Coffee and Cigarettes

There was this old house just outside of town that Gerard liked to go to during the summer. Although it was only April, Gerard felt obligated to show his home away from home to Frank.

"What the hell is this?" Frank asked as he climbed out of Gerard's car.

The house wasn't anything to be proud of. It was big, but it was also completely run down and unfit for any human being to step inside of it. It was the sort of house one would imagine to see in horror movies or Life after people. Maybe.

"This is my house," Gerard said, gesturing proudly at the less-than-adequate residence. "Well, not my house, but I stay here sometimes. I come here to think and to get some time in for myself."

Frank glanced up at Gerard. "And you brought me here?" He asked.

Gerard nodded, pulling Frank into his side. "And I brought you here."

Ever since the "Kenny Montgomery incident", as Frank had started calling it, things hadn't really gone back to normal as Frank had suggested. Granted, the pair were still friends, but it wasn't the same. The sexual tension could sometimes be cut with a knife and, on more than one occasion, one of the boys had a strong urge to jump the other's bones.

It was nice though, being so openly comfortable with each other.

"Wanna go in?" Gerard asked.

Frank warily stared at the decrepit looking establishment. "I don't know... the floors won't fall through will they?"

"No," Gerard stated, giving Frank's shoulder a friendly squeeze. "They won't. Have some faith in my will you? I'm not a total failure."

Frank looked up at Gerard with serious eyes. "You're not a failure. Lazy, maybe, but not a failure."

The two of them stood like that for a while, staring one another down with a look that might have been categorized as admiration or devotion, until Gerard got a handle on the situation and decided to drag Frank toward what he liked to refer to as his sanctuary.

Once inside Frank kind of understood why Gerard liked the house so much. There was something about it that made him feel welcomed. He felt as if he could fix the house up and stay inside of it forever and never feel the need to leave. In his time of need, the house would provide.

Of course, he knew the feeling was completely and totally impractical, but it was nice to feel that sort of selflessness from an inanimate object; People were just so unreliable.

"I like it here," Frank stated, a few moments after entering the house.

"Already? A minute ago you were scared of the floors caving in," Gerard said.

Frank shrugged, wrapping his arms around himself. "I don't know... I feel safe here for some reason. Like... if the world were to end I'd want to be here."

Gerard didn't say anything, but it was as if Frank had torn the words straight from Gerard's head. Right from the start he knew Frank would understand, but he'd been afraid to act on his judgments.

"Yeah," he said. "I get what you mean."

Frank wandered around the bottom floor of the house. He drifted through, what Gerard dreamed of being, the sitting room, kitchen, living room, and office. Sometimes he would stand in the center of the room and look up as if he were staring at some masterpiece Gerard had failed to notice on the numerous occasions he'd entered the house.

"What are you looking at?" Gerard asked when Frank had stopped in the living room.

"Nothing," Frank answered. He looked toward Gerard, a blithe smile on his lips. "I'm feeling."

Gerard cocked his head to the side. "I'm not following you," he said.

Frank waved him off. "Doesn't matter. Show me the rest, will you?"

Gerard nodded and took Frank's hand as he led him toward the steps. "They're not gonna fall though, okay?" He reassured his friend with a chuckle. Frank laughed lightly along with him and followed Gerard up to the second floor.

"This is where I like it best," Gerard said, heading straight for the window in what he imagined to be the master bedroom.

Frank followed and took residence next to Gerard. "Why?"

Gerard ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. "I don't know... I just feel like I can breath when I'm here, you know?" He glanced over at Frank, then back out the window. "I can see the edge of town from here and I feel so far away from everything.

It's like my problems are all back there and, when I'm here, they're insignificant."

Frank smiled, leaning on Gerard's shoulder. At that moment words were unnecessary and all that was permitted was a gesture of understanding.


Gerard had a couple of beers in the backseat of his car and, at Frank's urging, brought them up to the master bedroom. At first he was a little hesitant, but Frank figured it would be a fun and convinced Gerard to bring them upstairs.

"I cannot believe I have you drinking beer in an empty bedroom of an abandoned building." Gerard took a swig of beer, smiled at Frank. "You've come a long way."

Frank chuckled. "This isn't something I should be proud of, Gerard. I'm underage."

"Aren't we all?" Gerard retorted, lying back on the dusty, wooden floor.

Frank stood up and ambled toward the window. The glass had been gone for God only knew how long and the younger of the two could feel the cool beginning-of-spring air dancing across his skin.

"I never realized how high the room was, Gerard," Frank observed, looking down toward the ground.

"You probably shouldn't be standing so close to the window, Frank," Gerard lazily stated from his place on the floor. "Especially since you're a little drunk."

Frank waved the comment off and sat down in front of the window. "I'm not stupid, Gerard," he said. "I'm not going to jump out of the window or anything."

Gerard sat up. "I know... I was just saying..."

Frank sighed, content, and motioned for Gerard to join him by the window. "The breeze is nice," he added.

Gerard complied and moved so he was seated next to Frank. The pair sat there, drinking, in silence for the next few moments. Frank looked at the side of Gerard's face and realized just how amazing he thought that boy was.

"Thanks," he said, patting Gerard's thigh.

"For what?"

Frank shrugged. "You know, everything. I think you're really great, not just for bringing me here, but in general."

Gerard chuckled. "Yeah? Thanks."

If Frank hadn't been slightly intoxicated he probably wouldn't have kissed Gerard that night in the master bedroom of an abandoned house just outside of town. And if Gerard hadn't been tipsy he might have told Frank to kiss him when he wasn't drunk.

But the pair had been drinking and Frank did kiss Gerard and Gerard kissed him back without a thought on the matter.

When Frank pulled away, he grinned toward Gerard and wiped the excess saliva from his lips. "You taste like beer," he said, giggling.

Gerard laughed along with him. "So do you."

With eyes fixed on Gerard, Frank forgot he was sitting in front of an open window and started to lie back. Next thing he knew, he'd fallen out and landed on the ground below.

All Gerard heard was his best friend call out the word 'shit!' and the sound of a body landing in the bushes.