Chilling

(Mystery Man’s POV)

I had to bite back a laugh. He was just sitting there staring at me like I had three heads or something. Oh crap. What if he thought I was weird? What if he thought I’d been stalking him or something? Okay well I kinda was, but that’s beside the point. He probably thinks I’m some creep or something. Wow I really didn’t think this through. I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling way more anxious and uncomfortable than I’d have liked to be feeling. Goddammit this was going downhill fast.

(Frank’s POV)

I blinked a few times, just to make sure that he was actually really standing there in front of me and I wasn’t just fantasizing or something. No, I’m pretty sure he’s really there. Okay wow I was not expecting this. I fumbled with and dropped a box of farfalle and quickly stood up, nearly plowing down an entire shelf’s worth of pasta with my elbow. Smooth move, Frank. Very smooth.

I stared up into his eyes and attempted to make some coherent words come out of my mouth.

“It’s- you’re- how’d you-” Good job. “Hey.” The man laughed, it was a strange laugh, kinda breathy and heavy but still really freakin’ perfect. Well I made him laugh, that’s good right? Unless he’s laughing at me... Oh god he probably thinks I’m an idiot.

(Mystery Man’s POV)

“Hey,” I smiled, hopefully not creepily. “Uh, fancy meeting you here, huh?” Fancy meeting you here? Really? I should just turn around now. Just leave and never come back. Goodbye friends, I am gone. I’m just doing so wonderfully here. But wait, he just laughed. Well actually I think that was more of a giggle. A giggle. Goddammit he is so cute.

(Frank’s POV)

“Oh, uh yeah, definitely,” Shut up Frank. “Yeah like I just saw you last night and now I’m seeing you again, it’s crazy.” Seriously Frank, just shut up now. I grimaced at my own stupidity and cleared my throat. “So, uh, hey. I’m Frank.” Good. Now you’re getting somewhere. I extended my hand, praying to God or Billie Joe Armstrong or anyone with any kind of power in the world to make him do the same so I didn’t feel like as much of an idiot as I know I looked like.

After an agonizing second he reached out and grasped my hand. (Praise Billie!) Holy crap his hand’s freezing! What the hell? I ignored it and shook firmly. My dad always told me that a good handshake is key to making a good first impression, and while maybe it was a little late for a first impression I might be able to pull myself out of the gutter of social awkwardness.

“Gerard. Uh, Gerard Way,” He introduced himself. “Nice to officially meet you, Frank.” Gerard Way…that’s such a pretty name. A pretty name for a pretty man. No Frank stop before you start drooling. A total turn-off and you’d end up being the one that’d have to clean it up. Stupid Pathmark.

“Uh nice to meet you too, officially,” I could feel a warm blush spread across my face as I realized that we were still holding hands, no longer shaking. Just standing there hand-in-hand. Not that I really minded too much. Gerard must’ve noticed me staring at our hands because he quickly let go and dropped his arm back to his side. Dammit. No matter how inhumanly cold it was, I already missed his touch.

(Gerard’s POV)

Did I really just stand there holding his hand like that? Goddammit Gerard, now he thinks you’re awkward. Just when I thought I’d reached some kind of breakthrough but no. I just had to screw it up, didn’t I. God-freaking-dammit.

I broke free from my internal confliction to see Frank just standing there, staring up at me with confusion on his face. And a light pink blush dusted across his smooth, flawless skin. His soft, spotless skin…You’re doing it again Gerard, snap out of it! I shook my thoughts and tried to focus back on Frank in less of “oh wow you are one fine specimen of man” way because I could see that it was getting me absolutely nowhere. Alright, time to play it cool.

I cleared my throat, startling Frank and pulling his attention from whatever he’d been focused on to my voice. “It’s uh, kinda funny that I ran into you here.” Frank’s perfectly shaped eyebrows furrowed together as more confusion played on his face.

“Why’s that?” he asked, sounding a bit anxious.

“Well I uh, I,” I stammered. How the hell was I supposed to do this? I wasn’t expecting to see him so soon, I didn’t plan this out! I didn’t prepare a dialogue of how this conversation was supposed to go! Frank, not taking his eyes off of me, brought a finger to his perfect lips and nibbled on his nail. As if he couldn’t make himself look more adorable. Damn. I took a deep breath and decided to just stop thinking and just say it. Just say whatever the heck my mouth wanted to say. “I was, uh, hoping I could get your number or something.” Alright, that works. That’s getting somewhere.

Frank’s eyes widened and that blush flooded back onto his cheeks, even saturating the tips of ears that just poked out from under his wild stands of hair. His hand fell from his mouth and he stood there in shock. Good going Gerard, you broke Frank. I bit my tongue hard enough that I could taste a drop of blood form from the puncture. “I, I’m sorry. I’ll just go I guess.” I turned to get the heck out of dodge and hightail is back home as fast as possible. He’s probably not even into dudes. Dammit why are you such an idiot? Suddenly a hand wrapped down on my forearm and held me in place.

“No wait, don’t leave!” Frank said, almost pleadingly. He straightened himself out and fiddled with his lip ring. “I mean, I, well,” He pulled at his hair with his fists and groaned. “I’d be happy to give you my number.” He finally blurted with a sigh of relief like he’d just gotten the weight of the world off of his shoulders. Well maybe he had, because it sure as hell felt like I had.

(Frank’s POV)

“I’d be happy to give you my number.”

Well. That escalated quickly. He asked me for my number. He liked me. Gerard, my mystery man, actually liked me. Wow. I was totally not expecting that. Maybe Pathmark wasn’t such a god-awful place after all.

“Really?” Gerard’s voice nearly squeaked. His perfect hazel eyes glimmered with excitement. God he is great.

I laughed, half excited and half relieved that this was going where it was, and nodded, “Yeah! Um do you have a phone I could put it in? Mine is, um, in my locker, otherwise I’d ask for yours, sorry.” I felt my face heat up again.

Gerard nodded and reached for his pocket, but his hand came back up empty. He gritted his teeth in frustration, “Crap, I left it at home. Dammit,” he ran a hand through his perfect hair. “Hold on, I’ll be right back.” He held his hands out at me, as if he had some kind of Jedi-like force that would keep me from leaving. Like I’d be leaving anytime soon. I nodded and twiddled my thumbs anxiously as he turned and hurried away. Oh god what if he doesn’t come back? He probably realized how much of a loser I am and he just left.

Nope. Exactly five minutes and forty-three seconds later (not that I’d been counting) he returned. His fingers were wrestling with a small package as he walked, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration. He finally succeeded and triumphantly held up a black Sharpie while stuffing a receipt and a pack of cigarettes in his pocket.

“Problem solved,” He smirked, handing me the marker. I took it and hesitated, I didn’t have a paper or anything to write on. Gerard took note of the dilemma and rolled up his black jacket sleeve, revealing a pasty white arm. He held it out and cocked an eyebrow. “There ya go.”

I blushed and held his arm. It was freezing cold, just like his hand. I wondered why that was, I mean we weren’t standing near the refrigerated foods section or anything. And he had a jacket on. Why was he so cold? I returned my attention to the task at hand and carefully scribbled my phone number as legibly as I could. My hand was shaking lightly, the nerves from being in direct contact with Gerard was screwing with me. I finished and recapped the Sharpie, returning it to Gerard. He smiled and stared at his arm for a minute before rolling his sleeve back down.

“Thanks,” He smiled. “I’ll call you tomorrow?” I nodded, too excited to trust myself to form coherent words. Looks like I wouldn’t be getting much sleep again. But frankly, I didn’t even care. Gerard Way asked me for my phone number.