Ain't No Rest For The Wicked

It was Gerard's college graduation, a little over a year from the day he had first summoned Frank. His parents knew Frank as Gerard's roommate- at first they had questioned it, knowing Gerard's extreme problems with socializing, but after multiple weekends spent at their apartment, Mikey had confirmed that Gerard seemed to have actually just..... made a friend. So now Frank was sitting with the younger Way brother and his parents while the ceremony begun, wearing a clip-on tie and biting at his lip ring in the summer heat. They watched for about half an hour before it was Gerard's turn to be called up, and he already looked like he might die of heat stroke in the heavy robes even without the fact that he seemed to be having a mild panic attack. Frank and Mikey smiled encouragingly, giving him overly dramatic thumbs' up until Ms.Way gestured angrily for them to stop.

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When the ceremony ended, Mikey was the first to throw himself at Gerard, hugging him tightly before doing that weird bro thing with the back patting. Frank sprinted over seconds later, throwing himself at Gerard with a huge grin on his face. Gerard stumbled backwards for a second, catching himself as Frank clung to his neck and climbed onto his back. "You graduated!!! You can draw stuff for a living and not get yelled at for it!!!" Gerard seemed to stiffen for a moment when Frank spoke, but seconds later he laughed and hooked his arms under Frank's knees, turning his head to answer "Doesn't mean i'm paying your rent, lazy-ass bitch." Donna Way walked over, kissing Gerard on the cheek. "Just because you've graduated doesn't mean you can curse in front of your mother, Gee." Frank nodded, pulling Gerard's ear. "She's right, Gerard, you've gone way off track. Next thing we know you'll have become a hardened criminal." Mikey shook his head grimly, patting Gerard's shoulder. "He used to be such a good kid...." "Enough joking around, let's just get some pictures." Gerard rolled his eyes, but nonetheless turned to where his father was holding a camera, joined by Mikey and Donna. "Gerard, put Frank down." Gerard considered for a moment, then shook his head. "No." "Gee-" "He's like a backpack, but comfy. And he pets my hair." Mikey rolled his eyes and put an arm around his mom, smiling for the camera, and Frank followed suit, staying firmly attached to Gerard. The graduate managed to stay patient for about twenty minutes' worth of pictures before snapping. "GUYS we've been here for hours and these robes are fuckin' hot-" "LANGUAGE, GERARD" "-and i'm starving and I just graduated art school why can't we just eat already?!!?!" "Calm down, Gerard, we'll go out as soon as you change clothes. We can smell you even outside that robe- should've worn something other than skinny jeans, idiot. Go back to your apartment and get something else on and we'll meet you and Frank at that pizza place you like in an hour." Gerard rolled his eyes but took off his hat and followed Frank to the sidewalk, where the shorter man had hailed a cab.

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FRANK'S POV
Gerard slammed the apartment door open, stripping his robe over his head the second he entered the living room. It pulled his shirt up a few inches, exposing some of his stomach- mind is not allowed to go there. "I'm taking a fucking shower- godDAMN is it hot!" I threw open the freezer in search of Ben & Jerry's- the A/C is broken and we can't afford a repairman. The shower starts and the radio flickers on- Gerard keeps one on the shelf in the bathroom because he likes to listen to music while he showers. He used to use his phone, but his old one broke from water damage so he bought a cheap radio. It's strange knowing these random little things about someone-with my job, you don't exactly have much time for socializing. I found a tub of cookie dough ice cream and threw myself onto the couch, shedding my clip tie and pulling open the buttons of my suffocating dress shirt. About ten minutes of fruitless channel surfing later, the shower stops and the radio cuts off. Gerard thumps around for a few minutes (Most likely waxing his eyebrows if i'm being honest, they don't just grow that perfect) before I hear him walk out into the room behind me, the door swinging shut behind him. "Frankie it's too fuckin' warm outside. How am I meant to properly function when i'm locked inside a rampaging microwave? It's a miracle i've survived this long. I-" "If I give you some ice cream will you shut the fuck up?" He let himself fall down onto the couch and I.... eh.... casually notice the fact that he's dressed in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, which slips a little bit even as I watch, and holy shit i'm not prepared for this situation hIS HIPS ARE- perfectly normal thank you very much. He grabs the ice cream out of my hands, stuffing a huge spoonful in his mouth before I can even react. I try to grab it back but only end up kind of awkwardly swatting the side of his face, where little gray rivulets of water run down from his black hair. He shoves my shoulder lazily, and I heave a sigh before standing to go look for something else to eat. I open the refrigerator door and kneel to the floor, pretty much dying in the heat. Yes, even for the king of hell, heat sucks. "FRAANKIIIIIEEEE?" "WHAT, GERARD?" "WILL YOU MAKE ME A SANDWICCCHHH?" "MAKE IT YOURSELF, FATASS." "BUT FRANK I JUST FINISHED ART SCHOOLLLLL" "GREAT, THAT MEANS YOU'RE QUALIFIED TO MAKE YOUR OWN FUCKING SANDWICH." I can practically hear him roll his eyes before stomping into the kitchen, holding up his towel with one hand. "Gerard, get dressed." "No." "Gee." "I just graduated art school." "What does that have to do with nudity?" "You wouldn't understand, you haven't been to art school." "I'm the king of hell." "Yes, but have you been to art school?" "I've been busy ruling hell." So you haven't been to art school....." "Gerard, put on your fucking pants." "Don't be a little bitch, Frankie." "I'm not a little bitch, you're naked." "Taken out of context-" "Gerard go get dressed." "Bitch." "Jerk." He finally left to get dressed, still somewhat sulky but defeated, and I let out a breath I hadn't known i'd been holding before mentally punching myself and digging a soda out of the back of the fridge.

Notes

OK so the next few chapters are gonna be oneshots and short stories from the rest of Gerard's life before the next important plot changer. Also, I didn't write the bit where they go out to eat with Gerard's family because idk if there would be any interesting material in that.