The Name of the Game

Chapter 17

"So, I have a few questions, Gee Way."

Gerard looked at Frank, who was resting his head on Gerard's chest. "Shoot," he said. "It's not like I have anything to hide anymore."

Frank put a muddy hand on Gerard's chest, rubbing his suit. "That's true," he said. "First question: What is this suit made out of? I mean, holy shit, it's nice."

Gerard laughed, putting the cigarette to his lips. It was their third one that night. "It's a cashmere-silk blend. Mostly cashmere. At least, that's what the guy told me. But they killed him off a few months ago, so he was probably lying." He paused to take a drag. "It's a shame to ruin it."

Frank rolled his eyes. "Next question. How the hell did it end up being The Quiet?!"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we got the invitation on the same night as Mikey's initiation."

Gerard raised his eyebrows. "Well, I was notified that there would be some people missing, and they didn't tell me why," he said. He passed Frank the cigarette. "Maybe it was to avoid suspicion? Or some shit, who knows? But how did you know it was the night of Mikey's initiation?"

Frank's cheeks went red. "Well, I, um..."

"Frankie?" Gerard sat up. "What aren't you telling me?"

Frank pulled himself into Gerard's lap and kissed him, slow and sweet. Gerard wrapped his arms around Frank's waist as he separated their lips. "Aw, now babe," he scolded, "You can't do that every time."

"I can try."

"Please just tell me," Gerard said. He took the cigarette back gently. "I promise you, I won't get mad."

"You really promise?"

"I promise."

"That night, I felt like something weird was going on," Frank began. "And Ray was under the impression that Mikey was cheating on him for some reason. So... I followed you guys. And then I saw everything that went down. And I saw that guy die. That's when I knew for sure."

Gerard sighed. He looked at Frank for a moment, then pulled him into a tight hug. "Frankie, this is bad," he whispered, his voice shaking slightly. "And I mean real bad. If someone finds out about this-"

"Gee, don't you think I know already?" Frank asked. "And, not to alarm you or anything, but my dad has met you. If he saw you again-" Frank pulled himself out of the hug. "Fuck."

"We'll be okay," Gerard said. He pulled Frank forward and kissed him. "You said it yourself, didn't you?" Another kiss. "We can do anything."

Frank nodded. He quickly wiped away the tears brimming in his eyes. "I-I wasn't done with my questions," he said. He leaned down to take a drag from the cigarette still between Gerard's fingers.

Gerard laughed and nodded. He leaned back onto his rock. He patted his chest, inviting Frank to curl up with him once again. They had been there, lying together and smoking in the mud, for quite a while. It was probably safe to come out of their hiding spot, but they didn't really want to yet.

"What else did you want to know?" Gerard asked quietly.

"Well, Mikey's initiation was at Il Segreto. Right?"

Gerard nodded in response. "Mhm."

"How come this party was at Il Buco?"

"We went in offering the other guys a little trade," Gerard explained. He smirked, putting his lips to the cigarette. "We told them we needed the restaurant for a night, and they asked what we had for them in return. We told them we could pay, and they told us they didn't want money. Then we told them that their reward would be us letting them live. That made them give it up pretty quick."