Props & Mayhem - Frerard

3: in which Frank confuses himself

Frank had no idea what he was thinking when he walked into the shop - a fleeting glimpse of the blond had inspired him to enter a flower shop ?? With hardly more than four dollars in his pocket? What was he doing??

He was hardly aware of what he said or what the blond responded, but soon he was being shown some random flowers in the back of the shop, and the guy - or girl, or whatever - was saying that Frank could come back Monday to purchase them, and so he agreed, and in a daze, tucked the business card into his pocket.

He left awkwardly, waving on his way out and forgetting to say "thank you" to the kind stranger.

What the hell was he going to do on Monday? It was Saturday, that gave him two days to consider actually coming back or just flaking out like the coward he was.

I mean, really, what could he do if he returned on Monday? He didn't need flowers, and he definitely didn't have the money to pay for them.

If he didn't come back, and he pursued his newfound knack for stalking the blond guy creepily, where the hell was that going to get him? Besides, if he ever spoke to the dude again, what could he say in his defense?

Shit! Shit, shit...

Why does he even matter? Really, Frank Anthony Iero, why do you care?

Are you attracted to him?

What the fuck kind of question is that??

He bantered on with himself, entirely confused.

--

Gerard was amazed when Joe called their cell at 1:47 to say he was on his way to the shop.

They began to pack up their things, stuffing papers and school work and novels into their book bag, and quickly shoving the remains of a salami sandwich into their mouth.

They retreated to the bathroom momentarily to check their makeup, making sure their long hair wasn't in too much disarray, before returning to the counter.

Joe came in a few moments later, disheveled, his eyes bloodshot and looking overall a bit antsy, but he had come nonetheless.

"You'll be okay by yourself?" Gerard asked on their way out. No, they really didn't wanna spend the rest of their day helping Joe, and yeah, it was the guy's own damn fault if he felt like shit today, but still, Gerard had to be the good guy and ask.

"Wha..?" Joe glanced up, distracted. "Oh, no - no that's fine, I'm fine, go home Gee..." He waved absently, and Gerard nodded and left.

A few blocks down, they were standing at the sidewalk waiting for the walk signal to turn, and a scruffy guy in a leather jacket caught their eye...over across the street....

Gerard squinted, and as the light flashed and they crossed the street, coming within a few feet of the familiar guy, they blinked in surprise.

The guy - Frank - was sitting at the corner, his back up against one of the light posts, his gloved hands tucked away into his pockets, with a paper...coffee cup? sitting right next to him. A few quarters and a dollar bill were shoved down into the bottom of the dirty cup.

He's....homeless?

Frank hadn't noticeably acknowledged Gerard, so they gathered their wits, trying to shake off the shock. Frank had appeared - did appear - pretty...well, pretty poverty-stricken, but hey, Gee couldn't have known earlier; for all their knowledge, maybe this had just been some inn fashion thing for punks nowadays...

But now that they knew....

This was something else entirely, and it stabbed at their heart.

Gee knelt down next to Frank, and they could see the surprise in the other's hazel gaze when Frank finally noticed them.

"Hey...I saw you earlier...," Gerard mumbled as they fumbled to pull their wallet out.

They grabbed whatever cash they had- there was a $10 bill mixed in somewhere - and handed it to Frank, trying not to appear as upset as they looked, because fuck, they hated that there was a sweet kid with messy hair hunkered down on the curb to wait it out, for what  - for a few dollars a day, maybe one warm meal a week? What had turned this poor kid's life so upside-down that he'd ended up here?

"Oh, hey um..." Frank fumbled to take the money from Gerard's outstretched hands. "About the flower thing...."

"You don't have to explain," Gerard interrupted softly. "Whatever business it is, it's yours." They smiled, resting their hand briefly on the kid's shoulder before standing up.

Frank nodded, tucking the money away. "Listen, thanks man...it means a lot." He forced a smile in return.

"Any time, it's nothing... Maybe I'll see you again?"

Frank nodded. "Yeah, yeah I think you will."

Gerard left to catch their bus.