Immortal °*~frerard fic~*°

Chapter 2:he left me with stars in my eyes.

The next day, I made my way to the small coffee shop I had wanted to go to previously. It wasn't busy at all and it didn't ever seem like it was, so I walked right inside when I got there and found the whole place very quiet. I closed my eyes and breathed in the wonderous smell of coffee beans that I so desperately needed right now. So wonderous and captivating that I didn't hear what the person behind the counter said.

"Sir?" Wait, where have I heard that voice from before? I opened my eyes and looked at the stranger from yesterday, who had a black apron on over their seemingly regular clothes. He gave me an amused smile "Sir, I asked what you wanted to order?"

"Oh, right." I said, gathering myself together and stepped up to the counter "Can I have a pumpkin spice latte with ten shots of espresso please?"

He looked at me strangely, as people usually do when I order my coffee "You're joking, right? Ten shots of espresso isn't really a healthy amount."

I waved at him dismissively "I can handle it, I've done it before." And I leaned against the counter to watch him make my coffee. What are the odds that he would be working here? A beautiful person working in a beautiful place, I could only hope the rest of him was just as pretty. Should I ask him? No, that's way too intimate for a first encounter. Maybe just compliment him? Compliments could work.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're beautiful?" I asked him, making him look up abruptly. I simply smiled back at him, trying to look as endearing and charming as he made me feel.

But he just frowned "Are you really trying to hit on me while I'm at work? After the day I've had with annoying customers..."

"Oh, no no no!" I said quickly "I was just trying to compliment you, I wasn't trying to annoy you or anything! I'm really sorry if you've been having a rough day. Would you want to maybe talk about it?"

He sighed "No, it's... It's fine. Thank you for the offer." Then from behind the counter, he pulled out a cup "Your coffee is ready now, sir." And I cringed at that.

"Please, don't call me sir. It makes me feel old. Besides, I hear it constantly practically every day. I'm a history teacher." He nodded, and I realised I hadn't introduced myself "You can call me Gerard."

"Gerard." He repeated, trying my name out on his tongue for the first time "My name's Frank."

"Hello Frank." I say, already liking the sound as it leaves my lips. The coffee tastes like the pure essence of fall on my tongue, although technically it is still spring "Did you just start working here?"

"Yeah, in fact I just moved here. I was lucky this place had opened up just in time. But, by the looks of it, I don't think I'm going to be making much money." He gestured around the empty coffee shop. Well, empty besides me and him, that is.

I thought for a moment about how I could maybe save Franks job, and smiled up at him "Well, I guess I'll have to keep buying more coffee here so you can get a good paycheck." He stared wide eyed back at me "Y'know, since no one else will, right?" As I continued to gaze over him, still in his flustered state, I noticed what was missing from the picture I had drawn of him last night. I pointed at his neck with the black scorpion permanently inked on "You have tattoos."

Finally snapping out of his daze, he looked to where I was pointing "Oh, yeah I have a lot of them. On my arms, my chest, my back, they're everywhere." He rolled up his sleeves as an example and I traced my hands over each and every one I could find, enjoying how his skin felt under my fingertips.

"Incredible." I whispered, in awe of the inked pictures "Every single one is unique in it's own way, every single one has it's own story to it. It amazes me how people have such a passion about certain things, are so in love with an idea, that they have it marked on their body forever. Every picture, is... It's beautiful."

Gazing up into his eyes once again, we smiled at eachother "Is that really what you think?" I nodded, how could it not be? They were exactly as I said, beautiful and unique and it amazed me that anyone could make me feel this way. He was absolutely fascinating in every way possible, and it startled me to the point where it felt like he stole my breath away.

But before I could say any of that he pulled his arm away and I noticed how his facial expression changed slightly "I should get back to work." He said quietly and I nodded, trying to be reasonable and respect his wishes even when I didn't understand. But he wished upon a falling star, and falling stars are often broken.

I sat for the rest of the day in one of the booths of the coffee shop sketching in my sketchbook and touching up the details on the picture I drew of Frank. The booth I sat in was facing towards him and I repeatedly tried to catch his eye and send smiles his way, but he never saw. If he did, he made it clear that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with me.

I barely touched my coffee after that.

As I made my way back home, the streets now seemed bland and unlively. In my thousands of years on this earth -possibly millions, I don't really keep track anymore- I have never met anyone quite like Frank. Maybe it's because I wasn't looking. But whenever I'm not looking for something, that's when it seems to appear.