NO FUN CLUB

3

'So – how's work?' Mikey asked.

It was Monday night which meant the bar was closed and Gerard had the day off, so he and Mikey were hanging out. He even paid for the pizza this time. 'Good enough to make pizza money.'

'I guess that's good.'

'I'll pay you when I get my first paycheck,' Gerard told him, turning the TV on to play video games.

'Don't worry.' They were quiet for a while, eating and focusing on their game.

But Gerard had been meaning to ask him something since he came in. 'So you know Paco?'

Mikey paused the game to turn to his brother with a confused look. 'Who?'

'Paco – I mean, Frank.'

'Oh, yeah! Why Paco?'

'I don't know that's how everyone calls him there.' They went back to playing. The last thing Gerard wanted was his brother knowing he liked him, and he knew Mikey had a sixth sense for those things. 'How do you know him?'

'Remember when I was an intern at Eyeball Records? His band was signed with them. And then he was dating this guy who worked there, so all the bands always had shows at the bar, and we hung out there a lot.'

'Oh.'

'Why?'

'Nothing, I just –' He didn't know how to say it, but he'd been a little worried Mikey and Frank had – 'I kinda thought you and him – you know,' he said, unable to suppress the laughter.

'Ew, no!! No! Why would you say that?!'

The older Way laughed again. 'I don't know! He's kinda – I just thought – never mind.'

'Yeah, he's kind of a whore. He had that fame. But I'm not.'

'I have proof of the contraire –' Mikey stopped the game to throw a cushion at him.

'It was a long time ago, okay? I've changed my ways.'

'Yeah, right.'

Gerard kinda wanted to ask his little brother how did he do it to ask someone out or to even be noticed by others, but he didn't want to ruin the mood, so he just kept playing. Besides, it wasn't like he was going to ask Paco out. He was so out of his league, and he would never notice someone like Gerard. So he just pushed the thought aside.

Mikey fell asleep in the couch, holding a can of beer, and Gerard went to his room, though he was unable to sleep, so he drew for hours.

***

After leaving the pharmacy, Frank went home and decided to take a nap, which was interrupted by his phone ringing. 'Hmm,' he mumbled when he picked it up, without even checking who it was.

'Babe, are you busy?' Oh, Cortez. The kid from the convenience store.

'I was sleeping, but what do you want?'

'I just wanted to see if you we could, you know hang out?'

Of course he wanted to hang out. He quickly got off from bed, took a shower and got ready. Then he picked Cortez up and they went to a concert. It was a local band, and it was mostly empty. But it wasn't like they were there to see the band. They just wanted an excuse to see each other, drink, and make out.

He liked that Cortez was into the same stuff, so they listened to the same bands and read the same books and could talk about anything. And he liked being his first boyfriend, and didn't care if he had to share him with others, because he liked how Frank made him feel. He was always telling him that.

And while he enjoyed Bob and Oliver fucking the hell out of him, he liked to be the one in charge when he was with Cortez.

They made out in the bathroom stall and Cortez gave him a blowjob, before returning to the concert and kissing in the middle of the pit. And then making out in the alley behind the venue.

He spent the night at Frank's place, naked and panting in his bed.

He had to go to school the next morning, so Frank woke up an hour earlier to make coffee for him and walked him to the train station, and then to the pharmacy.

That night, it was just him and Gerard bartending, since Jamia had a thing. It was a slow night, though, just the drunk old man who was there every day, and a few other people.

'So what's your story, huh?' Frank asked.

'Nothing.' Gerard tried his best not to show he was nervous while talking to him, and he knew he was giving asshole vibes, but maybe it was for the best. He wanted to protect himself from feelings. Paco was too good to be true, and he was always nice to him. And Gerard didn't know why he was always talking to him. It was just to be nice, he reminded himself before he got too excited. 'I'm boring.'

'Don't lie. There has to be something.'

'But there's not. I work, I go home and play video games with Mikey, I read. There's really nothing interesting.'

Frank didn't believe that. 'Okay, what do you like?'

'D&D, video games, comic books.'

'So you're a nerd? That's cool.'

'Don't lie. I bet you were a jock, and made fun of people like me.'

Paco laughed. 'Me? With my height and being gay as fuck? I was being thrown in lockers!' Gerard just gave him the look. 'Besides, none of that matters. We're grown up.'

'And I'm still a nerd.'

'And I'm still short and gay.' Frank couldn't help noticing Gerard's smile when he said that.

He was also surprised by how good he was at talking to people and getting their orders. Throughout the night Gerard noticed guys flirting with Paco, and Paco flirting back. He was sure he got at least ten different phone numbers. On a slow night!

Paco counted the register as Gerard cleaned the floors, singing to the song that was playing over the speakers. Frank liked his voice but he didn't saying anything.

Soon the tall guy who was kissing him that night he came to apply to the job was there, waiting for Frank, just in time for them to turn off the lights and go through the back door.

'I guess I'll see you tomorrow then,' Gerard said, swallowing his pride as Paco kissed the tall guy in front of him.

'Are you sure you don't need a ride?' Paco asked.

'I'm sure. I got a car.'

'See you then.' And then they went on their separate ways.