On your knees // Bandom

3. Sparks Fly

Frank liked looking at Gerard.
Frank liked completely ignoring Pythagoras's theorem in favour of studying the way Gerard's hair disobeyed any attempt at a parting line.
Frank liked to simply copy down everything that Gerard wrote instead of doing his own work and hoping that Jamia would help him cram for his exams.

Gerard liked noticing Frank stare at him, he wondered how long it would take the other boy to realise that perhaps the common 'reaching for the same thing' and 'feet accidentally touching' situations were not orchestrated by fate but by Gerard himself in an attempt to make him blush. It worked.

"Hey," Gerard nudged Franks foot with his own to get his attention "Iero,"
"Yeah?"
"I like your hoodie"
Frank blushed like only a gay could, it was the first day this year that it was cold enough to wear jumpers, so obviously had his favourite skeleton hoodie on.
"I have matching gloves, as well,"
"Halloween boy,"
"My birthdays, uh, actually on halloween, so..."
"Definitely halloween boy."
Frank laughed.

The pet name stuck.
Frank almost started to look forward to maths, greeted with Gerards smile and 'halloween boy!' 

"I think you need a nickname, too" he commented one day as Gerard opened his book.
"Yeah?"
"Mmmm hmmm"
"Okay. Make it original. Everyone calls me Gee, do something else, something that nobody else calls me"
"Something that nobody calls you......... hot."
"Okay" Gerard winked "im alright with that, you can call me any hot if you want to"
"The other day you said that the only way people could know what its like to be you is if they looking in the mirror and didn't like what they saw"
"Yeah but I'm allowed to think my face sucks, because its my fucking face, everyone else has to love it"
"Makes perfect sense"
"Yup"
Frank flipped him off

"You're coming music room at lunch, though?"
"Obviously. I have no other friends"
"We're your friends? I thought hanging out with you was a charity thing."
"Bitch."
Gerard touched his foot to Franks again, Frank had memorised the feel of it by now.
"Seriously, though. Can I draw you?"
"What?"
"I really want to draw you, you have a nice bone structure"
"Uh, yeah, sure" Frank was blushing again.
"Thanks, I might even give you fangs, halloween boy"
Frank rolled his eyes.

Gerard found him after school, and as Frank approached he noticed how nervous he seemed. Tapping on his bouncing leg, clutching his sketchpad like it held an unknown secret desperate to fly away. 
"Hey"
Frank smiled at his greeting. "Hey"
"So I drew you...."
"Ohmygod. Can I see it?"
"Yeah..... its not the best thing ever, but,"
He handed the book over, watching as Frank found the bookmarked page and studied his likeness.
"It's amazing, Gee"
"I thought we agreed I was hot not Gee"
Frank traced a finger over his penciled jawline, genuine incredulity spreading across his face. "Whoever you are this is amazing."
"Thanks. Do you want it?" Gerard was silently begging for Frank to reject the picture so he could keep it. His prayers went unanswered as Franks whole face lit up.
"Please! Also you can draw me anytime, If you want to,"
"I do want to," Gerard tore the page from his pad and Frank accepted it with a grin.
"Are you free tonight? Art boy?"
"Thats the first time thats been used in a complimentary way."
"Is that a yes?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I owe you for the picture. How does coffee sound?"
"Sounds perfect, Halloween boy."
Frank blushed.

They went to a nearby coffee shop and flirted obliviously as the autumn sun sank lower. Well, Frank was oblivious. Gerard was totally aware of the both of them helplessly falling.

~

"You can say we hooked up if you want" Pete was sitting backwards in Mikey's spinny chair. "Or, like, kissed and....... something else. Which is technically true"
"Pete, no. Thats not fair. I don't care that you don't, that you're asexual, or whatever"
"You still want a good reputation, I know you don't want to be known as a virgin. Or stay a virgin if we stay together"
"I totally do. I can recreate the four female ghostbusters vine and it would be true. People wouldn't believe I was actually an adult virgin and then, surprise!"
"What do you mean people wouldn't believe it. I bet they'd be more surprised if you weren't a virgin"
"Rude. You're meant to be nice to me, you're my boyfriend."
"And who's fault it that?"
"Gerards."
"Oh yeah, your darling brother who pretended he was dating Patrick and set us up on a double date they did not show up to, leaving us alone in an arcade with the only option to make out next to the claw machine"
"I still have the unicorn you won me"
"Cute. I love Snowball the unicorn."

Despite Mikeys flirting, It was still swimming round Petes mind. A constant loop that echoed each of his doubts and turned them into weapons against him.
"Seriously, Mikes, I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault"
Pete studied the floor dubiously.
"Come here," Mikey patted the bed and Pete obeyed, sitting next to him and meeting his eyes. "Ignore what I said, Pete, its not 'not your fault' because its not a fault at all, you're not faulty, you're perfect."
"You don't call anything perfect. I am not the person to break that rule"
"What?"
"Even the best things, you find a fault. I've never heard you call anything perfect"
"Okay. Fine. You're not perfect. Happy now?"
"I'm always happy with you."

Mikey kissed him softly, smelling of sandalwood, which is obviously the gayest scent, and chocolate. Pete decided he would definitely buy Mikeytm perfume if he brought it out.

~

The scene at the Ways house was almost picturesque, the American dream in action. Donna and Donald Way, a lovely heterosexual couple who supported the mouldy orange cheeto in charge of their country because they had been brainwashed by the government into thinking he was the best of two evils, were having scrambled eggs. Their eldest son was sleepily making coffee at the counter and his younger brother was curled up in one corner of the sofa, bowl of cereal in hand. The only wrench in the cogs was at the other end of the sofa - where Pete Wentz had taken his place as a half asleep emo ball of a person.

Gerard commented on it first. "Pete slept over then?" His parents didn't catch the raised eyebrow in Mikeys direction.
Mikey cursed the fact that he was unable to lift only one eyebrow but replied cooly nonetheless "How was your date with Frank Iero?"
Donald coughed. "Speaking of which, you have a girlfriend yet, Gerry?"
"My names Gerard. You should know that since you named me"
Donna chimed in. "Don't speak to your father like that. He was being nice."
"Sorry."
"Good, you wouldn't want your phone taken off you, now would you?"
"No. Sorry dad."
"You have any plans today, Gerard"
"I was hoping to go out? Is that ok."
"Be home by eight."
"Will do" Gerard grabbed his phone and sketchpad and left before finishing his coffee. He knew, rationally, that his parents were so much better than so many, and that he didn't actually know where he was going or have any plans. But he needed to do something. To draw something, preferably something gay.

Pete looked up as the door closed. "I should get home"
"It was lovely to have you, Pete" Donnas smile was as fake as her blonde hair but Pete grinned back at her. He touched Mikeys wrist slightly, a sort of kiss that was accepted. "See you monday?"
"I'll text you"
Their eyes met for a moment, and it wasn't so much as an eye fuck but an eye hug, something warm and protective and soft.

An//comment shit to make me smile or just leave a correction I appreciate it ly. 🖤