Disclaimer: I don't own Velvet Goldmine, Arthur, Curt and Mandy belong to Todd Haynes, but I'd gladly trade him anything for Curt. Sadly enough, I don't think he'll go for it. Darn. Please R+R.
When Curt had said "See you around", Arthur never actually expected to. New York was a big place, too large to merely run into someone, even if you had thought of that person every day since 1975. That night in the bar, Arthur had seen Curt's hesitation and had wanted to ask him to stay, wanted to ask him his favorite movie or song, just like Curt had done so many years before. Anything to keep him there, anything to keep him from walking out that door and out of his life for the second time.
But he'd settled on "Cheers" and that had seemed a good choice at the time.
Now, however, was a different story.
It seemed almost impossible, with the thousands upon thousands of people that rode the subway from 44th to 2nd everyday, that Arthur would see him, a face in the crowd, one he could never forget. Something clinched up inside of him at the sight of Curt's white-blond hair and his fingers went immediately to the pin that was fastened onto his collar.
Arthur pushed through the crowd, unwilling to lose him, but having no idea what to say. Curt headed for the men's room, so Arthur followed, the pounding in his chest louder than screeching of the subway train.
Curt was washing his hands when Arthur entered the room. He looked up as the reporter approached and did something that Arthur didn't expect- he smiled. "Hey."
Arthur nodded and replied, "Hi." He couldn't think of anything better to say, so he blurted, "Do you remember me?"
Curt grinned. "You think I forgot?"
For a moment, a single instant, Arthur was alive. The constraints of his job, of society, no longer existed. Curt remembered, and that was all that mattered. He *remembered*.
Then Curt grabbed a paper towel and continued, "After all, I only met you in the bar last week and my memory isn't *that* bad."
Arthur had to fight not to let disappointment show in his face. He forced himself to laugh.
Curt threw the towel away. "I looked for your article. Didn't see it."
"That's because it didn't get printed. Tommy Stone has some friends in high places. Friends that really don't want people finding out who he really is."
A sardonic laugh escaped Curt's lips. "Don't you mean what?"
Arthur swallowed hard. "I, uh, wanted to thank you. For the pin."
Curt nodded. "Yeah, well, I'm glad you didn't choke on it," he replied, cracking a smile.
Arthur nodded. "So… I guess I'd better be going," he said, while his heart screamed, *No, no, don't let him get away again!*.
"I guess so," Curt replied. As Arthur turned away, he said quickly, "There's a concert tonight. Down at Mandy's club. I'm playing, if you… y'know, want to come."
Arthur turned back. "Yeah, that sounds good. Uh… What time?"
"Nine," Curt replied, brushing past Arthur and reaching the door before him. "See you then."
Arthur nodded. "Cheers." As the door shut behind Curt, Arthur slammed a hand to his forehead. "Do I even know any bloody other words than 'cheers'?"
When Curt had said "See you around", Arthur never actually expected to. New York was a big place, too large to merely run into someone, even if you had thought of that person every day since 1975. That night in the bar, Arthur had seen Curt's hesitation and had wanted to ask him to stay, wanted to ask him his favorite movie or song, just like Curt had done so many years before. Anything to keep him there, anything to keep him from walking out that door and out of his life for the second time.
But he'd settled on "Cheers" and that had seemed a good choice at the time.
Now, however, was a different story.
It seemed almost impossible, with the thousands upon thousands of people that rode the subway from 44th to 2nd everyday, that Arthur would see him, a face in the crowd, one he could never forget. Something clinched up inside of him at the sight of Curt's white-blond hair and his fingers went immediately to the pin that was fastened onto his collar.
Arthur pushed through the crowd, unwilling to lose him, but having no idea what to say. Curt headed for the men's room, so Arthur followed, the pounding in his chest louder than screeching of the subway train.
Curt was washing his hands when Arthur entered the room. He looked up as the reporter approached and did something that Arthur didn't expect- he smiled. "Hey."
Arthur nodded and replied, "Hi." He couldn't think of anything better to say, so he blurted, "Do you remember me?"
Curt grinned. "You think I forgot?"
For a moment, a single instant, Arthur was alive. The constraints of his job, of society, no longer existed. Curt remembered, and that was all that mattered. He *remembered*.
Then Curt grabbed a paper towel and continued, "After all, I only met you in the bar last week and my memory isn't *that* bad."
Arthur had to fight not to let disappointment show in his face. He forced himself to laugh.
Curt threw the towel away. "I looked for your article. Didn't see it."
"That's because it didn't get printed. Tommy Stone has some friends in high places. Friends that really don't want people finding out who he really is."
A sardonic laugh escaped Curt's lips. "Don't you mean what?"
Arthur swallowed hard. "I, uh, wanted to thank you. For the pin."
Curt nodded. "Yeah, well, I'm glad you didn't choke on it," he replied, cracking a smile.
Arthur nodded. "So… I guess I'd better be going," he said, while his heart screamed, *No, no, don't let him get away again!*.
"I guess so," Curt replied. As Arthur turned away, he said quickly, "There's a concert tonight. Down at Mandy's club. I'm playing, if you… y'know, want to come."
Arthur turned back. "Yeah, that sounds good. Uh… What time?"
"Nine," Curt replied, brushing past Arthur and reaching the door before him. "See you then."
Arthur nodded. "Cheers." As the door shut behind Curt, Arthur slammed a hand to his forehead. "Do I even know any bloody other words than 'cheers'?"