Common People

Both boys weren’t quite sure what had happened between them before, but it seemed as if both were acting as if it hadn’t happened at all. But both of them were secretly running the scene over and over again in their heads, small, knowing smiles on their faces.

Frank dragged Gerard by his hand everywhere. Literally everywhere. There was barely a single moment when their hands weren’t joined.

“Frank, where are we actually going?” Gerard asked, juggling the mountain of junk food and booze in his arms, peeking round the side of his armful to look at Frank.

“The beach, duh!” Frank told him, giggling and rolling his eyes.

Frank was also currently high, giggling at everything Gerard said and bouncing and skipping along in front of him.

“Wait!” Frank yelled, coming to sudden stop. “How are we gonna get to the beach?”

“Um... we could walk?” Gerard suggested.

“Yeah!” Frank grinned widely. “Yeah, we should definitely walk.”

Gerard rolled his eyes but smiled. He didn’t really mind Frank when he was as high as kite because it was entertaining to watch. Gerard was pretty sure that when Frank drank he was one of those hyper-active happy drunks, whereas Gerard just became even moodier and quieter than usual.

**************

Gerard simply watched as Frank tore open the packaging on a huge sponge cake he’d bought.
Although, Gerard wondered how much of the food Frank had actually paid for and how much he’d swiftly hidden in the huge pockets of his hoodie without anyone noticing.

“Ugh, how is it even possible to be this fucking hungry?” Frank mumbled around a mouthful of cream and sponge and jam.

“You have a serious case of the munchies,” Gerard replied with a grin, lighting up a cigarette.

“Shut up,” Frank exclaimed, a blob of cream flying from his mouth and hitting Gerard’s cheek. “You know nothing of my pain!”

Gerard wiped the cream off of his face with a disgusted look. “Dude, ew. You got your nasty cake all over my face.”

Frank rolled his eyes but grinned. “It’s not nasty. You should try some!”

With that he launched himself Gerard, tackling them to the ground and clamped his mouth over
Gerard’s. It wasn’t the greatest experience, Gerard decided, having cake and spit smothered all over your face, but Frank didn’t seem to care.

Frank pulled back, smirking. “See? It’s tasty.”

“You eat like a pig,” was all Gerard could say as he wiped the combination of spit, cream, jam and sponge off of his face.

“You know you love my sexy pigness,” Frank teased, rolling off of Gerard and lying with his side pressed against him.

“Pigness isn’t even a word Frank.”

“It is now.”

Gerard just laughed.

Nearly ten minutes later, Frank had inhaled the entire mountain of food and was sprawled on his back, groaning.

“Oh my God, I feel like I somehow got nine months pregnant,” Frank moaned, clutching his stomach.

“Oh yeah, because I know exactly what the feels like,” Gerard snorted, playing with Frank’s thin, tattooed fingers. “When was the last time you ate?”

“Uh...four days ago?” Frank answered uncertainly. “No wait, it was three days ago actually.”

“Three days ago?” Gerard asked, shocked. “Frank...”

Frank just raised an eyebrow, shrugging. “Nothing you can do about it Gerard. Some days I just don’t eat, simple as.”

“But you need to eat,” Gerard told him softly, intertwining their fingers.

“You look as if you eat a single lettuce leaf a week Gerard, you look worse than me,” Frank told him, poking Gerard’s ribs playfully.

“I just don’t have a big appetite,” Gerard insisted.

Frank just made a ‘hmm’ sound and closed his eyes. “Play with my hair. I like it.”

Gerard smiled softly and began stroking through Frank’s short, ruffled chocolate hair. “You don’t have enough hair to play with.”

“Shut up bitch,” Frank mumbled, leaning into Gerard’s touch with a content sigh.

They stayed like that for a while in a peaceful state of calm until Frank’s eyes flew open and he sat up suddenly, eyes glittering with excitement. Gerard was convinced Frank had ADHD, or something like that anyway.

“Let’s go swimming!”

Gerard drew back from Frank. “But you just ate and we don’t have swimming trunks or towels or anything and-”

“Gerard. Get your clothes off now, we’re going swimming!” Frank instructed, peeling off his clothes with impressive speed.

He left Gerard sat on the beach, staring at Frank as he went head on into the icy, freezing water, his tiny, pale, inked body disappearing into the waves.

Gerard remained motionless, sat on the beach with his mouth hanging open. Frank had just gone into the water. Frank had just gone into the water. Fuck.

Gerard waited for Frank to resurface, but there was nothing, just water. Gerard began to panic. It wasn’t possible to hold your breath for this long right? Especially not with smokers lungs like Frank.
Gerard tore his clothes off until he was left in his boxers and sprinted towards the water. He waded in, gasping at the burning cold of the waves that slowed him down and pushed back against him.
He ducked under and kicked with his legs, blinking against the harsh salty, murky water as he searched for Frank.

Nothing.

He swam back up, gasping for air and pushing his hair back from his face, looking round frantically.

“Frank! Fuck, Frank where are you?” Gerard yelled, kicking his legs to keep himself afloat, his body shivering from the cold.

Gerard screamed as something wrapped around his ankle and dragged him under with one powerful pull. He flailed around, arms and legs kicking out wildly, everything a blurred mess of bubbles and water. He managed to break free and with a series of kicks he broke through the surface of the water.

Frank’s head appeared in front of him, wet and pale and beautiful.

“Oh my God, you evil little shit!” Gerard screamed at Frank, who was laughing at Gerard.

“You... oh fuck, you actually thought- oh God, it’s too funny,” Frank managed to get out between his laughter, eyes streaming with tears.

Gerard splashed at him angrily and turned away from him. “Don’t you ever do that to me again Frank, it’s not funny! I thought you were drowning!”

Frank just laughed harder and louder. Gerard shot him a dirty look before swimming away, back to shore.

“Gerard wait, come on, don’t be like that,” Frank called after him.

“I thought you were dying!” Gerard yelled at him.

Frank swam over to him, looping his arms around his neck and wrapping his legs around Gerard’s waist. His face was solemn and sombre, staring straight into Gerard’s eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Frank told him softly. “I’m sorry I scared you that bad Gee, I really am. I wasn’t thinking.”

Gerard just sighed. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter. At least you’re not like, drowning or anything.”

“Nope,” Frank replied.

He leant in and kissed Gerard firmly on the mouth, tangling his fingers in Gerard’s hair. When he pulled away, they were both breathless. Frank grinned biting his lip.

“I guess it kind of was funny the way I freaked out,” Gerard admitted, grinning shyly and wiping the hair out of his eyes again.

Frank just smirked and then they both burst out laughing and Gerard didn’t care that it was freezing cold and he had salt in his eyes and in his mouth and his boxers were drenched.

He just laughed, clinging onto Frank as they splashed about in the water, everything a whirlwind of water and bare skin and laughter.

***************************

Gerard just gritted his teeth when he heard his mother call his name from the kitchen, stopping in his tracks.

He sighed heavily and turned slowly, making his way to the kitchen as slowly as possible. When he reached the doorway of the huge kitchen he immediately put on his guilty I’m-so-sorry-I’ll-never-do-it-again face.

His mum and dad were both stood leaning against the spotless, gleaming marble counter, disappointed and irritated looks on their faces.

“Explain. Now,” his dad barked out flatly, crossing his arms.

Gerard glanced at the clock and winced. It was 2:30 AM. On a Wednesday night.

“I... I wasn’t watching the time?” Gerard offered, looking hopeful and apologetically at his parents.

“Gerard. I get a call from school telling me you weren’t there for the entire day, with no explanation. I get home and you’re not here. I call you thirty times and there’s no answer. Your father was out driving around looking for you and then you turn up at 2:30 in the morning tell me you weren’t watching the time?!” his mum spat, raging.

“Um...yeah?”

“Go to bed Gerard. I’m driving you to school in the morning and we’ll talk about this tomorrow. I hope you know how disappointed we are in you. This isn’t like you Gerard,” his dad sighed heavily, squeezing his mum’s shoulder to try and calm her.

“I’m sorry dad,” Gerard mumbled, head hanging as he turned and shuffled up the stairs to his room.

Despite being in major trouble, Gerard was still glowing with happiness. He hadn’t felt like this before, ever. He didn’t think it was possible to feel this happy. He felt alive when he was with Frank. Frank had taken him everywhere and nowhere, Gerard enjoying himself no matter where they went. They’d ended up in New York, after Frank had declared he was bored of Jersey, Gerard paying for everything on his card, not caring that he was using up pretty much all of his more than generous allowance.

Anything to make Frank happy and see him smile. He only spent it on cigarettes and vodka anyway. It had been worth it, to feel so high on life, exploring the beautifully grotty, thriving streets of New York and spinning under the bright neon lights, Frank’s smile and his touch everywhere.

As Gerard was drifting off, his phone buzzed and he groggily fumbled about, grabbing it and opening the text.

Your bestest sexiest friend ever Frank:
Heyyy Gee, just wanted 2 say thx 4 2day, it was fun. See u l8tr sweetie poo. Mwah xo

Gerard just grinned sleepily and fell asleep with his hand loosely curled around his phone.