So Long and Good Night

"Okay, okay." Gerard chuckled, "Fair point, but I have a much better one. Way more embarrassing."

"I'm listening." Frank smirked, leaning forward in the plastic molded chair. His Coke suspended in the air by the top lip.

" 'Kay, so I was new to the school, right? So I had absolutely no fucking clue where anything was. And this place was, huge! But anyway, after my first period, I really had to piss, but again, no idea where the fucking bathroom was. So, I had to ask the teacher, if that's not embarrassing enough." He pauses, giggling to himself and taking a quick sip of the soda resting before him.

"So I get to the bathroom and shit, take care of my business and leave. But, unknown to me, I had brought a friend with me. So I'm going through the whole fucking day, and I finally look down at my damn foot, and low and behold, I had been walking around the whole day with a fucking foot long piece of toilet paper stuck to the bottom of my shoe." he finished, unable to contain his fits of laughter anymore. "So, my first fucking day at a new fucking school and I was the sorry prick that got the tissue!"

"Jesus Christ! And I though walking into the girls locker room was bad!" Frank chimed in, giggling hysterically.

"Oh, babe. It gets worse." Gerard added, stifling his giggles. "So it was my last hour before school ended, yeah? And there, they had a separate hour just for detention and shit. Really weird. But anyway, I was looking for my English oral, and it turned out, that that was the room detention was being held in. So I walked in that damn room like I fucking owned the place and sat through a fucking detention all because I was lost." he concluded, bursting into another laughing fit.

"Shit!" Frank exclaimed, "you had it rough in high school."

"Yeah, really." the man sighed finally.

The two of them sat there in silence for a while, simply watching other customers file past their table.

"So, how'd you like your first day at Sayers'?" Gerard finally asked, drawing Frank's attention back to a new conversation.

"It was really good actually. Much more laid back than the one back home. They were all about work, work, work. It was a hellish rut that you could never really get out of." he sighed.

"Oh God. That seems like it would suck. With this kind of job, you have to be able to enjoy it, otherwise it is just torture." The red-head agreed, shaking his head slightly.

"Oh yeah. No joke." The other man replied.

Gerard glanced down at his lock screen, checking the time.

"Welp, its quarter till seven. You wanna go take a look at some of the fun places around here?" He offered.

"Sure!" Frank responded excitedly, sliding up from the seat and grabbing his tray, walking over and dumping his trash into the bin. Gerard followed behind him and then lead the way out the doors and out into the cool air.

The street lights were starting to flicker on one by one as the two men walked down the sidewalk. The day crowd was starting to retreat into their homes and apartments, and the night crowd was crawling out to take their place.

Gerard drew in a long breath through his nose, a playful smirk growing across his face.

"What?" Frank questioned, chuckling lightly.

"No matter how long you live here, you can never get over the delightful smell of fucking garbage. It's around every corner!" The man practically yelled, pulling his foot back and swinging it forward into a black trash back resting on the curb.

"Yeah, you're right. It was that way in Jersey too." Frank smiled. He reached his fingers into the breast pocket of his shirt to pull out a pack of cigarettes and a red translucent lighter. He flicked the top of the bock back and slid a stick out.

"You want one." He offered, resting the roll between his lips.

"Nah," Gerard sighed. "I don't smoke cancer."

"Right." The man replied with a small grin. He placed the box back into his pocket and lit up the joint. He took a long drag through the filter before removing it between his index and middle finger. Blowing the smoke in his lungs out through his nose, he sighed.

"So, where to first, boss?" He questioned, looking over at the other man walked beside him.

"Hmm, let's see..." he smiled, trailing off. "OH! Main Street is still open tonight! C'mon!" He shouted, taking Frank's sleeve in his hand and dragging him along behind him.

"Okay! Jesus, I'm coming!" Frank chuckled, struggling to keep up with the taller man's long strides as he ran to the end of the sidewalk.

A little bell chimed as the two entered the store, indicating the workers of new customers. Frank stayed close behind Gerard, still trying to catch his breath.

"This place has the best CDs and records, and old movies. Even comics!" Gerard excitedly started rattling off the merchandise that this shop sold.

"Wow, it seems like a geeks paradise." he chuckled, watching the man's face light up upon spotting some new selections in music.

As Frank stood there, watching Gerard, he felt something. A longing. I passionate want to be with him now more than he had ever felt before. He kept calling himself crazy seeing as the two had only met each other less than 24 hours ago. But, Frank could no longer push the though out of his head, as his crush, turned into his love.

The way his eyes light up when he gets excited, and the little dimple that pops out when he laughs. Frank thought to himself, He doesn't even know it, but he's throwing me for a loop. I know that something here was meant to be. He smiled.

"Whoa! Frankie! Check it out!" Gerard beamed, holding up a little Superman action figure.

"You like D.C., huh?" Frank chuckled, walking over next to the man.

"Uh, duh." He replied, still looking down at the plastic figure enveloped in a plastic box.

"Well then get it." Frank suggested gently.

"Nah, it's way to pricey." Gerard sighed, setting the figure back down. "So, you wanna get going?"

"Sure. I'll just...meet you outside in a second. I wanna look at somethin' real quick." Frank replied, an idea forming in his mind.

"Alrighty." Gerard smiled, walking out the door and sitting down on the bench just outside.

When he was sure the other man wasn't looking, Frank picked up the same action figure that Gerard had been looking at and took it over to the check out counter.

"This all for ya, sir?" The plump and balding cashier asked.

"Yeah." He replied simply, pulling his wallet out from his back pocket.

" 'Kay, your total it $14.25."

Frank sighed and fished out a twenty dollar bill.

"From twenty? $5.75 is your change." The fat min stated, putting the box into a bag and handing the customer his change.

"Thanks." Frank said before quickly turning around and walking out the door, making the bell ring as he left.

"Ooh." Gerard smiled, "Whatcha get?"

"Oh, nothing." he replied, smiling on the inside at his plan. "So, where he headed?"

"To a little park just off of Third Street."

"A park? Really?" Frank questioned flashing Gerard a strange look.

"Trust me, it's gorgeous at night. It's sorta secluded and it's not brightly lit up, so you can see lots more stars and stuff." he smiled, tilting his head up and looking at the now black sky.

Gerard was right, with all the city lights, you could barely even see the silver moon, let alone any stars.

the two men walked the rest of the short distance in silence. Though, something was eating at Gerard.

Ever since that morning, something inside this man hasn't been the same. He knows the feeling all to well though. As his ex, Levi, used to call it, his heart is flexing and grabbing for something it wants. And that want, just happens to be the man that Gerard is walking with. Unfortunately though, for him, he has no clue what is going on inside Frank's head, or weather he likes guys as well.

I wish there was some way I could tell, 'cause Mama's not gonna be happy until she gets some Frankie action. Gerard thought to himself. Well, I already know that he's not completely straight, because no straight man would have a white leather couch willingly. he chuckled to himself. He kept thinking of ways to get it out of him without scaring his off. But, ultimately, he was going to risk it all to get what he wants.

***

The trees start opening up as the two men walk in awkward silence down the paved path. The city lights were diminishing and the bright stars started taking their place in the sky.

"There it is!" Gerard shouted, pointing ahead to a small clearing that sported a frame with two swings, and an old merry-go-round just behind it.

"C'mon Frank!" He yelled, once again, snatching the man's sleeve and pulling him along to the final destination.

"Christ, you are freakishly strong." Frank whispered, his body doubled over and his hands resting on his knees, trying to bring in as much oxygen as possible. The tiny beads of sweat running down his forehead as Gerard smirked, already sitting on one of the worn swings.

"C'mere, ya big baby." He teased, grabbing the chain of the neighboring swing.

"Fine." He sighed, standing up and walking particularly slow over to the frame.

"Frank. This is a swing, not the electric chair. Move your ass." Gerard giggled. With that, the other man was occupying the swing next to him.

"Better." he smirked, pushing himself along slightly.

Things are quiet for a long while, the both of them just taking in the peaceful night and the fresh air.

"It really is beautiful." Frank finally admits.

"I told you." Gerard replied softly, a smile playing at the corners of his lips, making his adorable dimple appear.

"So um..." the shorter one starts, still looking up at the sky.

"Frank?" Gerard whispers.

"Yes?" He replied, returning his attention to the man.

And as he looks down, before he can even comprehend what is happening, Gerard leans in, and his lip press against Franks, giving him a gentle but welcoming and passionate kiss.