Candy Hearts ✰ Frerard

.CHAPTER TWO.

vanilla milkshake
~[|]~

Gerard couldn't believe it, he was stuck at work at four in the morning, living off of what he used to call "a sleep raper" when he was but a young teenager avoiding work like the plague. It wasn't exactly a good foundation to be depending on when you could barley keep your eyes open, but Gerard would settle for what he could get.

Bryar had told him earlier that day that he would have to work a few extra shifts, but he didn't tell Gerard that he had to work them all consecutively and past fucking one am. There were barley any costumers, so theoretically, Gerard could go home, but he could also, theoretically, wipe his face with shit every morning and the only difference would be the smell. Because pissing Bryar off was like shoving your head down a McDonald's toilet and flushing continuously until all you can hear is the flush breaking under all the pressure.

So there Gerard was, wiping the diner's counter obsessively to keep his mind off of the fact that he could feel his brain itch irritably at the lack of rest.

Surprisingly, Pete had already been sent home and so had the rest of the staff, even Bryar wasn't there, having left around two hours prior. It was weirdly quiet, which was of course expected considering there wasn't much business at four am, even though they were technically a 24 hour diner.

Gerard nearly slipped on his skates when he heard the bell above the door jingle, and he struggled to steady himself enough to look towards the entryway.

A young man had walked in, looking rather tired and lonesome, but of course Gerard wasn't about to start making assumptions. The man looked as if he was practically dragging himself as he walked and his eyelids were droopy from lack of sleep or just boredom. He gingerly took a seat on one of the stools by the counter, resting his head in his hands carelessly.

Gerard took an internal deep breath to prepare for yet another social interaction. He didn't always used to be okay with speaking to strangers, but after a few years he gained enough confidence and stability to not snort or shart in public. It was a good skill to have, looking back.

"Hey, can I get you anything?" Gerard asked cautiously, worried that if he spoke too loud he would disrupt the quietness surrounding them.

"Uh, I don't know. Got a menu?" He asked, running a hand down his face lazily.

"Yeah," Gerard said as he passed over a pastel decorated menu to the man.

After a few awkward minutes of the stranger searching and Gerard leaning against the counter uncomfortably, he lifted his head back up and gave Gerard a tiny, almost microscopic smile.

"What's your favourite milkshake?" He asked curiously, placing his chin back on his palm, looking back up at Gerard through his eyelashes.

Gerard was taken off guard by the question, because he wasn't usually talked to like a person while he worked. He was often referred to as 'excuse me,' and had to deal with seven thousand complaints a day due to his unsatisfactory waitressing.

"Um, I like vanilla." Gerard said quietly, feeling hands twitch beneath the counter, where they fell unnaturally at his side.

"Well then I'll take one vanilla milkshake." He said, handing back the menu with a polite and relaxed smile.

"Okay, sure thing." Gerard said, returning the smile before turning around to start preparing the requested drink.