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The distant ticking of a clock was the only thing keeping Patrick awake.
He wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting in the dull classroom with lifeless paint colours and a soul sucking teacher, but it felt like days. All he had to take was a single math class but that evolved into falling asleep, which then evolved into the teach guilt-tripping him to stay for the Valentines Day committee.
Now don't get him wrong, Patrick isn't one of those people who hate on Valentines just for the hell of it; he just doesn't think that the same pastel pink pasteboard helps spread the love. It's bright red foam letters taunt him from across the room and he sends a glare towards the board hoping that it would spontaneously combust. Much to his distaste it does not and Patrick is left glaring at the board.
It also didn't help that his girlfriend broke up with him only a week prior, but he tries to forget about that, they were destined to break apart. She would follow him home just to make sure he didn't talk to anyone else, and he would always let her check his messages on his phone. In an ironic twist of events she ended up being the one cheating on him with an even nerdier guy than himself; which is saying a lot when you take in Patricks multiple AP classes and the thick frames resting on the bridge of his nose. He was pretty heartbroken about it but he'd survive, unlike how'd he do in this committee.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by a snapping in front of his face. Luckily he managed to hold back his groan of distaste when he realized it was none other than the Iero kid. In his opinion the Iero kid didn't even deserve to be called by his first name, which was Frank. Iero was a year younger than himself but was probably ten times cooler, with a nose ring, faux-hawk, and the beginnings of his criminal. Oh, and of course he just happened to love doing committee's to avoid going to military camp. There wasn't any real reason Patrick hated him other than the fact that Iero made him the prime target for all his pranks.
"Wake up Stump, you gotta help me write all the names on the cards" Iero told him, placing his hand on his hips.
Patrick sighed and slowly stood up, brushing a wild strand of blonde out of his eyes and sending Frank his best death glare; which was rather hard to do with his still chubby cheeks and thick framed glasses. Frank didn't catch it anyways and began carefully handwriting names on every blood red envelope. He just hoped the fumes of the sharpie would kill enough brain cells that he wouldn't have to be next to Frank for any longer.
Two-hundred cards later and Patricks hand began cramping up. He had been writing name after name in complete silence, trying to ignore the presence of his arch-nemesis, but that was rather hard when he kept bumping his elbow into Patricks. Every time he felt the leather from Franks coat touch his skin it would drive him just a little bit more insane. Luckily there was only a minute or two of hell left and he could already feel his start starting to race in excitement.
As soon as the bell rang Patrick nearly jumped to his feet, winding himself in the process. While he was catching his breath he felt an arm on his shoulder and he turned to be face-to-face with Frank.
"Wanna go get some food?" Frank offered and Patrick folded his arms around himself.
"Very funny." He replied sharply before storming away.
Patrick never caught the look of disappointment that flashed across Franks eyes.
~~~~
The following day Patrick was sitting around a lunch table in the corner with his friends. Garish, red balloons decorated the room alongside banners in various shades of pink. Girls and boys were kissing each other left and right and even his friends eventually left to find their partner, leaving Patrick along at the table with his soggy spaghetti on a heart-shaped plate.
He pushed around the meatballs half-heartedly before eventually dumping the plate in the trash and returning to his spot. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted his best friend, Pete, chatting up some boy with a v-neck that was way too low. The boy was cocking out his hip and Pete was leaning ever so closer in; Patrick looked away before their lips touched. On the other side of the cafeteria he saw the familiar bouncy curls of his ex resting on some other mans shoulder, good thing that he barely ate anything or else he'd probably throw up.
Deep in observation, Patrick didn't notice the presence beside him until he turned his head and found himself, once again, face-to-face with Frank. He looked almost contemplative for a second before going back to his normal shit-eating grin and placing his tray next to Patricks empty one.
"So you don't have a special someone Patrick?" He said before shoving the slimy pasta in his mouth.
Patrick wrinkled up his nose and nodded.
"Do I look like the kind of guy to have a date?" Patrick responded not making eye-contact.
Frank pursed his lips together and furrowed his brows in some sort of look of concern. Patrick found himself staring into Franks hazel eyes and he was only aware of it when Frank glanced away, a slight flush in his cheeks. Before Patrick could ask why he was blushing, Frank promptly stood up and walked away; leaving Patrick confused and alone once again.
Sighing, Patrick swung his backpack over his shoulder and started his way towards the double-doors of the cafeteria. Since lunch wasn't officially over the plain, white hallways were still pretty much abandoned. If he was lucky, he'd be able to grab his chemistry books and get to class just before the jocks come out and beat him to a pulp. It's not easy being only a few inches over five feet and alone on Valentines Day.
By the time he reached his locker it was three minutes to the bell and he knew he was doomed. He tried his best to rush to the far chemistry lab and managed to come within sight of the wooden door when his feet suddenly weren't touching the floor any more. His grey vans swung helplessly a few inches above the floor and he craned his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of his captor. Judging from the cologne Patrick could deduce it was none other than Dallon.
Dallon is six feet of muscle and Patricks worst enemy. He never actually beat Patrick up but he always scooped him up like a rag doll and carried him around. There was nothing he despised more than being carried around, other than maybe a berry poptart.
"Good afternoon butter-tart" Dallon laughed and held the helpless Patrick over his shoulder "Did you leave me some money?"
Patrick sighed and dug into his pocket, pulling out the wad of one dollar bills.
"That's all for today?" Dallon asked, slowly lowering Patrick down.
"Yeah...sorry" Patrick squeaked then bolted away into the chem room.
The only seat that wasn't taken was the one right next to Frank. He really wished he hadn't of failed chemistry that one year or else he wouldn't have been in this situation.
Nonetheless, Patrick sat right next to Frank and started taking notes as the teacher lectured on. He could practically feel the heat from Iero's blush.
~~~~
That evening, as Patrick was walking back from school, he felt his mind wandering back to the colour of Franks eyes and the perfect pink of his blush. He couldn't help but think of the way Franks lips must feel, maybe soft or chapped. Patrick would probably ever know, why would Frank want him anyways.
Ever since he hit puberty Patrick knew he wasn't completely straight, but he wasn't gay either. He had even discussed it with his mom who seemed pretty unfazed with the situation. It's just, out of all the boys he could've fallen for he's decided it's his arch-nemesis. How could he be attracted to an annoying punk with a criminal record? There needed to be some deep analysis.
So instead of sleeping, Patrick stayed up all night coming up with reasons why he might like Frank Iero. To his surprise he came up with more than he thought he would:
1.His smile
2. His eyes
3. Personality
4. Music choice
The list continued on for almost three pages and Patrick came to the conclusion that somehow, in the past two days, he's fallen head over heels for Frank Iero. Now came the tricky part, how could he act upon it? So ,like any normal person, Patrick decided the best way to get over his big Frank crush was to ignore him. That would most certainly work.
~~~~
Ignoring Frank Iero did not work in the slightest.
The next morning, while Patrick was just starting his walk home, the clouds had decided they hate him and started pouring down heavily. In a matter of seconds he was soaked to the bone and shivering and still twenty minutes away from the school. Despite the very real chance of his books being damaged forever, he decided to keep trudging through the downpour and focusing on the path in front of him. Every now and then his brand new shoes would be stuck in a puddle of freshly formed mud and he'd stumble slightly.
Trying to distract himself from something other than his awful luck, he glanced around at the town. A bitterness rose in his mind when he saw people milling around in the soft yellow glow of their houses. Very few cars were on the street because it was still very early in the morning and most of the people who went to his school were lucky enough to have parents that didn't work night shifts. He watched as the headlights of a far away car slowly approach and it was his luck that he'd miss his footing and fall face first into the mud.
Patrick lay there, mud caking his face, in defeat for a few seconds. His ankle throbbed out angrily at him and his lunch had managed to fly everywhere. A cookie slowly went soggy in front of his eyes and Patrick knew that there was no hope saving it. Slowly he stood up, ankle still screaming in protest, and tried desperately to wipe off the mud that had accumulated on his jeans and face. That was until he felt a hand tap his shoulder.
"You aren't very observant are you?" said Frank, with his stupid soft voice and nice eyes.
Frank held an umbrella over his head and motioned back to a small black car.
"My friend is taking me to school and he offered to pick you up" Frank informed him.
It would be downright absurd to reject an offer like that so Patrick smiled softly at Frank.
"Thanks Frank" was all he said before climbing into the car.
A man with long, black hair and a welcoming smile was sitting in the drivers seat. He was wearing some jeans with mud caked around the cuffs and a shirt with some obscure band Patrick's never heard of on it. Frank sat in the seat next to this man and grinned.
"This Gerard, he goes to art school" was all Frank informed him about the stranger before they took off.
Watching the scenery go by quietly, Patrick tried his best to follow along with the conversation Frank and Gerard were having. They seemed to be bouncing from topic to topic at an alarming rate so Patrick just assumed it'd be better if he didn't butt in. Quickly, he became bored with the lifeless scenery and began picking at the stray threads on his ruined jacket.
A few more awkward minutes passed before Gerard pulled into the school parking lot. The rain was still pouring heavily and Patrick said a rushed thanks to Gerard before bolting into the building, Frank not far behind. The warmth of the school was nice in contrast to the bitter chill of the outside but it didn't make Patrick like being there. Especially since Frank was leaning right on his shoulder. Slowly, Patrick started his way to English, trying to ignore the presence of the kid.
"Hey! Can we eat lunch together today? I noticed you ate alone yesterday" Frank mentioned.
Ouch, that hurt, even the kid knew how alone Patrick was.
"I guess so" Patrick shrugged, maybe if he came off as rude the kid would leave him alone.
It didn't work though, Frank grinned and hugged him. For the few seconds they were hugging Patrick noted that he gave very good hugs.
"See you then!" Frank called and ran off to class.
~~~~
Patrick got through most of the day pretty uneventfully but he couldn't help the feeling of dread that built up in his stomach as time went on. He wasn't dreading seeing the beautiful face of Frank, he was dreading the awkward conversation. What would happen if he messed it up and ruined his chance to ever date Frank? What would he do then? He didn't have much time left to think of a plan as he entered the lunchroom.
Frank was sitting in Patrick's usual spot, a small table by the trash can. He seemed to be nervously glancing around until he met eyes with Patrick. His shirt had a hole that Patrick had never noticed right by the collar and his nails were painted black. Happily, he waved at Patrick from across the lunch room and Patrick approached him. Each step he took set him on higher alert till he sat right next to him. The delicious smell of Franks meal from home make Patricks stomach growl.
"Sounds like you're hungry, do you want some? My mom packed too much for me" He said sheepishly.
It sure looked like it, with two sandwiches and what appeared to be a bowl of soup.
"Oh..thats very kind of you." Patrick smiled softly as Frank handed him a sandwich.
Full of cured meats and delicious cheese, the sandwich was probably one of the best ones he'd ever had. Frank kept looking over at him and smiling as if he had something to say. Every now and then he'd run his tongue over his lip and blush. Patrick found it endearingly cute.
It seemed like the bell rang too soon and Patrick felt a smile drop from his face that he didn't even know was there. They stood up at almost the exact same time and Frank laughed. Suddenly, Patrick felt a pair of soft lips on his cheek and Frank bolted; leaving Patrick in a very confused state.
Quickly a feeling of happiness spread through Patricks chest, maybe his feelings were reciprocated.
~~~~
Just before the day ended Patrick went to put his backpack in the familiar grey of his locker when a little slip of paper fluttered out. Carefully, Patrick picked the paper up and unfolded it. It was a simple note that only had the instructions to meet in the bathroom after school. He studied the hand writing closely and grinned; there was only one person that chicken scratch could be from. Patrick just hoped what was waiting for him in the bathroom was good.
He casually made his way to the bathroom where he saw the familiar form of Iero. His faux-hawk looked like he'd been worrying his fingers through it and Patrick could practically feel the nervous vibes radiating off of his body.
"I saw your note" Patrick spoke up and Frank whipped around.
"How'd you guess it was from me?" Frank asked.
"Your crappy handwriting" Patrick stated and a blush creeped along Franks cheeks.
Patrick moved forward a couple of steps until he was nearly touching toes with Franks red shoes. Frank wasn't meeting his eyes, instead staring holes into Patricks chest. A question was forming on Patricks lips when they were greeted by Franks soft lips. Almost instinctively, Patrick kissed back and let his hands rest on Franks hips.
They stood there for a while, kissing in the abandoned bathroom, until Frank pulled away. His pink lips were flush and his eyes were shining.
"I didn't think that would work" Frank said breathily.
"It wouldn't have if I didn't feel the same way about you" Patrick told him with a soft grin placed upon his face.
Frank stepped forwards again and wrapped his arms around Patricks soft middle.
"Well then you wouldn't mind if I asked you to be my boyfriend?" Frank asked shyly, his voice soft and quiet.
Patrick laughed softly and squeezed Frank gently.
"I'd have to accept." Patrick said.
He hoped he could keep Franks ecstatic grin in his mind forever