A Case of Unknown Identity

“Can I just speak for like a minute and a half without you interrupting me Gerard!”

“Oh I’m sorry I didn’t realize I was the one being rude here. Maybe I was mistaken when you started lecturing me about my fucking past, Frank! I’ve said sorry a hundred times, and you’ve forgiven me. You literally forgave me, like three weeks ago, but now you’re taking it back and you’re throwing it at me like I don’t already feel like shit!”

“Would. You. Let. Me. Speak!” Frank screams. They’ve been yelling at each other for only about ten minutes but it feels like more since there’s no one else in the eerily quiet house, after Mikey and Brendon went to go get pizza. Frank had stayed behind because he wanted to see more of Gerard, and he had not at all intended to get into a screaming match with him. He can’t even remember how it started all he knows is that somehow or another he brought up Gerard’s bullying days, and it all went downhill from there. They’ve known each other’s identities for no more than a day and they already want to throw giant blimps at each other.

“I tried to let you talk, but you kept insulting me,” Gerard yells back. They’re still standing right in front of the door where they were when Mikey left, about three feet away from each other. Whatever started it all apparently happened right after he and Brendon left.

“You don’t exactly make it very difficult do you Gerard? It’s not like it’s unjustified.”

“See! There you go again with the guilt shit. If you’re going to make the decision to forgive me, than you have to actually stick to it. Otherwise take it back, and leave my apology hanging.”

“No. I will not! I’m trying to be a big person here, and forgive you but-“

“But you keep bringing it up! That’s not forgiveness Frank, that’s called being an asshole.”

“Well I never made any remarks to suggest that I’m not an asshole.”

“Good because you’re really fucking good at it. You’re rude, and you’re a jerk, and you’re a liar who doesn’t stay true to his word!” Gerard says, stepping close to Frank so that the taller boy is only inches from Frank’s face. They’re both scarlet in the face from their shouting match.

“You’re one to talk! You care way too much about status! You’re careless and irresponsible. You never think twice before doing something and it always ends up blowing to bits in your face, because you don’t fucking think about the consequences! You’re too cynical and... and, you know what else? You’re bossy! You always have to have everything go your way, or no way at all.”

Gerard stumbles, with his eyebrows creased together in rage over Frank, but he can’t think of a retort so he just opens his mouth and closes it, then again and again, so that he looks like a frog trying to catch flies.

“See you can’t even deny any of that shit!” Frank says looking furious but triumphant.

“Yeah? Well...” Gerard staggers for words again, “You know what, Frank? Fuck you!”

Frank’s mouth gapes with cold hate and he replies, “Fuck you too Gerard!”

“Good. Well then,” Gerard says, looking down at Frank who’s still only inches away.

“Well,” Frank repeats still looking mad, with his forehead crinkled and he repeats, “Fuck you, Gerard.”

“Fuck you, Frank.”

They stand there for another few seconds, before their instincts take over. Neither one of them can really stop what happens next as Frank grabs Gerard’s shoulders pulling him down, and Gerard grabs Frank by the sides of his head, and they start angrily kissing. They’re mouths move rhythmically along with each other as if all they’ve ever needed was to kiss the other, and it feels absolutely fucking amazing on both ends.

It’s kind of weird really. They both want to rip each other’s throats out but they’re making out instead. In no time Gerard hungrily slips his tongue into Frank’s mouth who does the same to Gerard, and for what feels like a century per minute, they just kind of stand there.

Eventually the need to breathe does get in the way, and Frank is the first to pull away, looking mystified at what’s just happened. He doesn’t look up at Gerard, though, both of them still have their arms wrapped around each other where they’d been a minute ago.

Gerard is the first to speak, “I’ve wanted to do that for like a year.”

“Same,” Frank answers, but they don’t stop to look at each other for very long because he crashes his lips back into Gerard’s.

There’s really no way to justify how great the kiss is for both of them. It’s not as feverish this time around, as the immediate need is gone, but it’s much more passionate. Frank’s been dreaming about kissing Watchman for months and he’s in disbelief by the fact that he’s doing just that right now, and it’s Gerard. And he’s a really good kisser.

Gerard is just happy to be this close to Frank. It’s been killing him for weeks because he’d thought Frank didn’t know and all he wanted to do was to just hold him. Frank is really sexy and it’s been hard not to just come clean but now that they both know who each other are as well as the fact that they both like each other, there’s nothing stopping them.

The anger that was there a minute ago, all but disappears, because nothing really matters right now but their lips on each other’s.

“If I had been given multiple choice answers that had different situations for what was happening behind this door when I opened it, I would have guessed anything but that,” Mikey’s voice says from the door, making the two pull apart immediately and turn the reddest shade of red to have ever red. Gerard matches his hair, which is an amusing sight.

“Did you see that coming?” Mikey asks Brendon with an odd expression that’s a mix of incredulousness, disgust and amusement.

“Nope,” Brendon says, his face a mask of uncomfortable and interest.

“I swear nothing... I mean..?” Gerard tries but he can’t think of anything that would reassure Mikey.

“If that’s what you call nothing, then I’m terrified to see what you call something. ‘Oh nothing, just sticking my tongue down my brother’s best friend’s throat. No biggie.’ My god Gerard, you are such a pervert,” Mikey says walking around them to the kitchen with the pizza boxes in hand. Brendon follows trying to suppress a laugh.

“We- that was...” Frank tries but finds it just as difficult as Gerard had to come up with an excuse.

“I mean I’m a little annoyed that you didn’t at least tell me you were dating,” Mikey says nonchalantly as he grabs a slice of pizza.

“We’re not!” They say simultaneously.

Brendon laughs out loud to that and says, “once again we’re brought back to the fact that you’re version of nothing, compared to ours, is a little twisted.”

“We-,” Gerard says looking to Frank who shrugs, “it was a spur of the moment thing, okay? Like it wasn’t planned.”

“Spur of the moment? Are you saying it’s never going to happen again?” Mikey asks biting into his pizza.

“Oh no that’ll definitely happen again. Trust me,” Frank says bluntly and surely, shaking off his embarrassment a little quicker than Gerard, who stands there still looking completely mortified.

“Okay then,” Mikey says casually as Frank grabs a plate and helps himself to food, “are you going to stand there looking like you just pissed yourself, or do you want dinner?”

He looks a little ruffled for a few seconds more and Frank sets his plate down to smile broadly at him before Gerard throws his arms up in defeat.

“Oh fuck it,” he sighs, and walks over to the small boy, but instead of getting himself food he pushes Frank against the counter and kisses him again eagerly, which Frank is not about to protest to.

“Oh god. Yuck. No! I’m okay with it, but that does not mean I want to see it, especially while I’m eating!” Mikey says with a mouth, half full.

“Sorry,” Frank says, turning around but allowing Gerard to wrap his arm around his waist, “he started it.”

“I am a little confused as to when this happened,” Mikey says squinting his eyes, “I mean I wasn’t even positive Frank was gay.”

“Positive? You mean you already thought I was gay?”

“No Frank of course I did’t think you were gay,” Mikey says oozing sarcasm, “when you said ‘that line is as straight as I am’ I totally pegged you as a straight guy. Jeez Frank, I’m not an idiot. Patrick and I kind of figured it out.”

“Patrick? Wait so everyone knows?” Frank asks.

“Okay, like, four people know. Not everyone. How did this start though?” Mikey asks enunciating each word to make himself sound condescending.

“Yeah, well um,” Gerard says trying to find words, “Mikey... meet Pansy.”

Mikey’s eyes widen, and Brendon looks completely lost.

“You’re kidding me!” Mikey says, “Really? This whole time, Frank?”

Frank nods meekly, a little surprised to find out Gerard told his brother about Pansy.

“I’m sorry what?” Brendon asks.

“My brothers been flirting with this guy called Pansy online for like a year now. Guess who the little fucker turned out to be!”

“You told him about me? Or Pansy, I mean,” Frank asks.

“No. I didn’t tell him a thing, but being the nosy bastard he is, Mikey decided to read over my shoulder a few times,” Gerard says finally grabbing some pizza for himself.

“I’m not nosy! I’m just curious. Plus it’s not like it was hard to figure out something was up. Ever since Pan- or I mean Frank I guess, he’s been smiling too much. It’s really quite gruesome if you ask me, I don’t like seeing him in any state other than miserable.”

Gerard smiles and flips him off.

“Does this make you two a couple then?” Brendon asks.

Frank turns red again and Gerard shrugs.

“Whoops, maybe I shouldn’t have asked,” he says.

Frank looks at Gerard with eyes, wordlessly saying ‘well? What do you think?’

Gerard’s glare back says something along the lines of ‘bitch please.’

“Well what the hell does that mean?” Frank thinks, and then realizes he said it out loud.

“I mean there’s no way we’re not doing that again, like you said,” Gerard answers, knowing what his question was regarding. Mikey and Brendon look weirded out that they had just read each other’s minds.

“Yeah, but does that mean you want slap a label on it?”

“I don’t really want to call you ‘that guy I talked to online for almost a year, and it turns out he was my brothers best friend, but he hated me for a while and then we made out that one time in the foyer’ because it seems so informal.”

Frank tries to repress a smile but ends up snorting, not so eloquently.

“Alright fine then,” Frank answers, and he turns his attention to Brendon, “yes we are dating.”

Mikey scrunches his nose, “Ew. How could anyone ever be attracted to my brother?”

“Everyone is gay nowadays!” Brendon says exasperatedly, “are there any straight guys in this whole town?”

“Thanks for the recognition, inhuman looking,” Mikey says monotonously.

“What about you Brendon, you didn’t include yourself there?” Gerard asks.

“Whoever said I wasn’t a little bit bendy?” Brendon shrugs, and when he doesn’t expand on the subject Frank is almost at a loss for words.

“It’s that kid in Jazz band who wears a lot of scarves and looks like the fifth member of the Beatles isn’t it?” Mikey finally asks.

They go on to try and tease the information out of Brendon for a little while, with Gerard staring almost unwaveringly at Frank, making him blush constantly. When Mikey’s and Gerard’s parents get home, they all go down stairs and for the first time ever, but certainly not the last, Frank holds Gerard’s hand.