#27 - Parents
#27 - Parents
#27; Parents
Pete flips open his phone.
Text recieved - MikeyWay
Pete! Gerard and Frank are adopting!
-
Patrick's phone buzzes.
New text message - Pete stop changing your name on my phone
pattycakes! G&F r adoptin!
-
Bob glances at his phone as the screen flashes.
One new message - Patrick Shortass Stump
have you heard? gerard and frank are adopting.
-
Ray's phone jumps in his hand.
Message from - Bob
apparently gerard&frank r adopting??
-
Mikey's phone buzzes again, a mere three minutes after firing off the text to Pete.
Message recieved - Ray
dude gee n frnk r adoptin??!!
-
Gabe tries to reach his left back pocket with his right hand.
"Hold still, I can't fucking text with you jumping all over my dick," he grumbles, shoving his stupid, fat little dog off his midriff.
Text from - mikey way's ass
Did you hear that Gee and Frank are adopting?
-
Gerard's phone springs to life in his pocket.
One new message from - Gabe Saporta
heard ur adoptin, gr8! ;) x
He turns to Mikey.
"It's been all of five minutes," he says accusingly, "and Gabe Saporta already knows?"
"Like he wasn't going to find out anyway," Mikey snorts, not looking up from his phone. "What were you planning on doing, shoving the baby in the attic every time he came round?"
"What's happening?" Frank says, setting a coffee down in front of his boyfriend.
"Gabe knows," Gerard says, blowing on the hot beverage.
"So basically, everyone knows?" Frank demands, rounding on the younger Way.
"Pretty much," Mikey says nonchalantly, still not looking up from his phone.
"Mikey is the bane of my existance," Gerard mutters, sipping his coffee.
"Don't worry," Frank says soothingly, patting Gerard's arm before standing and walking back to the kitchen. "He's the bane of mine too."
"Hey," Mikey says, finally looking up from his phone. "I have feelings."
"Gabe fucking Saporta," Gerard groans, having downed his coffee already (he needed extra strength, if Mikey was to be around all day, or he'd kill him with his bare hands. It was a miracle Mikey had survived past the age of three). "Seriously? Like, of all people."
"Gabe's cool," Mikey says defensively. Gabe was kinda cool, and he made Gerard laugh, but Gerard wasn't going to tell Mikey that.
"Seriously," he says again. "Who sends a text saying 'Heard you're adopting, great!' and adds a winky face? Is that supposed to be sexual? And if it is, which, knowing Gabe, it is, is it sexually directed at me or at the child?"
"Are we still talking about Gabe?" Frank asks, meandering back in from the kitchen.
"Yes," Gerard says.
"Then it was probably sexually directed at both you and the child," Frank shrugs, grabbing Gerard's empty mug and walking off to the kitchen again.
"If Pete tries to throw us a baby shower, I will hit him with a shovel," Gerard says grimly, hauling himself out of the chair and padding into the kitchen.
"Sick of Mikey already?" Frank grins, standing on his tiptoes and pressing a kiss to Gerard's cheek.
"Why is he even here?" Gerard asks grumpily, catching Frank's waist and pulling him closer, feeling Frank warm and familiar against himself. "Does he not have a house?"
"Apparently he does," Frank says dryly. "Ours."
-
Frank and Gerard were snuggled together in bed, watching the end credits roll past for some shitty movie neither of them had been watching.
"Do you think we made the right decision?" Frank asks, into the relative silence.
"I hope so," Gerard whispers.
"D'you think we'll make good parents?" Frank asks, an edge of nervousness to his voice. Gerard feels him clench his fist subconsciously, twisting Gerard's shirt.
"That's not for us to decide," he says, reaching for the remote to click off the TV. "Remember, we have our interview tomorrow."
"I'm scared shitless," Frank admits. "We already have less of a chance because we're a gay couple. If they see Mikey, they'll write 'Residence - home to mentally unstable brother'." Gerard can't help the giggle that slips out.
"I'll call Gabe," he promises. "That should distract him."
"I hope so," Frank sighs, reaching over to turn out the light and snuggling closer to Gerard in the darkness. "I just want to have a perfect family, y'know?"
"What, with Mikey in it?" Gerard snorts.
"Well," Frank says. "The kid won't be biologically related to Mikey, so it'll be okay."
"Nature and nurture," Gerard reminds him.
There's a short pause.
"Mikey is banned from our house for the next eighteen years," Frank says decidedly.
-
"They'll be here in like, twenty seconds," Frank says, dashing frantically from room to room an straightening already-straight things. Gerard watches his tiny partner in amusement, knowing that this frenzy will continue until the social worker arrives - at which point he'll be fine.
"Mikey's out of the house, right?" Frank frets, dusting invisible fluff from Gerard's chest. Gerard nods in response, and Frank opens his mouth to add something else when the doorbell rings. Frank freezes, blinking up at Gerard.
"You'll be fine," Gerard murmurs, pressing a quick kiss behind Frank's ear before striding to open the front door.
"Hello," the man at the door says politely, pushing his glasses up his nose. "My name is Brendon. I like your petunias." Gerard blinked - petunias? What? - but luckily, Frank has already appeared at his side and takes over.
"I planted them a couple of years ago," Frank tells Brendon conversationally. "Beautiful, aren't they?"
What the hell are petunias?
"Would you like to come in?" Frank adds, stepping aside to make way for Brendon to enter, standing on Gerard in the process. Brendon beams at them, taking in every detail of their house and noting it all down as he walks, Frank leading him to the living room.
"Mikey Way!" Brendon exclaims, halting suddenly and backpedaling a bit, standing on Gerard in the process (what the hell is everyone's problem today, seriously). "This is Mikey Way!" He points at a picture of Mikey and Gerard at some relative's wedding.
"Well spotted," Gerard mutters under his breath, nursing his poor, bruised toes.
"How do you know Mikey Way?" Brendon asks, turning to Gerard.
"I'm his brother," Gerard says politely. Brendon's smile grows even wider, and he bounds into the living room like Frank does when Thundercats is on TV.
"Mikey's the best, man," he says enthusiastically. "Where is he?"
"Gabe's," Frank says. "I mean, uh. His, um, friend's."
"There's no point beating around the bush," Gerard says, feeling pleased about using such a brilliant phrase. "Gabe's his boyfriend."
"I thought Gabe and Pete were dating?" Brendon frowns. Gerard blinks.
"You know them?" he asks, probably a lot more rudely than he should have to someone who was deciding if he was fit to adopt a child or not.
"Obviously," Brendon says, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Ryan knew Pete through Patrick, because they were in the same AP English class."
"Ryan Ross?" Frank interjects, and Gerard has totally lost the thread of the conversation. Ross? Who is this Ryan Ross person?
"Yeah," Brendon says excitedly, accepting the coffee Frank offers him gratefully. "He's my boyfriend."
Frank breaks into a grin.
"That was what we were most worried about," he says, sounding relieved. "Y'know. If our being gay was going to affect our being allowed a child."
"Oh, no!" Brendon says, sounding horrified. "We never discriminate like that. We judge purely on the couple's predicted ability to look after the child, and the environment the child would be growing up in. Which, I have to say-" he looks around the room "-is a lot cleaner than I would have expected for somewhere inhabited by a Way, if Mikey's anything to go by."
Gerard flushes, and Brendon laughs.
"Sorry, dude," he says. "I mean, Mr Way. Shit, sorry. Oh, God, I just swore, sorry." He blushes, and it's Gerard's turn to laugh.
"It's okay," Gerard says. "We're nervous as fuck too."
Brendon grins at him, shuffling a few pieces of paper and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose again (he really needs some better fitting glasses, Gerard notes).
"So," he says. "Basic information first." Frank nods, sitting down next to Gerard and lacing their fingers together. Frank's palm is slightly sweaty, but so is Gerard's, so that's okay.
"How did you meet?" Brendon asks, smile wide and genuine.
"I fell on him," Frank giggles. "He held the doors open for me, and I just fell on him."
"I thought you were hot," Gerard grins. "I wouldn't hold them for just anyone. Those train doors are brutal, man."
"So then I bought you a drink to apologise," Frank says, eyes shining. "And, well."
"That's sweet," Brendon says, noting something down. "What do you think makes the relationship work?"
"We're so opposite, yet so similar," Gerard says, after a moment of careful consideration. "I mean, he's always bouncing around everywhere, giggling, whereas I'm more reserved-" Frank's snort sounds a lot like 'Fatass' "-but we're on the same wavelength and we have common interests."
Brendon nods thoughtfully, taking this all down.
"Is there anything you dislike about each other?" he asks, pushing his glasses up his nose again. It reminds Gerard of Mikey in high school.
"How lazy he is," Frank complains. "Whenever I want to go to the park, or whatever, he's all like, 'Sorry, got to do some major art work for a gallery viewing'."
"How he wakes me up by playing his guitar in my ear," Gerard shoots back, grinning. "I'll be deaf by the age of thirty."
Brendon's smiling at their banter, scribbling away on his sheet of paper. Gerard beams back at him, squeezing Frank's hand.
"How do you make big decisions?" Brendon says, and just as Gerard is about to answer he hears the tell-tale click of the front door opening and Mikey's clumsy footsteps.
"Excuse me," he says to Brendon, eyeing Frank and trying to convey Mikey's here distract Brendon whilst I noose my younger brother to him. He seems to get it, because he rambles on about big decisions being a shared responsibility, bla bla bla, and Gerard levers himself off the couch and into the hallway, where Mikey turns to look at him, face blank - too blank, carefully blank.
"What the fuck?" Gerard hisses. "You knew our interview was today."
"Yeah," Mikey says, "but Brendon."
"Brendon?"
"Ryan told Patrick, who told Pete, who told Gabe, who told me, that Brendon was going to be interviewing you. Haven't seen Brendon in ages, so thought I'd come back," Mikey says, kicking his shoes off and pushing past Gerard. Gerard makes a move to grab him, tug him back and explain how important today is to Frank and him, and how if Mikey fucks it up he is in deep trouble, but Brendon has spotted Mikey's awkward, gangly legs and made a noise of happiness, so Gerard has to make do with a warning death-glare as he stalks back ino the front room behind his sibling.
"Mikey!" Brendon says happily. "It's been so long, man!"
"Yeah," Mikey agrees, sitting between Frank and Gerard. "How's Ryan?"
"Good," Brendon winks, and Gerard doesn't even want to consider the possible double meaning behind that. He chances a quick glance at Frank behind Mikey's back, who shrugs, not knowing what the fuck to do either. "I heard...you and Gabe?" Mikey grins happily.
"Yeah," he says. "Pete got with Patrick, after Patrick split with Bob because of Brian."
"No way," Brendon breathes, seemingly enraptured by this confusing web of relationships. "But Ryan said Bob was dating Ray!"
"Bob had a crush on Ray," Mikey corrects knowledgeably, "but Ray's straight. As far as we know. Surrounded by as many gay couples as he is, I wonder how long it'll be."
"We all know Ray's not one hundred percent straight," Brendon says, and Mikey flushes and laughs, and Gerard decides he does not want to venture further into the possible sex life of his brother.
He elbows Mikey subtly, and Mikey stands up, grinning at Brendon.
"I'm going to make some coffee," he says, which Gerard knows means he'll be listening to the rest of the interview. He makes a mental note to kill Patrick with a spoon for telling Pete (who told Gabe, who told Mikey) that Brendon is here. He would murder this Ross Ryan dude who started the whole thing, but he doubts that would earn him any favours from Brendon. So Patrick it is.
What was he thinking, telling Pete, anyway? Does no one have anything better to do than gossip about Frank and Gerard's adoption process?
-
MikeyWay: Guys, they're totally going to get approved. Brendon's the interviewer.
PeteWentz: lucky fucks hes 2 nice
GabeSaporta: hes hot
PeteWentz: u hav a boyfrend gabe
GabeSaporta: its not like he doesnt agree
MikeyWay: He is kind of hot.
RyanRoss: Can you not hit on my boyfriend please? Thanks.
BobBryar: if he doesnt approve them n they dont get their child im comin after u ross
RyanRoss: I'm quaking in my boots.
PatrickStump: you actually should be bob is one scary motherfucker when he's angry.
RyanRoss: Go away, Patrick. You're dating Pete, so your opinion is irrelevant.
PeteWentz: hey wat r u implyin bitch im ur boss i will cut ur pay n fire u
GabeSaporta: go pete!!!!!
RyanRoss: If I'm fired, I haven't got any pay to cut.
MikeyWay: Guys, guys, Brendon's thanking them! The interview's over!
BobBryar: fascinating
PatrickStump: say hi from me and ask them how it went
PeteWentz: i will bite ur vagina until ur penis retracts gabe
PeteWentz: sry wrong convo
RayToro: wats goin on ??
-
"How did it go?" Gerard's stupid brother asks, grinning broadly.
"I don't know," Frank says, collapsing on the sofa. "We don't find out until, like. Ages." He waves his hand non-commitally, like he isn't nervy as fuck about it. Gerard can tell by the way he's glancing around the room, not fixing his sight on one thing for more than a couple of seconds.
"I think it went great," he says, to try and motivate Frank. Mikey shoots him a weird look, and Gerard shrugs.
"Okay, then," Mikey says. "When do you find out if you can get the kid or not?"
"A few weeks, I think?" Gerard says, looking at Frank for confirmation. Frank shrugs, which is really helpful.
"Patrick says hi, by the way," Mikey says, kicking his feet up on the coffee table and flicking open his sidekick. The feet-on-coffee-table earns him a slap from Frank.
"Get your dirty feet off our table," he snaps, but it's half-hearted and Mikey knows it.
"Cool," he murmurs in reply, already lost in his virtual social life.
-
MikeyWay: They said it went okay.
PeteWentz: new it
GabeSaporta: no u didnt
PeteWentz: i so did
RyanRoss: Yeah, I just talked to Brendon and he said they're great guys, their living environment is fine and the kid will go to a great home.
PeteWentz: exactly those wrds?
RyanRoss: Well, I can't remember his EXACT words but...
PeteWentz: but did he say the kid WILL go 2 a gr8 home or IF they get a kid it will or wat
GabeSaporta: dont let us down young jedi
BobBryar: so theyre gettin the kid?
PatrickStump: yeah what's happening ryross
RyanRoss: Never call me that again, Patrick.
RyanRoss: Also, I'll talk to Brendon when he gets home.
GabeSaporta: u hav done ur country proud
PeteWentz: well YOU havent
GabeSaporta: fuk u im the jedi master
PeteWentz: take ur lightsaber sumwhere else
GabeSaporta: 1st time u ever complained about it ;);)
RayToro: wtf
-
"Morning, babe," Frank calls as Gerard drags himself down the stairs. "Your coffee's on the counter."
"I love you," Gerard moans, staggering into the kitchen and zeroing in on the hot beverage that his amazing boyfriend has prepared.
"I know," Frank smirks, skirting around the counter and pecking Gerard on the cheek. "Mikey's bringing Gabe over today." Gerard groans.
"So basically, Mikey's bringing everyone over today?" he says, putting his head in his hands.
"Pretty much," Frank shrugs. Gerard takes a sip of his coffee to ready himself mentally.
"I hate Mikey," he laments. "Why do I get stuck with the sociable brother who has creepy friends?"
"They're your friends too," Frank points out. Gerard dismisses this with a wave of his hand.
"They're still creepy," he says. Frank seems to accept this as a valid point.
"Well, I guess we'll have to get dressed," he says, and Gerard groans, downs his coffee in one go and stands up.
"I hate Mondays," he says.
-
"Pete's coming, and he's bringing Patrick, and Bob's coming - so is Ray, Brian couldn't make it. Oh, and Patrick's bringing Ryan, y'know, B-don's boyfriend," Mikey's tinny voice says down the phone. Gerard frowns.
"What did you just call Brendon?" Frank asks, giggling.
"Shut up. Anyway, don't quiz him about whether you're going to get a kid or not. And don't worry, Gee, you won't have to make friends - he's as introverted as you are."
"Even more so," Frank snorts. "The dude owns more scarves than the Afghan army."
Gerard doesn't know which to respond to first.
"You can't say that, Frank!" he says, outraged. "And Mikey, fuck you. I'm not introverted. I have a boyfriend."
"Sure," Mikey snorts, and there's a crash and a yelp of "Gabe!" before the line goes dead. Gerard decides he doesn't even want to know.
"You'll like Ryan," Frank assures him.
"How does everyone know him except me?" Gerard demands.
"Well, you are a little introverted..." Frank says, and Gerard glares at him.
"You're supposed to be on my side," he says. "I hate you all."
Just then, the doorbell rings, so Gerard can't make the dramatic exit he'd hoped for.
"That'll be Mikey and Gabe," Frank says, getting up to answer the door.
"And probably half the neighbourhood," Gerard mutters, glaring at the wall. He hears Frank greet whoever's at the door, and then the door to the living room is pushed open and he's faced with his stupid little brother and his stupid friends.
"Gerard!" Gabe yells, drawing out the 'r' and flopping down next to him. "How are you, my man?"
"I wouldn't say 'man'," Mikey snorts, throwing himself down in 'his' armchair.
"Why, do you bottom?" Gabe asks, smirking, and Mikey howls and covers his ears.
"Less talk of Gerard's sex life, please!" he pleads. Gabe shrugs.
"You asked Pete," he says pointedly.
"Pete isn't your brother," Mikey says.
"Well, no, we had sex," Gabe says, looking confused. Mikey is saved from answering by a second doorbell, and Pete, Patrick and a little guy with lots of hair and lots of scarves spill into the room
"Pete!" Gabe crows, jumping up and kissing Pete square on the lips. Patrick catches Mikey's eye and they both shake their heads.
"Yo," Pete says, because for some reason he thinks he's 'from the hood'.
"This is Ryan," Patrick says, indicating the huddle of scarves and eccentric clothes to his left. "Ryan, you know everyone except Gerard. He's the one with the black hair giving everything death glares." Ryan nods shyly in Gerard's direction, hovering awkwardly behind Patrick.
"Did you see Bob and Ray on your way here?" Frank asks, coming in from wherever he'd been.
"Yeah," Pete says, giggling. "They looked a little, um, busy, so they might be a bit late."
The room is silent for a moment.
"No way!" Mikey yells at the same time Frank shouts "You're kidding!", Gerard says "Are you sure it was Ray?" and Gabe yells "Once again penis triumphs over vagina!"
"Yep," Pete says gleefully. "And of course I'm sure it was Ray, what the fuck, you can't mistake that hair."
"You're a fucking weirdo, Gabe," Patrick says pointedly.
"And proud," Gabe grins.
-
Bob and Ray had arrived to an orchestra of catcalls and wolfwhistles, much to Ray's embarrassment. Two hours later, however, the topic of conversation has somehow turned to Gerard and Frank's adoption.
"Are they approved?" Gabe asks Ryan expectantly. Ryan squirms.
"It's not my business..." he says weakly.
"RyRoss-"
"Don't call me that."
"-I will break all your bones, tell me. And I'll call you that until the day I die," Pete says sweetly.
"I can't say," Ryan says.
"Would Brendon tell us if we called him?" Mikey asks. Ryan shakes his head, but he seems a little unsure.
"So you can tell us, then," Patrick says.
"I really can't..." Ryan says, but his defences are weak and failing.
"Yes you can," Mikey says, and he somehow manages to look mildly threatening.
"If I tell you, you can't tell Brendon I told you," Ryan says, looking worried.
"Deal," about three people say, Gerard's not sure who.
Gerard catches Frank's eye, and Frank looks as nervous as he is. Gerard's stomach is churning - he wants to know, obviously, but what if it's bad news? Does he really want to be embarrassed in front of everyone like that?
"Well?" Bob prompts. The whole room is waiting with bated breath, all attention focused on Ryan, and for someone so shy he seems to be feeding off it, enjoying it.
After what seems like eternity, he gives a slight, barely perceptible nod.
The whole room erupts into cheers and whoops, before Gerard has even processed what's happening.
He's going to be a dad.
He immediately searches for Frank, who looks as shellshocked as Gerard is.
"You're going to be daddies!" Mikey crows. Gerard watches the smile creep onto Frank's face, grow and grow until he's grinning, eyes so lit up with happiness Gerard can see it from across the room. Frank suddenly springs up and runs over to Gerard, falling into him and burying his face in Gerard's neck, sobbing. Sobbing with happiness, with relief - Gerard hopes, at least.
"We're going to be parents," Frank says, muffled by Gerard's clothes and skin.
It still hasn't really sunk in for Gerard, who's just nodding numbly.
Dad. Yeah.
Dad.
Then suddenly it hits him, fast, hard, like a truck.
They're going to be parents.
-
BrendonUrie: i knew u'd break xx
RyanRoss: I'm sorry :( xx
BrendonUrie: its ok, i onli wish id been ther 2 c theyre faces xx
RyanRoss: *their. Also, it was amazing. I've never seen a room full of people so happy before. They've got some great friends. xx
-
"What if the kid hates us?" Frank frets. "What if he tries to, like, hurt us?"
"Frankie, he's three and a half," Gerard points out.
"He could still hurt us," Frank says warily. "Why else would they let us meet him for the first time in this place?"
"In case we don't get along, yes, but- jeez, ow, stop gripping my hand like that!" Gerard yelps as Frank squeezes all the blood out of his hand.
"Sorry," Frank apologises, relaxing his grip a little. "But what if he doesn't like us-"
"Mr Iero and Mr Way?" a small lady holding a clipboard asks, smiling sweetly. Frank glances at Gerard worriedly, and Gerard smiles, standing up and releasing Frank's hand.
"Follow me, please," the woman says, heading off down a brightly lit corridor. She indicates a door to her left, smiling again, and Gerard hesitates.
"It's completely normal to be nervous," she reassures him. "Even the children are."
"Thank you," Frank says quietly, nudging Gerard, who twists his hand on the doorknob.
They're greeted by the sight of a young, blonde boy with a dimple in his left cheek, breaking off his playing with Lego to gaze up at Frank and Gerard.
"Hello," he says solemnly. "Are you my daddies?"
"We can be, if you want us to be," Frank says tentatively. The little boy cocks his head to the side, as if considering.
"What's your name?" he asks.
"I'm Frank," Frank says, "and this is Gerard." The little boy giggles.
"Gerard's a funny name," he says, and his dimple shows when he smiles, and Gerard has never seen anything so adorable, so beautiful, in his life. "My name is Tom."
"Nice to meet you, Tom," Gerard says.
"Do you want to help me?" Tom asks.
"Okay," Frank nods. "What are you making?"
"I don't know," Tom says, little eyebrows furrowed at the mass of colourful plastic scattered across the floor.
"Well, Gerard's an artist, I'm sure he'll be able to think of something," Frank says encouragingly. Tom beams up at Frank.
"I like you," he says decidedly. "You can be my daddy."
"What about Gerard?"
"He hasn't helped me make anything yet," Tom says sadly, looking forlornly at the Lego. Gerard kneels down and picks up a handful of pieces at random.
"Shall we make a house?" he asks, and Tom beams at him too, his brown eyes lighting up and his dimple becoming more prominent than ever.
"Gerard is nice too. And he has a funny name. He can be my daddy as well." He frowns suddenly. "What about my mummy?"
Frank exchanges a worried look with Gerard, who shuffles over to Tom, hazel eyes staring into solemn brown.
"Sometimes, a daddy and a daddy can love each other too," he says carefully.
"That's okay," Tom says, nodding. "I don't want a mummy anyway. Daddies are better than mummies. I like you. You're helping me make a Lego house."
Gerard looks over at Frank, who seems overwhelmed by the whole situation.
"Come on, Frank," he says. "We could use a guitarist's input." Tom whips his blonde head up from the Lego, looking at Frank excitedly.
"You play guitar?" he asks. Frank nods warily. "When you become my official daddy, can you teach me?"
"I can try," Frank says. Tom makes a childish noise of happiness and runs over, throwing his arms around Frank's hips.
"You're the best. And Ge- Ger- Gerdy- Gerard," he says, furrowing his brow as he struggled to get the name. "Did I get it right?" he asks worriedly, frown disappearing when both Frank and Gerard nod.
"Can we make my house now?"
-
"It's time to leave," the woman says a couple of hours later, sticking her head in and smiling.
"Okay," Frank nods, getting up from Tom's fucking Lego mansion. They've used up all the pieces, and it's nearly up to Tom's waist.
"Do you have to go?" Tom whines.
"We do," Gerard says, feeling a strange desire to hug Tom as his little face falls.
"Will I see you again?" Tom asks hopefully.
"Maybe," Frank says, shrugging on his coat.
"You do want to see me again, don't you?" Tom asks worriedly. "I didn't do anything bad, did I?"
"We'd love to see you again," Gerard says sincerely.
"We seriously need to go," the woman says, and her smile is starting to grate on Gerard's sensitive nerves.
"Okay, okay," Frank says, heading out of the door. Before he can leave, though, a little Tom-sized cannonball is hurling himself at Frank, curling his arms around first his hips and then Gerard's legs.
"Bye bye, daddies!" he says, waving frantically until the door is shut.
Gerard makes it all the way to the car before the tears start to fall.
-
"How can he be up for adoption?" Frank whispers into the darkness, pressed up against Gerard in their bed. "How? And how did we get so lucky?"
"I don't know," Gerard says. "All we can do is hope he likes us as much as we like him."
"I think he does," Frank murmurs, nosing Gerard's neck.
"He's perfect for us," Gerard agrees.
-
MikeyWay: So they both came home in tears.
PeteWentz: gd or bad ????
MikeyWay: I didn't get a chance to ask.
PeteWentz: im sure the kid liked them mikes, dnt fret
MikeyWay: I just want them to be happy. They deserve it more than anyone else, y'know. They've worked so hard for this, if it all gets shattered...I don't want to see their faces. I wouldn't be able to.
PeteWentz: mikey im comin over ur gonna cry i cn tell
MikeyWay: Thanks, man.
-
Gerard comes downstairs at three a.m to the sight of Pete and Mikey sprawled on the sofa together.
He decides to get his water and pretend he never saw.
-
"I'm not stupid," Frank says to him the next morning. "What were Pete and Mikey doing?"
"Don't question it," Gerard says, handing him one of the glasses he'd just washed. "They've always been close friends."
"I know," Frank sighs, towelling the glass. "I just. Would you do that for a friend?"
"Depends who," Gerard says quietly.
"I guess," Frank shrugs, seeing Gerard doesn't want to breach the subject any further. "I can't stop thinking about Tom."
"Me either," Gerard says, the image of the dimpled blonde immediately flashing in his mind.
"I hope we get him. I wouldn't be able to stand someone else getting him," Frank sighs, throwing the towel down.
"Let's hope we did enough," Gerard agrees.
-
It's always been hard for Frank to wait for things, whether it's his birthday or their anniversary, or just for a new episode of a TV programme to come on. Waiting to hear if they can have Tom or not is driving Gerard insane, so he hates to think what it's doing to Frank.
Frank's been meticulously cleaning the house, like he does when he's anxious. The upside is Gerard never has to do his own laundry, but the downside is he always has the nagging worry that there's something wrong with Frank.
He doesn't want to breach the topic with Frank, who seems stressed-out enough as it is, but he knows Frank can only stretch so far before reaching breaking point.
The phone rings for the fifth time, jolting Gerard out of his worries.
"It'll be Mikey again," Frank shouts from the kitchen. "Don't bother answering." Gerard rolls his eyes and goes to pick up the phone to yell at Mikey.
"Hello, is this the residence of Mr Iero and Mr Way?" a pleasant voice asks.
Definitely not Mikey. Plus, it sounds English.
"U-uh, yeah?" Gerard stutters, squeezing the phone so hard he thinks it may shatter.
"This is Harry. I'm calling about your adoption?"
Gerard starts sweating. His stomach clenches, butterflies rampaging like there's no tomorrow, and his heart beats so fast he should probably be dead.
"Y-yeah?" he manages.
"I'm pleased to say Tom's all yours! After a whole load of paperwork, of course."
Gerard can't believe it.
"S-sorry, did y-you just say-"
"Yep," Harry says. "You and Mr...sorry, are you Mr Way or Mr Iero?"
"Way."
"You and Mr Iero are going to become the legal guardians of Tom. You're lucky, he's a sweetie."
"T-thank you," Gerard says, shellshocked.
"Alright, well, I'm going to hang up and let you share the news with Mr Iero. Goodbye!" Harry says cheerily. Gerard keeps staring at the phone in his hand long after the line's gone dead.
"What did he want?" Frank asks, coming in and wiping his fingers on his apron.
"Tom."
"Mikey wanted Tom?" Frank asks, confused.
"Frank," Gerard says. "Frank. It was the adoption agency." Frank pales.
"Oh, shit," he says, hand flying up to cover his mouth. "Shit."
"We- Frank. You- we're- we're going to be dads."
The silence is deafening, confusing.
"Holy shit," Frank says, awed. "Tom- Tom's ours?"
Gerard nods. Frank collapses onto the nearest sofa.
"Oh my God," he says, a tear slipping down his face as he grins exuberantly. "Gerard. We got Tom."
-
MikeyWay: APPROVED
PeteWentz: congrats!
BobBryar: go frank+gerard!!!
PatrickStump: thats great news!
RyanRoss: Congratulations to them!!
GabeSaporta: ship it
RayToro: so glad 2 hear it!!
-
"The car will be here soon," Frank says, clenching and unclenching his fists nerously. "What if Tom doesn't like the house?"
"He'll love it," Gerard assures him.
"What if he doesn't though?" Frank frets. Gerard is spared from answering when the doorbell rings. Frank looks up at him, wide-eyed, like he did all those months ago at Brendon's interview.
"You'll be fine," Gerard murmurs, pressing a quick kiss behind Frank's ear, like he did all those months ago at Brendon's interview.
Frank takes a deep breath and strides over to the front door, being greeted by a nervous-looking Tom and kindly-looking social worker.
"H-hello," Tom says shyly. Gerard notices he's clutching a little Thomas the Tank Engine bag.
"Hello, Tom," Frank says warmly, kneeling down and opening his arms for a hug. Tom glances at the social woker quickly, who nods, before running forward and hugging Frank.
"You do want me here, don't you?" he asks, little voice muffled by Frank's shoulder.
"Of course we do," Frank reassures him.
"Does Ge-Gerard?" Tom asks.
"Of course I do!" Gerard says. Tom lifts his head from Frank's shoulder to beam at Gerard.
"Right, Tom, well, I'll just get the rest of your stuff then," the social worker nods. "I'm Harry, by the way."
"Nice to meet you, Harry," Gerard says politely. Harry grins and heads out to the car to grab the suitcase that contains all of Tom's possessions as Frank, Tom and Gerard head inside.
"I like your house," Tom says solemnly. "I won't break anything, I promise." Frank snorts.
"I break everything," he says. "It's okay."
Harry enters with Tom's suitcase in tow. It's surprisingly small.
"Looks like we need to go shopping," Frank whispers loudly to Tom.
"I love shopping!" Tom squeals excitedly.
Frank exchanges a look with Gerard, suppressing a smirk.
"Totally gay," Harry mouths at them.
"Can I see my room?" Tom asks innocently, brown eyes wide. Gerard blinks.
"Sure," he says.
"I'll leave you to it," Harry says, inclining his head. "You know about the regular check-ups, et cetera et cetera."
"Yep," Frank nods. "Thanks."
Tom puts his tiny hand in Gerard's tentatively, like he doesn't know how Gerard's going to react. Gerard squeezes it softly, almost welling up at how trusting, how sweet Tom is.
"Let's go see your room," he says softly.
"Gerard painted it," Frank remarks.
"I like painting," Tom says sincerely. "I didn't before but then Daddy Frank said you were an artist so I tried it. And I like it. But I'm not very good, Daddy Gerard."
"That's okay," Gerard says. "Neither is Fr- Daddy Frank."
"I heard that," Frank says.
"I'm not surprised," Gerard replies dryly. "You're right behind us." Tom giggles.
"You're funny," he says.
"I know," Gerard grins. He's so overwhelmingly happy - he has a son, the best son he could ever have asked for, a wonderful boyfriend and loving friends and family.
His life is pretty much perfect.
-
"We have some friends coming over today," Gerard tells Tom over breakfast a week later. "They want to meet you - don't use all the milk, Frank - and don't worry, they're really nice."
"I can use the milk if I want to," Frank says, poking his tongue out at Gerard childishly. Tom giggles through his mouthful of Cornflakes.
"You're going to make Tom spit them out," Gerard says, trying to sound disapproving and failing.
"When're they coming?" Frank asks. Gerard shrugs.
"I don't know."
"Tom, do you want to go and get dressed?" Frank asks, taking Tom's empty bowl from him. Tom nods enthusiastically, scraping back his chair and thundering up the stairs.
Frank and Gerard watch him go fondly.
"We got lucky," Frank says, sighing.
"I really think we did," Gerard agrees softly.
-
"Uncle Pete's here!" Pete yells, storming into the living room. Tom looks torn between being terrified and jumping up to hug Pete. The terrified look grows as more people flood into the room.
"Tom, this is Pete, Patrick, Gabe, Mikey, Bob, Ray, and you know Ryan and Brendon."
"Are they all my uncles?" Tom asks, bewildered.
"Well, Mikey's your only real uncle," Frank says, and Mikey grins. "He's Gerard's brother."
"But he looks nothing like Daddy Gerard," Tom says, still looking confused. Several people coo when Tom says 'Daddy Gerard', and Tom flushes.
"I'm a lot handsomer than Gerard," Mikey says smugly. "That's why."
"Daddy Gerard is very handsome," Tom says. "But I like your glasses. And you're very tall."
"So am I," Gabe pipes up. Tom furrows his brow.
"Are you...Uncle...Uncle Gay?" he asks. The room explodes into laughter.
"Well, technically, yes," Gabe shrugs.
"Did I say something funny?" Tom asks, looking flustered.
"You just told the truth," Patrick smirks.
"I want hair like Uncle...R...Ray," Tom whispers loudly to Gerard. "Can I play with it?"
"Why don't you ask him that?" Frank asks.
Tom looks up at Ray shyly.
"I like your hair," he says. "Can I touch it?"
Ray looks flattered.
"Sure," he says, kneeling down. Tom squeals and runs over, threading his hands in Ray's mane of curls.
"I have the best uncles," he says, to Frank and Gerard. "I think Bob has the best name. Can I be called Bob?"
Gerard catches Mikey's eye and grins.
-
"Uncle Pete, that's not fair," Tom says crossly. "You're cheating."
"I'm not cheating," Pete says, in the way that makes it blindingly obvious that he is.
"Cheat!" Bob cries, pointing accusingly at Pete.
"I've lost three of my cards," Ryan says.
"Check your scarves, honey," Brendon says sarcastically. Ryan sends a death glare his way.
"Let Pete cheat," Ray says. "He's so bad, he can't even win by cheating."
"That's because he's so bad he can't even cheat properly," Gabe snorts.
"Gabe, I can see the cards you hid up your sleeve from here," Mikey says dryly.
"Those are mine!" Ryan yells, launching himself at Gabe.
Tom giggles.
"They're funny," he says to Gerard.
"They're demented," Frank mutters.
"What does 'demented' mean, Daddy Frank?" Tom asks.
"It means they act like Uncle Gay," Gerard says. Tom's face clears.
"But it's not a nice word," Frank warns. "Don't call people demented."
"But you just-"
"I'm allowed to," Frank says.
-
PeteWentz: how cute is he!!!
RayToro: makes me want kids!!
BobBryar: whos jumping on the adoption bandwagon w/ me
RayToro: well hopefully me unless theres someone u havent told me abt
PatrickStump: totally. what if we end up with some crackhead though?
GabeSaporta: who puts crackies up 4 adoptz
RyanRoss: I get a fasttrack.
BrendonUrie: no u dont
MikeyWay: I'm going to be the best uncle ever.
PeteWentz: no i am
GabeSaporta: noooo me!!
PatrickStump: dream on, uncle gay
BobBryar: classic. thats gonna stick
-
After everyone had left (aka been physically shoved out of the front door) Frank declares it's Tom's bedtime, much to the youngster's dismay.
"I like my uncles," he says sleepily, as Frank and Gerard tuck him in. "Can they come again?"
"They come far too much," Frank mutters.
"I can teach Uncle Pete to cheat at card games," Tom says, drifting off. Gerard looks at Frank.
"Okay, Tom," Frank says, suppressing a giggle.
"I love you, Daddy Frank and Daddy Gerard," Tom murmurs. Frank presses a soft kiss to Tom's forehead, and Gerard follows suit.
"We love you too," he murmurs. "We always will."
Pete flips open his phone.
Text recieved - MikeyWay
Pete! Gerard and Frank are adopting!
-
Patrick's phone buzzes.
New text message - Pete stop changing your name on my phone
pattycakes! G&F r adoptin!
-
Bob glances at his phone as the screen flashes.
One new message - Patrick Shortass Stump
have you heard? gerard and frank are adopting.
-
Ray's phone jumps in his hand.
Message from - Bob
apparently gerard&frank r adopting??
-
Mikey's phone buzzes again, a mere three minutes after firing off the text to Pete.
Message recieved - Ray
dude gee n frnk r adoptin??!!
-
Gabe tries to reach his left back pocket with his right hand.
"Hold still, I can't fucking text with you jumping all over my dick," he grumbles, shoving his stupid, fat little dog off his midriff.
Text from - mikey way's ass
Did you hear that Gee and Frank are adopting?
-
Gerard's phone springs to life in his pocket.
One new message from - Gabe Saporta
heard ur adoptin, gr8! ;) x
He turns to Mikey.
"It's been all of five minutes," he says accusingly, "and Gabe Saporta already knows?"
"Like he wasn't going to find out anyway," Mikey snorts, not looking up from his phone. "What were you planning on doing, shoving the baby in the attic every time he came round?"
"What's happening?" Frank says, setting a coffee down in front of his boyfriend.
"Gabe knows," Gerard says, blowing on the hot beverage.
"So basically, everyone knows?" Frank demands, rounding on the younger Way.
"Pretty much," Mikey says nonchalantly, still not looking up from his phone.
"Mikey is the bane of my existance," Gerard mutters, sipping his coffee.
"Don't worry," Frank says soothingly, patting Gerard's arm before standing and walking back to the kitchen. "He's the bane of mine too."
"Hey," Mikey says, finally looking up from his phone. "I have feelings."
"Gabe fucking Saporta," Gerard groans, having downed his coffee already (he needed extra strength, if Mikey was to be around all day, or he'd kill him with his bare hands. It was a miracle Mikey had survived past the age of three). "Seriously? Like, of all people."
"Gabe's cool," Mikey says defensively. Gabe was kinda cool, and he made Gerard laugh, but Gerard wasn't going to tell Mikey that.
"Seriously," he says again. "Who sends a text saying 'Heard you're adopting, great!' and adds a winky face? Is that supposed to be sexual? And if it is, which, knowing Gabe, it is, is it sexually directed at me or at the child?"
"Are we still talking about Gabe?" Frank asks, meandering back in from the kitchen.
"Yes," Gerard says.
"Then it was probably sexually directed at both you and the child," Frank shrugs, grabbing Gerard's empty mug and walking off to the kitchen again.
"If Pete tries to throw us a baby shower, I will hit him with a shovel," Gerard says grimly, hauling himself out of the chair and padding into the kitchen.
"Sick of Mikey already?" Frank grins, standing on his tiptoes and pressing a kiss to Gerard's cheek.
"Why is he even here?" Gerard asks grumpily, catching Frank's waist and pulling him closer, feeling Frank warm and familiar against himself. "Does he not have a house?"
"Apparently he does," Frank says dryly. "Ours."
-
Frank and Gerard were snuggled together in bed, watching the end credits roll past for some shitty movie neither of them had been watching.
"Do you think we made the right decision?" Frank asks, into the relative silence.
"I hope so," Gerard whispers.
"D'you think we'll make good parents?" Frank asks, an edge of nervousness to his voice. Gerard feels him clench his fist subconsciously, twisting Gerard's shirt.
"That's not for us to decide," he says, reaching for the remote to click off the TV. "Remember, we have our interview tomorrow."
"I'm scared shitless," Frank admits. "We already have less of a chance because we're a gay couple. If they see Mikey, they'll write 'Residence - home to mentally unstable brother'." Gerard can't help the giggle that slips out.
"I'll call Gabe," he promises. "That should distract him."
"I hope so," Frank sighs, reaching over to turn out the light and snuggling closer to Gerard in the darkness. "I just want to have a perfect family, y'know?"
"What, with Mikey in it?" Gerard snorts.
"Well," Frank says. "The kid won't be biologically related to Mikey, so it'll be okay."
"Nature and nurture," Gerard reminds him.
There's a short pause.
"Mikey is banned from our house for the next eighteen years," Frank says decidedly.
-
"They'll be here in like, twenty seconds," Frank says, dashing frantically from room to room an straightening already-straight things. Gerard watches his tiny partner in amusement, knowing that this frenzy will continue until the social worker arrives - at which point he'll be fine.
"Mikey's out of the house, right?" Frank frets, dusting invisible fluff from Gerard's chest. Gerard nods in response, and Frank opens his mouth to add something else when the doorbell rings. Frank freezes, blinking up at Gerard.
"You'll be fine," Gerard murmurs, pressing a quick kiss behind Frank's ear before striding to open the front door.
"Hello," the man at the door says politely, pushing his glasses up his nose. "My name is Brendon. I like your petunias." Gerard blinked - petunias? What? - but luckily, Frank has already appeared at his side and takes over.
"I planted them a couple of years ago," Frank tells Brendon conversationally. "Beautiful, aren't they?"
What the hell are petunias?
"Would you like to come in?" Frank adds, stepping aside to make way for Brendon to enter, standing on Gerard in the process. Brendon beams at them, taking in every detail of their house and noting it all down as he walks, Frank leading him to the living room.
"Mikey Way!" Brendon exclaims, halting suddenly and backpedaling a bit, standing on Gerard in the process (what the hell is everyone's problem today, seriously). "This is Mikey Way!" He points at a picture of Mikey and Gerard at some relative's wedding.
"Well spotted," Gerard mutters under his breath, nursing his poor, bruised toes.
"How do you know Mikey Way?" Brendon asks, turning to Gerard.
"I'm his brother," Gerard says politely. Brendon's smile grows even wider, and he bounds into the living room like Frank does when Thundercats is on TV.
"Mikey's the best, man," he says enthusiastically. "Where is he?"
"Gabe's," Frank says. "I mean, uh. His, um, friend's."
"There's no point beating around the bush," Gerard says, feeling pleased about using such a brilliant phrase. "Gabe's his boyfriend."
"I thought Gabe and Pete were dating?" Brendon frowns. Gerard blinks.
"You know them?" he asks, probably a lot more rudely than he should have to someone who was deciding if he was fit to adopt a child or not.
"Obviously," Brendon says, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Ryan knew Pete through Patrick, because they were in the same AP English class."
"Ryan Ross?" Frank interjects, and Gerard has totally lost the thread of the conversation. Ross? Who is this Ryan Ross person?
"Yeah," Brendon says excitedly, accepting the coffee Frank offers him gratefully. "He's my boyfriend."
Frank breaks into a grin.
"That was what we were most worried about," he says, sounding relieved. "Y'know. If our being gay was going to affect our being allowed a child."
"Oh, no!" Brendon says, sounding horrified. "We never discriminate like that. We judge purely on the couple's predicted ability to look after the child, and the environment the child would be growing up in. Which, I have to say-" he looks around the room "-is a lot cleaner than I would have expected for somewhere inhabited by a Way, if Mikey's anything to go by."
Gerard flushes, and Brendon laughs.
"Sorry, dude," he says. "I mean, Mr Way. Shit, sorry. Oh, God, I just swore, sorry." He blushes, and it's Gerard's turn to laugh.
"It's okay," Gerard says. "We're nervous as fuck too."
Brendon grins at him, shuffling a few pieces of paper and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose again (he really needs some better fitting glasses, Gerard notes).
"So," he says. "Basic information first." Frank nods, sitting down next to Gerard and lacing their fingers together. Frank's palm is slightly sweaty, but so is Gerard's, so that's okay.
"How did you meet?" Brendon asks, smile wide and genuine.
"I fell on him," Frank giggles. "He held the doors open for me, and I just fell on him."
"I thought you were hot," Gerard grins. "I wouldn't hold them for just anyone. Those train doors are brutal, man."
"So then I bought you a drink to apologise," Frank says, eyes shining. "And, well."
"That's sweet," Brendon says, noting something down. "What do you think makes the relationship work?"
"We're so opposite, yet so similar," Gerard says, after a moment of careful consideration. "I mean, he's always bouncing around everywhere, giggling, whereas I'm more reserved-" Frank's snort sounds a lot like 'Fatass' "-but we're on the same wavelength and we have common interests."
Brendon nods thoughtfully, taking this all down.
"Is there anything you dislike about each other?" he asks, pushing his glasses up his nose again. It reminds Gerard of Mikey in high school.
"How lazy he is," Frank complains. "Whenever I want to go to the park, or whatever, he's all like, 'Sorry, got to do some major art work for a gallery viewing'."
"How he wakes me up by playing his guitar in my ear," Gerard shoots back, grinning. "I'll be deaf by the age of thirty."
Brendon's smiling at their banter, scribbling away on his sheet of paper. Gerard beams back at him, squeezing Frank's hand.
"How do you make big decisions?" Brendon says, and just as Gerard is about to answer he hears the tell-tale click of the front door opening and Mikey's clumsy footsteps.
"Excuse me," he says to Brendon, eyeing Frank and trying to convey Mikey's here distract Brendon whilst I noose my younger brother to him. He seems to get it, because he rambles on about big decisions being a shared responsibility, bla bla bla, and Gerard levers himself off the couch and into the hallway, where Mikey turns to look at him, face blank - too blank, carefully blank.
"What the fuck?" Gerard hisses. "You knew our interview was today."
"Yeah," Mikey says, "but Brendon."
"Brendon?"
"Ryan told Patrick, who told Pete, who told Gabe, who told me, that Brendon was going to be interviewing you. Haven't seen Brendon in ages, so thought I'd come back," Mikey says, kicking his shoes off and pushing past Gerard. Gerard makes a move to grab him, tug him back and explain how important today is to Frank and him, and how if Mikey fucks it up he is in deep trouble, but Brendon has spotted Mikey's awkward, gangly legs and made a noise of happiness, so Gerard has to make do with a warning death-glare as he stalks back ino the front room behind his sibling.
"Mikey!" Brendon says happily. "It's been so long, man!"
"Yeah," Mikey agrees, sitting between Frank and Gerard. "How's Ryan?"
"Good," Brendon winks, and Gerard doesn't even want to consider the possible double meaning behind that. He chances a quick glance at Frank behind Mikey's back, who shrugs, not knowing what the fuck to do either. "I heard...you and Gabe?" Mikey grins happily.
"Yeah," he says. "Pete got with Patrick, after Patrick split with Bob because of Brian."
"No way," Brendon breathes, seemingly enraptured by this confusing web of relationships. "But Ryan said Bob was dating Ray!"
"Bob had a crush on Ray," Mikey corrects knowledgeably, "but Ray's straight. As far as we know. Surrounded by as many gay couples as he is, I wonder how long it'll be."
"We all know Ray's not one hundred percent straight," Brendon says, and Mikey flushes and laughs, and Gerard decides he does not want to venture further into the possible sex life of his brother.
He elbows Mikey subtly, and Mikey stands up, grinning at Brendon.
"I'm going to make some coffee," he says, which Gerard knows means he'll be listening to the rest of the interview. He makes a mental note to kill Patrick with a spoon for telling Pete (who told Gabe, who told Mikey) that Brendon is here. He would murder this Ross Ryan dude who started the whole thing, but he doubts that would earn him any favours from Brendon. So Patrick it is.
What was he thinking, telling Pete, anyway? Does no one have anything better to do than gossip about Frank and Gerard's adoption process?
-
MikeyWay: Guys, they're totally going to get approved. Brendon's the interviewer.
PeteWentz: lucky fucks hes 2 nice
GabeSaporta: hes hot
PeteWentz: u hav a boyfrend gabe
GabeSaporta: its not like he doesnt agree
MikeyWay: He is kind of hot.
RyanRoss: Can you not hit on my boyfriend please? Thanks.
BobBryar: if he doesnt approve them n they dont get their child im comin after u ross
RyanRoss: I'm quaking in my boots.
PatrickStump: you actually should be bob is one scary motherfucker when he's angry.
RyanRoss: Go away, Patrick. You're dating Pete, so your opinion is irrelevant.
PeteWentz: hey wat r u implyin bitch im ur boss i will cut ur pay n fire u
GabeSaporta: go pete!!!!!
RyanRoss: If I'm fired, I haven't got any pay to cut.
MikeyWay: Guys, guys, Brendon's thanking them! The interview's over!
BobBryar: fascinating
PatrickStump: say hi from me and ask them how it went
PeteWentz: i will bite ur vagina until ur penis retracts gabe
PeteWentz: sry wrong convo
RayToro: wats goin on ??
-
"How did it go?" Gerard's stupid brother asks, grinning broadly.
"I don't know," Frank says, collapsing on the sofa. "We don't find out until, like. Ages." He waves his hand non-commitally, like he isn't nervy as fuck about it. Gerard can tell by the way he's glancing around the room, not fixing his sight on one thing for more than a couple of seconds.
"I think it went great," he says, to try and motivate Frank. Mikey shoots him a weird look, and Gerard shrugs.
"Okay, then," Mikey says. "When do you find out if you can get the kid or not?"
"A few weeks, I think?" Gerard says, looking at Frank for confirmation. Frank shrugs, which is really helpful.
"Patrick says hi, by the way," Mikey says, kicking his feet up on the coffee table and flicking open his sidekick. The feet-on-coffee-table earns him a slap from Frank.
"Get your dirty feet off our table," he snaps, but it's half-hearted and Mikey knows it.
"Cool," he murmurs in reply, already lost in his virtual social life.
-
MikeyWay: They said it went okay.
PeteWentz: new it
GabeSaporta: no u didnt
PeteWentz: i so did
RyanRoss: Yeah, I just talked to Brendon and he said they're great guys, their living environment is fine and the kid will go to a great home.
PeteWentz: exactly those wrds?
RyanRoss: Well, I can't remember his EXACT words but...
PeteWentz: but did he say the kid WILL go 2 a gr8 home or IF they get a kid it will or wat
GabeSaporta: dont let us down young jedi
BobBryar: so theyre gettin the kid?
PatrickStump: yeah what's happening ryross
RyanRoss: Never call me that again, Patrick.
RyanRoss: Also, I'll talk to Brendon when he gets home.
GabeSaporta: u hav done ur country proud
PeteWentz: well YOU havent
GabeSaporta: fuk u im the jedi master
PeteWentz: take ur lightsaber sumwhere else
GabeSaporta: 1st time u ever complained about it ;);)
RayToro: wtf
-
"Morning, babe," Frank calls as Gerard drags himself down the stairs. "Your coffee's on the counter."
"I love you," Gerard moans, staggering into the kitchen and zeroing in on the hot beverage that his amazing boyfriend has prepared.
"I know," Frank smirks, skirting around the counter and pecking Gerard on the cheek. "Mikey's bringing Gabe over today." Gerard groans.
"So basically, Mikey's bringing everyone over today?" he says, putting his head in his hands.
"Pretty much," Frank shrugs. Gerard takes a sip of his coffee to ready himself mentally.
"I hate Mikey," he laments. "Why do I get stuck with the sociable brother who has creepy friends?"
"They're your friends too," Frank points out. Gerard dismisses this with a wave of his hand.
"They're still creepy," he says. Frank seems to accept this as a valid point.
"Well, I guess we'll have to get dressed," he says, and Gerard groans, downs his coffee in one go and stands up.
"I hate Mondays," he says.
-
"Pete's coming, and he's bringing Patrick, and Bob's coming - so is Ray, Brian couldn't make it. Oh, and Patrick's bringing Ryan, y'know, B-don's boyfriend," Mikey's tinny voice says down the phone. Gerard frowns.
"What did you just call Brendon?" Frank asks, giggling.
"Shut up. Anyway, don't quiz him about whether you're going to get a kid or not. And don't worry, Gee, you won't have to make friends - he's as introverted as you are."
"Even more so," Frank snorts. "The dude owns more scarves than the Afghan army."
Gerard doesn't know which to respond to first.
"You can't say that, Frank!" he says, outraged. "And Mikey, fuck you. I'm not introverted. I have a boyfriend."
"Sure," Mikey snorts, and there's a crash and a yelp of "Gabe!" before the line goes dead. Gerard decides he doesn't even want to know.
"You'll like Ryan," Frank assures him.
"How does everyone know him except me?" Gerard demands.
"Well, you are a little introverted..." Frank says, and Gerard glares at him.
"You're supposed to be on my side," he says. "I hate you all."
Just then, the doorbell rings, so Gerard can't make the dramatic exit he'd hoped for.
"That'll be Mikey and Gabe," Frank says, getting up to answer the door.
"And probably half the neighbourhood," Gerard mutters, glaring at the wall. He hears Frank greet whoever's at the door, and then the door to the living room is pushed open and he's faced with his stupid little brother and his stupid friends.
"Gerard!" Gabe yells, drawing out the 'r' and flopping down next to him. "How are you, my man?"
"I wouldn't say 'man'," Mikey snorts, throwing himself down in 'his' armchair.
"Why, do you bottom?" Gabe asks, smirking, and Mikey howls and covers his ears.
"Less talk of Gerard's sex life, please!" he pleads. Gabe shrugs.
"You asked Pete," he says pointedly.
"Pete isn't your brother," Mikey says.
"Well, no, we had sex," Gabe says, looking confused. Mikey is saved from answering by a second doorbell, and Pete, Patrick and a little guy with lots of hair and lots of scarves spill into the room
"Pete!" Gabe crows, jumping up and kissing Pete square on the lips. Patrick catches Mikey's eye and they both shake their heads.
"Yo," Pete says, because for some reason he thinks he's 'from the hood'.
"This is Ryan," Patrick says, indicating the huddle of scarves and eccentric clothes to his left. "Ryan, you know everyone except Gerard. He's the one with the black hair giving everything death glares." Ryan nods shyly in Gerard's direction, hovering awkwardly behind Patrick.
"Did you see Bob and Ray on your way here?" Frank asks, coming in from wherever he'd been.
"Yeah," Pete says, giggling. "They looked a little, um, busy, so they might be a bit late."
The room is silent for a moment.
"No way!" Mikey yells at the same time Frank shouts "You're kidding!", Gerard says "Are you sure it was Ray?" and Gabe yells "Once again penis triumphs over vagina!"
"Yep," Pete says gleefully. "And of course I'm sure it was Ray, what the fuck, you can't mistake that hair."
"You're a fucking weirdo, Gabe," Patrick says pointedly.
"And proud," Gabe grins.
-
Bob and Ray had arrived to an orchestra of catcalls and wolfwhistles, much to Ray's embarrassment. Two hours later, however, the topic of conversation has somehow turned to Gerard and Frank's adoption.
"Are they approved?" Gabe asks Ryan expectantly. Ryan squirms.
"It's not my business..." he says weakly.
"RyRoss-"
"Don't call me that."
"-I will break all your bones, tell me. And I'll call you that until the day I die," Pete says sweetly.
"I can't say," Ryan says.
"Would Brendon tell us if we called him?" Mikey asks. Ryan shakes his head, but he seems a little unsure.
"So you can tell us, then," Patrick says.
"I really can't..." Ryan says, but his defences are weak and failing.
"Yes you can," Mikey says, and he somehow manages to look mildly threatening.
"If I tell you, you can't tell Brendon I told you," Ryan says, looking worried.
"Deal," about three people say, Gerard's not sure who.
Gerard catches Frank's eye, and Frank looks as nervous as he is. Gerard's stomach is churning - he wants to know, obviously, but what if it's bad news? Does he really want to be embarrassed in front of everyone like that?
"Well?" Bob prompts. The whole room is waiting with bated breath, all attention focused on Ryan, and for someone so shy he seems to be feeding off it, enjoying it.
After what seems like eternity, he gives a slight, barely perceptible nod.
The whole room erupts into cheers and whoops, before Gerard has even processed what's happening.
He's going to be a dad.
He immediately searches for Frank, who looks as shellshocked as Gerard is.
"You're going to be daddies!" Mikey crows. Gerard watches the smile creep onto Frank's face, grow and grow until he's grinning, eyes so lit up with happiness Gerard can see it from across the room. Frank suddenly springs up and runs over to Gerard, falling into him and burying his face in Gerard's neck, sobbing. Sobbing with happiness, with relief - Gerard hopes, at least.
"We're going to be parents," Frank says, muffled by Gerard's clothes and skin.
It still hasn't really sunk in for Gerard, who's just nodding numbly.
Dad. Yeah.
Dad.
Then suddenly it hits him, fast, hard, like a truck.
They're going to be parents.
-
BrendonUrie: i knew u'd break xx
RyanRoss: I'm sorry :( xx
BrendonUrie: its ok, i onli wish id been ther 2 c theyre faces xx
RyanRoss: *their. Also, it was amazing. I've never seen a room full of people so happy before. They've got some great friends. xx
-
"What if the kid hates us?" Frank frets. "What if he tries to, like, hurt us?"
"Frankie, he's three and a half," Gerard points out.
"He could still hurt us," Frank says warily. "Why else would they let us meet him for the first time in this place?"
"In case we don't get along, yes, but- jeez, ow, stop gripping my hand like that!" Gerard yelps as Frank squeezes all the blood out of his hand.
"Sorry," Frank apologises, relaxing his grip a little. "But what if he doesn't like us-"
"Mr Iero and Mr Way?" a small lady holding a clipboard asks, smiling sweetly. Frank glances at Gerard worriedly, and Gerard smiles, standing up and releasing Frank's hand.
"Follow me, please," the woman says, heading off down a brightly lit corridor. She indicates a door to her left, smiling again, and Gerard hesitates.
"It's completely normal to be nervous," she reassures him. "Even the children are."
"Thank you," Frank says quietly, nudging Gerard, who twists his hand on the doorknob.
They're greeted by the sight of a young, blonde boy with a dimple in his left cheek, breaking off his playing with Lego to gaze up at Frank and Gerard.
"Hello," he says solemnly. "Are you my daddies?"
"We can be, if you want us to be," Frank says tentatively. The little boy cocks his head to the side, as if considering.
"What's your name?" he asks.
"I'm Frank," Frank says, "and this is Gerard." The little boy giggles.
"Gerard's a funny name," he says, and his dimple shows when he smiles, and Gerard has never seen anything so adorable, so beautiful, in his life. "My name is Tom."
"Nice to meet you, Tom," Gerard says.
"Do you want to help me?" Tom asks.
"Okay," Frank nods. "What are you making?"
"I don't know," Tom says, little eyebrows furrowed at the mass of colourful plastic scattered across the floor.
"Well, Gerard's an artist, I'm sure he'll be able to think of something," Frank says encouragingly. Tom beams up at Frank.
"I like you," he says decidedly. "You can be my daddy."
"What about Gerard?"
"He hasn't helped me make anything yet," Tom says sadly, looking forlornly at the Lego. Gerard kneels down and picks up a handful of pieces at random.
"Shall we make a house?" he asks, and Tom beams at him too, his brown eyes lighting up and his dimple becoming more prominent than ever.
"Gerard is nice too. And he has a funny name. He can be my daddy as well." He frowns suddenly. "What about my mummy?"
Frank exchanges a worried look with Gerard, who shuffles over to Tom, hazel eyes staring into solemn brown.
"Sometimes, a daddy and a daddy can love each other too," he says carefully.
"That's okay," Tom says, nodding. "I don't want a mummy anyway. Daddies are better than mummies. I like you. You're helping me make a Lego house."
Gerard looks over at Frank, who seems overwhelmed by the whole situation.
"Come on, Frank," he says. "We could use a guitarist's input." Tom whips his blonde head up from the Lego, looking at Frank excitedly.
"You play guitar?" he asks. Frank nods warily. "When you become my official daddy, can you teach me?"
"I can try," Frank says. Tom makes a childish noise of happiness and runs over, throwing his arms around Frank's hips.
"You're the best. And Ge- Ger- Gerdy- Gerard," he says, furrowing his brow as he struggled to get the name. "Did I get it right?" he asks worriedly, frown disappearing when both Frank and Gerard nod.
"Can we make my house now?"
-
"It's time to leave," the woman says a couple of hours later, sticking her head in and smiling.
"Okay," Frank nods, getting up from Tom's fucking Lego mansion. They've used up all the pieces, and it's nearly up to Tom's waist.
"Do you have to go?" Tom whines.
"We do," Gerard says, feeling a strange desire to hug Tom as his little face falls.
"Will I see you again?" Tom asks hopefully.
"Maybe," Frank says, shrugging on his coat.
"You do want to see me again, don't you?" Tom asks worriedly. "I didn't do anything bad, did I?"
"We'd love to see you again," Gerard says sincerely.
"We seriously need to go," the woman says, and her smile is starting to grate on Gerard's sensitive nerves.
"Okay, okay," Frank says, heading out of the door. Before he can leave, though, a little Tom-sized cannonball is hurling himself at Frank, curling his arms around first his hips and then Gerard's legs.
"Bye bye, daddies!" he says, waving frantically until the door is shut.
Gerard makes it all the way to the car before the tears start to fall.
-
"How can he be up for adoption?" Frank whispers into the darkness, pressed up against Gerard in their bed. "How? And how did we get so lucky?"
"I don't know," Gerard says. "All we can do is hope he likes us as much as we like him."
"I think he does," Frank murmurs, nosing Gerard's neck.
"He's perfect for us," Gerard agrees.
-
MikeyWay: So they both came home in tears.
PeteWentz: gd or bad ????
MikeyWay: I didn't get a chance to ask.
PeteWentz: im sure the kid liked them mikes, dnt fret
MikeyWay: I just want them to be happy. They deserve it more than anyone else, y'know. They've worked so hard for this, if it all gets shattered...I don't want to see their faces. I wouldn't be able to.
PeteWentz: mikey im comin over ur gonna cry i cn tell
MikeyWay: Thanks, man.
-
Gerard comes downstairs at three a.m to the sight of Pete and Mikey sprawled on the sofa together.
He decides to get his water and pretend he never saw.
-
"I'm not stupid," Frank says to him the next morning. "What were Pete and Mikey doing?"
"Don't question it," Gerard says, handing him one of the glasses he'd just washed. "They've always been close friends."
"I know," Frank sighs, towelling the glass. "I just. Would you do that for a friend?"
"Depends who," Gerard says quietly.
"I guess," Frank shrugs, seeing Gerard doesn't want to breach the subject any further. "I can't stop thinking about Tom."
"Me either," Gerard says, the image of the dimpled blonde immediately flashing in his mind.
"I hope we get him. I wouldn't be able to stand someone else getting him," Frank sighs, throwing the towel down.
"Let's hope we did enough," Gerard agrees.
-
It's always been hard for Frank to wait for things, whether it's his birthday or their anniversary, or just for a new episode of a TV programme to come on. Waiting to hear if they can have Tom or not is driving Gerard insane, so he hates to think what it's doing to Frank.
Frank's been meticulously cleaning the house, like he does when he's anxious. The upside is Gerard never has to do his own laundry, but the downside is he always has the nagging worry that there's something wrong with Frank.
He doesn't want to breach the topic with Frank, who seems stressed-out enough as it is, but he knows Frank can only stretch so far before reaching breaking point.
The phone rings for the fifth time, jolting Gerard out of his worries.
"It'll be Mikey again," Frank shouts from the kitchen. "Don't bother answering." Gerard rolls his eyes and goes to pick up the phone to yell at Mikey.
"Hello, is this the residence of Mr Iero and Mr Way?" a pleasant voice asks.
Definitely not Mikey. Plus, it sounds English.
"U-uh, yeah?" Gerard stutters, squeezing the phone so hard he thinks it may shatter.
"This is Harry. I'm calling about your adoption?"
Gerard starts sweating. His stomach clenches, butterflies rampaging like there's no tomorrow, and his heart beats so fast he should probably be dead.
"Y-yeah?" he manages.
"I'm pleased to say Tom's all yours! After a whole load of paperwork, of course."
Gerard can't believe it.
"S-sorry, did y-you just say-"
"Yep," Harry says. "You and Mr...sorry, are you Mr Way or Mr Iero?"
"Way."
"You and Mr Iero are going to become the legal guardians of Tom. You're lucky, he's a sweetie."
"T-thank you," Gerard says, shellshocked.
"Alright, well, I'm going to hang up and let you share the news with Mr Iero. Goodbye!" Harry says cheerily. Gerard keeps staring at the phone in his hand long after the line's gone dead.
"What did he want?" Frank asks, coming in and wiping his fingers on his apron.
"Tom."
"Mikey wanted Tom?" Frank asks, confused.
"Frank," Gerard says. "Frank. It was the adoption agency." Frank pales.
"Oh, shit," he says, hand flying up to cover his mouth. "Shit."
"We- Frank. You- we're- we're going to be dads."
The silence is deafening, confusing.
"Holy shit," Frank says, awed. "Tom- Tom's ours?"
Gerard nods. Frank collapses onto the nearest sofa.
"Oh my God," he says, a tear slipping down his face as he grins exuberantly. "Gerard. We got Tom."
-
MikeyWay: APPROVED
PeteWentz: congrats!
BobBryar: go frank+gerard!!!
PatrickStump: thats great news!
RyanRoss: Congratulations to them!!
GabeSaporta: ship it
RayToro: so glad 2 hear it!!
-
"The car will be here soon," Frank says, clenching and unclenching his fists nerously. "What if Tom doesn't like the house?"
"He'll love it," Gerard assures him.
"What if he doesn't though?" Frank frets. Gerard is spared from answering when the doorbell rings. Frank looks up at him, wide-eyed, like he did all those months ago at Brendon's interview.
"You'll be fine," Gerard murmurs, pressing a quick kiss behind Frank's ear, like he did all those months ago at Brendon's interview.
Frank takes a deep breath and strides over to the front door, being greeted by a nervous-looking Tom and kindly-looking social worker.
"H-hello," Tom says shyly. Gerard notices he's clutching a little Thomas the Tank Engine bag.
"Hello, Tom," Frank says warmly, kneeling down and opening his arms for a hug. Tom glances at the social woker quickly, who nods, before running forward and hugging Frank.
"You do want me here, don't you?" he asks, little voice muffled by Frank's shoulder.
"Of course we do," Frank reassures him.
"Does Ge-Gerard?" Tom asks.
"Of course I do!" Gerard says. Tom lifts his head from Frank's shoulder to beam at Gerard.
"Right, Tom, well, I'll just get the rest of your stuff then," the social worker nods. "I'm Harry, by the way."
"Nice to meet you, Harry," Gerard says politely. Harry grins and heads out to the car to grab the suitcase that contains all of Tom's possessions as Frank, Tom and Gerard head inside.
"I like your house," Tom says solemnly. "I won't break anything, I promise." Frank snorts.
"I break everything," he says. "It's okay."
Harry enters with Tom's suitcase in tow. It's surprisingly small.
"Looks like we need to go shopping," Frank whispers loudly to Tom.
"I love shopping!" Tom squeals excitedly.
Frank exchanges a look with Gerard, suppressing a smirk.
"Totally gay," Harry mouths at them.
"Can I see my room?" Tom asks innocently, brown eyes wide. Gerard blinks.
"Sure," he says.
"I'll leave you to it," Harry says, inclining his head. "You know about the regular check-ups, et cetera et cetera."
"Yep," Frank nods. "Thanks."
Tom puts his tiny hand in Gerard's tentatively, like he doesn't know how Gerard's going to react. Gerard squeezes it softly, almost welling up at how trusting, how sweet Tom is.
"Let's go see your room," he says softly.
"Gerard painted it," Frank remarks.
"I like painting," Tom says sincerely. "I didn't before but then Daddy Frank said you were an artist so I tried it. And I like it. But I'm not very good, Daddy Gerard."
"That's okay," Gerard says. "Neither is Fr- Daddy Frank."
"I heard that," Frank says.
"I'm not surprised," Gerard replies dryly. "You're right behind us." Tom giggles.
"You're funny," he says.
"I know," Gerard grins. He's so overwhelmingly happy - he has a son, the best son he could ever have asked for, a wonderful boyfriend and loving friends and family.
His life is pretty much perfect.
-
"We have some friends coming over today," Gerard tells Tom over breakfast a week later. "They want to meet you - don't use all the milk, Frank - and don't worry, they're really nice."
"I can use the milk if I want to," Frank says, poking his tongue out at Gerard childishly. Tom giggles through his mouthful of Cornflakes.
"You're going to make Tom spit them out," Gerard says, trying to sound disapproving and failing.
"When're they coming?" Frank asks. Gerard shrugs.
"I don't know."
"Tom, do you want to go and get dressed?" Frank asks, taking Tom's empty bowl from him. Tom nods enthusiastically, scraping back his chair and thundering up the stairs.
Frank and Gerard watch him go fondly.
"We got lucky," Frank says, sighing.
"I really think we did," Gerard agrees softly.
-
"Uncle Pete's here!" Pete yells, storming into the living room. Tom looks torn between being terrified and jumping up to hug Pete. The terrified look grows as more people flood into the room.
"Tom, this is Pete, Patrick, Gabe, Mikey, Bob, Ray, and you know Ryan and Brendon."
"Are they all my uncles?" Tom asks, bewildered.
"Well, Mikey's your only real uncle," Frank says, and Mikey grins. "He's Gerard's brother."
"But he looks nothing like Daddy Gerard," Tom says, still looking confused. Several people coo when Tom says 'Daddy Gerard', and Tom flushes.
"I'm a lot handsomer than Gerard," Mikey says smugly. "That's why."
"Daddy Gerard is very handsome," Tom says. "But I like your glasses. And you're very tall."
"So am I," Gabe pipes up. Tom furrows his brow.
"Are you...Uncle...Uncle Gay?" he asks. The room explodes into laughter.
"Well, technically, yes," Gabe shrugs.
"Did I say something funny?" Tom asks, looking flustered.
"You just told the truth," Patrick smirks.
"I want hair like Uncle...R...Ray," Tom whispers loudly to Gerard. "Can I play with it?"
"Why don't you ask him that?" Frank asks.
Tom looks up at Ray shyly.
"I like your hair," he says. "Can I touch it?"
Ray looks flattered.
"Sure," he says, kneeling down. Tom squeals and runs over, threading his hands in Ray's mane of curls.
"I have the best uncles," he says, to Frank and Gerard. "I think Bob has the best name. Can I be called Bob?"
Gerard catches Mikey's eye and grins.
-
"Uncle Pete, that's not fair," Tom says crossly. "You're cheating."
"I'm not cheating," Pete says, in the way that makes it blindingly obvious that he is.
"Cheat!" Bob cries, pointing accusingly at Pete.
"I've lost three of my cards," Ryan says.
"Check your scarves, honey," Brendon says sarcastically. Ryan sends a death glare his way.
"Let Pete cheat," Ray says. "He's so bad, he can't even win by cheating."
"That's because he's so bad he can't even cheat properly," Gabe snorts.
"Gabe, I can see the cards you hid up your sleeve from here," Mikey says dryly.
"Those are mine!" Ryan yells, launching himself at Gabe.
Tom giggles.
"They're funny," he says to Gerard.
"They're demented," Frank mutters.
"What does 'demented' mean, Daddy Frank?" Tom asks.
"It means they act like Uncle Gay," Gerard says. Tom's face clears.
"But it's not a nice word," Frank warns. "Don't call people demented."
"But you just-"
"I'm allowed to," Frank says.
-
PeteWentz: how cute is he!!!
RayToro: makes me want kids!!
BobBryar: whos jumping on the adoption bandwagon w/ me
RayToro: well hopefully me unless theres someone u havent told me abt
PatrickStump: totally. what if we end up with some crackhead though?
GabeSaporta: who puts crackies up 4 adoptz
RyanRoss: I get a fasttrack.
BrendonUrie: no u dont
MikeyWay: I'm going to be the best uncle ever.
PeteWentz: no i am
GabeSaporta: noooo me!!
PatrickStump: dream on, uncle gay
BobBryar: classic. thats gonna stick
-
After everyone had left (aka been physically shoved out of the front door) Frank declares it's Tom's bedtime, much to the youngster's dismay.
"I like my uncles," he says sleepily, as Frank and Gerard tuck him in. "Can they come again?"
"They come far too much," Frank mutters.
"I can teach Uncle Pete to cheat at card games," Tom says, drifting off. Gerard looks at Frank.
"Okay, Tom," Frank says, suppressing a giggle.
"I love you, Daddy Frank and Daddy Gerard," Tom murmurs. Frank presses a soft kiss to Tom's forehead, and Gerard follows suit.
"We love you too," he murmurs. "We always will."
♠ ♠ ♠
bonus points & a marriage to me if you guess who tom is ;)