A/N: Ummmmmm... uhhhhhh... if you're uh — uncomfortable — with er... boy on boy... you may skip this chapter. You won't miss anything crucial to the story. Typically I don't like to leave *warnings* behind, but this is entirely different than anything I've written before, so it's definitely needed. Besides, this book literally revolves around a man questioning his sexuality, so events like this are to be expected during his possible experimentation phases.

"I sank back, deeper into the parallel universe I had found."
–Olivia Sudjic

A SEA OF DISSIMILAR Joker cards littered the surface of the island counter.

My weight shifted against the rickety wooden bar stool, the toes of my Chuck Taylor's hooking around the circular foot rest as Joker's ungloved fingers fiddled with the playing cards.

"Jesus, boss," I snorted, claiming a single card with the pad of my pointer finger as it scraped obnoxiously against the surface. A vibrantly colored clown lay imbedded upon the surface, miniscule features masked by a hefty layer of face paint. "How many decks of cards do you own?"

"Loads." Joker smirked, lips curling into a weak grin as his scars instinctively twitched. I observed the madman as he collected several cards in his grasp. Both the plum overcoat and green waistcoat were currently absent, a plain, bold purple dress shirt cloaking his torso, the presence of typical geometrical shapes absent as the silky sleeves sat sloppily rolled, hooked unevenly behind each elbow. A pair of multi-hued diamond suspenders claimed his broad shoulders, which shifted with every miniscule movement as he shuffled a deck of collected cards in his hold.

"Wanna see a magic trick?" He teased, lazy gaze glued to my skeptical frame as I nodded in the place of a verbal reply. The madman efficiently shuffled the variety of cards between slender fingers, determined tongue tickling the innermost corner of his lips as he fanned the several dozen cards outward.

"Pick."

I audibly gulped, trembling fingers claiming one of the cards in the center of the stack, tearing it swiftly from his rough hold as my eyes widened at the sight of a joker card.

"Aren't they all–"

"Sh!" Joker exclaimed, thrusting a single finger to his lips in an attempt to silence me. I obliged, swallowing my words as I replaced the card into the pile, earning a bold grin from the painted-face man.

I watched, mouth agape as the Joker shifted his weight from either foot, single brow obnoxiously raising as he precisely positioned the cards between his fingers. Just as I'd prepared to speak, an abundance of harsh paper darted in my direction, eyelids instinctively snapping shut as dozens of differing joker cards collided with my stunned expression. One card, in particular, had managed to swipe my bottom lip at just the right angle, digging deeply into the skin to emit a ghastly paper cut upon the flesh.

A yelp tumbled off my lips at the unpleasant sensation, the pads of my fingers instantly darting upward to cradle the throbbing flesh as I met Joker's amused glare.

A single card lay in his tight grasp, the very same joker card I'd drawn as a menacing glare encaptured his features.

"Is this your card?"

My fingers tore away from my wilting lips, flourescent, crimson blood coating my fingers as the card tumbled from Joker's grasp, his painted jaw falling slack as his soft, cocoa-hued eyes significantly widened.

"Shi-t," he murmured, sluggish tongue intently tracing his scars as he eyed the laceration imbedded upon my lip.

"It's okay," I assured him.
"I'm fine. Just a paper cut from one of the cards."

My fingers met the damp skin once more, desperately attempting to rid it of the dark liquid as Joker swiftly rounded the oblong counter, widened gaze transfixed on my rigid form as he rapidly approached me on the opposite side.

"Jesus, Hort." The phrase emerged as a mere mumble, unexpected palm claiming my jaw as I stiffened beneath his hold. My heart stopped cleanly in my chest at the foreign sensation, the pad of his calloused thumb intently tracing my bleeding lip. I studied him carefully, fearful to make any sudden movements as his unblinking gaze lay primarily focused on the oozing skin. He thoroughly wet his greasepaint-riddled lips, the wettened skin clearly glistening beneath the artificial lighting of the kitchen as I struggled to regulate my breathing.

He was impossibly close — within mere inches of my face as my breaths emerged in short, strangled pants, chest painfully heaving as he admired the flourescent liquid that emerged from my split skin.

Lazy gaze momentarily met mine, jaw parted in absolute fascination as he effectively smeared a single line of blood along my jaw, finger digging deeply into my skin as he cradled my jaw in his sharp hold. My pulse quickened beneath my ribcage as his thumb met my chin, applying the faintest amount of pressure as he forcefully tugged the skin downwards, resulting in the natural parting of my lips.

"Jo–"

I instantly swallowed the remaining syllable of his name, eyes widened in immense shock as his scarred lips promptly replaced his sturdy thumb.

Chalky white nose swiped elegantly across mine, the immediate, familiar flavor of greasepaint coating my tongue, intermixing with the harsh, metallic taste of fresh, oozing blood. Urgent teeth clattered upon sudden impact, warm tongue snaking its way into the depths of my mouth as a mixture of saliva, blood, and paint filled my senses, my head heavily spinning as my knees practically buckled beneath my weight. Several strands of my oily, unwashed hair were yanked harshly away from my skull, courtesy of Joker's prying fingers as he tugged at the short strands. My fingers immediately found their way to his viridescent curls in return, several overgrown strands twisting beneath my hold as deep, throaty groans tumbled into my parted lips.

Sporadic thoughts bombarded my racing mind, heart erratically thumping against Joker's chest as he forced my frail frame up against the drywall, trapping my body between his broad frame as his fingers detached from my locks and rotated to my cheeks. Desperate fingers pried at my flushed skin, tugging and yanking at the flesh as he hungrily nipped at my lips, painted nose flattening against my cheek as I groaned into his gaping mouth.

The madman whimpered against my flesh, wet, warm tongue intently tracing the severed skin as he thoroughly tasted every bit of me.

Suddenly, my numb lips went cold, immediately missing the glorious feel of Joker's as his eyes fluttered open, pupils dialating at the sight of my flushed frame as the tip of his nose tickled mine.

Chests heaving — breaths emerging in sharp pants as his colorant-tinted fingers trailed down my jaw, dipping onto the soft flesh of my neck before meeting the loose collar of my plaid shirt. An involuntary squeak emerged the moment he claimed the fabric in his clutch, contorting his fingers into tight fists as he yanked my face forward, our lips painfully colliding once again in a rushed, heated embrace.

The kisses were aggressive and needy, complimented with throbbing bites, licks and sucks as we practically swallowed each other whole, becoming completely immersed in each other as an abundance of white and red greasepaint smeared along my skin. The wishbone-shaped scar present below his bottom lip tauntingly teased mine, prompting arrays of goosebumps to arise on my skin as I knotted my fingers into his curls.

His slender fingers tore at the buttons on my flannel, my eyelids instantly snapping open at the abrupt sensation as a blurred mess of tri-colored paint obscured my vision, haunting, cocoa-tinted orbs concealed by closed lids as Joker's lips strayed from my mouth, peppering hot, open-mouthed kisses along my jaw as he swiftly tore open the buttons on my shirt.

My lips were on fire — Joker's tainted lips leaving behind a pleasant, burning sensation as he littered my jaw with feathered kisses, tongue occasionally lapping out to taste my flesh as I let out considerably deep groans, nails clawing at his skull as he practically tore the clothing from my upper torso.

I knew quite well that the sight of blood had the ability to thrust Joker into some type of pleasurable trance — but this was completely and entirely unexpected. It was as if he'd craved the taste of my blood, as if the sensation of it on his tongue was almost too much to bear. In fact, he couldn't quite keep his hands off of me.

Not that I was complaining...

A rough hand met the lining of my jaw, forcing my skull backwards against the drywall as stars littered my temporarily blurred vision. Scarred lips suctioned to the dainty flesh of my neck, sharp teeth clamping down in several spots as I wriggled beneath his towering frame, eyeballs rotating to the back of my skull as heightened groans escaped my parted, swollen lips.

"F-Fuck," I sighed, massaging Joker's scalp with dainty fingers as he continued his aggressive assault on my neck, leaving behind physical evidence of his lips as the skin promptly bruised. The deep, ghastly lacerations permanently imprinted upon his cheeks brushed agonizingly against my skin, turning my legs to absolute goo as I practically crumbled in his embrace.

"Qui-t squirming." Joker darkly scolded, latching onto my neck as I let out a considerable yelp. The presence of his teeth almost instantly vanished, replaced by a warm, comforting feel of his tongue, which traced miscellaneous shapes against the destroyed flesh as I whimpered and whined beneath his hold.

"S-Sorry," the statement emerged as a hush whisper. "You're mouth feels amazing."

"You taste ah-mazing." Joker drawled, the tip of his nose trailing along my jaw before his lips met mine once more in a soft, tight-lipped peck, the absence of his tongue prompting a frown to overcome my features as colorant-stained fingers tore at the buttons on his shirt.

"You're only saying that because you tasted my blood," I murmured, lazy eyes admiring the clown as he tugged himself away from my rigid form, trembling fingers swiftly tearing the silky material from his arms as it joined the fabric of my flannel in a pile on the tile. A glimmering, silver chain, accessorized with a paper plane pendant lay buried between the fine patches of fair hair that littered his chest. Impulsively, my fingers met the warm skin, which contracted beneath my sudden touch as a blatant breath hitched in his throat.

"What's the issue in tha-t, hmm?" Joker eventually hummed in response to my strangled statement, the pads of his fingers tracing circles along my forearms as dark eyes met mine. "If your blood tastes that amazing, I can't even fathom how-uh, phenomenal the rest of you will taste."

A hushed whimper slipped off my lips as I knotted my fingers in his hair once more, earning a satisfied grunt from the madman as his fingers laced tightly around my wrist, tugging my weight forward as he urged me to exit the room along with him.

My pulse drastically quickened as I followed closely on his heel, gaze fixated on the prominent muscles that contracted in his back as he lead me down the hallway and towards his vacant bedroom.

The following events blended into a blissful blur: complimented by an essence of greasepaint and prying fingers as my face lay buried in the comforting depths of the amethyst duvet, fingers curling around the thick blanket as a pair of lips trailed kisses down the slope of my bare back.

The pleasurable clink of belts rapidly unlatching send shivers down the length of my spine, inaudible phrases falling off Joker's lips as he retrieved a questionable bottle from the beside table. Goosebumps instantly raided my skin the moment his cool fingers curled around the waist of my jeans, tugging them down with ease as I heavily whimpered beneath his frame.

"Shh," Joker cooed, pressing a dainty kiss to the base of my neck as several stray ringlets tickled my skin. "I'll be gentle. I promise."

"Kiss me. Please." I begged through a fitful of whimpers, rotating on the mattress as I collapsed onto my back, needy fingers encircling his neck as I tugged his smeared face down to mine once more. Joker had managed to shuffle his trousers down his legs whilst peppering my mouth with needy kisses, our bare bodies suddenly colliding as a strangled moan toppled into his mouth.

Fucking Christ, I couldn't even put into words how amazing it felt — he felt. His skin was warm and smooth, like velvet as it rubbed teasingly along mine, the blood instantaneously rushing to my extremities as I felt him pressed up against myself.

His lips left mine once more, and before I could properly protest, he'd forced me back onto my belly, sporadic bites and kisses covering my back as he whispered reassuring phrases against my spine.

"I love you." The words spilled from my mouth before I could stop them, mere moments before Joker gave me exactly what'd I'd been craving–needing–wanting since the day I'd met him.

A/N: hdkfkskcjoakd yall are gonna hate me because if it isn't obvious enough from the starter quote, this is an AU chapter (alternate universe). Therefore, this never happened (yes, Im sobbing too!!!) unfortunately due to the events that unfold in Paper Planes, something like this could never occur. However, I've been DYING to write a good kiss scene and I didn't want it to be another dream so I just decided to bless ya'll with this fun snippet. Sorry I didn't go into detail for all you dirty little fucks who wanted some ass action, I had to draw the line somewheeeeere... ;)

Next chapter will pick off from where XVII left off, as if this never happened. Thanks for reading my disgustingly explicit stories -- YAY!