"Thank you, come again!" I smile handing the customer the fabric bag.
The man thanks me taking it and exits the store.
I take the money from the counter and start organizing it inside the cash register. I hear the characteristic sound of the bell placed above the door ringing - another costumer. They approach the counter.
Closing the cash register, I raise my head to look at the customer and smile widely seeing it's "Frankie!"
"Hi." He smiles back and I notice he has something in hands.
"What'cha got there?"
"H-hm." He places a Tupperware with a pastel pink lid on the counter. "I-I did this for you." He blushes and looks down, fidgeting with his oversized sweater's sleeve.
"Hm, let's take a look." I pull the Tupperware closer, "If it comes from you, it's definitely good!"
I open the lid to see four donuts with pink coating and rainbow sprinkles over it, also with what seems to be strawberry filling.
"Oh!" I widen my eyes, "They're so cute!" I grab one of them, "Thank you!" I take a bite of the donut, "It's delicious, Frank!"
"D-do you think so?" He smiles and looks at me for a second before lowering his gaze again. I nod and his smile widens, "I spent a few hours doing it, finished not long ago."
"You cook really well." I say, "Take one, don't just stand there watching!"
"No, I left some for myself at home." He says looking up at me.
"Home, not here. Eat!" I say and he shakes his head. I lean on the counter with an elbow over it. I hold the donut in front of his mouth and pout, "For me? Please?"
Frank blushes, looks at the donut and back at me before, hesitantly, taking a bite out of it, making me smile immediately.
"You have some of the coating around your mouth." He says after swallowing.
"Yeah? Sweet strawberry kiss then." I lean closer and kiss his cheek.
He blushes even more this time, widening his eyes slightly. I giggle at his reaction.
"You're so cute!" I squeal and kiss his cheek again. "Are you free? Y'can stay here to talk with me since I work alone."
"W-won't I bother you?" He says fidgeting with his sleeves again.
"Bother? You'll keep me from sinking in boredom!" I straighten myself and finish the donut, licking the coating off of my fingertips.
"Come here!" I say motioning for him to come behind the counter and he does so, sitting down on the stool I keep here. "And how are you doing, pastel boy?" I ask leaning this time with my back against the counter, facing him. Already with another donut in hand.
"I'm fine. 'Had been with a lot of college works but got them done yesterday and Saturday." Frank says looking up at me. "And you?"
"You just made my day better." I chuckle. His cheeks get red again. "I was bored, even with the costumers. 'Glad you came, and those donuts, hmm..."
He smiles shyly.
Out of sudden, my phone rings. Now The Unforgiven filling the ambient. I grab my phone and answer the call.
"(Y/n)!" I hear Gerard's voice, "Some new things arrived and you may want to check!"
"Oooh, really?" I ask excited, "Did the Vale CD arrive?".
"Yeah! I'll save it for you!"
"Lovely you!" I chuckle.
"You too! Now, talk to you later, got work to do! Love yah!" He says rushed.
"I'll go there as soon as possible! Love you too!" I pull the phone away when he hangs up and look at Frank. "Are you up to going to the mall later? There's less than an hour until I close the store."
~
"Okay, just finished everything, let's go?" I ask throwing my bag over my shoulder.
"Yeah." Frank says and I nod.
We exit the store and I lock it, making sure everything needed was done.
"Do you want to eat something? I can pay it for you." I say putting an arm around his shoulders as we start walking.
"No, I'm okay." He says softly.
"Oh, you know what?" I say looking at him, raising my eyebrows. I just had an idea. "We're going to dinner somewhere after we exit the mall."
"We don't need to!" He blushes, shaking his head.
"Aw, let's be honest, I'm not in the mood of arriving home and preparing something even if it is instant noodles." I twist my mouth, "I'll go somewhere and it's not nice alone. Please, accept."
He exhales, again fidgeting with his sleeves. "O-okay."
I smile and rub his arm.
The mall is closer to my store than it is to my house. We only spent five minutes walking until there.
I momentarily take my arm off of Frank so I can open my bag and grab my phone. As soon as I close it back, I feel his arms around my arm and look to see him hugging it.
Well, the mall is full of people today - like, it's Monday - and he said he gets uncomfortable around them, so I don't mind, just smile at him.
"You alright?" I ask and he nods.
As said, reaching Hot Topic is quick.
"Hey, Gee!" I greet walking inside the store, Frank still hugging my arm.
Gerard was organizing some items on the shelves and immediately turned his attention to me when I spoke.
"(N/n), at least once you said you'd show up and really did so!" He lets go of some shirts and comes to hug me. A hug that I only return with an arm. He pulls away and looks at Frank, "Oh, you must be Frank. This punk doesn't stop talking about you."
I roll my eyes and run my fingers through Frank's hair, "But isn't he cute?"
Gerard smiles, but Frank remains looking at him with the same expression, in silence. Not showing any emotion.
"I'm going to take a look, 'kay?" I say to Gerard and pull Frank with me as I walk around. Gerard goes back to what he was doing before we arrived.
"I need a new shirt..." I mutter looking through some band shirts.
"This one looks nice." Frank says, letting go of my arm and showing one of the Rolling Stones tour shirts.
"Mhm, it is." I say grabbing it and examining. "I'll take it."
I grab another shirt and move to the hoodies, looking through them. Frank always walking and standing close. "You can look through the things and get something if you want, Frank." I say.
"I don't want anything, really." He says.
"But if you change your mind, just know it's okay." I smile.
There wasn't any hoodie that got my attention and I moved to the CDs. I do work in a CD store but sometimes it's more convenient to buy something from here.
"Oh, look, a rarity." I say grabbing the CD. "The Cure. Three Imaginary Boys. It was released in 1979, old thing." Frank leans closer to take a look at it, his head leaning slightly against my arm.
"Will you take it?" He asks and I hum in agreement.
Not wanting to get anything else, I go to the counter to pay for it. Frank once again hugs my arm, leaning his head against it. Gerard goes to behind the counter and starts to check on the products, doing the math with the prices.
"Oh, I almost forgot." He says and takes a CD from his bag, Vale. "Doesn't even look like you own a CD store." He chuckles pressing the calculator buttons. "Fifty-nine dollars and thirty cents." He says. "Take the Vale CD as a gift." He winks.
"Irony of the destiny, huh?" I say looking down at Frank. He looks up at me and nods, returning his head to against my arm. "Hm, Frankie? I'm going to need both hands to grab my wallet."
Frank looks up at me with furrowed eyebrows and I flash him a small smile. He reluctantly let's go of it and I grab my wallet, pulling out sixty dollars and thirty cents.
Gerard, who had already put all my items inside a bag, hands me it plus the change.
I thank him and put the products bag and wallet inside my bag. I see Frank's Tupperware there.
"Oh, Gee, look." I say pulling out the Tupperware, "Frank is an excellent cooker, he made those donuts for me." I take the lid off, "Do you want one-"
I interrupt myself feeling my arm being pulled. I look down to see Frank pulling my arm that's holding the Tupperware, his head down.
Gerard and I look at him. "What's wrong dear?" I ask, "You don't want me to give it to him?"
His grip on me tightens and he slowly shakes his head.
"Okay." I say putting the lid back on and returning it to its previous place.
Frank continues looking down and Gerard notices his worry. He smiles, "Don't worry, Frank. It's yours, you decide who eats, I'm not angry or anything. But I do want to say you made a good job, they look amazing."
No answer comes from Frank as he hugs my arm again.
"Ugh, Frank is made out of pure cuteness." I say chuckling softly, Gerard does the same and I see Frank's cheeks redden. "Well, we need to leave." I look back at the male behind the counter, "We need to hang out some time, like before."
"Yeah. I hope the summer schedule helps this time." Gerard comments. "You should visit more often."
"You don't even visit me at my work either!" I protest.
"The mall closes four hours after your store!"
"There is more than one single worker here!" I say.
Gerard sighs. "Fine. I'll go there when I can." He says moving from behind the counter, standing near me. We face each other.
"Better do so." I narrow my eyes at him and pull him for another hug, still with a single arm.
"I'll text you later."
"Okay. 'Love you." I say pulling away.
He smiles, "Love you too!" He looks down at Frank, "Bye, Frank! Take care of her, (y/n) gets in trouble the whole time."
"As if!" I say shooting him a look.
"Chill, I'm just joking." Gerard says to me and turns back to Frank. "Lies. (Y/n) does." He whispers.
"Hey, I heard you!" I pout.
Frank smiles and chuckles for the first time near Gerard, making Gerard open a grin.
"Okay, now we're going for real. Bye, Gee." I say walking towards the exit.
"Bye, (n/n), bye, Frank." Gerard says as we exit the store.
Frank remains silent until we exit the mall.
"Do you like him?" I ask breaking the long silence, "You were so shy."
Frank just hums in response - neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "Who is he?"
"We're close, have known each other for a long time now." I explain, "Met in high school because of the common tastes and here we are yet." I smile. "We can't say 'bye' without an 'love you' along." I chuckle, "It has... Are you okay?" I say feeling Frank tremble.
Now that I stopped taking, I hear low whimpers coming from him. I furrow my eyebrows and notice he's crying.
"Oh God, what did I do wrong?" I ask taking my arm off of his grip and hugging him. He buries his face on my shoulder. "Did I say something wrong? Please, let me know." I say trying to calm him down.
Thank God we're in the area around the mall, where there aren't many people and it's calm here.
"Oh, Frankie, tell me what's wrong! Did Gerard do something you didn't like? Did I do something?" I say giving his clothed shoulder small kisses.
"Y-you don't l-like me!" He says between sobs.
"What? No! Frankie, you're amazing, so cute and so beautiful, I do like you!" I hug him tighter.
"You do-don't!"
"Of course I do!"
"Y-you said you l-love G-Gerard. Th-then you c-can't like m-me!"
His words make something click in my head. - Oooh, now I understand what he means.
"Frankie, Frankie..." I say softly, tapping his back for him to pull away. He does so and I cup his face, wiping his tears away with my thumbs. "You... you really like me?" I ask slowly.
He sniffs and nods.
I furrow my eyebrows. "Oh, Frank, I don't like Gerard that way. He's more like a sibling."
"Really...?" He says looking up at my eyes and putting his hands over mine.
I smile nodding. He quickly looks down again.
"B-but I'm still not g-good enough for you to l-like me..." His eyes start filling with tears again. His grip tightens around my wrists.
"No!" I say wiping them away before they can roll down his cheeks, "You're more than enough." I say kissing his cheeks a few times before leaning about an inch away from him, "Can I...?" I ask carefully.
His grip on my wrists tightens again for a second before he nods. His nod is almost unnoticeable.
Slowly, I close the gap between us until my lips touch his, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.
We pull away a few moments later and Frank just stared at me at first. His face starts to turn red. Again.
He manages to get his face out of my grip and hides it in his hands.
"Frank, Frank, Frankie, don't be embarrassed!" I chuckle hugging him.
_____