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Frank doesn't have a lot of friends but he does know this one cool kid named Mikey Way and he happens to be Frank’s closest friend. They've known each other since middle school and Mikey and him usually just read comics together, talk about bands and the scene and all that other stuff.
It's a saturday afternoon and Frank figures he'll go to Mikey's house to rant about how shitty his life is and how he doesn’t want to go to some stupid college his mom keeps insisting him to look into.
He knocks on the Way's front door and the guy that opens it is so not Mikey or Donna.
"Can I help you?" The guy asks giving Frank a smile.
"Who are you?" Frank actually meant to ask if Mikey was there but hey.
"I could be asking you the same question but I'm going to assume you’re my little brother’s friend."
"What?! Mikey never said anything about having a brother."
"He didn't?" The guy frowns.
Frank shakes his head no. "No he didn't tell me but um could you tell him Frank stopped by."
"Why don't you come in instead? I'm bored off my mind and no one’s home."
Frank wasn't too sure but he mumbled an okay and made his way into the familiar home. The house was weird but a good kind of weird. There were creepy dolls stacked up on shelves, odd paintings hung everywhere and it was dark.
"Wanna head down to my room?"
"Down?"
"To the basement, it's my room."
"You're not gonna like murder me right?"
The guy honks out a stupid laugh that Frank should find completely off putting. "Not happening. My names Gerard by the way."
Frank follows Gerard down to the basement and nearly stops dead in his tracks when he sees a bunch of comic sketches laying around. "Dude you're an artist?"
"Sort of." Gerard says with a shy smile like he doesn’t want to make a big deal about it. "I'm actually still in college. I uh come here on holidays and stuff."
Frank takes a seat on the edge of Gerard's bed. "That makes a lot of sense now."
Gerard's perched on his desk facing Frank. "What about you? How old are you? You don't look like a junior."
Frank doesn’t want to tell him his age because he’s actually younger than Mikey which makes him less cooler. "Um I'm a sophomore."
"So you're fifteen?"
"Yeah." Frank answers dejectedly.
Gerard switches subjects. "Wanna watch Evil Dead with me ?"
Frank doesn't have anything else to do later so he agrees.
-
"You didn't tell me you had a brother." Frank says as he walks to school with Mikey.
"You never asked."
Of course typical smart MikeyWay reply.
"He's really cool and nice." Frank thinks about Gerard and his dumb greasy hair. "He let me watch Evil Dead with him. How old is he?" He's genuinely curious.
"Dude you better not get some gross crush on him, he's twenty and he's my brother as in GROSS."
Frank feels himself blushing. "I never said anything about that but um can I go to your house after school?"
Mikey raises an eyebrow before saying a very long "surrrre."
They depart and Frank's left to face the world (the crowded hallways) alone.
Of course on his way to English he get's pushed by his usual bully Mark who gets a pleasure out of watching Frank suffer. Last year Mark tripped him in the cafeteria, in front of a whole lot of people and Frank had to deal with the jokes and names for a week.
The rest of the day drags on until finally he's walking to the Way's house with Mikey who's busy rambling about some guy named Pete.
Gerard's not in the living room when they arrive and Mikey goes to check the basement and no sign of him there. Frank is actually (secretly) disappointed.
He stays until he has to report back to his own house for dinner. He says bye to Mikey and Donna and makes his way out the house. There's a beat up looking car pulling up by the curb. It's Gerard he thinks. He watches Gerard reach over to open the passenger door. "Want a ride?"
Frank doesn't hesitate to say yes.
Frank buckles his seatbelt in and tells Gerard his address which isn't too far from where they are now.
"How was school?" Gerard asks pulling out the driveway.
"Um it was okay I guess."
"Just okay?" Gerard gives him a come on tell me more look.
Frank focuses on a loose thread on the bottom of his shirt. He tries not to pay attention to his round belly that his mom says is just baby fat. Sure.
"Yeah.. I mean I got pushed around by some kid but I’m used to it now. No biggie."
Gerard flashes him a concerned look "Nothing harsher than that though right?"
Well he hasn't got jumped since eighth grade so yes he’s okay. "Right."
The rest of the ride is quiet and Frank uses it as the perfect to time to steal a couple of glances towards Gerard. By the time the car pulls up to his house, he’s feeling pretty smug about not getting caught staring. He thanks Gerard and nearly dies when Gerard waits for him to walk the short distance between the car and his house’s front steps and into his home before driving off.
A gentleman too. Frank says to himself later that night when he’s all tucked in bed, sighing dreamily and smiling at nothing.
It’s not like he isn't aware of how truly lame he is.
-
The rest of the week goes on at a really slow pace until finally its FRIDAY. It's not just any Friday night though. Tonight he's going out to a gig with Mikey (and maybe just maybe they'll score some free booze this time.) Then he's going to sleepover at the Way's house just cause it's more easier to get away with shit there than it is at his place.
Mikey ends up texting him: ugh sorry man, my annoying brother INVITED himself to the gig. he pulled out the i'm your big brother card and blah blah blah. Anyways we'll be @ your house in 10. -xMikey
Frank isn't upset one bit instead he starts second guessing his outfit and whether his clothes are too ick or not but there's no time to change because Mikey's there in exactly ten minutes. He grabs his duffel bag and says bye to his mom and Bub (his beloved hamster) before walking to Gerard's car.
They don't even acknowledge his presence when he hops in. The two brothers are busy arguing (or well Mikey seems really mad and Gerard's calm as can be.)
"I go out all the time by myself and nothing ever happens to me!" Mikey says crossing his arms together with his best pissed off expression which isn’t too far off from his usual one.
"Yeah well shit can happen anytime, any place."
They go at it for almost twenty more minutes until Frank clears his throat. Gerard apologizes for their bad manners and the rest of the ride is quiet.
While they're waiting on the entrance line to the venue, two things happen. Mikey spots Pete and the two of them run off somewhere and Gerard proceeds to pull out a cigarette from who knows where (Frank wasn’t watching unfortunately) and holy shit Frank never thought smoking could look so hot.
He decides that he wants to try it too even though his mom would frickin kill him if she found out.
"Gimmie one." Frank says jutting his chin out towards the cigarette held between Gerard's expertise fingers.
Gerard raises an eyebrow at him and Frank looks up at him with huge puppy eyes.
"Have you smoked before Frank?"
"Yeah. Well no but I want to try." He admits.
Gerard grabs his wrist and leads him to the back of the venue which is empty. He hands Frank a cigarette and lights it up for him and Frank takes his first inhale and everything turns black from nearly hacking up a lung.
Now he knows why Gerard took him to a desolate place, so he wouldn't embarrass himself in front of other people that are probably way, way cooler than him.
When Frank's finally done coughing and feeling like all life has been sucked out of him he tries it again (with less coughing and wheezing this time). He feels like he's got the hang of it after a while although he's pretty sure any small chance he had with Gerard just went or flew out the window.
The gig was really fucking awesome. He was in the moshpit majority of the show. He even scored some free alcohol. It made his insides feel warm and his throat burn but he didn't care. His mind felt free and he felt happy.
Someone gripped his arm from behind and he didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
"We're finding Mikey and getting the fuck out of here, if mom finds out both of you are wasted i'm dead."
They find Mikey- more like Gerard does cause Frank can’t really focus on anything. Gerard pulls his brother off of Pete with shouting on both sides.
Mikey and Frank both sit in the back car seat laughing and giggling at each other for the dumbest shit.
When they get home Gerard shoves Mikey into his room and Gerard shoves Frank down to the basement saying that if the two boys slept together in the same room they would definitely get busted and he would have to be one to take all the heat.
Frank chucks off his jeans and shoes so that he can crawl onto Gerard’s big bed. The blankets are kind of smelly but he doesn't care because Gerard's getting into bed right next to him and all Frank wants is someone to make out and cuddle with.
"Make out with me please Gerard" He whines at Gerard's back.
"You’re drunk Frankie, go to sleep."
"Please.. just cuddle with me or something.."
Gerard sighs and turns around to face Frank. "How drunk are you?" He whispers
"Not a lot. I- I don’t know? And I don't care, just kiss me please."
His breathing kind of stops when Gerard actually does. Butterflies fly in his stomach. The kiss is innocent and closed mouth. Gerard pulls away pretty shortly though and Frank just smiles and snuggles in extra closer to Gerard.
“We’re not doing anything else until you’re eighteen or um at least sixteen so don’t get any ideas.” Gerard warns him a moment later. Frank doesn’t say anything to that because Gerard is interested in him and that’s all that matters. His teenage life is probably going to get a whole lot better now.