october challenge | frerard | ✔️

eighteen - showstopper

eighteen: a cute boy to cuddle with

Dreary? Check. 

Warm? Check. 

Lonely? 

Gerard had to think for a second with that one. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair in the warm and cosy cafe he frequented. His sketchbook lay open in front of him, and his laptop screen had dimmed, leaving the outline of the story and the eighth page of the short story (out of twenty-nine) that he'd written slightly warped. He sighed. 

The cafe wasn't crowded, but he wasn't alone. Although, that didn't mean that he wasn't lonely. The rain made a pleasant drumming sound on the skylight windows above Gerard's head and the whole place was warm and toasty, the hot coffee sitting in front of him accentuating the feeling, but being amongst people didn't mean Gerard wasn't lonely. 

He wiggled his mouse and his screen lit back up. This wasn't the time to be thinking about loneliness, but the setting was just to perfect. Setting his chin on his hand, Gerard zoned out again. Oh, he thought, what he'd give to be in this perfect temperature, the perfect rain drumming on windows in his own house, curled up with some cute boy curled in his arms. Maybe even coffee if he got lucky and got a guy that liked coffee to cuddle with him. 

As if on cue, the door opened, and Gerard looked up, wishing that he'd finally had a stroke of luck, but it was just an old cat lady, hair mildly damp. She'd shaken her umbrella out already, and now she set it in the umbrella bin and strode into the cafe, gazing intently at the menu posted behind the servers on the wall. 

Gerard looked back at his work and decided that for now, he'd put it all away, walk back up to get another coffee and then just listen to his music and sit for a bit. Then maybe he'd go home. 

Usually, Gerard's plans didn't really go to well, but this time, Gerard got all the way through the first step! He'd just put his things away and gotten up when a young man (who Gerard hadn't noticed entering) crashed into him, sending Gerard's paper cup to the floor, and the man's coffee cup into Gerard's chest. 

Thankfully, most of the coffee had spilt when the cup had hit the floor, and only a minimal amount had hit Gerard's shirt, but he was confident that there would be a stain in his shirt. He sighed. His plan was going so well, until this ridiculously cute bastard--

And then it hit Gerard. 

The flustered, apologising man in front of him was ridiculously cute. He was red, almost-teary eyed at his mistake, and shoving a napking at Gerard's chest. The latter snapped out of it and took the man's wrist in his gently. 

"Hey," Gerard smiled a little. "It's okay. I don't really like this shirt anyway."

The man stopped stuttering out apologies and looked up at Gerard, and his cheeks grew impossibly pinker. "I-I..." he started. "It's Black Flag, you..."

"I have like, two others, don't worry," Gerard bit his lip for a moment. "Really."

"O-okay, well," the cute guy responded. "Well, at least let me help you clean up, then?"

"I was just about to go home actually, so don't worry, but..."

"But?"

"If you're gonna stick around, maybe I shouldn't go home."

"Why not--oh!" the poor guy misunderstood. "Yeah, I can buy you another coffee, it's not a big deal, I just feel bad about--"

"No, no, that's not what..." Gerard smiled. "That's not what I meant. Although I might take you up on that offer, that's not what I meant."