If You Just Listened // Arthur Fleck x Reader // SLOWBURN

Chapter 17 - Hey, Arthur?

Your heart was racing, you could hear it pounding madly in your ears.

You nearly slipped as you turned a corner, using the pavement to push yourself back up, continuing your run farther and farther along the streets of Gotham. You could hear your small work heels clacking against the concrete, followed closely by another set of feet running behind you.

Arthur's large shoes practically slapped the ground beneath him with every step, gaining ground almost as fast as you did. Almost.

"Hey!" he called out, hardly keeping up with his own breathing.

You laughed through your panting, waving his notebook in the air as you continued your descent. "If you want it so bad, you'll have to catch me!"

The cold air whipped at your skin, but you didn't care. You'd never felt more alive. You smiled to yourself.

Arthur was chasing you.
Arthur was chasing you!

What a fun thought, what a fun experience! Surely this night was one to remember, one you wouldn't soon forget.

Another corner. Then another one. Your exhaustion was beginning to slow you down, but luckily you were nearly at the apartment already. One more block, and you were there.

You nearly slammed against the glass entrance as you turned to check on Arthur's progress. He was still catching up - waving his arm in the air to slow you down. You laughed between breaths as you quickly rummaged through your pockets for your keys, letting out an exalted "Aha!" once your fingers found them.

Arthur was getting closer. You giggled nervously now, desperately trying to win your imaginary race. You quickly pushed the keys in the lock, whispering giddy "Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod" 's to yourself as you did.

Boom, you were in. You sprinted into the lobby, looking from side to side for the stairs. If the elevator didn't close in time, you'd surely lose. But at the same time, the thought of scaling the stairs after all that running made you cringe.

The clock was ticking. You decided to take the elevator and hope for the best. You hastily made your way to it, rapidly pressing the button until it finally opened. You ran inside of it, pressing your back against the wall and holding the notebook against your chest.

You looked up. Arthur caught the entrance door before it could lock, using the last of his energy to sprint towards you. He tried to slow down, but it was too late. He hurdled towards you, stumbling and reaching his hands out to brace for impact. You screeched, recoiling your arms and shutting your eyes to protect yourself.

THRUMP PUMP - UMP.

The elevator shook from the force. You stood there for a second, your eyes still shut. If Arthur was going to smash into you, you should've felt it by now. You opened one eye, then another, slowly looking up...

Gulp.

Your cheeks flushed at the sight before you. Arthur's arms had luckily prevented any collision between you two. But now...

One of his hands was flat against the wall by your right shoulder. His other hand was on the wall by your left. His head was pointed downwards, hovering directly above you. You hadn't even noticed the elevator door shut behind him. His breathing was hard, you could feel it on your cheeks.

You nervously chuckled.

Arthur was stunned.

By NO means did he mean to surround you like this, it was a complete accident. He was going too fast to slow down, luckily he didn't hurt you, he would have hated himself if he did. He put his hands up on pure instinct. He didn't even see where they would land.