You Took Me By Surprise (Joker Fanfic)

7 ~ Strange Behaviour

I hadn't gotten around to seeing Arthur after that as the hustle and bustle of the approaching Christmas was upon us, and I didn't even get to tell him to have a good one or even get to say goodbye. I had gone back home to my dad for a week, which was lovely, but I couldn't wait to get back to my place and to see Arthur again, and Sophie too of course.
I had filled Sophie in about the date the subsequent day, not leaving out any details whatsoever. She thought it was adorable and that we must've looked so cute walking the streets together and sitting in the café. There was just one thing: Sophie advised me to not get too attached yet because sometimes she doesn't see or hear from him for days at a time, even back when he was slightly obsessed with her. And she told me that some days, when he looks like he's more unhappy than ever, he kind of acts like a different person, sometimes in a somewhat alarming manner.
Of course I made a mental note of this; she had known him a lot longer than I did. But what could it mean that he can be like a different person on his bad days...? It made me anxious thinking about that, but I could also imagine him being that way.
After a very restless Christmas week off, I said goodbye to my father and younger brother and drove my noisy old car back to the apartment building. Yep, this place was seriously dingy but I was much more content to be going back to my peaceful, own space. I popped into Sophie's first because I missed her so much. We had a quick chat and made plans to catch up properly the next day. I gave her and her daughter a hug, and then I stepped over to my own door.
I fumbled in my pockets to find the rusty key, put it in the keyhole, turned it, and prepared myself for flopping down on the couch, watching tv and eating leftover chocolates. But -
"Oh my God!"
A thin man with wet hair was hunched over on my couch, and I couldn't see his face but from the back it looked like -
"Arthur? Please tell me that's you?"
He turned his head and looked up towards me, slowly. I had never seen him look so grim. He didn't say anything, but he looked very angry.
"Art, how did you get in here?"
My heart was still racing from the shock I got.
Then he finally spoke, but all he said, in a low, gravelly voice was "I had a bad week".
Then he stood up and came towards me, still looking very angry. I ducked, thinking he was going to hit me or something. I was shaking.
But he just looked at me, and I couldn't understand what was going on. I thought there was a glint of hurt in his eyes.
And then he stormed out.
Freaked out and confused, I quickly locked my door. Though I still didn't feel safe knowing he could get in here somehow. He wouldn't really do anything to me, would he? He wouldn't hurt me?
I reached for the phone and called Sophie, I didn't want to go back out into the hallway.
"Hey why are you calling me? I'm literally next door lazy bones".
I gabbled to her about what had happened.
"Okay, I'm not totally surprised. Remember what I told you about him a while back? Well he's never done anything that weird to me but he did used to follow me to work and stuff sometimes. How the hell did he even get in?".
"I don't know, that's kinda the worst part. What if he comes back?".