Frank POV

When we pulled up to my house, I could taste the regret I had in the back of my throat. The cool August wind swept leaves around my front lawn, and our hair began to get blown around by the wind. Gerard didn’t even have to ask where I live, he just remembered. He looked nervous, too, but not like the way I felt. When we went inside my house, we were greeted by my mother and Lindsey talking on the couch.

My mother was excited that Gerard was making an appearance in our household since she never knew why he stopped coming, but Lindsey, she was excited for more reasons than that. Lindsey sat on the couch smiling ear to ear, and winked at me when Gerard wasn’t looking. My mom kept saying things like “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you!” and “You’ve grown up so much!”, and her personal favorite, “Are you hungry, or thirsty or something?” After my mom finished talking, and I introduced Lindsey to Gerard, we began to go upstairs to my room.

When we got into my room, Gerard looked a bit more uncomfortable. We sat down in my bedroom floor, and began working like we did so many times before. After about an hour or so, we decided to take a break.

“Are you hungry? I’m sure my mom could make something as a snack.” I asked, closing my book and setting it aside.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“Ok.”

“So…” He said, looking at me.

“So…”

“What’s up?”

“Umm, the sky.”

“I expected you’d say the ceiling…surprising.” Gerard said grinning widely.

“I’m a surprising person.” I said, grinning back just as widely.

“Like how?” Says Gerard pulling his knees up to his chest.

“Like I’m not what everyone thinks I am.” My hands are shaking, and I cant make it stop.

“Oh, are you a vampire? A ghost? A politician?” His mood is definitely chill and humorous, I wonder if he can tell I can’t breathe anymore.

“No…I’m gay” And all at once, I could see every memory we had together flash through Gerard’s eyes, and my stomach began to revolt against the food I ate earlier in the day.

The room fell silent, and the only sound came from my struggle to find oxygen. There was no talking, and I couldn’t even bring myself to look at anything other than the floor. But Gerard was looking at me, I could tell, and it wasn’t the way he normally looks at me, it was awkward. I made it awkward. Regretting ever word I let slip in the last few minutes, I stood up and excused myself to go to the bathroom.

Lindsey was standing outside of the door when I left, and she immediately embraced me in her arms. We didn’t speak, we just hugged. After a few moments of silent healing, she let go and looked at me. She knew. She followed me to the bathroom, and watched me as I washed my face in the sink. I was holding back tears, but it still seemed to look like I’d been crying. Looking at myself in the mirror, I didn’t see me, I saw my dad. I haven’t talked to him since I came out; he has been staying at my uncle’s house. Lindsey came behind me when I was looking in the mirror and looked at me. Our eyes met in the refelction and we just stared. After what seemed like an eternity, she patted my back and left.

Walking back to my room, I was in no rush to reach the door. When I opened the door, I didn’t see Gerard anywhere. He wasn’t sitting in the floor where I left him. Just as I began to look around the corner of my room where the closet is, my face met with his. His hands pressed against my cheeks and his lips on mine. I didn’t ask questions, I didn’t pull away, I just stayed. I began to kiss back, and we made our way over to my bed. We sat down and finally came up for air, and then we started in again. This lasts for a few minutes, but to me, it feels like an eternity. When we pull away for a second time, we never begin again. We just look at each other.

“What was that about?” I ask, breaking the silence.

“I miss you.”

“I thought you hated me.”

“I never hated you. I was just upset.”

“I was a jerk. I humiliated you; I called you things that were awful, any sane person would hate my guts.”

“I’m not sane, though. None of that matters now, we’re older. Grudges shouldn’t be held for so many years.” He says, pushing my hair out of my eyes.

“I should have called to explain or something. I shouldn’t have treated you like that. I was confused.”

“Are you confused now?” Gerard asks, his eyes sparkling.

“No. No I’m not…” I say, grabbing his hand and holding it in mine.”I missed you, too.”

Then we began kissing again, his hands on my shoulders and my hands on the back of his head. It was like old times, but not. There was emotion, a lot of it. There were enough feelings in this moment to cut glass, and it was beautiful. Things began to escalate, and his hands moved from my shoulders. His hand showed up again on my thigh, resting. It slowly made its way up farther every minute, and when it was almost at its destination, something sounded up out of our moment.

“Boys, dinner’s ready!” My mom screamed from the kitchen.

We pulled away, smiling. It looks a few seconds to prepare ourselves for dinner, looking in the mirror to sort out our messy make out session hair. When we finally came down, Lindsey was smiling brightly. As my mom showed Gerard where the dishes and stuff were, Lindsey pulled me aside to talk.

“I know that face, bozo, you got some ass.” Lindsey said, laughing.

“Nah.”

“You did kiss him, though. Your lips look swollen from kissing. Did you make up?”

“Yeah, yeah we did.”

Notes

frERARD. If you thought this chapter was going to end in smut, you were wrong.