You're The Only Hope For Me

Hazel woke up lying on her side and was greeted by the sight of the alarm clock giving her some alarming news.
12.35pm
It’d been a week since she’d come to stay with Frank, and every night apart from the previous one she’d gone to bed after midnight. Last night however, she’d been asleep since ten.
She sat bolt upright, how could she have slept for that long?
She caught sight of herself in the mirror opposite her bed and laughed at her reflection, she looked so bad it was actually hilarious. She hadn’t washed off her make-up so her eyeliner was smeared across her face, giving her a look that suggested she had bathed in liquid charcoal and run a marathon. Her hair was sticking up at all angles and when she smiled it looked like she was some sort of psycho killer from a horror film preparing to kill their next victim.
No.
This would not do.
Hazel got out of bed, stretched, showered, dressed, applied make-up, tidied the room a little and made the bed. She glanced at the clock – 12.59pm – and walked through to the kitchen to find Frank sitting at the counter with a cup of coffee.
“Ahhh, so the vampire finally rises!” Frank joked and winked at her, “I was beginning to think you were in hibernation or dead or some shit like that!”
“Ha ha ha funny.” Hazel raised her eyebrows but smiled despite herself.
He laughed again “Coffee?”
“No thanks,” She replied “I don’t really like it, I’m more of a tea drinker. As I’ve told you every day this week.”
“You don’t like coffee?!” Frank’s face was a picture of shock horror, “You know what? This relationship is well over!”
Did he just say…? Yeah, as a joke, she knew that, but still….
“Nah I kid,” Frank got up from his chair and walked across to the kettle, “I’ll make you tea. Sugar? Milk?”
“Just a small bit, thanks.” Hazel said, seating herself at the counter beside Frank’s coffee cup. She curled her hands around it, enjoying the warmth.
“Hey! Am I not good enough at warming your hands?” A voice came from behind her as Frank sat a steaming mug beside her and sneaked his arms around her waist. Hazel felt her stomach do a triple backflip.
“No, you’re perfectly fine for that.” She laughed, trying to keep her voice level as she spoke, “It’s just that you were unavailable currently and I had to make other arrangements!”
“Oh, I understand,” Frank replied and she could hear that adorable little smile creeping into his voice, “Your hands need the ultimate warmth!”
He removed his arms from her and sat down in the seat beside her. Hazel found herself wishing he hadn’t and cursed herself for letting this guy have such an effect on her.
She barely knew him. Okay, well she seemed to know him, she only knew what he’d told her but she believed it all without question. Anyway, she wasn’t even sure about her feelings towards him, she knew she definitely had some sort of feelings but other than that she was oblivious. Fuck, this was last night all over again.
“Hazel?” Frank’s voice brought her back to reality.
“Sorry what?”
“You okay? You seem a bit, I don’t know, distant maybe?” Frank was studying her face, his lips parted slightly.
“Yeah, yeah,” Hazel blinked, squeezing her eyes together tightly, “I just zoned out a minute, sorry.”
“As long as you’re sure that you are fine.” Frank said, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
God, Hazel wished he’d just close his mouth. Seriously, his lips were so hot. She imagined them pressed against her own and felt a jolt somewhere in her stomach.
“Yeah, I…- ” She stuttered, pushing the fantasy out of her mind, and smiled at him. “Yeah I’m honestly okay, thanks for asking though.”
He sipped at his coffee and raised his eyebrows at her.
She imitated him with her tea, met his eyes and wiggled her eyebrows back.
She didn’t know what is was with him, he just had such a good effect on her.
He retaliated and it turned into a competition.
Eventually he looked away and laughed, sounding slightly nervous.
“Hazel you’re just so,” He broke off, “I don’t know how to describe it, it’s just-” he sighed, making Hazel’s heart jump, “It’s just I’ve never met anyone like you before.”
“What? Someone so incredibly fucked up?” Hazel replied, trying hard not to do something stupid like snort with laughter into her tea.
“No,” He frowned, “No one so perfect.”
-
That evening they were sitting on the sofa in the living room again with the lights dimmed drinking wine. Hazel hadn’t been especially fond of the taste of it when she’d had it the other night but Frank was drinking it and he had offered her some so she didn’t refuse. She was glad she’d taken some because she realised that the small amount of alcohol was lightening her up a little.
Frank had suggested they watched TV but once they were sitting on the sofa neither of them could be bothered to get up and switch it on. They sat and talked and laughed for hours, the time seemed to fly by but by 12.40am their cheery mood had worn off and the conversation had become more halted.
“Did you know,” Frank began studying her face, “That shy people are more likely to admit things or express themselves during late night conversations?”
“Is that a jest at me?” Hazel raised one eyebrow.
“No, not really,” Frank replied, “But you know, I’m pretty shy so…”
Hazel smiled at him with a small laugh, “No, don’t worry about it, I’m shy myself so I completely get it.”
He nodded and exhaled, staring straight ahead.
“How long were you with your previous girlfriend for?” Hazel asked him, not feeling comfortable with the silence.
Frank turned to look at her, and seeing the look on his face she quickly added “If you don’t wanna talk about it, that’s honestly fine.”
“Sometimes it helps to talk about it, also I don’t mind talking to you about it,” He gave her a small smile “Anyway, I have something I’ll show you.”
He set his wine glass down on the floor beside him, got up and walked across the room until he reached the shelf with the birthday cards on it, he knelt down to open the drawer underneath, and with some difficulty extracted something from it. Hazel saw the photo album in his hands as he walked back and felt her cheeks go a little pink, he didn’t notice though, thanks to the dim lights. He didn’t know she’d already seen it and was obviously happy to share it with her, but she still didn’t want him to know she’d found it and looked at it secretly.
He sat himself down on the sofa next to her, closer than he previously was, and she put her wine glass onto the floor. Frank flicked opened the photo album to a picture of the girl with brown eyes and brown hair.
“This is her,” He said, staring at the picture, “We’d been together for about eleven months and she’d been living with me for five.”
“She’s pretty, what’s her name?” Hazel was staring at the picture too.
“I don’t want to say if you don’t mind,” Frank swept his hair back over his head with his hand, “It makes it all more real, if y’know what I mean?”
“Yeah…” Hazel replied as Frank turned a few pages, finally landing on the one of the man with the pale skin and black hair.
“This is my best friend.” Frank said with a sigh, closing his eyes for a moment so Hazel could see the black lines across each of his eyelids.
“The one with the drinking problem?” Hazel asked, knowing the answer.
“Yes.” Frank sighed again, “His name’s Gerard. He’s the kindest person you could ever meet, he has a massive heart, he’s always there for you, he’d help you through anything, he never judges anyone ever, and he’s the best friend anyone could ever have.”
“Why does he drink then?” Hazel asked cautiously.
“Depression.” Came the one worded answer, “He wanted to forget it, wanted to be happy, wanted to be himself, and he felt the alcohol could do that for him.”
“Oh.” Hazel wasn’t quite sure what to say.
There was silence for a few minutes as both of them looked at the picture, then Frank suddenly said “I miss him.”
“When did you last see him?” Hazel queried and glanced at the clock, 1.38am
“About six months ago, the day after she left, the day he said we shouldn’t see each other for a bit.” Frank’s voice trembled slightly, “Probably the worst day of my life.”
Hazel hated seeing him sad but she had no idea what she could do. “Text him? Call him? Ask him to meet up. I could go too if you wanted?”
Frank looked at the floor again, “I don’t know, what if he didn’t want to?”
The dying light cast his face in shadows and seemed to make him look even more attractive than usual. Hazel felt an ache inside her as she looked at his sad face.
“Just do it! I can help, I’ll be there. I hate seeing you sad like this and not being able to do anything. I want to help you and this is what we’re going to do to fix it. He’s your best friend and we’re not going to lose him like this!” Hazel burst out but regretted it immediately, after all, there was no ‘we’, it was just Frank and it wasn’t anything to do with her.
“Hazel.” Frank turned his head to look at her, his eyes level with hers.
Hazel turned her head a little so she was looking right at him and opened her mouth slightly to apologise for being so forward. But before she could say anything, he quickly pushed his lips against hers.

Notes

Ya so they kissed. How cute and all :3 XD
Also feedback is welcome :) x