Thirty Five Days

Every time a car drove past Dom's house I felt the butterflies in my stomach go wild. Each time however, they would carry on, not even slowing down as they passed us. Every car that passed without Gerard made me more and more anxious. It was stupid really, and I knew that. Why should I be this nervous just for somebody I barely knew to drive me five minutes around the corner with my best (and really only) friend? Still, it was driving me crazy.
When a little black car finally pulled up at the edge of the road a few houses away my heart began to race. Sure enough Mikey started heading towards it, apparently having recognised it as belonging to his brother.
He gestured for me to get in the passenger seat, beside Gerard, before appearing to fold himself into the back seat. Nervously, I settled in beside Mikey's older brother who grinned at me, displaying his tiny little teeth.
“So, I guess we were both wrong when we said I wouldn't see you again without the aid of pizza. You should count yourself lucky that I volunteered to drive out like this for you both, without any sort of charge, when I could have left you stranded out there in the cold. Aren't I a lovely person, Frank?”
He was talking to me. He was actually addressing his question to me. And not only that but he remembered our first conversation! Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as I thought. Maybe we could work out the way I hoped. Just maybe...
“Oh, er, yeah I guess you are.”
Great response Frank. I mean, really, of all the things I could have said that was quite possibly the most pathetic, not at all witty thing I could manage to come up with.
I risked a glance across at the dark haired man as he pulled away from the edge, turning the car back to the house. He wasn't looking at the road though. He was looking at me, smirking a little.
“Yes I am, Frank, you're right. He's clever, Mikey. You should have more clever friends – they're better than your last ones.”
He winked at me as he spoke, making me blush a horrible shade of red which I desperately hoped he couldn't see in the dark.
“Thanks for that, Gerard. I'm sure Frank loves being compared to some idiots he doesn't even know by the weird guy that's acting as a taxi driver for him. And anyway, as I recall, you didn't mind some of my old friends...”
“Which of your friends did I like? Name a single one of your friends that I liked. I don't recall any of them being particularly outstanding human beings. In fact, I hardly recall any of them at all.”
“What about Bert?” Mikey's response was immediate, making me wonder if something had happened with Gerard and this Bert, something either good or bad.
“Bert? Which one was he again? I'm not convinced I even remember the name, never mind which one of your friends he supposedly was.”
“Bert McCracken. You definitely remember Bert, Gerard, don't be an idiot. He was the one with the fairly long black hair, the one from that party. He went out with that girl I liked so I stopped talking to him until they broke up.”
I couldn't imagine Mikey liking someone in that way. From what I saw of him, he was too reserved to be the sort of person going to parties and ignoring people just because of who they were dating. I wondered if he would ignore me if I told him about Gerard. If that ever came to anything anyway.
“Mmm, I may vaguely recollect him but like I said earlier, he doesn't seem particularly outstanding. Not like Frank here.”
The grin that went with that statement made my heart stop entirely. He was flirting with me. Gerard Way was actually flirting with me. What was I supposed to do? This man had been in my thoughts ever since he introduced himself over the pizza that first day and now here he was, actually flirting with me!
I hadn't noticed where we were until Gerard pulled up beside a house I realised far too late belonged to me (well, my parents technically but still). I didn't have a response for him as I awkwardly grabbed my rucksack off the floor, pushing the car door open with my other hand.
“Er, th-thanks for giving me a lift home, G-Gerard, it was really nice of you.”
I smiled at him as calmly as I could manage as I started to head back to my house.
“Oh, and I'll see you at school, Mikey. Thanks for saving me from loneliness at the band practice!” I added the last bit on a little late, seeing as I had already pretty much entirely closed the car door before I started speaking.
As I walked up the path to my front door, I heard the car pull up at Mikey and Gerard's house so I turned and waved at them both across the street, cursing myself for my completely obvious lack of social skills.
Mikey raised his hand in response before we both opened our respective front doors.

***
Gerard's POV
I wasn't really sure why I volunteered to pick up Mikey and his friend – I had already been out for my cigarettes this week and I didn't really enjoy driving around unfamiliar areas in the dark. If it wasn't for the slightest chance that Frank would still be there I probably wouldn't have bothered at all. He had gotten inside my head, that boy, and I had no idea as to why. I had even found myself drawing him into almost every crowded scene I finished. And then yesterday I had completely finished drawing and colouring a picture before suddenly realising that this wasn't a face I had made up or copied from some half remembered internet picture, it was Frank.
Strangely enough though, I wasn't really that nervous at the thought of seeing him again. Excited definitely, but not nervous.
It took longer than I expected for my phone's satnav to tell me I had reached my destination but when I pulled up neither Frank nor Mikey were in sight. Perhaps they were still inside the house, I think Mikey had said it was Dom's house but I couldn't be sure. I noticed to people walking towards the car and my nerves finally kicked in, making me tap the steering wheel anxiously as I waited for the two boys to reach me.
Mikey opened the back door, letting Frank sit in the front beside me. I wasn't sure if that was a good idea until he plopped into the seat a little uncertainly and suddenly the only thing I could sense was him. The smell of old smoke was slowly replaced by something that was both very ordinary but at the same time very, very extraordinary. It wasn't something I had smelled before but it was definitely not something I could ever smell again without thinking of him. I felt my eyes being drawn to his face, and I grinned as I turned to look at him properly.
“So, I guess we were both wrong when we said I wouldn't see you again without the aid of pizza. You should count yourself lucky that I volunteered to drive out like this for you both, without any sort of charge, when I could have left you stranded out there in the cold. Aren't I a lovely person, Frank?”
The pause before his response was just a little too long and so I started to turn the car around, reluctant to start the all too short journey home.
“Oh, er, yeah I guess you are.”
I wasn't all that surprised that that's all he had managed to come up with in such a long amount of time. I mean, I struggled to come up with witty responses at the best of times and being this close to someone I liked was definitely not the best of times. God, I hoped he liked me anyway. It was evident to me now that I liked him. A lot. I smirked as I glanced back at him, shifting my focus once again from the road in front of me, just so I could get another glimpse of those hazel eyes.
“Yes I am, Frank, you're right. He's clever, Mikey. You should have more clever friends – they're better than your last ones.”
I noticed that he was looking at me so I decided to chance my luck and wink at him as I spoke. Unfortunately, Mikey spoke up before Frank had the chance to react.
“Thanks for that, Gerard. I'm sure Frank loves being compared to some idiots he doesn't even know by the weird guy that's acting as a taxi driver for him. And anyway, as I recall, you didn't mind some of my old friends...”
“Which of your friends did I like? Name a single one of your friends that I liked. I don't recall any of them being particularly outstanding human beings. In fact, I hardly recall any of them at all.”
“What about Bert?”
I should have known Mikey would bring up Bert but really he was the last person I wanted to be thinking about, especially when Frank was here. Lying seemed like the best option at this point, since I really didn't want to have to discuss Bert for any longer than absolutely necessary.
“Bert? Which one was he again? I'm not convinced I even remember the name, never mind which one of your friends he supposedly was.”
“Bert McCracken. You definitely remember Bert, Gerard, don't be an idiot. He was the one with the fairly long black hair, the one from that party. He went out with that girl I liked so I stopped talking to him until they broke up.”
“Mmm, I may vaguely recollect him but like I said earlier, he doesn't seem particularly outstanding. Not like Frank here.”
There was no point in trying to deny all memories of him, Mikey just wouldn't buy that so instead, I opted for a half truth, something that would appease both Mikey and Frank who had become a little agitated as Mikey kept talking about Bert. I smiled at him, hoping it would relax him a bit as I stopped outside his house..
“Er, th-thanks for giving me a lift home, G-Gerard, it was really nice of you.”
He smiled at me as he stammered out his thanks, only just managing to open the door as he struggled to untangle his bag from his feet.
“Oh, and I'll see you at school, Mikey. Thanks for saving me from loneliness at the band practice!”
His words were only just audible as I moved the car across the road, pulling up outside my grandma's house.
“Come on then, Mikey, let's get inside.”
I spoke out loud more to convince myself to get out the car and leave the smell of Frank lingering in the air rather than for Mikey's benefit. I took one last, deep breath before I opened the door and stepped into the house, deliberately not turning back to look at Frank, knowing that if I did, I would find it too difficult to look away again. As I opened the front door, I pulled my phone out my pocket, wondering if I could come up with a valid reason to text Frank.

Notes

I know it's a bit later than I had said but here is another update. This fic is now officially the longest thing I've ever written - over 11K words! Also Gerard's POV - what do you think? If you guys like it, I might consider doing some later bits from his perspective as well, leave a comment with what you think. As always thank you for reading this and I hope you enjoy it! :)