wink | frerard | ✔️

eleven - the wedding reception

"Hey," I heard an all-too-familiar voice say from behind me, and as much as I wanted to ignore it, it made my heart fucking ache and my stomach drop to the floor.

"Hi," I said, turning around. I was outside the venue, but the giant glass doors behind it made sure I was visible. I wasn't ditching, I was just escaping for a while. Besides, the garden here was fucking gorgeous.

Gerard sat down on the bench next to me.

"So, what's new?" I asked. He shrugged. "Find a girlfriend?"

"I'm gay."

"I know." Silence. "Find a boyfriend?"

"Yeah, but... it didn't work out. He looked too much like you," Gerard admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

I scoffed. "Damn."

"How about you? You and Ray still together?"

"Nah, but what we had was good. We just both kind of fell out of love."

Gerard nodded. 

"Hey, Gee, I was thinking about how rude I was when I left that cafe, and if you'd still like to be friends, I'd be willing to give it a shot."

"Really?" he said. His voice wasn't hopeful. He looked like he was ready for rejection. 

"Really. I'd love to catch up. I was a real bitch last time."

"Would you like to have some coffee at mine? Everything is closed by now since it's almost ten."

"That sounds great," I smiled. "Wedding ends at ten anyways."

I got up, and he got up too, following me awkwardly. "Where are you going?"

"To say bye to Lindsey and Mia. You're coming with me, right?"

"I mean, we're going to my flat, so yeah," he laughed awkwardly, and I felt my cheeks burning up as I turned away from him, walking towards where everyone was saying their goodbyes. When Lindsey and Jamia see us walking together, Lindsey's eyes lit up and Jamia looked concerned. 

"Is everything alright?" Jamia was the first to speak. 

"Yeah," Gerard replied from behind me and suddenly I was aching to feel his arm slip around my waist protectively again. But he didn't do that. "We're just gonna go to my flat and catch up. Y'know, maybe be friends again."

I nodded, then turned to the girls again. "Thanks so much for inviting me. I had a great time. I'm so proud of you guys."

They wrapped me in a hug and we whispered 'I love you.' After Gerard hugged them too, we headed out. 

"You need a ride?" Gerard asked, and I shook my head. 

"Drove here. But I'll follow your car."

The drive to his house was very peaceful and I was grateful to be driving alone because it gave me time to think about things. 

Yeah, I was still very attracted to Gerard. I didn't know whether I still loved him or not, but I wanted him. God, I wanted him so bad. I wanted back what we'd had all that time ago and I wanted it so bad that sometimes it hurt, but I knew that for the sake of being friends again like he'd said, I needed to keep those thoughts to myself. 

I needed to get over him for real.

We pulled up in a parking lot for a small apartment building and when we got out, he smiled at me, leading me to the door. He buzzed himself in and opened the door for me, and then we stood silently in an elevator for a good thirty seconds. We got out and he opened the door to his flat, and as soon as we got inside, it felt like home.