damaged by your touch | [ joker x reader ]

EXPOSED

[ accidentally posted this too early. whoops! here's the final version. ]

You curled underneath the blankets, fiddling with the iPhone that Bruce Wayne had given you. The newest model. Of course. You hesitantly typed in your best friend's number, expecting them to not to pick up. After all, you had been missing for god knows how long.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

You breathed out. Of course not. The phone clicked.

"Hello?"

You gasped, scrambling up in bed,"Hey! It's me! _____! I'm safe but so much shit has happened, I'm so surprised I'm alive-"

"WHAT? Oh my god we thought you were dead for sure! The bus cameras showed you being drugged and kidnapped by some hooded man! You're alive! Oh my god! Thank you almighty- Oh thank god, I can't wait to tell everyone else, oh my god-"

"No!" You interjected,"You can't tell people yet - somehow or another, I'm in Bruce Wayne's mansion, and he knows Batman, and Batman is... Uh... He's going to try and use me as bait to catch the Joker. So if the Joker knows I'm here already, the whole operation will be messed up, and-"

Your best friend scoffed,"Excuse me? No, you better come home now. You are not being used as bait. That's ridiculous!"

Silence.

"So how's the inside of Wayne Manor? Is all his soap in the shape of little clams and sea animals? Are the sheets silk? Please tell me he offered you his clothes, I would kill to see you wearing anything half as fancy as-"

"Shush, already!" You laughed,"I'll explain everything."

Your eyes drifted over to the nightstand where the necklace the Joker gave you sat unassumingly. You touched the bare skin of your neck lightly. You didn't think you had it on you when you were kidnapped, but I guess you really hadn't paid much attention to it before. The gold lettering, spelling out JOKER'S stared right back at you.

"It all started when-"

You explained everything from the beginning - the bus ride, the Joker, your new scars that you bore over your heart, when you kissed the Joker. Jackson - who your best friend highly suggested you have sex with. Harley Quinn, who was far saner than you had initially thought. The nice rooms, the mostly nice treatment.

Your best friend, of course, was hung up on the Joker and Jackson.

"Wait, wait, wait, you kissed the Joker? Of your own volition?"

"Yes," you groaned, rolling your eyes,"How many times do I have to-"

"Is he hot?"

You sighed,"I guess? In an intimidating and slightly creepy way, I guess."

You continued, frowning and coming back with a snarky retort," He keeps threatening to hurt me so that kind of dampens the mood whenever I think about him."

The open-mouth gape was apparent even over the phone,"You think he's hot? Holy crap. A real life case of Stockholm Syndrome. Textbook response-"

"It's not Stockholm Syndrome, you Web MD psychologist!" You exclaimed,"I'm allowed to recognize he has attractive features without being all... Stockholm-ey. Anyway, I-"

Something beeped next to you. Your eyes flitted around the room, and you lowered the phone,"Sorry, I think I'm going to have to call you back... Something isn't right..."

Another beep.

"____! Wait-"

End call. You stood up out of bed, panicking. Another beep. Your eyes fell on the necklace, snatching it up and holding it to your ear. Another beep, much louder, and in your ear.

It was a tracking device, or a listening device, or something, and you didn't know what to do with it. You grabbed it and ran out of the room, glancing around for Bruce Wayne, or- god, was he the only one in this massive Manor?

You turned a corner and came face to face with Alfred and you sighed in relief,"Alfred, I need to see Bruce, I think this is a tracking device or a listening thing or something it's not supposed to be, I-"

"Calm down. It is not often that I cannot help a guest." Alfred said with a smile,"Let me take a look at this for just a moment, if you please."

You nodded, handing him the necklace. He inspected it, held it to his ear, and shook it a few times before handing it back,"It seems as if there is a recording device inside. No way to tell without opening it if it's a tracking device, but I should give this to Master Wayne just in case it-"

"No." You said, holding the necklace closer,"I... I don't want him to have it. If the Joker finds out I gave the necklace to Bruce, he'll gut me for sure. I can't risk it."

Alfred nodded politely,"I understand. Anything else I can do for you?"

You shook your head slowly,"No, I suppose... I guess not. Thank you."

He bowed and made his exit, leaving you in the hallway holding the Joker's necklace. You quietly made your way back to the room, picking up the phone you discarded on the bed. Fifteen missed calls and seven text messages. You smiled. It was nice to know your best friend was worried for you all this time. That they cared. You unlocked the phone, opening the messages. There were messages from two people. Your best friend's number, and a blocked one. You clicked on the notification, fear bubbling in the pit of your stomach.

Hello Darling. Missed me? I heard that you liked the taste of my lips. Be there soon, my little toy. J

You quickly deleted the message, scrambling to gather your things and throw them in the small bag that Bruce had provided for you. You heard the click of the door opening, and you whipped around to face the delighted expression of the Joker. His eyes twinkled as he slowly strode over to the nightstand, picking up the choker and walking closer to you.

He bent down to where you were crouched by the luggage, his breath fanning over you and hot skin on yours as he clasped the necklace around your neck. You were frozen. He grinned, cinching the choker a bit too tight. You winced.

"Oh, I missed you... Come on, sugar babe. Let's go home."