Bandom One Shots

Cigarettes and Sunsets

    The party was lame. It was too fancy and stuffy filled with fake laughter and champagne. After about fifteen minutes Patrick ditched him to talk to Mr. So-and-So, the CEO of Whatever. Frank tried to make small talk with Mr. So-and-So's wife, but she ended up leaving him to listen to some dude (who look like a complete asshole) telling some story that wasn't even interesting. Everyone looked boring and talked about boring things and laughed at boring jokes. Frank got tired of standing by a wall real fast and escaped to the empty balcony.

    He sat on the railing and let his feet swing over the city. He watched his cigarette falling down on it. This wasn't anywhere he grew up. He knew boards over the window holes and wondering if they'd turn the electricity back on. He didn't know all white interiors and pent-houses.

    He used to get a punch in the face just for looking at the wrong guy. It only served to keep his chin held high and a sarcastic smirk on his face. There was no room for that here. No one was challenging his place, but he still didn't fit in.

    "Hey, man. You gotta stop sulking out here," Mikey said, suddenly standing next to Frank.

    "This party fucking blows."

    "I know," Mikey said. He was sipping the champagne.

    "Where's Pete?"

    "Oh, you know. Mingling."

    "Oh,"

    "Um, you mind sharing?" Mikey said, gesturing to the cigarette. Frank passed it over.

    It was quiet after that, just two men passing the rolled cancer back and forth. Mikey had always been a quiet guy (probably due to too many years of his brother talking over him), but Frank tried to remember went they two of them became too awkward to have a conversation. He couldn't find an exact date. It was a gradual thing.

    They used to be able to talk about everything from whether god was real to their latest bad grade. They used to sit up on the rooftop of the Way's corner store and watch the sunset, smoking the Menthols Gerard would give them to keep quiet about the latest trouble he got into.

    Mainly it was tagging or a hook-up, but sometimes it was the pills.

    Gerard would always tell Mikey everything.

    Mikey was a good listener. He was usually quiet when it was something important. He'd give his advice later and he'd do it softly. Even when he was disappointed, he let you know he was by your side.

    Frank remembered all those times Mikey would not saying anything about the bruises on Frank's face, he'd just power on the foundation by light of the pink and orange sky. He'd keep his face neutral if Frank wanted to tell him what happened. If he didn't, there was always school drama and Star Wars. Frank would always tell him eventually, even if it wasn't just the usual fights with the wrong guys.

    Well, Frank would tell him everything until sunsets became a Pete thing.

    Pete things were always odd. Giving each other green tea Kit Kat's at the airport. FaceTiming on at eight p.m. every Forth of July. Standing side by side for every sunset if they were in the same city.

    There was a reason for all of these little traditions, but Mikey would never tell. He'd just brush it off as too sappy for someone who wasn't in love with him.

    Frank supposed that was true, but he really didn't get it himself. He didn't have Patrick moments. Just a ring on his finger and some rough sex.

    It was nighttime already, while Frank sat and Mikey stood and they both smoked, but yet Pete still came out and wrapped his arms around Mikey's tiny waist. It was probably as high as he could reach Frank thought bitterly, knowing full well he himself had been eye level with Mikey's sternum for most of puberty. It was just another thing that made them so similar along with their stupid haircuts and pension for practical jokes.

    Frank knew people liked to say he was Pete's replacement, since Mikey grabbed Pete before Patrick could. Frank would always joke to himself Pete was Frank's replacement, but he knew it wasn't true. If Mikey wanted Frank, he'd have him. And Mikey didn't have him.

    Either way, the two of them got along, in part due to their surface level similarities and part due to the fact Pete really was a good person. He made Mikey smile, and that was such a rare thing.

    Mikey smiled then and said hi, blowing smoke into Pete's face.

    "Those are gonna kill you one day." Pete warned, but he didn't turn away.

    Mikey passed the death stick back to Frank and kissed Pete briefly.

    Pete got Mikey's lipstick on his lips. Frank got the lipstick that stained the cigarette.

    Mikey went to wipe it off of Pete's face, when his phone went off. Mikey would have ignored it, but it was Gerard's tone. Everyone else had genetic sound that came with the phone- even Pete and Frank.

    Mikey's eyebrows furrowed and in an instant Frank was on his feet and Pete had his hand on Mikey's elbow, asking what was wrong.

    "I'll tell you later." Mikey said with a fake smile, before saying goodbye and insisting Pete stay and enjoy the party. Pete looked concerned but told Mikey to drive safe and gave him another quick peck on the lips. Pete always did what Mikey told him to.

    Gerard never had. Otherwise Gerard wouldn't be dragging Mikey away to take care of him.

    Frank used to do the opposite of everything Mikey said as well. Frank would have ditched this whole fucking party and offered to drive even though Mikey probably hadn't had enough alcohol to get drunk. But Frank couldn't do that, because Mikey was talking to Pete. He hadn't said anything to Frank other "See you soon."

    It was the last time Frank or Pete saw him alive.