I Didn't Mean to Fall in Love (But I Did)

Frank's Smitten (Or, I Mean, Infatuated. Who the Fuck Says Smitten?)

Frank hasn't really been around someone new in a long while. He doesn't really like going out and meeting new people. He's content where he is, with a few close friends, and a crush on his roommate.

Maybe he just has a certain soft spot for the guy who quite literally saved his life, or maybe it's because Aaron is quite possibly the sweetest person he's met in years, but he almost forgets about his dislike for meeting new people.

"So do you make it a habit of walking into traffic?" he asks.

"Well not usually. Or well, I may not be the most cautious guy in the world, but I'm pretty fuzzy in the head today. I caught some virus or something, so I'm just sleepy and not entirely here today," Frank replies.

"You seem okay to me," Aaron says.

"Well I'm trying right now, I wasn't really when I stepped in front of that car. I got sent home because my boss told me I was a danger to others and myself. Turns out he was right."

"You'd have been better if you hadn't been sent home," Aaron says, and Frank follows behind him, because he seems to know where he's going. He's headed near the place where Frank works, but there's a coffee shop a block past that so he just assumes that's their destination. He doesn't really care, he's kind of lost in Aaron's voice and face. Frank decides that Aaron looks like Derek from criminal minds, though he's got brighter and more piercing eyes.

"Probably not actually," Frank says, "because than I wouldn't have met you so I'd have been run over by some other car. I'm not really a klutz, but irony is a bitch."

Frank's nervous about the first part of that sentence, because he just admitted to being glad he met Aaron, and he's awkward. Now he's blushing and hoping that he looks like he's cold, because he doesn't want a virtual stranger to think he's embarrassed.

"You have a lot of faith in yourself," Aaron says sarcastically.

"I may be a cynic, but I have seen enough of the world to know that everything is played out through the mind of one who's much more cynical than myself."

"And quite the optimist," he says.

"I'll have you know, when you have a life where everything always comes up short, it's quite difficult to be an optimist," Frank says.

They turn a corner and he sees his diner and points to it, "See, I work there. Like, the worst job, because I always thought that when I was an adult I'd have a cool job. I thought I'd be a superhero or in a band, or doing something, but no, instead, I'm a minimum wage slave to capitalism."

"Then how about I buy the coffee?" Aaron says, and Frank shakes his head.

"No, because it's supposed to be my 'shut up and stop saying thanks to the kind stranger' gift to you, but if you buy it than it's 'hey look the kind stranger just so happens to be a saint, and I really need to reconsider my life decisions,'" Frank says.

"Well, but you made such a point to say that you're unlucky in your occupation," he says.

"I may be that, but I can afford a coffee," Frank says, "as long as it's not one of those fancy-shmancy ones with twelve different add-ins."

"You just spoiled all the fun!" Aaron laughs.

"Did I? You are very picky, sir," Frank replies, and he nearly makes a wrong turn. Honestly you'd think he's never been here before, but he has taken this exact route for years.

"I'm not picky, you're easy to tease," he says.

"Damn, and I try so hard to be threatening, though I am tiny, so it really doesn't come across. I just look like one of those TV character tropes where the little guy's nickname is something that makes him seem like a giant wrestler. I'm talking too much, aren't I? Though, really, if I were in a comedy or movie, they'd probably introduce me as Dr. Manhattan, and then I'd come onto the screen and I'd be a fucking Smurf. I really should learn to stop talking, sorry."