Status: Cut your hair and get a job
Common People
I Want To Live With Common People Like You
4 Years Later
“Frank! Where’s my ramen you asshole!”
“I don’t fucking know, that stuff is nasty! You know I don’t eat it!”
“You’re the last one who was in the fridge!”
“Oh my God Way, why the fuck are you keeping tabs on who opened the fridge last?!”
“Because of catastrophic times like this! Why are we even shouting at each other?!”
“Because – because...” Frank trailed off, not having the patience to explain to his boyfriend that he was the one who’d started shouting first. “Fine. Fine. You know what? I’ll go and fucking buy you ramen at a ramen restaurant. Happy?”
“Maybe,” Gerard replied. “Oh! Wait, it’s OK, I found it. You’re still taking me out though, right?”
Frank just rolled his eyes and buried his face in hands. “Lord give me strength.”
“What was that Frankie?” Gerard asked, sticking his head around the corner, noodles hanging from his mouth.
Frank shook his head, giving Gerard a weary look. “Nothing. Fuck it, give me some of that stuff.”
Gerard protectively held the bowl closer, glowering at Frank. “You don’t even like it.”
“Well I’d better learn to like it if I’m taking you to a restaurant where the only thing they serve is ramen,” Frank replied dryly, grabbing the bowl from Gerard. “The things I do for you.”
Gerard just grinned and gave his boyfriend a sloppy, ramen kiss. “Love you.”
Frank smiled and kissed him back. “Love you too.”
Gerard wandered back into the office/room for whatever crazy arty shit Gerard got up, humming and swaying his hips as he went.
Frank watched him with an amused smile on his face, once again feeling like he was falling in love all over again with his boyfriend of four years.
Leaving Jersey had been the best thing Gerard had ever suggested. There was nothing there for either of them, so why should they stay? Gerard and Frank left in Gerard’s car for New York with literally nothing but the clothes on their backs. And an extremely expensive shiny sports car.
Frank was pretty mad at Gerard for failing to mention Gerard owned an apartment in New York, seeing as they’d only been in the city a few days ago. Gerard’s only explanation was that it was entirely Frank’s fault he was too drunk to remember he’d received an apartment in New York from his parents for his sixteenth birthday.
Frank had thought they were going to be homeless. But no. Of course Gerard owned a fancy, modern apartment looking out on the river that had no mortgage because it had been paid for out of the Way’s account without having to borrow money from the bank. Of course.
And so, the two seventeen year old boys moved into the apartment that was already filled with furniture and was supplied with hot running water, electricity and gas. Gerard used the family savings account for the first few months to pay for bills whilst they looked for jobs.
Frank had friends in New York. Specifically, friends who owned tattoo shops. He got a job as ‘assistant shop manager’ and money started coming into the newly opened account Gerard had set up. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. Gerard was soon cut off from his parents’ money and they struggled for a few months.
But then Gerard found a job in an art supply shop and they stopped struggling as much. Gerard wasn’t happy because he’d rather not be working in a shop surrounded with art, knowing he couldn’t have any of it, knowing he’d rather be in a studio painting and drawing.
It didn’t last long though because Gerard got a call from a complete stranger one day, asking Gerard if he could feature some of his work in his show. Gerard had thought it was joke at first, but then when the offer turned out to be genuine, Gerard soon found himself stood inside of an art gallery with walls that were blindingly white, surrounded by people who were critiquing his work. He earned a lot that night, most of his pieces selling. By the end of the night he had quite a big collection of cheques with triple digit numbers written on them.
Over the next year, Gerard was in many more shows and earned many more cheques, becoming well known and liked for such an incredibly young artist. Lots of people didn’t like him because he was so young and hadn’t even been to art school. Hell, he hadn’t even finished high school.
And yet now he was painting for a living, just like he’d always dreamt. Frank kept his job at the tattoo shop, even though he didn’t need to. Gerard was earning enough for both of them. He’d rented out a studio to do all of his paintings in and lived in the studio sometimes, becoming that busy and swamped with his art. Frank could go days without seeing his boyfriend and over the past few years, he’d spent many nights alone in their big, empty bed, clinging to the sheets and trying to convince himself that hugging the duvet made up for the absence of Gerard.
Of course, they went back for Mikey. They wouldn’t have just left him there, knowing he was as miserable as Gerard had been.
Mikey moved in with them as soon as he’d graduated. He’d wanted to come sooner than that, but
Gerard insisted on his brother finishing school, unlike him. Mikey agreed and soon enough there was three of them sharing the apartment. Mikey got an intern at a record label company and saved up.
Mikey stayed with them for about a year and a half and with a little help from Gerard, he moved into his own small, one bedroom apartment. He still worked at the record company and didn’t see Frank and Gerard as often because his time had recently been taken up by his new girlfriend.
Mikey told them the main reason he’d moved out was because he ‘couldn’t stand hearing his brother and his boyfriend going at it in the shower every night anymore’.
Frank had to admit it was a pretty valid reason.
Gerard and Frank travelled quite a lot because of Gerard’s art. Frank loved seeing the world. Paris especially, because there was just something about the place.
“You know you’re buying me a house here right, fucker?” Frank had told Gerard whilst he fed him his new found love, croissants.
“What makes you think I haven’t already bought you a house here?” Gerard asked, rolling his eyes. “Demanding whiny bitch.”
“I love you.”
“I love you more.”
“Do not even go there. I will hurt you.”.
Frank and Gerard left behind the hate and prejudice that had hung over them their entire lives in Jersey. In New York, there were no snotty, strict parents, there were no rules, and social class didn’t matter. It didn’t matter that Frank didn’t have a penny to his name and it didn’t matter that most people from Gerard’s background would feel sick at the thought of Gerard being with someone like Frank.
None of that mattered here. They were just Frank and Gerard and that was all they ever would be.
“I’m still waiting for that shiny diamond ring by the way.”
“Yeah, and I’m still waiting for you to take me out for dinner.”
“Don’t push it Way.”
“Fine, fine. We’ll go ring shopping tomorrow.”
“The biggest, shiniest ring there. You got it?”
“Yep. Now, about that ramen...”
“Frank! Where’s my ramen you asshole!”
“I don’t fucking know, that stuff is nasty! You know I don’t eat it!”
“You’re the last one who was in the fridge!”
“Oh my God Way, why the fuck are you keeping tabs on who opened the fridge last?!”
“Because of catastrophic times like this! Why are we even shouting at each other?!”
“Because – because...” Frank trailed off, not having the patience to explain to his boyfriend that he was the one who’d started shouting first. “Fine. Fine. You know what? I’ll go and fucking buy you ramen at a ramen restaurant. Happy?”
“Maybe,” Gerard replied. “Oh! Wait, it’s OK, I found it. You’re still taking me out though, right?”
Frank just rolled his eyes and buried his face in hands. “Lord give me strength.”
“What was that Frankie?” Gerard asked, sticking his head around the corner, noodles hanging from his mouth.
Frank shook his head, giving Gerard a weary look. “Nothing. Fuck it, give me some of that stuff.”
Gerard protectively held the bowl closer, glowering at Frank. “You don’t even like it.”
“Well I’d better learn to like it if I’m taking you to a restaurant where the only thing they serve is ramen,” Frank replied dryly, grabbing the bowl from Gerard. “The things I do for you.”
Gerard just grinned and gave his boyfriend a sloppy, ramen kiss. “Love you.”
Frank smiled and kissed him back. “Love you too.”
Gerard wandered back into the office/room for whatever crazy arty shit Gerard got up, humming and swaying his hips as he went.
Frank watched him with an amused smile on his face, once again feeling like he was falling in love all over again with his boyfriend of four years.
Leaving Jersey had been the best thing Gerard had ever suggested. There was nothing there for either of them, so why should they stay? Gerard and Frank left in Gerard’s car for New York with literally nothing but the clothes on their backs. And an extremely expensive shiny sports car.
Frank was pretty mad at Gerard for failing to mention Gerard owned an apartment in New York, seeing as they’d only been in the city a few days ago. Gerard’s only explanation was that it was entirely Frank’s fault he was too drunk to remember he’d received an apartment in New York from his parents for his sixteenth birthday.
Frank had thought they were going to be homeless. But no. Of course Gerard owned a fancy, modern apartment looking out on the river that had no mortgage because it had been paid for out of the Way’s account without having to borrow money from the bank. Of course.
And so, the two seventeen year old boys moved into the apartment that was already filled with furniture and was supplied with hot running water, electricity and gas. Gerard used the family savings account for the first few months to pay for bills whilst they looked for jobs.
Frank had friends in New York. Specifically, friends who owned tattoo shops. He got a job as ‘assistant shop manager’ and money started coming into the newly opened account Gerard had set up. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. Gerard was soon cut off from his parents’ money and they struggled for a few months.
But then Gerard found a job in an art supply shop and they stopped struggling as much. Gerard wasn’t happy because he’d rather not be working in a shop surrounded with art, knowing he couldn’t have any of it, knowing he’d rather be in a studio painting and drawing.
It didn’t last long though because Gerard got a call from a complete stranger one day, asking Gerard if he could feature some of his work in his show. Gerard had thought it was joke at first, but then when the offer turned out to be genuine, Gerard soon found himself stood inside of an art gallery with walls that were blindingly white, surrounded by people who were critiquing his work. He earned a lot that night, most of his pieces selling. By the end of the night he had quite a big collection of cheques with triple digit numbers written on them.
Over the next year, Gerard was in many more shows and earned many more cheques, becoming well known and liked for such an incredibly young artist. Lots of people didn’t like him because he was so young and hadn’t even been to art school. Hell, he hadn’t even finished high school.
And yet now he was painting for a living, just like he’d always dreamt. Frank kept his job at the tattoo shop, even though he didn’t need to. Gerard was earning enough for both of them. He’d rented out a studio to do all of his paintings in and lived in the studio sometimes, becoming that busy and swamped with his art. Frank could go days without seeing his boyfriend and over the past few years, he’d spent many nights alone in their big, empty bed, clinging to the sheets and trying to convince himself that hugging the duvet made up for the absence of Gerard.
Of course, they went back for Mikey. They wouldn’t have just left him there, knowing he was as miserable as Gerard had been.
Mikey moved in with them as soon as he’d graduated. He’d wanted to come sooner than that, but
Gerard insisted on his brother finishing school, unlike him. Mikey agreed and soon enough there was three of them sharing the apartment. Mikey got an intern at a record label company and saved up.
Mikey stayed with them for about a year and a half and with a little help from Gerard, he moved into his own small, one bedroom apartment. He still worked at the record company and didn’t see Frank and Gerard as often because his time had recently been taken up by his new girlfriend.
Mikey told them the main reason he’d moved out was because he ‘couldn’t stand hearing his brother and his boyfriend going at it in the shower every night anymore’.
Frank had to admit it was a pretty valid reason.
Gerard and Frank travelled quite a lot because of Gerard’s art. Frank loved seeing the world. Paris especially, because there was just something about the place.
“You know you’re buying me a house here right, fucker?” Frank had told Gerard whilst he fed him his new found love, croissants.
“What makes you think I haven’t already bought you a house here?” Gerard asked, rolling his eyes. “Demanding whiny bitch.”
“I love you.”
“I love you more.”
“Do not even go there. I will hurt you.”.
Frank and Gerard left behind the hate and prejudice that had hung over them their entire lives in Jersey. In New York, there were no snotty, strict parents, there were no rules, and social class didn’t matter. It didn’t matter that Frank didn’t have a penny to his name and it didn’t matter that most people from Gerard’s background would feel sick at the thought of Gerard being with someone like Frank.
None of that mattered here. They were just Frank and Gerard and that was all they ever would be.
“I’m still waiting for that shiny diamond ring by the way.”
“Yeah, and I’m still waiting for you to take me out for dinner.”
“Don’t push it Way.”
“Fine, fine. We’ll go ring shopping tomorrow.”
“The biggest, shiniest ring there. You got it?”
“Yep. Now, about that ramen...”
♠ ♠ ♠
I thought Gerard's current obsession with ramen was appropriate.IT'S FINISHED. OMG, YAY, I ACTUALLY FINISHED A STORY FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE, I'M SO PROUD.
Anway. This was written for RayTorosArmy and her Frerard Writing Contest.