frerard one shots | ✔️

day 9 ~ hugging

"Gee it's Christmas!" Frankie yelled, running up my stairs and into my room.

"Frankie it was Christmas yesterday," I pointed out and he frowned.

"Okay but I didn't get to give you your present so..."

"I didn't get to give you yours either!" I said, frowning and putting my hands on my hips.

My mum walked into the room as I said this and looked at us. "Hey Frankie, it's great to see you again. Would you guys like any snacks?"

We both shook our heads, and I added, "Momma I'm eleven. If we need any, you don't have to worry about us."

She smiled, and nodded. "If you do need something just ask, okay kiddos?"

We nodded, and she walked out, leaving us to ourselves.

"Okay Frankie, I'm gonna go first. Sit on the bed I'll be right there."

He nodded, gripping the present he had for me in his hands while I walked over to the closet, pulling the doors open and taking his out. This year I'd gotten him skeleton gloves, his favourite Batman comics in collectors editions, and a pack of David Bowie guitar picks.

I handed him a box with all three things in it, and he handed me a box as well.

"Open yours first," I insisted, and he smiled.

"Okay, fine." He tore the paper off and threw it in the recycling bin he'd gotten me among other things for Christmas the year previous.

When he opened the box, I swear I saw his eyes water. He pulled out the guitar picks first, looking st each one carefully, tracing his fingers over them through the plastic casing.

"Oh my god, Gee!" he'd squealed and I'd motioned for him to look at the other things. He took out the comics next, holding them like they were precious, turning the pages of the hardcovers delicately. "Woah!"

Next, he took out the skeleton gloves, and his eyes lit up like crazy. He put them on immediately and jumped over his gift for me to bury his face in my chest and wrap his arms around me, his tiny frame clinging to mine.

My heart had jumped into my throat and my stomach had erupted in butterflies. So I'd held him too, his tiny body against mine.

***

And three years later, I thought of that day as I came out to Frank on Christmas.

He'd come over and we'd opened presents and of course he gave me one of those magical hugs that he always did where he curled up in my lap, his arms tight around me and his face buried in my chest.

When I'd said the few words, stuttering and blushing, he'd only hugged me tighter and told me he loved me, no matter who I was. And I swear I'd caught a little grin of relief pass over his face right as I'd said the words, like he was happy that I was gay.

***

"Oh, hey don't worry about a thing, you know we love having him over!" Mrs Iero said from the door where she and my mum were still talking. Frank had already brought me to his room where we had exchanged gifts and the comics we'd just received for Christmas a few days prior. We'd always exchange for a while and read together during the last few days of winter break, and then sleep over at each other's houses.

Christmas had come and gone. Tonight was New Years, the day where both of our families got together. We always included Mikey of course, just not in our Christmas things, and today he was hanging out with his friend Pete until he had to be here anyways.

And this year was no different than any other. We were sixteen and we still did the same thing we'd been doing for the past six years or so. But now it was even more fun because recently we'd been allowed to read comics without boundaries—this meaning we could read anything—including sex, drugs, violence, all of the shit your parents try to shield you from. We had, of course been reading these already, but this year we had our parents approval, so we got good comics for Christmas.

We heard the door close and I turned away from my Deadpool comic, looking up at Frankie. He looked back up at me.

"Bored already? Why do you even like Marvel?"

"No, not bored, just... I feel disconnected. Like all the shit about women and sex... it doesn't appeal to me like I thought it would. Like—I like reading it because it's like I finally get to read better comics with my parents permission but—I guess it's because I'm gay?"

"I get it. One hundred percent," Frank said, setting his book aside and bookmarking it.

"You do?" I felt a rush in my chest as he looked at me—the same rush I'd been hiding for the past few years, and he meant in, making my cheeks go a little red.

"I think I know exactly what you're talking about, Gee."

"You do?" I repeated, dumbstruck.

Was he gay too? I mean I had my theories, but that was mostly because I liked him. I mean, he'd had two girlfriends, one of which was a long term relationship and had lasted nine months. That's fucking long for a sixteen year old who is supposedly gay.

He crawled closer to me and put his hand on my thigh. My breath hitched as I looked at him, my stomach tightening and my heart racing as he smiled up at me.

"You know how... like a few years ago you came out on Christmas?"

I nodded.

"Well I felt like it was a Christmas present," he continued. "I wanted to tell you... I'm gay too. And um... That I like you. Like... a lot."

"You—you do?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry I—"

"No! No, I like you too. Like, so much. Jesus you were the one who made me realise I was gay."

He grinned then, leaning closer to me, so I did what every reasonable teenager does in this situation and brought my hand up to his jaw, pulling him closer to me and pushing our lips together. He smiled slightly as our lips moved together and his grip on my leg didn't let up.

I let out a moan at this, and he took this as encouragement, pushing himself up onto my lap tentatively, as if he wasn't sure what to. I pulled him closer, my hands laying on his hips and he got more confident, letting his tongue slide over my bottom lip, asking for entrance. I gave it to him and his tongue easily dominated mine, moving perfectly with mine. I slowly slipped my hands further down his hips and onto his arse and even though he moaned, encouraging me, his hands came to mine and pushed them up to his hips again, slowing down our kisses so he could talk.

"I'd love to, but we're moving a little fast don't you think, sugar?"

I blushed at the nickname and couldn't help my smile. "I—yeah, you're right."

"Let's go on a few dates first, yeah?"

I grinned. "I'd love that, Frankie."