First Frerard Fic ever written. I hope you like.
Gerard staggers towards the door while gripping on everything he could find around him to stop from falling, once even grabbing a bush full of thorns. Basically, he feels like shit. His eyes feel heavy, his legs are drained of strength, his head is dizzy and he can't remember shit of what the hell happened tonight. Just about going to a party, drinking cups and cups of spiked punch and then laughing over stupid things along with his friends.
He curses as his right foot slips from the tiled path that leads to his front door and painfully twists, making him surge forward to the garden. He fell face flat to the grass, his pointy nose curving even more upward and arms bending awkwardly.
"Are you going to enter or are you going to lie on the porch all day until the spiders crawl on you?" Someone asks Gerard.
In response Gerard untwists his arms and uses them to help him up, flashing his middle finger in the process in the direction of his brother's voice, not once looking up. Mikey's sigh is heard and Gerard is too wasted to feel shame.
"It's five am in the morning and you can barely remember your own name. Explain how you got back here without dying." Mikey asks dryly. Gerard holds his left hand out, asking for help and Mikey rolls his eyes but takes it.
" Ray mm ought meh." Gerard mumbles, his eyes closes shut and depending on Mikey to lead him to his room.
"Tell me he wasn't stoned." Mikey mutters, because he knows Ryan doesn't drink. But he gets as high as often as he breathes.
"Dunno."
Mikey closes his eyes for a brief moment and takes a deep breath in order to not blow up on his older sibling, "All you had to check," He begins frighteningly composed, "Was if Ray was playing hide-and-seek under the couch again with Bob, Gee."
"Th'nk not." Gerard slurs and continues to bury his face in Michael's neck.
"Gerard," Mikey says with a tone that screams 'I'm-fucking-getting-tired-of-this', and Gerard hums to say he's listening as they cross up the stairs of their home, careful not to wake up their mother, "You do realize you have no shirt on, right?"
Gerard grimly opens his eyes and tilts his head as he looks down, expecting to find his black t-shirt covering his stomach but only to find pure pale skin over his body. And no wonder Gerard was freezing since Ray started driving him back.
"Where did you leave it." Mikey says, more stating that actually asking. He seems far from snapping at him but, that just about being worse, makes Gerard grimace at the silent threat in his tone. In spite of Gerard's drowsy sight he catches Mikey's glare.
"Lookit 'morrow." Gerard mumbles, stumbling for his words and the moment Mikey shoves him onto his bed, his eyes close once more and his mind shuts off.
He dreams of hazel green eyes and monkey-eating unicorns with deadly laser eyes. Gerard makes a mental note to draw one soon.
X~X~X
The next morning Gerard wakes up with a hangover that seems to want to kill him. The fact that his curtains are open don't help the matter. The sunlight that's seeping in makes him groan and flop his heavy bed covers over his head.
"I take it you drank much more that you were supposed to."
Gerard mutters something out incoherently but he figures Mikey understands because he responds with a short, "Right."
Gerard curses loudly as the covers are jerked from the top of his head and his eyes burn with light, while his head pounds.
"Fucking hell! What the fuck, Mikey!" He bellows and barely manages to glare.
Mikey rolls his eyes and holds out to him a cup of orange juice with a small capsule. "Here," He says, "This'll help."
Gerard squints up at him and manages to reach for the cup without missing. He mumbles a low and very grateful 'Thanks, Mikes' and smiles softly at him. Mikey doesn't smile back, with one grave look he leaves.
Gerard ignores his whole family for the rest of Saturday. Its isn't very much hard. Mikey is already mad at him for over-drinking once more. His father is at work. And his mother's probably smoking outside while watering the plants.
Gerard is seated in his desk and begins drawing the monkey-eating unicorns with laser eyes on his notebook, his back hunched and his eyes transfixed on the paper with the hot lamp hovering over his head. He doesn't sleep that night either.
X~X~X
Gerard groans as he feels something soft smash against his head and squints through the sunlight to see it was a pillow. He pulls his bed covers over his face and squeezes his eyes closed. Unknown hands grip the edge of the mattress and soon Gerard is tumbling to the floor.
"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," Comes Mikey's disinterested tone, "We've got class to get to."
"But it's Sunday!" Gerard complains and buries his face into the soft carpet on the floor. Mikey rolls his eyes and kicks his brother's side.
"Maybe, but we still have to go to school."
"Why." Gerard mumbles.
"Because we applied to extra classes," Mikey reminds him with a sigh, "I don't know if you remember, Gee, but you've been begging me for the past month to submit an application with you. This is our first lesson and you've got Art while I'm stuck in Music."
"I don't want to go."
"Yes, you do. I'll be eating breakfast downstairs. If you aren't ready in fifteen minutes I'm forgetting you and you're walking." Mikey leaves.
Gerard sighs at the sudden silence and doesn't bother to climb up onto the bed. Just seconds before he's back to sleep his minds floods with memories of last week and his eyes snap open.
"Shit!" He curses loudly.
He finally managed to get the information to sink into his dull head that he's got Art with Ms. Dalton. He'd hate to disappoint her by not showing up to her extra class. After all, he's her favorite student. Says he has an abnormal gift for sketching or some shit like that. He had stopped listening to her rants on his talent after her seventh time repeating the fact that he's 'a true artist' over and over again.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Gerard yells and jumps over his bed to get to his closet. He browses through his closet and throws things he doesn't want out, wondering what's appropriate to wear to school on a Sunday. It's not as if many people are going. They rather stay at home sleeping. Gerard, honestly, does too but he always likes learning a new thing or two.
"Five minutes!"
"How the fuck do you want me to get ready in five fucking minutes!" Gerard hollers back, his tone of voice frustrated.
"I warned you."
"Don't be fucking stupid, Mikey! You knew I would fucking take long to wake up!" He yells and tugs in his top drawer but it won't budge, "This little piece of shit just won't-"
"Gerard!" Mrs. Way shrieks, "Careful with your language in this house!"
"Sorry, 'ma." Gerard grumbles.
He quickly pulls his old shirt and soft pajama pants off. He shoves some baggy jeans up his legs and a black 'The Misfits' t-shirt over his head followed by a black hoodie.
"I'm leaving."
"Fuck, Mikey!" Gerard yells, "No! Mikey, wait up! Goddamn!" He shoots out of his room and as he sprints off the stairs his mother scowls at him for making too much noise. He briefly kisses her cheek and grabs a bagel before threatening Mikey to wait for him with 'or-else' reasons following after. Mikey, of course, is not scared and keeps on walking to the car.
Gerard yanks the passenger seat open and throws himself inside, his mouth full of chewed bagel. Mikey calmly climbs into the driver's seat and glances at him. He turns back the to dashboard and turns on the car.
"Miracle," Mikey deadpans, "You have no eyeliner on."
Gerard's eyes widen, he smudges his finger on his eyelids and brings it in front of his face.
Seeing no black smear on his thumb, he groans. The tip of Mikey's lips twitches.
X~X~X
"Gerard," Ms. Dalton says politely with a small smile, "Would you like to suggest the topic of our next drawing project?"
Gerard blinks and looks up. "Huh?"
"You fucking heard her." Another boy from the class -who's always grumpy-, Ryan, snaps. Gerard purses his lips and chooses to ignore Ross. Ms. Dalton is still waiting or an answer.
"Uh." He begins, "A… portrait?"
He sounds -and probably looks- stupid and he quickly begins to come up with words at random and mixing them into a sentence. Anything that comes to mind at the moment is fine.
"Of, uh, someone we don't know. Like, just stalk and use the brief features we get from that same someone from watching a few minutes. Use imagination for the details we don't get and- uh, try to make it seem like that person as much as possible?" The end of the sentence lifts up and is ends up sounding like a question. Ms. Dalton just smiles and from the corner of his eyes Gerard sees Ryan roll his eyes and go back to being a bitch (not that he ever stops, that is).
"Very good idea, Gerard! A very good one indeed!" The slim 50 year old teacher exclaims, and gives Gerard a slight grin. Ross imitates her behind her back, moving his head side to side and exaggeratedly mouthing her same words, whispering in a high voice.
Gerard glares at him, gives him the finger. Ryan just snorts and mutters under his breath, "Teacher's pet."
Gerard can never get how Ryan Ross' friends tolerate him, or how he has friends at all. Must be the fact Gabe Saporta and Bill Beckett are as obnoxious and rude as the devil himself.
Ms. Dalton proceeds to give details on the assignment, which apparently is Gerard's idea. He kind of hates himself for giving the whole master idea. He isn't exactly enthusiastic with the idea of spying on a complete stranger and having that random person's face in his notebook. But well, who's to blame?
Half an hour passes by and Gerard notices there's someone he's never seen in his life behind one of the easels, sitting on a stool. Gerard sees a flash of dark hair and a lip ring. He shrugs. Must be a new kid.
He goes back to painting a his villain he invented in Physics class with huge claws and ignores the way that one girl -Jamia is her name- stares at him from the other side of the room in that way that only says 'fuck me'.
He fucking hates her.
Gerard's a loser. Has only friends who bear his wide and unrestrained imagination. Has long greasy black hair probably only Steven Tyler could pull off. And is a fucking artsy outcast. Jamia so fucking stupid, even a fucking dim-witted person like her could (should) see he isn't worth it.
He curses his hair when it dips into his eyes and stings and settles for furiously shaking his head until if moves away. Damn him and his extensive hair. Though he wouldn't wear it in a ponytail. Hell no. His hair isn't even that long. And, it'd look so fucking weird.
Who wears it in a ponytail in this century? It's old school and even though he hates trying to look good (he never does that anyway) he at least tries to remember in what year he lives in. Then, of course, it's only in the 70's and 80's where guys could pull it all off.
Gerard realizes what he's been debating in his head and groans quietly, setting down his paintbrush from drawing the corpse at Dr. Darwin's feet. He eyes close for a brief second and he sighs loudly.
"God, I am such a girl." Gerard breathes.
"You said it." Ryan calls, eyes still on his painting.
X~X~X
"Why! It's Mikeyway and his partner in crime!" Pete yells with his arms sprayed in the air, standing up from the cafeteria table they usually sit in. Gerard scowls.
"Shut the fuck up, Peter." He snaps. Pete's grin doesn't falter, actually it gets bigger. Gerard doesn't know how that is even possible.
"Well, Gerard, I didn't know it was that part of the month!" He says with his eyebrows arched upward. Gerard flashes him the middle finger and grimaces as Pete goes to throw himself on Mikey. If there's something Gerard does not want to witness, it's his brother's love life.
It all comes up to one thing. Mikey finally accepting to go on a date with Pete. But, well, that doesn't seem to be happening soon. It's enough Gerard has to deal with Ryan Ross making gooey eyes at Gerard's friend, Brendon. It's fucking disgusting with all this love shit.
"I really need to get some new friends." He mutters, then dumps his backpack on the ground.
"I really hope that isn't meatloaf," Mikey says dryly as Ray drops his lunch tray on the table, "I'm pretty sure I saw something moving in it."
Gerard grimaces and stands up, grabs his backpack once more, and exits the cafeteria. No one acknowledges him. They are used to this behavior by now.
As Gerard walks through the hallway alone (deciding on staying in the art classroom for lunch again), head ducked down and right hand gripping on his backpack strap tightly, he feels a shoulder bump against his. He ignores it and moves to keep on walking since it's probably one of those jocks who like picking on him.
But then he hears a, "I'm so sorry!" from behind him and he turns around, confused. Not even sure if it was meant to be for him. Or maybe it was cocky sarcasm the cheerleader squad likes to use on him.
There stands the dark-haired boy from his Art class on Sunday with the lip piercing with a genuine expression of fear and apology. But as soon as he sees Gerard's face his eyes widen and he ducks his head before scurrying off without another word. Weird.
Is Gerard's face really that horrible?
Then Gerard's eyes widened as he noticed the boy's shirt because what the hell?!, "Hey, dude! Isn't that my t-shirt? Hey, kid!"
Alright, so the boy doesn't look that young to be called 'kid' but he's short as fuck so-
The dude doesn't turn around, instead jogging towards the doors faster and Gerard doesn't even get an answer on why the fuck the dude has Gerard's shirt he lost at that one party he got extremely drunk at.
Gerard sighs and decides to hunt the boy down later.
X~X~X
In English class Gerard decides Ray is weird.
Well, the giant fro on two legs has always been weird but now, even more in particular. He's barely been able to meet Gerard's eyes before quickly looking away and asking about Friday night's party. Gerard just shrugs and keeps telling him he barely remembers anything but more and more shots of alcohol invested drinks.
He doesn't mention the green eyes he keeps thinking of because, come on, what's the point?
Ray just nods and hums distractedly. Gerard catches him glancing at the t-shirt stealing dude in the back of the classroom. Mrs. Mears notices the boy is new and forces him to introduce himself to the whole class. If it weren't for the fact he is wearing Gerard's black shirt, Gerard would feel bad for him.
"Frank Iero." He says to the class, quietly but with a soft smile.
"Please, Mr. Iero, there has to be more of you than just your name." Mrs. Mears says. Frank glances at her and purses his lips.
"Uh, I'm a fan of Doom Patrol and Misfits…?" His voice makes it sound like a question.
Gerard concludes that if it weren't for the fact that Frank is wearing his shirt he'd fall in love with him right there that moment.
Fucking Doom Patrol and Misfits.
Ray grimaces and refuses to look at Gerard.
X~X~X
In Art Ms. Dalton lets her class start the project she had left for them, making them think of someone they saw in the street the day before (how is that possible?!). Gerard decides to draw the last thing he remembers before his black-out.
Ms. Dalton comments on the eyes he has so far drawn in light pencil and Ryan makes a smart ass comment on how they aren't supposed to start on facial features.
"It's not my fault you have Brendon's every fucking detail memorized and you find it easy to draw him." Gerard had snapped back. Ryan turned away but not before Gerard caught sight of his flaming cheeks.
"It's not true." Was Ryan's useless excuse, mumbled and under his breath.
Gerard saw Frank snigger from aside of Jamia.
What the hell, the kid still stole Gerard's shirt. Gerard did not stare at Frank's smile.
X~X~X
Frank's not half as bad.
At lunch Ray's talking to him on their table and Gerard walks to them, wonders what the kid's doing at their table. When Gerard asks just that. Ray tenses at the harsh words but Gerard shrugs him off. Gerard's always been like this. Why feel shocked now?
"Uh, Frank Iero, Gerard Way." Ray mutters. Gerard blinks and really, truly, wonders why Ray is acting so weird right now. Frank smiles slightly but it seems forced.
"Hi, Gerard." He says. Gerard frowns at him and gives a curt nod.
"Hey."
Later Mikey arrives with Pete pestering him (like always) and they sit down. Frank doesn't look like he's going anywhere. And Gerard promised Bob he'd stay here to eat his lunch at the table this side. He has no way out and he's containing himself from yelling at Frank to go to his house, grab the shirt that belongs to Gerard (whom he hasn't brought to school since after the incident in the hallway), and threaten him.
Then Frank, who is talking to Mikey, mentions Grant Morrison. Gerard's immediate response is turning around and "Huh?!"ing. Frank turns to him, a bit confused.
"What?" He asks. Mikey rolls his eyes and explains to Frank (after batting away Pete snooping hands) that Gerard has been trying to get to meet Grant ever since he knew he existed (which translates into a very long time). Frank's eyes widen and he turns his eyes to Gerard, the hazel green full of adoration.
Gerard immediately launches to explain that he's been a fan for a long time and has every Doom Patrol issue known to man and Frank eagerly nods and gives his opinion here an there. Interrupts when he thinks Gerard's point of view is stupid. Gerard won't even admit to himself he sort of almost falls in love with Frank already.
"No, but-"
"After he went inside-"
"I think he should have-"
"And you are wrong because Grant-"
"But in issue-"
It's sort of awesome that Mikey's brother has someone to understand him better in these type of things. Mikey finds it a bit freaky how they don't even finish their sentences but understand each other completely.
By the end Gerard is waving his arms around like crazy while explaining something and Frank is yelling at him, seeming to debate over something. Mikey rolls his eyes and grabs his backpack before standing up, seconds before the bell rings. Gerard gets up as well with Frank, never taking their eyes off each other or stopping to breath as they argue.
They walk to class together and Mikey closes his eyes and shakes his head. Aside of him, Bob grumbles something about shutting the geeks up, and Pete just looks like today is the best day of his life. Nothing new.
When Mikey looks back, he sees Gerard's jaw slack, eyes transfixed on Frank and seeming to memorize his every word Frank says and all Mikey does is sigh. Because, Yes. Gerard Way is sold.
X~X~X
The project of Art class has been going well. Gerard doesn't really know who he's painting. There just an image implanted in his brain that won't go away. When Gerard paints his eyes glaze over, eyes open but not really seeing.
His hand works alone and he doesn't stop to see what he's drawn so far. It'd ruin his inspiration. Then Mikey would pass by, stare at his painting and roll his eyes before walking away. While Gerard doesn't have a fucking idea of what he's doing, his younger brother seems to know exactly who he's drawing.
X~X~X
Ray doesn't even sit with them anymore at lunch. Doesn't even look at Gerard. Only in the hallways as they pass, nods exchanged. But sometimes Ray even pretends not to notice Gerard.
Gerard is going crazy.
He will be honest. He misses Ray, whom he's been friends with ever since the third grade when Gerard dropped a whole bottle of blue paint onto his lap. Now, Ray doesn't even seem to care about all they've been through (with Mikey, of course).
Frank is acting in guard as well. He seems to be careful with his words, much like how Ray started out before flat-out ignoring him. Frank still laughs, jokes around and curses when he loses playing a video game at Gerard's house but he's just too cautious. Gerard wants to know the real Frank.
And about their relationship, well, Gerard sort of absolutely loves Frank. They like the same movies, same books, same comics (though argue over the best superheroes), and they get the same jokes. Frank's a short little fucker, sure. But his ego's so fucking huge it's sometimes overwhelming.
The stolen t-shirt is completely forgotten. Though Frank blushed when Gerard started talking about a band t-shirt he's been trying to buy for over a month by internet before they're sold out.
"So, why'd you move here to Chicago?" Gerard asks over the staring at the pizza, trying to find the biggest piece while comparing. Frank shrugs, grabs three slices of the cheese pizza and plops them on his plate.
"My parents divorced. I came to live here with my dad." He responds with a casual shrug. Gerard hums.
"So, you know more people here besides me? 'Cause, you know, no offense Frank but you're always the fuck alone." He replies without even a glance. He finally picks the piece which seems to have the most cheese.
Frank coughs a bit and Gerard sort of has a feeling it's not because he's getting sick or a piece of pizza got caught in his throat. "I- uh- met a couple of people in a party the day I got here."
Gerard's eyes lighten up. "What party?"
Frank squirms under his gaze. "Friday."
"Awesome, dude!" Gerard yells with a grin, "You were also there?"
Frank rubs the back of his neck and after cleaning it in a napkin and swallows, not daring to look Gerard in the eye. He grabs his plate from the coffee table and takes a little bite, chewing carefully. He nods.
"Did you like it? It was kick-ass, don't you think?" Gerard continues, because he absolutely loves free booze and drugs. Frank shrugs and takes his time in chewing, swallowing with the same pace.
"For many reasons it was my best and worst day of my life." He mutters, still eyes not meeting Gerard's. Gerard ignores the fact and chooses not to comment. Instead, his eyebrows furrow and he frowns.
"Why?"
"I- uh," Frank coughs again and shifts in his spot, playing with the bread by taking the stuffy soft yellow stuff out of it and setting it aside, "Had sex with someone."
Gerard laughs and snorts. He ends with a huge grin. "Dude, dude. You got some action and yet you consider it one of your worst days ever? Was it that bad?" He laughs some more. Frank shakes his head at his now deformed pizza slice.
"It wasn't bad," Frank says gently (in that cautious tone Gerard truly fucking hates), "But I don't think that person even liked me. I woke up to be alone."
Gerard frowns. "A one-night stand? Shit, that sucks. I love the sex, but one-night stands kind of suck. That's why a friend with benefits is fucking better. No real relationship, just sex. You know? But really, Who would ever leave you?" He winks in attempt to cheer Frank up, "Frank, you're sexy as hell."
Frank smiles sadly. "Thanks… I guess."
X~X~X
That night Gerard wakes up at 3 am in the morning sweating endlessly and the white sheets sticking to his skin. Images of his dream flash across his eyes. Moans, white legs, inked hips, a scorpion tattoo on the neck he sucked on. Messed sheets, gazed eyes, loud music from what seems to be downstairs.
Gerard's breath hitches. Slowly, he gets out of bed and quietly goes down the stairs barefoot.
Frank, Frank and Gerard's stolen t-shirt, Gerard going home without a t-shirt.
He finally vaguely remembers a stoned Ray stumbling into the room where Gerard still lied next to a sleeping naked body, arm across his chest and the other person's leg around his waist. Ray yelling at him to put on his fucking jeans and boxers on to go. Gerard never putting his t-shirt on.
Leaving Frank alone.
When Gerard squints through the darkness of the living room and his eyes land on his painting, he finally focuses at the details of what he's drawn by now. As he studies the details in the dark for a long time, his eyes widen and he backs away.
Those eyes.
Gerard bites his bottom lip and lets a shaky breath out. Frank's innocent eyes and his lips curled into a smile stare back at him.
Fuck.
X~X~X
Ray's walking alone through the crowded hallway alone and he glances up to see where he's going. When he catches Gerard's eye his eyes widen and his brown curly hair move to cover view as Ray quickly turns on his heel and starts for the opposite way.
No fucking crap. Gerard's not having that shit again.
He quickly glides through the masses of people and pushes Ray against the lockers. "Now that I've got you cornered," Gerard hisses through clenched teeth as he towers over Ray, who staring back with wide eyes full of fear, "Tell me, Raymond."
Ray stands his ground.
"Yes?" He mutters, waiting for any sign of escape to appear. None come and people pass by as if they can't even see Ray being assaulted by the big emo kid everyone has been avoiding for years.
"Is it all it?" Gerard starts, whispers menacingly under his breath, "Was it because of Friday? Just because I fucked Frank and left him, your Catholic good boy side decided to stop talking to me? You fucking felt bad for what happened to Frank and avoided the molester. Is that it? Huh, Ray?"
Ray stares back, never cowering back. His fists clench at his sides and he doesn't move. Bursts of air enter and exit his nose is sharp takes, his lips slowly moving and forming a scowl. He puts his hands on Gerard's chest and pushes, sending the younger boy stumbling back.
"What, Ray?" Gerard says in response to Ray's actions again, because he's so fucking stubborn, "You got mad for something as stupid as shit? I fucked him, I left him, big deal. We've all has one-night stands. And once in our lifetime we're the ones causing it to be."
Ray clenches his jaw even tighter as Gerard spits this to his face.
"You fucked Frank, Gerard. Think about it the way I see it. Frank, the kid who still watches Spongebob and only wants connection. Don't you think your arrogance is getting a bit too far?" Ray sighed irritated and a bitter smile formed on his lips, "You can't even see stuff in any other way that isn't centered around yourself! Sex isn't always just about fucking, for some people it means something. You know why I'm his friend? I'm the only one that fucking knows it was you and he seemed devastated."
Gerard rolls his eyes. "For fucking Pete's Sake, Toro. Can you hear himself? You've gone insane. It was just sex! For the both of us. Frank and I."
Ray suddenly seems to stop being a ticking bomb to an exploding balloon. Those words seem to piss Ray off even more and he grabs the front of Gerard's shirt. His breath fans Gerard face and they glare at one another.
"It wasn't just sex to Frank, Gerard. He was a fucking virgin."