deal with the devil! | JOKER X READER ✅

CHAPTER 27: strolling.

   You stood side by side with Harley, both of you applying dark red lipstick to your lips. One of Joker's lower-level workers (perhaps a cook?) was fearfully holding a mirror up to the two of you so you could see what you were doing. Of course, you hadn't been the one to demand that he performed such a task. That was all Harley, since she couldn't be bothered to walk to her bathroom and apply her lipstick.

   You pressed your lips together, spreading the product around your lips. You smiled at yourself to see if any had gotten on your teeth, and when you saw that it had, you ran your tongue along them to clean them. It may have been unnecessary to get so dolled up for a walk, but you wanted to leave the house in style after being isolated for so long. If people were going to be looking at you, you wanted to at least give them something to look at.

   "Perfect!" Harley squealed at the sight of herself. She was clad in her usual pigtails, a sleek, red dress, and matching red heels. She utilized her dress' pockets, storing her lipstick in there. "We look amazing!"

You were inclined to agree. You were in your glittery, (f/c) dress from that morning with your hair in waves. Your makeup was bold yet classy: smoky eyeshadow and the aforementioned red lipstick. "We do."

"No, you do, baby," whispered a familiar voice as you felt familiar hands wrap around your waist.

You watched your face light up in the mirror as Joker hugged you from behind. You watched his blue eyes take you in from head to toe, as if you hadn't been in that outfit all day. However, it wasn't exactly out of the ordinary for him to blatantly check you out, regardless of the occasion or outfit. No matter how often he saw you, it seemed that your face and body never got old to him.

You reached up and touched the side of his face. "Oh, stop. Not in front of our guest."

"She lives here now. She's not our guest. She knows what she signed up for."

"I'm not sure I knew what I signed up for," replied Harley with a giggle. "I didn't think you two would be so...in love."

   Her word choice made him tense up. He pondered what she said in silence, and as the seconds ticked by, things grew more and more awkward.

   So, you decided to intervene and mollify the awkwardness. "We don't say that yet," you mumbled, a little disappointed that he couldn't just act like he loved you in front of Harley.

   "Oh, I'm sorry," she replied.

   You wormed your way out of Joker's grip and saw that her expression was of sympathy, not mockery like you had feared. No, maybe it even ran deeper than sympathy. Maybe it was...

   Empathy. Like she'd been here before.

   "It's okay." You ran your hands down your hair, attempting to flatten any flyaways. "You two ready?"

   "Yeah!" she chirped, skipping up to you and grabbing your arm. While her enthusiasm was still a little annoying, you discovered that it was also somewhat contagious; you could feel yourself growing more and more excited as the seconds passed by.

   "No, but I'm doin' it for you, doll," replied Joker. "I'll linger behind you both, just so nobody can sneak up on ya from behind. Remember, we walk around the block and that's it."

   "We know," you and Harley groaned at the same time.

   You both walked to the door. You hesitated in front of it, however; leaving the house was so prohibited that you felt like a felon just for leaving it. You were so conditioned to stay put that guilt was overtaking your body.

   "You got this, (Y/N)," whispered Harley, sensing your hesitation from beside you.

   But, alongside the guilt, there was exhilaration. You had always loved breaking the rules, and this was just another rule you got to break.