I'm Always Chasing Rainbows

I'M ALWAYS CHASING RAINBOWS

Gerard is a kind, healthy, 24 year-old young man. He has a lovely family, cool good friends, a house of his own near his parent's and a well paid job as a chef at a local restaurant. He owns a decent blue car and a copper-haired, female mutt that he adores. Let's not forget about his beautiful, brunette girlfriend who he undoubtedly loves. She's sweet, sensual, sex with her is great; but she's also funny and smart. He enjoys her mere company. Gerard is rarely moody and never depressed. He's usually a very positive, happy guy who is thankful for what he has.

In spite of his seemingly perfect life that he's so grateful for, there are still those days when he feels like something is missing. This doesn't make him feel sad, only somewhat incomplete. Ironic as this may sound coming from a chef, he hasn't been able to decipher what the lacking ingredient in his life's recipe is. Therefore there is nothing he can do about it, so he just shrugs it off.

******º******

It's Sunday, Gerard doesn't have to work. His girlfriend is out of town spending the day with her grandparents. His friends and his younger brother Mikey are going to see a band that Gerard isn't too keen on play. He could pay his parents a visit, it's only five houses away; but it's raining, it's cold, Gerard is too comfy to leave home.

This leaves him with his dog as sole companion. Gerard intends to peacefully sit on his old couch next to the window watching the rain fall down. The stubborn canine has other plans. She doesn't want to stay quiet while Gerard hugs her close to his chest and absently brushes his fur with his long fingers. She doesn't care about how much it's raining or whether it's cold outside. She barks, tugs at Gerard's sleeve with her teeth, scratches his knee with her two front paws. The dog's owner doesn't yield.

"Stop it, Scarly! Don't you see it's raining?" He again tries to make the dog sit still on the couch, but she jumps on the backrest and squashes her nose against the glass. Gerard laughs and imitates Scarly's actions, laughing some more at his own silliness. Then he sees it: the sun emerging like a victorious, powerful warrior from among grayish clouds, defying the rain that -at the most- has only slowed down. More important: when Gerard rubs the cold-and-respiration-fogged window clean and looks up at the sky, he discovers a wonderful rainbow. One of the most vibrantly colored he's ever seen.

"What if the legend is real? It's not like I have a desperate need for money. I have a house, I can pay my bills and go out with Jaiden at least once or twice a week. And you and me both eat well. But...don't you agree that a pot of gold is something anyone would benefit from?" he talks to the dog, stroking his left floppy ear. Scarly gives out a joyful, short bark as response, wagging her tail. "Was that a nod? Okay, okay, you win. We'll go out and find that rainbow's end!"

Gerard meditates over his clothes for a while and concludes that his faded blue jeans and dark green hoodie are an acceptable outfit to go on public. He throws his brown corduroy jacket on and doesn't bother with his hair. He hates umbrellas so it's going to get wet anyway. Scarly only needs her purple collar and leash.

******º******

It's not too clear who is walking who. Gerard is dragged along by a very eager Scarly and he thinks of how safer it is to have gotten a medium-sized mutt and not a Great Dane. She'd be flying him like a kite right now if that had been the case. After she has released most of her pent up energy, the situation finally feels closer to walking than flying to Gerard. He sets his eyes on the rainbow and advances half-blindly in pursuit of his illusory destination. On any more rational day, he would remember that no matter how much he walked towards a rainbow, it would always seem to be at the same distance. Well, that is irrelevant today. He just follows the way the rainbow shows him, this leading him to the beach where the sun is soon to be eaten by the sea. The rainbow won't live too long.

There's a solitary person sitting on a rock near the shore. Gerard can only see their back and hooded head, nonetheless gets curious about what they could be doing there alone in such a cold and humid day. He's not going to disturb them, of course; sometimes you just want to be alone.

The rain has waned into an almost imperceptible drizzle and he lets Scarly free to run around, taking some time to remove the hair that is plastered to his face. He brushes it with his fingers and then shakes it, spraying water droplets like a dog after a bath. Thanks to this mental comparison, he forgets about making his hair less languid and focus back on Scarly. Too bad he does this a bit too late, just as she rushes towards the aforementioned stranger and jumps on them, true to her intemperate style when it comes to saying 'hi'.

When Gerard arrives at the scene -not without getting a good amount of sand in his dusty white sneakers- the hyperactive pet is licking this person's face. The hysterical giggles coming from under the black hood tell Gerard it's a young woman.

"Scarly! Leave the poor girl alone!" he reprimands the dog, seizing her by the collar. The second the stranger raises his head, Gerard wishes for the sand to turn into quicksand.

"Last time I checked, I was still a boy" The voice is evidently that of a male, though Gerard descries a tint of femininity in it. The boy doesn't sound offended, more like amused at the gender confusion.

"Oh...fuck, I'm sorry. I thought....I really didn't..." Gerard starts to apologize and gets very nervous out of nowhere. He's embarrassed, yes, but it's not just that. The boy in front of him is very pretty, that's all his mind can register. Now, if he was into boys, this would totally make sense as an excuse for his nerves. "I just assumed..."

"It's okay, I..."

"No, no, but I want to apologize because..." Again Gerard is stuck staring at this stranger who appears to be a few years younger than himself and on the small side. He can tell he's wearing lots of clothes under that heavy black jacket. The hood and the sleeves are rimmed with beige fur-like material, making him look like an Eskimo. His face is round and smooth, cheeks and nose reddened by the cold but mouth still so pink that it must be nearly red when not freezing. A silver ring gives the final touch to those well shaped lips, matching the one on the right side of his nose. The bright, long-lashed eyes -hazel, Gerard guesses- are elegantly lined with black. The only hair to be seen is a dark lock falling across his forehead and obscuring part of his right eye. Mauve gloved hands -mauve like his scarf- hug knees clad in light gray jean. Why is Gerard paying so much attention, by the way? "I...sorry?"

"I told you it's okay," the victim of the gender mess-up repeats, Gerard's inability to articulate a whole line causing him to giggle again. "It's not the first time someone thinks I'm a girl. And your dog wasn't bothering me, she's adorable."

"Still, I'm sorry," Gerard persists. He takes a seat on the rock besides the boy, watching him pet his dog and kiss her head affectionately. "Her name's Scarly, as you must have heard. Scarlett O'Hara, to be precise. And I'm Gerard."

"I'm Frank and I fucking love your dog's name!" He shakes Gerard's hand with a grin.

"Thanks! I gather you like 'Gone with the Wind?' It's not easy to find people about my age who do."

"Fuck yeah, of course I like it!" Frank practically screams. He next adds in a whisper, "I also love your name."

Silence engulfs them as they give the fading rainbow their full attention. Gerard sighs loudly and hears Frank do the same in incredible synchronicity. They both laugh at the coincidence but then stop abruptly. At that exact moment there is some kind of wordless understanding between them, as if they could read each other's minds. Gerard feels, knows that he and this young man he just met have something in common at least right there and now.

"Do you have a boat?" Frank asks.

"No, I don't," Gerard answers.

"Fuck, me neither! I guess I'll never reach it. I always either get tired of walking or find some fucking impassable obstacle. Most of times it disappears too fast. I often stay and pay attention to see if I spot any leprechaun that I could follow, you know? My grandma says they're tricky bastards, but everybody makes mistakes or gets distracted once in a while. I've had no luck, though." Frank shakes his head and laughs. A contagious laughter. He's the most expressive person Gerard has ever met, every inch of the guy's face is fascinatingly animated. Even under all those winter clothes he talks with his whole body. Also -and Gerard does try to not judge a book by its cover, Frank is by no means straight. Anyhow, it's just another detail and he doesn't mind at all.

"I never tried to reach it before," Gerard declares.

"No?"

"Nope."

"And what made you try today?"

"I guess I was bored, saw it, and got too caught up in surreal ideas. I thought a pot of gold could be of great use!"

Frank just nods, and for an instant Gerard thinks there is a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I'll keep on trying." the boy says firmly.

"I don't think I will..." Gerard trails off.

Suddenly, silence strikes back and they look at each other while the wind blows faster and colder. The rainbow has disappeared long ago, absorbed by white clouds that gradually turn pink as the sun falls on the horizon. A chill runs up Gerard's spine, but he knows it's not the cold; he actually feels warm inside. It's a strong feeling that he can't even comprehend, it scares him. He stares into Frank's eyes and they shift nervously, he sees that same fear in them and the boy shakes his head in evident confusion.

"No, can't be, it makes no sense. I'm not..." Gerard mumbles. "Sorry, Frank I...I gotta go, Scarly doesn't like it when it's night..."

"It's ok, I gotta go too. Promised my mom I'd be home for dinner and she'll be making my favorite food so...that, can't fail my mom." Frank gets up -he's short, indeed- and Gerard can't restrain his eyes. They quickly wander down, to the other's curvy thighs and hips as he stretches and the jacket moves up just a little. Frank is far from skinny. Gerard finds him uncomfortably attractive.

No more words, no goodbyes. They simply walk away in opposite directions.

Gerard has only made a few steps when he hears Frank call his name. His heart beats faster and he turns around. "Yes?"

"Please, don't stop chasing rainbows." It sounds as if Frank genuinely cared; had a real, personal interest in what he's asking Gerard. Sounds like it truly makes a difference to him whether Gerard goes on with the chase. Like there's a deepest meaning behind those five words.

Then again, maybe not.

******º******

That having been said, and whatever Frank's words had meant, Gerard doesn't stop chasing rainbows. He practices this new favorite sport whenever he can, suffering during those times when all he can do is admire the taunting colors through the little window of the restaurant kitchen. The colors call him.

His quests for rainbows take him on seemingly never-ending walks that often end up in races as soon as he sees the spectrum start to fade away. His faithful dog Scarlet has no other choice than to be his partner. Gerard eventually chooses to ride his car -with Scarly as his committed copilot, since his smoking lungs weren't made for running.

There is this one particular occasion when the rainbow stays visible longer than usual. Gerard's mind is so set on his goal that he doesn't snap out of it until only a blur is left in the sky and he discerns a sign telling him that he's driven past the state limits. He feels utterly stupid then.

All this time he never ceases to think about Frank. He doesn't know why it is that a person he has only seen once is imprinted in his mind so vividly. He tries and convince himself that it is just because of the indescribable moment they shared, peaceful and awkward. He ignores the memory of that warm feeling Frank's stare gave him, pushes it to the bottom of his thoughts.

He sees Frank at that same beach a couple of times, but doesn't dare get any closer. He quickly puts his dog on a leash so she won't go and delate him.

******º******

Two months with conveniently indecisive weather later, Gerard doesn't have a girlfriend anymore. She got tired of his constant day-dreaming and the mysterious escapades on his own every time the sun and the rain fight their battle up in the sky. As guilty as this thought makes him feel, Gerard is relieved. A strangely positive vibe fills him.

It's still early in the afternoon, the sun still far from the horizon when his obsession boldly performs its appearance act through the thin curtain of rain. Gerard contemplates the spectacle through that same too small window that he makes sure to meticulously clean every day so it stays stainless and perfectly see-though. He waits with bated breath, opens the window and sticks his head outside, twisting his whole body in weird angles to be able to look in all directions.

"What the fuck are you doing, Way?" his coworker Bob asks.

"There it is!" Gerard nearly screams, unaware of anything else. "Bob, please cover my back with the boss? I really need to leave now, tell him I...I felt very sick, okay?"

"I..."

"Thanks, Bob." He kisses him, speedily unties his own apron and leaves, abandoning it by the entrance.

Gerard doesn't lose time getting his car. The weather is nice, it smells like rain-wet soil and the beach is not far from there. He knows it's pointless to even try to succeed at this hour, when the endless sea selfishly keeps that rainbow out of his reach. Even if he did have a boat he would need to cross the sea to get there, and it'd be oh so late. Or maybe he would find out that the rainbow sinks into the ocean, and then he would have a different problem.

Nevertheless he goes to the beach, to hungrily behold that rainbow's end and dream of leprechauns and pots of gold. That's what he says to himself, but his disappointed expression betrays him. The rainbow is there and the frustration connected to it is not new. Still, something else is missing, something Gerard longed to find even if he wouldn't admit it: Frank. Frank's not there.

He moves away from the shore, closer to where the city invades the beach, but continues to walk along it careful to avoid eying the sky. The rain lingers on, the sun's still shining and he knows that stealthy arch of colors will still be there. Mocking him.

After walking for a while, Gerard stops and looks around. He frowns confused at what it's being unveiled to his right: the famous colors. The red, the orange, the yellow, the blue, the green, the indigo, the violet. He can see the sky, where the sun peeps through fluffy gray clouds. He doesn't see the sea and the image looks slightly distorted, disrupted by steel bars. That is it; this sky is not the real thing, it's a copy captured on a canvas of glass and steel. The frame is a big, modern building in front of the sea, at a safest enough distance from the occasionally advancing, furious waves. Gerard recognizes it, or he at least knows that the first two or three floors are occupied by a record company.

Even so, the rainbow is there and Gerard can see its end. So close, so reachable, right where the mirror-like glass gives way to vulgar bricks and cement. It's not the same, it makes no sense, but it's the closest he has been and he's not going let the opportunity go wasted.

Following his impulses he enters the building, heading straight towards a desk where a secretary is filling up some papers. Gerard's pants make her look up and, judging by her curious semblance, he must be a funny sight. He's not exactly presentable, wet clothes and rain drops slipping off his long black hair, falling on the brown carpet at his feet.

"Excuse me," he decidedly tells the girl, hoping the surprise factor will keep her from questioning who he is and why she should give him any kind of information. "Is there a lower floor?"

"Uh...yes. Storage, archives, and the room where the assistants..."

"Thanks!" Gerard waves at the blinking blond and runs to the center of the hall, examining the place until he sees the stairs leading down. That's when the secretary finally reacts and follows him.

"Wait...sir! I can't let you go in there! You didn't even tell me..."

"I won't get you into trouble, I promise!" Gerard shouts, speeding through the steps yet being cautious not to slip. He couldn't let anyone or anything stop him now.

The illumination there is dimmer, nearly lugubrious he could venture to say -although that's maybe just his terror-movie obsession playing tricks on him. Once he stops imagining possible murder scenes and puts his senses to better use, he hears loud voices coming from above. The girl must have called security. Desperate, Gerard rushes along the corridor scanning the signs on every door. There is a little problem: he has no idea what he's looking for. It's not like one of the signs will read 'End of the rainbow'. His instincts are not giving him any hint so far, so he carries on; half walking, half running. He hears more voices, this time lower but merrier and closer, and is startled when he gets to a door which is not closed.

Several young boys and girls stare back, waiting for him to speak, move, do something. Right then the screeching sound of an elevator is heard and Gerard ponders no more. He steps into that room and shuts the door behind him.

"Please, don't tell anyone I'm here," he begs. He doesn't wait for an answer, though. There's something in that ample, messy, rather dirty room that calls him. Calls him like those colors he was chasing.

He walks past cluttered desks covered with papers, folders, half eaten sandwiches and empty plastic cups. He cringes at the tiny windows, so much smaller than the one of the restaurant kitchen. These are not even a decent size to let much daylight in and are placed considerably high due to only half of that floor being over ground level. He figures -hopes- they're still enough to ventilate the room when open. These boys and girls might not care much about that detail, anyway; they do have an air conditioner. Only when he actually sees the device Gerard addresses the fact that the temperature in there is, indeed, pleasant. He doesn't know why he cares so much about these people's work conditions, he just does.

Behind Gerard the employees are talking, talking to him, asking questions. There's a knock on the door and a voice comes through it. Gerard supposes it belongs to someone who is after him, however he's not worried. He feels confident, optimistic.

The assistants must have told his haunters that there's no stranger there, because no one gets in. It's not like Gerard is paying much attention, to be honest. He's examining the windows, again. He has a good reason to do so: while they're all filthy and smudgy, there is one to the far left which has been recently cleaned and looks shimmering. One could even go as far as to asseverate that dirt has never been allowed to accumulate on it.

A shelving conceals whatever is directly in front of said window, so Gerard walks around it, stopping dead when met by the most luminous corner of the room and a wall literally full of rainbows. There are legitimate pictures of rainbows, posters of rainbows, paintings of rainbows, drawings of rainbows. Among all that, perfectly fitting in the free spaces, are images of leprechauns. Funny, benevolent looking ones sitting on pots of gold. This corner smells like flowers, and Gerard understands where that comes from when he manages to take his eyes off the colorful wall and glances down at the desk in front of him -in front of the immaculate window. In contrast to the others, this one is neatly organized; a purple vase containing flowers of many types and colors adorning it.

At last, Gerard looks behind the desk. Sitting on a chair which back is leaned against the shelving is a boy, a long fringe hiding half of his round face while he bobs his head to whatever is sounding in his iPod. The rest of his dark brown hair is brushed back. Gerard guesses it's not too long, but he can't really see it. Besides, he's too distracted by the red little flower above the boy's right ear. He moves to a side to get a better view, blocking the window in the process. The boy's head pops up, his eyes crack open and his hands simultaneously reach up to take out his earphones.

This is when everything suddenly seems to make sense.

"Frank?" Gerard exclaims as the small guy stands up and contemplates him with his mouth ajar. White buttoned shirt with a loose, thin red tie. Black low-cut jeans and a studded belt. Clean shaved and soft skinned, no make-up or piercings today. Gerard doesn't want to be this observant, but he can't help it. Frank looks different like this, yet just as beautiful as the first time he saw him. He's also glad to confirm that it wasn't the winter clothes fooling him back then; Frank has meat on his bones and he wears it exquisitely.

"Gerard?" A timid smile graces Frank's lips, turning into a full grin when the named one nods and smiles.

"Last time I checked, that was still my name. Yes."

"Oh my God, Gerard! What the fuck are you doing here?" Frank's hands move even more frantically without restraining clothes; his speech rushed, dynamic and high-pitched. "How did you know? I never ever thought I'd see you again! Or well, okay, I lie. I must confess I did have a hunch that I'd see you again, though it was maybe just wishful thinking, you know? One thing's for sure: I never imagined you'd show up at my place of work. Talk about surreal! How's Scarly? That dog's so fucking cute!"

"Did you find the end of the rainbow?" Gerard chooses to ask instead of responding to Frank's verbal attack. The boy is the pure definition of 'talkative'.

"No..." Frank pouts. "I tried and tried and tried but that motherfucker is too fast at disappearing and loves to laugh at me all, 'You can reach me! You can reach me!'" he sings. "It's so unfair. I'll never give up, though. I'm a very perseverant person. How about you?"

"Oh my, Frank! Do you ever breath?" Gerard laughs.

"Yes, I do. Answer! Did you find the end of the rainbow in these two months, one week and three days?"

"I..." Gerard is taken aback by Frank's preciseness. It sounds kind of creepy but he isn't one to speak. Maybe, only maybe, he has kept track too. "I did find it."

"What?! How? Where?" The younger boy jumps up and down and claps his hands, standing now at the other side of the desk, next to Gerard. Black Converse, he notices.

"Today, now."

"Wait wait wait! You mean there was a rainbow today and I missed it? How did that happen?" Frank runs to the window and spies outside, squealing loudly. "It's still there!"

"Cut off the fangirling, rainbow princess!" one of his co-workers yells, the laughter in his voice denoting that he was only joking.

"You should add some color to your life, Ray!"

"You have enough color for all of us there," the young man -who now Gerard can see has big, curly hair- replies.

"And you thank me every day for it, my dear." Frank blows him a kiss and giggles. "Now, Gerard...WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU FOUND THE END OF THE FUCKING RAINBOW? It's in the middle of the sea and you said you didn't have a boat! Did you buy one?"

"No, the end of the rainbow is right here."

"Are you drunk? Show me it!"

"Okay, calm down!" Gerard takes Frank's hand and drags him behind him, the short one struggling to keep the pace. "You...uh...Ray! Cover Frankie's ass, please!"

They don't mind about people yelling after them. Frank opines that the "It's ok, he's with me!" he screamed back will suffice to get Gerard off the hook.

As they make it to the sidewalk and are welcomed by the cool sea breeze, Gerard stops to look at Frank, marveling at the way the wind tousles his hair. It's not short, it was only tied up. Now it freed itself with the movement and it grazes his shoulders, slightly curly and soft. Too bad the red flower got lost.

"Come on, we need to distance ourselves from the building a little more."

"Okay, okay just...slow down." Frank gasps for air. "I'm not in shape like you!"

Gerard is tempted to reply with "You have the kind of shape I love," but decides it would be a bit creepy. Instead he says, "I'm far from 'in shape' myself, don't let appearances fool you, my friend. Come on, the rainbow will disappear!" and tugs at Frank arm, obliging him to resume the running.

That rainbow doesn't seem to want to disappear, though. How long has it been up there already? At least 40 minutes, he calculates. It's still raining softly, the sun is still in the sky, slowly descending towards the sea.

"I don't und..."

"There it is." Gerard points at the building they just left. His hand unconsciously wraps around Frank's as they both stare up.

"Wow. That is my..." Frank extends his free hand, seemingly lost for words. Gerard can't believe he finally got him speechless; but his small, silly victory is left behind when he realises what Frank's finger is signaling. Right below where the rainbow appears to hide, where the glass gives way to vulgar bricks and cement, there's a tiny window that shines more than the others under the last rays of sun.

Now Gerard also needs some seconds until he's able to speak. "Too bad there's no pot of gold. Well...unless you already found it inside that office and you're not telling me."

"I was never after the pot of gold," Frank states. "I was in it for the magic. I only wanted to find the end of the rainbow to know that the legend was true. Reach that spot, maybe see some leprechauns and tell them to keep their damn gold. It's been my dream since I was a kid and read about it in a book my grandma had. Anyway, I think the part about the pot of gold is just a metaphor, I already found what I was looking for."

"You know..." Gerard swallows, Frank's clear eyes fixed on him bringing that warm feeling back. He's confused, he's never experienced anything this strong with a boy. Hell, he's never liked a boy before! "That's the thing. You just said it."

"I said many things." Frank laughs.

"Oh, you certainly did, but I mean what you said about it being a metaphor. I started searching for the pot of gold, even though I didn't really need it. At one point I forgot about that. Like for you, it all became about the magic, the illusion. Now I understand that there is a treasure at the end of the rainbow, but that treasure is not necessarily made of gold. It's made of whatever we need for our lives to be complete. It's made of personals goals, needs or dreams. After that sunset two months, one week and three days ago, I've always known what I was expecting to find, I was just too stupid to admit it. I found my treasure today, and I'll fight all the leprechauns to keep him."

"You mean..."

"Yes..."

"Awww, Gerard, you're so cheesy!"

"Says the boy who fangirls over rainbows."

"Oh." Frank blushes furiously and is truly silenced for once.

Gerard and Frank continue to contemplate the reflected rainbow. They could easily turn round and watch the original, which is teasing all believers -like them- as it hides its end among the waves. However, this other one that is portrayed on glass and steel is their own rainbow, the only one that allowed them to catch it.

"Frank..."

"Yes, Gerard?"

"I know it'll sound crazy, this being the second time we've seen each other...but I think the moment is asking for it. Uh...fuck it, I just need to."

"You need what?" Frank smirked.

"I need to kiss you."

"And what are you waiting for? Our rainbow is fading!"

And fading it is. The rain has stopped, the sun is almost gone. Gerard doesn't care, he already grabbed his treasure tightly, afraid that he might fade away together with the colors. Frank's arms are securely placed around his neck, claiming his own prize. None of them is going anywhere right now.

Gerard goes for it first, Frank acting momentarily shy. Their eyes close automatically as their lips touch, multiplying the waves of warmth that roam through Gerard's body, descending until his toes tickle inside his cotton socks. The kiss is everything Gerard's mother had told him a kiss with your soul mate should be. Everything he's always labeled as cheesy and pertaining to teen love movies. Everything he -now realises- has never felt. It's not lustful, rushed or desperate. It's slow and testing and they're smiling in it. There are no tongues involved, their minds agreed that it's too soon for that. There are lips caressing each other, barely daring to suck; stopping, pecking and diving in again in slow motion. Gerard's eyelids are dropped and the same he can see. He sees the reds, oranges, yellows, blues, greens, indigos and violets.

When the kiss stops and he opens his eyes, he swears all the colors are hiding in Frank's irises. Frank smiles widely. Does he see the same in his eyes?

"Gerard?" he asks.

Gerard blinks and Frank's eyes are hazel again. A little green, a little yellow, a little brown. They don't need of all those colors to be beautiful.

"I..." Gerard is searching for words when another voice interrupts them.

"HEY, IERO!" Ray is standing a few feet from them with an amused look in his face. "Uh...sorry. You better get your ass inside now. I told Steve that you didn't feel too well and were in the bathroom, but he's not gonna buy that lie forever."

"Oh, yeah. Thank you, Toro, I owe you one," Frank answers.

Gerard takes his hand again and walks him towards the building. Ray enters; they come to a halt at the doors.

"How did he call you?" Gerard questions.

"Iero. Frank Iero."

"Ahh! Way. Gerard Way." Their hands still entwined, he presents his other one to Frank.

The younger boy shakes it. "Please to meet you, Gerard Way."

"Same, Frank Iero. And now...what?" Gerard is afraid, nervous, hesitant. He doesn't want to wait another two months to see Frank again. He doesn't want to wait until the next rainbow is painted on the sky. He doesn't want to wait at all.

"Now...you're going to wait here for me, because I'm done in half an hour and I'm really hungry. Wait, okay?" Frank pushes Gerard's chest gently with his index finger.

Okay, maybe Gerard can wait half an hour.

******º******

Gerard is lying on the front stairs of the building, looking at the stars, when a pair of hands that smell like roses cover his eyes. It kind of scares the shit out of him, but then he laughs.

"Is it a leprechaun who's coming for me?"

"Close!" The cover is removed and through the blur the pressure had created he sees Frank's beaming face; lip and nose rings back in place, glistening under the light of the lamps. He's wearing that same Eskimo jacket, only not fastened and with the hood hanging on his back.

"Do we go now?" Gerard invites, his hand drawn to Frank's like a magnet. The other nods and they go for a stroll along the shore, keeping in mind to stop as soon as they spot a place where they can eat.

"Oh, Gerard...I have to ask you something!" Frank sounds alarmed. Gerard is a little apprehensive about what he might hear next.

"Yes?"

"Please, please, don't tell my parents what you saw in my corner at work! It's not like...like they don't know. They do, I told them long ago. Well, I honestly don't think anyone could not know I'm gay, since -I admit it- I'm pretty obvious. They..."

"Frank..."

"...were okay with it and they love me and accept me the way I am, but they do tell me I overdo it sometimes, you know what I mean? Like...the whole world don't need to know I'm gay. Sure, I'm 20. I'm not a kid anymore and can take my own decisions but they're still my parents and..."

"Frankie..."

"...I've only been working in this place for two weeks 'cause a friend of mine got me the job, and mom and dad are proud of me. And I really love working there because ok, I don't do anything too important just...taking papers and stuff from one side to the other and so, but I try to learn as much as I can and then maybe one day I can get a better position or even have my own record label! Wouldn't that be awesome?"

"Yes, but..."

"Uh...what was I saying? Ah, yeah! Please don't tell my parents I have rainbows and flowers all over the wall and..."

"Frank...I don't even know your parents."

"Oh, but I think you might...very soon!"

It is Frank who kisses first this time, launching his whole body onto Gerard and nearly knocking him off his feet. Gerard should be scared, wondering what he's getting himself into, but he's too delighted seeing rainbows in this faultless starry night.

*******