Teach Me

When Frank got home that day his parents were increasingly worried for his health due to the fact that he was home early again, and very very pale.

They even took his temperature.

"I'm fine. Really guys, it's nothing!" Frank's pleas did little to subdue his parents. Ever since his Pneumonia scare and asthma attacks when he was younger, Mr. and Mrs. Iero were wary of their son's health.

Finally, he was sent to bed with instructions to not stay up late and wear a warm sweater.
(He went to bed, but screw the sweater.)

~~

School steadfastly brought mind-numbing boredom and excessive work, as always, throughout the rest of the week. Frank was just about to fall asleep in Chemistry until a balled up piece of notebook paper sailed across the room and hit him in the face.

"What the fu-?" Frank said a little too loudly, earning a hard glare from Mrs. Bitch (Kitsch actually, but Frank's nickname suited her better).

Frank pursed his lips and opened up the note.

'Dude let's go get shitfaced tonight'

Frank recognized Ray's spiky handwriting and wrote back.

'What.'

Frank sent it back and waited for Ray's reply, delivered shortly after.

'Patrick just got dumped man we're cheering him up with booze.'

Frank rolled his eyes. Patrick should have known it wasn't going to last with that ditzy blonde anyway.

'Ok what time'

Ray signaled to Frank that he'd text and Frank turned back around just in time to see Mrs. Kitsch in front of his desk.

"God damn it Ray..." He mumbled softly.

"Lunch duty Mr. Iero."

~~

Today was yet another guitar lesson, and Frank had no idea what to expect. But being the go-with-flow kind of guy he is he pulled on a Black Flag t-shirt and walked out the door early, and arrived on time to the lesson.

"Helloo Frankie!" Gerard chirped as Frank sat down.

"Uhm. Hey?"

"Let's start with- Is that a Black Flag shirt?"

Frank looked down at his shirt and was about to say yes before Gerard soldiered on about how Keith Morris was awesome and the songs were so original and had he heard of Slipknot? What about the Misfits? Of course he had heard about the Misfits they were fucking amazing oh sorry for cursing- well whatever it isn't a cardinal sin to curse anyway...

...And Gerard talked on and on like that for the rest of the lesson.

It was nice actually, comparing music tastes and talking about bands. He was really into it, and Gerard seemed pretty thrilled to share his love of Iron Maiden with him.

So that lesson was mostly dedicated to talking, and Frank was completely OK with that.

It didn't even seem like a student-to-teacher kind of thing at all anymore. Like some kind of barrier just broke down and they were just two people getting to know each other. They laughed and smiled and debated and-
And Frank realized how much more he was starting to like Gerard.

It was such a casual atmosphere, that Frank had completely forgotten the politics of their relationship.

"I'm so glad you love Danzig like I do- God I could just kiss you!"

Frank realized what he had said precisely three seconds after he said it.

He was stuttering through and apology/explanation when Gerard smiled politely and waved him off.

"Hm. Well that's all the time we had so see you next week I guess. Bye."

Frank picked up his stuff and bolted. How could he have just fucked that up?

Oh shit. Would Gerard tell Mikey? Does Gerard even talk to Mikey about Frank? But what does he say?
Should he talk to Mikey? Would Mikey tell Gerard? Should-

Stop stop stop stop. Frank couldn't think like that, and he had to put an end to this little crush of his.
'What a proper name..' he thought to himself, 'Crush.'

Yeah, drinks sounded really good right about now.

~~

"So get this my friends-" Frank takes another swig of his beer- "I'm sitting there thinking: 'I should toootally ask this guy out right? But like-" another drink- "agh- I can't! Cann NOT ask this guy out because like WOW man what is he anyway? Am I right?" Frank looks expectantly at Patrick and Ray.

They stare back, confused and a little worried.

Patrick is the first to respond.

"Soo...Why can't you just ask this guy out?"

"He's-mm runnin' outta beer- S'my teeeachoorrr!" Frank bursts into a fit of giggles and swings around to go back to the bar. He grabs Mikey's shoulder on the way and turns him toward him to whisper in his ear.

"Mmmmmmikesssssss"

"Frank."

"Ahh I see young Mickey has not gotten the full effect of alcohol yet!"

"And young Frankie has already gotten the full effect. Take it easy dude."

"AAhha m'fine, you're soo much worse!"

Frank stumbles over to the bar and bumps into some guy.

"Sorry bro! But y'know, you were kinda in my way for the beer and that shits priority! Woah! You're pretty hot!"

The guy looks at Frank in confusion and takes a step back from him.

"Uh, thanks?"

"No no wait! Like legitimately attractive!"

The guy smiles this time and gestures for Frank on the bar stool next to his.
Frank eagerly takes a seat. and orders two more beers.

"You aren't drunk enough. I've ordered you a beer to solve the problem, dear stranger."

He laughs and thanks Frank for the beer.

"What's your name?"

"What's in a name? Hah! Sorry, call me Frankenstein babe. Maybe tonight you'll find out why." Frank winks at him.

"Hoping to get lucky? I'm Ryan." Ryan laughs and greedily drinks his beer.

"Ok Ryan. I'd like to find someplace dark and secluded. Think we could do that?"

Ryan smirks and grabs Frank's hand, they stand and Ryan starts to lead them away toward the bathrooms, and he takes a turn down a hallway where the bartender's stock closet is.
Frank turns and pushes Ryan against the wall, kissing him messily. Ryan is a pretty good kisser, but there's someone else on Frank's mind.

~~

The morning light blasts out from the breaks between the blinds in front of the window in Franks room, the sun basically hitting him in the face.

Or at least, it certainly feels that way.

Perhaps getting shitfaced the night before was not the best idea.

Frank moves to get up and is immediately met with a harsh, beating pain in his head. He lays back down and thinks, yeah. that definitely was not the best idea.

Groaning, he decides to try again and spring some aspirin from downstairs.

As he pulls himself out of bed with considerably more effort than hes ever needed before, memories of the night before come flooding into his mind in waves.

A guy named Ryan. Frankenstein. Gerard. Patrick. Ray. Bar.

Fuck. Why was he the weirdest little shit when he was drunk? He can't even imagine how he would act when stoned.

He distinctly remembers bitching about Gerard to Patrick and Ray and then calling himself Frankenstein to some guy named Ryan, with whom he promptly made out with. There were still some gaps in his memory, and he hoped that he didn't do anything stupid that he can't remember.

After successfully making his way down the stair and acquiring aspirin and a glass of water, he decides to call Mikey. He answers on the third ring.

"What."

"I don't like your tone asshole lets try this again." Frank hangs up and dials again.

"Way residence, you've reached Mikey's cellular telephone, which would be answered by him, except for the fact that he threw it at me after claiming that the ringing was making his head explode."

"Gerard?"

"And to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"

"Frank."

"Ah yes, Frank. Mikey doesn't seem to be willing to take your call at the moment due to what seems to be a massive hangover."

"Yeah I'm feeling that."

"Hm. Teenage boys and alcohol are never a good mix. I strongly advise against it. Well nice chatting with you but I've got things to do. Good-bye."

Gerard hung up and Frank felt confused. So...should he be glad Gerard wasn't repulsed when he said who he was? Or embarrassed because Gerard totally just made Frank feel like an unimportant little kid? He felt a little of both.

Frank's phone rings in his hand.

"Hello?"

"Frank this is Gerard again calling to inform you that Mikey has requested that you come over and help him through his hangover. He has stated, and I quote, that 'that bastard got me drunk so tell the fucker to come over here.' end quote."

"Oh. Ok"

"Yes. I see you've been having a negative influence on my little brother Frankie."

"What?"

"Just get over here and help me out, he's a mess."

~~

Gerard opens the door for Frank and glares at him.

"Get him drunk again and so help me god I will pound you into the ground." Satisfied with his threat, Gerard turns to go back to consoling Mikey.

"Hello to you too..." Frank mumbles. He tries not to think about any extra connotation behind Gerard's threat and walks into the living room where Mikey is spread out on the couch with his arm over his head.

"This can't be your first hangover man."

"Fuck you this guy bought me a drink. Tequila. Couldn't handle that shit."

"So why are you blaming me then?"

Mikey turns his head to Frank pathetically

"I was bored and Ray was busy."

Frank flips Mikey off.

"Why didn't you just ask your boyfriend to come comfort you?"

Mikey's eyes widen and Gerard sits up.

"Boyfriend? Mikes!" Gerard is staring at Mikey incredulously.

"He's not my boyfriend! Jesus Frank!"

Gerard sits back and glances at Mikey again, unconvinced.

Mikey stands quickly and runs to the bathroom.

Gerard sighs.

"Thanks for coming I guess."

"Oh uh, no problem? I felt bad anyway so...yeah I guess."

Gerard nods and squints at something in the distance.

"So did you mean what you said?" He asks a couple minutes later.

"What I said when?"

"Friday. When we were talking."

Frank snaps his head up to look at Gerard. Gerard is looking right at him too. Frank swallows and tries to remember how to speak again. And breathe.

"I- I guess so? Like I really love Danzig and I was glad you liked them too so I guess you could say I was just like excited or whatever and like spur of the moment and I saw weird shit all the time but you probably don't care about that-"

"Woah Frank calm down I can barely understand what you're saying."

"Sorry."

"Because I mean, that would be fine. If you really wanted to."

Frank just stares. Was he really saying that? Was this really happening? What was even happening?

"I-" Frank is cut off by Gerard moving closer to him. He's so close, he can smell coffee and cigarettes. The smell is almost intoxicating, and he wants more. To be engulfed in it, asphyxiated, high, just drunk with...Gerard. They're inches apart, and Gerard practically gave him the invitation to just close that gap.
So Frank gather his courage, and leans in-

Only to be interrupted by Mikey slamming the bathroom door. Gerard and Frank are jolted out of their reverie and quickly separate.

Mikey smirks when he sees them.

"Sorry. Did I interrupt something?"

Gerard answers before Frank can.

"No, I was just about to head out. See you later Mikes."

Frank watches Gerard grab his jacket and leave, like nothing happened.

But two can play at this game.