And One To Grow On
So, this silliness is actually from June, but I just came across it again and realized I never stuck it here.
ficbyzee: do you see my encouraging face? this is my encouraging face. I will so finish this fic where Bob gives Frank flowers, if you do.
ceej: THAT TEMPTATION IS NOT FAIR. omg every once in a while i think about that sort of lame plotline on House where every week Chase would say to Cameron "it's tuesday. it's the day i remind that i like you and think we should be together" and today i was thinking about it in some vaguely romcom scenario where Frank is this boy Bob likes, and for whatever reason Frank either isn't or thinks he can't date him, and Bob starts leaving a flower him every day as a reminder that he likes Frank and he thinks they should be together.
ceej: IT IS SAPPY AND RIDIC BUT SOMETIMES I'M LIKE THAT, OKAY?
ficbyzee: AWWW MAN OH MAN. I would soooo read that fic. SO READ IT.
ceej: oh, maybe! ohhh. it's au, obvs. maybe Bob meets Frank they do date, but it's during a period in both their lives where it just doesn't work. one of them is too busy or their schedules make it hard, so they kind of end up being friends who never really got to see where it could have gone. they're around one another as they each date other people, etc, and maybe there's some random point in between people where Frank talks about how his grandpa was talking to him about his latest breakup, and he said that Frank was just no good at picking nice people. he likes the wild ones. he just needs somebody who'll be there and think to do thoughtful little things. someone who knows that a relationship is about taking care of each other, not just Frank taking care of whatever bag of neuroses he's dating that month. and Frank tells Bob, "he really said to me, 'Frankie, you need somebody who thinks to bring you flowers. I used to do that for your grandmother. Do your generation do that for each other? I never know what's not cool or cool again.' He's insane. Great but crazy."
ceej: AND THEN
ceej: so, like
ficbyzee: AWW
ceej: then Frank ends up with someone that seems AWESOME. they're together, it's cool. Frank thinks, great, yes, this is the one. this person is amazing. (i don't know who. i don't really care.) but of course it doesn't work out. and it kinds of wrecks Frank, because he was all in looooove. he's kind of bitter in that awkward way where he pretends he's not bitter and clearly wanting to be in love still by making comments about how being in love sucks and singleness is A++ times, but then going to bed with a beer and watching bad horror movies on cable and being butthurt in his apartment.
ficbyzee: awww, frank. FRANK!
ceej: bob's dating someone at the time. it's pretty casual, so when he gets the idea to start doing things to make Frank feel less wretched, it's totally a platonic thing. he just wants to make Frank laugh at himself a little bit. the idea to leave flowers doesn't even come to him until he's already left stupid presents at Frank's apartment when they hang out or sent him a really tacky singing telegram at work from "a secret admirer." Frank calls Bob, all, "I know it was you," and Bob can't even stop laughing long enough to pretend it isn't.
ficbyzee: a;sdlkjf;lj they kill me.
ceej: then he gets the idea for the flowers, and the first time he brings him a small bunch of them. they're just going to watch movies, but Bob stopped in and asked a florist to put together a nice assortment. "Something that says, uh, I love you but I hope you can suck it up soon, because people stare at us funny when you get drunk and start crying and singing 'If I Could Turn Back Time' in the bar. If you can manage it," is what Bob had said to the florist, but he just hands them to Frank with a smile when he gets to Frank's place.
ficbyzee: hahahaha OH BOB.
ceej: Frank refuses to take them at first, half-laughing and telling Bob he's being a dork, but then Bob is like, hey, he spent good money on the flowers! He fills a plastic pitcher with water and puts the flowers in it. Frank says that there's no way he's keeping flowers. What's he going to make all his Lipton iced tea in now, without a pitcher? And Bob says, whatever, even if Frank tosses them out, he'll just bring him a flower every day.
ceej: And that's how it starts
ceej: Bob's trying to spiteful, okay?
ficbyzee: hahahaha! oh bob. bobbbb I see your schmoopy ways.
ceej: So he starts leaving Frank flowers. Sometimes there are little stupid notes attached, mostly things to make Frank laugh. He doesn't even realize how much of a routine it becomes until he thinks about the fact that sometimes he doesn't even get to hang out with Frank, but he'll make sure to wedge the flower into Frank's mailbox at least, so that he sees it when he checks he mail after work.
ceej: Also, Bob eventually stops dating whoever, but he keeps leaving the flowers and hangs out with Frank more. Frank seems to gradually be returning to better moods, and Bob's really glad about that. He really was worried about Frank, and breaking up with someone you're that into sucks, so he's relieved that Frank is cheering up. They go out without episodes of drunken weeping, even! It's so great. They have such a good time that one night, instead of drunken weeping, Frank's giggling and Bob has his hands on Frank's shoulder, guiding him toward the door to him building so Frank can get upstairs and Bob can head home. Except they get distracted by the fact that Frank hasn't pulled his flower for the day from the mailbox yet, and Bob looks at it and says, "Hey, who left you that?"
ceej: Frank smiles, squinty-eyed and tipsy. He plucks the flower from the box, saying, "Oh, this guy. He doesn't really leave messages that tell me what he's like or who he is."
Bob says, "He's probably a bad ass."
Frank says, "He's probably a stalker. What if he wants to slice me up and put me in his fridge?"
He tries to duck back when Bob pinches his shoulder hard. He laughs, trying to bat Bob's hand away. He says, "Stop! Fuck, ow, okay!"
ceej: Bob stands close to Frank, pushing his shoulder into the glass door behind him. He still has this sideways smile plastered on his face, arms at his sides. He's batting something softly against Bob's hip, the flower, and Bob sees it coming when Frank pushes up on his toes, but it still makes him suck in a breath anyway. They make out in outside of Frank's building, leaning against the front door, and Frank mutters, "You should come upstairs. Come up," against Bob's mouth.
Bob says, "Mhm. Yeah."
Instead of taking time to fish for his key, Frank mashes in all the buttons to buzz his neighbors until someone just unlocks the door. They practically starting strip as they head up one flight to get to Frank's apartment. Frank shrugs off his hoodie and keeps stumbling up the stairs, trying to walk sideways so that he can kiss Bob and help push off his jacket at the same time.
ceej: It's been years since they've done anything like this, so it's a familiar kind of new for Bob, touching him like this -- getting to kiss him. They make it to Frank's bed, help each other out of their clothes, and they don't fuck, but Bob fingers Frank, jerking him off simultaneously and kissing along his stomach. Frank can't stop keening, coming with Bob's fingers inside him, and when he's calmed down, he makes Bob slide up on the bed so that Frank can slide down and blow him. He pulls off before Bob come, and then Frank kisses Bob, ignoring the stickiness between them and making out until they doze off.
It's kind of gross for Bob hours later, waking up in the wet spot. He gets woken up when someone knocks on Frank's door and Frank rolls out of bed, pulling on some sweats from a drawer and a t-shirt. It's someone random like the building maintenance guys coming by to check the pipes in his bathroom because the tenant under him complained about leakage in the walls, and they're just trying to figure out if there's only one source for the problem or if they're going to need to do more work.
ceej: Bob slips into the shower while the maintenance dudes babble at Frank. He's in and out quickly and gets dressed in the clothes he wore the night before. When comes out of the bedroom, Frank's eating cereal. The dudes working on the plumbing have gone to get some part or another, Frank says he was only half-listening, and Bob tries hard to carry on the small talk as if he isn't wondering what Frank's thinking about them. After a minute, he says that he should get going because he has to get fresh clothes before his afternoon shift at work.
"Yeah, yeah," Frank says. "We should meet later though. We can't now, I guess, with the, uh," and he sweeps his hand back and forth to indicate the shenanigans going on with the plumbing, "but later."
ceej: "Sure," Bob says, and he goes through his whole day preoccupied with thinking about him and Frank. More than anything, Bob thinks about how, although it was strange to fall into bed with Frank again, he also doesn't regret it. Bob finds that he's really pleased, actually, and he makes sure to get a flower for Frank after he leaves work, stopping to grab one, because it's just habit, and also he likes doing it.
He feels sort of silly when he gets there though, because Frank takes the flower, Bob kisses him, Frank is into it and kisses back, and yet somehow they find themselves in a conversation about how Frank isn't comfortable with things. It isn't fair to either of them -- to Bob. Frank got out of a serious relationship a couple months ago, and it still fucking hurts, and it would be right to try to get into anything with him now while he's still reeling from it. What if he's still on the rebound or something?
ceej: Bob says, "Rebounding. Are you? Is that was this is?"
"No, but that's," Frank says, and Bob can see the tension in his arms. "How do I know? I can't risk it."
Which Bob understands on some level, but fuck, that sucks. He's frustrated, wondering if they're always going to have shitty timing. Bob wants this. He would try again with Frank, and so it's kind of hard to tell Frank that he disagrees with him, that he doesn't think it's rebounding, and that if it were up to him, he'd try again and yet still leave Frank's place anyway, because he also gets it. Frank's not ready.
ficbyzee: oh man, frank doesn't want to rebound with bob! oh, themmmm
ceej: frank is feeling all uncertain of his feelings! he doesn't want to make mistakes with bob.
ceej: Bob doesn't stop leaving the flowers even though he maybe should. The context is different now, Bob knows that. That's what he's going for with it. He leaves messages with the next few, short, light notes, like "don't worry about it" and sometimes little jokes, like before, but then he finally sends one with a note that says, "I still disagree," and the day after that, it's the note that says, "It's Wednesday. I like you. I think we should be together," and then after that he just tags the flower with the days of the week as a reminder.
ficbyzee: a;lfka;lkjf !!!!! OH MAN MY SAPPY HEART CAN'T EVEN HANDLE THAT. wooing frank!
ficbyzee: what eventually changes frank's mind?
ceej: Well, the flower thing, man, it's risky. It keeps it looming between them, how Bob feels (and how Bob is sure Frank still feels). They start to hang out a little less, because nothing's changing between them though, and after a while it just start to get awkward. Bob keeps leaving the flowers for a while, but then one day he just stops because, wow, he doesn't want to push Frank away by making him feel uncomfortable, and it's not like Frank's given him the okay. So Bob stops, and he doesn't see Frank for like a week, thinking he'll give him space and then suck it up and be a supportive best friend like he should.
ceej: He plans to call Frank on Friday so they can celebrate the end of the week and getting away from work for a couple days like usual
ceej: But Frank sends him a text before Bob calls. He hasn't even been at work long and he gets a text from Frank, reading, "A Stella night? Or your fucking asian beers?"
ceej: And Bob just sends a message back saying that they'll go to Frank's place
ceej: So they meet up, and it's weird for like five minutes, but then Frank starts rambling about this new dude at his job who's basically a gopher, except he can't keep order straight. He's so pathetic that Frank bought him lunch because, man, nobody should have to be that much of a hazard every single day. That must be rough.
ceej: And Bob laughs, and they drink and talk about the usual shit
ceej: They don't drink a whole lot. Bob's completely fine to drive home, and as they walk outside, Bob figured maybe he'll at least apologize if he made Frank feel pressured or something. He opens his mouth to say, "Hey, Frankie --" and Frank cuts him off, saying, "What the -- are we fucking serious, it's like 11:30. Come play video games with me, man."
ceej: Which is probably not the greatest idea, although Bob isn't sure why he thinks so. He starts to say, nah, he's just going to go home and sleep. They aren't drunk, but Bob's loose enough that he looks at Frank and thinks about how they were falling around each other that night, how it lead to kissing Frank outside his place
ficbyzee: oh Bobbbb. man, they kill me! that awkwardness when you're not sure if it's a friend thing or a something-more thing, oh man.
ceej: Right! But as soon as Bob starts trying to act like he's tired, Frank insists, saying, "No, you're coming. For a little bit, come on. You act like it's not Saturday tomorrow," and Bob relents. Of course he does. So he tails Frank to his place and has stupid thoughts about turning around and going home and saying something like, oops, he got lost and accidentally ended up at home. But then they're there, and Frank says, "Okay, just for a minute, okay?" Except Bob thought he wanted to play video games or something, so now he's really feeling weird.
ceej: When they get to Frank's apartment, Frank says, "Alright, look, I," and aborts the sentence, stepping into the place and then aside, looking toward the kitchen. Bob steps in front of him, looking in the same direction and he can already bet on what Frank wants him to notice even before he crosses the few feet it takes to get into the kitchen.
ficbyzee: oooohhh
ceej: Flowers cover one of his counters, different colors, some dying or dead and others bright still. Several have the day of the week tags, but then there are other messages as well, and then a bunch more with no tags at all. Frank says, "I was just putting them in this box in my closet at first, you know. Or like putting some in water, but then I keep needing the cups and shit, so I. I don't have a green thumb at all, it's sad," and then he picks up a small stack of little cards with Bob's handwriting on them, handing them over to Bob. He says, "This isn't even all of them, because, you know. Can't keep too many dead flowers and risk being that creep who has dead shit in a box, but."
ficbyzee: a;'lfja;lsdkjvf;alksj
ceej: And Bob is just like, "Um..." because this many flowers can't all just be from after they hooked up. This has to be piece of stuff from way before then, too, and Bob hadn't even really realized how many he bought. He looks at the counter, poking through the flowers kind of in awe, as Frank's saying, "--to think about. You're on someone's mind every day. Here it is, this is what it looks like, and what does that even mean?"
ceej: Bob says, "It probably means what it looks like," and Frank laughs kind of airily, like a reflexive way to fill silence instead of actually responding, and Bob says, "I told you what it meant," holding up the cards.
ceej: Frank says, "But then you stopped..."
ficbyzee: man, i love Bob being so direct. LOVE it. he's not going to skirt around the issue or pretend he's not saying what he's saying. BOB!
ceej: yes! Bob thinks Frank is awesome and all, really great, but he's also kind of ridiculous. Bob can play avoidance tactics as good as anybody else, but he's not really interested in it here, not with Frank. He shakes his head, laughs, and says, "Frank, every day -- I sent you these, and told you I loved you every day, and I let up for, what five or six, and those are the ones you pay attention to?"
ceej: "You said you liked me."
ficbyzee: ahahahaha oh my god THEM. oh, frank. stop being ridiculous.
ceej: Bob is like. "Frank. I love you."
ficbyzee: *______*
ceej: And Frank probably throws out some random stuff, mentioning that they tried this before, you know? They dated before, and it didn't work out. Timing fucked it up, and like, what if Frank wanted to be in love with Bob then? What if this doesn't work out again, and then who'll let Frank get shitfaced and cry Cher lyrics into their sleeve? And Bob's just smirks, touching Frank's arms, and Frank's already pushing up on his feet while he's rambling, ending with, "What if you decide it's not every day?" He sticks to his point, whispering, "It is," and Frank says, "Yeah, I know," and finally lets Bob kiss him.
ceej: AND THEN THEY MAKE OUT! And Frank's all like, "So that dude that was stalking me with flowers?" while he drags Bob to his bedroom, "Yeah, so he's kind of hot, I think I'm gonna let him hit it." Bob's like, "Yeah, it's least you could do with how much money he's spent on you." Frank's like, "Fuck, I know. I'm gonna reward blow him for it," and Bob is very, very okay with that.
ficbyzee: \\\o///
ficbyzee: I APPROVE OF EVERYTHING IN THIS.
ficbyzee: do you see my encouraging face? this is my encouraging face. I will so finish this fic where Bob gives Frank flowers, if you do.
ceej: THAT TEMPTATION IS NOT FAIR. omg every once in a while i think about that sort of lame plotline on House where every week Chase would say to Cameron "it's tuesday. it's the day i remind that i like you and think we should be together" and today i was thinking about it in some vaguely romcom scenario where Frank is this boy Bob likes, and for whatever reason Frank either isn't or thinks he can't date him, and Bob starts leaving a flower him every day as a reminder that he likes Frank and he thinks they should be together.
ceej: IT IS SAPPY AND RIDIC BUT SOMETIMES I'M LIKE THAT, OKAY?
ficbyzee: AWWW MAN OH MAN. I would soooo read that fic. SO READ IT.
ceej: oh, maybe! ohhh. it's au, obvs. maybe Bob meets Frank they do date, but it's during a period in both their lives where it just doesn't work. one of them is too busy or their schedules make it hard, so they kind of end up being friends who never really got to see where it could have gone. they're around one another as they each date other people, etc, and maybe there's some random point in between people where Frank talks about how his grandpa was talking to him about his latest breakup, and he said that Frank was just no good at picking nice people. he likes the wild ones. he just needs somebody who'll be there and think to do thoughtful little things. someone who knows that a relationship is about taking care of each other, not just Frank taking care of whatever bag of neuroses he's dating that month. and Frank tells Bob, "he really said to me, 'Frankie, you need somebody who thinks to bring you flowers. I used to do that for your grandmother. Do your generation do that for each other? I never know what's not cool or cool again.' He's insane. Great but crazy."
ceej: AND THEN
ceej: so, like
ficbyzee: AWW
ceej: then Frank ends up with someone that seems AWESOME. they're together, it's cool. Frank thinks, great, yes, this is the one. this person is amazing. (i don't know who. i don't really care.) but of course it doesn't work out. and it kinds of wrecks Frank, because he was all in looooove. he's kind of bitter in that awkward way where he pretends he's not bitter and clearly wanting to be in love still by making comments about how being in love sucks and singleness is A++ times, but then going to bed with a beer and watching bad horror movies on cable and being butthurt in his apartment.
ficbyzee: awww, frank. FRANK!
ceej: bob's dating someone at the time. it's pretty casual, so when he gets the idea to start doing things to make Frank feel less wretched, it's totally a platonic thing. he just wants to make Frank laugh at himself a little bit. the idea to leave flowers doesn't even come to him until he's already left stupid presents at Frank's apartment when they hang out or sent him a really tacky singing telegram at work from "a secret admirer." Frank calls Bob, all, "I know it was you," and Bob can't even stop laughing long enough to pretend it isn't.
ficbyzee: a;sdlkjf;lj they kill me.
ceej: then he gets the idea for the flowers, and the first time he brings him a small bunch of them. they're just going to watch movies, but Bob stopped in and asked a florist to put together a nice assortment. "Something that says, uh, I love you but I hope you can suck it up soon, because people stare at us funny when you get drunk and start crying and singing 'If I Could Turn Back Time' in the bar. If you can manage it," is what Bob had said to the florist, but he just hands them to Frank with a smile when he gets to Frank's place.
ficbyzee: hahahaha OH BOB.
ceej: Frank refuses to take them at first, half-laughing and telling Bob he's being a dork, but then Bob is like, hey, he spent good money on the flowers! He fills a plastic pitcher with water and puts the flowers in it. Frank says that there's no way he's keeping flowers. What's he going to make all his Lipton iced tea in now, without a pitcher? And Bob says, whatever, even if Frank tosses them out, he'll just bring him a flower every day.
ceej: And that's how it starts
ceej: Bob's trying to spiteful, okay?
ficbyzee: hahahaha! oh bob. bobbbb I see your schmoopy ways.
ceej: So he starts leaving Frank flowers. Sometimes there are little stupid notes attached, mostly things to make Frank laugh. He doesn't even realize how much of a routine it becomes until he thinks about the fact that sometimes he doesn't even get to hang out with Frank, but he'll make sure to wedge the flower into Frank's mailbox at least, so that he sees it when he checks he mail after work.
ceej: Also, Bob eventually stops dating whoever, but he keeps leaving the flowers and hangs out with Frank more. Frank seems to gradually be returning to better moods, and Bob's really glad about that. He really was worried about Frank, and breaking up with someone you're that into sucks, so he's relieved that Frank is cheering up. They go out without episodes of drunken weeping, even! It's so great. They have such a good time that one night, instead of drunken weeping, Frank's giggling and Bob has his hands on Frank's shoulder, guiding him toward the door to him building so Frank can get upstairs and Bob can head home. Except they get distracted by the fact that Frank hasn't pulled his flower for the day from the mailbox yet, and Bob looks at it and says, "Hey, who left you that?"
ceej: Frank smiles, squinty-eyed and tipsy. He plucks the flower from the box, saying, "Oh, this guy. He doesn't really leave messages that tell me what he's like or who he is."
Bob says, "He's probably a bad ass."
Frank says, "He's probably a stalker. What if he wants to slice me up and put me in his fridge?"
He tries to duck back when Bob pinches his shoulder hard. He laughs, trying to bat Bob's hand away. He says, "Stop! Fuck, ow, okay!"
ceej: Bob stands close to Frank, pushing his shoulder into the glass door behind him. He still has this sideways smile plastered on his face, arms at his sides. He's batting something softly against Bob's hip, the flower, and Bob sees it coming when Frank pushes up on his toes, but it still makes him suck in a breath anyway. They make out in outside of Frank's building, leaning against the front door, and Frank mutters, "You should come upstairs. Come up," against Bob's mouth.
Bob says, "Mhm. Yeah."
Instead of taking time to fish for his key, Frank mashes in all the buttons to buzz his neighbors until someone just unlocks the door. They practically starting strip as they head up one flight to get to Frank's apartment. Frank shrugs off his hoodie and keeps stumbling up the stairs, trying to walk sideways so that he can kiss Bob and help push off his jacket at the same time.
ceej: It's been years since they've done anything like this, so it's a familiar kind of new for Bob, touching him like this -- getting to kiss him. They make it to Frank's bed, help each other out of their clothes, and they don't fuck, but Bob fingers Frank, jerking him off simultaneously and kissing along his stomach. Frank can't stop keening, coming with Bob's fingers inside him, and when he's calmed down, he makes Bob slide up on the bed so that Frank can slide down and blow him. He pulls off before Bob come, and then Frank kisses Bob, ignoring the stickiness between them and making out until they doze off.
It's kind of gross for Bob hours later, waking up in the wet spot. He gets woken up when someone knocks on Frank's door and Frank rolls out of bed, pulling on some sweats from a drawer and a t-shirt. It's someone random like the building maintenance guys coming by to check the pipes in his bathroom because the tenant under him complained about leakage in the walls, and they're just trying to figure out if there's only one source for the problem or if they're going to need to do more work.
ceej: Bob slips into the shower while the maintenance dudes babble at Frank. He's in and out quickly and gets dressed in the clothes he wore the night before. When comes out of the bedroom, Frank's eating cereal. The dudes working on the plumbing have gone to get some part or another, Frank says he was only half-listening, and Bob tries hard to carry on the small talk as if he isn't wondering what Frank's thinking about them. After a minute, he says that he should get going because he has to get fresh clothes before his afternoon shift at work.
"Yeah, yeah," Frank says. "We should meet later though. We can't now, I guess, with the, uh," and he sweeps his hand back and forth to indicate the shenanigans going on with the plumbing, "but later."
ceej: "Sure," Bob says, and he goes through his whole day preoccupied with thinking about him and Frank. More than anything, Bob thinks about how, although it was strange to fall into bed with Frank again, he also doesn't regret it. Bob finds that he's really pleased, actually, and he makes sure to get a flower for Frank after he leaves work, stopping to grab one, because it's just habit, and also he likes doing it.
He feels sort of silly when he gets there though, because Frank takes the flower, Bob kisses him, Frank is into it and kisses back, and yet somehow they find themselves in a conversation about how Frank isn't comfortable with things. It isn't fair to either of them -- to Bob. Frank got out of a serious relationship a couple months ago, and it still fucking hurts, and it would be right to try to get into anything with him now while he's still reeling from it. What if he's still on the rebound or something?
ceej: Bob says, "Rebounding. Are you? Is that was this is?"
"No, but that's," Frank says, and Bob can see the tension in his arms. "How do I know? I can't risk it."
Which Bob understands on some level, but fuck, that sucks. He's frustrated, wondering if they're always going to have shitty timing. Bob wants this. He would try again with Frank, and so it's kind of hard to tell Frank that he disagrees with him, that he doesn't think it's rebounding, and that if it were up to him, he'd try again and yet still leave Frank's place anyway, because he also gets it. Frank's not ready.
ficbyzee: oh man, frank doesn't want to rebound with bob! oh, themmmm
ceej: frank is feeling all uncertain of his feelings! he doesn't want to make mistakes with bob.
ceej: Bob doesn't stop leaving the flowers even though he maybe should. The context is different now, Bob knows that. That's what he's going for with it. He leaves messages with the next few, short, light notes, like "don't worry about it" and sometimes little jokes, like before, but then he finally sends one with a note that says, "I still disagree," and the day after that, it's the note that says, "It's Wednesday. I like you. I think we should be together," and then after that he just tags the flower with the days of the week as a reminder.
ficbyzee: a;lfka;lkjf !!!!! OH MAN MY SAPPY HEART CAN'T EVEN HANDLE THAT. wooing frank!
ficbyzee: what eventually changes frank's mind?
ceej: Well, the flower thing, man, it's risky. It keeps it looming between them, how Bob feels (and how Bob is sure Frank still feels). They start to hang out a little less, because nothing's changing between them though, and after a while it just start to get awkward. Bob keeps leaving the flowers for a while, but then one day he just stops because, wow, he doesn't want to push Frank away by making him feel uncomfortable, and it's not like Frank's given him the okay. So Bob stops, and he doesn't see Frank for like a week, thinking he'll give him space and then suck it up and be a supportive best friend like he should.
ceej: He plans to call Frank on Friday so they can celebrate the end of the week and getting away from work for a couple days like usual
ceej: But Frank sends him a text before Bob calls. He hasn't even been at work long and he gets a text from Frank, reading, "A Stella night? Or your fucking asian beers?"
ceej: And Bob just sends a message back saying that they'll go to Frank's place
ceej: So they meet up, and it's weird for like five minutes, but then Frank starts rambling about this new dude at his job who's basically a gopher, except he can't keep order straight. He's so pathetic that Frank bought him lunch because, man, nobody should have to be that much of a hazard every single day. That must be rough.
ceej: And Bob laughs, and they drink and talk about the usual shit
ceej: They don't drink a whole lot. Bob's completely fine to drive home, and as they walk outside, Bob figured maybe he'll at least apologize if he made Frank feel pressured or something. He opens his mouth to say, "Hey, Frankie --" and Frank cuts him off, saying, "What the -- are we fucking serious, it's like 11:30. Come play video games with me, man."
ceej: Which is probably not the greatest idea, although Bob isn't sure why he thinks so. He starts to say, nah, he's just going to go home and sleep. They aren't drunk, but Bob's loose enough that he looks at Frank and thinks about how they were falling around each other that night, how it lead to kissing Frank outside his place
ficbyzee: oh Bobbbb. man, they kill me! that awkwardness when you're not sure if it's a friend thing or a something-more thing, oh man.
ceej: Right! But as soon as Bob starts trying to act like he's tired, Frank insists, saying, "No, you're coming. For a little bit, come on. You act like it's not Saturday tomorrow," and Bob relents. Of course he does. So he tails Frank to his place and has stupid thoughts about turning around and going home and saying something like, oops, he got lost and accidentally ended up at home. But then they're there, and Frank says, "Okay, just for a minute, okay?" Except Bob thought he wanted to play video games or something, so now he's really feeling weird.
ceej: When they get to Frank's apartment, Frank says, "Alright, look, I," and aborts the sentence, stepping into the place and then aside, looking toward the kitchen. Bob steps in front of him, looking in the same direction and he can already bet on what Frank wants him to notice even before he crosses the few feet it takes to get into the kitchen.
ficbyzee: oooohhh
ceej: Flowers cover one of his counters, different colors, some dying or dead and others bright still. Several have the day of the week tags, but then there are other messages as well, and then a bunch more with no tags at all. Frank says, "I was just putting them in this box in my closet at first, you know. Or like putting some in water, but then I keep needing the cups and shit, so I. I don't have a green thumb at all, it's sad," and then he picks up a small stack of little cards with Bob's handwriting on them, handing them over to Bob. He says, "This isn't even all of them, because, you know. Can't keep too many dead flowers and risk being that creep who has dead shit in a box, but."
ficbyzee: a;'lfja;lsdkjvf;alksj
ceej: And Bob is just like, "Um..." because this many flowers can't all just be from after they hooked up. This has to be piece of stuff from way before then, too, and Bob hadn't even really realized how many he bought. He looks at the counter, poking through the flowers kind of in awe, as Frank's saying, "--to think about. You're on someone's mind every day. Here it is, this is what it looks like, and what does that even mean?"
ceej: Bob says, "It probably means what it looks like," and Frank laughs kind of airily, like a reflexive way to fill silence instead of actually responding, and Bob says, "I told you what it meant," holding up the cards.
ceej: Frank says, "But then you stopped..."
ficbyzee: man, i love Bob being so direct. LOVE it. he's not going to skirt around the issue or pretend he's not saying what he's saying. BOB!
ceej: yes! Bob thinks Frank is awesome and all, really great, but he's also kind of ridiculous. Bob can play avoidance tactics as good as anybody else, but he's not really interested in it here, not with Frank. He shakes his head, laughs, and says, "Frank, every day -- I sent you these, and told you I loved you every day, and I let up for, what five or six, and those are the ones you pay attention to?"
ceej: "You said you liked me."
ficbyzee: ahahahaha oh my god THEM. oh, frank. stop being ridiculous.
ceej: Bob is like. "Frank. I love you."
ficbyzee: *______*
ceej: And Frank probably throws out some random stuff, mentioning that they tried this before, you know? They dated before, and it didn't work out. Timing fucked it up, and like, what if Frank wanted to be in love with Bob then? What if this doesn't work out again, and then who'll let Frank get shitfaced and cry Cher lyrics into their sleeve? And Bob's just smirks, touching Frank's arms, and Frank's already pushing up on his feet while he's rambling, ending with, "What if you decide it's not every day?" He sticks to his point, whispering, "It is," and Frank says, "Yeah, I know," and finally lets Bob kiss him.
ceej: AND THEN THEY MAKE OUT! And Frank's all like, "So that dude that was stalking me with flowers?" while he drags Bob to his bedroom, "Yeah, so he's kind of hot, I think I'm gonna let him hit it." Bob's like, "Yeah, it's least you could do with how much money he's spent on you." Frank's like, "Fuck, I know. I'm gonna reward blow him for it," and Bob is very, very okay with that.
ficbyzee: \\\o///
ficbyzee: I APPROVE OF EVERYTHING IN THIS.