The school has been pretty calm since opening night. The show only had two performances and the students at Millard Fillmore's High tried to forget it. After being put in charge of the trainwreck, Ryan decided not to report Rent as an inappropriate play to the New Jersey school board. He didn't have many friends and getting Gerard fired would definitely put a damper on his friendships. So instead he just bit the bullet and let Gerard 'win'. Ryan did know about the truth behind Lindsey's baby. Telling Brendon would be the wrong thing to do but it's so tempting. Brendon, Mikey, and him all lay on the floor of Ryan's apartment. James is only five weeks old so all he does is gnaw on things. Ryan and Brendon watch while the baby gums Mikey's jaw. He just lays on the carpet and lets it happen. Looking at James, all Ryan can think about it Lindsey. The two have bonded over not being well liked but the truth is nagging. Then Mikey has to bring up the idea what will kill Ryan.
"So gang?" He starts while the baby lays half on him. "Who is up for Ikea?"
Brendon can't help but chuckle a bit. "Since when can you afford to go to Ikea?"
Mikey holds James tight against his chest to sit up. "Since Tyler."
The name sends an alarm off in the pair's head. "Wait Robert Tyler?" Ryan asks in disbelief.
He nods.
"I thought you two were," he gestures, "on shaking ground."
"We stopped fucking," Mikey clarifies. Brendon looks shocked that he said that around the baby. "I haven't smoked up with him or anything. We're just friends."
The other two exchange a look. "I don't know," Brendon says.
"We're just friends," Mikey defends.
"Friends that give each other money for furniture?" Ryan questions the motive.
He sighs. "Okay I get where you're coming from but just believe me. We're good, it's healthy, I swear."
Still sceptical Brendon asks, "so group trip to Ikea or something?"
"One problem. I can't leave the baby. Can you two shop for me and James?" Mikey replies.
There's a long pause before they finally say yes.
---
Gerard, Lindsey, Frank, Ryan, and Brendon hit Ikea. They all drove together so that no one got lost. They split into two groups, the Ways plus the fake one hit the child department while Breadbin and Sad Poetry Man go to the teen room decor. Ryan insisted that the desks had more drawers but Brendon is convinced it's because Ryan doesn't want to meet old people in the adult section.
"So what about this?" Frank gestures to a crib.
Gerard is excited when he sees how excited Frank is. "Denfinit-" He doesn't even finish the word when he receives a scowl from Lindsey. He tries to play it off. "Maybe a different one?" So the three keep walking.
At some point, Frank is holding his boyfriend's hand who is holding his wife's hand. The three feel like a line of kindergartners on the way to class, that might be because Gerard keeps informing them all when there's a turn though he's in the middle and no one is blind. A few old people look at the three confused and Frank shrugs to them. He spots something from down the aisle and breaks away to see it. Before anyone knows it, Frank is gone.
"He's probably just around the corner," Lindsey tells Gerard as he frantically searches the rows of Swedish chairs.
He doesn't even bother to look up from his search. "No, we gotta find him!"
"He's not a baby," Lindsey crosses her arms over her chest. "Though sometimes I wonder," she mutters.
"He's my baby and he's so small he could be anywhere!" He just looked under a desk as if Frank really is three years old.
YOU ARE READING
Since When Did You Become a Romantic?
Fanfictionstarted as a crackfic but got too deticated. they're teachers, gerard is married... to a woman, uh oh.
