Archive of Our Own

The Christmas decoration topping the palace had already been something Goro wanted to tear down with his bare hands the moment he saw it.

The blinding lights and the colorful constellations they created were absolutely horrendous, even if they somehow match the entire snowy white theme the palace seems to have going on.

Whoever the owner is – and Goro has some daunting suspicions - either has an absurdly sick sense of humor or generally possesses the worst kind of feeble sentimentality that never fails to make Goro want to puke.

He shouldn't have let himself be fooled by how normal the insides look – as normal as polished-to-perfection and sterile surfaces can look, at least – when Goro's clearly seen what the owner is capable of, judging by the exterior alone.

Bad taste in reality and palace making.

"What is that?"

Yoshizawa is the first to speak her confusion out aloud. Joker, as always, stays silent – either he's still comprehending what the digital mistletoe in the middle of the sealed shut door means (very unlikely), or he's leaving it to Goro to be the harbinger of shocking revelations.

Very typical of him, but Goro never lets Joker have the satisfaction of putting him on the spot for more than half a second.

"I'm certain Joker has a lot of familiarity with the subject," he sweetly lilts with just enough underlying sass to bring over his point. Goro crosses his arms in satisfaction as the conversation smoothly bounces back to the very person he mentioned.

He can only see Joker's eyes and lower face due to the mask – Goro has willed his own away for the moment of discussion, annoyed that the visor is more restrictive than anything else. But with the telltale tingle on Goro's face, he's painfully aware Joker must be raising one eyebrow at him.

(Joker used to raise both, at first. But one time, Goro fucked up by asking the other how he managed to do that without contorting one side of his face to unrecognizable lengths, implying Goro himself cannot do the same. Since then, Joker has made it a policy to show off his single-eyebrow-raising skills just to spite him. Goro absolutely loathes it.)

The smirk, however, is something Goro can clearly see and despises just a little more.

"Why, Crow? Thought about doing it with me too?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Goro replies with the right amount of equanimity to deter any suspicions, which would indicate he just got worked up over that statement.

Of course Goro thinks about kissing Joker.

Who doesn't?

He's sure all of his little thieves do – or did, for that manner, seeing as they just went for straight-up ignoring Joker to happily indulge themselves in false fantasies.

Fools. All of them. 

Goro does, however, often catch himself entertaining similar thoughts he reprimands the others for – the pink of Joker's lips that embodies confidence when accompanied with a mask, and how that boldness melts to make place for something gentler, shyer as soon as the Metaverse around them wilts away.

Yes.

More often than not, Goro thinks about grabbing Joker by his stupid hair and kiss him equally stupid, angry for how much the other makes him feel, even after everything that transpired.

Especially because of that.

But Goro doesn't give into his trivial instincts.

After all, he isn't the only one who thinks about these kinds of scenarios. Throw in Joker's flirtatious personality and his genetically determined need to give precious parts of himself to other people without thinking, and you have a walking, unofficial boyfriend for half of Tokyo.

(Not Goro's. He's dead once they lift the curse that is this reality, anyway.)

He's reminded he forgot about Yoshizawa's presence the moment she speaks up again, shuffling on her feet nervously.

How this girl won entire competitions with this severe case of insecurity is beyond him. 

"Uhm, I'm afraid I still don't understand. Why is there a mistletoe symbol? There aren't even any shadows for us to fight in this area, and we checked for other ways..."

Silly girl.

"That means," Goro sighs with only partially restrained irritation, resisting the urge to live up to Yoshizawa's unspoken accusations towards him ever since she saw his Black Mask outfit, "that the owner of this palace thinks himself to be a... matchmaker of sorts. I'm sure you're familiar with some traditions during Christmas, right? Such as having to kiss the person you're under a mistletoe with."

"K-kiss?!"

Goro would almost call the blush on Yoshizawa's face endearing if it didn't annoy him to lengths where he wants to claw at her cheeks to get it off. 

God, has she never read those romance novels before? Goro knows they're popular with younger females. He read that in a blog once, among other things he'd prefer not to recall at this very moment.

Yoshizawa fumbles with her mask like she's wearing a pair of glasses for the first time, staring towards the floor with an intensity Goro might approve of on literally any other day. "So, does that mean we have to…?"

And then Goro sees it- how her eyes flicker to the side, towards Joker for a split second before she's firmly looking away again. As if she just didn't commit a great sin.

The color on her face is an interesting color, almost resembling her hair.

Goro is surprised until he isn't.

He wonders why he didn't give it much thought before – probably because it gives him a headache each time he even begins to entertain such mundane thoughts.

The way her outfit practically resembles Joker's. How Joker must possess a gravity exclusive to Yoshizawa with how often she flocks towards him without any reason, more shameless than the others who at least try to think of passable excuses. The way she can't look Joker into the eyes unless she's sure those slates of grey aren't directed on her.

Yoshizawa's cute, little crush is disgustingly obvious, and something in Goro's stomach twists at that revelation.

"Yes, Yoshizawa-san," Goro says with probably too much sugar in his voice in lieu of his current attire, but said girl is a little too caught up in fantasies involving her dear senpai to pay the sarcasm dripping off of his tone any mind. "Given that it's almost Christmas and there's a shut door with a mistletoe on it, it's very safe to assume that we'll have to initiate something along the lines of a kiss in order to proceed."

While Yoshizawa is busy burrowing her embarrassment in her hands, Joker tilts his head, putting a hand to his chin in a manner Goro recognizes to be his own.

Smug satisfaction curls while Loki rumbles approvingly. 

Sure, Joker learned rather admirable moves from Yoshizawa regarding acrobatics, but she taught him.

Goro's mindless habit bled over into Joker passively, meaning the other must have spent quite some time studying Goro and more or less unintentionally picked it up.

They did go and met each other quite often, after all - Goro heavily doubts Yoshizawa ever got as close to Joker as him.

No one did.

No one knows Joker the same way Goro does, and, as much as it irks him to admit, no one knows Goro like Joker does, either. 

The thought manages to calm the monster thriving beneath Goro's skin a little, but it's not enough for the smile on his face that's still directed at Yoshizawa to wilt completely.

Joker laughs. Shakes his hand, runs a red glove through the messy strands he calls his hair. Goro vigorously fights down his urge to run his own hands through it too. 

"Well, any volunteers, then? I'm up for it," Joker says.

Of course he is.

And Goro waits with the patience of a lion, counting the seconds. Only because he sees Yoshizawa trying her absolute best to build up the required courage to offer herself.

He wants to absolutely crush that, watch it futilely trickle into dry sand. 

So the moment the first syllable manage to slip past her trembling lips, Goro opens his mouth equally fast and overrides her pitiful attempt of speech.

"If we must," Goro says as nonchalantly as he can, uncrossing his arms to let his gauntlets prickle his thigh, "then I suppose I'll do it."

"You don't have to," Joker immediately says, impeccable gaze flickering towards him like Goro's unable to decide for himself. "I'm not forcing anyone to participate in this. Then again, we kind of have to if we want to get through this door, so..."

Goro grits his teeth in irritation. "Why-"

"I can- I can do it!" Yoshizawa suddenly squeaks in a tone too many times too high for her that it actually manages to interrupt Goro and his thought process that usually follows right after.

He feels acid burn his tongue because Joker is now turning his body to Yoshizawa like he's considering her words instead of brushing them off like he should have.

Goro is seething, Goro is growling, Goro is- going to fucking kill Joker again.

The audacity he has. 

Why is Joker even looking at Yoshizawa when Goro is right here, benevolently offering himself?

"Are you sure, Sumi?"

Goro's vision cracks a little.

Joker isn't seriously considering her because she spoke after Goro, is he?

But Joker must be since he's taking a step in Yoshizawa's direction.

The girl might as well already combust with how strongly she's shaking, something which doesn't seem to concern Joker in the slightest.

If anything, it only seems to encourage him. 

Bastard.

"If it's for the sake of this m-mission," Yoshizawa manages to get out, small fists trembling as much as her pulled up shoulders, "it will be no problem at all!"

No. 

This simply won't do.

Goro may be going through some unresolved issues and healthy self-deprecating tendencies because he shouldn't really be alive after what happened, forced to dance to another one's tune once again, but despite all, he's not going to let this naïve girl with a silly little crush kiss Joker before he does.

Screw everything else.

Over his fucking dead body.

Especially because whatever Yoshizawa thinks she's feeling is nothing but a small candlelight in comparison to the wildfire that feeds on Goro's sanity with each passing day in a world where Joker simply exists like the irritating nuisance he is. 

So when said male takes another step into Yoshizawa's direction, raising his hand to probably spin her into the cliché princess dip that'll completely eradicate the few brain cells that are left inside of her, Goro saves what little is left of his future by intercepting.

He grabs Joker's arm and pulls him over.

In a faraway corner that makes up his entire consciousness, Goro's reminded that they could have tried other things first – a peck to the cheek, perhaps, or a kiss on the back of a hand if they were feeling deceivingly chivalrous. All those thoughts come to a devastating halt the moment Joker's lips are on his and what he swears is a hand ghosting along Goro's waist.

Goro's brain can't catch up – it just doesn't register anything aside from the physical sensation of Joker's lips meeting his before the other pulls back, a smug expression spreading on his face.

Did he-?

The mistletoe symbol vanishes.

Yoshizawa gapes at them.

Joker does an unnecessary bow accompanied by a cheeky wink when he straightens again, skipping through the now open door.

"Looking cute, Crow!"

Goro's ears are aflame as he grits his teeth.

He's irritated beyond comprehension, immobile, mortified - in complete and utter disbelief over the fact that he can barely remember anything about his first kiss with Joker since his brain completely shut down during that. Not even counting the fact that the little shit fucking planned this.

He's-

-he's so going to get it back.

Goro may or may not be a rather inexperienced person when it comes to physical touch.

It's more or less a byproduct of an isolated past with very little to no affection, something that hasn't really proven to be much of an inconvenience to Goro until now. Sure, he has to hold himself back from slaughtering his opposing partner to pieces when he initiates so much as a handshake, but otherwise, he's fine and in control and perfect.

Goro's never realized how hard this shit is. 

And despite his initial confidence, empowered by the short rush he earlier felt due to snatching Joker away right in front of those big, innocent eyes of Yoshizawa, it's tremendously difficult to remember Joker is only kissing and holding Goro because they need to open some fucking doors.

Except, they both kind of know it's not really about the mistletoe barriers anymore.

At least not entirely – it's something they'll have to talk about later, the warm feeling stirring inside Goro's chest which he's tried squashing down so many times before being reflected in depths of grey as well.

But what matters most right now aside from killing shadows and figuring out this sadistic palace owner is who kisses the other better.

And it's- admittedly more difficult than Goro thought it would be.

He's pretty sure he wouldn't feel this helpless with any other person – Goro knows it's because of Joker that his knees grow despicably weak, the seam of the very lips he often caught himself thinking about feeling so impossibly nice that some parts of Goro's brain aren't even booting back up after short-circuiting the moment their mouths meet.

This should be about their fourth kiss, and Goro still hasn't reclaimed his title as a heartless killer with how much of a blushing virgin Joker is making him feel.

He's still trying to wrap his mind around the warm and fuzzy sparks he feels whenever a surprisingly strong pair of arms wrap around his waist, soft lips sending him into some sort of alternative reality that isn't the Metaverse.

After beginning relatively chaste, Joker's has become a little bolder in his moves, getting Goro used to the brush of his hands on shoulder and waist first until they've sneaked entirely around him.

Trapping him in an embrace Goro couldn't get out of even if he wanted to, really. 

Joker kisses him like he's precious, something to care about in the midst of an upside-down world that doesn't play into anyone's favor aside from Goro's selfish desires he tries and fails to run away from, this moment being yet another proof brutally shoved into his face.

Joker softly cradles his cheeks with shy palms and slightly trembling fingers - not because he's afraid Goro will break, but rather because he wants to memorize and commit.

It makes Goro's dead heart race, pulse quicken to the point where he's afraid Joker can hear all the pathetic, sentimental shit going on inside of him each time Joker pulls him close to open a sealed door.

It's condemnable, it's irritating beyond belief and it's gnawing at Goro's goddamn pride, especially because Joker looks so put together once they separate like Goro's the only one having died at least five times during their exchange of warmth and saliva. 

Almost as if Joker's doing this regularly.

And maybe he does (Goro tries to suppress bitter, scorning jealousy, burning with an intensity that makes his limbs tremble), but that thought doesn't really matter in the bigger picture when all Goro wants is to see their positions reversed.

And just how many of his other confidants would be able to call the image of a blushing, flustered Joker theirs?

Goro already knows the answer to that.

They all abide and bow to Joker like his suggestions and opinions are the word of god.  

No one even thinks about challenging him, no one has the fucking guts to go against Joker like Goro does, and it's precisely why he's going to be the first one to elicit that expression before anyone else.

He's a dying and a broken puppet, but he's a goddamn man with a mission before that.

So Goro steels his nerves with newfound resolve and learns.

He doesn't know if this palace really needs this many doors and barriers – probably the work of the ruler, too, just to be an asshole, but it admittedly works into Goro's favor at the moment because he doesn't know how much time he has left to achieve what he wants until they'd have to part for whatever reason.

He's gotten used to Joker's touch around their eighth kiss.

It's moderately tame for how much desire Goro sees in the other's eyes, gleaming cockily behind a curtain of dark eyelashes that occasionally wink at him because Joker can never be obnoxious enough. 

Goro still feels agonizingly warm after each mistletoe door, a mushy and intangible feeling reducing problems and responsibilities to only the feel of lips tentatively drawing against his, but he's able to hold his ground, yank himself out of stupid fairy tales, doesn't fully melt against Joker anymore.

Goro still acts flustered, though – makes sure to squirm when Joker's hand dips just a tad lower on his back, averts his gaze a second too fast in the shadow fights that are a short breath of relief for them both, all to lull the other in a false sense of security.

Under the pretense of being wholly caught off-guard each and every time due to the lone circumstances of his past that not even his snarky nature can hide, Goro learns what Joker does to him.

The way he moves his mouth seemingly expertly, occasionally nipping at Goro's lips, sometimes showing off his white teeth in a flash. Teasing, yet never making true of those silent promises.

How his tongue is able to fry Goro's nerves for a short second when Joker boldly licks the corner of his mouth after their eleventh kiss, shortly dipping it inside Goro's slightly parted mouth for the twelfth.

The teasing smirk dancing around wet, shiny lips after each of their small sessions looks like a threat in itself Goro wants to eliminate. 

He also carefully takes note of the surreptitious aptness in which Joker manages to manipulate their bodies with.

Joker doesn't really press his fingers into Goro's face or neck with any force, rather he entices and coaxes him to follow their belied requests with feathery brushes - a complete opposite to the strong grip Joker has on his body below the shoulders.

Another noteworthy aspect is how Joker moves - going into position, maneuvering in a specific, confident manner so that Goro finds himself almost instinctively arching his back a little despite the small height advantage he has over Joker, holding onto leather-clad shoulders – something Goro finds very interesting, and something he has to applaud Joker's beguiling charisma for.

He knows when to give praise when it's earned, after all. 

The only one able to surpass his blushing maiden act is Yoshizawa, whom Goro forgets more often than not.

She's little more than ballast at this point, really. Him and Joker are more than enough to take care of the shadows in this palace.

But her face does prove for an adequate source of entertainment each time Goro cares to look back, something he's started to take great joy in.

"U-um, C-crow?" She tentatively calls after another make-out session in front of a treasure room where both he and Joker kind of lost track of time, too submerged in their own, little world to notice the door has long opened.

She doesn't look as shocked as the first five times they kissed, but Goro thinks she might be running an actual fever at this point with how red and sweaty she is, barely able to meet his eyes.

Goro fixes his hair where Joker spontaneously grabbed it just a few seconds ago – it'd been a surprisingly pleasant sensation, and a favor he'll have to return to Joker once Goro has collected enough data.

"Yes, Yoshizawa-san?"

"Is this- do you? Is he-?"

Joker is busy opening the treasure chest with a lock pick, bending over to get a better angle. 

Goro sharply smiles at her once he managed to pull his gaze away from the view.

"Do you mean to ask if this all is really necessary?"

She nods, almost shyly.

"Of course it is," Goro answers, unfazed. As if he's explaining the basics of math to her. "What if we discover a barrier in which we will have to get a bit more creative than just a vanilla kiss? It's all about… learning, Yoshizawa-san."

Goro revels in the embarrassed cough she gives.

This quiet, bewildered version of Yoshizawa getting a front-row seat on reasons why she'll never get Joker as long as he walks this earth, even if it's in a false reality, is one he's quickly growing fond of. 

They're at kiss sixteen, Joker having advanced to positively devouring his mouth at this point when Goro decides he's learned and had enough.

He pulls out of Joker's grasp, smiling suavely when Joker almost deliriously chases after him. Hungry eyes telling him all sorts of stories.

Before the other can reconnect their mouths though, Goro straightens his posture, schools his expression, catches Joker's chin in a firm grip and watches for the first time since their little escapade how it's Joker's breath that hitches in a throat, dark pupils dilating.

"Now, Joker," Goro purrs, swiping his thumb over a shiny, slightly swollen bottom lip before pressing down with unmistakable intent, "aren't we getting a little too comfortable, hmm?"

He lets him go.

A rush of warm satisfaction spreads through him at seeing Joker trying and failing to arrange his visibly surprised face.

Something which fades too quickly.

Something Goro wants more of, now that he's gotten a taste.

He licks his lips. Feels how his own presence grows, starting to feed on Joker's and taking it for itself.  

The scale tips in Goro's favor after that.

He is very much tempted to just slam Joker into the next damn door with those stupid mistletoe symbols to go for complete retaliation but figures it'd be a bit... overwhelming for the other. 

And traumatizing for Yoshizawa because she's still present too, watching the aftermath of their exchange with wide, deer-like eyes.

It's a face that tempts Goro to really follow up with what he wants, to thread his claws through Joker's hair and grasp and pull and mark and make it clear that she can't do any of this.

However, he doesn't want to be responsible for her mid life crisis and just presses his lips on Joker's first at the next mistletoe door instead, using his recently gained momentum to slightly tip Joker's head back.

Fully exploiting the little height advantage he has - something Yoshizawa will never naturally possess, too.

The knowledge makes him preen. 

Goro takes his time, wants to do it meticulously and with a precision that'll leave the other breathless - just how Joker seemed to have tremendously enjoyed himself with how helpless he made Goro feel in their first kisses, Goro is now fully intending to be the one to slowly drive Joker into a corner.

He knows he doesn't have much time, though. They've already strolled through a lot of rooms, sometimes even going back to activate the barriers more or less on purpose again (not that Yoshizawa will know or is coherent enough to understand what's going on), but they're undeniably getting closer to something.

Goro makes the most out of it.

He teasingly skims the tips of his claws along Joker's back in their eighteenth kiss, feels the ripples of small shudders they cause, only to blow hot air into Joker's ear after dislodging their mouths.

Full-on gripping Joker's hips and waist for the nineteenth time their lips touch, Joker delectably whimpering into Goro's mouth the moment he applies just a little bit more strength, a sound Goro's only been waiting for, and one he's more than happy to eat up and claim as his own.

He watches gray eyes melt as he cups Joker's face with more intent than he did, studies the way long eyelashes flutter like small beats of wings when Goro draws an invisible line with one claw down his cheek to stop at a swallowing throat.

It's a little too intoxicating, too addictive to have the proud façade of Joker finally crumble beneath Goro's very fingertips like he wanted to so many times. It's almost an art in itself, to completely override Joker's few attempts at regaining control back with precise touches at specific places and dark, domineering looks.

Goro can't really fault Joker if this is how he felt, too.

But he'll do better.

If Goro's unable to have Joker in battle or billiards or stupid darts or literally anything else, it'll be this. 

And he'll be damn fucking good at it. 

Goro is unable to resist the temptation of lightly yanking at Joker's hair during the twentieth kiss, a gesture which earns him a groan too loud despite how relatively soft Goro pulled - information he carefully tucks away for later.

Pinning Joker's wrists next to his head to kiss him without resistance earns Goro one of his favorite reactions so far - a breathless moan combined with a jerk of his hips that cause Goro to nibble on Joker's bottom lip a little, maintaining his steel grip to keep Joker in place despite the door having already been opened.

It's hard to properly describe the accomplishment, the swirls of more than pleasant satisfaction swimming in his stomach to see the effect he has on Joker after each of their kisses.

Not only is Joker answering skittish questions and comments from Yoshizawa a little too late, he can't quite meet Goro's inquisitive gaze as well. And he tenses so wonderfully when Goro puts a hand on his shoulder, looming over him to view a treasure chest's contents.

A gesture that had been met with quite a lot of indifference before - practiced, perhaps?

The number of times Goro needs to step in to save Joker from shadow attacks the other usually dodges with ease has increased significantly, too. Whenever that happens, Goro sends him cocky, all-telling smirks over his shoulder.

Goro, at least, hadn't been this affected outside of their kisses, and the knowledge is sweeter than any candy Goro could ever hope to taste.

Seeing Joker's attempts to try and not act flustered afterwards tempts Goro more often than not to just pull Joker towards him without any other reason than to see that blush intensifying under his very gaze.

To think that this is Joker, his rival, someone that flirts as easily as he switches personas and who still doesn't seem to know where to put his hands for the twenty-third kiss-

It's endearing, really. Almost cute.

How Joker behaves so differently as soon he is on the receiving end of such gestures - and to know Goro himself is the sole cause for that?

Nothing short of empowering. 

He'd love to see how far he can drag this out, how deep he can coax Joker to fall when Goro's the only one to catch him, but it's painstakingly obvious by the larger door and the amount of time they've already spent in this palace that they're going to meet the palace ruler next.

Perhaps some kind of grand finale is due?

And like a small epiphany, a thought from earlier he initially scoffed at crosses Goro's mind.

Now, wouldn't this suit Joker quite well?

Before Joker can open his mouth or try something funny, Goro is already by his side to initiate their twenty-fourth kiss.

He swiftly circles Joker's sinfully small waist, kicks his feet away in the next moment. The action earns him an endearing yelp, and Joker's arms fly around Goro's neck to prevent himself from falling onto the floor - which absolutely does not play into Goro's favor, really.

He adjusts his grip on Joker and bends over to force him into a low dip.

"Crow," Joker hisses, visibly red in his face despite the mask, squirming a little. Goro could get used to this view. "What- what are you doing?"

"Only asking that now? Opening the door for us, of course," Goro says with a prominent smirk before he closes the distance between their lips, honeybrown strands spilling past red cheeks and shielding them from the rest of the world. 

Their position gives Joker absolutely no chance to defend himself in any way, and Goro full-on abuses the opportunity.

He first molds their lips together in a slow, languid dance they both have become familiar with, enjoying how rigid tension quickly leaves the body in his arms. Pleasant tingles spread from Goro's mouth to the rest of his body like a small tidal wave, prickling at first before becoming stronger, more insistent. 

Goro sacrifices one arm around Joker to entangle it in black curls, using them to tilt Joker's head in a way that twists the warm, fuzzy air around them into something distinctively sharper, headier.

He darts his tongue out, licks along the seam of lips moving against his for a few times. Joker answers beautifully, with a low gasp that Goro immediately uses to quickly dive into the other's mouth, exploring as rapidly as his own heart is beating, drowning out every other sound except the ones they make.

As of now, most things are irrelevant.

The gloved hand around his neck tightens. Fingers tug at Goro's hair for each time their tongues meet in small battles of control, and he groans into the mouth wantonly meeting his.

How to explain this - the want that churns so heavily within Goro that erases everything else?

A desire so strong he's tempted to put the entire world's worth to test, just so he can have Joker like this for more than just two months?

Before their desires manifest into something stronger and they both go to the point of no return, Goro accumulates the leftovers of his self-control and pulls away a little - sinks his teeth around Joker's bottom lip on his way out, drawing pricklets of blood and a sweet cry before fully disconnecting their mouths, a bridge of saliva hanging on a thin thread between them.

For a few seconds in which his own blood sings with newfound life, Goro takes the image of Joker in - grasping tightly onto Goro, chest heaving in tandem with his, eyes molten liquid, a lovely shade of red dusting nearly his entire face.

"I really could get used to this sight," Goro purrs. 

A small, embarrassed squeak behind them causes him to pull Joker up into a standing position, still keeping a hand on his waist.

Oh, right – Yoshizawa still exists.

He spares a brief smirk at her before directing attention to Joker once again - who seems to have given up on upholding the rest of his dignity since he's trying to hide his face in his hands, managing to sliver out of Goro's grasp.

How precious.

A part of Goro wants to step close and pry those hands away and revel in the fruits of his effort. Another, darker one wants to whisk Joker away and lock him up so no one but Goro gets to see him, to let the whole world meet ruin except them.

But the larger, admittedly saner part of him wants to finally confirm the palace owner's identity so they can continue this somewhere else.

There's a lot to be addressed, after all, but it kind of feels like they just now made up for all the months they didn't kiss, their individual fates resting heavily on them. 

Not that the same isn't applying now, but Goro doesn't want to think about it for once, wants to selfishly indulge himself in this moment for as long as he can. 

"Red truly is a lovely color on you," Goro calls after him, chuckling when he gets an indignant cry of his name in response.

He doesn't know if the palace will keep the mistletoe mechanics once Christmas is over. Goro wouldn't really mind it, as it gives him a wonderful and unquestionable excuse to make a mess out of Joker, now that he has the power and knowledge to do so. 

(Goro will destroy him.)

And even better if the thieves do happen to snap out of their small, little dream world - then he gets to do it in front of everyone, too.

"Why doesn't this work? I bet they're already inside!"

"Skull! Stop- stop kissing me already!! And Mona, get off me!?"

"Ouch! Lady Ann, please, I wasn't trying to-"

"I thought this was a common tradition, to- "

"MONA!"

"-kiss under mistletoes. Am I mistaken? Do we have to do something else?"

"But that doesn't explain how the others got through! Argh, did we miss something?"

"Maybe we should have the girls and guys have a go at it separately?"

"I'm not sure how to feel about that..."

"Fox is my bro but not that kind of bro, Noir! What the heck?"

Maruki sweatdrops as he sees the other members of the Phantom Thieves arguing on one of the monitors.

He felt the moment they managed to pull themselves out of the realities he gifted them a week later, immediately hurrying after Akira and Akechi (who are close to confronting him a second time) inside of his palace.

Admirable, if a bit foolish.

They've been stuck at the first door for a few minutes now though, and Maruki wonders if he should change the seals' condition to make it even possible for them in the first place to catch up.

It's quite hard to proceed if only Akira and Akechi can open the doors, after all.