TONIGHT WE'RE GOLD

THIRTY-SEVEN

The alarm goes off at six, but Gerard is already up.

He barely slept, but being a writer, he's more than used to it. He takes the dogs outside, though he's not as patient as Frank, so they go as far as the front lawn. 'Lois, Soup! Let's go, it's cold!'

He makes breakfast for Frank before his first day back at college. Avocado toast.

The coffee's brewing and he can hear the shower upstairs.

'Good morning, handsome,' he says as Frank approaches and wraps his arm around him from behind. 'Are you ready to be a college student again?'

'Ugh, I thought I'd never have to go back after I left that last time. Remind me why I'm doing this.'

'Because you love helping people.'

'I kinda do, yeah.'

Gerard turns to him and pulls him closer. 'I think you'll change a lot of lives.'

'That's a lot of pressure on me.'

'I'm sorry, but I'm sure you will.' They sit down to eat, and Frank keeps saying that he's nervous about the whole thing, and explaining his schedule to Gerard. 'I only go three hours today, and I told Lina I'll do four hours at the center. Is that okay?'

'Why do you ask me? Of course it's okay! I love all you do for these kids!'

'What about you? You're working on something new now that you're free of deadlines?'

Gerard thought about it. 'Not really. I want some time off. Get ready for the babies. I might visit my mom. She told me she'd teach me to knit.'

'Awww! You're gonna knit for our babies? That's so adorable!'

'That's me.'

Minutes later, Frank grabs his backpack, makes sure his laptop and everything is inside, and kisses his husband goodbye. 'Love you,' he says, and then he's off.

***

The last time Frank drove to Rutgers, he was twenty-one and had a beat-up Toyota.

It's almost eighteen years later, and he's driving back to Rutgers. Now a married man, about to be a father.

He walks to the lecture, and sits in the back, ready for the class. Drugs and Human Behavior. It seemed the right course for what he wants to do. Fortunately for him, the professor focuses on the people on the front, and Frank just takes notes, adding his own comments from experience. He's actually enjoying the class.

When he's off, he drives to the center, and helps with the donations. Kaya finds him on his way out. 'Good to see you!' he says when she runs to hug him.

She's living with her sister again, but Frank reminds her that she can move in with them whenever she wants. 'I appreciate it,' she says.

'You can visit anytime, though.'

'Thank you.'

He then goes home to his husband.

***

'Have you thought of names?' Donna asks while they're both sitting in the Ways' living room. Each one of the has a ball of yarn, Donna, yellow and Gerard, green, and she's teaching him to knit hats.

'Not really. But I have a list.'

'Can I know?'

'No,' he says with a smirk. 'We don't even know their gender. But we want it to be a surprise.'

'I'm so happy for you, honey.'

'Thank you, mom. I'm happy too.' Just then, the doorbell rings, and they hear Don opening the door.

'Son, come on in,' he says. It always warms Gerard's heart to hear his parents call Frank son.

When he walks in the living room, he goes to hug Donna first, and then to kiss Gerard. 'Hi, hubby.'

'Hi, hubby.' They kiss again. 'Mom, you know I'm dating a college kid.'

'Shut up.'

They sit down to have dinner in front of the TV, but Gerard starts asking him about his first day at school. 'Not really interesting. But at least now I kinda like what I'm learning. Or at least trying to compare it with my own experience and question it.'

'There's the man I love.'

'Oh, and I saw Kaya. She looks great. And like she's about to explode.' Gerard giggles. 'I'm starting to get nervous.'

'Me too.'

Gerard tells his parents about going to LA the following month, and that he's nervous because it's going to be his public coming out. 'Are you sure about it?' Franks asks. 'I can skip it.'

'No, I think this is the perfect time. I want everyone to meet my perfect husband. I'm just nervous, like when you have big news, like a book or an album coming out and you just want to tell everyone but you have to wait.'

Frank just smiles, and kisses his cheek.

The next day, they do everything again. And the next.

At home, Frank finally brings out the topic of names, and he says he has a few, so Gerard shows him his list, and they go over it, as well as looking online for nursery furniture.

That Saturday, Frank gives his first music class at the center, and when he gets there, it's only Caleb, but before he closes the door, another ten kids have joined. He gives them the basic chords, and chord shapes, and tells them to practice those.

When he gets home, his husband is waiting in the living room, knitting a blanket for the babies. 'Look at you!' Frank says. 'Fatherhood hit you hard.'

'You think?'

'But it looks sexy on you. Now who's the dilf?'

'Well, fuck me then.'

So Frank obeys and pushes him on the couch, taking both his shirts in the process, and starting to kiss the side of his stomach, as his hand is busy undoing his pants.

Moments later, he's thrusting in and out of Gerard, making him a moaning mess and covering him with kisses.