My Theater Romance

Chapter Six
Gerard Is the Dancing Queen, Young & Sweet, Only Seventeen

A/N: I know I usually have Mikey in each chapter but all he does in this chapter is lie in bed and think about Billie Joe Armstrong’s butt so, even though I know we all greatly appreciate Billie Joe Armstrong’s butt greatly, please Google pictures of it in your spare time. Also, you’re really going to love me after this chapter, but refrain from reading it in public because it is so adorable it will cause you to turn into a unicorn and fly away, so read it in private unless you want the unicorn catchers to take you away and sell you via unicorn trafficking. Okay, have fun, and don’t squeal too loud.

Friday night, Gerard stood nervously in front of the mirror and debated between which shirt to wear for the millionth time – the Misfits, the black tank top, or H.P. Lovecraft? He finally took his longish black Led Zeppelin tee and cut the sleeves off, pulling it on, and looked in the mirror. He carefully did his waterline with eyeliner and appropriately messed up his hair. He popped in another breath mint and grabbed his leather jacket, pulling on a pair of combat boots. He looked in the mirror. Badass. He grinned and traipsed downstairs. Frank was apparently meeting him at the corner of his street.

“Mikey, are you going to the dance too, dear?” Ms. Way asked.

“No!” Mikey yelled from upstairs. “I have better things to do than flirt with cheerleaders!”

Mikey damn well knew the only cheerleaders Gerard would flirt with would be Frank Iero in a miniskirt – they’d had a long talk about it – but he covered for Gerard.

“Alright!” Ms. Way called back. She pecked Gerard on the cheek affectionately. “Have a good time, sweetie. Don’t get into trouble.”

“I won’t, Mom.”

“Oh my heavens, you’re taller than me, Gerard.”

“I have been for years, Mom.”

Ms. Way laughed slightly. “Ah, well. Goodbye. Have fun!”

Gerard shut the door behind him, making his way down the street, his combat boots tapping the cobblestones. Frank stood at the corner under the streetlight, leaning against it, hands jammed in his (extremely tight, Gerard was pleased to note) jeans, eyeliner on point, lip ring glinting. He smiled as Gerard walked up, his heart doing double time.

“Hey,” Gerard said, grinning like an idiot.

“Hey,” Frank smiled, stepping forward, and then after a moment, “You look good.”

“Thanks.” Gerard blushed. “So do you.”

Frank hesitantly reached out and took Gerard’s hand. The smaller boy’s hands were cool and dry, and his fingers fit perfectly in between Gerard’s. “Fuck school dances. I just wanna be with you. Do you wanna ditch? We can go to the skate park.”

“Or the graveyard,” Gerard suggested.

“The graveyard on Halloween?”

“It’s your birthday, you decide where we go.”

“The graveyard it is,” Frank grinned, turning away from the direction of the school and towards the graveyard and letting go of Gerard’s hand to sling an arm around his waist and pull him a bit closer. Gerard reciprocated, leaning into him and wrapping his arm around Frank.

After a ten-minute walk filled with talk about bands, they arrived at the graveyard. Frank held up the sagging fence and lightly slapped Gerard’s ass as he ducked under it. Gerard giggled. “Rude!”

“Sorry,” Frank said, pulling a straight face. “Couldn’t resist.”

Gerard stuck out his tongue and Frank ducked under the fence and pulled him into a romantic storybook wedding kiss, arms around his neck and head tilted to the side. “C’mon!” he released Gerard, grabbing his hand and tugging him through the tombstones. Gerard followed, smiling, pointing out names and carvings.

“That one over there is my grandma’s.” Gerard pointed to a lone stone under a willow tree. Frank squeezed his hand tight, saying nothing.

They sat down against the tombstone of someone named Luke Castellan (IF YOU SAW THAT REFERENCE MARRY ME #THALUKEFORLIFE) and Frank set his phone down, turning on the Cramps’ I Was A Teenage Werewolf. (A/N: THE GUY FROM THE CRAMPS WIPED HIS FACE ON MY DAD’S SCARF ONCE AT A CONCERT.)

Frank looked up at Gerard nervously. “I, um… I had a whole speech thingy planned out but then I forgot it.”

“A speech for what?” Gerard asked curiously.

“I was going to ask you to be my boyfriend.”

Gerard raised an eyebrow. “And are you still going to?”

Frank smirked, and even in the solemnity and pure romance and innocence of the moment, damn, Frank’s smirk was hot. “It depends on whether or not you’re going to say yes.”

Gerard wasn’t quite sure what to say. He settled on, “Insert clever response here where I say yes Frank Iero I’d go fuck myself with a cactus if you asked me to, just in different words.”

Frank laughed and kissed him sweetly again, reaching out to grab his hand.

(A/N: One word warning: FEELS)

The next song that came on Frank’s phone was one of Gerard’s favorites – The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning by Smashing Pumpkins. (A/N: GO LISTEN TO IT WHILE YOU READ THIS SCENE, I BEG YOU. IT WILL MAKE IT SO MUCH BETTER TO READ. PLEEEEEASE.) It was a bit slow, but sort of set the scene for what Frank had spent the entire night working up his courage to do.

“Wanna dance?” Frank asked shyly, blushing. He’d never asked anyone to dance to shit, let alone Smashing Pumpkins in the middle of the night at a graveyard they’d ditched the school dance for, but fuck it, he wanted to dance with Gerard Way.

Gerard nodded, biting his lip, and holy shit, Frank’s insides turned to mush. Frank stood up, wiping dirt from his jeans, and locked his hands behind Gerard’s neck. Due to Frank’s shortness, he was pulled ridiculously close to Gerard’s chest, but neither boy minded. Gerard wrapped his arms around Frank’s waist protectively, his hands resting on the small of the shorter boy’s back.

They swayed back and forth slowly, and after a moment, Frank rested his head against Gerard’s firm chest. Gerard (thankfully, from Frank’s perspective) rested his chin on the top of Frank’s head, humming along softly to the song. Frank closed his eyes, breathing in Gerard’s scent of coffee and nutmeg. In any other situation he would’ve looked up at the sky to watch the stars, but this was Gerard Way, and Gerard Way was more important than the stars at this moment in time.

The song slowly faded, and Gerard stopped swaying after a moment. Frank looked up and kissed him, unafraid – not some big heated thing, just lips pressed to lips and hearts beating in time – but it meant more.

Gerard wrapped an arm around Frank and sat down, leaning against the tombstone. He pulled Frank into his lap, resting his legs on either side of Frank, and pulling Frank’s back against his chest. Gerard wrapped his arms around Frank’s waist, and Frank rested his hands over Gerard’s and tangled their fingers. He turned his neck to the side and tucked his head under Gerard’s chin.

“The sky is so clear tonight,” Gerard said softly, lips moving against the top of Frank’s head. “It’s a full moon, too, and the stars are out. It’s beautiful.”

“Mmm…” Frank hummed. His lips ghosted over Gerard’s collarbone as he talked. “Not as beautiful as you.” By then, Frank had taken all social acceptance and all don’t-tell-people-how-you-feel and don’t-fall-in-love and thrown it to the wolves. Luckily, Gerard didn’t seem to give a fuck.

“You’re such a romantic.” Gerard kissed Frank’s temple.

Frank smiled into Gerard’s shoulder. “’M just telling the truth.”

“Happy birthday, Frank.” Gerard whispered. “And happy Halloween.”

“Ha!” Frank laughed loudly, making Gerard jump a little. “We’re in the middle of a graveyard on Halloween. Anyone else would be scared shitless.”

Gerard giggled quietly. “If any ghosts want to get you they’re gonna have to get through me first.”

Frank smiled and tilted his head up, catching Gerard’s lips with his own. He didn’t necessarily want to say it, as he was interested in Gerard not thinking him a weirdo, but he couldn’t help it, it just burst out. “I love you.”

Gerard put two fingers under his chin and kissed him back. He pulled away and looked him in the eye. “I love you too, Frank Iero.”

Frank squeezed his hand slightly and buried his face in Gerard’s neck, smiling against the smooth skin.

Notes