Waiting In Line

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a beautiful smile?"
Matias blinked, stunned by the compliment that came out of nowhere. He opened his mouth and closed it, repeating the process and looking like nothing more than the fish he was buying. Standing behind him in line at the store's checkout was the one responsible for it. He was a man that looked around Matias's age, with a mess of brown hair that could've been a bedhead, and slight stubble. He was about the same height, and every time Matias had seen him he always had that small, knowing grin on his face. His name was Richard, if he recalled right. They met the same way they were talking now: in line at the grocery store. They always met like this, too, and each time Richard would make it a point to fluster the young father each time he was there.
Matias was used to being flirted with, half the time he was delivering milk he'd have people urge him to go into their house, all while squeezing his arms. That never bothered him; if anything, it annoyed him. But with Richard? There was something about him, about that mysterious air about him, that intense stare from his always half-lidded eyes, the low rumble of his velvet voice. It just... got to him. And it was frustrating how confusing those feelings were.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you go silent," Richard said with an apologetic smile, snapping the milkman back to reality.
"Huh? Oh, uh... No, it's okay. But, uh, yeah, my husband tells me that all the time," Matias murmured while rubbing the back of his neck. He could feel the wedding ring press against his skin. Smiley gave him irritating feelings too, but at least it was always easy to figure things out with him. It's always affection or an urge to kill.
"You're husband?" Richard mused with a slight tilt of the head. He stayed quiet for a moment before adding, "What's he like?"
Again with that weird grin, Matias mentally noted. He turned his head to the cashier, grateful to have something to distract himself from that gaze. "Well, uh..." He pursed his lips. How could he describe a psycho killer to a complete stranger? "He's... always smiling? And likes to make sure everyone's happy?" He wanted to hide, he felt like he was chanting Smiley's catchphrases.
Richard went silent again, to the point where Matias had to glance over to him. He was looking at the customer behind him then turned to face him, smiling softly. "Well, he sounds like an interesting man. I'd love to meet him sometime."
"Uh, well, he's always busy," the milkman tried to deflect. "He travels a lot for... work." When he finished paying, he looked over at Richard. His expression was different, new to all the times they'd met. It wasn't amusement, but it wasn't anger. He felt like he said the wrong thing. Unsure of what else to say, he merely turned around and strode out of the store.

"Matias!"
The milkman stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the familiar velvet voice, turning to see Richard hurrying to him.
The man took a minute to catch his breath before panting, "Do you... really not recognize me?"
Matias raised an eyebrow at him. "You mean outside of the store? No...?"
Richard straightened up, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose while letting out a choked laugh. He set down his bag of groceries and began rummaging through them. "I guess I should have expected that. That husband of yours, would he happen to look like this?" He straightened up and turned to the other man, a paper bag over his head with the store's smile logo over it.
Matias tensed then looked away. "Hey, don't joke around. Isn't that the killer going around-"
"Matias, it's me."
He looked at the masked man, disbelief still clear on his face, with agitation gradually making its way there too. "If all you're going to do is act weird, then stop. I need to get home to-"
"Oliver. Yes, I know." Richard stepped forward and grabbed Matias's arms. "I'm Smiley."
They stayed silent for a moment before the milkman uttered, "... You're...?"
Richard released him so that he could remove the bag. "I thought it was obvious. I told you my name, and I'm more than sure the news has my name out there. I was so nervous about showing you my face, only to find out that you're more of an idiot than I thought. Although I suppose showing myself in a grocery store wasn't very romantic." His own irritation quickly switched to that knowing grin. "Well, at least I know you're loyal."
Matias merely stood there with a dumb look on his shocked face. That man was Smiley? No, that couldn't be true. They were both weird, sure, but Smiley would have stabbed people, and he hated going out in public without his mask.
Richard didn't seem to notice the confusion. He looked back at the store's entrance then at his significant other. "Would you mind taking the groceries back? The woman behind us had one of those tote bags and I just... I need to go talk to her." He leaned in and pecked the astonished man on the lips before putting the bag over his head and striding into the store.
Matias stood there dumbly, his mouth a gape despite the screams he could hear inside the store.
So you mean to tell me, he told himself, that he's been handsome this entire time?!