

Five months felt so short and the clock was already ticking..

There was so much you wanted to ask, experience, and talk about with Joker but right now his side of the bed was empty. You rose from your sleeping position, looking around the room for his presence and came up short. The room was quiet.

It was then you noticed the curtains were drawn but the sunlight still peeked out from the bottom. Dawn truly dawned on you.

It was the morning after and you were alone.

Greaaat, real classy. An empty bed totally screams positive relationship goals. You two were totally on the same page! You had the urge to toss a pillow in anger. How could you be so stupid to believe that Joker would take this seriously?!

"Don't overthink things Y/n. Maybe he went to the bathroom or some other lame excuse. Yeah, that would explain why he didn't wake up next to you after such a wonderful night together."

That's the lie you told yourself as you flung the covers back and stepped on the cold hardwood floors.

Fitting. It matched your current feelings towards a certain fugitive. You blinked back tears for even allowing Joker a chance with your heart. It really was just sex to him, no strings attached, and oh no...

You clutched your head trying to stop the bad thoughts from taking over but they kept appearing even as you struggled to breathe.

You needed privacy before this panic attack got too intense. You nodded to yourself and almost made it to your sanctuary but the aroma coming from your kitchen caught your attention.

It quite literally made you stop in your tracks to investigate.

You made your way through the archway that separated the common area of your penthouse from the private rooms. The sight that greeted you snatched every bad thought from your mind and tossed them straight in the trash.

"What are you doing?" You mumbled to your roommate.

Joker turned around so you could see the gaudy Kiss the Cook apron that Dick left a few BBQ parties ago hanging from around his neck. Joker opted out on wearing a shirt and his dark grey sleeping pants were hanging dangerously low on his hips, showing off muscle and V lines that you failed to notice before.

He brought the whole scene together by waving with a plastic spatula in greeting. "Hmm. Good morning Bunny."

Joker watched you sink into the barstool at the island counter wide eyed and speechless.

His green eyes scanned you from head to toe like he didn't see you every time he woke up this morning— which happened to be a lot.

He couldn't get over the fact that you and him were actually together. It was such a far fetched concept that it didn't seem real so Joker kept waking up in a cold sweat throughout the night thinking you weren't there. What if he didn't rescue you from the warehouse or worse? What if you died at that dumb charity event and his sick, twisted mind was making all of this up?

It wouldn't be the first time that his mind became his own worst enemy.

Joker woke up each time gasping for air hoping that his nightmare wasn't a reality, only to sigh in relief when he felt you in his arms.

He would squeeze you tighter (despite grumbling your displeasure of it in your sleep) and fell back asleep with his living teddy bear safe and sound. But the same nightmare would awake him again an hour later thus, repeating the cycle anew.

Broken sleep wasn't healthy but Joker was used to getting the bare minimum in order to survive.

He didn't want you to worry or worse, wake you. Joker had his demons and as much as he wanted to stay by your side and ignore them, solitude was the best remedy to clear his head. Well that and shock therapy, but he wasn't at Arkham Asylum anymore.

So he regretfully left you tucked in bed to roam the penthouse when he had the thought to treat you to breakfast. His thoughts always revolved around you. Funny how you caused his inner turmoil and was also the solution to rid them.

Joker couldn't get you out of his head though he feared the day he would no longer think of you.

A deafening silence in perpetual darkness. A different type of loneliness that Joker didn't want to return to. How could he return to his old ways after experiencing your blinding light? He would never be the same but that was something to worry about in the distant future.

He focused back on you, seated before him at the kitchen counter, trying to figure out what was going on. Joker cleared his throat and set about clearing the air.

"I had plans to bring you uh break fast in bed but it seems you're really too noisy for your own good." He eyed you briefly before turning around and flipping whatever he was cooking in the skillet over.

You blinked in shock as he set the utensil down and leaned on the counter, crossing his arms.

"How did you sleep?" He popped the letter p and waited for a response. You decided to answer his question with one of your own.

"You can cook?" You waved at the mess he made of your kitchen. "Like... actually.. cook?"

"Duh whatcha think I'm doing, Y/n? I got nothing on you but at least I can feed myself without burning the apartment down." Joker didn't break eye contact with you as he dragged the skillet off the burner and killed the heat.

A shiver ran up your spine. A man that could cook was a secret weakness of yours. It was hard to believe that Joker knew his way around the kitchen. Your mind was on tilt. "Uh I.. um.."

"Use your words Y/n." By the time you looked up, he was reaching to take something out of the cabinet. This domestic version of Joker had you weak in the knees. He didn't seem to notice.

"Do you like syrup on your pancakes?" Joker shook the bottle to gain your attention. You forgot to verbally say yes along with your nod, causing Joker to arch an eyebrow.

He slammed the cabinet shut and set the syrup down next to the plate of pancakes already cooked and ready to eat. You just now noticed them.

Fluffy golden brown cakes stacked high and glistening with melted butter like some fancy flapjack commercial. They looked too good to be true. Either this was a dream or Joker was trying to impress you. So of course you had to be dreaming.

You thought as much until Joker grabbed your chin from over the counter.

"What's floating in that pretty little head of yours hmm?" He loved that lost doey eyed look during sex but right now, not so much.

He slowly nodded his own head trying to urge you to speak with no success. You just stared at him so he let your face go with a sigh.

"AlrighTyyy then. Since you're incapable of speech, I'll talk. I found your pancake mix in the pantry and since you weren't, uh, waking up any time soon to make us anything. Tada." He gestured to his hard work. "It's.. it's magic. Now eat something so that brain of yours can start workin.' Here."

He scooped out the last pancake he made from the skillet onto your plate and dragged the larger serving plate closer for himself.

You were still speechless but glanced down at the fine china before you. It was your plum blossom set and it brought a smile to your face thinking back to the first time you served it to Joker all those weeks ago.

Funny how things changed but everything remained the same.

His pancakes didn't look poisonous and none of them were burnt either. (His first of many attempts were sitting at the bottom of the trash mocking him.) The ones before you looked perfectly normal and smelled yummy if your growling stomach had any say on the matter. Joker slid into the barstool next to you and loaded his own plate with food but kept an eye on you lost in thought. Did you hit your head or something? This silent treatment was unusual behavior even for you.

Right as he was preparing to force you out of your daze, you grabbed a fork and dug in. Joker would be lying if he said he didn't hold his breath waiting for your review.

You were chewing too slowly for his liking and he thought the worst when you suddenly glanced his way.

"These are delicious." You beamed.

"Well yeah. You did all the work, I just cooked the d__n things." So it wasn't as easy as he led you on to believe. Interesting..

You hid your mirth by hitting his arm. He bristled at the playful contact. "You know the rules, Joker."

It took him a minute to get what you were talking about but he rolled his eyes knowing all too well. "Sweetheart. I said a lot of bad words last night. Don't ya remember?"

He bit into his forkful of pancakes and smirked at your flushed face avoiding his eye. He dialed back his signature laugh into condescending chuckles, aimed at you.

"Don't go shy on me now, Y/n... you weren't last night when you kept begging me for more."

All the sinful things Joker whispered, groaned, and panted in your ear last night played in your head like a sports recap. You hated when he was right. You were practically begging for it but he didn't have to rub it in.

Joker turned out to be quite the sexual deviant and you just so happened to be his personal plaything until further notice.

You didn't mind. Joker took his job as a lover very seriously despite his apparent rough treatment of you. Another fact you discovered, Joker was verbal in bed. and he talked you through the most intense moments of the night with that silver tongue of his. Good Lord the things his tongue could do..

You cleared your throat, "I ah remember. But to answer your question, I slept very well and t-thank you for cooking."

Joker grunted in that weird way of his, this time it held a positive, don't mention it tone, as the two of you ate in silence.

You thought he would bring up what really made him ditch you in bed this morning but nope. Crickets. You honestly weren't surprised. Joker could avoid any topic when it benefited him. He wasn't the only one that ran away instead of facing his emotions. His 'I decided to cook breakfast' excuse didn't sit well with you.

You wisely kept that thought to yourself.

Thankfully Joker didn't seem to notice your lackluster mood (or so you thought) although he was rather quiet as the two of you finished up breakfast and he moved to collect the various plates and other tools he used.

As a peace offering, you volunteered to wash dishes and Joker immediately took you up on it.

He was dreading cleaning all of this crap. Why didn't you own a dishwasher? Probably another weird quirk of yours since you actually looked excited to manually wash dishes. He could tell by that ghost of a smile on your face. Yet your mood hadn't fully recovered.

Joker knew something was bothering you when you kept quiet as the sink filled with suds and hot water. He chose not to comment in case he was wrong with his assumption but when was he ever wrong? Uh never.

After you blindly handed him a knife to towel dry off, enough was enough. He felt insulted. You knew his track record with knives. Why hand him one? Before you could blink, Joker had you caged in between him and the kitchen sink with no way out.

Your soapy hands grabbed his arms on instinct. "J-Joker, what are you doing?"

Your eyes met his trying to understand what had gotten into him. His knowing gaze made you uneasy so you purposefully looked away.

"Oh. I see." Joker eyed you up and down, "Go ahead and get it off your chest Y/n."

You froze. How did he..?

"How'd I know you wanted to talk? C'mon sweetheart, that look on your face screams; I'm holding something back."

Joker watched you swallow and he glanced down at the marks he left on your neck. They were noticeable but still faint against your skin tone. He wished Wayne could see you all marked up and claimed. That annoying rich boy needed to know his place. Sometimes being a secret really sucked. Joker wanted all of Gotham to know that the two of you were together.

Would you be upset if he made an anonymous tv broadcast about it or leaked it to the Gotham Gazette? Joker knew saying anything would put you in danger but a man could dream.

There had to be a way. You stole Joker's attention away before he could think on it further. "I mean yeah I have questions but I doubt you'll answer them."

Joker visibly sighed. You didn't trust him in the way he wanted you to. Just what would it take?!

"Won't know if you don't ask, doll. Up you go!" Joker picked you up and plopped you down on the kitchen counter, ignoring your startled yelp.

He left you there shell shocked and mildly turned on to go drain the water in the sink. Dishes could wait, you were more important.

He dried his hands and yours before removing the apron he was wearing. Then Joker gave you his full undivided attention. Such a shame you were too busy ogling his abs to start asking him questions.

"Eyes up here princess." Joker said.

The endearment was new and it hit your core like an atomic bomb.

"Ohh Y/n! Did you just moan? I think you diddd." He walked up and settled in between your legs, smiling wide. Of course he noticed your reaction. Lovely.

Joker licked his lips in that distinctive way of his. He subconsciously missed his clown makeup.

You liked his natural bare face more. "N-No! I did not! Can you be serious for once?"

Rule number one: be careful what you ask for around Joker. His eyes clouded over and the temperature in the kitchen dropped a good ten degrees instantly. A serious Joker was scary. You were trapped on the counter with this unstable degenerate blocking your path.

And the danger excited you. His sharp eyes forced you to elaborate.

"I can't seem to understand how quickly you responded to rescue me. Don't get me wrong, I'm forever grateful, but Mac and Neo painted a clear picture that you never wanted to see me again. I mean, I went two weeks with absolute radio silence and that hurt Joker. I know I was the one who ran away.. but you let me go. Y-You encouraged me to! I know we sorta kinda settled things between us and I am willing to try this- try us out but..."

You stopped to take a deep breath. Your next words came out in a heavy sigh.

"How do I know for sure that your feelings are genuine? You said it yourself you suffered while I was away, that you still have voices and doubts in your head about me. It sounds like you're confused on how to proceed. You're still struggling with your emotions and I don't want to force you into something that you might not be ready for. If we need to slow things down or take another break I—"

"You are noT pushing me away just because you're the one too scared to jump all in." Joker cut you off.

His eyes were venomous green staring you down from his towering height. Even situated on the counter, Joker could make you feel so small. Deep down you actually feared him just a tad.

His palms squeezed your upper thighs as he came nose to nose with you. This is not how he wanted to tell you about his inner demons.

"None of that matters Y/n! I saw you get taken with my own eyes. What was I supposed to do? Sit back and watch as they killed you?"

He hissed the accusation in the combined space and you could smell the maple syrup enlaced with his words.

"Sounds like a normal Joker reaction to me." You commented.

Your response hurt more than it should. A few months ago that would have been true. But now? Now he had to feign indifference to save face.

"Sorry. Uh next time? when you get kidnapped, I'll sit back and take notes mkay? Whether you like it or noT, you're stuck with me, so no. I will not slow down ooor take a break. I have you all to myself and I refuse to let you go. Even if I don't know what I'm doin' you're not going anywhere."

By the end of Joker's speech his lips were hovering over yours. You could feel the truth and uncertainty in his words but you didn't have much to say as a rebuttal. He was willing to try something new despite the odds stacked against him.

Those expressive eyes of his held you hostage and you were unable to look away. They were begging for you to understand what he failed to say— what both of you were too scared to admit this early on.

So for now it was best left unsaid. Joker was leaning down to seal your lips with his when someone started banging on your front door.

Joker growled at the moment being ruined and was making his way to neutralize the noise when you ran after him.

"Joker, wait!"

You caught up to him near the dining room table. With a gentle hand on his chest you pushed him back. "You're a wanted fugitive, remember? Let me answer it."

He scoffed and pushed you aside. "Uh huh. A defenseless author with a target on her head wants to answer the door? You're asking for it now. Move."

He did have a point, however. "Joker I know that knock from anywhere it's not—"

"You got ten seconds to open this door or we're coming in!" A feminine voice hollered from the other side.

Joker eyed the door in newfound intrigue as the person began counting down. He returned your gaze when you answered his question. "It's Florence. Please. Go. Hide!"

Oh. A friend. Normal guests, not psychotic criminals trying to kidnap you. Joker was kinda disappointed.

Florence kept banging on the door in between her exaggerated countdown.

Your e/c eyes pleaded with Joker halfway between seven and five to leave. He almost put up a fight but retreated to his bedroom— out of sight, for the time being. You heard the bedroom door slam close and knew Joker wasn't in the best of moods after being interrupted.

He was finally opening up and giving insight to his inner thoughts and feelings until Florence came out of nowhere and forced him back into his shell. This tiny world you created with Joker in your apartment was just a façade. The world was still revolving and balancing Joker's existence and Gotham's would prove to be a difficult task.

Dealing with a grumpy Joker would be an even bigger one. That would have to be a problem to deal with later though. Right now Florence was on number three and louder than ever.

"Open the f___ing door Y/n! I know you're in there girl! We just wanna talk!"

Classic Florence to threaten you passive aggressively.

You took a deep breath and unlocked the door right as Florence got to one. To her left, Barbara was holding the only set of spare keys you had, save for the front desk copy downstairs and surprisingly Joker's set. How he came in possession of your keys was a topic to be revisited at a later date.

You greeted your friends. "Hey hi. What brings you—"

The Haitian woman shoulder checked you as she walked into your apartment. Barbara wheeled herself in, giving you a telepathic, 'she's pissed' warning glare in passing.

The redhead shook her head as you closed the door. You didn't have to read the room to know Florence was mad. You rubbed your aching shoulder. The message was well received.

Florence had her hands on her hips bringing attention to the body chain hanging snug around her waist. You saw the intricate beads, healing crystals, and evil eye charms attached to the gold chain, most likely made from a native from her home country.

Despite Gotham City's unpredictable weather, Florence wore a crop top and wrap skirt complete with impressive lace up heels. A vision as always and she knew it.

"Not you acting all cordial at the door. You almost died and I had to hear about it off the news! No phone calls, no text, f__k a letter would have sufficed! If Barbara here didn't fill me in, I would've thought the worst!" Florence listed off each offense she had against you with her long acrylics.

Each click of her coffin nails made you cringe. It was literal sorcery how she could braid hair with them.

You walked further into the room to confront Florence, more like de-escalate her ire.

"That was two weeks ago Flo." You mentioned. They didn't know about you getting kidnapped just yesterday. The less they know the better.

Barbara made a face before weighing in.

"It doesn't matter how long ago it was Y/n, we were so worried about you! It was terrifying to watch the news without knowing your whereabouts! No one heard from you until I got a call from Bruce saying you were laying low at his estate. You should have called us. We're your friends!"

She failed to mention that Bruce was first on the scene as Batman with his tech analyst Oracle on standby that fateful Friday night. Both were clueless as to where you disappeared to until you mysteriously appeared back at your apartment, otherwise unharmed the next day.

Your whereabouts after the gala attack were unaccounted for. Where did you go for the night? Better yet, how did you escape the carnage?

Things weren't adding up, hence Barbara here with Florence (blissfully unaware of course) trying to get more intel.

The billionaire mentioned that something was on your mind in the two weeks you stayed with him. Even worse, things fell flat literally out of nowhere and you were too eager to leave Wayne Manor. You refused to talk about it to him, maybe you would confide in Barbara.

Bruce said he dropped you off at your place yesterday afternoon and Barbara was determined to get to the bottom of things today. Florence was playing her part in the secret mission and rounded on you, agreeing with her redheaded friend.

"Exactly! Friends communicate but wait a minute, new information being presented. You stayed with the DILF?!" She looked at you both with a petty smile slowly forming on her face.

"Bruce is not a daddy." You crossed your arms with a dramatic eye roll.

"Girl you crazy!" Florence cackled but stopped when she noticed something peculiar. "Hold on... Oh my god." She gasped.

Barbara jumped in her chair and looked around. "What? What is it? What's wrong?"

If she looked further into the kitchen she would've seen the mess Joker made of it. You clearly didn't have any time to clean or hide the evidence of him being here before their unexpected arrival. The fact the mess was there made you panic and try to keep their attention isolated in the living room.

"You f__ked him!" Florence screamed.

Your face turned deadpan the exact moment Barbara spoke out. "Wait who??"

Florence rolled her exotic eyes. "Y/n had sex with Bruce Wayne! It's written all over her face."

"I d-did not!"

She scoffed, "Tuh the devil is a lie. You had sex with somebody and ya boy Wayne seems to be a biter." She poked your collarbone that was riddled with marks. Your pjs put them on full display and you slapped a hand over them.

"I-I uh.." You turned to Barbara for help but she seemed to be processing this new information poorly.

"I I I. You're stuttering Y/n. Was the sex that good you can't form sentences? Is he still here?" Florence followed your gaze and looked over her shoulder.

You made a panic induced noise that diverted her attention back to you and away from the archway leading to the bedrooms.

"Bruce isn't here because I didn't have sex with him! I was still in bed when you banged on my door like the freaking GCPD." Your state of clothing sold the story but Florence wasn't buying it judging by her pursed lips.

"Mmhm. You took a shower and didn't wrap your hair beforehand. Any woman with some common sense would protect her textured hair before showering unless she's too preoccupied by getting dicked down. I can see the water damage Y/n. You ain't slick." Florence tapped your nappy hair that was sticking out from under your silk wrap.

Busted and Florence looked smug as you struggled to make a witty response.

Barbara broke the silence, sounding a bit hurt. "Y/n.. did you really have sex with Bruce?"

You turned towards the redhead and sighed. It was easy to forget Barbara had this weird, complex relationship with the billionaire. If she wasn't so flirtatious and coy with Dick you would've been convinced she had a thing for Bruce.

Either way, you heard the betrayal in her voice and felt obligated to set the record straight.

"No, I did not Barbara." You glanced at Florence when she snorted. "Look. I said what I said. Believe me or not that's up to you but I have no reason to lie."

Barbara slowly nodded her head but both of you eyed Florence when she burst out laughing.

"That dick must've been grade A to have you this twisted. You look like you barely survived a one night stand with a sadist." Florence snickered and fell on the couch in stitches.

She was having way too much fun roasting you. She was right about the sadist bit. Joker did get carried away...

"She has a point Y/n. They look painful but regardless— I'm so happy for you!" Barbara squealed.

"Our girl is finally getting dick. Took her long enough!" Florence added in between wheezes.

"Oh my god." You groaned at your friends ganging up on you. You made your way to the couch and sat down next to Flo.

After a while their laughter simmered down until Florence could speak without giggling.

"Okay nah forreal. I can squeeze you in for an appointment. Your hair looking a lil rough baby." Florence patted your natural hair professionally. "Did he pull the braids out or something? What happen?"

You swatted her hand away. "See you ain't right. If you two are done hounding me, I'd like to relax for the rest of the day."

Joker was bound to be pissed with how long they were hanging around. He was not a person to keep waiting but you couldn't kick them out without raising suspicions.

"Oh? He wore you out these past two weeks and now you're trying to kick us out. Rude. We came over to invite you out for a girl's night." Florence propped her heels on the coffee table and Barbara nodded her head, situated in her favorite spot next to the accent chair.

Behind her you spotted Joker's ridiculous panda suit he left on the floor when the two of you arrived late last night.

It was riddled with scratches from the spray of bullets Two Face's goons made in retaliation to your rescue. A cold sweat ran down your spine hoping they didn't see it. How could Joker be so careless?! Oh right, he thought it would be just the two of you in the penthouse for the next five months. You weren't a recluse for crying out loud!

Although few in number, you had visitors and many deliveries that stopped by. You mentally shook your head and diverted your attention back to Barbara who clapped her hands in glee.

"You can rest later Y/n! C'mon, we haven't hung out in ages!"

Flo admired her acrylic set and added her two cents in. "Red is right. Plus you deserve some fun after your brush with death."

If only she knew just how true her statement was and how recent. You wanted to agree but..

You glanced towards your guest bedroom where you knew Joker was bound to be eavesdropping. Florence's stunning beauty blocked your field of vision.

"Unless you really do have a dick appointment with a tall handsome billionaire you not telling us about." She sang.

You spat the denial out through your teeth. "No, I don't."

Barbara snickered behind her hands and the motion caused her many bracelets to clink together. "Perfect! We'll make it a true girl's night and invite Morgana!" She whipped her phone out and began typing away. "Wait, what time does she get off work?"

"Three." You and Florence said at the same time but you added more to your sentence. "So this is a thing. Like we're actually going out tonight?"

"Yes but there's a catch. I was invited to a club by one of my clients." Florence said with a grimace.

Barbara looked up from her phone not understanding the issue. "Okay? Wow! That's amazing Flo. Which one?"

"Euphoria."

You and Barbara shared a look. "I've never heard of it, is it a new club or something?" You asked.

Florence turned her head and mumbled something off to the side. Her odd behavior was irking Barb who had enough and raised her voice. "Spit it out Flo!"

"It's in Atlanta aight! The club is in Atlanta." She huffed out.

"Like.. Georgia?"

"As in, almost nine hundred miles away, in a different state than us Georgia?"

Florence rolled her eyes at the two of you pestering her. "Y'all so childish. Yes, that Georgia. I flew down to braid his hair a few times and he always invited me to his club for bottle service as secondary payment. Wasn't interested before, but we could use a little bit of fun on his dime. Plus I'm tryna get drunkity drunk tonight."

You snickered seeing Barbara process this new information. She was the brains of the group. This would be interesting.

"How are we going to get there, Florence? Traveling with me and a wheelchair isn't the best thing in the world, I'd tell you that."

Florence quickly replied. "It's just a suggestion d__n. He has a jet so it'll be personal care for you and your equipment, I promise. It beats staying here in Gotham. Just about all of the warehouses and strips are closed due to that explosion last night."

You stopped laughing.

"Oh good point. Dad's been so busy handling the situation on top of the National Guard I didn't get to talk to him this morning." Barbara mentioned.

Were they talking about the bomb Joker caused to save you last night? It sure sounded like it. You tensed up in your seat and remained quiet.

"See? It makes sense to travel elsewhere since Gotham City nightlife is temporarily shut down. This is what happens when an idiot blows up a perfectly good liquor factory. We have to party outside the state!"

They were definitely talking about the warehouse Joker demolished. Barbara and Florence spoke in the background about tonight's travel details but you were stuck in your own world.

It was insane to recall but you were kidnapped less than twenty four hours ago and Joker's 'heroic actions' had citywide consequences. Most of the nightclubs in Gotham were housed in warehouses so it was sound logic to shut down the rest to protect the public from any other repeat hits or copycats.

Would it be too suspicious to turn on the tv to watch the news coverage mid conversation? You didn't expect any survivors, but you needed to know what lengths Joker went through to get you back.

Even if they were criminals beyond saving, their deaths somehow felt like your responsibility.

"I can't believe I'm agreeing with this.. Usually I would stress my dad's strict citywide curfew but technically it doesn't apply if we fly out of the state. Morgana's not answering her cell so she must be busy with an order. I'll fill her in later. How about we meet back here around, oh let's say, a quarter to eight then drive to the airport?"

You were still on the fact they were talking about last night's traumatic event to even acknowledge they were making plans without your say.

You reentered the conversation with a stage cough. "Um excuse me? Hi. The owner of the meetup spot wishes to speak. Do I have a say in the matter or...?"

"Nope." They both said.

You were overruled two to one. What was the point in trying to stick your ground?

You finally got to glance at the clock. It read a little after eleven am. For someone who went to bed super late and woke up extremely early, you had a ton of energy. But did you have enough for a girl's night? Would you have enough to face Joker after this and tell him you were leaving? You were way too young for this kind of stress.

You'd have grey hairs by the end of the year. Florence ended your worrisome thoughts when she stood up with a flourish.

"Alright I'll call and tell him that we're a go. Now you!" She rounded on you with a pointy coffin nail. "I want that hair washed and presentable to match your sexy outfit that you'll wear tonight. And if you fail to be ready at eight pm, I will personally cockblock your plans with Wayne. Have I made myself clear?"

Florence stood over you looking every bit the assertive girl boss she was. You nodded your head to appease her. "Yes ma'am. I'll be ready."

Neither her or Barbara looked convinced. You were notorious for rain checks after all.

"I mean it Y/n/n." Flo warned.

Barbara sent you another telepathic message, this one, sucks to be you, before they both made their way towards the door. You held it open, waving goodbye and promising to be ready at eight o'clock.

You closed the door with a soft click that did nothing to muffle your heavy sigh. Somehow you got roped into a jet setting night out. Just what were you going to tell Joker?

You could write a thousand speeches, captivate an audience with your riveting tales, but when it came to finding a way to tell Joker about tonight's plans, you came up short.

He would not take the news well, that much was certain and you really didn't want to put a wedge in the already fragile relationship. You liked Joker a lot but your pre-existing friendship with the girls was important too.

Who took more priority in your life? You rested your head on the front door, at a loss on what to do.

"Going somewhere bunny?"

You screamed at the low timbre caressing in your ear. You doubted if Florence and Barbara were out of earshot yet but you honestly did not care. Your roommate was a sneaky devil that loved to scare people, i.e. you.

"Joker, you got to stop creeping up on me like that! My heart is racing!" You placed a hand over your chest to try and calm the tempo down.

Joker could care less. He heard every word you said and had a bone to pick with you. He crowded your frightened form to the wall and eyed you down with that mysterious gleam you had yet to decipher. You couldn't tell what he was thinking until he spoke.

"Soooo you're leaving. Again." He growled.

Okay he was Pissed with a capital p.

You had two choices here. One, play the victim card or own up to the plans and hold your ground. You chose the higher ground.

"Oh that. Well you already heard but Flo, Barb, and I are doing girl's night. I can't back out or they'll get suspicious. I mean.. they already think—"

Joker cut you off. "That you're screwing Gotham's most favorite upstanding citizen, Bruce Wayne? Yeah I hearD. I'll let that slide solely on the fact that the Commissioner's daughter was sooo worried about your sex life she failed to notice incriminating evidence right in her face."

He stepped back to pick up his bulletproof panda suit off the floor and shook it playfully. "It's comforting to know everyone associated with the GCPD is dumber than a bag of rocks."

You didn't find his comment funny.

"Don't insult my friend right to my face, Joker. That's what you not finna do."

He enjoyed hearing your Blüdhaven dialect come out whenever you were upset. It was a different side of you that very few got to see.

You noted his aloof demeanor and decided to agitate the bear since he wasn't mad like you thought he'd be. "Meanwhile I'm surprised you're not more upset about their 'accusations'. A lot can happen in two weeks."

You quoted Joker's own words right back at him, much to his displeasure.

Joker's grin fell and so did the panda suit from his grasp. It sank to the floor with an audible thud as he approached you once more. "Watch it Bunny."

You pursed your lips. "Or what? You'll spank me?"

"Do you want me to?"

You could tell Joker was serious. He didn't stutter nor did he crack a smile. If your eyes weren't glued to his, you would've seen his hands balled up into fists and shaking by his side. This version of Joker was unknown to you and it was wise to tread carefully. He was unpredictable and visibly on edge.

You let out a shaky breath. "N-No! Look. I'm not running away.."

"Then why did you agree to go out clubbing in Atlanta? That's the very definition of leaving!"

Joker was trying to ebb his emotions but it was proving to be difficult when you stood there acting like you were innocent.

Didn't you see your hypocritical actions front and center? How dare you paint him out to be the villain here?! He shouldn't be punished just because you were scared to take a leap of faith. You talked up a good game about giving this relationship a shot but you ran away at the mere drop of a hat. It was not fair.

You should be the one questioning your feelings toward him, not the other way around. He stood firm on his feelings, (even if he was relearning them day by day) you were the one uncertain. You were the one who was afraid.

Joker couldn't help you overcome that fear, at least not in a healthy manner. However tough love was a tried and true approach to these situations...

"Why?" Joker growled again as he invaded your space.

He didn't care if you were claustrophobic. He couldn't even think straight let alone notice how his actions were affecting you. You backpedaled further into the kitchen and was creating some distance until your back hit the pantry door next to the stove.

Then you were caged in, standing before a raging lion.

Arms you previously admired and clung to throughout the night were walls of steel, blocking your escape. Joker's tall frame blocked out the light, plunging you into a dark void where you were an innocent mouse and he the Cheshire Cat licking his fangs in anticipation.

The shadows made his facial scars harsher somehow. More sinister than you'd care to admit.

Joker repeated his question yet your brain failed at forming the right words to answer. Your silence was not what he wanted to hear. Joker asked you again only this time, he shouted it.

You cowered away and he preened at the fear rolling off of you. Almost a month ago, he would have killed to see fear overwhelm your features, yet seeing it today, it was all wrong. Just wrong, wrong, wrong. He never wanted you to fear him but that dark, ugly side he tried so hard to tame, wanted— no needed to force you to see their way of thinking.

Fear was the only way. It was the only emotion Joker knew and perfected and so he used it well.

You whimpered when Joker's fist careened into the pantry door mere inches from your face. It almost drowned out his demand for answers. Almost.

You didn't know how to respond when he was like this.

Granted you were still emotionally drained from last night, (and from this morning when you woke up alone) you easily lost the battle against your emotions and let a tear slip out.

His world stopped spinning.

It was as if Killer Croc ripped Joker's heart out and shredded it into confetti paper. Joker feared nothing but the moment he reached out and tried holding your face in his hands- when you flinched away- he felt hollow inside.

He was scum, lower than dirt for invoking your tears.

Joker's hands hovered in front of your face, trembling from the thought of touching you, of invoking your fear of him more, he couldn't stomach the sight anymore. He did this. No. That horrid- evil side of him that he tried his best to hide whenever he was around you, did this.

It wanted your blood, your terror, your very life if you were foolish enough to give it. Joker knew he was a monster; it was common knowledge and he wondered daily why you allowed him to dwell amongst your beauty and kindness. All he ever did was cause you pain.

Perhaps he should leave. He couldn't hurt something out of his reach, so he nodded to himself and began to turn when your weak, watery cry stopped him.

"Wait! Please."

Joker's world began spinning again, one hesitant inch at a time.

He was the one that cornered, frightened, and made you cry so why was he the one acting afraid? Joker was scared to see your face, to find disgust there directed at him. Maybe today would be the day you came to your senses and kicked him out of your life for good.

But no. His Bunny was too merciful. Your hands mirrored his previous intentions and held his cheek like glass. Your hands were so warm on his scars it made him dizzy.

"P-Please.. I'm sorry. I promise I'm not running away! Don't ever think that I'm running from you or from u-us. It's just.. um my friends and I rarely have the same schedules and if I don't go tonight it'll be months before we get to hang out as a full group again. And with you in my apartment for the next five months I want— No, I need to spend time with them before I give you all of my attention. You deserve it! I'm so sorry Joker, I have to go, please don't be mad at me!"

You burst into tears and clung to his chest. He blinked in awe that his fear tactic worked. Finally you explained your actions! Although he hated the method he used, it all worked out in the end.

You feared Joker just a smidgen more than you previously did and in the future he would use that to his advantage. Joker sighed to himself. He was ashamed for even manipulating you like this, but as he wrapped his arms around you and shushed your hiccups like a baby– he knew.

The seed was sown; You knew better not to anger him again.

Joker was used to making people cry and he hardly cared if they never stopped. It was part of the job description as Joker monopolized people's fear of him for his grip on power.

That is until he made you cry. Then, it was a problem. One that he couldn't seem to fix.

You two had slid to the kitchen floor where Joker sat with his back to the counter and you in his arms. He looked every bit a grumpy cat.

No matter how many times he patted your back or mumbled out at "There, there Bunny." or rolled his eyes each time you apologized he groaned, "Stop saying sorry and stop cryin.." you didn't.

You would simply tear up more and cling to him tighter.

This was Joker's atonement. His legs had since fallen asleep from your weight on them and he watched the time tick by on the stove's interface. Sooner or later you would tucker yourself out, right? Joker was by no means religious but he considered praying to something if it finally dried up your tears.

He was seconds away from shoving you aside and doing something more useful with his time- but once he raised a hand to caress the back of your head, it all stopped.

Just like that, you stopped. He was mad at himself for not thinking of it sooner. You secretly loved your hair being played with despite your strict 'no touching rule.'

You whimpered differently and shuddered in his hold as your gentle sobs came to a stop.

All was quiet until you looked up into muddled green orbs. Joker appeared to be absolutely bored but his eyes softened when he saw your puffy face staring up at him. Even with tear stained cheeks, you were beautiful. He didn't know if he was allowed to kiss you but nothing could stop Joker when he wanted something.

Right now, he wanted to kiss those pretty lips of yours. He wiped your lash line with the pad of his thumb and angled your head better to see him.

"You feelin better doll?"

You bashfully nodded your head. Your emotional outburst was so embarrassing now that it was over. To think you cried in front of Joker of all people! Ugh, you felt so pathetic.

Yet the way Joker's eyes regarded you like you were the most interesting thing in his world, it gave you a bit of hope. Who cares if your writer's mind over romanticized the moment?

Joker arched an eyebrow at your spaced out gaze and huffed gently. "Still not using your big girl words. I wanna hear you use 'em." He tapped your temple once, then twice to taunt your brain.

"I-I ahem.. I feel better. T-Thanks for letting me cry all over you." You wiped his chest that did little to absorb your tears. His muscles looked good wet. You cleared your throat after thinking that wild thought.

"Something else still on your mind?" Joker asked while tipping your head back with a lone finger. He had a sixth sense in reading your mind.

This relationship would be so much easier if he actually could, but alas. He was still pretty accurate at times.

"No. I just feel stupid for crying in your lap like some spoiled brat." You grumbled.

"Hmm, you do acT like one so no harm done." He laughed after seeing your annoyed scowl. "Now that your uh.. tantrum is over. You wanna relocate this chat somewhere else? Like.. not on the floor?" Joker shifted his knee and you both heard the pop it made after being in the same position for too long.

"Oh my gosh! Your leg! I'm so–"

Joker took that time to shut you up with a kiss. You tensed up for a millisecond but melted like wax soon after on his velvet lips. Unfortunately he broke the connection off prematurely and you failed to stop the whine that escaped your throat.

Joker chuckled once and pecked your lips, unable to deny you of anything. "If you apologize one more time, I'll give ya something to really be sorry for."

You barely had time to digest that warning before Joker abruptly stood up with you still in his arms. The sudden change of motion threw you off. He held you steady as you adapted to standing on your own two feet once again. You thanked him once the room stopped spinning.

Then you saw the state of your kitchen. Dishes were still lying around that weren't cleaned the first go around and it was slowly creeping towards midday. You had too much to handle before eight pm.

But one task at a time you told yourself. "I should finish cleaning and make us lunch before I start getting ready."

Joker's arms tightened around you after hearing your intentions. All that crying and you were still leaving? It didn't make any sense to him. You knew exactly what he was thinking and backed out of his arms with a sigh.

"I'm still going, Joker. You can go one night without me. I can cook you dinner before I go and I'll be back before breakfast. But I do need to go grocery shopping beforehand. I doubt there's anything in the fridge."

"There isn't." Joker confirmed.

You nodded and rocked on your heels in awkward silence. Your statement hung in the electrically charged room. Joker didn't help the situation by staring at you unblinking. Two pools of emerald bore into your soul and you crumbled like a cookie. Staring at Joker was like playing with fire. You had to look away to save yourself.

"Alrighty then. I guess I'll g-go get ready–" You made it around the island counter, headed towards your bedroom when Joker grabbed ahold of your arm.

"Uh where are you going?" He asked.

Did the man have separation anxiety or something? Regardless, your eyes traced from Joker's grip on your skin, up along his muscular arm to his eyes. Surely he wasn't hard of hearing.

"I just said I need to go grocery shopping. Geez Joker. It won't take me long and I promise I'll be back before you know it. I do have to change though." You glanced down at his firm grip, willing him to let go.

"You're not going anywhere without me."

Unfreaking believable. Who was acting like a spoiled brat now? Did all logic fly out the window this morning? You were literally speechless, gaping up at Joker until he explained himself.

"Both of us are going to the store." He sounded so sure of himself you wanted to believe it was possible. But this new level of insanity Joker cooked up was maddening.

How did he survive this long making these rash decisions?

You made a face and waved your hands wildly in a state of confusion. "Joker, you can't be serious. You're a wanted fugitive! There's an active manhunt for your recapture! Not to mention the explosion you created last night to rescue me has the entire GCPD force on go mode. The last thing you need to do is go outside."

Joker crossed his arms and stared you down. His facial expression was proof he didn't care about the authorities or their frivolous manhunt. His dramatic eye roll was a big, 'I don't give a f__k.'

You looked Joker dead in the eye and made an iconic hand gesture, "One does not simply walk into a supermarket with a reputation like yours."

Joker didn't get the pop culture reference. "Uh.. I'm not wearing any makeup." He pointed to his bare face. "So yeah, yeah I can."

He brought up a good argument. Joker did in fact look like a completely different person without his signature clown makeup. He could probably avoid detection if not for his scars. You were biased towards them but any other person would openly stare if they saw Joker's face. His hair alone would instantly raise alarm.

"That doesn't change the fact you're still.... well you." Joker arched an eyebrow at your choice of words so you quickly retracted your statement.

"I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT! I meant.. um green hair, drop dead gorgeous guy, oozing dangerous vibes, plus your uh.."

You gestured vaguely at your mouth. Joker just blinked.

This field trip must mean a lot to him if he truly forgot that his appearance was a major problem with attempting to blend in with society.

Self acceptance was always celebrated here, but not everyone has an elongated smile carved onto their face. You struggled saying that in a positive tone but you couldn't beat around the bush.

"Good Lawd this is pointless. Since you won't take no for an answer, you're putting a beanie on to cover your hair and I have a face mask around here somewhere to cover your scars. If I could, I'd put a brown paper bag over your head." You sighed wistfully.

His pointed glare dared you to try.

"Joker, this is still too risky." You trailed off and scratched the back of your neck, overthinking this idea since he wouldn't. Was his separation anxiety worth him potentially getting arrested?

You glanced up when Joker scoffed flippantly. Apparently so.

"Risky is my middle name, Y/n! I go under-cove-rrr more times than I'd care to admit with no issues. Gotham Citizens are annoyingly ignorant when it comes to being observant." The dark gleam in his eye had you believing him for a second.

Yet it wasn't enough. "I don't know.."

He hated hearing the hesitation in your voice. Joker was running out of excuses so he took you in his arms and held fast to your shoulders shaking them none too gently.

"Hey. Y/n. Look. Look at meee." You gazed up at Joker with doubt still clouding your e/c hued eyes. He took a moment to admire your beauty before he jumped back to the matter at hand.

"Nothing bad will happen. Can you- oh I don't know, trust me for once?" He cupped your face and stared straight into your soul.

Time slowed down whenever you stared at Joker. There was something about those electric green eyes of his that simply drew you in. His lips loomed closer and closer until they met yours with a rare gentleness that you never expected Joker to possess. Joker's kiss felt lighter than the pancakes he made for breakfast.

His tongue clashed with yours fighting for dominance- swirling like the butter and syrup on your plate- until you gave Joker full control. He licked the root of your mouth in victory and ever since you were a goner.

Joker pressed up against you- all hard edges and a festering heat. The combination made you weak in the knees yet Joker couldn't erase the narrative from your mind. This trip to the store was definitely risky and it went against your logic as an author.

Every character you read about or created never exposed themselves in such a way. They were smart to avoid detection at all costs until the coast was clear.

They weren't arrogant, thinking themselves untouchable and they never taunted the authorities. Joker was doing that and more. In Joker's case, his recapture was inevitable because Batman always tracked the clown down.. but not this time.

This time, Joker was under your protection and you dared the caped crusader to steal him away from you. You made a silent vow to keep Joker hidden the day you half-dragged, half-carried him into your apartment, unconscious and bleeding.

If Joker was going down, so were you. And so you elected yourself to be the brains of this duo.

You seriously wanted to boycott this dumb idea of his. There were so many what ifs floating around in your head. If you spent the same amount of time thinking about the cons you would have known they were moot points since Joker was already determined to go.

He said it himself Gotham citizens were ignorant to their surroundings.

Barbara and Florence were living proof of that. If they were more observant they would've blown the whistle on your 'hide a fugitive in my apartment' quest a long time ago. Barbara saw right through your little white lie about adopting a cat but didn't press the matter any further.

You proudly wore a necklace of love bites and bruises that Florence pointed out although she didn't grow concerned when you denied it wasn't Bruce's doing. Who else did it then Florence? You mentally rolled your eyes. It was kinda sad just how little your two best friends cared. You might need this girl's night more than you thought.

And to get there you had to appease Joker. Your thoughts were abuzz as he pulled away from your lips for air. He swiped at the string of spit connecting your mouths with his tongue and rested his forehead against yours.

You didn't need more persuasion after that doozy of a kiss. You trusted Joker to some degree and it was high time to give him more credit where it was due. All you had was his word and a pinch of hope that this trip wouldn't backfire.

You played with the strands of hair on the nape of Joker's neck to gain his attention. He already knew you would cave in but your following words just solidified his theory.

"I hope I don't regret this. Get dressed loser, we're going shopping."

And that's how you ended up grocery shopping with Joker.

The mere thought was insane but sure enough, you glanced to your right and the notorious criminal stood next to you reading the nutritional facts on a bag of chips in fake interest. You had to smack his hand when he tried to open the bag in the middle of the store.

He threw death glares at you for hitting him but eventually tossed the half opened bag into the cart.

"I totally regret this." You grumbled and pushed the cart away from Joker.

He said nothing but followed behind you, secretly keeping an eye out on the various shoppers and all available entry and exit points. Just because he told you he went undercover with ease didn't mean he was lax with surveillance. Joker was vigilant while maintaining a level of calmness. A shame you weren't in the same boat.

Your nerves were one thousand percent since the moment you two left the apartment and it was noticeable from how your heels tapped on the epoxy floors to your shifty eyes. Every sound made you jump. You still couldn't believe you agreed to this.

After explaining to Joker that you were quoting Mean Girls and not deliberately calling him a loser, (you knew better) you both went your separate ways to get dressed.

You spent half of your thirty minutes taming your hot mess of hair into a pineapple bun and tied it strategically with a scarf. It paired well with your designer halter top and black skinny jeans that made your backside look phenomenal. You chose to wear printed Louboutin heels to polish off the look and eyed yourself in the mirror celebrating a job well done. Until you saw the bruises on your neck.

Joker's 'handiwork' was on full display but nothing a little concealer couldn't fix.

Adorning bracelets and a pair of hoop earrings as finishing touches, you considered yourself ready to go. Joker didn't know what to say when he opened his bedroom door and saw you in the hallway applying another coat of clear lip gloss to those plump lips of yours.

Your smoldering gaze rooted him to the spot.

"I uh thought we were going to the uhh... store?" He managed to say.

You looked ready for a date not for running errands. Joker looked down at his scruffy jeans and grey long sleeve shirt feeling vastly underdressed.

You on the other hand were practically drooling at Joker's choice in clothes. All he needed was a jean jacket and he would be any woman's bad boy dream. Since when did ripped jeans look so hot? You fiddled with your hair scarf hoping you weren't visibly sweating.

"You weren't kidding when you said you went clothes shopping. I ah... you look.. wow." You stuttered in Joker's direction. Your heels clicked loudly on the hardwood floors as you sauntered over to him.

Just a change of clothes and Joker had completely transformed himself. He let a few strands of his hair peek out from underneath the dark beanie you gave him. The pop of green was the only color in his monochromatic attire. Maybe this disguise would actually work.

He had you fooled. Joker looked like a lead guitarist of a metal band and an incredibly hot one at that. He let you run your hands over his clothed chest, while holding back an amused grin. "Answer my question Bunny." He reminded you.

"What question?"

Joker shook his head. "If we go together it'll draw more attention, 'specially if you keep that on..." He cooed. He didn't have to crane his head to see that booty from the front. You could make anything look sexy but this fit of yours was killing him.

"Right.. yeah perhaps I can meet you there? It's the EverFresh on Yale St."

That would explain your dressy outfit. Only nannies of prominent families and the upper elite shopped at EverFresh. Their prices were inflated but the quality of food lived up to the company's name. Joker knew you would blend in with your outfit. Everything made sense.

Not much else was said when the two of you left your apartment and rode the elevator down to the main floor. You were sweating bullets thinking someone would identify Joker but alas, no one batted an eyelash. Other than a fleeting glance at him for wearing a face mask, Joker roamed freely amongst the public.

This was actually working. The realization was terrifying.

He could've been anywhere all these years. It made his reputation that much terrifying. Joker whispered in your ear to relax right before he disappeared into the foot traffic outside of your apartment complex. Then you were alone.

Despite his reassuring words you felt like everyone was watching you. One guy stared longer than you liked on the subway (it didn't dawn on you that you looked hot) and it raised your hackles until you heard someone subtly clear their throat a few distance away.

The subway car was packed but out of the corner of your eye, you could see the dark handsome figure of Joker holding onto the ceiling handle. His grip on it highlighted his bicep in the tight grey shirt he wore and the lady standing next to him was definitely enjoying the view. If only she knew those arms could snap her neck and the nearby populace in the blink of an eye.

Joker's green eyes glowed in the overhead lights before the subway went through a blacked out passageway. The staring contest pursued even in the dark. Keeping an eye on Joker helped calm your nerves and you let out a shaky exhale until a robotic feminine voice announced the station's arrival.

It wasn't far of a walk out the subway terminal into the blinding organic and healthy food market, EverFresh.

The place reeked of superiority. It made you want to gag but you mentally prepared yourself and rented a cart to begin your shopping. This wouldn't take long and you reminded yourself you were nothing like these people.

EverFresh was the only store you knew of where a pre-screening background check was mandatory before obtaining a membership and also where sweats were banned. You wished you wore your Saint Laurent YSL logo heels instead.

Sticking out like a sore thumb wasn't ideal right now. Yet none of that mattered when Joker entered the store five minutes after you.

Somehow he bypassed earning a stink eye from the greeter when he failed to rent a cart or handheld basket, however, Joker did gain the eye of every housewife, nanny, private chef, and female employee present.

There was an air about him that commanded attention while warning people not to stare for too long. It was apparent he didn't belong here but no one questioned Joker's authority. He naturally found you on the bread aisle and strode up to you with confidence.

Unfortunately you didn't see him toss a loaf of whole grain wheat into the cart but you heard his dramatic greeting, "I see you started without me, Princess."

A middle aged woman, (a politician's wife by the looks of it) sent jealous daggers into your back.

You thought bringing Joker along to the store would put him at risk with the cops but, oh no. His sexy, mysterious aura was gonna get you in trouble with the jealous shoppers. Joker was better off coming as the wanted man he was instead of this wickedly good disguise.

Joker chuckled at your dilemma and only made matters worse by following behind you like a dark shadow. From an outsider's perspective, he appeared to be your personal bodyguard but he was anything but. You grabbed a few more things before turning down the breakfast aisle when Joker decided to act a plum fool.

Your heels echoed on the spotless floor as you combed through the vast selection for the various items on your list. Since Joker was with you, he could help carry the majority of the load so you could buy in bulk. You were scratching an item off the list when you heard your name across the way.

"Oh Y/n can I please have it? I promise I've been a very good boy."

You slowly turned around to find Joker holding up a box of Cocoa Nuts and Frosted Flakes, shaking them aggressively. You were surprised that Colomy's brand of cereal was even in stock here but stared at Joker in disbelief. Whatever happened to keeping a low profile?

He swore your left eye twitched. You were just about to scold him when another shopper walked by getting an eyeful of Joker. She giggled out a hello, he paid her no mind.

"Please Bunny?"

Her scoff was louder than the gossip she'd start about you. Your membership would take a few points for sure.

Steam was coming out of your ears you were so embarrassed.

"You are acting like a child. Yes, you can get them! Anything to shut you up." You scanned the area making sure no one was getting too suspicious. If anyone were listening in, it sounded like a nanny discipling her charge. If only Joker was an adolescent and not a full grown man with a twisted sense of humor.

This was the first trip to the store that no one had asked if you needed help or huffed at you to move out of their way. Usually a store associate would have bothered you by now. The lack of customer service put you on edge.

Joker invading your personal space and practically purring in your ear didn't help relieve your paranoia either. "Thank you Mommy." He said while tossing both boxes into the cart.

You never felt more embarrassed in your entire life. You wished the floor could swallow you whole. And so everything came back full circle.

"I totally regret this." You grumbled and pushed the cart away from Joker.

Yet he never left your line of sight. He stayed glued to your side even while you struggled to reach things on the top shelves and made sexual innuendos as you chose between two pieces of meat.

"Hmmm. Why not get that one Y/n? We both know you like thick pieces of meat." His words made the tips of your ears tingle and it flushed beet red when a blonde standing next to you gasped in shock.

She looked Joker up and down, no doubt about to shoot her shot but you tossed both packets of meat into the cart and hissed at Joker to follow you.

He did, but not before winking at the blonde. No matter how many times you told him to behave he would say or do something attention grabbing and shoot your stress levels sky high. He was doing it on purpose now. You were about to reach the floral section when you rounded on Joker.

"Stay right here and watch the cart. Do not walk off, do not flirt with another shopper.. again.. and please don't eat anything I haven't paid for yet."

He rolled his eyes and gave you a lazy army salute, which was his way of saying, 'I will make no such promises.' He was already looking for something to get into by the time you turned around.

Your attention focused on the florist center which took up a decent size of the market. It alone contributed to the sweet, inviting smell that wafted throughout the store.

Arrange me Not owned leasing rights within the supermarket but their primary location was a blooming success in Otisburg. And with good reason. Their work was amazing with each bouquet arranged with a personal touch for the expected recipient. They made common flowers works of art and you were lucky enough to know the owner.

Morgana planned on expanding to a third location in New Gotham by the end of the year. She could put old Pamela Isley out of business if the botanist turned super criminal ever returned to an honest living.

Regardless, you knew your friend was here in person today based on the more elaborate, premade bouquets on display. You walked up to the counter and decided against ringing the bell placed there.

It was too noisy, the florist mentioned time and time again.

"Morgana you busy?"

You didn't have to wait long before curious brown eyes shot out from the back followed by a dazzling smile when she recognized her current customer. Morgana had her long silky hair done up in a high ponytail today with a wreath of wildflowers acting as a makeshift hair tie.

If her hands weren't caked in dirt she would have hugged you. "Never for you Y/n! What will it be today? Lilies? Garden roses? Ooh! Peonies are in right now and I have a full crate that I can ship over from Otisburg to—" You stopped her rambling with a gentle wave.

"I'd love any arrangement you make Morgana but that's not why I'm here."

"Oh." She scratched her face, leaving a streak of soil there. "Did something happen again? I haven't checked my phone today."

Out of all of your friends Morgana was the most level headed when it came to your life drama. She didn't panic like Florence or Barbara would and it was one of the reasons why Morgana was the only person you texted after you woke up underground in Joker's bunker.

You hated having favorites but you could tell Morgana anything simply because she wouldn't overreact or care about the information. She was truly a free spirited individual. Which meant you could be as blunt as you wanted— no harm done.

"No, nothing bad happened. Flo, Barb, and I are doing girl's night. Barbara texted you the full details but I wanted to make sure you knew before your shift ended. We're meeting back up at my place at a quarter till eight. Florence got this client of hers that's flying us out to Atlanta."

Halfway through your explanation Morgana wiped her hands and face clean with a cloth and rounded the counter to stand by your side. It was acting as a barrier from giving you a hug. She pulled away with a laugh after hearing the end of your sentence.

"Oh she been giving that man pussy!" You joined in with her peals of laughter.

"That's what I said because ain't no way he's offering to fly us all out free of charge! He owns a club so I guess he's paying for everything else tonight. We just gotta come as we are."

"I have yet to turn down a man's money. Consider me in. What's the dress code?" Morgana asked. Unfortunately, you were just as clueless.

"Uh I don't know." You checked the group chat but nothing was mentioned. "I mean it's Atlanta so probably hot girl summer. Florence mentioned she wanted to get drunk so. There's that."

Morgana sighed to herself. "That means someone gotta stay sober to watch her Haitian a_s. We are not getting kicked out of a club again. I nominate you this time." She rolled her eyes when you muttered, well duh, but continued. "But say less I'll be ready. Is Cindy down?"

You totally forgot to include the businesswoman! It was quite last minute and you hadn't talked to her since visiting her office with Bruce two weeks ago.

"I doubt it."

Morgana hummed, "Won't hurt to invite her just in case she can pull a miracle." Out the corner of her eye she saw a client come up with a pickup ticket. "Ooh gotta go girl, but I'll see you tonight!"

She waved you off and greeted her new customer before coming out the back with a massive centerpiece bursting with spring florals. The lady gushed over the piece and struggled holding it with her two arms, it was so huge. It was absolutely beautiful and after seeing it you turned to Morgana—

"I'll bring you a bouquet when I come over tonight." She knew you too well. You walked back to where you left Joker and the cart with a content smile.

You killed two birds with one stone; informing Morgana of tonight's plans while shopping for groceries, all without an incident. Maybe tonight wouldn't be as bad as you thought. That is if Joker let you go.

The man had separation anxiety and boarded a boat down the river of denial. You didn't want to anger him or ruin whatever that was growing between you and him. Everything would work itself out, you thought to yourself and rounded the corner, only to arrive at an vacant spot.

"Where..." So obviously you weren't tripping. You left Joker by the wine and spirits section near the checkout yet he and your cart full of food were gone.

You frantically looked around but other shoppers were milling around minding their business, blissfully unaware. There was literally a madman on the loose and they went about their day as normal. Joker was nowhere in sight so you did the same thing your mom did whenever she lost you in the store.

You went up and down each aisle searching.

You couldn't call out Joker's name— wanted criminal and all— bummer right? Each aisle came up empty. You didn't spot a black beanie anywhere. You didn't hear any screams of terror nor did you see a crowd of women lining up for his number. He simply vanished. Your stress levels were over 9000.

"Excuse me miss? Did you lose something?"

You whirled on the store associate who stopped you on your fourth trip around the store. She took in your dilated eyes and distress, hoping you'd explain.

"Miss?" She put a halt to your panic with a comforting smile. "What seems to be the problem?"

"My cart! I left it right here and... and.." You choked out.

"Miss Y/L is it? Your membership card was authorized for a purchase over twenty minutes ago. I assumed your bodyguard went on ahead with the groceries since he opted in on a home delivery service."

Screw the GCPD capturing Joker. You were going to kill him yourself.

Did he know how much delivery services cost?! Scratch that. What was he thinking leaving without you? The man couldn't follow simple instructions and did he have to take your purse with him? At least you had your phone and apartment key in your back pocket, however your anger for a green haired clown was at an all time high.

You had to save face in this uppity store so you faced the store associate with a tight lipped smile of your own.

"Is that so? Well, I guess he got impatient while I was off browsing in the flower section. Thank you for your help."

She returned your smile and moseyed off to assist another customer, leaving you stewing near the exit. Joker better have a good excuse after pulling a stunt like this. It was gonna be a long subway ride home as you plotted about all the many ways to get even with the Crowned Prince of Crime.

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j0kers-light · 1 year

Text

His Lighthouse: Losers Aren’t Weepers (LedgerJoker x f!reader)

Losers Aren’t Weepers

series summary:

chapter summary:

Y/n copes with the fact she's seen the infamous face of The Joker in the aftermath of having sex with him. The decision to take their newly found relationship is taken more seriously than before and it only weights on her as well. Will the two new love birds settle quietly within their new role or will things be even more awkward now that they are together?

Authors Note:

I want to thank everyone who sent out thoughts and messages as I struggled with the loss of my furbaby. For a while there I didn't have the mindset or the energy to write, but I found a way. I couldn't leave you all hanging and on a cliffhanger no less!! So here is another installment of my dreams turned fanfic that I hope you all thoroughly enjoy! I truly look forward to any comments and feedback: They are my fuel to keep going!

Taglist!

@blackreaderatrisk @twinkledinkle @clemdango04 @l3ejm @tears-of-amber @what-an-angell

Let me know if anyone else would like to be added to the taglist!!

Last Chapter | Next Chapter

Shocking news at the top of the hour.

Popular YA author, Y/N L/N, found dead in her apartment at the age of (insert). Authorities suspect foul play as the young writer was found in her shower with the water still running. Her work precedes her as the famous hit series, Will Hunter Bill is in the works of being turned into a movie starring famous actor...

Okay Y/n, maybe that's a bit too dramatic. Was it too pretentious of you to write your own breaking news headline? You didn't think so since your days were numbered after seeing a glimpse of Joker's bare face.

You were still huddled in the corner of the shower, wet hands covering your eyes and awaiting sudden death. Hopefully Joker would be merciful and make it quick.

A good snap of the neck or perhaps bashing your head into the tiled wall. If he got creative, he could choke you with the loofah string. Once again, writing mystery and thriller novels really broadened your knowledge of ways to kill people.

The possibilities were endless! You just wished Joker hurried up and picked one. You didn't dare to turn around but you ultimately became curious when nothing happened after a while.

Obviously you weren't tripping.

Makeup + fake name = secret. Joker was keeping his true identity from everyone yet here you are alive and well with a portion of that truth. He killed others for less. So why were you still alive? You considered yourself a somewhat lucky person but this didn't feel right. You pinched yourself to see if you were dreaming but the pain confirmed what you already knew. This was really happening. So you tempted fate and stole a peek through your fingers.

Sweet baby Jesus and the grown one too.

The sight was straight out of a Shojo anime. Joker's profile was facing you with sharp lines and dripping with masculinity through the shower fog.

In another life you believed Joker could have been a teenage heartthrob or some famous model. His eyes were closed as he washed the remainder of his makeup off and the swirls of white, red, and black dripped down his toned arms in a tantalizing manner.

And he would tip his head back underneath the shower head like this was some moody cologne commercial! Your heart skipped a beat from the fan service. Now you understand how high schoolers in anime could pop nose bleeds on command. Watching Joker wash off felt illegal. Maybe you did die and this was heaven.

You weren't hiding it anymore. You were openly staring with no shame. The man was all types of fine and right there for your viewing pleasure, heck yeah you were going to indulge!

Joker was foul for hiding his athletic build underneath dark suits and cloaks but you were glad you were the only one that got to see him like this. Each moment you spent with him felt intimate and sacred. Joker was gorgeous and all yours to admire. Without his signature red lipstick, his facial scars were more subdued and not as prominent. If you weren't actively seeking them out, you wouldn't have paid any attention to them.

You were biased of course but who cared about that? His scars took a backseat in your observation. His skin was surprisingly normal in appearance and your hands itched to touch it now that there wasn't any grease paint in the way.

Would it be soft just like you imagined it was? Scratch that. Would Joker allow you to touch him so intimately? You were sure he was going to kill you for catching just a mere glimpse.

You were so caught up in your own head, you didn't see when Joker opened his eyes and noticed that you were staring. He knew you were drifting off into lala land by how distant your e/c eyes were. He dragged a wet hand through his hair before reaching out towards you.

That put an end to your thoughts real quick. This was it; he was gonna kill you.

"Don't kill me! My favorite tv show isn't complete yet!" You screamed when Joker's hand came in contact with your wrist.

He wasn't surprised by the crazy things you said anymore. It was just a trait of yours that he accepted long ago but he did take offense to the former part of your statement.

Your other bouts of nonsense were muffled by Joker covering your lips with his own. You stopped talking and automatically looped your arms around his neck to return the romantic gesture.

Joker was such a good kisser he could quite literally reboot your thought process. It was still reloading when he pulled away to speak.

"M'not gonna kill ya sweetheart. Why would I do that?"

You stuttered trying to come up with a reply as Joker warmed you back up to his touch. The hot water pouring over his shoulder and down your naked chest in a rapid downfall aided his efforts. Anywhere that the water touched, Joker hands followed soon after. You hardly noticed him grabbing your favorite colored loofah and lathering your skin up since his kisses distracted you so well.

He cleaned you so effortlessly– like this was an everyday occasion between the two of you. The level of trust you surrendered to him was both comforting and concerning. You really did trust Joker wholeheartedly. He had free reign with your body to do with as he pleased.

'I slept with Joker. Just what were you thinking, Y/n?' You thought to yourself.

Even worse, you were actively showering with him! The aftercare was far too romantic and it didn't match Joker's character at all.

You weren't quite sure if you liked this soft version of Joker yet. It was unusual to see him so caring and eager to please. Maybe sex changed his perception of things? You doubted it.

He was still clueless about his true feelings but you could still sense his intentions in the way he barely touched your skin with each pass of the shower puff that sent goosebumps to blossom all over your body. Joker was treating you like fine china and given enough time, you could get used to being pampered but right now you kept an eye on him.

As Joker washed your upper body, you finally addressed the elephant in the room.

"Why would you kill me? B-Because I saw your face that's why! I-I know what you—" You gasped when Joker raised his head and stared you down.

You saw an array of freckles scattered across Joker's nose and you really wanted to count each one along with the long eyelashes he had. They fanned across his cheekbones every time he blinked, mesmerizing you with their beauty.

"Yeah? What about it? It was only a matter of time you saw me with-out my makeup." Joker rolled his eyes and continued rubbing the loofah down your back in soothing circles.

You hoped he wasn't downplaying the situation as a coping mechanism. This wasn't something to be taken lightly. He revealed a crucial part of himself! Shouldn't he be angry that you saw his face? You were so confused by his nonchalant attitude.

"Joker.. This is a big deal. I could go to the GCPD with this!"

He knew you weren't going to the police. He rolled his eyes at your empty threat and continued scrubbing you down. You didn't like his sass and reached up to grab his cheek, practically pleading for him to see the bigger picture here. Surely he felt it.

The innocent touch was amplified now that there wasn't a layer of white in the way.

You gained a huge portion of Joker's well guarded trust and you needed to be sure he didn't regret sharing it.

There wasn't much to focus on in the shower yet Joker found a way to avoid eye contact. Your hand felt so warm touching his cheek and it took everything in him to not lean into its comfort.

You faintly registered the mindless shapes the shower puff made on your skin as Joker washed you. His hands were covered in soap as they groped and relaxed on your body with each pass. A man like Joker showing signs of nervousness baffled your brain. You didn't like him so out of sorts and set about calming his nerves.

"Joker look at me." A kaleidoscope of greens immediately returned your gaze.

You saw the color in a brand new light these days. You were forever changed by the unusual hue. It was scary how easy you could decipher what one shade meant over another. Right now, Joker was hiding behind a smokescreen of juniper green indifference. That wouldn't do in your book.

You wanted to drag Joker into a world of acceptance. It was okay to be human. He didn't have to pretend anymore and definitely not around you. Whenever Joker was with you he could be himself and face no judgment. You tried to harness that feeling and translate it into words.

"You know this changes things between us right? We can't go back to.. w-we can't. Ugh screw this! You don't have to pretend with me anymore! I know you now. I shouldn't, but I do. It's okay to be yourself." You finally got your thoughts out and looked at Joker.

He searched your face; for what, you'll never know but apparently he found it. He huffed and dropped the shower puff to cup the back of your neck affectionately.

"I wanna know you too." He mumbled.

Your laugh chiseled away at his cold, dead heart. Since when did he get so soft? Perhaps the exact moment you tripped and fell into his life.

"I'm an open book, you know that."

But that didn't stop Joker from wanting to know more. He wanted to know you word for word, cover to cover. He wanted to immerse himself in the story of Y/n, if you'd let him.

"My favorite one." He mumbled to himself before leaning in.

He kissed you with a subdued energy, savoring what he already knew and learning each new nuance that made you unique along the way. You craned your neck back to deepen the kiss and clawed at anything your needy little hands could grab ahold of. In this case it was Joker's shoulders, still damp from the shower.

Your water bill would be extremely high this month but screw it, that didn't matter right now. Joker's mysterious aura and the hot shower blended together in a wonderful way that clouded your brain from any rational thought.

It felt silly to ever think that Joker would kill you especially since he was steering your body backwards into the shower tiles with love on the brain. You arched your back, gasping from the cold surface and Joker quickly swallowed up the sound while silently commanding you to jump up into his arms with a rough squeeze of your thighs.

You broke away from his lips hesitating, "W-What about your leg?"

His ongoing injury constantly nagged your mind. He carried you just fine out of the warehouse but that could have very well been due to adrenaline. The last you remembered he was recovering from a nasty infection.

Joker grinned and moved his hands to cup your backside before he lifted you up into his arms. From this angle you could look down into his swirling dark eyes. He thought your frown was cute and replied coyly.

"I got it checked. Doc said it needs more time to heal properly but—" Joker flexed his arms pitching you higher in his grasp. Your high pitched squeal of fright made him chuckle.

"I'm not gonna drop ya, Y/n. But uh... you're stuck with me for five more months."

Was he serious? You arched an eyebrow at Joker. Then you remembered the mutual agreement the two of you made that fateful day.

You volunteered to be his nurse in exchange for your life. Joker would rest and recover while keeping a low profile at your apartment then he would be out of your life, that is until feelings and other outside forces extended the original timeframe well past its due date. It was supposed to be two weeks tops dealing with the notorious clown. Almost a month later and Joker had fully integrated himself into your life. You couldn't get rid of him even if you tried.

Your original decision to help a wanted criminal in need clearly went off the rails but could you handle Joker for five more months?

That was enough time for him to officially move in and for you to develop deeper (toxic) feelings, not like you already have, and start adding labels to things that clearly had no business being labeled. But you found yourself unable to tear your gaze from Joker. He had a way of sucking you into his orbit with no guarantee if you would make it out alive.

You felt like Icarus skirting too close to Joker and his fervent destructive powers.

You had to remind yourself that Joker was just a temporary diversion before the inevitability of life tore the two of you apart. He was not a 'happy ever after' book troupe. He couldn't be your endgame, but that didn't mean you would waste the time you did have with him. If this arrangement was only temporary, then you were going to make the most out of every last second. Starting right now.

You wrapped your legs tighter around Joker's waist and played with a wet strand of his hair.

He desperately needed to wash it. "Wow, just five months? Whatever will I do with you?" You teased him.

You were convinced Joker's eyes glowed. "I can think of a lot of things I can do to you, Bunny." He dropped you down just a tad and you felt his growing erection rub against you.

Oh. Oh...

And he had the audacity to call you a bunny. It had barely been fifteen minutes and he was already in the mood for round two. You thanked the gods up above for Joker's stamina. Your last fling called it a night after the first round that hardly lasted ten minutes. Side note: you didn't get to cum. And here Joker was spoiling you rotten in the same hour.

You looked away, "You are seriously a danger to my health."

Joker grinned and repeated his statement from earlier. "Buuuut did you die sweetheart?"

You flushed a faint maroon and scoffed. "Yeah! My hair did! Florence is gonna murder me for not lasting a full month." You patted your braids that were being exposed to the elements even as you spoke.

Unfortunately, Joker wasn't listening to you nor did he care.

He was too busy grinding his dick against your folds and mapping out your plushy curves with his hands. You shivered when he traced your spine with his damp fingers and felt yourself grow wetter. As much as Joker liked holding you in his arms, he did need to get off of his injured leg. He spotted a seat nearby and carried you over.

It was the same bench you used to hold your candles during a nice soak. He wondered how it found its way into the shower but didn't think too much about it.

Joker sat down and plopped you down right on top of his hard on. Green eyes immediately found your gaze and for a moment– time stood still.

The steady stream of water still reached this section of the shower and it beat upon your back in gentle waves however it was nothing compared to the fervent heat that was Joker. The man ran like a furnace and his touch was even hotter. Joker continued to prove your theory of him being the sun correct and you would gladly get burned just to be in his presence. You loved playing with fire.

One day it would be your downfall.

"Lean back Y/n." He whispered.

You tilted your head and Joker admired your puppy-like confusion for a brief second before he pushed you back himself. Your startled moan was the confirmation that his idea had worked. A small jet of water traveled down your chest and concentrated straight onto your clit.

You held onto his shoulders afraid of falling over. "J-Joker!"

"I got ya.. Trust me, Y/n. I got ya." With that heated vow uttered, Joker lowered you down onto his cock. There was no resistance as his dick split you back open.

He was successful in preparing you for entry well without your knowledge. Your body was so responsive to him it was actually rather embarrassing. A little kiss here, a subtle but firm touch there; Joker could play you like an instrument.

You just had sex with Joker yet he managed to take your breath away again. The searing stretch was making you lose all train of thought. It was just too good. Your eyelashes fluttered closed and your mouth fell open in a moan that never escaped your throat.

The trickle of water kept your clit preoccupied while Joker came to a stop, fully sheathed within your warmth. He would never get used to your vice-like grip. After a shaky deep breath, he found the strength to move and slowly rocked you back and forth, groaning from the feeling.

You whimpered at the friction Joker created but he wasn't satisfied with the gentle sway. You deserved so much more. He needed more from you.

One of his hands was big enough to cup your entire back and it was a nice reminder to keep it arched. Not like you needed a reminder since the heavy drag of Joker's dick grazing your walls had your back naturally trying to snap in half. You didn't know whether to accept him or shy away from the sensation.

Joker picked up on your inner dilemma. He felt the tension in your body and also with how you clung to his shoulders with a grimace on your face. He knew exactly what you were worried about.

"I won't let you fall, Y/n." You met Joker's gaze before bashfully looking away.

You decided to trust Joker and relaxed your body within his hold. He felt the transfer of control and for a brief moment, he almost exploited it, (he really wanted to) but he decided to focus on shifting your weight better so he could begin bouncing you up and down on his dick.

The only thing keeping you from tipping over backwards was Joker's arms and you laid on them moaning out in bliss. You felt put on display for his gaze and tried shielding yourself away but Joker read your body language and slowed down.

"No no no no.. Y/n. Don't be shyyy. Look at me." It wasn't a request, more so a demand– one that you quickly obeyed.

Your e/c met his iridescent green. "Good girl." He grinned and sped back up. After Joker said that, your brain unplugged from the socket.

You couldn't think straight with the heat from the shower and Joker's thrusts into your pussy happening all at once. Each jarring thrust up into your pussy had you gasping for air and clawing at Joker's forearms. He could see all of you splayed out in his arms and he didn't take his eyes off of you less he miss something.

Your breast bounced with each thrust and the water fell off your body in hypnotic patterns. Every inch of you was a work of art, even your moans had a special pitch to them that he could listen to for hours on repeat. Your head was thrown back in pleasure, most likely getting your braids soaking wet although you hardly cared.

You were adrift in a sea of pleasure.

Joker was utterly entranced by you and mumbled who knows what under his breath. You raised your head, straining to hear his nonsensical praises and noticed something spectacular. You weren't the only one caught up in the moment. Joker's cheeks had adopted a rosy hue like he was running a marathon and his handsome smirk was front and center even as he tipped his head back groaning.

"You.. ahh m-make me feel so good.." He canted your name like a prayer and slammed you down harder on his dick, making you whimper. "Sooo. Good." He growled.

This wasn't about gentle touches anymore. This became nothing but primal urges and the pursuit to come undone. If you didn't know any better, you would've been fooled into thinking Joker had it out for your pussy with the way he abused it for his pleasure.

Joker yanked you upright by your neck and you moaned right in his face as his other hand returned to your hip gripping it tight. More bruises to worry about later.

Joker's grip on your waist helped him maintain the brutal pace he created and he would not stop until something deep inside the both of you snapped. The distinctive sound of skin slapping against wet skin echoed throughout the glass enclosure– much louder than the shower still running. Funny how he brought you in here to get clean yet achieved the exact opposite. A shame about the wasted water though.

Perhaps he could help pay your water bill as an apology. You quoted a rough estimate in between a series of hard thrusts. He thought it was cute how your brain blurted out such insignificant facts mid sex.

He was doing a good job of making you go dumb on his cock. Joker loved seeing this new submissive side of you. There was a hot sensation slowly spreading from your core straight to your head and Joker's hand clenching around your throat made the tip of your nose tingle as well.

You would never have imagined you'd have a choking kink if Joker didn't introduce you to the idea. You wondered what other debauchery you'd discover with this madman. Hidden versions of yourself were being forced to the surface. Joker was unlocking your inner slut at every turn, why not embrace it? This was only temporary after all.

If only it weren't. Regardless, you warned Joker about your impending climax with the limited air supply you had. He didn't let up his grip on your throat just because you wanted to talk. In fact, he squeezed even harder.

He took your slurred speech as an open invitation to let go himself. He relocated his arms to wrap around your body in a fierce embrace and you sucked in a deep breath; getting dizzy off the ability to breathe again. Holding you like this was a power high Joker had never felt before. It was beyond incredible keeping you safe while tearing you apart at the seams.

His touch made you this way, no one else's. Only he got to see you writhing in pleasure crying out his name. You were all his.

You gave Joker full control to do whatever he wanted with you. That rush of control spurred Joker on to drive his dick deeper into you. He would never hold back when it came to you.

His bulbous tip repeatedly hit your g spot causing a moan to get caught in your throat. Joker felt your fingers grip his wet hair and glanced your way. Your eyes were heavy lidded but locked onto his dark forest green orbs.

He saw your tongue dart out to lick your lips and dove in. He breathed in your exhale and grinned when you chased after his lips wanting a kiss. He teased you once or twice until he granted your unspoken desire. It was a clash of teeth and tongue but the sheer desperation was felt in each lip lock.

He could taste the thought you didn't dare speak aloud. It wasn't the right time and you didn't want to ruin the mood despite your lips already parting to do just that.

You rested your forehead on Joker's and shuddered when you began to teeter over the edge. "Joker, I.. l-"

He interrupted you by biting your lower lip. He tugged at it and witnessed the exact moment your brain turned into mush. Any other thoughts fizzled away as you stared into a green void.

Maybe the heat was getting to you because you swore you heard Joker whisper a soft, "I know." on your lips before stars exploded and you crumbled apart one atom at a time.

Joker laughed as your world came crashing down. It was better than any heist he could ever plan and no reward was sweeter than watching your pleasure consume you whole.

Your body twitched uncontrollably in his hold, so he held you tighter. "That's it Bunny. L-let it ahh.. out. Breathe and give it all to meee." You obeyed without a fuss.

Joker tried to prolong his own release but your fluttering walls gripped him so tight he couldn't escape. Not like he wanted to. Joker wanted to stay buried deep inside your pussy forever but he wouldn't last another minute within this glorious torture.

He chanted praises to your name as he chased after his own climax, not once caring about your overstimulated body weeping for mercy.

Your nails left claw marks on his shoulders and upper back as you cried out for more. Like you could handle anymore. You were seconds away from a heatstroke. Maybe this was the way Joker would kill you off. This was fine. It was a great way to go. You definitely had to applaud him for choosing a fun method because Joker turning you into his personal fleshlight was euphoric.

You were a ragdoll crying on his lap as he worked himself to a peak he never reached before. He thought the first round in the bedroom was mind blowing, you just kept getting better and better.

The steam only hyphened the rush of endorphins as Joker lost the ability to think straight when he came. His lips brushed your ear and you got to hear every grunt and incredibly hot broken moan leave Joker's mouth. How utterly amazing it was to render Gotham City's most notorious criminal into a moaning mess. You would celebrate that feat later.

Joker mindlessly grinded his cock into you but gradually came to a stop after he was spent. You were grateful since the overstimulation was beginning to hurt.

The shower was still running in the background though you hardly heard it over the sound of your heartbeat pounding loudly in your ears. Joker was in the same boat, panting like mad, but he still had the urge to stroke your skin– he still needed physical contact well after the sex was over to ground him back to Earth.

You clung to Joker absolutely numb, trying to come to when he decided to let you go.

The sudden loss of him snapped you out of your afterglow. Joker slipped out of you and laid you down on the bench so he could go retrieve the long forgotten loofah off of the shower floor.

You just blinked owlishly, ignoring the trickle of cum leaking out of you. You hoped to regain brain function soon.

Joker stood under the main stream of water for a minute (secretly pulling himself together) before returning to your side. And like he didn't give you another earth shattering orgasm– Joker picked up right where he left off, rubbing the shower puff along your body and bestowing kisses along the way.

He cleared his throat when your body jerked at his touch but continued unfazed. Joker picked up your limbs to give them gentle scrub downs before moving on. He was a blurry figure focused on the task at hand in your eyes.

His actions confused you. Your curiosity couldn't take it anymore. "W-why are you being so nice to me?"

Joker glanced at you for a spell until his eyes averted back to your stomach. He avoided your question by rubbing your organic soap into your skin in tantalizing circles. You grabbed his wrist to get his attention.

Joker popped a bubble on your waist and shrugged his shoulders. "Do you wanT me to be mean, Y/n?"

On cue, a dark sinister air overtook Joker's features. You secretly loved it. You knew Joker could flip a switch and be mean if you simply asked him to, but that's not what you wanted– at least not right now. He was avoiding the point here.

This soft, doting version of Joker would take some getting used to but you didn't hate it per se. It was just.. different. A new concept. You found the energy to sit up before standing on your own two feet. Joker rose to his full height to tower over you and kept a cautious hand outstretched– ready to catch you when your knees would eventually give out.

You took a step forward and just like he predicted, you stumbled. Your Dark Prince was there for you to lean on. He did get a little cocky witnessing your weak state (that he caused) and received another glare from you.

Once you were stable enough, he quickly spun you around.

"Joker!" You slapped your hands on the subway tiles in front of you to brace yourself. If he was gonna take you again, all he had to do was ask.

You jumped when hot water hit your body from all sides in a calm drizzle. Joker had redirected the shower head to suit his needs again. Since when did he become an expert on your shower controls?

Your breasts were squished against the wall as he kissed the back of your neck and idly scrubbed your back. "You were saying?" He reminded you.

How did he expect you to reply like this? His hands were massaging your soap in with a firm touch and his tall frame caged you against the wall like a frightened animal. It was definitely a turn on.

"L-Like right now! You're washing my back and giving off soft daddy vibes. WAIT!" You looked over your shoulder at Joker's amused grin. "What I meant to say is... your hands are used to detonating bombs and carving smiles on people's faces, not washing..."

You moaned aloud when he grabbed a handful of your breasts with wet, soapy hands. His words floated into your ear.

"I don't hear ya complainin' doll." Joker kissed the back of your burning ears and slotted his hands down to your waist. He cursed under his breath and you flushed harder at his compliment.

It was truly amazing how Joker could make you feel both sexy and insecure at the same time.

His touch danced across your body like a skater on ice but you felt the possessive drags of his fingers carve into your dark skin. Underneath his sweet caresses was a man who could tear you apart if he wanted to. You turned your head and met Joker's neon green eyes again. It was literally like staring into a hungry wolf's eyes.

Your only coherent thought: You couldn't believe Joker actually covered up such a handsome face every day. And his: He couldn't believe someone as beautiful as you gave him a chance.

Both thoughts were made at the same time and both of you came to another agreement without saying a single word.

You had nothing to lose throwing yourself into this torrid affair. He would lose nothing in return. Five more months with you. Did he deserve such an honor? Probably not, but it was all he could spare. Any more wouldn't be fair to either of you. Some things weren't meant to be.

Neither of you were quite sure who kissed who first. You simply fell into Joker's open arms and the shell protecting his heart cracked open to let you in.

"We should seriously get out, Joker. My hands are all pruney."

A pale hand rose up from under the water to grab yours. Joker held your hand up to his line of sight and hummed in agreement but didn't move to exit the claw foot tub.

You had venomously complained about your future water bill while in the shower with Joker well over an hour ago. Of course he didn't relocate immediately upon your request. He had his fun showing off his meaner side and used your hips like handlebars while railing into you from behind.

You had nothing to hold onto as Joker forced more orgasms out of you. You had already passed your personal record but you'd never tell Joker that and stroke his ego even more. It became an obsession to see you come undone. With that knowledge, he would be unstoppable.

He loved extracting orgasms from you probably more than he loved watching Gotham burn.

You must've passed out in the shower since the next thing you knew, Joker had you lying on his chest submerged in the bathtub. He didn't try any more funny business here. The time in the bathtub was strictly used to clean up the mess that he made in the shower.

Your head was still spinning but you felt his hands wash you properly before he leaned back with you in his arms. Joker mysteriously kept the water hot as the both of you lay in the bathtub soaking and enjoying each other's company.

He took up drawing lazy patterns on the bruises forming along your body. He didn't mean to be so rough.. but he literally couldn't help himself when it came to you. Joker tried so hard to be gentle but you tested his patience time and time again until he finally snapped.

You got a glimpse of what Joker was truly capable of and now you were facing the consequences.

Although you would happily poke the bear as many times necessary to feel this good again. Sex with Joker was indescribable. You knew it wouldn't last so you slid your hand from his chest up into his now shampooed hair. Apparently you were the one who washed it in between getting your back blown out in the shower.

Months ago you thought that all of Joker's hair was dyed his signature green. On the contrary, his hair was a beautiful shade of brown with various hues of green running throughout it. You were dying to see its true potential, blow dried and styled. After all, Joker was an attractive man.

His choice in hair color completed his overall terrifying look as The Joker, yet for once you wanted to see a normal version of the man who terrorized Gotham. He already peeled back a layer of himself by removing his makeup. What was next?

You glanced up and was taken aback by his raw beauty all over again. Joker's head was reclined on the back of the tub and his eyes were closed, looking every bit a Greek god. He appeared to be asleep and as much as you wanted him to get his rest, (the man rarely slept) you had an urge to kiss him.

You were leaning in to claim your prize when a piercing gaze startled you.

His eyes were so warm like two cups of matcha. They displayed his satisfaction and relaxed state all because of you. You were unable to look away.

"Can I... uh helP you with something?" He asked.

Dewy fingers rose from the water and dripped down your sides. Joker must have some kind of obsession with your hips since he couldn't keep his hands off of them. He loved exploring all of your body but his hands always found their way back to his favorite handles.

"I... um. We should.." You stalled and Joker arched an eyebrow, urging you along. "We should get out. I need to moisturize." You finally mustered out.

You didn't wait for him. Seconds after you mumbled your suggestion, you rose from the bathtub and stepped down the platform towards the towels Joker set aside.

Joker eyed you like a hawk toweling off before you sat down on the wooden bench (dragged from the shower and put back in its rightful place) to start lotioning up.

His nose was hit with the rich smell of shea butter. He could watch you hum and lather your body up with lotion all day long. Not one inch of your skin was spared from the enriching moisture. You ended your session with a generous amount of butter directly onto your face. You glistened like a shiny new penny under the warm glowing lights.

Unfortunately you ruined the show by donning a bathrobe and tying it around your waist tight. That's when you looked up at Joker still submerged in the tub.

"Well? Aren't you getting out?" You laughed.

"You're the one who hopped out unexpectedly, Y/n. I was fine with just relaxing." Joker stressed his syllables again but rolled his eyes when you didn't look impressed.

He pulled the drain with a sigh before standing up, not catching your reaction when he stepped out of the tub bare naked and dripping wet.

"Sheesh.."

Joker quirked an eyebrow at you. Why were you shocked at something you've already seen and touched? It didn't make any sense to Joker but he was a chiseled Adonis, tall, mysterious and deadly in your eyes.

You cleared your throat and turned around to pout at your reflection in the mirror. Your faux locs were beyond saving. With the steady stream of water from the shower, to practically drowning them in the tub, they were waterlogged and puffing up at the scalp. You only wore them for three weeks tops.

"Great. I'm gonna have to do my hair tomorrow."

You didn't notice Joker walking up behind you but felt when he rested his chin on the top of your head and returned your gaze through the mirror.

"I can help you uh take them down.. ya know." He picked up a loc and twirled it in between his fingertips.

Your doubtful eye roll had him sighing. "Why so serious Y/n? I offered up my services did I not?"

"I wouldn't have to take them down in the first place if someone were a bit more careful while having his way with me! Were you trying to sweat my braids out?" You asked.

"Yeah." Joker said it like it was common knowledge.

You dragged a hand over your face and ignored your eye twitching. "Sure you did. Do you even know how to take down braids, this particular kind at that, Joker?"

"I can show ya way better than I can tell ya." He smirked, glancing down at your neck poking out of the fluffy bathrobe you wore. The first of many love bites were visible, a testament to Joker's insatiable lust. The rest would develop as the night dragged on if he didn't add any more. You had no doubt that he would.

Who knows how long you spent in the bathroom with Joker. The sun had already set when you two finally made it inside your penthouse and you didn't have any clocks nearby to tell the actual time.

There were a ton of questions you wanted to hound Joker with but he didn't give you a moment of reprieve to ask. How did he find you so fast? Why did he care enough to come rescue you after two weeks of radio silence? How many cameras did he have installed in your apartment, and where did the two of you stand at the current moment?

Of course you two shared a moment in the shower, amongst other things, but you were a woman of clarity. You liked important things written in black and white so no discrepancies could be found.

Five months was a big deal compared to two weeks. Did Joker really want to stay in your apartment for that long? Would he contribute anything to its upkeep? How were you going to keep him a secret this time?

"Aht aht aht, Y/n. Stop thinking." You blinked back to the present to feel Joker turning you around to face him. "I know that look from anywhere. You don't have to think about anything else, at least not tonight. You've been through a loT today. Let me handle the rest."

"But–"

He shut you up with a kiss. "Can I borrow your lotion?" His random request threw you off guard and your soft 'huh' wasn't any better.

Joker was already reaching for the bottle before your brain caught up to what he was asking.

"Go get dressed and meet back up in my room. Bring all of your uh hair stuff. Actually... whatever you need for the rest of the night. You're sleeping with meee." He kissed you again and shoved you towards the door.

In your confusion you didn't comment on his rough treatment. "Wait what? I am?"

One look at his green eyes had you turning to do as he said.

"Geez, sir yes sir." You mumbled under your breath.

"I heard that Y/n."

You heard his footsteps following yours and quickly slammed the door closed. You'd regret that later, judging by his sinister laugh.

Right now you had a mini slumber party to prepare for.

Your heart was beating wildly in preparation for whatever Joker had in store. As you walked towards your bedroom, you eyed the clock in the kitchen. It was well past midnight.

"Tch. Good thing I don't have work in the morning." You joked to yourself. Your hand rested on the brass doorknob of your private bedroom.

You wanted to trust that Joker respected your privacy and didn't install any cameras in here. But how could you be so sure? The handle was cool to the touch and you opened it with caution. A rush of cold air greeted you and the sight of pristine conditions and an undisturbed room.

You knew how you left it down to the placement of the pillows on the bed to the stack of books on your nightstand. No one had entered in your absence, at least that you could tell. And so you breathed a sigh of relief. This room was your sanctuary and you'd wage war if anyone disturbed it. Even with Joker.

It was then you remembered why you were in here. Pajamas and hair supplies. You honestly didn't have the energy to take your braids down tonight, especially after knowing it was so late. The darkness pouring in from your windows confirmed the hour. Gotham City's nightlife was thriving down on the streets below but with your current mindset, you didn't care much for it. You were beat after today's harrowing events that were slowly creeping up on you.

Not including surviving through Joker's three plus romps in the shower, a girl was tiied. But if Joker was offering to do all the work then by all means.

"Might as well change into some clothes for the night." You walked over to your closet where overhead lights illuminated a room full of racks and drawers.

Joker mentioned you were sleeping with him tonight. Should you wear what you normally wore to bed or jazz it up to try and seduce him again? Not like he needed any more incentive. Joker was quite the aggressive lover. If he wanted something, he simply took it, no questions asked.

You rubbed your sore waist from learning that the hard way. Maybe that was enough sex for the day. Your vagina would thank you tomorrow morning after some much needed rest. With that thought in mind, you stuck with your usual pjs and quickly put them on before standing in front of the floor length mirror. Comfy and suggestive but not overly so.

You knew Joker wouldn't keep his hands to himself, not after getting a taste of you. Five months of this delicious torture. Oh, whatever would you do? Milk it for all its worth.

You grabbed your trusty rat tooth comb, a bin of hair clips to part your hair, a satin bonnet, and your trusty scissors. A bag for disposal and another that contained your detangling creams and aftercare serums were grabbed before you selected an old towel to collect any stray hairs or wayward hair products. This wasn't your first rodeo.

You knew how long this was gonna take. Joker would probably tap out well before he started once he realized just how tedious this task was. You made a short pitstop to your living room to grab your laptop to work on. It would help you stay awake in case you had to take over. You were planning on it in fact.

Everything was hauled back into Joker's bedroom. You proceeded to dump everything you collected on the bed sheets. You were straightening things out when the bathroom door opened behind you.

"Is that everything?"

Joker didn't mean to startle you, he just had that effect on people. Occupational hazard. He walked past you to the large dresser in the room and tugged a drawer open to grab some clothes to change into. He should've known that would cause a commotion in that pretty head of yours.

"Woah woah now, wait a minute! Since when did you get clothes and make yourself comfortable in here? Honestly Joker! You're acting like nothing is wrong when in reality, if you haven't forgotten, I was kidnapped! There is so much I need to ask you but you're ignoring it!" You shouted.

He chose not to answer in favor of choosing between dark grey sleeping pants over a deep navy pair. He never slept in pajamas before since he needed to be ready at a moment's notice. He actually looked forward to a full night's rest again. On a real mattress no less. You were slowly domesticating him back to society, one small act of charity at a time. But back to the present.

He had clothes now. Joker wasn't the only one who went shopping last week. He hit the town stocking up on essentials he would need if he was staying with you. The original duffel bag Frost smuggled into the apartment with only a suit and two spare shirts wasn't gonna cut it anymore.

You were unaware but Joker had already moved in and filled your place with his personal effects. He didn't have much but you were bound to notice after a while.

"Joker. You need to start talking. What am I getting myself into here?" You begged him. You had more to say but seeing Joker drop his towel and step into a pair of pants had you tongue tied.

Why were you acting like you'd never seen Joker naked before? Sure it was quite the sight but still! You really needed to stop acting like a blushing schoolgirl and focus for once.

"Ah- ahem.. um as I was saying.. What did you get into while I was gone?"

Joker tied the drawstrings together and steadily approached you.

You held your ground until the back of your knees hit the bed and you were forced to sit down. Joker then stood above you eyeing you with an unreadable expression. You really had to get used to looking at his face without any makeup on. It was like looking at a completely different person.

The staring match ended when Joker averted his eyes down at the supplies you brought.

It was all things he was familiar with or could use without your assistance. The laptop however sparked his curiosity but he returned his focus back on you by picking up a lone braid off your chest.

He played with the ends as he spoke. "A loT happened in two weeks Y/n. I was tired of waiting around, sooo I made good use of my time. I did say, You'd be back and I'd be waiting. Now look at you! asking questions to things that shouldn't concern you."

Joker saw your sassy comment queuing up and tapped your lips with a pale finger.

"Ahhtt aht aht shush. All that matters is that you came back and that I'm here to stay. Suck it up and deal with being in the dark. I think it's uhh payback for leaving me high and dry for that annoying billionaire. Which reminds me.."

You gasped when Joker trailed his finger down to your neck, playing with the first hickey he made.

"How did Brucie handle being rejected, hm?"

You scoffed and batted Joker's hand away while doing your best to drown out his sinister laugh. He was enjoying the suffering of another person way too much. But this was The Joker you were talking about here. So you fought back.

"Sooo I'm supposed to ignore the fact that you're hiding things from me all because you think I'm hiding things about my time spent with Bruce? What is this? A game of tit for tat?" You offered.

"Exactly!" Joker beamed and bopped you on the nose. You jumped by default.

"But that's not fair, Joker! I'm willing to tell you everything that happened while I was gone. Are you?" You snapped back.

That seemed to zap Joker's joyful mood. You saw his eyes cloud over and become serious. Without warning, Joker reached behind you to grab the scissors and cut a few of your braids.

"WAIT JOKER! THAT'S TOO HIGH!"

He rolled his eyes and tossed the cut braids onto the floor. "It's called... shrinkage my dear. Turn around. Lemme cut the rest." He was already snapping the scissors together, eyeing your faux locs like a madman.

"No! I'm cutting the rest! You don't know how long my natural hair is and I definitely don't trust you with scissors anymore." You eyed him warily as he leaned back, clutching imaginary pearls.

"You don't trust me? I could've drowned you in the bathtub or snapped your neck in the shower but now you're afraid of scissors? I'm disappointed you think so.. lowly of me! Too bad you already accepted my offer twice now. Turn around. Now."

You couldn't argue with his dom energy.

With a pout you did as you were told, but not without an attitude. You flicked your remaining braids over your shoulder (most likely hitting Joker in the face) before opening your laptop.

The distinctive sound of hair being cut made you change that attitude real quick and apologize.

The only sound in the room was the constant tapping of computer keys and the light patter of rain against the window.

The time in the bottom corner of your laptop read 3:39AM but that didn't stop Joker from his current job nor you from getting a few more pages added to your WIP. The two of you worked in silence, feeding off each other's energy without conflict.

After Joker scared you with how close he cut to your natural hair (he was thoroughly impressed by how long it was) he made up for his blunder by working efficiently in the removal process. It was almost like he had done this before, but you weren't going to ask.

Probably another prison thing. His agile fingers unbraiding the artificial strands while gently detangling your natural hair from its hold. It was rather soothing. You kept falling asleep much to Joker's annoyance.

"Y/n keep your head up." He slapped the back of your neck with the end of the comb. It brought back memories of your mother doing the same thing on Saturday mornings. She loved styling your hair but had little patience for you if you didn't cooperate.

The sharp sting had you sitting up straight on reflex. Your hands hovered over the keyboard trying to remember where you left off before you dozed off. You were so exhausted you began brainstorming aloud to stay awake. "Uhh what's a good synonym for hot?"

"Stifling. Sweltering. You." Joker suggested.

He knew you weren't listening when you thanked him and continued typing— so he looked over your shoulder at what had you so scatterbrained. The font was ridiculously small but he knew a novel when he saw one.

"Mmm? Another L/N masterpiece? What riveting tale are you drafting this time?"

You slowly turned your head like an owl and came face to face with Joker reading your rough draft over your shoulder. The lid of your laptop was immediately slammed shut.

"I don't think you uh... saved your worK, Y/n." He joked. Joker watched you shake your head, now free, save for one pesky loc, and stand up from the bed.

You had been sitting for way too long and your legs had fallen asleep but Joker was there to catch you (again) before you hurt yourself. "T-Thanks."

Joker let go of your elbow. "Don't let it happen again." He frowned at your retreating form. "Where you goin' sweet thing? I'm not done yet."

He heard your annoyed groan coming from the bathroom.

"You and these ridiculous nicknames Joker. They just get worse and worse. I'm brushing my teeth if you must know and," He heard the water running, drowning out your voice until you spoke up, "You're more than welcome to join me!"

It sounded boring but he'd do any mundane task if it was with you. He was getting too soft. Joker sighed but made his way into the bathroom and saw you dancing to some unknown beat while brushing your teeth.

You made the otherwise messy task look absolutely adorable. He leaned against the doorframe to admire you in your natural element. It was peaceful until you tossed his long forgotten brush case at him.

"C'mon Joker! Ideally two minutes on each side if you want to keep kissing me in the future." You had spat out your paste and was swishing some mouthwash around as your hands tackled the last braid in your hair.

Joker did a marvelous job taking them down with the least amount of hair loss possible. The last piece was freed from your real hair and you shook your puffy mane out into a big afro. You definitely had to wash it tomorrow. You rested your palms on the sink when Joker walked up behind you in awe.

You saw his green eyes taking in the atrocity that was your natural texture. "I uh... that's a loT of hair, Y/n. May I?" He brought a hand up, hesitating. You eyed it warily.

Normally your hair was a hands off type deal. Only you or Florence touched it but Joker's genuine curiosity was too cute to deny. He wasn't a rude Karen in the supermarket touching it unprovoked like it was some freak attraction or a snotty nose kid who thought it was cotton candy or their next toy.

Joker was asking for permission so you obliged him. You wouldn't make a habit of it though. "You do know you were just taking it down, Joker."

"That's different. I was taking out the fake stuff. This is you. The real you." His words stirred up butterflies in your stomach.

You rinsed out your mouth and gestured for Joker to come closer. He wasted no time sinking his fingers into your tresses. His uneven fingernails worked wonders scratching/massaging your scalp. You couldn't hold back the pornographic moan in your throat.

"Ohhh it's like that huh?" He eyed your blissful face in the mirror and tested out a theory.

He intensified the pressure and was rewarded with your head tipping back into his touch. "Just like a puppy. Maybe I should call you that instead of Bunny."

And there went the mood. You groaned and backed away.

Joker frowned when you turned on the sink faucet. "Wash your hands and brush your teeth. You are so weird."

So are you. He thought. He did what you asked and begrudgingly brushed his teeth under your watchful eye.

It was nice knowing the yellow tint was just harmless paint and not his actual teeth— it was a huge turn off the first time you kissed him. You were so caught up in the moment you didn't interrogate him about it. Thankfully you came to your senses and fast. If Joker was staying under your roof he would abide by your rules. Personal hygiene was a given. You eyed his half air dried hair with a pensive stare.

Its lax state made you refocus on your unbound hair. You were too tired to wash and style it, so a protective bun would have to do for the night. You set to work throwing all of the wild frizz into a high bun and securing it with a silk scarf before topping it with your go-to nightcap.

Joker was finishing up his dental care but was distracted by watching your nightly routine. "You sure you don't wanna–"

"Nope! That's a problem for tomorrow me. I am beyond exhausted Joker. I just wanna sleep and forget that today ever happened. Again." You smirked his way, hinting at his successful method of distracting you earlier.

He smiled back and dried off his mouth with a nearby towel. He was expecting red to transfer onto the white material but being barefaced around others was something new, even for him.

He couldn't believe he trusted you with this. Just like you said, there was no going back. Joker was still lost in his thoughts and failed to hear you complain about your absent lip balm. He snapped out of it when he noticed your frantic searching.

"What is it?" Joker asked while looking around the bathroom for something he'd never seen before.

"It must be in my bathroom then. I'll go grab it and meet you in bed?" Honestly, you didn't mean to word it like a question but you were a little nervous about sharing a bed with Joker tonight.

He hardly gave you a choice on the matter but being an only child and not having any friends, you never had to share before. How would this work? Would you be the little spoon or what? Were you two moving too fast? What if he only wanted sex from you? And the spiraling thoughts began.

You jumped when Joker grabbed your shoulders. He said your name loudly to finally get your attention, "Go grab whatever you need and come to bed."

Orders. You could follow orders. You could overthink later. You nodded and left to get your balm, leaving Joker to stand in the bathroom alone. He sighed and returned to his room to clean up the mess he made and prepare for bed.

He only hoped you overcame your obvious fear and decided to join him. You weren't afraid to have sex with him but sleeping in the same bed was where you crossed the line? Of all things to be worried about, you chose the silliest thing but he accepted your weird quirks and hyperactive brain at this point.

He could only wait and hope you returned. What's the worst that could happen? So what if you didn't show?

He would roll over and catch some z's while contemplating what he said or did that drove you away. If only you didn't have that nasty habit of running away from your problems, it's what got the two of you so deep in this.... this.

What was this? A situationship? Friends with benefits (Joker laughed at that one) or was this an attempt at an actual relationship? He surely hoped it was the latter.

He would be a fool to pass up the chance to date you, unconventional circumstances notwithstanding. Joker could play the aloof game all day long but deep down he was panicking too. Should he go check up on you? Were you coming back? Maybe the reality of today's events were finally crashing down on you. He saw your mini panic attack moments before in the bathroom. What if he came on too strong and scared you away? He couldn't stomach another cool off period with you.

Joker wanted to hit the ground running with this romantic stuff and taking baths, fixing your hair, and falling asleep next to you were just a few things he wanted to experience during his short time with you.

There was so much more he wanted to do. Joker breathed a sigh of relief when you walked through the doorway wearing a sheepish smile.

"Ah sorry it took so long. I forgot to lock up and then I wanted to grab my phone and... yeah." You glanced away from Joker propped up on the headboard and already under the covers.

He looked like he belonged there. You were intimidated by his heated stare.

You shuffled your feet stalling– anything to avoid jumping into bed and coming on too eager. Joker seemed to notice your dilemma and chuckled to himself.

He crooked a tan finger, "C'mere Y/n."

You stared at it in longing. This was it. Yeah sex with Joker was great, more than great actually. That same finger urging you closer did unspeakable things to you.

But at the end of the day it was just that. Sex. But sleeping with Joker, literally, was a level of intimacy you were scared to explore. He inadvertently saved your life twice now and revealed a crucial part of himself to you. It was time to return the gesture.

With a deep sigh you slowly walked over to the side of the bed and climbed in. The plush bedding gave way to your weight and falling into Joker's arms was that much easier. You could never go back to sleeping alone if this was how couples went to sleep.

His arms were bands of warm steel trapping you into his dark cocoon. He made sure you were comfortable before throwing the covers over both of your bodies. You were rigid as a statue but quickly melted when you felt Joker's content sigh fan against the back of your neck.

Of course Joker would be the big spoon. That made you smile, then the weight of today's events hit you like a bulldozer. Your eyelids grew heavy and you didn't know you yawned until Joker cooed in your ear.

"Aww. She's all tuckered out. Try to get some sleep I guess." You were going to reply but he reached over you to hit the nightstand light, plunging the two of you into darkness.

Then it was nothing but absolute silence and the twinkling lights of Gotham City shining through the window. You had to say something. You could feel his arms subconsciously winding around you like a security blanket as his breathing slowed down.

It didn't dawn on you that maybe Joker was just as exhausted as you were. Yet you felt compelled to say something in this delicate air. Then it hit you.

You fixed your lips to finish the phrase you were trying to say in the shower. Joker stopped you then but he couldn't stop you now. It was right on the tip of your tongue, desperate to dwell in the space between him and uncertainty.

Yet the words you wanted to say never came.

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