When Loving You Comes So Naturally, What Else Can Be Expected?

"We'll be back in two days, okay?"

I rolled my eyes. "Okay mom. Yeesh, how many times are you going to tell me that?"

She went on as if she hadn't heard me. "Look boys, I know the neighbors pretty well. They'll be keeping an eye out while we're gone. That means no parties, no girls, no beer, no drugs, no--"

"Mom!" I whined. "Can you please spare us the don't get into any trouble talk? I think we'll be able to handle one weekend by ourselves."

She leaned in and kissed all three of us on the cheek. "Emergency numbers are on the fridge. I left you guys money for pizza on the counter. Keep all the doors locked and remember, if anyone calls and asks where we are--"

"you're busy, not gone. I got it."

"We'll both have our cells on us all the time. We'll call when we get off the plane."

"Okay!" Mikey and I shouted.

"Oh, I'm going to miss my boys so much!" She wailed, throwing her arms around all three of us.

"Mom. Mom! Goodbye!"

"Donna, we do have a plane to catch." My father hinted, looking uncomfortable and impatient by the door.

"Alright, alright. We're leaving." She opened the door and my father ushered her all the way out, quickly saying goodbye to all of us.

"I love you--"

She was interrupted by the door shutting quickly, soon followed by a the click of the lock.

Mikey walked over to the window and peered out through the blinds.

I heard an engine roar to life, then slowly fade away.

Mikey turned and looked at both of us.

"Alright. We're out." He said to me, grabbing his and Frankie's jacket off the coat rack, throwing Frankie's to him.

He caught it, looking confused.

"Where are we going?"

"We" Mikey hinted, throwing me a sharp look "are going to Ray's party. Remember, Frankie?"

"Mikey, I--" He looked at me from the corner of his eye, then sighed. "I can't."

Shock crossed Mikey's face. "Why not? You live for this shit, Frankie. You love a good party. Don't tell me all this talk of you being such a good boy that my mom is saying is rubbing off on you." He laughed at his own joke.

Frankie forced out a laugh. "No, no, uhm, it's just...I don't feel too well and I don't want to ruin the party for you, or anything."

"You wouldn't ruin it." Mikey insisted.

"I'd probably have to leave early." Frankie tried.

"How early?" He said suspiciously.

"Nine...maybe sooner. I'm so tired, I wouldn't be able to make it that long, I'm sure."

A new look came into Mikey's eyes. "Well, then. If your sure. It's supposed to be an awesome party. You know Ray."

Frankie nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. You have fun though."

"Alright, I'm out then." He looked at Frank warningly. "Don't let Gerard boss you around once I leave. You don't have to listen to a word he says."

I rolled my eyes. "Goodbye, Mikey." I said, almost pushing him out the door.

"I probably won't be back until midnight or later. Don't wait up." He said bravely.

I laughed. "I have a better idea. Why don't you just not come back?"

He was about to retort when I slammed the door and locked it.

Like before, I heard the purr of an engine and then nothing.

I turned around.

"You didn't have to do that, you know."

"I know. But there's a couple places I'd rather be than a stupid ass high school party filled with drunk people doing stupid shit."

I raised my eyebrows. "I thought you lived for that? Aren't you Mr. Party man, or something?"

"Hardly." Frank laughed and rolled his eyes, moving over to the couch and looking at me, silently asking me to follow. I did. "I mean, at first, parties were okay. They were cool, what I felt like I was supposed to do, you know? Now..." He trailed off, making a face.

I smiled. "I'm finding out more and more about you everyday, Frank Iero."

He smiled back. A real smile. "Better not find out too much. I wouldn't want you figuring me out."

"I'm getting there."

His eyes light up with laughter.

The moment we shared directly after that was a strange combination between wonder and contentment. Our eyes never left one another.

And then, ever so conveniently, his wall was back up.

"Right. Well, I'm gonna go upstairs." He announced.

I looked at him blankly.

"Upstairs? Now? But I thought--"

His laughter interrupted me.

"Gerard, not everything I do has to do with you. Maybe I just needed a night off to...relax."

I looked at him fiercely.

"This was a bad idea." I said, going up the stairs and brushing past him.

And, of course, he followed me.

"What was a bad idea?" He said suspiciously.

By now we had reached my room. Getting there sooner, I shut the door in his face, hoping it would give him a small hint that I didn't want to talk.

But this was Frank Iero we were talking about here. He was only polite when it came to my parents.

He opened the door and strode right in, as if he hadn't noticed. I childishly turned my back to him.

He repeated the question, only angrier this time.

I flew back around. "This! Us! We," I said motioning my hand to him and then to me, "are a bad idea, whatever the fuck we are!"

I turned my back to him again immediately after. He stayed silent for a moment, but then strode across the room and harshly flung me back around to face him.

"Oh, that's real mature, Gerard. Let's blow up and call it quits the second we realize we're not the center of attention."

"No, but when am I even in your attention span, Frankie? What, for two seconds you care and then all of a sudden I'm worthless again?"

He stayed silent.

"This was a mistake." I said. "Let's just...forget everything. Forget this ever happened, alright?"

Still, he stayed silent.

I went to walk past him, but he caught my wrist.

"Are you trying to prove yourself right?" He accused, though all the ferocity had left his voice.

"What are you talking about?"

"You said I'd end up getting hurt. Are you trying to hurt me so you'll be right?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Frank." I tried getting out of his grip, but his hold on me was relentless. It didn't even look like he was trying, his face was more thoughtful than anything. His strength surprised me, especially considering his age.

"But maybe it's not even that." He said, looking at me. "Maybe it's that your scared you'll do something stupid...like fall in love with me. Maybe you just don't want to admit to yourself that something like love would do you good."

I laughed. "Yeah. That's it. I don't want to admit that I'm falling in love with you. Frank, we've known each other for all of, what, a month and a half? And you're wrong, love wouldn't do me any good. Not again."

He dropped my wrist. "You think you're the only one who's ever been hurt? The only one who's ever been in pain?" He asked.

"I--"

"Well, that's not true. Other people fall in love and get their hearts broken."

I could tell I'd hit a nerve.

"Would you be one of those people?"

"Maybe." He said humorlessly.

"I didn't figure you for someone like that. Thought you'd be smarter."

"Gerard, is that what you think?" He said. "That you have to be dumb to fall in love? To get cheated on? To be dumped? Love affects us all in some way or another, Gerard. No one can live without knowing it at least once."

"Did that happen to you? Did you get cheated on?"

He laughed. "I wish."

I raised my eyebrows.

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter." He smiled a watery smile. "That's not the point. The point is that you're not the only one who's been hurt before."

"So?"

"So stop acting like you are. Other people have hearts, too, you know."

"Oh, really? Well, maybe those people with hearts should listen to their own advice and own up to feelings that they may have." I hinted.

"Are you implying something?"

"Me? Of course not."

He laughed. "Gerard, I never denied having feelings for you."

My eyes widened. "Are you implying something, Mr.Iero?"

He smiled, shaking his head and walking out of the room.

"So...are we forgetting that this conversation ever took place?" I called to him when his hand was on the doorknob to his and Mikey's room.

He turned around. "I don't know. I think I'm going to need a guaruntee that we're...you know, legitimate. I wouldn't want to get hurt." He joked. I laughed.

I strode over to him, taking his face in my hands. "Legitimately secret." I sighed.

"We can deal. Besides, I think the secrecy of it all makes it that much sexier." He winked.

I breathed a laugh.

"And my guaruntee?" He asked coyly.

I smirked.

"I'll give you a garuntee." And with that, my lips came down, consuming his. I slowly lead him back to my room and fell on my bed, him thumping on top of me, without so much as breaking the kiss.