Fantasie-Impromptu

XIV. Panic Buying

A soft moan escaped Fryderyk's throat as he stretched lazily and rolled to his side. His bed was soft, offering him much comfort. The cool breeze from the outside was leaving gentle kisses on Fryderyk's pale face as they enter through the slightly opened window in his bedroom. Birds are chirping as the warm sunlight shines through his curtains. It's been almost a month now since Fryderyk had last seen Franz, and if you asked him if he was doing okay, he'd tell you straight up that he wasn't.

He missed Franz. Every day he only missed him even more. And his heart would swell up every time he'd try to recall what happened in that hallway about a month back - two grown men crying, eyes red and puffy, cheeks stained with warm tears flowing like rivers. It was an awkward moment, yes it was, but it was a memory he'd never forget. He'd play it in his head every morning like some sort of routine. He'd relinquish under the light of the sun shining on him as he remembers the warm kiss Franz had planted on his forehead that night. It was the last kiss he'd ever received from him. The last memory. And it was beautiful just as it was painful.

Franz was no longer residing in the flat next to Fryderyk's. It is now occupied by a new tenant that Fryderyk couldn't care less for. That night, Franz had hurriedly explained to him that he needed to leave the country somehow. Some sort of emergency back home, he said, but he never really explained the full details. Franz didn't know how long he'd be away, so he decided to give up his flat to save up on rent money. He promised Fryderyk he'd be back soon, but it's already been a while and the autumn is now coming to an end. Hoarfrost had started to form delicate swirly patterns on the outside pane of Fryderyk's windows, and Fryderyk had never felt a winter lonelier than this.

Just when he thought he'd found the person he could unconditionally love and count on with no qualms, he had to leave. But still, he's holding on to a promise Franz had made. "I'll be back when everything gets sorted out." were some of his last words to him. I'll be back - And they were words that held in them, a great amount of hope.

That night, Franz promised Fryderyk a lot of things. He promised him time - "when I come back, we'll have all the world to ourselves." He promised him warmth - "when I come back, I'll be with you no matter what." He promised him his heart - "when I come back..." It was a part of the memory that hurt Fryderyk the most - "I'll love you..." yet it was a part of the memory that he'd never forget. - "like no one else in the world."

Fryderyk tries his hardest to brush the thought of it away as his eyes flicker open, meeting sights with the warm sun peeking just outside his window. He slowly gets up and walks towards his bathroom, prepping himself up for another uneventful day. Ever since Franz had left, his days have gone from being surprise-filled at every turn back to being dull and boring. Everything was like a routine now and everything was so predictable.

It was as if Fryderyk had gone back in time prior to the moment he'd met Franz - all boring and grey - except this time was different. Why? Because he had met Franz. And he remembers every bit of him. From the instance they first met, from the time Franz had spelled his name as "Shohppan", from the moment they first found out they were neighbours, first started to become friends, first looked into each other's eyes, first held hands, first went on a date, first confessed to each other, and first-

Every memory he had of Franz, every kiss, every sweet thing whispered into his ear, every look, every joke, everything was etched into the deepest crevices of Fryderyk's brain, and he'd never be able to forget them no matter how hard he tried. If he ever even tried to begin with. Now, loneliness was a slow and killing disease whose only cure was worth something Fryderyk could not afford. Unattainable, basically, is what it is. And from the very moment Fryderyk had walked through the doors of the café that day, on Franz' first shift, everything had been irreversible since then. And that made all the difference.

Fryderyk slowly walks down the street, heading to the café, the bitter memory and barren expectation of being greeted by a grinning and jolly Franz as he walks through the doors is replaced by a busy Hector that he'd now be too unbothered to say hello to. And things would only continue to be like this for much longer.

Days would then turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, and months turn into- No. Not yet. Now, in the dead of winter, news had gotten out. A storm would be approaching. A blizzard. Strong winds, lots of snow, and all that jazz. It was going to be something great, something stronger than any other storm Fryderyk would have had ever experienced before. Something to turn Fryderyk's boring, dull, predictable, everyday-routine kind of life, into something that'd spark a surprise.

Now, it'd only be a day left before the storm hits, and fear is a visitor making haste as it grows from a mustard seed into a giant thing. People are panicking, hurrying into department stores, groceries, supermarkets, all with the same goal in mind - to buy the supplies they'd need to stock up for during the long cold storm and after it.

In one particular store, uncomfortably weaving his way through the unsolvable knot of people, was Fryderyk Chopin. He was muttering curses under his breath as another individual shoves him at his side, making him wince in pain. At this aisle, people are fighting for the last remaining cans of soup left as Fryderyk clutches onto the ones he'd managed to grab prior, when he suddenly catches a glimpse of someone familiar.

A tall man with some chin-length hair and a very familiar pair of eyes appears and disappears into the crowd. People pushing and pushing and squeezing into one another are only making it harder for Fryderyk to see that man again, but he does. There! And he's gone again. "Franz Liszt," Fryderyk thinks to himself, "by Bach's wig, that's got to be Franz Liszt!" And by some unknown burst of energy, Fryderyk pushes past the people in front of him, making his way towards the direction of that man as he shouts, "Franz! Franz, over here!"

As he finally makes his way out of the crowd, right to where Franz was standing, he is met face first with his tall, hard, and well-shaped back. Franz jumps in surprise at Fryderyk who had accidentally bumped him from behind, making him stumble and look like a dork. But as he turns, and Fryderyk looks up with a smile so wide, he is greeted with a frown, a grimace, a scowl. The man was in fact not Franz Liszt and he looked nowhere near Franz Liszt. The man glowers at Fryderyk as he looks down at him who is only left speechless. No words were spoken other than a string of curses from the taller individual as he walks away from Fryderyk leaving him marooned.

Suddenly Fryderyk felt helpless. Even in the midst of a blizzard fast approaching, all he could think about was Franz Liszt. With no way to contact him, because his disconsolate self forgot to ask Franz for his number again while they were awkwardly crying in that hallway, Fryderyk is left unsatisfied, with nowhere to put down his pain, as he goes home and waits for the storm to come.

~~~~~

heyyy im back!! :^))

I wasn't able to be online a lot recently bec a super-typhoon actually just came around and hit my area so internet's been p wack grrrr but im finally back ich and as usual, i hope u guys enjoyed :"DD

Some of u guys have been leaving a lot of new comments and gahshdjd yall rlly out here hahahahaha u guys are hilarious 😭😭

ilysm and thank you so much for all the love and support aaaaa also thanks again for 1.7k reads 🥺🥺 u guys are awesome 😭😭💗💗

A bit of a short chap bec it's sort of a prelude to the next chap so please look forward to it uwu

Thank you so much for making it this far!! Votes and comments are SUPER appreciated like i swear ur comments are so funny hahahahaha ily guys

- 菲咪咪 (Fei Mimi) 🌸💕