On your knees // Bandom

6. You can't be missed if you never go away.

Ryan and Gerard were lying on Ryans floor, listening to a record go around and around, slowly wearing down as music filled the air. When all Gerard friends had left school and he had decided to join his younger brothers friends instead, Ryan had immediately included him, so he owed him that much.
"I have a question," Ryan asked carefully.
"Shoot."
"Whats going on with you and Frank? You are obviously obsessed with each other. Why isn't this a thing."
"Im waiting until the Smiths concert. If he makes a move first then I will obviously accept. But he won't."
"Why are you waiting till the concert?"
"So I can get a record."
"What?"
"A bet with Mikey. He bet me a record, of our choice, that I couldn't wait till the concert."
"Thats dumb. Would you buy Frank a record to ask him to be your boyfriend?"
"Yeah,"
"Then why not buy a record to get Frank to be your boyfriend"
"Because I want a record and for Mikey to not get the satisfaction."
"For fucks sake, Gerard."
"Also to kiss a boy at his favourite bands concert I bought tickets for plus maybe giving him the record."
"Thats actually cute."
"I know right."
"Shut up."
"9 days, Ry, nine days."

~

The doorbell was a cockblock.
To be fair, Brendon had invited everyone round to watch movies but that was before he'd decided to mark Ryans neck as a celebration of the new monogamous aspect of their relationship.

The doorbell rang again and he answered it reluctantly, Mikey and Gerard were standing there, Gerard with a bulging backpack and Mikey with eyeliner on because he'd promised Pete he would.

Gerard raised an eyebrow at his appearance and reached out to tug a strand of hair. "We interrupting something?"
Brendon blushed. "Whats with the boy-scout adventure pack?"
"Boyscouts can be cute."
"And too young for you."
"17's legal."
"You'd reject poor Frankie?"
"Im pretty sure he is 17."
"Whats even in the backpack?"
"Art supplies and movies."
"I have Netflix."
"Exactly, I have Titanic, Romeo and Juliet and Magic Mike."
"You have a thing for DiCaprio?"
Mikey broke in. "Can we just go inside?"
Brendon rolled his eyes and opened the door fully.

The room was warm and sleepy and he instantly sank back into Ryans lap, Mikey commandeered the other end of their sofa and Gerard simply sat at the base of a chair, pulling out his sketchpad and colour pencils.

"What'cha drawing?" Ryan may have been genuinely interested, or just being kind, it was hard to tell.
"Im colouring Ray." Holding up a pencil drawing of the man with the 'fro, Gerard pointed to the half coloured hair.

The doorbell rang again and Mikey laughed as he answered it.
"Speak of the devil."
Ray and Patrick walked in.
"What?"
Gerard held up the pad again and Rays eyes lit up as he joined him on the floor.
"This is incredible."
"Nah." But Gerard was blushing as he denied it.

Patrick took the chair Gerard had been leaning against and hooked his legs over one arm, gay style, he started talking to Mikey about some obscure video game and everyone else quickly lost interest.

Brendon tried to go back to giving Ryan hickeys and his boyfriend complained.
"There are people now."
"So?"
"It's weird."
"Its totally not, everyone heres kinky af."
"Patrick?"
"Okay with the exception of Patrick."
"Gerard?"
"Arty boys are always into weird stuff."
"Nah."
"Definitely," Brendon raised his voice slightly. "Hey, Gee, where'd you lose your virginity?"
Gerard blushed, "Uhmm, no. You're not getting that sort of blackmail information."
"Please, Ryan thinks you're a vanilla guy."
"What if I am?"
Brendon didn't answer, just looked at him disapprovingly.
"Okay, fine, whatever, I lost my virginity at midnight on a full moon in a graveyard."
Brendon turned back to Ryan, one eyebrow raised. "Point proven."

Mikey stayed silent.

Dallon arrived next, and made eye contact with Brendon for just a second before sitting in the other armchair just out of his line of sight, he looked like he regretted coming.

Then Frank came and sank down next to Gerard, distracting him with incompetent flirting and cute compliments. They acted like a couple already deeply into their relationship despite the whole lack of actual relationship.

Finally, Pete arrived bearing chocolate, he was forgiven for his lack of punctuality because everyone likes cadburys and he sat next to Mikey, kissing him softly on the jaw and producing his rare smile that was less rare around him.

"Right," Brendon commanded the room with one word, even Gerard looked up "My parents are home at 11 so you better leave by then. Gerard has brought Magic Mike and for some unknown reason to do with Ryan bribing me we're watching it. Any questions?"
Pete put a hand up, mockingly, "What did Ry bribe you with?"
Brendon ran his thumb over Ryans neck and smiled at the way he winced.
"None of your business."

Mikey put on the movie, although he wouldn't admit this to anyone except Gerard, it was kind of his favourite film. They had watched it together too many times, as a distraction from the real world, from everything except brotherly love.

Twenty minutes later and only Mikey and Ryan were still watching. Pete and Brendon respectively had fallen asleep on them and Patrick and Ray were talking quietly.  Dallon was on his phone, probably on tumblr looking at Andrew Scott nsfw fan-fiction. Or not, who knows?

Frank had relaxed and his head was now in Gerards lap, no homo though obviously. Gerard really was trying to concentrate on Rays hair but Frank was pretty, he had his skeleton hoodie on again and eyeliner as an attempt to look punk, it didn't work.

"Hey, halloween boy." Gerard pulled one of the strings on his hood and reminded himself of the Smiths vinyl he wanted.
"Yeah?"
"Have you watched this before?"
"Too many times, my Dad likes it for some inexplicable reason and back in the time I still idolised him I watched it loads."
"And now?"
"I want to be nothing like him and its kinda ruined the movie for me."
"He's not that bad, is he?"
"Hes the sort of guy to get angry with waiters for slow service."
"How'd you think he'd react if you came out?"
"I have no idea. He wants me to be independent and to think for myself and I guess he's reasonably punk and unreligious. But he also might disown me and he holds grudges forever so I'd miss Daisy."
There was something so casual in his comment, but it was practiced casualness, like he was trying to act like it was the truth, that no dregs of the man he had built his father up to be remained. Gerard knew it was a lie, and he knew he wouldn't admit it because he wanted to be rebellious, and perhaps because he felt like he couldn't both idolise and resent his dad at the same time. Mixed emotions were simplified into hatred.
Frank shifted slightly in his lap and Gerard was tempted, so temped, to lose the bet. But he could wait seven days, he's sure.

Dallon felt like the odd one out, like everyone was paired off and he was waiting at the sidelines for someone or something to make use of him. He remembered when he and Mikey had been best friends, back when Pete and Gabe were 'forever'. That'd been fun. Gabe had been fun, too, he missed him. He had cheated on Pete though, and oh what an unforgivable high-school crime. So all connections had been cut off and he had befriended his new boyfriends friends. Who knows how long that lasted.

Gerard had been left out for a while, too, but he was far more likeable and Ray and Ryan had instantly adopted him. When Frank came along it had only secured his status as a useful part of the group. People would miss him if he left. People wouldn't miss Dallon if he left. Perhaps he should just stay home next time, avoid Brendons eyes that silently ask why he bothered to come. See if anyone noticed. Maybe half way through someone would count and realise they were one man short. Count each important friend off on their fingers and get to 9 before getting to Dallon. Then they'd shrug and

He carried on watching the movie though, praying for an accident that would let him leave and make people pay attention to it. Praying for anything except this.

An// I think I have an issue where I physically can't write happy stories. Im trying I swear.
Also 'Strawberries and Cigarettes' is now finished so go check that out? Its Frerard. Its sad. Etc. 🖤