Behavioural Crises

Frank pushed open his car door while sipping at his morning coffee, only to have it bumped into the door of the car parked next to him. He recoiled immediately and saw Gerard Way coming out of the car through the window, checking the damage. He jumped out of his car briskly to apologize to his fellow colleague, nearly spilling his coffee.

“I’m so sorry, man. I was…damn it. I wasn’t looking, I should’ve. It was a pretty loud bang, did your car –” Frank gestured vaguely between his and Gerard’s car, and went almost frantic when he saw the obvious dent along the edge of the door. “Holy shit, that’s bad.”

That was, to be explained, was because what Frank owned, was an ancient beat up Toyota, which came with those plastic trim round the side of the car. So, his wasn’t hurt as much, not remotely as much, to be honest with.

“Calm down, Frank. It’s probably – ” Gerard sighed heavily. “It’s probably fine.” He rubbed the white marks around it a bit and sighed even more.

“Oh my god, and it’s a Q7.” Frank huffed and felt like a deflated balloon. “Silver one, beautiful.” He scanned the side of the car and frowned. “Never really took you as a big-car kinda guy. Not to mention an Audi.”

Gerard laughed and said “Well, that’s because it’s not mine.” He smiled and shrugged. Frank’s frown deepened and lifted both of his hands in confusion. “What do you mean the car’s not –”

“Shit.” Someone hissed under his breath at the back of the cars. Frank turned and thought it sent shiver down his spine.

“Bryar,” Frank covered his face with his hands, “of course it’s his.”

“Iero.” The blonde narrowed his eyes and walked up to his damaged door. “Aw, shit.”

“Look, Bryar. I’m so sorry. I’ll pay for it?”

“What the hell, Frank? Are you high on something? Why would you wanna pay for that?” Bob rubbed the mark a few more times, then pushed Gerard out of the cramped space between the two cars with Frank following closely behind.

“Probably some car wax would be fine.” Bob shrugged and checked his watch as the three of them walked towards the main entrance of the hospital.

Frank hurried a few steps to catch up with Gerard and tapped him on the shoulder. He whispered in a low voice, like fearing Bob might hear what he said and react with an unexpected. “But I thought there was like a…pretty bad indent?”

Gerard smiled and shoot a knowing glanced at Bob. “He’s surprisingly nice sometimes.” And when he saw Bob greeting the janitor who was sweeping the front door, he added, “Most of the times.”

“You really don’t want me to pay for it? Or are you planning to panel beat it yourself?” Frank asked behind Bob’s shouldered and felt the guilt stabbed right through him when Bob answered with a scoff, “Of course not, I’m not turning my baby into another trashed SUV with that.” Frank turned over to give Gerard a look, but the man just shrugged and smiled.

“I know someone who would probably fix that professionally at a fairly low price anyway. So, no worries.” Gerard walked up to pressed for the elevator and turned his heels with a light swing, “Larry?”

“Yeah.”

“He’ll probably fix it for free if we cook something nice, offering a dinner, maybe?” Gerard fleshed a playful smile at Bob, who smirked and raised a brow at him. “You mean I cook something nice and you two lounge in indolence watching America’s Next Top Model debating who should win and will our future generation all suffer from anorexia?”

Walking closer to Bob, Gerard bit his lip and beamed. “Something like that.”

Frank observed and found his mouth quirking up a little at the corner, subtle but enough to be recognized as a smile. The relationship between his two co-workers was pleasant, and it gets people around them affected, though he wasn’t sure why. Sometimes those actions and words were affectionate, but you can see that there wasn’t anything beneath it’s surface, nothing implicit. Maybe the people he knew around here really just liked watching their over-stressed (and obsessive compulsive) consultant playfully hanging around his best mate and capturing the rare smile of Bob’s when he was pleased at what he did best. Really, just like that.

***

“And Mikey Way told you to ask me about that?” Mark raised an eyebrow and cursed the brother of his ex-boyfriend virulently at heart.

“Yeah.”

Frank found Mark at around lunch break, right before the elder doctor went into the conference room to join the rest for lunch. Frank had pulled him to a side of the corridor, where they wouldn’t block anyone’s way.

“Did he tell you anything else?”

“What? That you’re his ex?” Frank’s wide eyes and innocent face made it hard for Mark to hate for what they were.

“Y-es.” The elder doctor rubbed his fingers against the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Well, fine then. What’s your question again?” Mark gave in.

“I want to know if I have a chance with Gerard.” Frank said simply.

Mark knew what Mikey wanted, sending Frank to him. But he wasn’t the asshole ex-boyfriend who tells everybody to back off from his exs. He wanted Gerard to be happy, whether or not provided that he had screwed it up before or not. But he also wasn’t the earnest, genuine ex-boyfriend who gives free passes to every single guy who asked for tips about dating his exs. So, this could be a hard one.

Frank Iero is nice and cute and all, but seeing him with Gerard Way together everyday at where he works? No, not likely. What would Bryar make of this? Mark wondered as his mind started to drift off. Wondered if Bryar would tell him to bugger off or to go for it. Would he tell Frank not to try and make up stupid reasons for it? Or will he throw the ball around to someone else like Mikey did? After all, Bryar was a protective person, even evidently not as protective as Mikey Way when it comes to Gerard. Mikey Way probably wanted his brother to be an asexual abstinent for the rest of eternity more than anyone after their previous break up. But no one would really want Gerard to be an asexual abstinent expect for his brother, right? No, because that would be stupid.

A dry cough from Frank pulled Mark back to reality. Mark coughed and stared straight into Frank’s eyes, trying to stare off his suspicion of him just completely drift off for the past few minutes. He spent a couple of seconds more to gather his thoughts and make a full point conclusion.

“Look, I know it’s not very nice to, like throw you around like a ball or something for that question, but – ” Mark ducked down his head to look up to his subordinate, like he was almost afraid to say the name. “Can you ask Bryar?”

That’s right, he came up with nothing. What was he supposed to say? He weighted the pros and cons for both ways of him ending this conversation with a useful piece of advise, and he could not pick. He didn’t mind being an asshole as a person, but he minded being an asshole ex-boyfriend of Gerard’s. But he also really disliked seeing Gerard with another person everyday nine to five, Monday to Friday or maybe potentially Saturday, too. Not that he thought Gerard would immediately accept Frank, but he wasn’t giving away the possibility as well.

Frank inclined his head in a manner that express his astonishment, saying ‘Bryar?’.

Mark was pretty sure Frank’s astonishment was from the fact that he had just wasted five minutes of Frank’s time, just to have himself thrown to another person for the question again. Because Mark assumed Frank had already thought of asking Bob, but only happened to asked Mikey first and then to have himself thrown to his boss with an inconclusive answer again. Asking Bob that question was just the matter of time, because who wouldn’t? Bob knew more about Gerard than Mikey himself as the younger brother had admitted before, and it felt like Bob was the kind of person you would turn to for advice (provided that you know him well enough for him to actually talk to you about something more than just the weather and work related topics).

“But I just trashed his car today.” Frank mumbled recalling what happened early this morning.

“What?”

“Nothing, I just – ”

“You trashed Bryar’s Q7, didn’t you?” Mark blurted out with wild eyes. Despite the look on Mark’s face, Frank thought his boss was more amused than surprised.

“No, not really like, trashed it or something. Not even close to.” Frank explained with vague hand movements and sheepish eyes.

“Does he know?”

“He was there when it happened.”

“Oh.” Mark covered his mouth with his hand to muffle the laugh and made it sound like some kind of a cough. “Anyhow, my advice is that you go ask Bryar. And stick to whatever he has to say.”

***

“Yeah, of course. Why not?”

Frank stared as Bob continued filling in the papers at the outpatient department. He was speechless for a moment. Maybe because this was the first to-the-point answer he had got after two unsuccessful tries, or maybe he never really imagined Bob saying yes to that question, or both.

“Do you mean that, Bryar? Because I’m serious.” Frank tightened his fist which was shoved into his pocket a few moments ago as he spoke, because somehow, it was nerve racking to ask Bob about Gerard.

“I’m serious as long as you are.” Bob turned to give him a faint smile and walked away.

Frank stood there for a while, thinking over Bob’s answer and thought that made sense. He’s pretty serious, and he’s willing to show Bob just about how serious he can be at times.

Then he walked off as well, thinking about why it was so hard for Mikey and Mark to answer his question like Bob. Frank thanked Bob in mind and was already humming a little tune as he walked towards to clinic area.

***

Gerard stood in front of the sink and stared at the clean glass cups and dishes placed neatly on the dish rack. If it was up to him, he would have just toss all the used glasses into the sink and let them sit there and maybe he’ll get around to washing them in a very near future, or maybe not. Because he had got the big-ass excuse of washing them might make him all frustrated due to his stupid disorder and make him all weary for the rest of the day. But even this man didn’t have any excuse, he still didn’t have to be that well organized, did he? Gerard tipped all the china dishes into one direction then poured himself a glass of ice water before entering the living room.

Gerard glided to the couch where Bob had seated himself and slightly bumped into him. He stretched himself with a big yawn and collapsed onto the man beside him. Bob sat up to adjust himself so Gerard would fit comfortably at his side.

They were both quiet, Gerard listened to Bob’s steady breathing and concentrated on the feel of his own. He remembered how amazed he was when he had learned that breathing doesn’t occur due to the contract and expend of the lungs, but the movements of the diaphragm. He was so young back then. Thinking of how it would be to cut open a human body to see what’s inside, to see what’s going on that kept them alive. He hadn’t really thought of cutting it open back then, just wanted see, to know how it all runs. He never thought cutting up people but keeping them alive at the same time would be one of the key skills in his job in the future.

The TV was on mute so it was generally silence in the room. It was the good kind of silence, not the awkward ones that make people fidget and wish the other would say something. Gerard liked these kind of moments, when his head was finally quiet and calm after a whole busy week. When his mind didn’t run a thousand miles an hour, when his heart didn’t pound so fast, so hard. Sometimes when he was at home after work, he would still stay up for hours thinking of what might have trigger the patient’s seizure or should he get up and finish the report for board meeting and what to write in it. But right now, he’s not thinking about much in general, and that’s a good sigh.

“You should consider buying a pet.” Gerard said, staring at the Law & Order rerun that was currently showing on the TV screen. “Like a dog or something, but not fish, or turtle, or anything that lives in the water for that matter.”

“Should I?” Bob asked, half amused.

“Yeah,” Gerard pointed around the apartment and said, “Should bring some life into your apartment and sea creatures don’t really do that often, unless you’re really into sea creatures which you’re not, so,” Gerard shrugged.

Bob considered it and thought that wasn’t a bad idea at all.