‹ Prequel: Home Alone
Status: Might be handing this off to someone else..
You Gave Me Butterflies At The Mailbox
The Plans.
When Frank's phone rings around one in the afternoon a couple days later, he does not expect the conversation to begin the way it does.
"So, I'm moving," Gerard says, like it's an everyday thing, maybe like saying, "So, it's supposed to rain today."
"Uh, what?" Frank asks, sitting on his bed, his face showing extreme confusion.
"Yeah. Like, mom thinks we should move. So. I mean, not too far. Maybe the next town over. But we won't be neighbors anymore."
Frank's quiet for a while before he murmurs, "Well this sucks."
"Not really. I mean, it won't be that big of a deal."
"But, we won't see each other as much."
"Frank, I'm gonna be going to college soon anyway. This is nothing compared to that."
Frank groans out, "Don't remind me," and falls back onto his bed so he's laying down. "My senior year's gonna suck without you here."
"It'll be fine," Gerard replies confidently.
Frank's not convinced.
****
The next day, when Frank crawls through Gerard's window to surprise him, he finds Gerard sitting at the computer, looking at colleges.
"Dude, I can't believe you're going to college."
Gerard turns around in his chair, oddly calm for someone who is supposed to be surprised, and rolls his eyes at Frank. "I can't just stop my education for you, Frank."
"That's not what I meant!" Frank defends, sitting on Gerard's bed. "I just mean, I dunno. I never thought you would."
Gerard shrugs and looks around his room. "I'm not going for the first semester, because I took AP classes in high school, so I already have those credits. I'll take a few months off, then go."
Frank nods, then lays down and wiggles his eyebrows at Gerard in what is supposed to be a suggestive manner. Gerard snorts a laugh and shakes his head at him, but gets up and goes to lay next to Frank anyway. They lay in silence for a while, Frank's head resting on Gerard's chest, and Gerard's fingers playing with Frank's hair, until Frank finally breaks the silence. "You wanna go see a movie or something tomorrow?"
"Can't," Gerard says, moving his hand down to rub Frank's back, "Gotta go to my dads."
Frank lets out a small breath of annoyance through his nose, then clenches his jaw tight, but doesn't say anything. He doesn't like Gerard's dad. He doesn't even know Gerard's dad, but he knows he doesn't like him. Every time Gerard goes to see his father, Frank spends the weekend staring at his phone, chewing on his fingers out of nervousness. Gerard said his dad would never really hurt him, sure, but that doesn't mean anything to Frank. He watches the news, he knows what happens in the real world. And it's not so much Gerard's safety that he's worried about, because he's pretty sure Gerard could handle himself, but he's more worried about what will happen to himself. Frank doesn't want to go to jail. And he knows if this man ever hurt Gerard, that's where he'd end up. Because Frank would kill him.
"Oh shut-up," Gerard says, picking up on Frank's annoyance. He slaps Frank upside the head lightly, and adds, "You worry too damn much."
"I know," Frank sighs, then adds dramatically, "It's my greatest weakness!"
Gerard snorts, and Frank lifts his head to glare at him before he can say anything insulting. Gerard smiles innocently, and Frank gives him a kind of, 'that's what I thought you said' look, then lays back down and smiles.
"So, I'm moving," Gerard says, like it's an everyday thing, maybe like saying, "So, it's supposed to rain today."
"Uh, what?" Frank asks, sitting on his bed, his face showing extreme confusion.
"Yeah. Like, mom thinks we should move. So. I mean, not too far. Maybe the next town over. But we won't be neighbors anymore."
Frank's quiet for a while before he murmurs, "Well this sucks."
"Not really. I mean, it won't be that big of a deal."
"But, we won't see each other as much."
"Frank, I'm gonna be going to college soon anyway. This is nothing compared to that."
Frank groans out, "Don't remind me," and falls back onto his bed so he's laying down. "My senior year's gonna suck without you here."
"It'll be fine," Gerard replies confidently.
Frank's not convinced.
****
The next day, when Frank crawls through Gerard's window to surprise him, he finds Gerard sitting at the computer, looking at colleges.
"Dude, I can't believe you're going to college."
Gerard turns around in his chair, oddly calm for someone who is supposed to be surprised, and rolls his eyes at Frank. "I can't just stop my education for you, Frank."
"That's not what I meant!" Frank defends, sitting on Gerard's bed. "I just mean, I dunno. I never thought you would."
Gerard shrugs and looks around his room. "I'm not going for the first semester, because I took AP classes in high school, so I already have those credits. I'll take a few months off, then go."
Frank nods, then lays down and wiggles his eyebrows at Gerard in what is supposed to be a suggestive manner. Gerard snorts a laugh and shakes his head at him, but gets up and goes to lay next to Frank anyway. They lay in silence for a while, Frank's head resting on Gerard's chest, and Gerard's fingers playing with Frank's hair, until Frank finally breaks the silence. "You wanna go see a movie or something tomorrow?"
"Can't," Gerard says, moving his hand down to rub Frank's back, "Gotta go to my dads."
Frank lets out a small breath of annoyance through his nose, then clenches his jaw tight, but doesn't say anything. He doesn't like Gerard's dad. He doesn't even know Gerard's dad, but he knows he doesn't like him. Every time Gerard goes to see his father, Frank spends the weekend staring at his phone, chewing on his fingers out of nervousness. Gerard said his dad would never really hurt him, sure, but that doesn't mean anything to Frank. He watches the news, he knows what happens in the real world. And it's not so much Gerard's safety that he's worried about, because he's pretty sure Gerard could handle himself, but he's more worried about what will happen to himself. Frank doesn't want to go to jail. And he knows if this man ever hurt Gerard, that's where he'd end up. Because Frank would kill him.
"Oh shut-up," Gerard says, picking up on Frank's annoyance. He slaps Frank upside the head lightly, and adds, "You worry too damn much."
"I know," Frank sighs, then adds dramatically, "It's my greatest weakness!"
Gerard snorts, and Frank lifts his head to glare at him before he can say anything insulting. Gerard smiles innocently, and Frank gives him a kind of, 'that's what I thought you said' look, then lays back down and smiles.