i am intervening.

part two - just add water

it was hard to focus. you felt like you were in the wrong place at the wrong time and met the wrong person. something about frank would not leave your thoughts. the way he stood. the way he carried himself. his voice.

so many questions about that man went through your head. why was he wearing a mask? what was he doing down in the abandoned subway station? who is he?

you flip the pancake onto the other side, a small sizzle being released as the uncooked batter hit the pan. you set a timer on your phone for a minute. you frown at your shattered reflection in the screen.

you place your phone on the faux marble countertop. you hover your hands around the fire from the stove top pilot, trying to feel some warmth from it.

the timer goes off.

would you see him again?

the thought of going back to the train yard tonight lingered above you.

———————————————————————————

a soft breeze blew through the maze of the train yard, picking up fallen brown leaves. a piece of scrap metal clanged in the distance. dark clouds roil above in the night sky. the music coming through your earbuds softly plays. the can of spray paint rattles as you shake it. your painting was coming along nicely, even though it was  warped by the ridges of the train. 

the gravel below your shoes grind together as you take a few steps back to admire your work. 

"not bad. not bad at all..." you say quietly to yourself. 

small, cold raindrops begin to fall, landing on your face. out of the corner of your eye, through the rain, you can see a familiar figure walking leisurely between the trains. 

it's frank. 

he's holding out his hand, watching the rain drops fall into his palm. the white bunny ears of his mask bounce with every step he takes. 

you pull one of your earbuds out. you're slightly surprised to see him again.

"frank?" 

he stops abruptly and turns to face you. 

"y/n. you are stalking me." frank lowers his hand.

you throw your hands up "n-no! i was just working on my painting!" you gesture to your work, still looking at him.

frank walks towards you, looking to the spot on the train you're pointing to. he stops next to you and crosses his arms. 

he slowly nods. 

"it's not bad," he looks down at you, meeting your eyes, "for criminal graffiti."

"it's not 'criminal graffiti.' it's street art." you wipe rain off of your cheek. 

the rain picks up, becoming more harsh, the drops beating against the metal. a strike of lighting is quickly followed by a crackle of thunder. 

frank looks up while smoothing his hair back.

"we can wait it out in this train here." 

frank follows you into an older train. the linoleum floor creaks under the weight of you two. the air inside is humid and heavy. the seats squeak as you two sit next to each other.

"so... is this like your hang out spot or..?" you tilt your head.

"no," frank wipes rain off of his briefcase, "i was looking for something." he adjusts his mask. 

it was really, really strange that he wore a mask like that. it was weird that you didn't know anything about this man, yet you were alone with him at night. you cross your arms over your chest. 

"can i ask you a question?" 

"mhm." frank's leg begins to bounce.

"uh, what's with the mask?" you glance at him and point gently at his mask.

"my job." frank briefly looks away from you. 

"what do you do?" 

he turns back to you, the red eyes of his mask staring through you. "a lot of things." he tilts his head slightly. 

"uh ha. right." you glance away and rub the back of your neck. his vagueness didn't make you feel too comfortable. 

rain pelts against the window. another clap of thunder sounds. 

"what about you?" his muted voice broke the silence.

"pfft," you lean back, resting your head in the ledge between the window and the seats. 

"i used to be a cashier at this little food mart. i got fired yesterday."

frank nods. he fiddles with his phone for a second, checking the time.

you could see his jawline from this angle. it was very defined. you pull the collar of your shirt over your face and look down to the floor. 

the silence between you two is palpable. 

the rain begins to lighten up. frank watches the rain through the window. 

"geez, it's late." you yawn into your hand.

"do you want me to walk you back home?" frank looks down at you.

"oh, i-i don't live down here. i'm up by borough hall." you point behind you. 

"i'm headed in that direction anyway." he smooths his hair back again. 

you two wait for the rain to subside to a drizzle before heading to the station. 

the train ride with frank is mostly silent. he didn't initiate any conversation with you, and when you did talk, he only gave you short, one-word answers. he spent most of the time looking at his phone but sometimes, you could see him glance at you. 

"you from the city?" you finally ask him, tired of the silence.

frank turns off his phone and slides it into his pocket. "kind of." he rubs his chin under his mask.

"i'm staying at this cheap motel at the upper west side right now." he loosens his tie and leans back into the seat. you can hear him sigh lightly. 

by the time you reach your stop, the rain had faded. 

frank walks with you to your apartment. he often looks up at the tall buildings and neon signs that line storefronts. 

"well this is me." you stop outside of your door. the familiar yellow light washed out your surroundings. 

frank nods and runs his fingers through his hair.

"uh, thanks for walking with me." you shoot him a small smile. 

"mhm." he turns to walk back to the station.

"get home safe." you call after him.

"thanks." frank waves at you over his shoulder, the heels of his shoes clacking against the wet pavement. 

you watch him walk away for a moment before opening your door. 

through your bedroom window, you could still see him. he was two blocks away when he stopped to pet a stray cat. he stays like this for a minute before continuing his walk. 

"ha. weirdo." you close your curtains.