Ian seemed to be more appropriately dressed for the cold weather than Frankie was. A jean jacket did little to properly cut out the chilly air, and though it’d made him grumpy before, he was grateful for it now. Cheeks already pink from the frost bitten breeze, they would’ve rouged on their own accord at Ian’s statement, hesitant then said with as much confidence as anyone would have saying something obvious and sure - their birthday, favourite colour. Ian spoke like that about Frankie still sometimes, and it always left him feeling indescribable - sunken in, maybe. Like his chest was starting to collapse, “Nah,” he said, breezing over the compliment - for his own sake, more than anything. Frankie’s brain seemed to short circuit and burst into flames anytime he tried to keep himself civil, “I think you’ve, uh, grown since we last hung out. Like, at least an inch or two. You used to just be here,” Holding his hand palm down, flat to his hip, an obvious exaggeration, “and now you’re, like,” Taking a step closer, Frankie reached to measure out where Ian’s head came to just below his chin, hand hovering in the air between them as he attempted to judge whether it was a good idea or not. His fingers were already twitching just from where Ian had barely pressed a touch to Frankie’s elbow. He hated how he felt sometimes, an overcharged panel box one spark away from going into overdrive, a simple touch shooting over every nerve and setting him on fire - too much and not enough, “Now you’re pretty much my height. We’re, uh, basically eye to eye,” Frankie finally landed on, eventually shoving his hand back into his pocket, a firm time out, worried that if he didn’t he’d do something regrettable. Giving a small wave to the girl working the front desk - the same one who’d watched Frankie come in twice already before now, doing nothing but raising a slightly judging brow before turning to the parents coming in behind them - he reached into his jacket pocket again, this time supplying Ian with a ticket. A day pass, like Frankie’s, despite the lack of times the other had been there that day, “Here,” he said, no explanation tacked on, though he felt a bit silly about the gesture too. Frankie never knew when he was pushing too hard when it came to other people, but there never seemed to be that line he couldn’t cross before with Ian, making it easy for his judgment to be foggy now, “I, uh, wanted to show you something, first. They, uh, changed the lighting, for the festival, and…” Rounding the corner until they found themselves in a room where the wall’s were made up of nothing but thick glass, schools of fish of every size and colour floating past them without care, “I think I really insulted one of the employees here. Said I didn’t like them at first, but… they grow on you. I was in here for… like, an hour earlier, just staring. I think these tourists thought I was possessed, but. I just, uh, I loved it. It was like… a dream, or something. I really wanted to show you - I don’t know. It felt important. Do you like it?”
--𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚠𝚘 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚎 . Unpleasant, meant to be sweet but somehow bitter. hung out. Is that what they were doing? Ian hated the way his thoughts started to spiral, trying to stop it, trying to stop himself from over analyzing every word that was leaving his lips, he focused on his features. Ian had a propensity for ignoring signs, even the ones which were both flashing and neon, but Ian had to be sure he was reading every movement correctly. He couldnt afford to get his hopes up, if what they were doing right now was hanging out he needed to know it, if Frankie considered what they had done to be hanging out he needed to know that too. So he silently chewed on the inside of his lower lip, watching every movement of Frankies hands. “now thats just not true..” he chuckled at the idea of them being the same height. Then his brain stilled, fingers delicately poised in the air, the prospect of Frankie touching him was enough to quiet everything going on inside him and every cell in his body yearned for it. His breathing shallowed, his feet drug him just an inch closer, the full difference in their height more readily on display, he was close enough to breathe him in. Cold air, cigarettes, the same laundry detergent, maybe a new body wash. It was familiar and new, he couldnt resist the urge to swallow on a dry throat. Frankies hand went back into his pocket and Ian took a step back, just enough to allow them to continue to walk together.
When the pass was handed over to him, you would have thought this was the first gift he had ever received with amount of joy it brought him. It luckily didnt play out on his face, but did paint his cheeks a deep crimson. He was dreading that part, waiting in line standing together but paying separate, at two windows each buying one ticket. To Ian, the foresight of buying his ticket was enough to have him floating on air. It was one of the many silent ways that Frankie had shown his love before, and the gesture felt equally as warm now. “th..thank you” he offered, taking the ticket, his fingers brushing over the soft skin of his hand, he wished he could hold it. Ignoring that thought he pushed the ticket into his pocket and walked along side him, they were suddenly off the beaten path and Ian felt alive again, the smile on his lips easy and permanent. Then they were in the room, and the small brunets eyes widened and jaw dropped, there was nothing more serene than this. He stood in the center of the room, turning slowly on his heel to take in the full spectacle of it, “its... incredible.. really ba..” he started, his eyes widened before he corrected himself “frankie” he cleared his throat. “its amazing”. Despite his blunder, despite the rising heat up his neck, he didnt let his eyes fall away, he remained locked on Frankie for another moment before they started to take in the fish. i wanted to show you, it played out in his head over and over, bouncing around as his retinas bounced from fish to fish. Was this a date, was this them talking, was this closure, what was this? His brain wouldnt stop proposing new questions new ideas, so as Ian turned his back to follow a particularly quick fish he thought it best to speak the question into existence “why me though?” he finally asked
dededos
kianamaiart
turnnoffyourmind
prguitarman
annaxmalina
