✩ Frank Morrison "The Legion" ✘ Reader ✩
❝I love our story. Sure it's messy, but it's the story that got us here.❞
EDITED ON 8/3/2022
Snowflakes landed gently on your hair as a frost-bitten breeze cut through your clothes. You let the cold pepper your face as you walked home along a snowy pathway. Then, you noticed something muted against the sparkling whites around you as you went. Having nothing better to do, you decided to investigate. When you got close to the item, you realized it was a cassette tape. Your hand reached into the chilly powder and grabbed the tape. You turned it over in your hand to find the name Frank and a messily made smiley face written in long strides on the now wet sticker on the side. After a bit of deliberation, you decided to pocket the cassette with wonder on the forefront of your mind as you continue back again on your path home.
When your house came into view, you picked up speed to try and escape the freezing air around your bundled body. First, you unlocked and opened your door with ease. Then, you made your way into your living room, placed the cassette tape on your coffee table, and searched around your house for your silver radio and cassette tape converter. The bulky item was something you had been given many birthdays ago, but you only used it a handful of times, so you weren't entirely sure where it was. Finally, after scouring for half an hour, you ended up at the hatch of your attic. You pulled the string on the wooden door and allowed the attached ladder to extend. Once you made sure the steps were steady and stable, you climbed the wooden boards into the warm loft. After your balance was regained, you began searching through the random mess that sat dusted with time.
Fortunately, you found the converter relatively quickly. So, you grabbed the mass and tugged it back down the creaky stairs. Then, you waddled back towards your living room, slammed the object onto your coffee table, and caused the cassette to jump from the sudden vibration. An exhausted breath escaped your lips as you returned to the attic ladder to push it back into its slotted space before recalling to your coffee table. Finally, you picked up the tape, sat on the hardwood floor, raised the antenna to the converter, and pushed open the slot that allowed you to place the tape inside. As you waited for the cassette to run, your stomach grumbled as you remembered you had forgotten to eat lunch, so you picked yourself up to go to your kitchen.
Halfway there, the track decided to play and let out a mass of distortions paired with loud percussions. The blasting sound made you jump. You weren't prepared for the volume of the music and even considered turning it off. However, as you took a moment to listen, the tune grew on you, your head bopped to the beat, and your body swung with it as you began to fix a quick meal. Without fully realizing it, as the tape switched between songs, you were full-on dancing in your kitchen while waiting for your late lunch. Once it was complete, you swayed your way back into the living room while shoveling food into your mouth. "Damn, you look hella good moving like that."
You stopped at the voice. The sound made you drop your food which caused it to splatter against the wood below. A shocked gasp escaped as your eyes flicked from the newfound mess to the person who sat on the edge of your window seal. Confusion racked your brain as you tried to identify who this man was and how he opened your window. Yet, all you could do in the unexpected moment was stare at the mask in front of you. The man wore a dirty and grime-filled mask that formed a blood-ridden smile. You tried your best to question the man. However, the only thing that came out was air. In your frozen horror, the man hopped off your window, landed on the floor, which made it creak with weight, and walked over to the converter. He popped the cassette out of the slot that held it. Then, he flipped it over in his hand before looking up at you. "Thanks for keeping my shit nice and warm, but I'd really like it back. If I find out you have anything else of mine, I'm going to snap your fucking neck, got it?"
You nodded as best as you could to not aggravate Frank any further. Then, with your compliance, you guessed he was done berating you because he left through the window he came without a moment's notice. You huffed at his inability to close the opening, causing cool air to continue to rush in, so after you were sure Frank was gone, you quickly closed the window with a snap. Once the situation settled in your brain, you shed an anxious sweat as you stared down at your hands. Thousands of thoughts swarmed your mind causing you to drown in their presence. However, as you realized the attention brought upon you, you became afraid of your decision to take the cassette. Although from your altercation with Frank, you came to finally know who he is, and he sure had a great taste in music.
With enough excitement for the evening, you hurriedly cleaned up the mess on your floor. Then, you placed the dishes left in your sink's murky water in your dishwasher. You had lost your previous appetite, so you decided to change into more comfy clothes for the rest of the night. Once you arrived in your bedroom, you went through your dresser and grabbed whatever was the closest to the top of the drawer. Then, you made quick with throwing off the clothes you'd spent the day in. When you were re-dressed, you found your way to the bathroom to perform all nightly duties. And after exiting your bathroom, you went back to your bedroom, grabbed the remote control off the bedside table, crawled under the mound of blankets, and turned-on whatever streaming service you saw first.
You must've stayed like that for hours to be able to binge-watch a show to completion. Eventually, you needed to get up to use and acquire basic amenities. Around this time, you noticed how late it was, and once that acknowledgment passed through your brain, your eyelids became increasingly heavy. Finally, you stumbled back to your bed, turned off your bedside lamp, and lowered the volume to whatever show decided to autoplay. The murmurs on the television formed a lullaby-like hum. It turned your mind into a dream state where you could peacefully drift off to sleep.
However, that peaceful sleep was interrupted with a grumbling of various swears. You blinked back the rest that had just kept your eyes clamped shut to see who or what was loudly chatting beside your bed. When you overcame your prolonged slumber, the sound of your television had elevated and decreased, and the curses that came beside you grew heavily. Finally, you blinked away crusted sleep to see Frank fumbling with your television remote. You sighed at his ignorance, sat upright in bed, snatched the remote from his hand, and turned the TV off yourself.
"I knew how to do that." You ignored Frank's aggravated whisper and flopped back into bed. As you hit the pillows, a groan escaped your lips as you rubbed your face tiredly. Then, when you weren't blocking your vision, you noticed Frank's head tilted to the side with a hint of confusion. You blinked at him expectantly. Was he really the one trying to act confused when he broke into your house again? Just to turn off your television?
"Are you really still fucking tired?" His words made you scrunch your eyebrows and nose together with a sense of disbelief.
However, before you could explain your fatigue, Frank decided to open his mouth again. "You know what, I don't give a shit. Get the fuck up and find my damn knife. I know you have it."
You sighed in annoyance before flipping the blankets off of your being and sliding out of bed. You had no reason to aggravate the man, for his incompetence was already doing the job. Frank followed you to your living room, where you pointed towards the window he had entered the day before. "Are you sure it didn't fall out when you left? Did you even check there?"
Frank grumbled as he walked over to the open window. You figured he entered the same as yesterday. But, once he stepped out into the chill snowy land, you could hear a barely audible oh fall from his mouth. He scratched his head as he turned around to look at you through the opening. The gaze was exchanged for a moment before he reached down to grab the hunting knife. Frank waved it slightly to ensure you saw it before briefly fiddling with it. You rolled your eyes at his action, causing him to sild the object into his leather jacket pocket. As he did, you idly yawned and lifted your shirt slightly to rub your stomach as it grumbled quietly.
You decided to do something about your morning hunger, so you walked into your kitchen, opened the fridge, and pulled out a can of cinnamon rolls. You sat the container on your counter to go and preheat the oven. Then you opened a cabinet to grab a baking sheet, but a different one to acquire some tin foil. You lined the pan and opened another cupboard to grab non-stick spray. As you prepped the rolls, your mouth watered with anticipation. When you were done, the oven's ready light was on, and you smiled at the flickering bulb. You placed the treats into the furnace and set a timer for your return.
When you left the kitchen, you were surprised to see Frank again in your home. He was playing with two of your glass animal figures that you kept beside your couch next to the lamp. His feet were kicked onto your coffee table as he laid back on one of your cushioned chairs. "So, Frank... Who the hell are you?"
Your voice caught Frank off guard because he immediately placed the figurines back where they belonged and his feet onto the hardwood. He faced you, and through the holes in his mask, you could see a brief panic surge. He then looked down at his hands to search for something to change the subject. "What... Whatcha cooking sweetcheeks? Smells good, like really good. You sure it ain't burning?"
You pursed your lips together as you started towards the chair. Frank stared into your eyes briefly before glancing up and down your body. You deadpanned at his lechery before collecting yourself with a deep breath. The tinge of metal hit your nostrils, making your nose twitch. You sat on the armrest, your knees were inches from Franks, and you gently placed a hand on his shoulder leaning in slightly. The act made him tip his head up towards your body. However, you pushed him back into the chair. The force caused the sleeve of his jacket to move and exposed a bracelet with tiny letters on the beading. The accessory made you smile; however, Frank's grumbles did not. "What the hell was that for?"
You didn't respond. You only turned your head to peer at the flames in his skin. They crawled up against his Adam's apple and dissipated once they got too close to his jawline. Your head shook gently as you slowly dragged a finger down his leather jacket. Frank shifted uncomfortably at your slow speed, but a dried red stain was left behind when you lifted your finger. You stared at the flakes as multiple thoughts pulled you into a trance. However, you were quickly freed due to your alarm going off. As you swung your legs over the armrest to leave, you looked back at Frank. "Why haven't you killed me yet, Frank?"
The question made Frank sit up in shock. He tried to scramble for words, but you went to tend to your cinnamon rolls. You washed your hands once in your kitchen, and when you looked up, you found Frank in the doorway. He was blubbering in an attempt to answer and explain himself. In his rambling, you pulled out the sweet treats, popped open the icing tin, and smeared the gooey icing all over the warm rolls. When the glaze melted, you pulled a plate out of a cabinet and grabbed one of the warm cinnamon rolls. You found a fork in a drawer and started to eat in front of Frank. His rambles stopped when his stomach reverberated loudly. You snickered at him and pointed towards the food. "You can have one if you'd like."
Frank eyed the rolls, and he reached over and grabbed one. He lifted his mask enough to take a massive bite out of the side of the treat. His figure relaxes as crumbs fall to your kitchen floor. As you finished, you could tell Frank was eyeing the tray again. "Do you want more?"
He nodded and pulled his mask back down. "Can I take a few with me?"
A grin grew on your face. You reached into a drawer and pulled out a gallon-sized bag. You tossed Frank the plastic pouch. He grabbed it and packed four cinnamon rolls into the sack. He looked at the bag of food, then back at the tray, and then placed another roll into the bag before sealing it up. "For you and your friends?"
Frank nodded and tilted his head. "How did you know?"
You let out a short laugh. "Well, I figure it was friends or siblings. But, of course, a big bad leather-wearing flame tattooed person like yourself wouldn't wear a homemade bracelet without it meaning something."
Frank pulled his sleeve up to look at the bracelet. He taps it gently, almost as if he was reminiscing on it. Then, finally, he slides his sleeve back down and glances back towards you. "You better have more of these tomorrow. I'm only going to come back for the food. I'll even bring my mixtape for you to listen to."
You snorted. "Yeah, you sure that's the only reason?"
Frank brushed off your comment and headed for your living room. You followed to see him out, and as he went to open your window, you called out to him. "Hey! The door is right there."
You pointed towards the door, but he only shrugged and continued to prop open your window. He vaulted over the opening and then waved. You came closer to the window and gently waved. "Bring your friends when you come. I'd love to meet them."
Frank shot his thumb up before disappearing into the snowy forest. You shut the window once you were sure he was gone. Then, you went to lay on your couch. You pondered at the ceiling as you realized you needed to go to the store before it closed.