My Theater Romance

Chapter 5
I Fell In Love With Frank At The Rock Show

A/N: Okay have a new chapter it's the 22nd and the pain is too much have this healingness be happy again my children. Don't forget to subscribe/comment/vote.

Gerard had gone home from Frank’s after they’d done some more “rehearsing lines” which basically consisted of what they’d done the whole time there. He still wasn’t quite sure what it meant but he knew that Frank Iero was a really, really good kisser.

When Gerard had gone home Frank had sat at the window and had a smoke, which unfortunately had completely washed the taste of Gerard Way from his lips, and for the first time in his life, or at least the first time he was willing to acknowledge it, Frank Iero missed something.

Frank had a move-forward-and-don’t-look-back philosophy on life, which he’d developed along with a sense of self-preservation, because when you were a person like Frank and had traded out the goodness of your feelings for the goodness of your music taste you had to have a good sense of self-preservation, and you had to learn how to not feel guilt and not fall in love, because those were things that could slow you down, and you had to be ready to fight or flee in a heartbeat because freezing was never an option.

Unfortunately, Frank wasn’t doing so well on the whole not falling in love front, due to certain emo divas who liked to play with his lip ring and pull him by his belt loops and were generally really attractive, but it wasn’t just attraction – Frank didn’t know what it was – but it might be love – Frank didn’t know, Frank didn’t know shit, but he was sure something was up with Gerard, not just physically. (A/N: if you saw my cleverly concealed dirty joke there you are now my friend. There is no going back.)

Frank had considered doing the cocaine that day, but then he hadn’t, because he was trying to save it for something special – damn, that shit was expensive.

Frank arrived at school that morning to a huge group in the hallway screeching something about bathtubs, Mr. Urie, Ryan Ross, homophobia being gay, Mr. Styles, and milk.

A blonde girl who Frank recognized to be Taylor Momsen half-ran, half-walked up to him. “Hi,” she said breathlessly. “You’re Frank Iero, right?”

Frank nodded. “Yeah. What’s going on?” he asked, gesturing towards the crowd.

“Mr. Urie got fired.”

“Why?”

Taylor’s face twisted in anger. “He was apparently dating his aid – y’know, Ryan Ross, the sassy one – and Mr. Styles fired them for – ” she made air-quotes with her fingers “ – ‘indecent behavior.”

“Well what were they doing?” Frank asked nervously. He honestly couldn’t imagine Mr. Urie kissing someone, let alone doing anything indecent whatsoever.

“Holding hands in the empty classroom after school while they were grading papers.”

Frank opened his mouth and closed it and then opened it again. “That’s not fucking indecent! Mr. Styles fucking stares at everyone’s fucking ass within a ten fucking mile radius! His stupidass locker room checks are fucking indecent, and the way he looks at people. Plus, he brings in girlfriends who are three million years younger than him all the time and snogs their fucking faces off in the hallways! What’s really indecent is firing someone for holding hands!”

“Yeah,” Taylor said. She deepened her voice and raised her eyebrows like Mr. Styles. “But it was gay hand-holding.”

“I am a massive flaming gaylord and if anyone got mad at me for holding hands with someone I would beat the shit out of them.”

“That’s illegal in most countries,” Taylor laughed. Then she sobered. “Anyways, I was wondering if you knew where Mikey Way was – y’know, cause you talk to his brother a lot, I thought you might. He isn’t here today and I’m worried as fuck because he’s not answering texts and he had kind of a… disappointment the other day.”

“No, I don’t. Sorry. But I’m sure he’ll be okay,” Frank said, awkwardly patting her shoulder.

“You know,” Taylor turned, “Mikey’s brother has the dorkiest crush on you.”

“Oh, he does?” Frank’s heart leapt into his throat. “Tell me more.”

Taylor smirked. “He talks about you in his sleep according to Mikey. He always says things like “lemons” and “Frank” and “slut” and “Pansy” and sometimes he randomly says Blink-182 lines, like Mikey says he said, “I fell in love with Frank at the rock show” all the time, and “Scene 3”, and apparently he also moans a lot.”

“Oh, he does, does he?” Frank cocked an eyebrow. Most people would probably be creeped out hearing that, but Frank thought it was adorable. I mean, “I fell in love with Frank at the rock show”? I mean, dear Maria, count me in. And Gerard Way moaning… over him? Gerard Way moaning period was hot, but…

“Mhm. You aren’t creeped out?”

“Nah. Don’t tell, but I may or may not have a slight thing for him too,” Frank said mock-confidentially, knowing perfectly well that Taylor would tell the whole world and not giving a shit.

“OH MY GOD I SHIP IT!” Taylor yelped. “FRERARD! THAT’S YOUR SHIP NAME!”

“Shhh!” Frank yelped. “Tell the whole world, will you?”

Taylor laughed. “Sorry.”

A girl with brown hair and a Death Cab for Cutie tee waved at Taylor. “Taylor! Get your ass over here!”

“Sorry,” Taylor said again. “That’s my girlfriend. I’ve gotta go. Anyways, good luck with Gerard. And talk to me if you need anything.” She handed him a piece of paper from her pocket and ran over to her girlfriend, kissing her. Frank’s insides curdled. They didn’t have anything to worry about – Mr. Styles didn’t mind lesbians - as long as he could watch.

Frank looked down at the paper. Her number was scrawled on it with an “xoTaylor” below. Did she seriously just walk around with her number written on pieces of paper? (A/N: TOBUSCUS REFERENCE IF YOU GET THAT YOU CAN HAVE COOKIES.)

He turned away from the hall and trudged to his first class, which he had with Gerard. Frank cackled internally. Gerard liked him! Gerard had dreams about Frank where he fucking moaned.

“Hey, f*gg*t, watch where you’re going!” the Biebs called from across the emptying hallway. Frank rolled his eyes and deliberately bumped into him this time. “I said,” he screeched, “Watch where you’re fucking going!”

Frank flipped him off. “Leave me alone.”

The Biebs’ already hideous face contorted in anger. “I’ll beat the shit out of you, freak!”

Frank snorted. “No thanks. I’m not interested in touching steaming piles of shit.”

It took the Biebs a moment to process what he was saying, due to his extremely slow brain power, and then he rolled his eyes. “That wasn’t even a good comeback.”

“Bite me.” Frank stood his ground undaunted.

“You’re so fucking gay!” the Biebs taunted.

Frank bit down a laugh. How was that an insult? He might as well have said, “You play the guitar!” or “You have a massive crush on Gerard Way!”

“Go fuck yourself with a cactus,” Frank advised.

“No, I’m not a f*g like you,” the Biebs hissed. “You’re a freak.”

Frank jutted out his chin. “I will find your house and I will release a jar of tarantulas in your bedroom.”

The Biebs glared at him. “You couldn’t read a map if you tried! Gay people can't read maps!”

“Actually,” a familiar voice said, “We can, and my GPS says you’re going down.”

Frank had never been so glad to see Gerard Way’s butt in his life.

“That wasn’t even a good comeback!” the Biebs shrieked.

“Actually,” Frank said, “It was a really great one. Now, Gerard and I are about to be late for English, and I value my grades more than your pitiful ass, so if you’ll excuse us…”

Frank walked away to the sound of the Biebs yelling, “F*gg*t! Coward!”

Gerard put a hand on Frank’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Frank muttered. “Just pissed.”

“It makes me sad. Y’know, that people think we aren’t people.”

Frank nodded, his hair falling in front of his face. They reached the English classroom and sat down, beginning their lesson.

Mikey struggled through the door to his math class just after the bell rang, sitting down awkwardly in the back. The substitute looked up, sneering through a thick mop of blonde hair. “Well, I take you to be Mr. Way. How kind of you to join us.”

“Sorry,” Mikey panted, sitting down in the back.

“Be punctual next time,” the substitute, who’s name, according to the board, was Mr. Horan, hissed. Mikey guessed he was the replacement for Mr. Urie – Taylor had texted him everything. “Now.” He stood up, revealing a slight potbelly and a Spice Girls tee. What grown man is willing to admit that he listens to the Spice Girls? Mikey asked himself. “I am Mr. Horan. You may call me Sir, or Mr. Horan. Anyone who is late as of tomorrow will get detention. Anyone who speaks out of turn will get detention. I see that your old teacher, that fa— ahem, was far too lenient and hasn’t been teaching you much at all. Well, we’re starting a rigorous curriculum. I want problems 1 to 30 tomorrow. If you don’t have them it’s detention.”

The entire class gaped. Tay raised her hand, exposing her stomach in her crop top. “Sir, may I please have a one-day extension?”

“Yes, ma’am, you may. What’s your name?”

“Tay Jardine, sir.”

“Lovely face – sorry, name – Miss Jardine.” Mr. Horan said, pronouncing it completely wrong.

“Thank you, sir, but I have a girlfriend.” She said sincerely. Mr. Horan’s face turned purple.

A boy in the back row raised his hand. “May I please have an extension too, sir?

“No, you may not. Man up. Also, get some acne cream. Your face is clogging my pores.”

The boy turned bright red. “But it says in my 504 Plan, sir – ”

“No one cares about your 504 plan. Everyone, please turn to page 187.”

“And that concludes our lesson for today. Gracias. Pack up, por favor.” Mr. Fuentes sank down at the end of his desk in the Spanish classroom, exhausted, taking a gulp of coffee from his cup. It was a rough day, Gerard knew, what with Mr. Urie fired. Ryan hadn’t been fired but he had quit because “I’d rather have no job than work at a place that breeds shit”. Gerard was one of the few who knew about Mr. Fuentes and Mr. Quinn, the music teacher, had a thing, but there was no way in hell he was telling anyone.

Gerard sighed. Last class was Drama. Frank had been acting nervous and stressed all day, jumping every time someone tried to talk to him. Gerard wondered what was up with him and whether it had anything to do with yesterday.

All through Drama, Frank looked at him, and whenever Gerard caught him, he whipped his head away. Gerard wondered whether it had anything to do with what happened on Friday. He hoped it didn’t – he enjoyed it, and he maybe wanted to do it again. Maybe. Because fuck, Gerard was a teenage boy, and Frank Iero had a butt and was really, really good at kissing, and smelled like lemons, and Gerard also might have had slight feelings for him romantically as well, because he had good music taste and Gerard just plain felt good around him.

School was finally over, and Gerard texted Frank, asking him an, Are you okay? before making his way heading out the school gates.

Yeah, Frank texted back. Just a bit flustered. My birthday is Friday and I have a lot of homework and I just feel bleh L

Aw, that sucks Gerard texted back. Are you going to the dance?

Yeah, he texted. Wait at the gates for me, okay? I want to talk to you.

Ok Gerard texted back. What in the world could Frank Iero want with him? If it was another makeout session, Gerard wasn’t complaining. He couldn’t stop rethinking it. Frank was really good at kissing.

“Hey,” Frank said, tapping his shoulder.

Gerard jumped. “Hey. What’s up?”

“Well, I – ” Frank broke off, blushing. “I, uh… well, it’s okay if you say no, but I – ”

“Spit it out,” Gerard said with a sudden burst of confidence. “I probably won’t say no.”

“I…” Frank looked down at his feet, scuffing his Chucks on the sidewalk and smiling awkwardly. He looked up at Gerard from under his eyelashes, and Gerard’s stomach jumped about thirty feet from the general adorableness. “I was, um… wondering… if you… maybe wanted to go to the Halloween dance with me?” His voice went up an octave and cracked and he giggled nervously. His face fell slightly. “If you don’t want to go, that’s okay too, I just – ”

“I would love to go with you,” Gerard breathed, color flooding his cheeks.

“I mean, we wouldn’t be able to dance or anything – I’m pretty sure Mr. Styles wouldn’t let us do that, and you said your parents don’t know you’re gay – but, I kind of just wanted to be with you? And maybe hold your hand in the shadows when no one’s looking? And maybe ditch for the skate park at some point? And I really fucking like you and someone said you liked me too but I don’t know if it’s true but I really hope it is because I don’t know you that well but you’re really fucking pretty and funny and I just feel good around you – ”

“I – ” Gerard blushed even deeper. He’d never felt so… tingly. “Whoever said that I liked you was right.”

“Good, ‘cause I really like you, Gerard Way.” Frank stated simply.

“I really like you, Frank Iero. And – ” Gerard took a deep breath, deciding that Frank deserved a break from making the first move – “If we weren’t right in front of the school right now, I would kiss you.”

Frank dropped his skateboard and put his arms around Gerard’s neck, standing on his tiptoes. Gerard wrapped his arms around Frank’s waist, and Frank whispered, “Fuck it,” kissing him.

Notes