Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own the movie or the characters.
Note: Simply put, this is a different take on Curt and Arthur's first meeting. I guess I just wanted to give their pairing another try…. Anyjoe, thoughts are in italics and songs (just one, actually) are boldfaced, as usual.
"I Don't Want to Forget How Your Voice Sounds"
He felt love. He was sure of it. It wasn't even the kind that you feel for a puppy or some other trivial thing or entity. It was stronger. He had never felt such a passion for something he knew so little of.
The intoxicating voice that roused his feelings trailed off in the distance. He followed the sounds, almost raising his ear to detect their direction, like a dog sniffing the smell of fresh meat.
One April day
The voice was louder now, clearer.
We'll go miles away
And I'll
turn to you and I'll say
It was gruff and coarse, but gentle
He closed his eyes in delight. His ears eagerly absorbed the strumming of the strings and the light, hollow taps. His feet were almost reluctant to continue walking, but he willed himself to budge them.
I've always loved you in my way
I'll always love you in my way
He stopped short when he saw who the voice belonged to.
Was it really?
He's listened to all of his songs before, saw all of his appearances on television. Yet the voice he was hearing now was foreign. It was filled with something else, something that excited him.
It took a while for him to realize that the music had ceased. For a moment, his thoughts corrupted his senses. But there he was, sitting over the lidless, upside-down garbage can and clutching a red acoustic guitar.
"You're Curt Wild." he called out.
"Yeah."
"What are you doing here?"
"Just playin' a song." Curt said, as if giving an unknown performance in a dingy alleyway was nothing out of the norm. "What's your name?" he asked casually.
"Me? Oh, Arthur." he answered nervously.
"Well, Arthur…" Curt started, leaving the other hanging. "What are you doing here?" he resumed.
"I just, ah, heard your singing, and it led me. I couldn't help it."
"Well, Arthur." Curt teased again.
"What?"
"Why don't we have a go at it?"
"You and me?" Arthur asked, perhaps feigning disbelief.
"Yeah."
Both of them were fully aware that they were alone. And so Curt just smiled at Arthur's confused response. He was used to this by now.
"H-Have a go at what?" Arthur stammered, feeling his pulse race.
"You know, go have a nice talk over some drinks. I haven't met anyone new in a while."
"Oh. Alright, sure."
(---------------)
"I really like your music." Arthur spoke.
"Yeah?" Curt questioned half-interestedly, raising an eyebrow. His expression progressed to a grimace as the bite of the liquor grated against his throat.
"Really." Arthur replied with an earnest look on his face. He was determined to keep the conversation going. His mind's obsession, as a matter of fact, truly lay in Brian Slade. There was no question in that. But at present, his heartstrings were being pulled by Mr. Wild, and he daren't stray onto the sore subject of Brian to nip their budding friendship. If he could perpetuate this, he thought, it might just grow into something bigger, slip into something more comfortable.
"I do what I can, you know?" Curt took a stab at being modest. At that point he was bordering drunk, but he wasn't out of touch with his surroundings.
"Well I think it's completely far out." Arthur stated in one breath. Their small talk was entering a monotonous phase. "It's real swell." he added, scared that it would finally burn out.
Curt smiled the same smile he displayed back in the alley. Cradling his head in his right hand, he placed his right elbow firmly on the bar. He looked down and counted two large mugs and seven shot glasses, all lined with lingering drops that have formed rings at their bottoms. Then he glanced to his left, at the bar space in front of Arthur. One tall, empty glass sat unmoved, and another, half-full, was still in Arthur's grip.
The twinkle in his eyes grew as the dimples on either side of his mouth rose. There was something different about this kid, he decided. He didn't want him for just the obvious reasons. No. He could've easily maneuvered anybody he chose, but there was something else in the air of this new tag-along, this new "groupie."
Was it the dependency on him that turned him on? Could it be the sheer knowledge that he possessed a power over his mind and soon, unrestricted access to his body? Maybe he was feeling the same effect he had on Brian when they were still together. Maybe it was only a change of events and it was simply his turn to experience it.
Curt failed to reason with himself and just kept smiling. He was pleasantly amused. He wasn't even sure of what exactly was especially inherent in Arthur. But whatever it was, it made him happy, and he was ages from that, even in the bare minute before Arthur stepped into his life.
Disclaimer: I don't own the quaint, little song "One April Day." It belongs to Stephin Merritt.
Note: Of course, I am interested in what you think about this, so do tell! Was it a good introduction? Should I abandon this notion, or proceed? I can't say that there is no doubt in me. And…what is it with me and alleys?