Stop And Stare One-shot
Frank hates high-school, has done since the first day, and probably always will. It was full of stuck-up, annoying, fake assholes. Sure, Frank didn't mind classes - like art or music, where he could sit next to one of his two or three friends - but when teachers weren't around, he was bullied, or maybe beaten the shit out of would be the right term, and Frank really did try to stop it or fight back, but he was short - standing at about 5'4" - and pretty skinny. Ray or Mikey would sometimes help, but they weren't exactly the best fighters either.
And then there was Gerard, Mikey's older brother, Frank's best friend. Gerard, being a few years older and having a mixed up schedule, wouldn't always get there when things started, but he tried, he really did. And if he got there after, he would make sure Frank was okay, fix him up and walk him to his classes for most of the week. Frank couldn't help it, he honestly couldn't, and fell for Gerard not long after they became good friends. But, of course, as all romance stories go, Frank didn't realise Gerard felt exactly the same.
"Frankie-fag!" Frank flinches, tensing as he opened his locker. "I've been looking for your little emo ass," But, as usual, he simply ignores it and shut his locker, turning to go to chemistry. "Hey, don't walk away from me!" He felt John grab his jacket, dragging him back and shoving him hard into the lockers. He fucking hated John with a passion.
"Back off, John," He mumbles, watching the crowd slowly surround them and gulps.
"Aww," John coo'es. "Is the emo faggot scared?" He grins before raising his fist, not hesitating before smacking Frank to the floor. Frank whimpers quietly, curling up into a ball to protect himself from John's continuous punches and kicks. Frank knows he'll get bored and stop soon, so he doesn't fight back this time, just lets John break and bruise him. Though, when he coughs, blood dribbling onto the floor beside him, he notices a familiar face in the crowd.
"Gerard," No-one can understand him though, or hear him, due to the blood in his mouth, and he just keeps Gerard's gaze, the whole time wondering why Gerard won't stop John. He can feel his nose bleeding, the blood slipping down sideways over his cheek and onto the floor.
John stops a little while later, taking a deep breath before spitting in Frank's hair and walking away, laughing, and the crowd slowly disperses. Frank doesn't move, it's too painful - he knows this is likely to be one of the worst beatings he's gotten - and his breaths are probably the only sound in the empty hall, along with Gerard's, who's frozen in place. Frank's hurt numbs a little as he realises Gerard should've helped him, quickly turning into anger. He groans as he sits up, slumping against the locker.
"You didn't." Frank stops to spit beside himself, clearing his mouth. "You didn't fucking stop him, you just." He shakes his head, closing his eyes. "You just watched. You could've stopped everything, Gerard, but you didn't. You just watched me get beaten, like you didn't even care."
"I care, Frank." Gerard finally mutters, gazing at the floor.
"Why didn't you fucking stop him then?" Frank shouts, glaring at Gerard. "You don't care, Gerard! If you did, none of this would've happened!" He sucks in a breath, wincing at the blaring pain.
"What was I supposed to do?" Gerard said just as loudly, moving to stand nearer to Frank.
"You were supposed to help, get him off me or atleast get a fucking teacher!" Frank could feel the tears welling up, he hated fighting with Gerard, it was rare, so when it did happen, it was bad. "You just stood there and watched him, Gee," Frank yanks himself up, hissing as his whole body pounds and screams, slowly starting to limp down the hall to the nurse. Gerard doesn't say anything, just watches him, heart sinking.
Amy, the school nurse, gasps and frowns as she checks Frank's ribs, she'd cleaned up most of the blood and tried to wash the spit from his hair, so he just sighs - just another cog in the works.
"Frank, sweetie, I think you've broken a rib or two," Amy says softly, watching his face as he groans. "I can call your mom, get her to take you to the hospital? You need an X-Ray."
"Okay, yeah, whatever, just get me out of this Hell hole," Amy just smiles sadly, leaving the room to get the receptionist to call Frank's mom. She picked him up not much later.
"Yep, that's definitely two broken," Dr Bryar states, moving his finger across the X-Ray after he'd put it over the light. Frank's mom sighs, rubbing her hand over Frank's back comfortingly. Frank shrugs her off, resting his chin on his palm in the hard, plastic, chair. "We'll keep you here for a few days, maybe a week, let them heal up and prescribe you some antibiotics," Frank's mom nods. "Mrs Iero, I need you to sign some forms, just follow me to reception, Frank you can stay here,"
A little while later Frank was in a bed, the springs digging into his back irritatingly, and his ass was cold where the hospital gown had come loose. The painkillers he'd been given were starting to work, numbing the sharp pain he got when he breathed, and making his sight hazy. He didn't realise he was so tired, and so let himself drift into a less painful slumber.
"In the car I just can't wait, to pick you up on our very first date-" Frank mumbles nonsense into the pillow, ignoring his mobile on the table beside the bed as it rang. It was probably Ray asking where he was, Frank was meant to meet him after school. He reached out, his intention to meet the hard wood of the table, instead meeting the rough feel of denim. Frank edged his eyes open, squinting in the light, before he saw someone sat beside his bed. It was Gerard.
"Your mom called me," Gerard mumbles, watching Frank intently. "I- I'm sorry, Frank,"
"Fuck off," Frank replies, but it's muffled so it comes out as "Uk of", but Gerard understands and frowns.
"Frankie, please," Frank cuts him off with an unintelligible sound, grabbing his phone from the table. Yeah, it'd been Ray who'd called him. Frank sighs, dialing Ray's number and pressing the phone to his ear.
"Frank, man, where the hell-"
"Hi Ray, yeah, I'm fine, just in hospital with two broken ribs," Frank almost snaps, and he sees Gerard flinch slightly. "John-"
"I'll fucking kill him, Frank, seriously," Ray's suddenly furious. Frank doesn't really blame him to be honest.
"Dude, calm down, he's an asshole - we get it - but there's nothing anyone can do, shit happens, y'know.." Frank glances at Gerard, who's watching him still.
"I'll hunt the fucker down, little man," Frank giggles, but stops when his ribcage aches. He smiles instead - that would do.
"I'm not little, you're just lanky," Frank shoots back, forgetting Gerard was there, and hearing everything, for a moment. "But uh, you should come see me, like now. We can devise a plan that won't work,"
"Sure," He can hear Ray's grin. "I'll bring Mikey,"
"Sweet, later, afro-boy." Frank hangs up before he can say anything back, laughing lightly to himself. Gerard narrows his eyes slightly, letting out a long breath before he stands.
"I need a cigarette." He says flatly before leaving the room. He didn't come back until Ray and Mikey left, and even then, he didn't stay very long before his mom picked him up.
Dr Bryar, - or Bob, as Frank learns - told him he needs to stay longer and Frank just carefully rolls onto his side, faced away from Bob and his mom, sighing into the pillow. Frank's mom left the room with Dr Bryar, leaving Frank to rest. Though, that meant another dream of Gerard added to his mental list. It was the fourth one that week, and it was only Tuesday.
"Frank, dude, you and my brother need to talk," Mikey says as he walks in, handing Frank a coffee and doughnut before sitting down in the large chair beside the bed. "He's being some mopey fuck 'cause of your stupid ass argument,"
Frank rolls his eyes.
"Mikey, dude, I'm not talking to him, he let me get beaten the crap out of,"
"Yeah, but c'mon," Mikey falters, unable to think of a justified reason. "Okay, fine, he should have helped you, but he didn't, okay, but we all know you like him, and he fucking said he likes you too," Frank went to interrupt, but Mikey stops him by holding up his index finger. "So, will you please just sort this.. thing the fuck out and get together?"
Frank stares at him, completely speechless. Gerard likes him back. "Bullshit." Frank says quietly, frowning when Mikey simply shook his head smugly. Frank stares at Mikey for a moment, searching his blank face for the sign of Mikey lying, waiting for him to start laughing. But he didn't. "Mikey-"
"He said earlier he should be stopping by later, so er, atleast try and figure out," Mikey gestures around aimlessly, unsure of what to say, and Frank just nods slightly, sighing as Mikey said goodbye and left.
Gerard was talking, loud admittedly, on the phone as he walks faster, almost prancing along the hospital corridors to Frank's room. He was nervous, to say the least. He'd woken up determined to make things right, and he knew exactly what to do, and he was going to do it, even if it mean risking his and Frank's friendship.
"Yeah.. okay, mom... yeah, yeah, alright.. right, yeah, bye." He sighs as he hangs up, taking a long breath before pushing the door open and stepping in. Frank peeks through his fringe, staring at Gerard for a moment too long before he quickly looks down, avoiding Gerard's gaze as he moves closer, sitting down in the chair. "Hey, Frank," Gerard says almost warily.
"Hi," Frank replies, maybe a little too chirpy, but he didn't care. Gerard likes him back. He grins at the thought, and can see Gerard giving him a 'what the fuck, man' look, but he ignores it. "Mikey came to see me earlier,"
"Yeah, I uh, heard,"
"He said you were being mopey," It wasn't a question, Frank simply states it calmly.
"You said we weren't friends,"
"I don't recall saying that," Frank's offended, he finds it hard imagining himself not being friends with Gerard. "You should get your facts right."
"Sorry for not being completely accurate, you told me to "fuck off", am I correct?" Gerard retorts moodily, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Maybe I wanted to be alone," Lies, all lies, Gerard thinks.
"Maybe you don't like me," Frank glares at him, hands fisted at his side.
"Right, yeah, sure," Frank drawls, sarcasm lining every word. "I just hung out with you since I met Mikey for no reason, right, got it,"
"You're an asshole," Gerard snaps, standing to leave. His plan was fucked.
"You're a fucking dick," Frank almost shouts, and he thinks his hands might just rip and punch everything. "And a liar!"
"Oh, fuck you, Frank, after everything, I'm a liar?"
"Yes, Gerard, you are a liar," Frank doesn't even think, his mouth just keeps going. Fucking motorboat mind. "Mikey told me that you like me," Gerard froze, staring at Frank like a deer caught in headlights. "It's true, isn't it?"
"Maybe." He mumbles, staring still.
"C'mere," Frank says softer, calmer, reaching a hand out to him, waving him over. Gerard slowly stepped forward until Frank could get the corner of his jumper and pull him closer. Gerard sat down on the side of the bed, watching Frank with wide-eyes. "Closer," They were nose to nose now, and Frank could feel Gerard's stuttering breaths on his cheek. "I've got a secret, Gee,"
"What?" Gerard was almost silent.
"I like you too." And then Frank kissed him, slow and gentle.