Candy Hearts ✰ Frerard

.CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR.

the conversationalist
~[|]~

Gerard twirled the small black straw between his fingers as he sat on the bar stool.

Frank was mixing together some weird tropical drink as Gerard sat and watched. They were meant to be at some nice restaurant Frank had found earlier that week, but right as they got there Frank got called into work, and even after what felt like hours of continuous begging he was told he'd have to work a few hours regardless.

Gerard was really bummed, because he had missed Frankie.

Frank had left to see his dad again about a week ago, and they hadn't really had time for each other since like Frank said would happen. The only proper contact they were really having at the moment was when Gerard would leave dinner leftovers in the fridge for Frank when he got back from the bar. So Gerard had been really excited to get to spend the night with him again, but he supposed watching Frank work was still somewhat synonymous to spending the night with him.

He took another sip of his drink, shifting slightly when a girl around his age sat down next to him. She had light brown hair that was actually pretty long, and a nice black dress. The kind someone would wear to a fancy dinner, not a bar.

She was pretty, definitely, but Gerard was honestly too busy trying to guess which nail on his hand was the longest to really appreciate the girl's appearance. Though, he couldn't help but be drawn in by her voice.

"Can I get a beer, but in a glass?" She asked Frank, who nodded.

"Any preference?" He asked, getting out the bottle opener that always seemed to be in his pocket.

"Whatever's cheapest." She shrugged, and he nodded.

Gerard looked back down, playing with a hangnail as he sat there. He didn't blame Frank at all, he knew it was out of his control if he had to work tonight, but Gerard just wished he had something better to do than play with a hangnail on a Friday night.

He heard the clunking of a glass being placed on the glazed wooden counter, followed by a muffled 'thank you.'

In all honesty, Gerard was close to just calling it a night, as rude as that would be to Frank, because he honestly didn't know what he was meant to do. He had left his phone at home because he was a mastermind at keeping track of his things, and honestly, if he hadn't, he would have called Brendon and gotten him talk about crazy shit he'd done whilst he waited for Frank's shift to be over. But the thought seemed to fly out the window the moment he heard the girl speak again.

"Are you from here?" She asked, and Gerard was trying his hardest to look like he wasn't eavesdropping, so he didn't catch who she asked the question to.

"Uh yeah, I am." Frank answered, his voice seemingly distracted.

Gerard finished the last of his drink, which he was certain was cranberry juice with just the tiniest bit of vodka because Frank was always too careful with the idea of him and alcohol.

When Gerard looked up, he was Frank picking up a few stranded beer bottles left on the counter, and he glanced to the side to see the woman go to speak again, but he couldn't stop his voice from ringing out at that point.

"Frankie?" He asked, feeling shy that some people around him looked at him weirdly for calling the tattooed, unfairly blunt bartender 'Frankie.'