"Gee!" Frank whined, wrapping his arms around himself and shivering as another gust of cold wind swept over him. "Let me in already! I've been out here for 10 minutes and I'm cold!" He drew the last word out a few syllables for emphasis, his teeth beginning to chatter.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Gerard yelled back.
So Frank waited, rubbing his bare arms to try and keep the goosebumps down.
Eventually, the door swung open to reveal Gerard, eyeliner smudged around his eyes and hair dripping wet.
"Finally!" Frank exclaimed. "What the fuck took you so long?!"
"I was in the shower," said Gerard defensively. "What was I supposed to do, answer the door naked?"
Yes.
Oh my god, brain, shut up. Just shut up.
So maybe Frank liked Gerard. Just a little. No big deal. He'd managed to push the feelings aside for a few years now. As long as Gerard never found out, it would be perfectly fine.
Gerard then seemed to notice the fact that Frank was in only a t-shirt. And pants, obviously. He wasn't going to go to Gerard's house (and then school) in his fucking underwear.
"What the hell, Frank?" Gerard yelped. He grabbed his arm and yanked him inside the house. "Why aren't you wearing a jacket? It's November! You're going to get sick!"
Frank rolled his eyes, although secretly he thought Gerard's concern was adorable. "I couldn't find my leather jacket and my hoodies are all in the wash."
Gerard shook his head at him. "We both know your immune system's shit, Frankie. I don't want you to get sick."
"Well, what am I supposed to do about it?" Frank demanded.
Gerard looked thoughtful for a minute. Then he walked over to the coat rack. He hesitated before reaching out, grabbing a black hoodie and tossing it to Frank.
"Take mine," he said.
Frank caught it and his eyes widened. He turned it over in his hands, staring at it in awe. It wasn't... It couldn't be...
It was.
Holy shit.
It was THE hoodie.
Gerard had bought it a few years ago. At first, he'd been the one wearing it. But then it became THE hoodie. You know. The one a guy gives his girlfriend and she wears it all the time and then, when they break up, she gives it back in a huff. And then the guy gives it to his next girlfriend and the cycle continues. Yeah. It was THAT hoodie.
And now Gerard was telling Frank to wear it.
Granted, it had been around 7 months since any girl had worn it, but it was still THE hoodie.
Frank opened his mouth to say something, but at the last second, decided against it.
It was like playing dress-up, he reasoned with himself. A little kid could put on plastic armor and make believe they're a knight. Frank could put on Gerard's hoodie and make believe he was Gerard's boyfriend. Probably wouldn't do any harm. He did have this one nagging little uncertainty about the idea, but he decided to wear it anyway. The thing that he was worried about probably wouldn't happen, anyway. He'd kept his feelings for Gerard seperate from his friendship with Gerard for years. He was amazing at hiding it. A hoodie wouldn't change that. Probably.
And so, Frank grinned at Gerard, gave him a characteristically over-enthusiastic thanks, and giggled when Gerard rolled his eyes.
And then he pulled the hoodie on.
