Since When Did You Become a Romantic?

Chapter 10: I'd do You for Art

The play had advanced... slowly. Gerard and Frank are the only ones on crew and neither of them know what's going on.

"Okay," Gerard starts with his hands on his hips. He looks like someone's mom that decided to come in, complete with worn out jeans and a shirt that has butterflies on it. "Role scene!" he calls while picking up a paint brush. Halsey and Gabe stand on stage with scripts while Frank and Gerard paint the set.

"I got your film on tv. I think you owe me something," Halsey looks like a drunken sailor for no reason.

"You caused a riot!" Gabe reminds.

She steps closer. "But art."

Gabe sighs while Halsey stares blankly at him. "The things you do for art I swear to god."

Halsey uses both hands and jolts his head back towards her. "I'd do you for art."

"You can't though."

"Why's that?" she smirks back.

"Because you are art."

Gerard has the most disgusted look on his face. "CUT!" He runs to the front of the stage with a paint brush in hand. "Come on guys, where's the passion? Where's the feeling?"

"I'm feeling like a burrito right now, teach," Gabe shrugs.

Gerard sighs and thinks for a moment. Suddenly, a bad idea pops into his head. "Frank, come over here," he gestures.

Frank looks around as if there is someone else in the room.

"Come on!" Gerard looks excited and Frank has learned to be afraid of that face. He walks over reluctantly. Gerard tosses the brush on the ground and manhandles Frank into position.

The poor kids heart starts beating faster. He feels like he's about to ask the prettiest girl in middle school out.

"You be Maureen and I'll be your love." Gerard takes the scripts from the two students.

"If only," Frank whispers.

"What?"

"Nothing."

And the scene starts. Frank can feel his heart beating everywhere but his chest. What if I mess up? What if I mispronounce my own name? Gerard stands a few steps back and starts.

"I got your film on TV. You at least owe me something." He starts to slowly slink forward.

"You caused a riot," Frank nearly hits him in the face with hand gestures.

Gerard grabs onto the sides of Frank's jacket and lets his weight fall. "But art." He lets his smirk hold.

Frank knows he's turning red. "The things you do for art," he tries to act cool.

Gerard leans in real close, and as he speaks, he lets every word fall out of his mouth slower than the last. "I'd do you for art" He's so close now, Frank can feel his hot breath.

"Why's that?" he quickly gets out. Frank accidentally reads the wrong line so Gerard just goes with it.

He lets his forehead rest on Frank's. "Because you are art."

Frank can see that the script says kiss, but he doesn't know how far Gerard will go. Before he can stop himself, he's leaning in and closing his eyes. He presses his lips softly into Gerard's, but neither of them back away. Gerard lets his hands wrap around Frank's back and it's over just as quickly as it started. They pull away and Frank can only stare. He looks to the kids and then back to Gerard. Gerard doesn't look too bothered, but he also doesn't look too cool with it. Frank can't think, so he just blurts out the first thing that comes to his mind. "I'm sorry."

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Frank avoids Gerard in the halls and doesn't talk to him because communication is totally overrated and totally can't help avoid seven chapters of angst. Frank doesn't even show up to do woodshop with Gerard. That's when Geard decides to confront the little tattooed man. He corners him after school in Frank's classroom.

"Hey," he greets at the door quietly.

Frank spins around and looks immediately to the floor once his eyes hit Gerard. "Hey," he echos.

"So how have you been?" He tries to make awkward conversation.

Frank shrugs. "I've been better."

Gerard steps forward into the room, making the atmosphere in the room darken with his emo soul. "I want to talk about the other day." His voice is innocent and a little sad. Frank's heart stops. He hoped Gerard had just forgotten about it or something. "You scared me. Because I liked it. I shouldn't have. I- I-."

Frank cuts him off. "I liked it too, but we can't keep it up." He breaks his own heart.

Gerard nods and inside he's crying a little. He was about to confess his love, but I guess Frank doesn't love him. "Yeah, yeah. We can't keep it up."

"It was just an accident, right? Nothing more. Nothing less." Frank pats him on the shoulder before walking past.

Gerard turns around to watch Frank walk away physically and emotionally. "Nothing more. Nothing less."

Frank goes home that day and gets too drunk to stand. He lays around and cries about Gerard. What a loser. He feels more angry at himself than anyone else. Gerard goes home to a loving, cheating, drug dealing wife and addict brother. He cries quietly in the bathroom at midnight so no one can hear him. They are both incredibly sad people.

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