Sj_thefan's 12 Days of Ficmas 2019

New Year's Eve: Arthur Fleck

Hello everyone. Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed this little gift. Here's an extra bonus. I hope you all are doing okay and that your year is good. I truly appreciate each and every one of you readers. Thank you for a great 2019! I love you all!!!

Gotham was growing worse and worse. The divide between rich and poor was getting larger and tensions were rising. Prices were high, work was terrible and hard to find, and the law enforcement had stopped caring about the well-being of anyone without money. It was a dark place.

But Arthur had a light. Y/n was the shining star in the bleak night. She was so pure and although she barely had a penny to her name, she cared about everyone.

She was a nurse and tended to all the people of Gotham, rich or poor. She knew that illness and disease didn't care about the money in your pocket. It could affect anyone. Y/n did her best to help everyone she could, at least, until she was fired. She would "forget" to charge clients that couldn't afford to pay and occasionally, she "borrowed" supplies from the hospital to help people who couldn't make it to the hospital.

Arthur and Y/n started dating just before she was fired, and he immediately offered to have her move in. She graciously accepted.

He had never met someone like her. The world kept pushing against her, but she refused to stop fighting back. She had been through so much and still had a heart full of love. After just a couple of dates, Arthur knew he was in love. Y/n didn't care about his condition; it just made him impossible to replicate and uniquely hers. She loved him too. She laughed at his jokes—not because she felt she had to, but because they were funny in a way that only people who had been through hardship and pain could understand.

Y/n spent her days helping Arthur's mother, Penny, and if she ever had free time, she would volunteer around town.

By the end of the day, they were exhausted.

Y/n and Arthur fell back into the small couch. Penny had been taken to bed and they finally had a moment to themselves. It was quiet in the tiny space—nothing but the sound of their breaths filling their ears.

Y/n rested her head against Arthur's chest, sighing as her hand came to rest there too. She glanced up at her boyfriend. He knew what was coming and softly closed his eyes.

"You need to eat," she whispered softly.

Arthur often spent days eating the bare minimum or lower. They didn't have a lot of money, so food was often scarce. Weak soups were the default meal. Arthur didn't want to lose his family to starvation, so on days when he didn't feel hungry, he would go without, preferring the people he loved get food before him.

"I do eat."

Y/n sighed. "I'm sorry, Arthur." She sat up taking a deep breath as she ran her hand through her hair. She turned to face him. "Maybe I can try getting a job at Kandy's."

Kandy's was a rundown strip club a few streets away. Y/n had to nearly every business in Gotham, asking for work, with no luck. She hadn't gone to the bars and strip clubs though. It wasn't good work. The employees had no protection from drunks, criminals, or anyone who felt like doing something to them. The places were always looking for new employees. Y/n could get a job there easily, all she had to do was ask.

"You're not working for one of those places," Arthur protested. "You're too good for them." She was meant for more than a strip club. He couldn't let her put herself in danger for him.

"We need to do something. We can barely afford the food we do have." Y/n grabbed his hand, gripping it tightly. He was her support, and she desperately needed it. "We need to do something."

Arthur started laughing, bringing his free hand to cover his mouth. He tugged at his other hand, trying to muffle the chocked laughter that still escaped his lips, but Y/n didn't let go.

She swung her leg over his lap, so she was sitting in front of him. Bringing her hand up to his face, she stroked his cheek, encouraging him to release the tension. "Don't fight it." She loosened her grip on his hand, but he didn't move it to cover his hand. His eye's opened slowly from their clenched position. Y/n swiped a tear from his cheek. Prodding his hand gently, Y/n wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek on his shoulder. "I love you Arthur," she whispered, placing a kiss to his cheek. "I need to find a job; I won't let you suffer while I do nothing."

Arthur wanted to scream. Why was life so cruel to them? He shouldn't have to work excessively long hours just to barely afford a life. Y/n shouldn't be made to do demeaning work when she was clearly meant to help people. She shouldn't have been fired for trying to fulfill her purpose. People needed help.

His laughs started to quiet as he focused on Y/n's breaths. Letting his last tears fall, he pressed a kiss to Y/n's head.

She turned her head to look at him. She smiled brightly. "I'm so proud of you Arthur."

Y/n and Arthur sat silently on the couch, absorbing the warmth from their embrace.

Suddenly, Y/n stood up, walking to the radio and turning it on. She fiddled with the tuner until she found a station she liked. Music began playing quietly. She walked back over to Arthur and offered a hand. He took it and the couple began swaying playfully around the room.

As the song came to a close, Arthur spun Y/n under his arm. She giggled at him, placing a kiss to his nose. He smiled at her, following her lips as she pulled away, and kissing her properly.

The radio station announcer's voice interrupted their moment. "Happy New Year folks. From all of us down at the station, we hope you have a great year."

Y/n's mouth dropped as she turned to face the radio. "Did they just say what I think they said?" Y/n turned back to Arthur but was met with the same shocked look she wore.

With everything that had been happening, the couple had forgotten what day it was. Arthur smiled sheepishly. "Happy New Year?"

"Happy New Year," Y/n smirked. She grabbed his hands again. "This year will be better, I promise." She smiled as Arthur brought her closer. "It'll be so good we won't forget any holidays."

Arthur laughed—a real laugh, not a forced awkward one. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She snuggled further into his chest as they swayed slowly with the new song that had started playing. "Happy New Year."