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Frank let out an excited squeal as the clock on the wall behind him struck two, as that meant that his shift at the music shop was over. He still didn't understand who would want to buy music on December 31, and wasn't surprised when no one walked through the two doors at the front.
He quickly threw his backpack over his shoulder and grabbed the keys to the store and, having already closed up the shop, darted out the door and down the sidewalk. Frank wanted to get home in order to call Gerard as quickly as possible, as their New Years plans were still a topic of discussion. Since the beginning of Gerard's tour, the time differences had caused hell for the two and their social lives with each other, and Frank was tired of it. However, Gee would be back in about three weeks, so Frank was willing to wait. As Frank rounded the corner of the building and ran into the parking lot, he spotted his car and made a dash for it.
Once he reached the car and unlocked it, Frank practically threw himself into the driver's seat and started up the car, taking his phone out of his bag and immediately phoning Gerard. As Frank buckled up and shut his door, the line rang a few times, before a very raspy-voiced Gerard asked, "Hello?"
Frank replied with an excited noise of sorts, which caused his boyfriend to fall into peals of laughter. "You fucking weirdo," Gerard commented, and Frank pulled the car into reverse. "But you still love me," he pointed out as he pulled out of the parking space.
Gerard made a sarcastic noise of uncertainty, to which Frank replied, "Ha. Ha. Ha. Anyways, what time are we gonna call it New Years? Because you're kinda in Washington and I'm in New Jersey, so there's a bit of a difference." Gerard groaned obnoxiously and asked, "Do we really have to have this conversation again? We both hung up angry last time, and I don't wanna be angry. It's like a three hour time difference so yeah. But why do you care so much anyways? It's just New Years. And I'm sorry that I can't be there, but you know that–"
"This was too good to pass up, I know," Frank finished with a sigh, turning into traffic and waiting behind a small red car for the light to turn green, "But it's important to me because that was the day you told me you loved me. Sure you were a little stoned, but it made me so happy. Even if you weren't in your right mind. You told me you loved me." Gerard opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. Frank stole this moment to press the issue. "So which time then?" he asked quickly, and Gerard screamed internally.
Frank was being patient with Gerard, but it was hard when Gee wouldn't fully grasp the concept of someone announcing their love for another as being a huge thing. "I. Don't. Know," Gee replied, "I'd like it to be here, because why would I celebrate New Years at nine o' clock?" Frank scoffed and said, "But I don't want to stay up until three in order to wait for you to celebrate it. That's stupid."
The he light turned green, and Frank drove forward and towards the housing complex on the outskirts of the city.
"True, but still. Why do we even have to do it at midnight?" Gerard asked, shifting his cigarette to the other side of his mouth. Frank knew that he was smoking by the way he was talking, which sounds creepy, but it's actually very endearing. "Dunno, but I miss smoking with you," Frank sighed, glancing at himself in the mirror of the car. He was a wreck. There were dark bags under his eyes, and his stubble was becoming a bit out-of-control. His hair stuck up in all the wrong places, and he just looked like the embodiment of drugs and alcohol abuse.
He hadn't been abusing alcohol, though he had gotten incredibly drunk each night of the past week. Thinking about it sickened him, as he had promised Gerard that he'd get over his drinking issues if Gerard did as well. That was a promise that he was willing to keep, though Gerard being gone took pieces of him. Hope. Faith. Love. He became a cold person, hardly talking to his family and friends. He didn't even bother to cancel on people, but just didn't show up.
"Frank, you there?" Gerard asked suddenly, and Frank snapped out of his thoughts. "Y-Yeah, sorry babe," Frank apologized, rubbing at his eyes and focusing on the road. "I know something's wrong, Frankie. I can hear it in your voice," Gee said quietly, and Frank began to cry. Not even a gently, pretty cry. He was all broken sobs and snot within a minute, so he pulled off onto the sidewalk to avoid getting into a wreck. On the other end, Gerard bit back a sob as well. He was missing Frank just as much as Frank missed him. No one here was there for him like Frank was. No one made those promises like Frank did. These people weren't Frank.
"I... I broke my promise," Frank choked out, hitting his head against the steering wheel, "I drank. I've been drinking every night. And for the past week, I've been getting drunk as fuck. Gee, I'm sorry, please just... I won't do it again, please! Just don't do anything stupid. I m-miss you, Gerard, goddamnit." Frank tried to calm his breathing in order to hear Gerard, who was aggressively wiping away his own tears.
Frank wiped his eyes on his shirt and sighed shakily, still wracking with dry sobs occasionally. "Sorry," he whispered. But Gerard shook his head. "No, baby, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come on this tour, I should've just... You're more important than this and I miss you. I need you and when you needed me most, I'm off singing and shit. You're more important than that..." he replied consolingly, wiping his hand on his pant leg. Frank let out a tearful chuckle and nodded to himself. "I wanna come home," Gerard finished.
"Then come home. After tonight, when we're not fighting about New Years. Speaking of–"
"Your time. I'll call at your time New Years, okay?" Gerard agreed, and Frank smiled wide. Suddenly, in some odd way, an immense amount of pressure and emptiness was lifted from his shoulders, and he let out a free sigh.
It was going to be okay, with or without Gerard.
-
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"HAPPY NEW YEARS!" the two chimed over a video call, laughing and cheering as cheers were heard in Frank's background. Gerard clapped his hands and Frank pumped his fist, downing the last bit of his hot cocoa. "Just imagine Gee, it's been three years since you kissed me on that fateful New Years," Frank joked, and Gerard smiled.
"I love you, you weirdo. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, ever," Gee said quietly, blowing his boyfriend a kiss.
Separated by the span of a country, the two felt as though in that moment, that couldn't have been closer.