"Yeah," he murmurs. "Those two. Well, I told you I usedta be a hooker, right?"

"Yeah?"

"So," he shrugs, "when I was sixteen or so, one guy made an offer he didn't want me to refuse. I told him to fuck off, he pulled a knife. I wasn't so scary in those days." He touches the scar on his neck. "Bad news for him, a knife to my throat doesn't mean shit." Then he sighs, and drops his hand. "Bad news for me, he got what he wanted anyway. I'm okay about it now, but for a while I wasn't."

Nathan hugs his mate very, very snugly. Not hard enough to break him, but just shy of that.

The Joker snuggles into Nathan's arms.

"You'd tell me if you ever didn't want - anything," says Nathan, "wouldn't you? I've gotten to the point where I start throwing you around without textbook verbal inquiries first - and - there are known cases of mate bonds being very confused when they're not reciprocated, although those were ones aimed at hybrids, we think the bond doesn't know what to do with a hybrid, a vampire will always have a symmetrical copy and a human it expects to be able to turn at least eventually but hybrids throw it off - but - you'd tell me. Wouldn't you?"

"I'd tell you," he says, pressing a gentle kiss to Nathan's cheek. "Promise."

"And if I ever do appear to be confused please feel perfectly free to wish me to Antarctica. I will eat penguins and be confused and I will not be able to hurt you. I couldn't stand it if I hurt you."

"I love you too."

The Joker curls up on top of Nathan, kisses his cheek again, and closes his eyes comfortably.

Mmm. Snuggly.