The Majesty of Choice

Denial

So maybe Patrick is chumming it up with the fucking Prince, and maybe Gerard is obscenely jealous at their ease of conversation. Maybe that's true. Maybe Gerard is mapping out scenarios in his head where he and Frank have to be really close together like they were when Frank toppled into him. Maybe Gerard is thinking about what it would be like to stare into Frank's eyes for minutes on end, getting lost in there. Maybe Gerard is wondering what Frank's hand would feel like in his. Maybe some of those things are true.

One thing that is definitely true is that Gerard is fuming about it. Gerard is angry with Frank's face, and how Patrick can talk to him easily, and how Hattie is in love with the guy when Gerard finds him sweet and sincere, and... charming.

Gerard almost snorts out loud at his own thought, because that's so cliché. Gerard was told the story of Prince Charming so many times as a kid, he can't actually be thinking this about the actual Prince right now. The Prince is just this nitwitted child who's been dealt and unfair hand. Gerard is pretty hypocritical thinking of him as a child when there's less than a three year age difference between them, but he's angry, and brooding so specificity doesn't seem important to him right now.

He just knows that he wants to get away from town because everyone is staring at him. Gerard's life is on display on a good day, but that's nothing to what it's like right now. Frank's fan club are nowhere to be seen, which means that, as they walk through town, no one is flocking up to them and screaming, but that doesn't mean they're not staring. Patrick and he will be the talk of the town for months after this, Gerard's sure of it. Frank is also going to diminish in popularity amongst the minds of several of these people, because he can't seriously be talking to the town fools. That is so unheard of. No one aside from immediately required people talk to Gerard or Patrick. Their own teacher barely looks their way for fear of catching the loner bug.

It's kind of ridiculous living in a town where everyone knows your name, and yet all of them think ill of it.

"You two are quick friends," Gerard mumbles as he speeds away from the owner of the apothecary, probably plotting what herbs he'd best slip into the Prince's tea to head him on the straight and narrow.

"Well, unlike some people I know, I don't hold grudges against people I've never met," Patrick replies.

"I had met him though," Gerard says.

"Yeah, yesterday," Patrick argues.

"It was a very deep discussion," Frank says.

"But he went into it already having formed an opinion of you," Patrick reminds him.

"Not exactly," Frank says, "he didn't know who I was when we met."

"And I hated you when we first met and I didn't know who you were, so that proves it."

"You didn't actually hate me. Surely you thought me a fool, but to say that your loathing runs that deep I think is farfetched to say the least."

"I was always destined to hate you I suppose."

"You admitted, you do not believe in destiny," Frank points out.

"Maybe I do when it comes to this."

"It seems like your cheap way out of admitting that you were wrong," Patrick notes.

"You seemed quite taken with me at first," Frank smiles.

"That must mean something different where you are from," Gerard says, hurrying his feet when he can see fields ahead which means they're on the outer brim of town. He doesn't know when Frank is going to have to leave, but he hopes it will be soon.