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Frank jolted awake from his fitful sleep just as the bus arrived at his stop. He regarded his surroundings sluggishly for a second before realizing where he was, quickly grabbing his bag and rushing towards the front. He wasn’t sure what had woken him up— he’d glanced towards the back of the bus but found nothing out of the ordinary— but he was certainly glad something had. It had been a long day, he didn’t need to deal with riding the bus back to the proper stop on top of that.
A few moments later, the doors to the bus opened. He gave the bus driver a tired smile in thanks before stepping out into the cold, foggy night. It was quiet, the glare of the streetlights softened to a round, yellow glow by the fog. The ground was shiny and wet, a leftover from the rain that had fallen earlier in the day.
As he started walking home, the bus pulled away from the stop and he was left with a sudden, overwhelming feeling of isolation. He pulled his jacket tighter around him, shivering. He couldn’t remember what he’d been dreaming about, but it had left him with a lingering sense of unease. Usually his walk home was calming, quiet and peaceful, but now the lack of sound was deafening and it felt like he was being watched. Like if he looked hard enough, he could see faces in the fog. He started walking a little faster.
After a few minutes of walking in oppressive silence, Frank rounded the corner to his street only to stop dead in his tracks. There was a figure on the sidewalk, shrouded in the fog. And they seemed to be sitting right in front of the entrance to his apartment. He felt a chill run down his spine, heart beating heavily in his chest. All of his senses told him to stay away, yet he found himself starting to walk towards the figure again, almost as if he was in a trance. Besides, he had nowhere else to go.
The closer he got to the figure, the less threatening it seemed. When he finally got close enough to make out the details, he saw it was a person with shoulder length black hair, draped in a long, gothic looking dress. They were sitting with their arms wrapped around their knees, shivering in the cold as their breath clouded in front of their face.
“Hey,” Frank said softly as he approached them, trying his best not to scare them.
They jumped anyway, looking up at him with a startled expression.
“Sorry,” Frank said sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
They continued to look up at him, drawing their knees a little closer to their chest.
He offered his hand to them slowly. “You wanna come inside?”
They looked at his hand apprehensively for a moment before shaking their head, backing away a little.
“C’mon, it's freezing out here.”
Still, they said nothing, staring at him with wide, glassy eyes.
Frank sighed. The selfish part of him was telling him that they clearly didn’t want to be helped and that he should just go inside so he could go to bed, but his conscience wouldn’t allow it. Clearly they were going through something, he couldn’t just leave them here alone, especially on a night like this.
“I’m not gonna force you to stay, okay? But I have stuff, soup, maybe a drink, that could help you warm up? Just for a little bit.”
They stared at his outstretched hand for a few moments, biting their lip in contemplation, before finally grasping it with shaking fingers.
Frank helped them up gently, careful not to get too close to them so he wouldn’t scare them off. He relinquished his grip on their hand, but they kept holding on with surprising strength, so he grasped it again. “Okay,” he said quietly, mostly to himself. He turned around, trying to offer them a reassuring smile. “Follow me, it's not far.”
He led them slowly through the hallways of the apartment building and the stranger trailed behind him, staring off into space. He looked back at them every once and a while, unable to stop himself from wondering what had happened to them, and how they’d ended up here, of all places.
Soon enough, they reached the door to his apartment. The stranger still refused to let go of his hand, so it took him longer than usual to retrieve his key and unlock the door. Not that they seemed to mind. Finally, Frank got the door open, and he held it open for them, motioning for the stranger to go inside.
They shuffled through the door, looking around nervously as Frank closed the door behind them and flipped on the light.
“Why don’t you go sit on the couch, I’ll grab you some blankets and a warm drink?” Frank asked, gesturing towards the living room area.
The stranger continued to stare at him, looking a little lost, so Frank sighed and placed a gentle hand on their shoulder, leading them to sit on the couch. Once he made sure that they weren’t going to fall over or something, Frank reached over them and grabbed the blanket that he’d draped over the back of the couch, wrapping it around them instead. They grabbed the ends of the blanket, pulling it around themself tightly.
“There you go,” Frank said with a smile. “I’ll be right back, okay? I’m just gonna go to the kitchen for a few minutes.”
He turned to go but only made it one or two steps before he felt the stranger grip his arm.
“What is it?”
They looked at him with wide eyes again, expression slightly panicked.
“You don’t want me to go?”
They shook their head.
“But I need to go over there if you want something to drink, I was gonna make hot cocoa.” Frank tried gently tugging his arm from their grasp, but they held on firmly. “Don’t you want something to warm you up?”
They hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
“I’ll only be gone for a few minutes, I promise.”
They frowned, pulling him closer insistently.
“Alright, fine,” Frank muttered to himself. “Why don’t you come with me instead, then?” He asked them.
This seemed to satisfy them. They got slowly to their feet, finally letting go of Frank’s arm in favor of holding the blanket more securely around their shoulders.
Frank made his way to the kitchen, the stranger trailing behind him like a ghost. He busied himself with the preparations of making the hot cocoa, trying to ignore the way they were hovering just behind him. It felt like their eyes were boring a hole in his back with how intently they watched him. The minutes while the water boiled passed slowly, and Frank tried to make himself look busy the entire time to avoid their stare. Something about their eyes made him feel like they could see into his soul.
Finally the water finished boiling, and Frank added the hot water into the mugs he’d already prepared with hot chocolate mix. He gave it a good stir before turning around and offering it to the stranger with a weary smile. “Here you go.”
Their hands emerged from the blanket cocoon hesitantly, wrapping spindly fingers around the mug. They seemed hesitant to drink it, so Frank took a sip of his own to show it was okay.
After sniffing at the mug suspiciously for a few moments they finally took a sip, smiling softly afterwards. “Thank you,” they whispered.
Frank’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. “Oh, so you do talk?”
The stranger shrugged, taking another sip of their drink and pulling the blanket around themself again.
Frank sighed to himself, realizing that they probably wouldn’t be saying anything else. “Let’s go back to the living room,” he suggested gently.
They nodded in agreement and shuffled their way back to the couch, Frank choosing to sit on the coffee table opposite from them.
Frank took the opportunity to look at them properly now that they were both sitting down. Their face was delicate, elvish. Their rounded cheekbones and soft jawline were contrasted by their hollowed cheeks and sunken eyes, underlined heavily with dark purple bags. Their black hair curled delicately around the curve of their neck and Frank couldn’t help but stare at it for a bit. They looked tired, haunted, but there was a certain undeniable beauty about them too.
The two of them sat in awkward silence for a few moments before Frank cleared his throat, unable to deal with the silence. “So… do you have a name?”
They stared silently at the steam rising from their mug, biting their lip.
“I’m Frank,” he offered, hoping that opening up about himself would make them more comfortable.
Finally, they spoke. “Gerard,” they rasped. Their voice was soft and lilting, a little higher than Frank had expected.
“Nice to meet you,” Frank said with a smile.
Gerard’s lips curled up at the edges.
Frank continued to talk about himself to fill the silence. He told them about his job, his family, his friends, the daily trials and tribulations with his colleagues. It felt good to talk to someone.
Frank didn’t want to admit it but… he was lonely. His relationship with his family was distant at best and his friends… well to put it simply, perhaps acquaintances would’ve been a better word for them. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been able to talk like this. And when Gerard laughed at a story he told about an encounter he’d had that day with one of his least favorite coworkers in the break room, Frank felt something shift inside him a little.
Gerard’s laugh was nothing short of magical. High and unabashed, and their entire face lit up with joy and amusement. Frank was utterly enraptured, he wanted to do anything in his power to make them look like that all the time. He had no idea what had happened to them, but he got the sense that it had been a long time since they’d laughed like this. He knew he had no business falling for someone he’d taken in for the night like this, but he couldn’t help but hope…
He’d always had a knack for getting his heart broken anyway.
Frank wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but eventually Gerard started yawning and Frank felt bad about talking their ear off. “Do you want to stay here for the night?” He asked carefully, not wanting to sound too eager. With how hesitant they had been earlier, he was afraid they would say no.
Gerard hesitated a little and Frank rushed to convince them. “It’s really cold and wet out there, please, it’s no trouble at all. I’ll fix up the couch for you.” He would’ve offered his bed but he thought that might make them feel too closed in with how it was at the back of the apartment. He didn’t want them to be uncomfortable.
Gerard contemplated for a few moments before nodding finally, and Frank felt a wave of relief wash over him. He knew it was selfish, but he didn’t want to let them go just yet.
Frank put his mug aside, standing to make preparations. “I can give you some spare clothes to change into. Do you want to take a shower while I set up the couch? It’ll take a minute for me to do anyways.”
Gerard drained the contents of their mug and set it next to Frank’s, finally letting the blankets fall from their shoulders as they stood, nodding. They followed Frank into the bedroom as he found an old t-shirt and pair of sweatpants for them to wear, and then disappeared into the bathroom with Frank’s insistence that they take as much time as they wanted.
Not much longer afterwards, Frank heard the sound of the water running as he reached for the spare sheets on the top shelf of his closet. The rhythmic sound lulled him into a trance of sorts as he prepared the couch, letting his thoughts wander as his hands moved on autopilot.
He found himself thinking about Gerard, about the shape of their lips, how soft they would be if he kissed them. They’d still smelled faintly of rain and earth despite being warm and dry as they passed him on the way to the bathroom, and the scent lingered in his mind, weaving its way into his thoughts. He imagined running his hands along the smooth expanse of their pale skin, imagined holding them close and safe in his warmth, imagined how they would react to his touch—
The shower turned off and Frank was snapped out of his thoughts abruptly, instantly feeling a wave of shame wash over him. What the fuck had he been thinking? Gerard was clearly a person down on their luck, he couldn’t take advantage of them like that, no matter how attractive they may have been. Maybe he was more lonely than he thought.
He grabbed a pillow from his bed and stuffed it in the clean pillowcase, angry with himself. How could he stoop so low? He finished making up the couch and changed into his own night clothes, sitting on the edge of his bed and trying to push away the lingering traces of guilt that clung to him. It wouldn’t happen again.
A few minutes later Gerard stepped out of the steam-filled bathroom. They looked better now, with their cheeks flushed with red from the heat and eyes sparkling with color. Frank couldn’t help but notice how they were swimming in the t-shirt he’d given them, and before he knew what he was doing he’d crossed the room and kissed them deeply.
Their lips were impossibly soft, just as he’d imagined. They tasted of petrichor and hot chocolate and Frank felt himself get lost in the feeling. It wasn’t until they made a noise and kissed back, pulling him closer, that he’d realized what he’d done.
He pulled away immediately, completely mortified. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
They made a distressed noise as he backed away from them, fingers grasping at the front of his shirt to pull him closer. “Please,” they whispered.
Frank knew he should’ve remained adamant in his refusal, but he was already missing the feeling of their lips on his and their plea was enough to clear his guilty conscience for now. He kissed them again, tenderly, carefully cupping their cheeks in his hands.
Gerard returned the kiss with surprising force, hands slipping under Frank’s shirt and resting on his chest. Despite having just come out of the shower, they still felt cold, and Frank shivered a little, goosebumps rising on his skin.
The feeling of their lips on his was addicting, enchanting. His mind quickly became clouded with lust as their hands roamed his body, assaulting him with increasingly heated kisses. They were biting at his lip when Frank felt the back of his knees hit the edge of the bed, and then he was on his back with Gerard crawling over him sensually, a hungry expression on their face.
Frank let them divest him of his clothes, throwing them mindlessly somewhere on the floor. They pressed searing kisses all over his body, so hot that they felt cold. Or maybe it was the other way around. Frank was too lost to pay any mind, writhing at the sensation, gasping for breath. It felt like they were everywhere at once, surrounding him, consuming him.
Time no longer existed. It could’ve been minutes or centuries later when Gerard made their way back up Frank’s body, leaning in to whisper in his ear. “Fuck me, Frank,” they murmured.
That shook Frank out of his trance a little bit, startled. “Are you sure? I don’t want to take advantage of you—”
They pursed their lips at that, grinding down where they’d seated themselves in Frank’s lap and smirking when he moaned in response. “I want you to,” they purred.
Frank hesitated still, and they pouted, mouthing at his neck. Frank couldn’t help but wrap his hands around their waist, thumbs caressing their skin. They were naked, he had no idea when that had happened.
“Please Frank, I need you,” they breathed, eyes wide. “You wouldn’t let me down, would you?” They asked, a whine edging its way into their voice as they traced one of his tattoos delicately with a finger.
Frank shook his head vehemently, turning them over and kissing them fervently to wipe the pout from their face. He would never let them down, he only wanted to make them happy, would do anything they wanted, anything to make them smile at him again.
Gerard moaned appreciatively as he prepared them, eyes shut and mouth slack. They looked ethereal like that, Frank thought, struck by the sudden feeling that he was unworthy of the sight before him. But they made a disappointed noise as he realized he’d stopped, and renewed his efforts.
Before long he was pushing inside them, and they gasped, long fingers clutching at his back. “Yes, yes, just like that,” they encouraged breathlessly. Frank swore he could see their breath leaving their mouth, condensing in the air as if it was cold in the room, but heat burned through him far too feverishly for that to be the case.
Frank did his best to keep up a steady pace, getting lost in the feeling of them hot and slick around him. Despite the overwhelming pleasure coursing through his veins, that was nothing in comparison to watching Gerard come undone underneath him. He watched, enraptured, as they shuddered through it, the sweetest of sounds escaping their lips. He slowed, not wanting to overwhelm them, but they begged him to continue, writhing in pleasure.
He was struck by a sudden, inexplicable wave of exhaustion, and Frank collapsed on top of Gerard, arms giving out. With a surprising display of strength, they pushed him off of them onto his back, resettling themself in his lap. Frank attempted to move his hips to help, but they smiled sweetly at him, running a soothing hand down his cheek. “Relax, let me take care of you,” they said smoothly.
Frank could do little other than lay back and take what they gave him. All the sensation came rushing back through his body suddenly, taking over his senses. He felt delirious, a thick fog clouding his mind not unlike the fog outside. It took him far too long to realize that the dizzying spinning of his head was not due to the pleasure, but rather the difficulty he was having breathing. Not like he was just out of breath, but the air felt thick, oppressive. Like he was underwater.
He tried to move, a sudden stab of panic piercing through him, but his limbs felt heavy, uncooperative with fatigue. Gerard shushed him gently, leaning in to give him a kiss that only stole more of the air out of his lungs. “It’s okay my darling,” they cooed, breath fanning cold against his skin. “I’ve got you.”
Their words were a healing balm on his panic, their soft voice lulling him back into his trance. Yes, they were right. They would never hurt him, they would take care of him. A small voice in the back of his head screamed that something was wrong, that he needed to fight, but he ignored it until it was smothered by the sickly sweet smoke in his mind.
Franks heart beat sluggishly in his chest, but he payed that no mind, smiling up at Gerard. They looked otherworldly, like they were glowing. Their eyes reflected the lights of a thousand burning souls. Gerard smiled back at him, and Frank swore the world shattered around them, bathing them in a spectrum of infinite colors.
The exhaustion was setting in now, and Frank could barely keep his eyes open. “Don’t fight it,” Gerard whispered, and their words echoed from all sides of Frank’s mind. Frank dragged his eyes open one more time, to get a good look at them, and he thought that they almost looked sad.
But Frank could keep his eyes open no longer and they closed once again, a dark nothingness starting to creep in at the edges of his mind. Each breath he drew was increasingly more shallow, but he felt no more panic, only calm acceptance. He felt Gerard’s lips plant a soft kiss on his forehead, heard a whispered “thank you,” and then his world went black.
The fog dissipated before morning, lifting the blanket of eerie quiet from the streets. By the time the sun’s rays began peeking in through the window, Gerard was gone. Frank didn’t wake up.