Beta: xxtokidokixx

A/N: hello, gerard! finally. he had a short, very short, appearance in chapter two, but I don't think anyone noticed/I did a poor job making it obvious enough.
plus, you can also now find 'update news' on my profile.


Chapter 4 – Future Pays A Visit

Monday came and Mikey had survived the weekend without his girlfriend. Frank without Brian.

While Mikey was talking on the phone, Frank mindlessly drew invisible doodles on the counter with his finger tip. His coffee break had just started, and as he munched away on one of the sandwiches Alicia had brought by this morning, he wondered what Mikey would decide on by the end of the week. Would he be able to stay? He thought it looked good, but wasn't willing to expect anything. Practical habit. But. This uncertainty; he could feel it in his gut.

He was also still pissed at Quinn, because… yeah – it seemed too good to be true. Where was the catch? He was pissed at Quinn for putting these thoughts in his mind. There was no catch. He had to work more and still got less money than him. And now Quinn had to work double shift because Adam thought this was the way to let out his anger over Frank's departure. Fuck him. Frank couldn't even help his friend out.

By the time he had eaten his second sandwich, Frank's mood was in the basement. He left the store to light himself a cigarette. A couple of minutes and yet another smoke later, Mikey appeared outside, joining him.

They stood in silence for a moment. Frank thought the other looked as if he was either trying to find something sensible to say or was very interested in Frank's shoes.

"I wasn't sure about the name at first," Mikey suddenly said and Frank glanced up to follow his gaze. His eyes landed on the letters above the store.

"Did you come up with that?" Frank interrupted, and Mikey put his hands in his pockets, admiring his store.

"Yeah. The resemblance, you know? It fits."

Frank inhaled the nicotine deeply, and found it to be the wrong moment. He managed to keep back a coughing fit though and carefully studied Mikey's face. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Mikey nodded down the streets, as he pushed his glasses up his nose, "There's streetwalkers around the corners here."

Frank's hands started to sweat and, feeling horror-struck but trying to look nonchalant, he thought back to the countless of times he had been in the store. He couldn't remember for his life if he had looked suspicious or if Mikey had sent him a knowing look, whatever that might be. He settled with the more calming version – that Mikey had no clue about who he was- had been - because otherwise he wouldn't stand here, working here.

When Mikey started laughing and telling Frank about some ridiculous fight he once witnessed just outside his store, Frank found it helped a little on that decision. He didn't seem to have been caught. On what? Frank thought with a shake of his head, getting annoyed with himself.

"Coffee break's over now. If you don't follow me inside, I'll have to fire you," Mikey told him a moment later, already on his way towards the door.

Frank nodded, and flipped his cigarette down the kerb. "You can't fire me, I'm not working here," he reminded him cheekily. Then he looked up, and at the smug grin of Mikey, Frank froze in his movements. Wait…

"Hurry up. I'm gonna show you how to order books and stuff from my-" Mikey stood by the door, holding it up, and not showing his amusement about Frank's mouth hanging open in the slightest, when Frank shook his head, waving his hand, trying to make Mikey stop and fast forward.

"What?"

Frank opened his mouth again, not sure how to formulate the question without having it sound like he was going to hit the other any second because of his impatience.

"Frank?"

"What the—" Frank stopped himself from yelling at the boy in front of him.

"It's—You have the job, if that's what you're trying to ask. Like, I really need some help and you're cool, so—"

"Dude, seriously?" Frank took a breath, trying to register if his heart was still beating.

"What? Yeah! You still want it, right?" Mikey asked, suddenly looking as if he didn't know if he had missed something.

"Well—fuck, yeah!" Suddenly it was as if all these many negative, tense feelings that have been rummaging through his body and mind were blown away and Frank couldn't stop smiling.

Mikey laughed and seemed relieved at this reaction and waved for Frank to start moving. Frank knew he was grinning like an idiot as he followed Mikey to the counter and computer. He thought he should somehow tell him that he was thankful for the chance – his probation wasn't even over yet – and started blurting out his thoughts. "I totally appreciate you giving me the job already and all, 'cause I really need the money—" Dude. "Ah, like I should tell you that now. Ok." Stop the friggin babbling. "Thanks, man."

"Sure. You've done fine here and we get on. Besides that, you've been in my store every week before now. Dedication." Mikey had started grinning slightly as he continued, "You pick the interesting stuff from the shelves. Not that I have uninteresting things," he mumbled, as his eyes were fixed in the screen in front of them. "Alright, so that's settled. Tomorrow… you're gonna start officially. Hey, awesome. Tell me that you're happy, Frank."

Frank grinned at this and shook his head. "Oh, I'm happy. Comics around me all day and my boss as my stalker. What else could I possibly want?"

"Coffee."

"That." Frank nodded seriously and Mikey furrowed his eyebrows, letting them have a silent moment while thinking of the drug.

Frank felt high the rest of the day. And celebrated with Quinn in the evening, after Mikey had shown him all the secrets on the computer for him to keep the store working. They went to a bar, meeting up with Brian and his – that night – pissed off partner Pete. The boy was sulking in a corner instead of ruining their evening. Frank didn't mention the pen-accident; he was sure Pete hadn't even noticed him in the store.

When Quinn had to leave for work, Pete disappeared too, and Frank stayed with Brian for another two hours.

When Frank woke up the next morning, he thanked himself mentally for not having drank too much last night. He smiled and sighed consented, as he stretched.

Then he opened his eyes.

"Shit! Fuckshit!" he cursed, as he realized where he was (Brian's couch) and what the time was (20 minutes until he needed to be at the store). Now, too late, he found it to be a stupid timing for staying overnight, as he needed more time to get to the store from this point of the city. He ran to the bathroom, splashed some water on his face and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. When his eyes met the mirror, he noticed that his bruises were finally fading.

"Why don't you just relax? It's early, I'm gonna drive you, now get outta here, I need to piss." He suddenly heard Brian's slurred, still sleep filled voice behind him and let his eyes slide away from the view of his skin to watch the other through the mirror.

He was standing in the doorway, yawning sleepily and scratching lazily at the waistband of his boxers as he waited. Finally he stretched and rubbed his neck, while blinking back into the mirror.

"Frank. Piss," he repeated, raising an eyebrow, when Frank didn't get out of the bathroom.

"Oh, right. Right." Frank finally turned and walked outside, checking his clothes' ability to last another day of work.

He borrowed a shirt from Brian.

Ten minutes later, they were sitting in the coffee shop near the Comic store and enjoying their first coffee of the day. Both were looking scruffy due to the lack of time getting ready, and Frank refused to take off his sunglasses, shielding him from any unwanted light - he hoped he would get used to this time of day sooner than later.

"See. Plenty of time left."

Frank smirked at him, before checking his watch. "Five minutes."

"Exactly," Brian nodded, taking another sip and narrowed his eyes to study the board by the counter for something to eat.

Frank watched him unnoticed for a little while, lighting himself a cigarette as he observed the other.

Again he felt his stomach reacting positively to the company, but he knew very well this were only remains of their past exclusiveness. He probably only still kind of loved him, in a way. A deep friendship kind of way. Similar to his and Quinn's, even though it was probably impossible to compare.

"Fuck," Frank suddenly mumbled after another glance at his watch. "Gotta go."

In the early afternoon, Alicia visited them in the store again and Frank greeted her quickly before heading for the back – and another cardboard box waiting for him.

When Frank emerged from the backroom five minutes later again, because he had forgotten his check list, a guy in dark clothes had joined the lovebirds by the counter. His face was hidden behind shades and the shadow of his hoodie which was hanging into his forehead. But he noticed Frank's presence all right, as he raised his head in Frank's direction when he had appeared in the store again.

Mikey was still chatting with Alicia and the stranger, and Frank used the moment of his boss' unawareness and went over to the shelves, hiding (but preparing to pretend to be very busy there). He felt uncomfortable not knowing whether he was being watched or not. Why was he fucking wearing shades inside?

A few minutes later though, he could finally hear them say their goodbyes. Just when Frank had felt it to become too ridiculous to hide. He coolly passed the shelves and walked out in the open store and just managed to see Alicia tug her arm into the strangers, with whom she then walked outside and disappeared around the corner.

Then Mikey caught sight of Frank. "Fuck, I forgot to introduce you! That was my brother Gerard. Ah, whatever, you'll meet him sooner or later."

Frank pictured the two together as good as he could, but saw no resemblance whatsoever. Then he looked back at Mikey with a smirk, remembering something. "Wait a minute. Are you telling me that this was your brother, as in the guy who went to school in drag?"

"Yeah, that's him."

Frank snorted at the thought and Mikey nudged his shoulder. "Dude, it was only once. And in art school. Stop laughing!"

"Sorry," he said, with no effect while Mikey tried to look serious. "You're going to say something to him about it, right? I'm not gonna introduce you then."

And Frank bit his lip, trying to stop grinning like a madman. "No, sorry. I won't say a thing."

When Mikey had glared at him for a second or two, Frank felt the sides of his mouth twitch again.