#24; Family
#24 - Family
#24; Family
Frank Iero was just the arrogant dickhead who lived opposite them. He went to their school, sure, and he was in a couple of Mikey's classes, but whatever. He was still the arrogant dickhead who lived opposite them.
Unfortunately for Gerard, he was also hot. The hot arrogant dickhead who lived opposite them. He was gorgeous, with his short, jet-black hair and glittering hazel eyes, lip ring that glinted in the autumn sun and a scorpion tattoo visible just above his collar, if you saw him from the right angle.
That didn't stop him being an arrogant dickhead, though.
"Look at him," Gerard said to Mikey, staring at Frank out of the window. "Isn't he despicable?" Mikey looked up at him, expression neutral.
"You've never even spoken to him," he said mildly, going back to the task at hand, which happened to be flicking through a porn magazine. Gross. Boobs freaked Gerard the fuck out, okay? He didn't understand everyone's obsession with round, fleshy...boobs. "I think he's okay."
"You would," Gerard said disdainfully, turning back to the window. He was seated on the wide windowsill, leaning against the frame of the window and watching Frank Iero toss a ball to his friend Pete, and have Pete throw it back. He was laughing, the expression enhancing and lighting up his features, and Gerard didn't like it.
"I bet he's gay," he said. "He just radiates faggotry."
"You're gay," Mikey pointed out. "You are the definition of faggotry."
"No," Gerard said. "Pete Wentz is the definition of faggotry. Emo faggotry."
"Pete Wentz is a good kisser," Mikey said, completely out of the blue, and Gerard did an honest-to-God double-take.
"Excuse me?" Gerard asked. If there was one person he liked less than Frank McFaggot Iero, it was Pete Wentz. Pete was so overly friendly and nice that it always felt like he was plotting against Gerard, or it was all a set-up.
Mikey shrugged.
"That," Gerard said, "is not a valid answer."
"Pete Wentz is a good kisser," Mikey repeated, looking confused. "What more is there to say?"
"How about when the fuck you kissed Pete Wentz?" Gerard asked, voice nearly three octaves higher than normal.
"It was just a thing," Mikey said dismissively, which meant he was at a party, got drunk, kissed Pete Wentz and maybe a horse (not that there was much difference between the two, with Pete's teeth).
"Seriously," Gerard said melodramatically. "Of all the people, Mikey. Of everyone you could have chosen. Pete Wentz."
"Hey, look," Mikey said, choosing to completely ignore Gerard's dramatic reaction, which meant it wasn't a thing, it was a thing. "Next week I get a free mini-porn mag."
His brother was a lost cause, Gerard decided, turning back to the window to watch Frank a bit more.
-
"That Iero boy across the road," Donna Way said the next day, sipping her coffee. Gerard looked up from his sketchpad sharply.
"What?" he asked. "What about him?"
"His family are having...issues," she said delicately. "I think it would help if you were to befriend him." Gerard snorted.
"Not fucking likely," he muttered, turning his attention back to the awesome drawing he was doing.
"Language," his mom tutted, but that was hypocritical and they both knew it.
"To help you bond, I invited him over for dinner today," she added coolly, setting her coffee down. Gerard stared at her.
"You're shitting me, right?" he asked in disbelief. "Mikey's not secretly filming this, is he?" His mom rolled her eyes and shook her head, but Gerard craned his neck to check anyway.
"I think Mikey should be the only one bonding with him," Gerard said. "They're both sophomores. I'm a senior. There's a big age gap, and I might be a distraction. Or a hindrance. Or both."
"You're trying to get out of this, young man, and I'm not gonna let you."
"Fucking hell, Mom, please," Gerard groaned, slumping down on the table.
"Suck it," his mom replied.
-
"It's a Saturday," Gerard complained to Mikey, who was flicking through another porn magazine. Gerard didn't even want to know where Mikey got them from, but unfortunately he did - Joe, the pervert.
"It is," Mikey said agreeably, because it was and it would be stupid to argue the fact it was Saturday.
"But Saturdays aren't for Frank," Gerard said. "They're for alcohol and pills and pot and other bad things."
"Porn," Mikey supplied helpfully. Gerard rolled his eyes.
"Porn is for everyday, not specifically Saturdays."
"You drink and take drugs every day, why's Saturday any different?" Mikey pointed out.
"It just is," Gerard insisted. "Point is, I can't do any of that with Frank here. Frank shouldn't be allowed here. Why's he even coming here?"
"His parents are splitting up," Mikey told him. "He needs emotional support." Gerard snorted.
"He has no emotions to support," he said. Mikey actually looked up to frown at him.
"Hey," he said. "Frank's cool. You don't even know him. Shut up."
"Whatever," Gerard grumbled, unwilling to get in an argument with his brother over something so trivial. "Wait 'til tonight."
He guessed the pills would have to wait 'til Sunday.
-
The doorbell rang. Gerard groaned, letting his head fall forward and hit the desk. Fucking Frank, arriving so fucking early Gerard hadn't even had time to formulate a cunning plan to leave.
Okay, he'd had time, but he'd procrastinated. Cigarettes and horror films were far more interesting.
Maybe he could sneak off to the bathroom, stealthily, whilst his mom was introducing-
"Gerard! Get up here!"
Fuck, too late. Gerard groaned again, heaving himself up from the chair and thudding up the stairs laboriously.
"What?" he grunted at his mother, although he knew perfectly well what because all five foot four of 'what' was standing in front of him, grinning in what would be a friendly manner if it wasn't Frank Iero.
"Say hello to Frank," his mom said, glaring at him, like he was going to set fire to Frank's nipples or something.
"Hi," Gerard mumbled, not looking at Frank.
"Hey," Frank replied cheerily. "I don't think we've spoken before. Your brother's cool, though. He's a bit quiet. Are you quiet? You two don't look like brothers, you know. He's all spindly and limbs-everywhere and you're..." he trailed off awkwardly. "Sorry, I have verbal diarrhoea," he giggled, and Gerard fixed him with a stony glare.
"Show Frank to the basement," Donna Way said, eyes boring into Gerard like if you set fire to his nipples I will know about it. Gerard rolled his eyes but grudgingly obliged, shoving the door open and stomping down the stairs.
"Mikey," Gerard said, and Mikey looked up from his comic, breaking into a smile when he saw Frank.
"Frank!" he said, and Frank bounced over to fall ungracefully into Mikey's bony lap in an attempted hug. Both boys were laughing as they untangled their limbs, and Gerard felt a sharp stab of jealousy run through him. He shook it off, and masked it with a grumpy frown.
"I would very much appreciate it," he said, "if you had your intimate moments somewhere other than at my feet." Mikey looked up at him and rolled his eyes, before rolling away from Frank.
"I'm not the gay brother," he said, which was traitorous and a lie. Frank wasn't meant to know Gerard was gay, Jesus.
"Liar," Gerard said. "You kissed Pete Wentz." Mikey opened his mouth to respond, but Frank cut in first.
"You're gay?" he said, turning to Gerard.
"What, have you never seen a homosexual freak before?" Gerard sneered.
"Whenever I look in the mirror," Frank said dryly, and Gerard felt his eyes widen.
"You're gay?" he said, in disbelief.
"Let's not go spreading it about," Frank said hastily. "I'll keep yours on the down low, you keep mine."
"Keep my what?" Gerard asked, perplexed, completely forgetting that this was Frank Iero, the arrogant dickhead from across the road, who he'd just come out of the closet to. The first time they'd spoken. Ever.
His life was a wasteland of tragedy, doom, sorrow and despair.
"You kissed Pete?" Frank said, ignoring Gerard and rounding on Mikey.
"It was just a thing," Mikey replied, too casually.
"Liar," Gerard muttered.
"Shut up," Mikey said. He raised his eyebrows at Gerard, like venture any further into that topic of conversation and I will force-feed you your own genitals.
"Fuck off," Gerard snorted. "You wouldn't do that to your own kin."
Mikey's little smirk said 'Wanna bet?'.
"Yes," Gerard said.
"Are you okay?" Frank asked, looking concerned. "Are you schizophrenic?"
Gerard didn't even have time for idiots like Frank Iero.
"No, fuck you," he said, turning on his heel. "I'm going to draw. Disturb me at your peril."
-
That was the first time Gerard met Frank from across the road.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the last.
-
"Frank's starting to become a regular member of the household," Gerard grumbled. He'd managed to keep himself from Frank as much as possible whenever he invaded their basement, locking himself in his room and drawing for hours on end with music blasting out of the stereo to drown out his thoughts. However, since Frank's visits had become more frequent, Gerard had spent an increasing amount of time with his right hand. He didn't know if it was a thing to do with Frank or if it was simply coincidental, but it was odd. Repulsive, even.
"So?" Mikey shrugged.
"It's Frank," Gerard said. Mikey looked up at Gerard, eyes sweeping over him, taking in every detail that everyone but his brother would fail to notice.
"If his presence makes you want to jerk off, you should be glad he's spending more time here," Mikey said nonchalantly, and Gerard scoffed.
"I'm never even there to acknowledge his presence," he said. "I'm always in my room."
"Jerking off."
"Fuck you," Gerard said, turning to stomp back into his room.
"I know what you'll be doing in there, with the door closed!" Mikey yelled.
"Fuck off!" Gerard yelled back.
-
There was a soft rap on the door.
"Mikey, if you've come to taunt me again, I haven't even touched my dick today," Gerard yelled, making no move to get up and open the door. He heard a muffled giggle, and shit, that- that was Frank's giggle. He groaned, burying his head in his hands as he waited for his blush to fade.
"What do you fucking want?" he asked, raising his head, once he felt suitably calmer.
Yeah, sure.
"Can I come in?" Frank said, and he sounded honest-to-God nervous, like Gerard was going to pour liquid nitrogen on his balls or something.
"Whatever," Gerard sighed, trying in vain to compose himself with the best sneer he could muster on his face as the door clicked open.
"Why aren't you with Mikey?" Gerard demanded.
"He had an emergency," Frank said earnestly. "Something about Ray getting his hair stuck in a - well, you don't want to know." He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.
"Why didn't you go home then?" Gerard asked, and that sounded rude, even to his own practically-sociopathic ears.
"There's a storm outside, and I'm scared of...never mind," Frank said, turning to leave.
"Wait, no," Gerard heard himself say, and Frank stopped in his tracks, turning to fix Gerard with a hopeful stare. Gerard sighed.
"Fine, whatever, stay," he mumbled. Frank's face broke into a grin and he bounced over to Gerard's bed, plonking himself down heavily in the middle.
"Cool," he said. "So. What are you doing?"
"Drawing," Gerard muttered. Goddamn Iero kid.
"Cool," Frank said again. There was a short, blissful moment of silence.
"Can I see it?"
"No," Gerard said.
"Okay," Frank said agreeably. There was a moment of silence, both awkward and contemplative, and Gerard's scratchy pencil on the thick, heavy paper of his sketchpad was far too loud.
"Why do you hate me?" Frank asked quietly, after a while. "What did I do?"
Gerard let it run through his mind.
He had no personal reason for hating Frank. It was mainly because Frank was hot and popular and even Mikey liked Frank, whereas Gerard was fat and bullied and even his own brother didn't like him at times.
However, he couldn't exactly open his mouth and simply say "Because you're hot and popular and my brother likes you and I'm fat and ugly and my life is a string of miserable events".
Frank stared at him.
Oh shit, fuck, no.
"You think I'm hot?" Frank's voice came out weird, like he'd been inhaling helium for the past seven hours.
Why did his brain not work in co-ordination with his mouth, goddammit? Things like that were meant to be a kept personal thoughts not hey guys let me share my CREEPY ALMOST-PAEDOPHILIC OPINIONS OF A FIFTEEN YEAR OLD WITH YOU.
"I'm not a paedophile," Gerard blurted, like his brain wanted to reassure Frank of this fact.
God, kill him. Please. His sanity just fled in high-pressure circumstances.
"I think you should go," Gerard said suddenly. "I have to. Wash. My carpet."
"Okay," Frank said, still staring at Gerard. "Okay."
"Okay," Gerard said, anxiously waiting for Frank to leave. Frank didn't move.
"Carpet," Gerard reminded him, and Frank nodded absent-mindedly.
"Carpet," he said, stumbling out of the room dazedly.
Gerard had just successfully fucked up his foolproof morals of Frank-hating.
Fucking spectacular.
-
"We're having a family dinner today," Donna Way said to her two sons. The youngest groaned.
"Are you incapable of making your character walk in a straight line, what the fuck," Mikey said to Gerard, who was failing epically at Halo.
"Family dinner," their mom said, and Gerard nodded absent-mindedly, hissing as he died once again.
"I can't even be that bad at videogames if I try," Mikey said dryly, snatching the controller off of Gerard.
"Your mom," Gerard said.
"Your mom," Mikey replied.
"My fucking God," Donna muttered, walking back out of the room.
-
"Family dinner," Mikey said, kicking his brother, and Gerard groaned.
"Why didn't Mom tell us?" he asked. "Despair and gloom await."
"It won't be that bad," Mikey said. "Frank's coming."
"I'm going to dig a hole, crawl in it and die," Gerard moaned, slumping down on the table.
"I'll provide the spade," Mikey said helpfully.
-
Aunt Mable was a nightmare.
"So, boys, have any nice girls for us to meet?" she leered through her layers of wrinkles.
"No," Mikey said stonily.
"You'll find them in time," Aunt Mable said, and Gerard snorted.
"I hope not," he mumbled. It was a notorious rule in the Way family (which was their father's side) that if you were gay/bisexual/not straight/the devil you would be shunned by all family members. There were some family members Gerard didn't want to lose contact with (Uncle Phil. Uncle Phil was awesome) but Mable? Mable he could allow.
"Pardon me?" she smiled, sickly sweet and utterly repulsive.
"I said, I hope not," Gerard said loudly. Mikey gave him a warning shove.
"Whyever not?" Aunt Mable questioned, and Gerard opened his mouth to dig his grave.
"Frank's here," Mikey said gratefully as the doorbell rang, and Gerard groaned internally.
"Fucking kill me now," he said seriously to Aunt Mable, who looked taken aback.
"I beg your pardon?" she gasped, in horror. "Language, boy!"
"Oh, fuck you," Gerard mumbled, slouching away to the sound of her sharp intake of breath.
Whatever.
-
Gerard had spent all afternoon stealthily avoiding Frank. He loitered in the hallway when Frank was in the front room, dashed into the kitchen when Frank went to the loo and peeked around the doorframe when Frank stood for a moment in the hallway, staring at the door to the basement, expression unreadable. Finally, he sighed and headed back to the living room for another bout of conversation with the ten billion ancient relatives that had arrived to make Gerard's life miserable.
However, when his mom yelled that dinner was ready, he realised there was a flaw in his otherwise-foolproof plan.
There was no way to avoid someone sitting directly opposite you when eating.
Shit.
"Hey," Frank said, bounding up to Gerard. "I haven't seen you all afternoon. Where have you been?"
Hiding from you.
"Oh, you know," Gerard said airily. "Around." Frank nodded, suspicion clouding his features, before shaking it free and grinning.
"Your family's a bit..."
"Fucked up?" Gerard suggested, and Frank giggled nervously.
"Well, your Aunt Mable..."
"Oh God, no, you'll spoil my appetite," Gerard groaned. Frank giggled again.
"Let's eat, then?"
"Sure," Gerard shrugged awkwardly.
-
"I saw a horrific sight the other day," Aunt Mable said, clattering her fork on the table.
"What was it?" Aunt Delilah wanted to know.
"Tell us!" Uncle Joseph demanded.
"Dear Lord," Uncle Phil muttered, stabbing a potato rather violently. Gerard shot him a quick grin, which he returned, winking.
"There was a boy," Aunt Mable started disdainfully.
"Oh gosh, a boy, how horrendous!" Gerard said sarcastically, forking up a green bean. Frank giggled nervously, and Aunt Mable stared at him with her beady eyes.
"Manners," she said snottily, and Uncle Phil snorted.
"Hypocrite," he mumbled just loud enough for her to hear.
"This family is descending into madness!" Aunt Mable exclaimed, banging her fist on the table dramatically.
"Oh, it is indeed," Aunt Peggy agreed.
"Too right!" Uncle Thomas said.
"Let her continue with her story," Donna said, in an attempt to keep the peace. Aunt Mable harrumphed.
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," she said, fixing her stare on Gerard. "I saw a boy. Two boys, in fact. One had hair and a frame a lot like Michael - I could only see from the back, you know - and the other was shorter than him, with black hair. But they weren't just out for a stroll, oh no." She paised dramatically. "They were holding hands." There was a collective gasp and a smatter of mutterings from assembled members of the Way family, and Gerard snuck a glance at Mikey - whose face was bright red.
"No way," Gerard muttered, throwing his knife and fork down. "You said it was a thing, not a thing."
"You knew," Mikey pointed out. "Plus, you said Frank was a dickhead."
"He is," Gerard said, and Mikey shook his head.
"You don't think that," he said.
"Yes I do," Gerard retorted.
"No, you don't," Mikey said, pushing a sausage around his plate aimlessly. "You think he's hot and you want to date him."
"I do not," Gerard protested hotly, ignoring the little tug in his stomach that told him otherwise.
When had Frank morphed from the hot arrogant dickhead who lived opposite them into a hot...hot guy?
"Sure," Mikey said sarcastically.
"I will strangle you in your sleep," Gerard threatened.
"Gerard, Michael, and Frank, stop being so antisocial and join in the family conversation," Aunt Mable said disdainfully.
"Since when were you the leader of the family?" Gerard asked.
"Don't be so rude!" his mom said, and Gerard fixed her with a glare, because she thought the exact same thing, goddammit.
"I will pardon that question," Aunt Mable said tightly.
"No, fuck you," Gerard said, throwing his fork down. "What's wrong with two boys holding hands? Is it making Russia invade? Is it making war inevitable in our country? Is it making anyone die? No, because it's two fucking people who lo-like each other."
"It's wrong," Aunt Mable said, rising out of her seat. "It's disgusting. The Bible says it's wrong. I wouldn't want to touch a...faggot." She spat the word, like one may have spat 'Nazi' in the early 1940s.
It pissed Gerard the fuck off.
"Fuck you," Gerard said, standing up and throwing his napkin down. "I will have you know you are breathing the same air as a faggot."
"Two faggots," Mikey said, standing too.
"Three faggots," Frank said, also rising out of his seat.
"Four faggots," Uncle Phil said, and Gerard beamed at him.
Aunt Mable looked lost for words.
Gerard's mother seemed in pain.
Gerard wanted to spit at Aunt Mable, and felt if he didn't leave quickly, he probably would.
"Jesus taught equality," he hissed. "Not discrimination."
And with that he made his dramatic exit to the basement, leaving three gays standing at the table.
-
Someone tapped on his shoulder, terrifying him and causing him to jump and flail and rip his earphone out. Frank was standing in front of him, biting his lip.
"What?" Gerard said, because he was a great, polite conversation starter.
"What you did at dinner," Frank started, and Gerard groaned. He still couldn't believe he'd done that.
He was in for a century of grounding.
"No, no, wait," Frank insisted. "It was. Awesome. Standing up for gays like that."
"She was pissing me off," Gerard mumbled.
"Me too," Frank said. "Fuck, sorry for liking it in the ass, what the fuck."
"She's just jealous," Gerard told him. "We get ten times the amount of cock she does."
"With a face like that, I can believe it," Frank said, and Gerard smiled involuntarily. "Seriously, though. Awesome, dude."
"Thanks," Gerard said. Frank stared at him.
"Have I got something on my face?" Gerard asked after a few moments. Frank flushed.
"No, uh, um, I, er..." he trailed off awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm gonna go now."
"Yeah, okay," Gerard agreed. "Bye."
"Bye," Frank said, walking to the door. He put his hand on the doorknob to turn an leave, but-
"Wait," Gerard said, and Frank turned back to face him.
He didn't know what made him do it. If anyone asked, it was the adrenaline from being so daring at dinner.
He crossed the room in two steps and kissed Frank. Frank made a little 'oomph!' sound under Gerard, but was soon kissing back enthusiastically, if a little sloppily.
"What was that for?" Frank asked, when they finally broke apart.
"Being the hot dickhead who lives opposite us," Gerard answered, greedily leaning in for more.
"I don't even understand you," Frank mumbled against Gerard's lips.
"You don't want to," Gerard said. "I'll have to set fire to your nipples and my mom will get mad."
"Shut up and kiss me," Frank said.
Frank Iero was just the arrogant dickhead who lived opposite them. He went to their school, sure, and he was in a couple of Mikey's classes, but whatever. He was still the arrogant dickhead who lived opposite them.
Unfortunately for Gerard, he was also hot. The hot arrogant dickhead who lived opposite them. He was gorgeous, with his short, jet-black hair and glittering hazel eyes, lip ring that glinted in the autumn sun and a scorpion tattoo visible just above his collar, if you saw him from the right angle.
That didn't stop him being an arrogant dickhead, though.
"Look at him," Gerard said to Mikey, staring at Frank out of the window. "Isn't he despicable?" Mikey looked up at him, expression neutral.
"You've never even spoken to him," he said mildly, going back to the task at hand, which happened to be flicking through a porn magazine. Gross. Boobs freaked Gerard the fuck out, okay? He didn't understand everyone's obsession with round, fleshy...boobs. "I think he's okay."
"You would," Gerard said disdainfully, turning back to the window. He was seated on the wide windowsill, leaning against the frame of the window and watching Frank Iero toss a ball to his friend Pete, and have Pete throw it back. He was laughing, the expression enhancing and lighting up his features, and Gerard didn't like it.
"I bet he's gay," he said. "He just radiates faggotry."
"You're gay," Mikey pointed out. "You are the definition of faggotry."
"No," Gerard said. "Pete Wentz is the definition of faggotry. Emo faggotry."
"Pete Wentz is a good kisser," Mikey said, completely out of the blue, and Gerard did an honest-to-God double-take.
"Excuse me?" Gerard asked. If there was one person he liked less than Frank McFaggot Iero, it was Pete Wentz. Pete was so overly friendly and nice that it always felt like he was plotting against Gerard, or it was all a set-up.
Mikey shrugged.
"That," Gerard said, "is not a valid answer."
"Pete Wentz is a good kisser," Mikey repeated, looking confused. "What more is there to say?"
"How about when the fuck you kissed Pete Wentz?" Gerard asked, voice nearly three octaves higher than normal.
"It was just a thing," Mikey said dismissively, which meant he was at a party, got drunk, kissed Pete Wentz and maybe a horse (not that there was much difference between the two, with Pete's teeth).
"Seriously," Gerard said melodramatically. "Of all the people, Mikey. Of everyone you could have chosen. Pete Wentz."
"Hey, look," Mikey said, choosing to completely ignore Gerard's dramatic reaction, which meant it wasn't a thing, it was a thing. "Next week I get a free mini-porn mag."
His brother was a lost cause, Gerard decided, turning back to the window to watch Frank a bit more.
-
"That Iero boy across the road," Donna Way said the next day, sipping her coffee. Gerard looked up from his sketchpad sharply.
"What?" he asked. "What about him?"
"His family are having...issues," she said delicately. "I think it would help if you were to befriend him." Gerard snorted.
"Not fucking likely," he muttered, turning his attention back to the awesome drawing he was doing.
"Language," his mom tutted, but that was hypocritical and they both knew it.
"To help you bond, I invited him over for dinner today," she added coolly, setting her coffee down. Gerard stared at her.
"You're shitting me, right?" he asked in disbelief. "Mikey's not secretly filming this, is he?" His mom rolled her eyes and shook her head, but Gerard craned his neck to check anyway.
"I think Mikey should be the only one bonding with him," Gerard said. "They're both sophomores. I'm a senior. There's a big age gap, and I might be a distraction. Or a hindrance. Or both."
"You're trying to get out of this, young man, and I'm not gonna let you."
"Fucking hell, Mom, please," Gerard groaned, slumping down on the table.
"Suck it," his mom replied.
-
"It's a Saturday," Gerard complained to Mikey, who was flicking through another porn magazine. Gerard didn't even want to know where Mikey got them from, but unfortunately he did - Joe, the pervert.
"It is," Mikey said agreeably, because it was and it would be stupid to argue the fact it was Saturday.
"But Saturdays aren't for Frank," Gerard said. "They're for alcohol and pills and pot and other bad things."
"Porn," Mikey supplied helpfully. Gerard rolled his eyes.
"Porn is for everyday, not specifically Saturdays."
"You drink and take drugs every day, why's Saturday any different?" Mikey pointed out.
"It just is," Gerard insisted. "Point is, I can't do any of that with Frank here. Frank shouldn't be allowed here. Why's he even coming here?"
"His parents are splitting up," Mikey told him. "He needs emotional support." Gerard snorted.
"He has no emotions to support," he said. Mikey actually looked up to frown at him.
"Hey," he said. "Frank's cool. You don't even know him. Shut up."
"Whatever," Gerard grumbled, unwilling to get in an argument with his brother over something so trivial. "Wait 'til tonight."
He guessed the pills would have to wait 'til Sunday.
-
The doorbell rang. Gerard groaned, letting his head fall forward and hit the desk. Fucking Frank, arriving so fucking early Gerard hadn't even had time to formulate a cunning plan to leave.
Okay, he'd had time, but he'd procrastinated. Cigarettes and horror films were far more interesting.
Maybe he could sneak off to the bathroom, stealthily, whilst his mom was introducing-
"Gerard! Get up here!"
Fuck, too late. Gerard groaned again, heaving himself up from the chair and thudding up the stairs laboriously.
"What?" he grunted at his mother, although he knew perfectly well what because all five foot four of 'what' was standing in front of him, grinning in what would be a friendly manner if it wasn't Frank Iero.
"Say hello to Frank," his mom said, glaring at him, like he was going to set fire to Frank's nipples or something.
"Hi," Gerard mumbled, not looking at Frank.
"Hey," Frank replied cheerily. "I don't think we've spoken before. Your brother's cool, though. He's a bit quiet. Are you quiet? You two don't look like brothers, you know. He's all spindly and limbs-everywhere and you're..." he trailed off awkwardly. "Sorry, I have verbal diarrhoea," he giggled, and Gerard fixed him with a stony glare.
"Show Frank to the basement," Donna Way said, eyes boring into Gerard like if you set fire to his nipples I will know about it. Gerard rolled his eyes but grudgingly obliged, shoving the door open and stomping down the stairs.
"Mikey," Gerard said, and Mikey looked up from his comic, breaking into a smile when he saw Frank.
"Frank!" he said, and Frank bounced over to fall ungracefully into Mikey's bony lap in an attempted hug. Both boys were laughing as they untangled their limbs, and Gerard felt a sharp stab of jealousy run through him. He shook it off, and masked it with a grumpy frown.
"I would very much appreciate it," he said, "if you had your intimate moments somewhere other than at my feet." Mikey looked up at him and rolled his eyes, before rolling away from Frank.
"I'm not the gay brother," he said, which was traitorous and a lie. Frank wasn't meant to know Gerard was gay, Jesus.
"Liar," Gerard said. "You kissed Pete Wentz." Mikey opened his mouth to respond, but Frank cut in first.
"You're gay?" he said, turning to Gerard.
"What, have you never seen a homosexual freak before?" Gerard sneered.
"Whenever I look in the mirror," Frank said dryly, and Gerard felt his eyes widen.
"You're gay?" he said, in disbelief.
"Let's not go spreading it about," Frank said hastily. "I'll keep yours on the down low, you keep mine."
"Keep my what?" Gerard asked, perplexed, completely forgetting that this was Frank Iero, the arrogant dickhead from across the road, who he'd just come out of the closet to. The first time they'd spoken. Ever.
His life was a wasteland of tragedy, doom, sorrow and despair.
"You kissed Pete?" Frank said, ignoring Gerard and rounding on Mikey.
"It was just a thing," Mikey replied, too casually.
"Liar," Gerard muttered.
"Shut up," Mikey said. He raised his eyebrows at Gerard, like venture any further into that topic of conversation and I will force-feed you your own genitals.
"Fuck off," Gerard snorted. "You wouldn't do that to your own kin."
Mikey's little smirk said 'Wanna bet?'.
"Yes," Gerard said.
"Are you okay?" Frank asked, looking concerned. "Are you schizophrenic?"
Gerard didn't even have time for idiots like Frank Iero.
"No, fuck you," he said, turning on his heel. "I'm going to draw. Disturb me at your peril."
-
That was the first time Gerard met Frank from across the road.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the last.
-
"Frank's starting to become a regular member of the household," Gerard grumbled. He'd managed to keep himself from Frank as much as possible whenever he invaded their basement, locking himself in his room and drawing for hours on end with music blasting out of the stereo to drown out his thoughts. However, since Frank's visits had become more frequent, Gerard had spent an increasing amount of time with his right hand. He didn't know if it was a thing to do with Frank or if it was simply coincidental, but it was odd. Repulsive, even.
"So?" Mikey shrugged.
"It's Frank," Gerard said. Mikey looked up at Gerard, eyes sweeping over him, taking in every detail that everyone but his brother would fail to notice.
"If his presence makes you want to jerk off, you should be glad he's spending more time here," Mikey said nonchalantly, and Gerard scoffed.
"I'm never even there to acknowledge his presence," he said. "I'm always in my room."
"Jerking off."
"Fuck you," Gerard said, turning to stomp back into his room.
"I know what you'll be doing in there, with the door closed!" Mikey yelled.
"Fuck off!" Gerard yelled back.
-
There was a soft rap on the door.
"Mikey, if you've come to taunt me again, I haven't even touched my dick today," Gerard yelled, making no move to get up and open the door. He heard a muffled giggle, and shit, that- that was Frank's giggle. He groaned, burying his head in his hands as he waited for his blush to fade.
"What do you fucking want?" he asked, raising his head, once he felt suitably calmer.
Yeah, sure.
"Can I come in?" Frank said, and he sounded honest-to-God nervous, like Gerard was going to pour liquid nitrogen on his balls or something.
"Whatever," Gerard sighed, trying in vain to compose himself with the best sneer he could muster on his face as the door clicked open.
"Why aren't you with Mikey?" Gerard demanded.
"He had an emergency," Frank said earnestly. "Something about Ray getting his hair stuck in a - well, you don't want to know." He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.
"Why didn't you go home then?" Gerard asked, and that sounded rude, even to his own practically-sociopathic ears.
"There's a storm outside, and I'm scared of...never mind," Frank said, turning to leave.
"Wait, no," Gerard heard himself say, and Frank stopped in his tracks, turning to fix Gerard with a hopeful stare. Gerard sighed.
"Fine, whatever, stay," he mumbled. Frank's face broke into a grin and he bounced over to Gerard's bed, plonking himself down heavily in the middle.
"Cool," he said. "So. What are you doing?"
"Drawing," Gerard muttered. Goddamn Iero kid.
"Cool," Frank said again. There was a short, blissful moment of silence.
"Can I see it?"
"No," Gerard said.
"Okay," Frank said agreeably. There was a moment of silence, both awkward and contemplative, and Gerard's scratchy pencil on the thick, heavy paper of his sketchpad was far too loud.
"Why do you hate me?" Frank asked quietly, after a while. "What did I do?"
Gerard let it run through his mind.
He had no personal reason for hating Frank. It was mainly because Frank was hot and popular and even Mikey liked Frank, whereas Gerard was fat and bullied and even his own brother didn't like him at times.
However, he couldn't exactly open his mouth and simply say "Because you're hot and popular and my brother likes you and I'm fat and ugly and my life is a string of miserable events".
Frank stared at him.
Oh shit, fuck, no.
"You think I'm hot?" Frank's voice came out weird, like he'd been inhaling helium for the past seven hours.
Why did his brain not work in co-ordination with his mouth, goddammit? Things like that were meant to be a kept personal thoughts not hey guys let me share my CREEPY ALMOST-PAEDOPHILIC OPINIONS OF A FIFTEEN YEAR OLD WITH YOU.
"I'm not a paedophile," Gerard blurted, like his brain wanted to reassure Frank of this fact.
God, kill him. Please. His sanity just fled in high-pressure circumstances.
"I think you should go," Gerard said suddenly. "I have to. Wash. My carpet."
"Okay," Frank said, still staring at Gerard. "Okay."
"Okay," Gerard said, anxiously waiting for Frank to leave. Frank didn't move.
"Carpet," Gerard reminded him, and Frank nodded absent-mindedly.
"Carpet," he said, stumbling out of the room dazedly.
Gerard had just successfully fucked up his foolproof morals of Frank-hating.
Fucking spectacular.
-
"We're having a family dinner today," Donna Way said to her two sons. The youngest groaned.
"Are you incapable of making your character walk in a straight line, what the fuck," Mikey said to Gerard, who was failing epically at Halo.
"Family dinner," their mom said, and Gerard nodded absent-mindedly, hissing as he died once again.
"I can't even be that bad at videogames if I try," Mikey said dryly, snatching the controller off of Gerard.
"Your mom," Gerard said.
"Your mom," Mikey replied.
"My fucking God," Donna muttered, walking back out of the room.
-
"Family dinner," Mikey said, kicking his brother, and Gerard groaned.
"Why didn't Mom tell us?" he asked. "Despair and gloom await."
"It won't be that bad," Mikey said. "Frank's coming."
"I'm going to dig a hole, crawl in it and die," Gerard moaned, slumping down on the table.
"I'll provide the spade," Mikey said helpfully.
-
Aunt Mable was a nightmare.
"So, boys, have any nice girls for us to meet?" she leered through her layers of wrinkles.
"No," Mikey said stonily.
"You'll find them in time," Aunt Mable said, and Gerard snorted.
"I hope not," he mumbled. It was a notorious rule in the Way family (which was their father's side) that if you were gay/bisexual/not straight/the devil you would be shunned by all family members. There were some family members Gerard didn't want to lose contact with (Uncle Phil. Uncle Phil was awesome) but Mable? Mable he could allow.
"Pardon me?" she smiled, sickly sweet and utterly repulsive.
"I said, I hope not," Gerard said loudly. Mikey gave him a warning shove.
"Whyever not?" Aunt Mable questioned, and Gerard opened his mouth to dig his grave.
"Frank's here," Mikey said gratefully as the doorbell rang, and Gerard groaned internally.
"Fucking kill me now," he said seriously to Aunt Mable, who looked taken aback.
"I beg your pardon?" she gasped, in horror. "Language, boy!"
"Oh, fuck you," Gerard mumbled, slouching away to the sound of her sharp intake of breath.
Whatever.
-
Gerard had spent all afternoon stealthily avoiding Frank. He loitered in the hallway when Frank was in the front room, dashed into the kitchen when Frank went to the loo and peeked around the doorframe when Frank stood for a moment in the hallway, staring at the door to the basement, expression unreadable. Finally, he sighed and headed back to the living room for another bout of conversation with the ten billion ancient relatives that had arrived to make Gerard's life miserable.
However, when his mom yelled that dinner was ready, he realised there was a flaw in his otherwise-foolproof plan.
There was no way to avoid someone sitting directly opposite you when eating.
Shit.
"Hey," Frank said, bounding up to Gerard. "I haven't seen you all afternoon. Where have you been?"
Hiding from you.
"Oh, you know," Gerard said airily. "Around." Frank nodded, suspicion clouding his features, before shaking it free and grinning.
"Your family's a bit..."
"Fucked up?" Gerard suggested, and Frank giggled nervously.
"Well, your Aunt Mable..."
"Oh God, no, you'll spoil my appetite," Gerard groaned. Frank giggled again.
"Let's eat, then?"
"Sure," Gerard shrugged awkwardly.
-
"I saw a horrific sight the other day," Aunt Mable said, clattering her fork on the table.
"What was it?" Aunt Delilah wanted to know.
"Tell us!" Uncle Joseph demanded.
"Dear Lord," Uncle Phil muttered, stabbing a potato rather violently. Gerard shot him a quick grin, which he returned, winking.
"There was a boy," Aunt Mable started disdainfully.
"Oh gosh, a boy, how horrendous!" Gerard said sarcastically, forking up a green bean. Frank giggled nervously, and Aunt Mable stared at him with her beady eyes.
"Manners," she said snottily, and Uncle Phil snorted.
"Hypocrite," he mumbled just loud enough for her to hear.
"This family is descending into madness!" Aunt Mable exclaimed, banging her fist on the table dramatically.
"Oh, it is indeed," Aunt Peggy agreed.
"Too right!" Uncle Thomas said.
"Let her continue with her story," Donna said, in an attempt to keep the peace. Aunt Mable harrumphed.
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," she said, fixing her stare on Gerard. "I saw a boy. Two boys, in fact. One had hair and a frame a lot like Michael - I could only see from the back, you know - and the other was shorter than him, with black hair. But they weren't just out for a stroll, oh no." She paised dramatically. "They were holding hands." There was a collective gasp and a smatter of mutterings from assembled members of the Way family, and Gerard snuck a glance at Mikey - whose face was bright red.
"No way," Gerard muttered, throwing his knife and fork down. "You said it was a thing, not a thing."
"You knew," Mikey pointed out. "Plus, you said Frank was a dickhead."
"He is," Gerard said, and Mikey shook his head.
"You don't think that," he said.
"Yes I do," Gerard retorted.
"No, you don't," Mikey said, pushing a sausage around his plate aimlessly. "You think he's hot and you want to date him."
"I do not," Gerard protested hotly, ignoring the little tug in his stomach that told him otherwise.
When had Frank morphed from the hot arrogant dickhead who lived opposite them into a hot...hot guy?
"Sure," Mikey said sarcastically.
"I will strangle you in your sleep," Gerard threatened.
"Gerard, Michael, and Frank, stop being so antisocial and join in the family conversation," Aunt Mable said disdainfully.
"Since when were you the leader of the family?" Gerard asked.
"Don't be so rude!" his mom said, and Gerard fixed her with a glare, because she thought the exact same thing, goddammit.
"I will pardon that question," Aunt Mable said tightly.
"No, fuck you," Gerard said, throwing his fork down. "What's wrong with two boys holding hands? Is it making Russia invade? Is it making war inevitable in our country? Is it making anyone die? No, because it's two fucking people who lo-like each other."
"It's wrong," Aunt Mable said, rising out of her seat. "It's disgusting. The Bible says it's wrong. I wouldn't want to touch a...faggot." She spat the word, like one may have spat 'Nazi' in the early 1940s.
It pissed Gerard the fuck off.
"Fuck you," Gerard said, standing up and throwing his napkin down. "I will have you know you are breathing the same air as a faggot."
"Two faggots," Mikey said, standing too.
"Three faggots," Frank said, also rising out of his seat.
"Four faggots," Uncle Phil said, and Gerard beamed at him.
Aunt Mable looked lost for words.
Gerard's mother seemed in pain.
Gerard wanted to spit at Aunt Mable, and felt if he didn't leave quickly, he probably would.
"Jesus taught equality," he hissed. "Not discrimination."
And with that he made his dramatic exit to the basement, leaving three gays standing at the table.
-
Someone tapped on his shoulder, terrifying him and causing him to jump and flail and rip his earphone out. Frank was standing in front of him, biting his lip.
"What?" Gerard said, because he was a great, polite conversation starter.
"What you did at dinner," Frank started, and Gerard groaned. He still couldn't believe he'd done that.
He was in for a century of grounding.
"No, no, wait," Frank insisted. "It was. Awesome. Standing up for gays like that."
"She was pissing me off," Gerard mumbled.
"Me too," Frank said. "Fuck, sorry for liking it in the ass, what the fuck."
"She's just jealous," Gerard told him. "We get ten times the amount of cock she does."
"With a face like that, I can believe it," Frank said, and Gerard smiled involuntarily. "Seriously, though. Awesome, dude."
"Thanks," Gerard said. Frank stared at him.
"Have I got something on my face?" Gerard asked after a few moments. Frank flushed.
"No, uh, um, I, er..." he trailed off awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm gonna go now."
"Yeah, okay," Gerard agreed. "Bye."
"Bye," Frank said, walking to the door. He put his hand on the doorknob to turn an leave, but-
"Wait," Gerard said, and Frank turned back to face him.
He didn't know what made him do it. If anyone asked, it was the adrenaline from being so daring at dinner.
He crossed the room in two steps and kissed Frank. Frank made a little 'oomph!' sound under Gerard, but was soon kissing back enthusiastically, if a little sloppily.
"What was that for?" Frank asked, when they finally broke apart.
"Being the hot dickhead who lives opposite us," Gerard answered, greedily leaning in for more.
"I don't even understand you," Frank mumbled against Gerard's lips.
"You don't want to," Gerard said. "I'll have to set fire to your nipples and my mom will get mad."
"Shut up and kiss me," Frank said.