#And yes im actually this anxious and twitchy irl and these are my thought processes

[ajokeformur-ray]

with the sequel coming out, tell me again how you and arthur first fell in love! how did you meet! i wanna know your story!

I forgot the original story I had for us five years ago (I feel like it was that I saw Carnival dancing in the street, fell head over heels for this smiley clown, and approached him on a break to tell him I loved his dancing, but I could be wrong), so I have a new one which fits better the person I am now.🥺🙏 This is the SWEETEST ask and has me melting, I'm struggling so badly right now trying to balance everything going on and this ask is the perfect thing to give me five minutes to myself 🥺❤️❤️❤️❤️ I hope you enjoy the story!!

Arthur and I had a meet cute.

During the bus scene, we noticed that the lady never handed Arthur his card back even though she would have seen the text asking for the card to be returned (😡). So I can only assume she threw it on the floor or left it on the seat, I highly doubt she would have snatched the card and then taken it with her.

I was sat in the row directly behind Arthur so I saw and heard everything. His exchange with the child, the woman being rude (she was probably overworked, stressed and tired but there's no need to be rude to someone, especially if they've gone out of their way to try to cheer your baby up🥺), the sharp flick of laminated card as it hit the dirty bus floor.

I stared at that white card poking out from underneath her chair for the rest of the bus ride home, focusing on it to make sure I didn't forget to pick it up. I wanted to see what it said, and if it was indeed the man's in front of me then I'd return it to him.

(In real life I have run after people, total strangers, to give them back wallets, keys etc if they accidentally lose them on the bus, even if it isn't my stop; I can easily walk the rest of the way, that person needs their possession back way more.)

So when the bus stops and the man gets off, I remembered that Helm's Pharmacy carries my specific hair oil and I'm down to a third of a bottle so I need some more (my hair uses a lot of oil as it's a part of my daily routine and I will lose my shit if I don't have enough for the day's routine). I get up too, bending down to grab the small card on the way out.

It's nothing I haven't heard before as a psychology and counselling honours degree student, but the "please return this card" catches my attention and I'm so focused on reading the card that I almost walk right into Arthur's back as he stops to open the pharmacy door. I don't even remember getting off the bus; my body knows every part of my day because I live the same one over and over again without reprieve (but many complaints).

"Oh, shit! I'm so sorry, I was miles away." I am stammering, verbally tripping over myself as the man, his shoulders hunched up to his neck like he's expecting an attack, turns around. "I'm so sorry, really, it's just I realised you never got this card returned and I wanted to give it to you in case you need it, it looks well used and I'm so sorry I almost -"

My anxious rambling is cut off by a quiet high pitched giggle. Like recognises like as his ocean greens meet my hazel with green and gold flecks, and I fall instantly in love with the man whose name I don't know yet.

He waves a hand dismissively, and I hold his card out.

"Here, I'm so sorry again."

Arthur takes the card from me and stuffs into haphazardly into his pocket. I notice the colour of his jacket, his gorgeous eyes, those romantic dark curls, the nicotine stains on his fingers, the way he's wincing under the bright artificial lights of the pharmacy, and as I'm looking at Arthur, he's looking at me. I don't know what he's noticing about me, I've just finished work so I look an awful mess. Black bags under my eyes from weeks of sleep deprivation, messy hair falling out of its braid. A girl crumbling under the weight of the world and hoping she can keep it together long enough that no one will notice until she can get back to her bedroom and shatter. Only to pick herself up in the morning and do it all over again.

It's so similar to Arthur's mantra of step step step, but I don't know that, not yet.

"Th-thank you," Arthur stammers, sweeping a hand through his curls. I haven't realised we're both moving through the aisles to get what we need, and probably have been since I ran into him. I see my expensive hair oil and swipe two bottles, wincing at the price but willing to pay it for my favourite body part. I joke that it makes up for the rest of me... People always laugh but no one's realised yet that I'm being serious when I say it. In time, Arthur will, and he'll scold me for it. And I'll only smile, because he sees me and loves me all the same.

"You're welcome." I remember my manners and rush to introduce myself. "I'm sorry again to run into you, I'm Erika."

"Erika." Arthur repeats my name as he queues up for the prescription counter; I stand beside him. "My name's Arthur. Arthur Fleck."

And something inside me sighs in relief and whispers deep in the back of my mind, "oh, there you are."