On your knees // Bandom

15. Supercut

"Hey, Frankie." Patrick walked into the hall and joined Pete, Gerard and Frank standing awkwardly by the stage. Mikey had decided to just stay in the music room, figuring that his boyfriend would do just fine without his helecopting. It was the first day of rehersal and everyone performing was here, plus Ryan Seaman and Frank, for moral support.
"Hey Paddy."
"Frankie!" Patrick fake scolded. "I may have earned Frankie rights but you have not earned Paddy rights"
"Is Paddy even a thing people call you."
"Only Petes little brother."
"Awww"

From the stage, the head of Drama, Mr Ellengol, interrupted them. "If you are not in the play, please leave, or at least go to the back. If you are, come pick up a script."
There was a moment when Gerard was going to kiss Frank goodbye, but he saw the warning in Franks eyes and just smiled at him and walked off with Patrick.

Frank found himself at the back of the hall with Ryan, which was weird, because everyone had been close to Dallon, and now nobody was, but he was in the awkward place where he hadn't really got a chance to know him, and he knew nothing of his boyfriend.
"Hey," he awkwardly initiated a conversation.
"Hey, Frank, right?"
"Yeah. You not performing?"
"No. I love Shakespeare, but this isn't his best play and besides, I have stage fright."
"You love Shakespeare?"
"Yeah totally."
"Okayyy, but if this isn't his best play, what is?"
"Twelth night. And my favourite play isn't by him at all, its by Oscar Wilde."
"I've heard of him. Gay? Right?"
"As was Shakespeare."
"Shakespeare was gay?"
"Bi."
"Cool."

On stage though, things were slightly less amiable. Gabe kept trying to make eye contact with Pete, and each time was unsuccessful. Jimmy and Ray had the opposite problem, trying to act as though they didn't know each other. Lindsey didn't care enough about Ray for it to be a struggle.

They started with the infamous scene, the lighthearted courtship that kick-started a doomed romance. It wasn't the first scene, but Gerard was on thin ice as Juliet . Everyone had only just been given scripts, and were reading from the books, mapping out their progress across the stage.

There was no costumes or props, but the cast were weaving in and out of each other and the teacher had got his phone playing music. Dallon approached Gerard, trying not to break role as they acted a heterosexual couple.
"If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:" Dallon was not reading as smoothly as he should, but his posture stayed perfectly in character. "My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."
Gerard pursed his lips, trying to take him seriously. But when he spoke, he barely looked at his book. He simply raised one eyebrow, like he was interested and flattered but also found him ridiculous. "Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."
"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?"
They were almost in character now, and Frank and Ryan had stopped talking, and were just watching them.
"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer." Gerard was clearly enjoying himself.
"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."
"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."
"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged."
"Then have my lips the sin that they have took."
"Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again."

Dallon had to look down for that line, but he managed to turn it into Romeos mannerisms and leaned up in as though to kiss Gerard. Gerard in return broke role, and ran his hand through his hair. "You may kiss by the book but it is not one I want to read."
Dallon laughed.

"Well," Me Ellengol spoke up. "I think we did actually make the right casting decision."
Frank started to clap from the back of the hall, and Ryan joined in, the teacher sighed at them, and then sighed again as they came up to the stage.
"Boys...."
"Sorry sir, it was just so good."
"It was adequate for a first try."
Frank rolled his eyes.

"Can we do a read through of the whole play? Start the beginning and see how far we get?" Me Ellengol asked.
The cast provided.

~

"You were incredible." Frank assured his boyfriend.
"You're biased."
They were on their way to Gerards, which was definitely a milestone, because for the amount of time Gerard spent at Franks, Frank had never been round to his. Pete stayed over all the time, and his parents suspected nothing, so it shouldn't be a big deal. But it was.

Mikey was walking a few steps ahead of them, his headphones firmly in his ears.
"Are you gonna tell me that they'll love me?" Frank asked. "Because that would be a lie."
"Yeah it would," Gerard admitted. "You have a lip piercing, for fucks sake."
"Yeah but its hot."
"Yeah it is."
They were just around the corner and in the last spot where Gerards parents couldn't see them, so he took full advantage of that and pushed Frank gently against a wall. Frank rightly took this as asking for a kiss, so he leaned in, Gerard smiled against his lips.
"C'mon," Frank said as he pulled away. "Face the music."
"Y'know," Gerard attempted to change the subject. "The lip ring is really hot, but I am always scared when im kissing you that im gonna hurt you."
Frank smiled. "Yeah its called protection."
Gerard closed his eyes for a second, holding in his reaction. "So if you take it out. It is an invitation, of sorts."
Frank rolled his eyes and started walking away, partly because they needed to go to Gerards rather then kiss in alleyways, partly because Gerard was right and he didn't want to admit it.

As soon as they got into the house, Frank noticed a difference in both Gerard and Mikey, Gerard was more closed off, on the defensive. Mikey was nervous, worried, scared things were going to blow.
"This is Frank." Gerard introduced.
"Nice to meet you," his mum seemed nice, all bottle blond and an clean apron.
"Nice to meet you, too."
"Do you like pie?"
"Uhhh," Frank looked towards his boyfriend for an answer, but getting none just swallowed. "Yeah but I'm actually a vegetarian."
"Sorry," Gerard mumbled. His mum shot him a 'we'll talk about this later' look.
"Well," she was back to smiles. "I also have new potatoes and carrots and I think a cheese and onion quiche somewhere. So if you boys don't mind waiting we can sort something out."
"Its fine, thanks mum."
"What about Frank."
"I'm fine, thanks Mrs Way."
"No problem." She didn't ask to be called Donna.
They went upstairs.

"I'm sorry she's like that," Gerard fidgeted
with his hands as he apologised for poor manners only he was aware of.
"It's fine," Frank replied. "I wouldn't have even noticed it if not for you and Mikey."
"Me and Mikey stayed quiet?"
"Body language."
"What?"
"I wouldn't have noticed anything but you both looked like you were ready to stab someone and flinched when she was even slightly rude."
"I'm sorry,"
Frank moved over to where he was sitting. "Not your fault.".
"I should have.."
"Shut up."
Gerard grinned. "Make me."

Dinner was suitably awkward, but Frank understood that it was by no means his fault, that their family may look like a perfect realisation of the American Dream, but it was really a catastrophe. It wasn't terrible, but he understood Gerards need to get out.

An// pros of life: my hair looked decent today.
Cons of life: literally everything else.
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