Craigslist

Chapter Eight

“Frank!” Gerard yells and runs out of his apartment. “Frank, wait!” Gerard scurries down the stairs and trips a little. He catches himself on the railing.

Frank stops at the bottom of the stairs. “Wanna laugh some more!?”

Gerard pouts. “Frank please…”

“No. I’m glad I’m just a joke.”

“No! Let me talk! I let you.” Gerard balls his fists. “I just… I am not like that. And the fact that you think I’m some whore made me laugh.”

Frank turns red. “Coulda fooled me.”

“Oh my god!” Gerard yells. “You are so dramatic!”

“Well then goodbye Gerard!” Frank yells back and turns.

Gerard doesn’t even know Frank. Why is he fighting for him?

Because Frank noticed Gerard. Frank looked at him, talked to him.

“Frank please…” Gerard repeats.

“What is your problem!?” Frank stomps his feet and huffs. “Are you that lonely you need to fucking tie me to your bed?!”

Gerard chokes at that image. “No! I like you!”

“YOU DON’T KNOW ME!”

“Can I get to know you…?” Gerard looks down and blushes.

“Are you… asking me out?” Frank smiles.

“Uh… Yeah. Yeah.” Gerard pauses. “Will you go out with me Frank?” Gerard meets Frank’s eyes and blushes a deep crimson.

“I would love to Gerard.”

~*~*~

Gerard takes off the seventh shirt in ten minutes. He decided to not wear a tie, too formal. But Gerard thought a dress shirt would work. A nice pair of black jeans and a dress shirt.

He picks out a light blue shirt. Gerard tucks it in and stares at himself.

What is he forgetting?

Oh, eyeliner.

GUYLINER! Gerard screams in his head. He giggles as he pads over to his bathroom. Gerard holds his eye open and just puts a thin layer on, enough to make his lashes look dark, but not like a streetwalker.

Gerard shakes his head with a smile.

He is so gay.

The doorbell rings. Gerard jumps and drops his eyeliner down the sink. He curses as he jogs out of the bathroom.

The clock reads 5:13.

Frank is two minutes early.

Gerard fixes his part line twice on his way to the door. His fucking hair is always in his goddamn face and he just wants to fucking shave his fucking head because it fucki-

“Hey Frank.” Gerard says as calmly as he can, like he didn’t just lose his favorite eyeliner pencil and his hair is being a bitch today.

“Hey Gerard.” Frank smiles.

And Gerard just wants to punch himself in the face a thousand times.

Frank is wearing a pair of ripped skinny jeans and an orange shirt that says HOMOPHOBIA IS GAY. Gerard looks at his clothes and blushes. “I’m gonna go uh… change?”

Frank giggles. “You’re so gay.” Frank shakes his head. “It’s adorable.”

Gerard sighs. “Just… One sec. I’ll be right back, promise.” Then Gerard is scurrying up the stairs with a trail of dust in his wake.

Frank tip-toes into Gerard’s apartment and perches himself on the couch. He puts his ratty Converse-clad feet on the coffee table. He hums and patiently waits for Gerard to come back down.

Gerard sprints down the stairs in a huff. “I’m sorry. I thought it was fancy and I just wanna be perfect and I wanna-“

“Shut up.” Frank deadpans and stands. “You look perfect either way.” Frank eyes Gerard’s jeans and Iron Maiden top.

“Let’s go.”