Absinthe In Colour Purple *frerard*

17. Wake Me Up When It's Over

Lily was styling Gerard's hair, kneeling on a seat behind him. Nick still sat beside the flower boy and laughed every now and then. Gerard's hair was touching his shoulders, he hadn't cut them in a long time. But he was sort of pleased with how he looked.

"Nick, you tell him!!! Gee, you look pretty!"

The oldest smiled a sort of crooked smile that reminded Gerard of someone completely else and commented on his new hairstyle. Gerard didn't listen. 

The radio was blaring new disco hits and the group found it annoying, to say the least.

Lily kissed his cheek. It seemed to wake Gerard completely. He wanted to protest but couldn't bring himself to turn down Lily.

"Hey, we should have a picnic!" Lily suggested.

Nick punched her shoulder lightly and they started goofing around, hoping to put Gerard in higher spirits. 

But the flower boy or what was left of him, couldn't hear the laughter. He was blind and deaf to everything touched by the sun. He was amazed how people went about like nothing happened like he didn't just get his heart wrecked.

The cousins stopped because it's impossible to perform before such a sad crowd. And the bus drove to the side of the road to lay-by.

Gerard went to the toilet and Nick followed like a bodyguard. He waited for the younger to come back out, without Gerard ever noticing the longing glance. After he came out Nick stopped him.

"Look, there's something terribly wrong and by your behavior, I feel like it's a love drama. Whoever broke your heart, she did you wrong, but you can't pout forever. Speak or die?"

Gerard looked up into his piercing eyes, "who says it was a girl..." He pushed him away but Nick's muscles flexed. 

"Doesn't matter. So what will you choose?" Nick was decided.

The younger was surprised. He couldn't find words for a second but decided to rather let it be. 

"Nick, I can't talk about him. I can't stop thinking about him, not even for a second, please don't make me talk."

Nick's eyebrows furrowed and his face moved farther. He squeezed Gerard's shoulders and pressed him back onto the wooden surface. Suddenly, their lips were connected. Gerard's eyes popped out and in the next moment he watched as the eyes, the lips, the face zoomed back out.

"I bet that took him off your mind for a second."

The smile he gave Gerard was warm instead of a mocking smirk. It left Gerard's head filled with twice as many thoughts and half less of them included Frank. 

He didn't know yet but later he was thankful.

"Hey," he pushed him farther away. "Just because I like one male person doesn't make me a fag!"

Nick stared sadly as the angry feet carried away the soul he wanted nothing more than to admire. And the physical form it possessed.

***

Gerard felt the immense feeling of embarrassment filling up his insides. Nick pretended nothing happened, but still switched seats with Lily. He went to sleep soon.

"He was awake the whole time you know," Lily didn't face Gerard.

The boy didn't know what to say exactly. He didn't want to 'out' Nick but he felt Lily had a point. She said it with such intensity, the words stuck into his brain, taking up the whole space. 

"I don't know why," Gerard looked at her, his face reflected despair.

Lily faced him this time and shrugged her shoulders, "does it matter? Can you explain why you loved the other one?"