A Touch Of Happiness | Arthur Fleck x Reader

Thank You

Word count: 2013

Part 1: Thank You

She took in a large breath, letting a sweet, relaxing glob of air fill her lungs before she decided to step closer to the lonesome clown, and truth be told, it took her more than that one attempt to gather herself entirely.

She'd fumbled with the hem of her new suit's jacket, pacing back and forth over and over before she fought against her better senses that told her to just walk away.

And inwardly, she cursed at her nature, despising how easily she caved at the sight of the defeated man because, in Gotham, she shouldn't be so trusting.

She shouldn't be so eager to walk through the filthy ally just to reach some stranger she knew nothing about.

'But here I am,' She mused just as she came closer to the man, each step that crunched under her little pumps making her heart fasten furthermore with anxiousness.

'He could be a murderer.' her consciousness chided her, 'Or a robber at best you idiot!' it went on,

'AT BEST! So, Turn back....just turn back...Go back...' It went on, the little voice rising with more distress and alarm as she was finally only just a few steps from him.

For just a measly second she stopped, swallowing down thickly as she made her final decision,

'TURN BACK NOW!' Her inner self barked one final time before she shook her head to rid herself of the negative thoughts, deciding to go with the little aching muscle in her chest that told her to help him.

Upon coming nearer she noticed was far too thin to be called slender, and that perhaps sitting alone in a filthy alley wasn't his only problem.

He was terribly underweight, greatly concerning her, and with knitted brows she knelt to him, her voice soft and sweet as she tried to appear harmless to him in order to coax him out of whatever misery that clouded him,

'Just a smile, come on now,' She inwardly encouraged him, cheering for him.

'Sometimes, just forcing a smile will get you through the day,' She went on, 'And other times when that doesn't work... it takes a fool like me to infect someone,' She mused, wanting to spread to him a small percentage of herself just to lift him up.

'Sometimes I have A hard day too,' She reasoned, wishing that during those times someone would walk over to her and sit with her.

Not talk.

Not even listen.

Just sit.

'Just knowing that someone is there...That someone in this awful city cares...'

The stench of garbage made her face scrunch up, but swallowing down the squeamish side of her, she focused more on getting the poor man out of there, momentarily shutting off her nose.

She made sure to keep her legs pressed together as she hunkered, her hand hesitant to actually touch him before she spoke, "H-Hey there," She said with uncertainty, seeing him lift his head up to the sound of her voice.

"Huh..?" A little sound left him as he gazed up at her, and with that single motion, she could see his face properly.

It was masked by a thick coating of makeup, something she'd been expectant of, however, the heavy smudges which had bunched up and left his skin naked made her breath hitch.