In hindsight, perhaps changing into your pyjama shorts was a mistake.
As you dived for cover beneath the musty old bedclothes, despite having several layers of damp blankets between you and Joker, you felt undeniably exposed. So exposed you might as well be naked.

He himself was still in full possession of most of his clothes; save for having slipped out of his jacket.

You watched from the side of your eyes as he slowly lay back on the bed, looking miserably awkward. As he shifted around, rolling up his shirtsleeves, you were unsettled to find yourself contemplating kissing him again.

Yes. What if you just took the lead and pressed yourself up against him? The illicit idea was terrifyingly tempting.

But what if you'd misunderstood the situation? You'd never been tempted to seduce any man before, and Joker wasn't just any man. Hell you shouldn't even want to! If you'd misread the signs somehow, then there'd be no telling how he could react.

You needed to let it drop.

"Are you okay sleeping with the light out?" He asked suddenly, catching you off guard.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Sure." You tried to sound matter-of-fact, but you felt the disappointment heavy inside of you.

In various romance novels and movies, the two main characters often found themselves having to share a room. Then other things happened too. When a man and a woman were thrown together in one room, usually passionate lovemaking was sure to follow.

But not here. Not now.

This wasn't some romantic movie or happy-ever-after fairytale. And you really ought to be grateful for that. After all, Joker was no Prince Charming.

Without so much as a glance in your direction, he extinguished the oil lamp; plunging the room into darkness.

You cleared your throat, "Well, uh, goodnight then Jo."

"Goodnight (y/n)" He replied, his voice low and quiet.

Feeling strangely warm, you pulled an arm out from under the covers. To your dismay, you did this at exactly the same time he shifted a little and the bare skin of his forearm brushed against yours.

The slight contact was enough to make goosebumps rise on your skin, and you heard him breath in, as if startled by the simple touch.

No. You had to be imagining it. You could probably parade around naked and it wouldn't tempt him. Not that you wanted to tempt him, but you didn't consider yourself the tempting type anyway.

You tried to console yourself with the belief that it seemed too exhausting and time consuming, being the sort of woman who excited men into states of uncontrollable passion.

As you lay there feeling deflated, you tried to force all thoughts of passion from your mind. Your thoughts should be set firmly on escaping Joker, not what it would be like to seduce him.

This worked for at least a full two minutes, until his raspy voice broke the tense silence...

"Uh, w-would you mind if I get under the covers?" He asked, his stammer betraying his nervousness. "I'm getting cold."

You could easily believe that. This room was always like an icebox. According to Jo, a fire couldn't be lit due to the chimney being blocked-up.

"No, not at all. Why would I?" You replied  in a voice so high in pitch it was probably audible to the bats in the attic. "I mean it's not like I'm going to jump on your or anything....and I don't suspect you'll be making a pass at me, so it's safe to assume we can sleep under the sheets together, right?"

Oops. You hadn't meant to say any of that, but it was out there now. No going back.

"Uh, right." He agreed.

You closed your eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to relax.

As he settled himself beneath the covers, the frustration Joker felt was practically palpable. He closed his eyes but he was never going to be able to sleep, not when his tension had evolved into locked-muscles and a thumping headache.

He lay awake long after you'd drifted off to sleep, mulling over his cowardice. Since when had the notorious Joker been so timid when it came to taking what he wanted?

And what he wanted....was you.

But perhaps that was the problem. He couldn't allow himself to become a slave to his desires, his emotions. That was more Arthur's style. The weak fool.

As you moved around slightly in your sleep, you made a noise; a sort of deep breath of contentment, which made his stomach clench.

Damn. He couldn't be getting turned on by a woman moaning over being warm and comfortable. How pathetic.

This was exactly what was worrying him. He was practically aching with longing, the need to be closer to you, to make you his. But he knew that you could never truly want him. Not after the way he'd imprisoned you here.

As Arthur, he'd been unloveable. Being Joker didn't change that. If anything, to a decent beautiful, smart young woman like yourself, it made him all the more unappealing. For who could ever learn to love a murderous clown?

>>----------------------------------->>

When morning came you realised immediately that you weren't alone.

The sensation of Joker's body behind you, well, all around you, was enough to startle you into being fully alert.

He felt warm and solid, causing the breath to stick in your throat. He had a long arm wrapped tightly around your middle, and an even longer leg entwined with one of yours.

It would seem that in his sleep, the villainous Joker had inadvertently ended up doing his best impression of a sleeping koala bear; wrapping himself around you like you were the very last eucalyptus tree on earth.

It was a strangely emotional experience.

The last person you woke up this way with was your ex, and his huge hairy arms would hold you in a bear hug. He was more of a grizzly bear. Joker on the other hand was indeed like a snugly koala. His embrace was secure but tender. Sturdy enough to feel reassuring, without feeling like he was crushing any internal organs.

It felt nice to be held this way. To wake up like this. Exceedingly nice but, undeniably intimate, in spite of you both being fully clothed.

You fleetingly wondered what it would be like to wake up this way every morning. You had a feeling you knew, but it wasn't worth thinking about. There was no point pining after what you couldn't have. What you shouldn't want. Simple as that.

So you decided to just enjoy the closeness.

You had to take things for exactly what they were, then everything wouldn't seem so complicated or overwhelming.

The problem is, you didn't know how to take things anymore. Thanks to your ridiculous romantic nature, the boundaries had now become blurred.

You closed your eyes, feeling a sudden onset of panic. You tried to force all unwanted thoughts aside, hoping to fall back to sleep. You just wanted to lay there, with Jo, and forget everything else for a while.

No such luck though, as suddenly you felt him stir. You held your breath and waited. For some strange reason you just didn't want him to know you were awake. You didn't want to break the spell of such a perfect moment.

As if instinctively, he pulled you closer against his chest. It wasn't intentional, as he was still half asleep, but the effect was still electrifying. Your heart began pounding and something deep inside your stomach started sending out waves of languid heat.

Then reason began to kick in.

Joker, that is -- Arthur Fleck -- had you pressed against him, and as good as it felt...the situation was still bad.

So, being as the arm that you'd been laying on anyway had gone numb, you deliberately moved. Wriggling so that he released you from his embrace, he duly rolled onto his back and away from you slightly.

Ever so carefully you turned over to look at him. The weight of your body shifting made the mattress dip, causing him to roll back onto his side....bringing you almost nose to nose.

Before you could move, his eyelids fluttered open. His breath quickened, whilst you held yours.

"Good morning." He smiled gently, his voice a croaky mix of sleepiness and a dry throat.

It was very dry in fact. It was practically constricting with nerves as he gazed at you longingly. Your cheeks were flushed. Your face so tantalisingly close to his.

Fuck, he really really wanted to kiss you. Would it be too late now, he wondered. Had you even wanted him to last night?

"Morning." You breathed in reply.

"You seemed to sleep well."

You nodded, slightly disconcerted to know that you'd fallen asleep whilst he remained awake. Thankfully to your knowledge, you didn't snore.

"How did you sleep?"

"Lay down, on my back." He smirked, chuckling when you brought a hand up to playfully prod him in the ribs.

"Actually you were on your side.....spooning me."

"I...I was? I don't remember that at all. Sorry." His unnecessary apology sounded hollow, and you wondered if he really meant it.

"It's okay." You smiled, before nervously admitting, "It was actually kind of nice, being held by you."

Joker temporarily turned his face into the pillow, trying to hide the fact that he was smiling like a lovestruck teenager.

You hadn't said 'being held by someone' you'd specifically said HIM.

This gave him the courage he so desperately needed.

"Too bad I wasn't awake to enjoy it."

Your eyes widened slightly at his bold, unexpected response. The look on your face instantly made him doubt himself, so he hastily tried to back-peddle, thinking he'd been too brazen.

"I mean, I haven't ever spooned with someone before. So it would've been nice to know how it feels.....waking up with a pretty girl in my arms."

Your chest filled with a warmth that made your heart flutter, as well as ache. It ached for him. His revelation that he'd never held a woman in his arms before, made your heart pinch with sadness. The loneliness he must've endured, it was a loneliness you yearned to bring an end to.

"I'm not that pretty." You found yourself saying, not knowing what else to say, other than to share a personal secret with him like he just had. "To be honest I've never really liked myself much."

His painted brows beetled together in a confused frown. "You're kidding, right?"

"No it's true. When I first arrived here and you....well you referred to me as a pretty girl then, and I thought you were mocking me or something."

The corners of Joker's mouth turned down into a scowl, "I wasn't mocking you. As soon as I saw you I was attracted to you."

"R-really? It....it didn't seem like it."

"Well of course I wouldn't act on it. I may be an asshole but I'm a gentle asshole."

You stared at him, blinking. "Gentle? Jo, you threatened me with a gun."

He shook his head, frustrated with himself, "That...that didn't come out right. What I mean is....I'm a gentleman when it comes to that sort of thing. I wasn't going to take advantage of the situation like some men would. I'd never force myself on a woman who didn't want me."

Your head was spinning now as you tried to process all of this information.

Forget everything else he just said, you already knew him well enough to know he wasn't a sexual predator. No, you were focusing on the fact that he'd just confessed to being attracted to you.

"I know now that you're not that type of guy. And the more I've been getting to know you...."

Not wanting him to be the only one who'd confessed to his secret attraction, you bravely decided to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

"......you're uh, you're actually pretty cute."

His eyes widened, and you couldn't look away even if you wanted to.

God his eyes were beautiful. Such a unique shade of green, peppered with flecks of blue. Someone should create a crayon in the same colour and name it after him.

"Cute." He turned the word over in his head, trying to determine if cute was enough of a compliment to get excited about. "You think I'm cute? Like a puppy?"

"Not that type of cute." You couldn't help but laugh, then corrected yourself, "I mean yes, you are cute in that way too, but I mean....you know."

"No actually. I don't know."

"Ugh.." You groaned and covered your face with your hands, wishing you'd never started this now. "You're handsome and I find you attractive too--"

"Thats interesting." He cut you off abruptly, "So.....what do you think we should do about it?

"Do about it? N-nothing. Perhaps under different circumstances I'd....well, who knows? But in reality it doesn't matter. When I was younger this would've been the kind of thing I'd dream about, but life isn't some romantic movie and I know better now."

His eyes held yours for a tense moment, and then he licked his lips and slowly leaned in.

"You might know better." He whispered; his breath caressing your cheek, ".....but I don't."

And then suddenly his arm was around your back, and his painted mouth connected with yours.

The sensation sent a jolt of excitement through you. His kiss was whisper soft; more like a gentle brush of lips than any real contact. He pulled back and hesitated for a millisecond before he moved forward again and kissed you with just a little more pressure.

There was no smashing of lips, no heavy breathing or tongue. It was just a kiss.
One sweet lovely, perfect kiss. And when it was over, and it was over pretty quickly, you immediately wanted him to do it again.

A tense silence ensued, the heavily charged atmosphere holding the two of you in it's stifling grasp.

"Do we, um..." You cleared your throat nervously, "Do we need to talk about that?"

Joker groaned, rolling onto his back, "Probably, but do we have to?"

Your stomach began to twist in anxious knots.

"It....it doesn't have to make things weird between us, right? I'd hate for it to ruin things, I mean, change things."

"Change things? It's too late for that." He grimaced. "You don't know how long I've wanted to kiss you (y/n). And now that I have...." He paused, naturally hesitant to disclose his deepest feelings.

"Yes?" You urged, impatient for him to continue.

"Now that I have, I won't be able to stop thinking about it."

"Me neither." You confessed, biting your lip as you cautiously turned his face towards you.

He leaned into your touch, briefly closing his eyes as your thumb stroked his cheek, "I actually can't believe it's taking me this long to do it again--"

This time you made the move, silencing him by bringing your lips together again; yours parting slightly as you teased him into a response.

Oh god, your lips fitted perfectly; as if they were designed for each other. Joker grabbed the back of your neck, growling in the kiss as you helplessly whimpered in pleasure.

And that was it. The gentle kiss from just a few minutes ago was long behind you now, as things quickly kicked up a notch.

His lips were so warm and firm as they caressed your own, the tip of his tongue teasing, making you want more. You held onto him tightly; encouraging him to keep kissing you, deeper and with more passion, until his tongue was tentatively exploring your mouth.

Damn it felt so good. It was so easy to lose yourself in him. To surrender all conscious thought to sensation. As you kissed it felt as if the world stopped spinning, and reality ceased to exist.

Your arms slipped around him of their own accord, and drew him even closer; your heart thumping wildly in your chest.

A tremble ran through his entire body as you moaned softly into his mouth. This wasn't exactly how Joker had imagined it. It was even better.

This was how it was supposed to be, he realised. This was the difference between love and sex. Just as he'd suspected, if sex was an act between two souls who loved one another deeply, it could be a satisfying and even spiritual experience. Now he felt the difference as well as understood it, like an explosion of fireworks in his blood.

It wouldn't be the first time for either of you, but you were both so nervous no one would know it wasn't. There was something about him that lit you up from the inside, and something about you that melted his confidence to nothing at all.

Things were moving fast but the two of you were caught in the heady snare of lust. Within a matter of seconds he'd manoeuvred himself on top of you. A groan rumbled up through his chest as his clothed erection came into contact with the centre of your body.

Desire rushed through you at the startling yet pleasurable sensation, and you didn't even attempt to stifle a gasp.

"Shit, (y/n)" He pulled his lips from yours to suck in a breath, "The things you do to me. You....you've no idea."

You ran your hands over the silky fabric of his shirt, stroking his back, "Oh god, J-Joker!"

Never in your life had you wanted a man so desperately like this before, and in truth you knew you never would again.

"No..." He breathed against your skin as he lowered his face to kiss the side of your neck, "...Call me Jo. I like it."

"Aah, Jo-- mhm..."

You couldn't formulate words and you had to be forgiven that, as his wonderful lips blazed a trail back up your neck, across your jaw, until they found your mouth again.

He knew he should perhaps show some restraint, but dammit he was a hot blooded male, and instinct compelled him to act like one. He nudged himself needingly against you, and you longed to feel him without clothing separating your bodies.

Perhaps things were moving too fast, but the heat of the moment was so sensually alluring and overpowering in it's intensity.

But just then the sound of the clock chiming from down the hallway broke the loaded silence; saving you from being swept away.

Joker pulled back, abruptly.

"Oh, fuck!" He grumbled. smacking the heel of his palm against his forehead with unnecessary force.

Oh god, was he regretting the kissing already?

"The boys will be here in a minute. Talk about bad timing."

In one swift movement, he was on his feet; reaching for his red jacket.

"Don't move. I mean, of course you can move just....don't go anywhere." He leaned down, unexpectedly pressing a chaste kiss to your lips, "I'll be right back!"

He bounded towards the door with a noticeable spring in his step, then paused with his hand on the doorknob. You could almost hear the cogs whirring in his head as his mind kicked-into overdrive.

"Actually, you can meet them if you like?"

Your face and chest were still flushed pink; the heat from his body still lingering on yours. This interruption had you feeling embarrassed. Thankfully things hadn't gone too far. Although, the way he'd told you to wait for him implied that he intended to pick up exactly where you'd left off when he returned.

Now though, he seemed wired and giddy with excitement. You got the distinct impression that he wanted to introduce you to his goons. But why?

"You want me to meet the guys who work for you?"

"Well it would be easier that way, then you can tell them what you want picking up from the store. Have a think about it. You can have anything you like."

His smile widened when you nodded. His eyes seemed to sparkle and shine as though suddenly effervescent with life.

And he was so beautiful in that moment, you wanted to store the image in your mind forever.

"I better put some clothes on, and I'll be right down." You told him, smiling dreamily.

He left the room feeling light on his feet, as well as a little lightheaded. Perhaps it was due to all the blood that had surged south. Self-consciously he adjusted his pants, humming a tune to himself as he trotted down the long gallery towards the sweeping staircase.

The sun broke through the long windows, light penetrating the grey overtone of his surroundings. Joker imagined birds outside in the trees, singing a soft ballad to accompany his song.

"What a glorious day." He would say to his goons, who were about to witness the almost moronic grinning of a new man.

A man who had finally found love.

He skipped down the stairs and danced flamboyantly to the door. It took a minute of unlocking and unbolting before he was able to fling it open.....and then the smile died on his lips.

"Hey baby!"

A voice he barely recognised greeted him.

His eyes fell accusingly on the masked faces of Jack and Sal, his two most loyal followers. But they hadn't come alone.

The unwanted visitor launched herself at his lean frame, almost knocking him off his feet so he had to grip hold of her to steady them both.

"G-Gina--?"

Instantly he had recognised the swathes of thick platinum blonde hair, deep red lips, and slim figure that was scantily clad in the most elaborate, tight-fitting clothes which exposed the snow-white skin of her cleavage, midriff, and long legs.

He was seeing but still working on believing. His mind was struggling to process why Gina -- the exotic dancer and his first conquest -- was now here, in his safehouse.
Hell, he'd never expected to see her again. Why would he? Their brief fling had hardly been a love affair.

"She kept hassling to see you." Jack supplied hurriedly, as he dragged a gloved hand through his long stringy hair. "I told Sal it was a bad idea."

"I don't think it's such a bad idea boss." Sal, the heftier-built goon explained. "I mean, you must get real lonely here and--"

"And I'm here to keep you company." Gina cut-in, bringing her lips deliberately close to Joker's neck. "I've missed you, baby. When I found out you'd been holed-up in here for months I just had to see you. Haven't you missed me?"

A sudden creak from the top of the staircase made Joker's head snap around, and in turn the others followed his gaze.

You stood frozen in place, a trembling hand clutching the banister.

The two men wearing clown masks stood staring at you, their expressions thankfully hidden, as no doubt they'd show morbid curiosity. Your own expression was one of shock and disbelief as you took-in the beautiful voluptuous woman currently draped all over Jo as if he were a clothes stand.

I've missed you baby.

The words resounded around your head, melding with the echo of the words he'd spoken mere minutes before...

It would be nice to know how it feels, waking up with a pretty girl in my arms.

Unable to stand there any longer with them gaping at you, you turned and ran back to your room like some dramatic, hormone-imbalanced adolescent.

"(y/n)!" Joker called after you. His raspy voice sounding desperate as it echoed through the chasm of the stairwell.

You ignored it. Choosing instead to shut yourself in the room you despised, but it was better than having to face the lying son of a bitch.

Downstairs Joker extricated himself from Gina's embrace, aggressively throwing her aside.

"Get her out of here!" He yelled at his goons.

Gina had stumbled in her towering heels and fell to the floor. Joker walked passed her without any consideration. His hand immediately felt for his gun, but it wasn't there.

Of course it wasn't. He'd left the bedroom so jubilantly and in a hurry, he hadn't given a second thought to his trusty revolver or the key to the door.

Jack had scurried forward, dragging the dejected woman to her feet. Between him and Sal they man-handled her out of the door.

"But baby, I--"

"Shut up you whore!" Joker whirled around, screaming after the trio as they tussled the struggling woman back towards the waiting car. "Get the fuck out of my sight, and you two--!"

The men looked towards their boss nervously.

"Don't you ever bring her here again! You got that? You're lucky I don't have my gun right now, or I'd shoot the fucking pair of you!"

With a slam of the door, he hastily bolted it, then turned towards the stairs.

Back in the room, you had found both the key and gun, and had locked the door.

Your blood was chugging through your veins, forcing little ripples out to your throbbing temples. You felt heavy, and strange and hollow inside. An insane buzzing-feeling in your head made it impossible to think clearly.

Joker had made a fool out of you, of course he had. A man like that was bound to attract his fair share of admirers, and you'd been stupid enough to believe he was some sort of virginal innocent boy who'd never experienced the warmth and comfort of a woman's touch.

Shit. How had this happened? You'd fallen victim to your own dangerous game. The plan to get closer to him had worked beautifully, then backfired in your face. He'd been playing you for his own entertainment. Like a typical man who'd been deprived of female company for a while, he'd simply set his sights on seducing you just to satiate his own needs.

You should have known better.

Well, screaming and crying into your pillow wasn't a mature option, so you resorted to pacing around the room aimlessly whilst drawing in deep, calming breaths. Not knowing what you were doing or where you were going, you tried to shake off the anger and upset that consumed you.

"(y/n)!"

The rattling of the door handle accompanied his voice. Once he discovered it was locked he banged on the door frantically.

"(y/n) let me in! I need to talk to you!"

You didn't have a plan. But you did have the gun. Which meant he posed no threat to you now. So decisively, you picked it up with shaking hands and unlocked the door.

"(y/n) I--" The words backed-up in his throat, along with his body which literally stumbled backwards as you brought your hand from around your back and levelled the gun.

"Back off, Jo..."

Joker's eyes widened, almost popping from his head.

"What are you doing?" He demanded.

"I'm leaving." You answered flatly, stepping around him.

To your annoyance he rolled his eyes in apparent exasperation. "Really? This is all a misunderstanding. Gina means nothing to me, she's gone now--"

"To hell with Gina!" You snapped, backing away. "You can't keep me here any longer, so don't try to stop me."

You jumped as he burst into one of his wild laughs, and you realised that in this mood he wasn't going to take you seriously.

"Or what? Hm? You gonna shoot me (y/n)?"

He was advancing towards you now, and you tried desperately to steady the shaking of your hand.

"You don't even know if the thing is loaded." He smirked, his devilish eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Yeah well....don't make me find out." You warned him.

"I'm not letting you go." His voice hardened along with his expression, "Not now. I can't!"

Tears began to pool in your eyes, clouding your vision. This wasn't supposed to happen like this. Perhaps you should've known better. Did you really expect this maddeningly adorable madman to be afraid of a gun? He wasn't going to take your threat seriously.

"You're going to have to shoot me." He invited, his trademark impish grin now firmly back in place, "I did say I kinda like your feistiness."

"Jo...don't! Stay where you are--!"

He lunged forwards and made a grab for your arm. Fearful of his wrath, you struggled to break away, and then a deafening bang rang out; making your ears ring.

You opened your teary eyes to see Joker staggering back. He recovered in a moment, bringing his hand up to feel his left arm just above the elbow.

"Well, there you go. Now you know that it's loaded."

Shaken, you dropped the gun and brought a trembling hand to your mouth.

"I guess having a red suit is useful." He was saying now, flinching slightly as he slipped out of his jacket.

To your horror you saw the dark red stain growing on his teal dress shirt, and you hurried towards him.

"Oh my god! Jo! Have I hurt you badly?"

He was laughing again, but quite differently now, as though he were genuinely amused.

"It's just a scratch. You've damaged your wall more than me." He indicated to the bullet that was lodged in the panelled wall behind him, "Although....you have ruined my favourite shirt."

"Oh Jo, I'm....I'm so sorry--" You croaked, guilt settling like a lead weight in the pit of your stomach. "Why did you have to do that?"

"I couldn't just let you leave." He scowled, as he gingerly rolled-up his sleeve. "I admire your balls though. I didn't think you'd actually do it."

"It was an accident!" You protested, "But I could have killed you."

At that he looked up, meeting your eyes. "I guess it proves just how desperate you are to get out of here." He swallowed roughly; his Addams apple visibly bobbing in his throat. "So, you gonna help me clean up your handiwork before you go? I'm ruining your carpet as well."

The bullet had merely grazed his arm, but it was bleeding terribly; dripping down onto the threadbare rug.

You knew he was being sarcastic about ruining the carpet, but he would need help tending to the wound, and you felt it was your responsibility.

You could take the opportunity to leave. He'd even said so. Yet you lingered, unable to make a run for the door.

He had pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket, and without hesitation you took it from him. He watched you closely as you made a wad by folding it over, and held it tightly to his arm.

"No, Jo. I'm not going anywhere now."