Father? (Frerard)

Fifteen - the best life

The process of getting a divorce really went well since we agreed on everything pretty quickly. Jamia went to live with her parents and that left me and Gerard in the huge house, that suddenly felt so empty. Jamia also took some of the furniture that we had purchased together, which also included the bed that used to be in our bedroom.

It was maybe for the better, I wouldn't feel comfortable sleeping with Gerard in the bed Jamia used to sleep in. We bought a new bed and turned the upstairs rooms into our atelier and my old study into a guest room. Everything was fine after all. We met up with Jamia regularly for dinner or lunch and she had stopped by our house a few times, not only to pick up some of her things she left in the basement.

Living with Gerard was great. We still talked about stars and other things in the backyard but after that, we went to bed together. Sometimes we would start making out outside and end up having sex on the couch. About a month into living together we finally got to me being a bottom and ever since we would switch multiple times during our sessions.

I visited Gerard at work a few times. I watched him talk to his students about art, just like he talked to me, only after he would kiss me and maybe more. I got to try and draw a naked woman, that same model he has told me so much about. As I was trying to concentrate on getting her proportions right, he came up behind me, telling his students something about the curves of a human body.

Luckily I was at the back of the class so no one would see because as he was talking he slid his hands up my shirt and stroked my skin. When he said what he wanted to he kissed my neck and I was ready to go all of a sudden. I gripped the charcoal when his hands got to my navel and if there weren't other people I would pin him against something hard and have my way with him.

"Focus, Mr. Iero." The way he purred my name in my ear made my knees go weak and I counted seconds until the end of the lesson.

Gerard's students finally left and we could be alone. We undressed each other and Gerard pushed me back first onto the stand his model was sitting on before. It felt so artistic having sex in an art classroom. When our moment of passion was long gone, Gerard told me to stay on the stand with one leg bent at the knee, propped on elbows and head thrown back to expose the neck. He quickly sketched me and when he showed me I got the most brilliant idea.

I took a set of black and white photos with him, playing a beautiful game with light and shade, I developed some of them and some I got printed out on a big paper. I asked Gerard if he could draw me around him in the photos and the result was even better than what I had imagined it to be. I thought about having one of those pieces in the living room, but I didn't want to make Jamia or other guests uncomfortable, so we hung one in the bedroom and the rest in our atelier.

Everyone who knew me could just tell that I was the happiest man. Being with Gerard had changed me a little bit, and I let myself loosen up. Being a young father didn't really allow you to go clubbing or do ridiculous things like drive a four-wheeler on a field (which Gerard's friend let us do for a few hours).

I felt myself grow a little younger and I got to try things I never thought I might really enjoy. Paintball, skydiving, driving a water scooter – Gerard made me try it and I hella liked it. Thanks to Gerard I also got to sell some of my photos. He knew people who knew people who might like my photos and they did and they paid quite well.

He took me to some gay clubs as well, which never really interested me before. It was your regular club, with drunk people, loud music and flashing lights, only here everyone was just themselves - guys in skirts, girls kissing girls, two guys dancing together, non-binary people wearing whatever the hell they wanted and the bartenders called you really sweet names.

"Hey, what do you want to drink?" Gerard asked me when we arrived there.

"Uhh, I don't know, a beer?" I shrugged and a man in a pink wig behind the bar clicked his tongue and started shaking his head.

"No, no no no, unacceptable, henny, you must be new here. We don't do beer, no, not for a pretty face like this." He snapped his fingers and turned away momentarily to return with a baby blue drink. "Here, on the house, sweet pea." He winked at me.

"Thank you." I smiled widely and took a sip. "Damn, that's good." I widened my eyes and sipped some more.

"That's what he said. You're welcome." And with that, he disappeared. Gerard smiled at me and I was oh so glad he brought me there.

"Let me have a taste." He said while I still had a straw in my mouth. I wanted to let him take a sip of his own, but he just had to be extra gay. Before I could swallow the mouthful, his tongue was in my mouth and we were making out in the middle of the dance floor.

We swayed to the beat with mouths still attached and I accidentally bumped into someone. When I turned around to apologize I was very surprised to see none other than my lawyer.

"Kevin?" I asked stunned.

"Frank! Hey, wouldn't really expect to meet you here." He laughed and went to hug me.

"Yeah, same." I laughed with him. "Oh, this is Gerard, my boyfriend." I said proudly. They shook hands and after that, we parted ways again and promised to meet up sometime.

"You know what?" I turned to Gerard once we exited the club.

"What?" He asked and kissed me for the umpteenth time that night.

"I wanna get a tattoo." I said carelessly.

"Are you sure? That shit is permanent you know." He laughed at my apparently stupid idea.

"I know. Let's go."

I was surprised that I didn't get an infection or something from that shady tattoo parlor, the only one open 24/7 and taking without an appointment, but I did get the tattoo. Gerard confessed he was terrified of needles and that he can only help me pick a motive. We both agreed that a pumpkin would be great since I was born on Halloween.

"You're gonna regret that." He laughed at me once again.

"No, I won't." And I was right. By the time I was 50 I had a complete sleeve and I probably didn't have free skin on the back.

We lived like that – free and enjoying every day – for about half a year. Everything was getting better and my life was right where it was supposed to be. Waking up every morning next to a man still felt strange but I loved him and nothing and no one could change that. So when I almost thought our lives were settled and that would be how it would stay until I die, I got a very confusing text message.

I got up one morning to make myself and Gerard some breakfast. I sipped on my coffee while waiting for the toasts to be ready when I received a message from my daughter whom I haven't seen in over 7 months by that point. Gerard came rushing to the kitchen when he heard my mug hit the floor and break into million pieces.

'you have become a grandfather'