Frerard – Cashier AU
Chapter 1
Frank’s POV
I woke up. I got dressed. I did my hair.
Sadly, I also went to school.
Ugh. School. Every day I went I somehow managed to feel both alone and crowded around at the same time. Maybe it would’ve been easier if I had a friend. Someone I could at least partially trust. That would be great!
Well, come to think of it, things weren’t too bad. I was never really ‘bullied’ in the strictest sense of the word, but I still heard the whispers of “emo fag” every so often.
I tried not to let it get to me.
(I mean, I wore black all the time, but people took this stuff out of proportion.)
Home was better. I had a parent, my mum, and she took care of me. Life wasn’t great, but it could’ve been a lot worse.
Then he came around.
It was the afternoon of a long Monday. I was really tired, but at least I didn’t have any homework. My mother had asked me to pick up some milk and sugar from the nearby convenience store on the way home from school. I walked out of the gates, ignoring everyone going to their friend’s places.
Hands in my pockets, I drew out the usually-short walk to the store. I paused once I got there, looked at the automatic sliding doors, and walked in.
Inside, I saw a few people milling about, some from my school. I walked over the fridge and grabbed a carton of milk. Looking over the shelves, I found a lot of randomly assorted foods, but no sugar.
Frowning, I went to the checkout and, after waiting a few seconds, a vibrant redhead worker came up to me.
He looked kinda familiar...I thought for a few seconds until I realized he probably went to my school. I glimpsed at his nametag.
Gerard.
“Can I help you?” He asked, looking bored.
“Um...Do you have any sugar?” I inquired, trying hard not to fidget.
He smirked and raised an eyebrow.
“Are you hitting on me?”
I sputtered.
“Wha-? N-no!” I half-whispered, suddenly hyperaware of the other customers’ glances. Luckily, I didn’t meet any curious eyes.
He laughed at me, enjoying my discomfort. Bastard! Flicking his unkempt hair, he said “We don’t have any. But we get a new stock tomorrow, I think.”
“Ah, okay.” I paused. “Don’t you go to Rosewater High?”
He looked me up and down. “Yeah. This is my after-school job. You’re Frank, right?”
I looked at him, surprised he knew my name.
“Yeah. Er, since you don’t have any sugar-“ I swear I saw a grin flash across his face “Can I just get this?” I put the carton on the counter.
He jumped over the counter and slid across it. I averted my eyes.
Suddenly, the crappy overhead turned on. A static-y voice grumbled, “Just a reminder to employees to politely walk and not jump around like a monkey.”
I sniggered. Gerard made a face at the speakers on the ceiling. He turned back to the carton of milk, scanned it, bagged it and handed me my change. Our fingers lightly brushed.
“Thanks,” I half-mumbled.
I walked out of the store and got home quickly. I tried my hardest to slow my heartbeat and ignore the fact that talking to Gerard for just a few minutes had me thinking things.
Shirtless things.
The next day I went to school with a slightly happier beat in my step. Maybe it was the rainy clouds that hung in the sky, maybe it was the fresh air...Who knew?
After a few nondescript classes, lunch came. For the first time in a while, I felt like it came too slowly. I walked outside and saw a familiar flip of unnatural red hair, startling me. I looked on the grass and saw him leaning on his hands, his legs in front of him. I contemplated going over and saying hi until I saw a younger guy come up to him.
I quickly turned around and went inside the cafeteria. Right. This wasn’t the start of the school year. People had already found friends.
Well, most people.
After school I sat on the warm bricks of the school gate. I watched as students flooded out of the doors. I was look for one...head...in...particular...
There!
I tried to time my ascent perfectly, getting up just as-
“Frank?”
MISSION ACCOMPLISED!
“Oh, hi Gerard!” Shit, was that too obvious? Was I coming off as super clingy? Oh god-
“Hey.” Gerard looked at me sideways.
Without saying a word, we both started walking in the direction of the store.
“So...” I grasped for a conversation topic. “Why do you work at that store?”
Riveting.
Gerard rolled his eyes. “Ugh, my parents told me I should get a job. Not even for the money or anything, just to teach me ‘responsibility’. I actually kind of hate it, because now I have no time for writing music.”
“You write music?”
He suddenly looked embarrassed.
“Yeah, well, no, I mean...The stuff I write isn’t that good, you know, amateur stuff...”
I inwardly grinned. So he was a music geek?
“It’s okay, dude. I play guitar and I like messing around, making new stuff.”
He sighed happily and smiled at me.
We finally got to the store. Gerard paused.
“Uergh, I have to go to the storage, bring over the shipment and get changed into work uniform,” he complained. I decided to follow him as he went over to a slightly smaller building to the right of the store. He smirked back at me.
“Can’t get enough of me?” He teased, walking backwards.
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Bold thinking, Gerard.”
He went up to a door labeled “Staff Only”.
“I’ll be one second,” he explained, opening the door.
I giggled, making him stop.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing, it’s just that...staff is another word for penis.”
Gerard looked at me, then the door, then me, the door, me...
“Frank Iero, you are the weirdest and most free-thinking person I’ve ever met.” With that, he shook his head, smiled and walked inside, closing the door behind him.
Did he just...compliment me? I smiled, big and proud.
Until I heard a loud crash, followed by “Shit!”
Startled, I stood for a seconds, shocked. I threw open the door and ran into the room.
Inside the dimly-lit walls, I saw an admittedly hilarious sight. Gerard had his school uniform shirt half pulled up, but he must’ve forgotten to undo a button or something because his head and arms were stuck and he had fallen over.
I rushed over to him.
“Are you alright?” I asked, concerned he might have hurt himself.
“Nngh...”
I helped him pull down his shirt, unbutton it and pull it off. His face was red from the effort.
“Er...Thanks...” He looked embarrassed.
I laughed at his obvious discomfort. Then I noticed our close proximity. Also the shirtlessness.
Gerard looked up, meeting my eyes. I looked back at his, noticing they were a beautiful shade of hazel.
“Your eyes...” I mumbled, mesmerized.
Shit, did that sound gay?
He smirked at me.
Ah, too bad.
“What are you gonna do, kiss m-”
Before he finished, I closed my eyes, internally prayed (kinda redundant, considering the situation) and connected our lips. He didn’t react.
I suddenly got scared. Had I misread his signals? I pulled away, concerned. Gerard looked shocked.
Fuck, fuck, fuck! I’d fucked u-
Suddenly his hand was pulling the back of my head towards him. He started kissing me.
He. Was. Kissing. ME!
He placed his hands on the sides of my face. His lips were soft, and he smelt nice.
We both pulled away, out of breath. I felt my cheeks grow as red as Gerard’s hair. We sort of stared at each other.
“Um,” he started, his beautiful, beautiful smile never leaving his face. “If you let me change into my store uniform, I’ll get you some sugar.
More than I already gave you, I mean.”
The next day I went to school feeling really, really happy.
And this time I knew why.
At lunch I went up to Gerard and sat with him. I asked him who the guy he was talking to yesterday was. He explained that it was his younger brother, Mikey, pestering him.
“Yeah, I don’t really have...friends,” he mumbled.
I smiled. “Neither do I!”
He laughed at my enthusiasm. In turn, I smiled at him.
Maybe I hadn’t found a “friend”, but instead found something better.
His eyes suddenly widened.
“Oh! I forgot to tell you,” he started. “This morning the store called and told me I was fired. Someone drew a phallus on the ‘Staff Only’ door, and they blamed me.”
I chuckled. “Seriously?”
He nodded. “Seriously.”
I woke up. I got dressed. I did my hair.
Sadly, I also went to school.
Ugh. School. Every day I went I somehow managed to feel both alone and crowded around at the same time. Maybe it would’ve been easier if I had a friend. Someone I could at least partially trust. That would be great!
Well, come to think of it, things weren’t too bad. I was never really ‘bullied’ in the strictest sense of the word, but I still heard the whispers of “emo fag” every so often.
I tried not to let it get to me.
(I mean, I wore black all the time, but people took this stuff out of proportion.)
Home was better. I had a parent, my mum, and she took care of me. Life wasn’t great, but it could’ve been a lot worse.
Then he came around.
It was the afternoon of a long Monday. I was really tired, but at least I didn’t have any homework. My mother had asked me to pick up some milk and sugar from the nearby convenience store on the way home from school. I walked out of the gates, ignoring everyone going to their friend’s places.
Hands in my pockets, I drew out the usually-short walk to the store. I paused once I got there, looked at the automatic sliding doors, and walked in.
Inside, I saw a few people milling about, some from my school. I walked over the fridge and grabbed a carton of milk. Looking over the shelves, I found a lot of randomly assorted foods, but no sugar.
Frowning, I went to the checkout and, after waiting a few seconds, a vibrant redhead worker came up to me.
He looked kinda familiar...I thought for a few seconds until I realized he probably went to my school. I glimpsed at his nametag.
Gerard.
“Can I help you?” He asked, looking bored.
“Um...Do you have any sugar?” I inquired, trying hard not to fidget.
He smirked and raised an eyebrow.
“Are you hitting on me?”
I sputtered.
“Wha-? N-no!” I half-whispered, suddenly hyperaware of the other customers’ glances. Luckily, I didn’t meet any curious eyes.
He laughed at me, enjoying my discomfort. Bastard! Flicking his unkempt hair, he said “We don’t have any. But we get a new stock tomorrow, I think.”
“Ah, okay.” I paused. “Don’t you go to Rosewater High?”
He looked me up and down. “Yeah. This is my after-school job. You’re Frank, right?”
I looked at him, surprised he knew my name.
“Yeah. Er, since you don’t have any sugar-“ I swear I saw a grin flash across his face “Can I just get this?” I put the carton on the counter.
He jumped over the counter and slid across it. I averted my eyes.
Suddenly, the crappy overhead turned on. A static-y voice grumbled, “Just a reminder to employees to politely walk and not jump around like a monkey.”
I sniggered. Gerard made a face at the speakers on the ceiling. He turned back to the carton of milk, scanned it, bagged it and handed me my change. Our fingers lightly brushed.
“Thanks,” I half-mumbled.
I walked out of the store and got home quickly. I tried my hardest to slow my heartbeat and ignore the fact that talking to Gerard for just a few minutes had me thinking things.
Shirtless things.
The next day I went to school with a slightly happier beat in my step. Maybe it was the rainy clouds that hung in the sky, maybe it was the fresh air...Who knew?
After a few nondescript classes, lunch came. For the first time in a while, I felt like it came too slowly. I walked outside and saw a familiar flip of unnatural red hair, startling me. I looked on the grass and saw him leaning on his hands, his legs in front of him. I contemplated going over and saying hi until I saw a younger guy come up to him.
I quickly turned around and went inside the cafeteria. Right. This wasn’t the start of the school year. People had already found friends.
Well, most people.
After school I sat on the warm bricks of the school gate. I watched as students flooded out of the doors. I was look for one...head...in...particular...
There!
I tried to time my ascent perfectly, getting up just as-
“Frank?”
MISSION ACCOMPLISED!
“Oh, hi Gerard!” Shit, was that too obvious? Was I coming off as super clingy? Oh god-
“Hey.” Gerard looked at me sideways.
Without saying a word, we both started walking in the direction of the store.
“So...” I grasped for a conversation topic. “Why do you work at that store?”
Riveting.
Gerard rolled his eyes. “Ugh, my parents told me I should get a job. Not even for the money or anything, just to teach me ‘responsibility’. I actually kind of hate it, because now I have no time for writing music.”
“You write music?”
He suddenly looked embarrassed.
“Yeah, well, no, I mean...The stuff I write isn’t that good, you know, amateur stuff...”
I inwardly grinned. So he was a music geek?
“It’s okay, dude. I play guitar and I like messing around, making new stuff.”
He sighed happily and smiled at me.
We finally got to the store. Gerard paused.
“Uergh, I have to go to the storage, bring over the shipment and get changed into work uniform,” he complained. I decided to follow him as he went over to a slightly smaller building to the right of the store. He smirked back at me.
“Can’t get enough of me?” He teased, walking backwards.
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Bold thinking, Gerard.”
He went up to a door labeled “Staff Only”.
“I’ll be one second,” he explained, opening the door.
I giggled, making him stop.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing, it’s just that...staff is another word for penis.”
Gerard looked at me, then the door, then me, the door, me...
“Frank Iero, you are the weirdest and most free-thinking person I’ve ever met.” With that, he shook his head, smiled and walked inside, closing the door behind him.
Did he just...compliment me? I smiled, big and proud.
Until I heard a loud crash, followed by “Shit!”
Startled, I stood for a seconds, shocked. I threw open the door and ran into the room.
Inside the dimly-lit walls, I saw an admittedly hilarious sight. Gerard had his school uniform shirt half pulled up, but he must’ve forgotten to undo a button or something because his head and arms were stuck and he had fallen over.
I rushed over to him.
“Are you alright?” I asked, concerned he might have hurt himself.
“Nngh...”
I helped him pull down his shirt, unbutton it and pull it off. His face was red from the effort.
“Er...Thanks...” He looked embarrassed.
I laughed at his obvious discomfort. Then I noticed our close proximity. Also the shirtlessness.
Gerard looked up, meeting my eyes. I looked back at his, noticing they were a beautiful shade of hazel.
“Your eyes...” I mumbled, mesmerized.
Shit, did that sound gay?
He smirked at me.
Ah, too bad.
“What are you gonna do, kiss m-”
Before he finished, I closed my eyes, internally prayed (kinda redundant, considering the situation) and connected our lips. He didn’t react.
I suddenly got scared. Had I misread his signals? I pulled away, concerned. Gerard looked shocked.
Fuck, fuck, fuck! I’d fucked u-
Suddenly his hand was pulling the back of my head towards him. He started kissing me.
He. Was. Kissing. ME!
He placed his hands on the sides of my face. His lips were soft, and he smelt nice.
We both pulled away, out of breath. I felt my cheeks grow as red as Gerard’s hair. We sort of stared at each other.
“Um,” he started, his beautiful, beautiful smile never leaving his face. “If you let me change into my store uniform, I’ll get you some sugar.
More than I already gave you, I mean.”
The next day I went to school feeling really, really happy.
And this time I knew why.
At lunch I went up to Gerard and sat with him. I asked him who the guy he was talking to yesterday was. He explained that it was his younger brother, Mikey, pestering him.
“Yeah, I don’t really have...friends,” he mumbled.
I smiled. “Neither do I!”
He laughed at my enthusiasm. In turn, I smiled at him.
Maybe I hadn’t found a “friend”, but instead found something better.
His eyes suddenly widened.
“Oh! I forgot to tell you,” he started. “This morning the store called and told me I was fired. Someone drew a phallus on the ‘Staff Only’ door, and they blamed me.”
I chuckled. “Seriously?”
He nodded. “Seriously.”
Notes
1467 words of fanfiction! Holy crap.
This was meant to be writing practice...obviously turned into something more.
THIS TOOK WAY LONGER THAN EXPECTED.
Also, writing it by hand and then having to type it was not my best idea.
This is my first ever fanfiction!
To anyone who posts feedback, know that it is HUGELY appreciated!
Sending love to everyone who reads this. <333
Also: if you want to contact me, I have a tumblr of the same name.
sophiathepsychotic.tumblr.com
gah! so good! please update!
7/28/14