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Wonder was going to kill White Mask the next time he saw him, or more accurately, the next time he saw him in a Not Palace.
Unfortunately the chances of that being today were unlikely, as Closer and Wind had come with. Thankfully no one who had met White Mask other than Joker was here from the other Thieves, but Joker already knew to keep his mouth shut about it.
However Joker didn’t seem very willing to pretend that nothing was wrong and that he didn’t have questions which was tipping everyone else off and annoying Wonder more. Now Wonder couldn’t exactly blame him, if anyone else had a White Mask of their own and was in some kind of intimate or physical relationship with them that they were very intent on keeping secret from their team? Wonder would also have questions.
“Nope.” Joker exclaimed, “I can’t take this anymore, we’re taking a break.”
Wind and Closer stared confused while Mona, Fox and Noir just seemed concerned and a little exasperated.
“Red, this way.”
Wonder blinked, surprised at being addressed that way, especially when there was no need to. Still, Wonder followed without complaint, he knew what this was going to be about.
Together they went into a secluded corner. Wonder was pretty sure they were still within Wind's sensing range but too far for her to hear them.
“Now we wait.”
“No guarantee that he’ll show up.” Wonder stated plainly, “I don’t know his criteria for it other than me being alone. He also doesn’t follow me everywhere.”
“He at least follows you into the metaverse.”
Wonder gave a non-committal hum, he wasn’t so sure that was true. White Mask had blatantly stated that he watched the Thieves fight Akashi but he also had the time to break into Wonder’s house and prepare food, so he had left before Wonder had, which meant that he wasn’t completely against allowing Wonder to be in the Metaverse without him.
But he was definitely against Wonder in the Metaverse alone. His shoulder still stung.
Joker’s eyes narrowed, “Have you seen him again? Since the last time we were here.”
“Yes, he broke into my house and made me dinner.” And before that White Mask stabbed him but Wonder had a feeling that Joker would not appreciate finding out that it had happened twice.
“I’m sure you enjoyed being able to make out with him on a couch.” Joker’s voice just on the edge of teasing.
Wonder grew red, “I uh–I actually haven’t kissed him outside of here.”
“You haven’t? Huh.” Joker looked so surprised that Wonder was actually offended.
“Don’t look so surprised, we don’t even remember kissing here.” Wonder rolled his eyes. “I’m not as infatuated as you think I am.”
“But you admit that you’re infatuated.” Joker immediately pointed out. “I’m not an idiot, I know there’s something or things that you haven’t told me about him to sanitise him or something.”
Wonder grumbled to himself. “What do you think I’m keeping from you? Make your best guess.”
Joker hummed, looking Wonder up and down. “He hurt you… When he shot the phone out of your hand he also shot your hand…? Or maybe after I met him, I doubt it was in the real world, he strikes me as unstable but not stupid.”
Wonder sighed and rubbed at his face. “He has hurt me and it was in the Metaverse.” He confessed, “He is also unstable in that he’s prone to mood swings.”
“And yet you kissed him.”
“And yet I kissed him.”
“Wonder,” Joker started, his voice completely serious. “Why?”
“I don’t know!” Something within him must have snapped because suddenly that was all he could say. “I don’t know why I feel the way I do for someone like him, I just do. I don’t know why I’m more willing to accept my feelings here than out of here. I don’t know what’s wrong with him either, why he’ll be so affectionate one day and fucking stab me the next!”
The urge to scream bubbled up in Wonder’s throat but he choked it down with his shaking and growing distress. “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know! I just–I just…”
Without warning Wonder was drawn into Joker’s arms. “I know I can’t be there for you all the time but the few times I can I’m always willing.” Wonder buried his face in the crook of Joker’s neck and hugged back. “It’s okay that you don’t know, I’ll support you if this is what you want. I just want you to be safe.”
“I haven’t been safe since I fucking met Igor.” Wonder muttered, “But thanks Joker, the same goes for you.”
They stayed like that for a while before separating, silently agreeing to go back to the team.
Except the team wasn’t where they had left them. No one was there except for…
Wonder immediately pulled out his gun and aimed for the head.
“Ow!” The bullet bounced off harmlessly, causing nothing more than the pout on White Mask’s face. “Nacchan that hurt, why?”
“You stabbed me! Again!”
“Oh we aren’t keeping that secret anymore?” White Mask grinned and approached the two team leaders. “You look amazing in red, I simply couldn’t resist.”
“Enough flirting.” Joker cut in, and for good measure also shot White Mask, though in the knee. That bullet had also bounced harmlessly off, White Mask didn’t even have the decency to pretend. “Where is everyone?”
“Ah, they fell for a trap.”
“A trap…?”
“Yep, a trap. The good old red button–trapped floor trap.” White Mask shrugged, “They’ll be fine, just forced to take an alternate route, we’ll meet them at the exit.”
“You’re coming with us?” Honestly Wonder didn’t know why he was surprised, of course White Mask would be coming with.
“Of course, I would never miss a chance to spend time with you Nachhan!” White Mask lightly pinched Wonder’s face. “Also you’ll need a Navi. And if you give me an incentive… then I won’t abandon you until the last minute.”
Wonder rolled his eyes and brought White Mask forward for a kiss, it was obvious what he was going for and Wonder would be remiss to say that he didn’t want it too.
“Follow,” Wonder ordered, tugging lightly at White Mask’s collar. Wonder tried not to show any surprise at how White Mask immediately complied. He also tried not to react to Joker’s incredibly judgy stare.
Fighting through the halls was slow going as they had to pay more attention with just two fighters. Wonder played support as per usual while Joker played main attacker, with his ability to swap persona as quickly and as often as he did, it was a no brainer.
White Mask did his job as Navigator with a lot of unnecessary flirting that Wonder would be lying to say that he minded. Thankfully he was a liar, as proven by White Mask himself, so he pretended to be annoyed.
But then an enemy with no weaknesses arrived. Ordinarily not too big a problem but with just the two of them…
Well Wonder was fine and the shadow died but Joker was another issue altogether. He had been completely knocked out, an unlucky hit to a weakness causing him to trip, fall and stubble into another attack. It was already close to dead so Wonder could take it out on his own but Joker was out cold.
Wonder had done all the healing he could, when Joker woke up he’d likely feel as right as rain but that accounted for Joker waking up. He would eventually but he wasn’t right now and that meant that they had to take a break.
Joker laid unceremoniously on the floor.
White Mask did not seem put out by this in the slightest. “Now it’s just you and me Beloved.”
Wonder scowled. “Stop calling me that.”
Still Wonder allowed himself to be pulled forward into a kiss, there was something so satisfying about it after not doing so in so long. Though that was mostly Wonder’s fault, now it was more than clear just what White Mask wanted when he came into Wonder’s home.
Despite the burning in his lungs Wonder didn’t want to let go, pushing deeper into the kiss before he risked passing out.
As they separated a trail of spit connected them for just a few moments more. Wonder wiped at his mouth slightly but he was half-tempted to kiss White Mask again, unfortunately he had questions to ask.
That didn’t stop White Mask from going for another. Wonder was a weak man at heart, he allowed it, just one more.
But he stopped the potential third one. Wonder could feel White Mask pout against his hand, just as he could see his questioning gaze.
“No, question time.” Wonder did not falter when White Mask rolled his eyes. “You stabbed me again, why?”
Wonder removed his hand from White Mask’s face though he didn’t answer immediately. “You didn’t listen.”
“You aren’t very clear.”
White Mask made a noise akin to a snarl. “Is it so hard to believe that I might care? That I might get worried? I can’t babysit you all the time and you make my job harder when you go into dangerous places alone!” White Mask’s face twisted, something barely containing rage of unknown origin mixed with frustration with Wonder. “I can’t help with Palace exploration or fighting a person’s Shadow but I can make sure you don’t have to fight enemies you don’t have to fight.”
“Like the Reaper.” Wonder recalled.
“The Reaper is one of many monsters like it.” White Mask chuckled, it rang hollow and mirthless. “I wasn’t always alone. I still remember the sound of Berry’s choking as her throat was torn out. When Ange had to choose between deaths, and I had to watch her fall a second time. The bruising around Messa’s neck.”
“Wonder.”
“Phoebe’s glasses shattering on the Mementos floor. Riddle crying and unable to muffle them because of her actively bleeding stumps for arms. Howler going down one path and just never fucking returning!”
“Wonder, I’m sorry…!”
“Moko being forced to kill—!”
“Wonder!”
Nagisa slapped him.
He didn’t mean to slap him, not as White Mask was clearly spiraling further down a dangerous rabbit hole.
“Nagisa.” White Mask started, sounding so close to tears it caused a jolt of panic in Wonder’s mind. “Please promise me you won’t go into Mementos alone.”
“Wonder… I’ll try but I won’t remember—”
“Promise me!” White Mask interrupted, harshly clutching Wonder’s shoulders, his fingers digging into his costume and causing the scar to burn. “You have to promise, you can’t make me go through that with you!”
“Wonder, I…”
“Promise me Nagisa, please!”
“I promise…”
Something within White Mask must have broken down at the shaky vow. Yet he still had enough of something to refuse to show it as best as he could hide it. Bringing Wonder close and just holding on, hiding his face away between his own hood and Wonder’s shoulder.
Wonder let him stay like that, something told him that White Mask needed it. Besides, there was no issue with just holding one another. They could stay like that until Joker woke up.