The Other Milkman

Make me warm again.

The office is freezing cold today. Y/n tenses up as the cold hits her skin, immediately throwing on her oversized, D.D.D certified jacket. As she sits down at her desk, all cosy and warm, she thinks about Fran and his strange behavior... or personality. It's hard to tell, since he's a doppelgänger and all that. She thinks of his pretty eyes, his small smile and the over all softness of his demeanor. He's pretty cute, undoubtedly. He's making her feel some sort of way... a way she hasn't felt in a long time.

Y/n's shift is growing more boring by the second. The list is super short today and once again she's waiting on Francis Mosses to finish his duties as the milkman. How long could delivering milk possibly take ? She gets increasingly annoyed just thinking about it. Her internal rampage is interrupted when Francis appears in front of the security window. His eyes are just as cold as the office is today.

As y/n checks him in, he frowns at her agitated facial expression. She doesn't feel like hiding her feelings today.

"Is everything okay? Looks like someone upset you," he says in his usual monotone voice.

This both surprises and further upsets y/n. She doubts that he's actually concerned, and she's pretty sure he knows why she's so upset. Her shift ended 10 minutes ago.

"I just had a rough day," y/n replies while forcing a smile.

He nods with an awkward smile and makes his way into the building after she finishes the checklist.

Y/n sighs as she looks down at all the files scattered on her desk. Her job makes her feel as gloomy as the clouds outside. If only she could see them, she only knows they're there because of the daily newspaper. She doesn't get any time to go out anymore and she always ends up missing the curfew.

As she's looking down, she is greeted with a soft voice in front of her.

She tries to hide her smile - she knows it's Fran.

He looks down at her with a concerned look on his face.

"Are you okay, y/n? Is it the weather that's bringing you down?"

She gives him a shy smile and simply shakes her head.

"No Fran, it's not that. I just had a long day."

His expression slightly softens, but she can tell he's not buying it.

"Listen, I know we've just met, plus all the other complications, but I know there's something wrong. You can trust me, y/n."

Her eyes widen. No one has ever confronted her about her feelings like that. It makes her feel strangely warm... and she can feel it raising up to her cheeks. His concern feels a lot more genuine than Francis', that's for sure!

"I'm just tired of this job, Fran. Being a doorwoman is not as easy as it looks," she replies simply. She's not prepared to share every detail as to why this job is so tiring, as that would just tire her even more.

"That's understandable. I'm assuming you don't get much free time, do you?"

Y/n can't look past his sad eyes. Why does this move him so much? Her thoughts are interrupted as he continues to speak.

"Me showing up here probably doesn't help either, I'll stop if that will make things easier for you, y/n..."

"No ! No, Fran. I look forward to seeing you everyday, even though we haven't talked much. Please, stay for a while."

These words slipped out of y/n's mouth. He can't disappear now, he's the closest thing she's had to a friend in a while.

" I look forward to seeing you too, y/n," he says with his usual, shy smile. As y/n looks into his eyes, she watches as he examines her face.

"Who wouldn't be excited to talk to a pretty girl like you? And not just pretty on the outside, but on the inside too."

Y/n's face is bright red. Sure, he doesn't know her all too well, but his sweet words feel like honey to her soul.

"Thank you Fran, I can say the same about you. I must say, your eyes are beautiful."

Fran is smiling from ear to ear, but not in a scary, doppelgänger way. His smile seems genuine, something most humans can't do anymore due to the restricted circumstances they live in.

"It's the only thing that sets me apart from the real Francis," he laughs.

"Oh, you'd be surprised," y/n replies. They're nothing alike, that's for sure.

The two of them end up talking about all sorts of topics. Y/n avoided the topic of doppelgängers and the D.D.D, as she didn't want to scare Fran off.

It was getting late, so they greeted each other and went their separate ways. Y/n smiles as she enters her apartment. She loves spending time with him, it feels as if they've known each other for years.

"I can't wait for my shift tomorrow," she thinks as she slowly drifts to sleep, completely forgetting just how big of a secret Fran's visits really are...