Arthur Fleck and Joker Imagines

Nothing between us but the night - Part 3

"A clown? Wow, I did always sort of like clowns. I know that many people find the whole thing a little creepy, that the face paint and silly costumes cover up something more sinister. But for me, clowns are artists. Artists that don't express themselves through painting, or song, or even dance. Instead, they express themselves through the mediums of costumes, props, and of course their makeup. I met a clown once when I was working on a cruise ship, he and a couple of others were there to entertain the kids that were onboard. And he told me how important a clown's face was, that it took him a long time to get the right look. That he knew when he had found the perfect face, because when he looked in the mirror and smiled, it wasn't him smiling at himself, but the clown. I could sort of understand what he meant. When I get to play Princess Odette from Swan Lake, or the Sugar Plum Fairy, the makeup and the clothes are the finishing touches to the character, the things that bring them to life. You know?" (Y/n) said, as Arthur began to think.

Arthur had never thought much about his makeup. Carnival was really just work, something he had to do to put food on the table and pay his bills. But as he thought about what (Y/n) had just said, he had to admit that his clown persona was a way that he could express himself without being judged. A way he could dance and be more than he was without seeming crazy. His makeup had not been a conscious decision, it had just happened. But maybe, maybe it wasn't him that had painted it, perhaps it had been his inner clown guiding his hand.

"I........I never really thought about it like that. I just thought that I got dressed up to make kids laugh." Arthur replied, feeling a little silly.

"But don't you see, Arthur. Making people laugh is a gift, its not something everyone can do. Humour is subjective, we all like different things. What I find funny, the person next to me might not. That's what makes being a clown, or a comedian, so difficult. And that is why it is an art just like any other. I think that you are very brave for standing in front of people, especially kids, and doing all you can to make them laugh. I actually think that its better than you being a spy, or a time traveller." (Y/n) chuckled, as Arthur smiled at her.

"You.......you really mean that?" Arthur asked, suddenly having a terrible feeling that this whole scenario was too good to be true. And that any moment he would wake to find that this was all just a beautiful dream.

"Of course. Anyone can be a dancer like me, or a spy, or lots of other things. All it takes is the right training. But to make people laugh, that has to come from within a person. It can't be taught; it just has to be." (Y/n) explained, as she leaned forward so that she could brush a few stray strands of Arthur's hair back behind his ear. Arthur feeling his heart beat faster as her skin brushed against his.

"Tell me. Why do you just watch from across the street? Why did you never come in and speak to me?" (Y/n) asked, as Arthur furrowed his brows, believing that the answer was obvious.

"Look at me. What would you have said if I had walked in and told you that I thought that you were the most beautiful woman had ever seen? That from the first moment I saw you, I wished I could get to know you. That I could just walk in and talk to you? You would have thought that I was crazy. I'm not like all those men that you dance with that are handsome, and fit. I'm an ugly bag of bones wrapped in skin." Arthur lamented, as his eyes dropped to the floor.

"You really think that I'm beautiful?" (Y/n) asked, a subtle pink hue beggining to appear on her cheeks, as Arthur slowly nodded.

"Ok. I admit that I might have thought that you were a little nuts if you had come in and said all that. But as for you not being like the guys that you see me dancing with.......well just believe me when I say that under all that superficial sparkle and glitter, there can lie a very rotten core. And I don't think that you're ugly. In fact, I think that you are quite handsome, and don't even get me started on those beautiful eyes of yours. I could get lost in those things and never want to find my way out." (Y/n) confessed, as she bit her bottom lip, hoping that Arthur wouldn't think that it was her that was a little nuts.

Arthur had never been told he was handsome before. In fact, compliments were not something he was used to, full stop. And would normally view such things with suspicion. But as he looked at (Y/n), he could see nothing but the truth in her eyes.

"Well, King Arthur. As you have saved this damsel in distress this evening, what do you say to coming into the studio so that I can give you some lessons? It would be nice to dance with a man that would rather look at me than his own reflection in the mirror. A man that I would like to get to know better." (Y/n) said, cautiously taking hold of Arthur's hand, hoping that he wouldn't  get up and leave.

"I can't.......I can't afford to pay. I........." Arthur began, stopping as (Y/n) placed her finger on his lips.

"You don't have to pay for anything. It is my simple way of saying thank you for what you did tonight. And I really would like to get to know you better, Arthur." (Y/n) told him. The dancer felling a sense of happiness she had not known before, as Arthur agreed.

"So, why don't you tell me more about yourself, now?" (Y/n) asked, as she leant back on the sofa. Listening intently as Arthur began to tell her about himself.