deal with the devil! | JOKER X READER ✅

CHAPTER 14: near-death experience.

   You didn't know how long you were running for. It could've been an hour, it could've been three. But, regardless, you were out of energy, and you knew you had to stop. Every breath stung, and your stomach churned so violently that you suspected you'd vomit. You had to have been safe now, right? There was no way Joker would catch you. You could afford to stop for a while.

   You approached a gas station, audibly groaning with relief at the prospect of your marathon ending. Your throat was extremely dry, so you limped inside to get some water. The cashier seemed to recognize you; his round face was flooded with fear.

   "Take whatever you want," he said in a Southern twang, raising his hands in surrender. "I ain't seen nothin'."

   With a grateful nod and smile, you walked up to the fridge that contained the gas station's water bottles. Your reputation would definitely be short-lived, but for now, you still had it. And you intended to make the absolute most of it.

Your throat almost felt drier as you looked at all the water bottles. So many brands, so many sizes, so many flavors even. But, you ended up settling on a rather large bottle of regular Poland Spring. You had almost reached for a Dasani bottle, but you had heard somewhere that Dasani was made with an excess of salt, which just made people more thirsty. You weren't sure if this was true or not, but you figured you wouldn't risk it when your throat felt like a literal desert. You needed hydration, and you needed it now.

You shut the fridge after grabbing the Poland Spring, giving the cashier another nod before walking out of the gas station. He looked relieved at your lack of engagement, and on any other day, you probably would've messed with him a little. But, not today. You were too depressed, plus, you needed to sort out what came next. Where you would go, what you would do... All of that good stuff.

You sat by the door of the gas station, letting your head loll backward and rest on its siding. You sighed, popping your water open and guzzling a generous amount. It was cold and refreshing, and it did wonders in soothing the persistent ache in your throat. You could feel your stomach growing full with the water, so you stopped drinking as to not vomit everything you just drank.

You put down the half-empty bottle and heaved another sigh. You were gonna miss just being able to waltz into a gas station and take whatever you needed. Soon, you'd have to either pay up like a law-abiding citizen, or you'd actually have to put some effort into being a criminal again. Without Joker, you were just a nobody. Without him, you'd be forgotten about as early as a couple weeks from now. While it sounded really entitled to be mourning the loss of this type of privilege, you did start to mourn it. Your life was so comfortable, and you sabotaged it with your own actions.

You were somewhat disturbed by the thought that intruded your mind next:

The privilege that Joker had given you wasn't the only thing you would miss. You would also miss him.

He didn't seem like much to most people, and he probably wasn't. After all, he was a selfish, crazy piece of shit that killed for fun. But, you were also a selfish, crazy piece of shit that killed for fun. You two had a lot in common. His energy attracted you, not to mention his masculine features that were perfectly punctuated with a little bit of insanity. He was unpredictable, and while that was scary, it was also alluring. You wanted to follow him anywhere, and you were down for whatever it was he was down for. He was so confident, and the way he would touch you drove you wild. Your whole body would heat up, and you would be putty in his hands, ready to be molded however he needed. Of course, your whole fake relationship did not do much in stopping this attraction.

This was the first time you were really allowing yourself to think of Joker in this light. Of course, the thoughts had flitted into your mind at one point or another, but you ignored them every time they did. Acknowledging them would only make it harder to work with him. But, now, you'd never see him again, so you figured it would be okay to let yourself indulge a little. Joker was an intriguing personality, and you relished how he made you feel so alive. You relished the acts of kindness he had shown you, whatever his true motives were. They made you feel so special, and like you were worth something to someone.