Gerard was dead on his feet by the time he and Frank made it back to his place. He cursed his old apartment building and it’s lack of an elevator. There were just so many fucking stairs. His entire body protested with every step. He would’ve taken his time getting up the stairs but he didn’t want Frank to have any reason to suspect anything was off.
After helping Frank find a place to put his bags in the bedroom and halfheartedly emptying his own bag of the records Frank had snuck in, he collapsed on the couch. It felt so fucking good to sink into the cushions. He knew he was doomed the second he was settled.
Frank poked his head into the room and said he had to make a few phone calls because something had come up at work. Gerard saw it as a perfect opportunity to flip on the TV and close his eyes for a few minutes...
~

“Gerard, can I borrow your keys?” Frank whispered.
His voice was relatively close to Gerard’s ear. Gerard reached out to pull him closer. Frank made a small pained squeak as the back of Gerard’s hand connected with his face.
Gerard opened his eyes to find Frank leaning over him. His skeleton-gloved hand was clutching at the half of his face Gerard had hit. He quickly realized he must’ve passed out on the couch.
“Shit, I’m sorry.” he croaked.
“It’s okay.” Frank laughed breathily. “My fault for waking you.”
“Where’re you going?” Gerard yawned, eyeing the black scarf wound around his neck, with its complimenting black winter coat.
“The market. I wanted to like, cook you dinner to thank you for letting me stay here but the only vegan things you have are an ancient bag of frozen peas and a few slices of stale bread.” Frank smirked. “And I guess like, if you count your spice rack…”
“You don’t have to do that, Frank.” Gerard protested, “I had to pr-”
“I want to.” Frank interrupted, “And besides I’m kinda hungry. Calling all these apartment brokers is exhausting. I need a break.”
“Oh. Uh. Right. Okay. I’ll come with you then.” Gerard said, sitting up slowly. His head immediately started swimming. His shoulders still felt stiff.
“No, no. Stay here and sleep.” Frank cooed, “Just tell me where your keys are.”
“They’re in my jacket... by the door.” Gerard offered weakly, letting his head fall back against the couch cushions. In the back of his mind, he decided Frank fucking loved grocery shopping. Personally, he’d never set foot in a supermarket twice in one day... unless it was to follow Frank around. Then, maybe. But only then.
“Cool…” Frank grinned.
Instead of making a movement towards leaving he sat down on the floor in front of the couch so that his eyes were level with Gerard’s.
“Gerard uh ...Can I ask you something? ...Like, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
Gerard didn’t like the sound of that at all.
“Sure.” he mumbled anyway.
“Well like... Mikey told me that you don’t drink. But like, you were drinking the first night we met? And like at that other party we threw for the label...” He said, cocking his head to the side, “I don’t mean to pry. I just kinda wanted to pick up some beer, but like, if that’s not cool with you…” he trailed off.
“Oh.” Gerard mouthed. He could tell Frank was nervous by the number of times he inserted ‘like’ into his sentences.
“I mean, yeah. It’s totally cool.” Gerard amended quickly, “I drink sometimes but it’s just that… me and alcohol don’t always mix so good. It’s gotten me in a lot of trouble before... But I don’t mind if you drink around me.”
“Are you sure?” Frank pressed. “I don’t want to impose.”
“You’re a fucking bartender, Frank.” Gerard laughed, “If it wasn’t cool with me I would’ve said something before. It’s totally fine if you… It’s fine.”
“Just, let me know if I ever do anything that’s like, not cool with you I guess?” Frank said.
Gerard nodded in agreement.
“Alright well… I’ll be back in a little while.” Frank said, rising to his feet and looking down at Gerard.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come?” Gerard asked.
“I’m a big kid. I’ll be fine.” Frank rolled his eyes. “Go back to sleep.”
With that, Frank got up and left the room. Gerard sort of wanted to kiss him goodbye, but he didn’t know how to say so. His brain was too sleep-logged and nervous. He listened to the telltale jingle as Frank pulled the keys out of Gerard’s coat pocket and let himself out of the apartment. The sound of him locking the door from the outside echoed softly through the quiet apartment.

The reason Gerard didn’t drink, naturally, had everything to do with the lycanthropy. True, his alcoholism had been the sole reason he found himself in an alley with a rabid wolf all those years ago but that wasn’t even the half of it.
The first lunar cycle Gerard endured had gone... better than it could have. Gerard had gotten lucky and no one had gotten hurt. But the transitions that followed were messy for awhile. He and Mikey did the best they could to manage the situation, given their circumstances.
Gerard’s alcohol addiction had continued, even after he realized what the wolf bite had meant. That was rock bottom if Gerard ever knew it. When his body was going through the pre-transition symptoms, he would drink to dull the strange, uncomfortable sensations. And if a werewolf was dangerous, a drunk werewolf was immeasurably more dangerous. It was a sort of silver lining that Gerard was more of a danger to himself than to others. With alcohol coursing through it’s veins, the wolf would fight to free itself from the basement with little to no regard for it’s own constitution.
It went without saying that waking up with a hangover and broken ribs, covered in his own blood, was not something Gerard had any interest in re-living.
He still drank on occasion, but it was more of a social function. Most of the people looking to hook up in the city hung out at bars. His lifestyle had required mild alcohol consumption.

Having been reminded of his miserable past, Gerard found he couldn’t will himself to sleep again. He felt fucking anxious about getting caught up in his web of lies. It wouldn’t kill him, probably, but he couldn’t stop the sinking feeling that it would all blow up in his face. Frank would find out what he was and desert him. That was the only outcome he could picture in his mind. He groggily watched the TV, teasing the notion of getting up and making coffee.
He hadn’t moved by the time Frank got back from the market. He listened quietly as Frank set the grocery bags down on the counter in the kitchen. He thought he could make out the sound of a beer cracking open. For whatever reason, it made him smile.
His mind was somehow put at ease with Frank back in the apartment and he found himself drifting off to sleep to the sound of Frank clanging pots and pans.
~

When Gerard opened his eyes again, he had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Frank was sitting on the floor in front of the TV, bent over a pile crumpled pages with messy handwriting on them. He’d taken his pants off at some point. One hand was doodling on a blank notebook page, the other was pressing his cellphone to his ear. There were a few beer cans strewn around him, all dented in, which Gerard assumed to mean that they were empty.

“Vicky, just shut up for one second,” Frank sighed, “All I’m saying is that I think you should stop fucking their drummer.” He ran a hand through his hair and rolled his eyes as he listened to the person on the other end. Gerard decided Vicky was in one of the bands Frank managed.
Gerard had never seen Frank while he was working before.
They’d never talked about Frank’s job. It was Gerard’s fault. He’d never asked. They were usually occupied with other things and Gerard already sort of knew what working at the label was like through Mikey. Now that he realized this, he wondered dreamily what else he hadn’t asked about.
“You should especially stop fucking him if you love him.” Frank groaned, “You know what? You don’t have to take the perfectly rational advice being handed to you by someone who has nothing to gain from this situation…”
Frank paused to scribble something on the notepad in front of him.
“I know. I knowhow good his band is. I booked them.” Frank said, “But that’s not even-”
He bit his lip as Vicky spoke, crossing out a line he had written. He glanced up at Gerard and looked surprised to find him awake.
“Look, Vic, I gotta go. Just, promise me you’ll think about what I said. You’re too good for him.” Frank said warmly, “And I’ll e-mail you the dates as soon as I’m in the office tomorrow morning… Uh-huh. Later.”
Frank pulled the phone away from his ear and set it on top of his notebook with a deep sigh.
“Hi.” Frank said. A blush creeped up on his cheeks. “Sorry if I woke you up…”
“‘S Fine.” Gerard slurred groggily, closing his eyes and nuzzling against the couch cushions.
Frank pulled himself off the floor and crossed the carpet. He perched on the edge of the couch beside Gerard.
“Do you always sleep so much?” Frank asked. “You basically slept all day. Are you getting sick or something?”
“Sleeping is nice. You should try it.” Gerard yawned. He readjusted himself on the cushions, making a Frank-sized amount of space beside him.
Frank wordlessly curled up in the space beside Gerard and placed a hand over Gerard’s forehead.
“You feel kinda warm... but you always feel kinda warm.” Frank commented. He rested his head on Gerard’s chest and let out a long, slow breath.
As always, it still confused Gerard that they were able to fit so comfortably on the couch. Frank’s welcome warmth at his side was too relaxing. He was almost ready to drift back off to sleep but he didn’t want to be rude to his new house guest.
“Is giving romantic advice in your underwear a normal part of your job?” Gerard asked, trying to keep himself awake.
“Is wh-?” Frank faltered, stifling a laugh, “Oh. No. I have this tendency to like... take my clothes off when I’m really stressed out.”
“So you’re usually stressed out when we hang out then, huh?” Gerard smirked.
“No, I uh…” Frank laughed. “It’s not the only reason I take my clothes off.”
“But if I want you to take your clothes off, all I’d have to do is stress you out?” Gerard asked.
“No. All you have to do is ask...” Frank said softly. “You can always be honest with me, yknow?”
There was a seriousness to his tone. He wasn’t just talking about getting naked, Gerard sensed.
“So what about the advice part then?” Gerard asked, changing the subject.
“Huh?” Frank hummed.
“With work, I mean? Is giving romantic advice a regular thing for you?” Gerard clarified.
“It does kind of happen a lot, I guess?” Frank said fondly, “I just called her to tell her the label had pinned on a few extra tour dates and she broke down crying about this fucking drummer guy...”
“Oh God, Mikey dated a drummer like, a year or so ago, I remember. Drummers are always assholes. It always ends in tears.” Gerard commiserated.
“They totally are!” Frank agreed, “And like, I tried to tell her that.”
“There’s only so much you can do.” Gerard said, “Especially if the drummer’s hot...”
“He is, unfortunately.” Frank sighed.
“Aw, she’s doomed then. But it’s cool that you’re there for her though, just to like, listen or whatever.” Gerard mused. “That’s probably all she really needs right now.”
“I don’t know why these kids always come to me looking for advice though.” Frank huffed. “I don’t know the first thing about love.”
“You sound like you do...” Gerard said, finding it suddenly harder to swallow, “Or like, on the phone you did, I mean.”
“Well, I don’t.” Frank sighed. “But it’s good I sound like I know what I’m talking about.”
There was an awkward pause then. The TV was still on quietly and it served as the only sound in the room other than their quiet breathing.
Suddenly Frank’s lips were on his and it caught him off guard. He was too stunned to kiss back at first. He couldn’t remember the last time the simple act of kissing had taken him by surprise. Then again, Frank was always taking him by surprise.
When Gerard really thought about it, he couldn’t see any reason why Frank would like him. Frank worked in the music industry. He had connections. Even if he knew the dangers of getting romantically involved with drummers, drummers were still an option for him. Gerard had no idea why Frank would waste his time kissing a shaggy, untrustworthy artist guy with a dead-end job and a lifetime supply of lycanthropy and subsidiary lies.
Gerard also wasn’t sure when he’d gotten so fucking soft. He’d never gotten so contemplative while making out before. It seemed almost rude to be wondering why there was a hot guy on his lap working at the button on his jeans instead of just enjoying it.
Frank growled against Gerard’s lips, silencing all of Gerard’s further thoughts on the matter. He grabbed Frank’s hips and pulled him closer. The friction had him growling back at Frank. He was endlessly thankful for how human the growl sounded.
Frank broke his lips off for just a moment to pull his shirt over his head, then leaned forward again and sunk his teeth into Gerard’s lower lip and pulled back on it gently. Gerard would never tell Frank just how crazy it made him, because he never wanted Frank to know what kind of power it had over him. His body was supposed to be spent of all wolfish impulses and yet he was almost embarrassed by how turned on he was. He palmed at Frank’s hard-on through his boxers. Frank shoved his tongue in Gerard’s mouth and bucked his hips against Gerard’s.
They kissed heatedly and slid against each other until it was crazy-making. Frank tried to work at the waist of Gerard’s jeans, slowly inching them down. He wasn’t making much progress given the position they were in.
“Taking your fucking pants off.” Frank gritted out, sliding off of Gerard and helping him pull them off.
Gerard reached for Frank to pull him back on top but Frank had other plans. He nudged his way in between Gerard’s legs and ran his tongue up the underside of his cock. The way he slid it into his mouth was hotter than anything Gerard had ever seen in his life. He closed his eyes and rolled his tongue around the tip at an agonizingly slow and attentive pace.
Gerard let his head fall back against the cushions and tried to keep his hands pinned down at his sides. He had very little self control with the way Frank was sucking him down. His hands ended up tangling in Frank’s hair anyways.
He dared a look down at Frank. The way Frank looked back had to be illegal in several US states. It was too perfect, too hot.
He had been so beside himself, Gerard hadn’t noticed the twitch of muscle in Frank’s shoulder at first. Frank moaned around his cock and lost his perfect, illegal rhythm just a little. Gerard realized it was all because Frank was fucking touching himself.
In all of Gerard’s fantasies, he’d never pictured Frank getting himself off. He made a note to with the rest of his mental capacity, to pencil in an evening of just watching Frank please himself. It was so dirty, so intimate.
Gerard had always taken pride in his sexual stamina. When he wasn’t holding off for long periods of time, he was going over and over again. Frank was his undoing in that way. He always had Gerard losing control sooner than he wanted to lose it. The guy could just fucking get Gerard off. Before he even had all of his clothes off, even.
He swallowed Gerard’s load without hesitation, making Gerard’s hips twitch as he pulled his mouth off of Gerard’s over-sensitive member.
Frank held up his hand and jokingly grimaced at the come sliding down his hand. Gerard grabbed Frank by the wrist and pulled him close, licking the come off his hand finger by finger.
He was really ready to go to sleep after that, especially with Frank curled up sweaty and warm and mostly naked beside him. Frank’s arm was draped over his middle.
In the quiet calm, Gerard’s stomach growled loudly. He hadn’t eaten much all day, having been too distracted by Frank.
‘Hungry?” Frank asked softly.
“I guess there’s no use denying it.” Gerard mumbled. He lifted himself off the couch enough to pull his sweaty t-shirt off. “But I’m sort of on an all cum diet.”
“That’s disgusting.” Frank laughed. “Come on, you really don’t wanna try the food I made?”
“The kitchen is so far away.” Gerard whined. “I don’t want to get up.”
Frank made a motion to get up and Gerard held him down.
“Just… 5 more minutes.” Gerard begged, wrapping his arms around Frank and pressing kisses all over his shoulder.
It was more like another hour that they laid there, kissing and talking. Eventually Frank was tired of listening to Gerard’s empty stomach and so they got up and ate a very naked, very cold dinner right out of the pot on the stove. Neither of them wanted to do the dishes. Gerard was so distracted by Frank that he didn’t even notice the lack of animal products in the dish.
After dinner they curled up in Gerard’s bed. The sheets were cool and so they clung to each other for warmth. Frank had put on one of Gerard’s sweatshirts and Gerard wanted to crawl inside of it with him. The shivered against each other until the blankets had absorbed enough of Gerard’s body heat to keep them both warm properly.
“Frank, do you want help looking for apartments tomorrow?” Gerard asked softly.
“Nah.” Frank mumbled, “I actually have an appointment to go look at a place tomorrow.”
“I’ll come with you.” Gerard pressed.
“You don’t have to do that, Gee. You’re already doing enough for me.” Frank objected.
“I want to come, Frank.” Gerard insisted, “I mean, if it’s okay with you.”
“It’s okay. I just… I don’t want to take up all your time.” Frank whispered.
“You shouldn’t have to do all this alone.” Gerard whispered against his neck, placing a few kisses to Frank’s skin after.
“Okay.” Frank agreed.
“Gerard?” Frank whispered into the dark a few minutes later.
Gerard hummed lazily in response.
“I’m really sorry about what I said this afternoon. About… yknow…” Frank trailed off.
“I told you not to apologize for that.” Gerard said, hugging Frank tighter.
“I know. I still feel bad about it though.” Frank said.
“Don’t. Please, Frank.” Gerard whispered.
“I’m just… so fucking insensitive.” Frank continued.
“Shut up.” Gerard said fondly, “Frank, the fact that you trust me that much.... means a lot to me. You have no idea.”
Frank was quiet for so long, Gerard thought he might’ve fallen asleep.

“I do trust you.” Frank said eventually.
“I trust you, too.” Gerard agreed.

Notes

i feel like i made this face several times while writing this:

:3

-m