Bookworms Anonymous

A quiet night in. A home cooked meal and a coffee. Maybe a horror movie or a rom com. Depends what mood he was in. That's what Frank had hoped to be doing this weekend. He had a party and then he decided he didn't wanna go, but then he saw it as a chance to ask Lindsey and Gerard, but mostly Gerard, to hang out with him outside of the bookstore. When they said they were busy he wasn't too disappointed because it meant he could just spend that Saturday night in watching a movie and feeling sorry for himself. But now he was standing in front his full length mirror in his underwear trying to decide what to wear.

It was currently 5:30. He'd been trying to decide on an outfit for an hour now and he was getting to the end of his patience. 'That's it.' He said to no one in particular. 'I'm not going.' He lay down on his bed and grunted because he was stuck between wanting to go, spend time with Gerard, and Lindsey, and having a great time at the gig or staying in bed and feeling sorry for himself whilst he pretended not to care what they were up to. He tried to way up the pros and cons of going.

Pros:
Gets to spend time with Lindsey and Gerard
But mostly Gerard
He loved gigs
Seeing Lindsey perform live
Seeing Gerard dance along to the music
Witnessing Gerard sing along or smile and be happy
Maybe getting to know him a little more
Dancing with him
Maybe asking him if he wanted to....

Frank shook his head realising he was just staring at his ceiling smiling like a teenage girl in love. Cons...cons...

Cons:
He had nothing to wear
He looked bad in everything
His eyeliner wasn't working
He didn't really like socialising
Lindsey's band might be crap (unlikely)
Gerard might turn him down (very likely)

The list was obviously one of a man who wanted to go to the gig but wanted everything to go perfectly. Nothing ever went perfectly.

'But I won't know if I don't try?' He said to the empty room moving back over to his wardrobe and pulling out a pair of black ripped skinny jeans and sliding them on. He decided on a plain white tshirt and a leather jacket. He walked back over to the mirror.

'You look a mess Frank.' He whispered as he shook out his hair and let the eyeliner glide across his water line.

'You really need to get more rest.' He muttered as he inspected the bags under his eyes and huffed to blow his fringe out of his eyes.

'And you need to stop talking to yourself you fuckwit.' He replied to himself turning around to hunt for his grey DM's.

~~~~~

'Lindsey?' Gerard wondered through the venue trying to find his friend. 'Linds?' He called again. He had somehow made his way onto the stage and Jimmy was there with Kitty. Gerard smiled at them both as he continued to the other side of the stage. 'LINDSEY!' He shouted to backstage, but the only response was his own echo.

'What?' Gerard spun around to see Lindsey smiling right behind him. She turned and started to walk onto the stage again. Gerard followed bemused.

'How did you....?' He shook his head and shuffled to sit on a speaker. It was 6:30 and their set started in an hour. Gerard loved the pre show nerves they all got and how they played his requests for half an hour whilst they warmed up and to calm themselves. 'I think I should go home.' He usually loved this time, but when he had his own pre show nerves it wasn't as nice. Lindsey's head shot up from the bass she was tuning and gaped at him.

'And why is that?' She seemed angry, but she was never really angry at Gerard she just used that tone to scare him into doing what she wanted. She was good at that. Jimmy sniggered slightly as he fiddled about with some cables hooked up to his soundboard.

'I don't feel well.' Gerard muttered he hanged his head low staring at his scuffed converse. He really felt ill. But ill with nerves.

'You're sick?' Jimmy said suddenly acting as if Gerard had admitted he had the bubonic plague or bird flu. 'Stay away from me pretty boy I need to keep well. My body is a temple.' He gestured to his body. Lindsey laughed letting the guitar drop to hang off of her.

'Yeah, more like an ancient ruin.' She stated patting his back. Gerard giggled at this his cheeks blushing slightly. 'You see, Gerard isn't sick. Well maybe....' She made eye contact with Gerard wiggled her eyebrows. He hated how she could do that. 'Love sick?' She smirked at Jimmys gasp.

'Gerard? Is this true? Are you...cheating on me!' He gasped as he pretended to faint and fall into Lindsey's arms. She grunted and let him slide to the floor. Suddenly he forgot about his dramatic death and looked up at her angrily. 'So much for band trust. Did I waste my money booking those team building lessons?' He said up at her. She smirked down at him.
'Yes! Jimmy! We are a band not a group of office workers get the fuck off the floor we need to practice.' And with that Gerard request to leave was forgotten and he was left to get lost in the bands music before Frank arrived.

~~~~~

When Frank arrived at the venue at 6:55 he saw a couple of groups of people hanging around the front of the club waiting to get in. The band weren't big, but obviously some people wanted to get the front and that's always a good sign. He waited a while until it hit 7pm and the doors were opened. Most of the people made their way to the front after grabbing a drink and waiting for the band to start. Frank sat at the bar scanning the room for his raven haired friend.

Gerard saw him as soon as he walked in. He looked gorgeous. He swore at himself and tugged at his tshirt insecurely as he watched him order a drink and scan the room. Gerard could've watched him all day he could make the most boring of activities seem enjoyable. It wasn't until the bar started to fill that Gerard decided that he had to talk to Frank before the show started. He had been sat there for 15 minutes and the room was full now and he still hadn't seen Gerard or Lindsey. He groaned downing the rest of the drink and standing up trying to decide whether he was going to go into the crowd or go home and mope. But before he could make a decision he felt a timid hand press into his shoulder. He turned on his heels giving Gerard a fright.

'Hey.' Gerard squeaked. Frank smiled up at him and placed his glass down on the bar.

'Hey.' He mimicked quietly following Gerard who was suddenly moving through the bar and gesturing for Frank to follow him.

'The show starts in ten and I can get us a good view.' He smiled Frank nodded and followed him back stage and up to the side of the stage. Frank peered down at the crowd mesmerised by how they all stared up at the stage waiting for the show to start.

'I never realised Lindsey's band had a bit of a following.' Frank said in honesty. He could see Gerard nod timidly from his spot beside him. He was sitting on a piece of equipment that obviously wasn't too important.

'I told you. They're good and they are becoming more popular by the day. It's kinda cool actually.' Gerard said staring out to the crowd. 'I remember when they were just starting out and Lindsey would come hang out with me and Mikes and complain about how they were going nowhere and that Jimmy was being an arse.' He laughed. Frank was mesmerised by him and was hanging on his every word as he spoke about the past. Gerard was doing that a lot lately. 'I mean Jimmy is still an arse, but he makes up for it with his musical genius.' Gerard said simply. Frank moved closer to him smiling and he perched beside him as he could see a tall scrawny guy and a smaller, still tall, guy beside him holding a guitar and rambling on the opposite side of the stage. Suddenly two figures appeared beside them and they stared up at them.

'Hey, Frank!' Lindsey said smiling down at them. 'You made it! This is kitty.' She pointed to the girl next to her who looked like she was about to throw up. 'That's Jimmy and Steve.' She pointed to the two guys in the other side of the stage. Frank nodded smiling up at her. 'I would love to stay and chat kiddo, but I gotta show to play.' Gerard giggled as she walked out to the stage with the rest of MSI.

'Break a leg Linds!' Frank shouted out to her as she set up for the first song. Gerard laughed leaning into Frank a little as they watched them play the first notes.

'Hi!' Jimmy started as Steve played a small melody of notes. 'We are Mindless Self Indulgence and you are about to have the time of your lives.' He said before jumping straight into the song 'Greatest Love Of All'.

'Well he's confident.' Frank whispered into Gerard ear. He shivered from the contact, but still managed to nod and smile back at him. The bass from the music vibrated on the stage and Frank was soon bobbing his head along to the beat and smiling. Gerard wasn't watching the guys anymore he was watching Frank and the way he got so into the music and even sometimes sang along when he caught onto the lyrics.

They were a couple of songs in and Jimmy started to talk again.

'This is 'Never Wanted To Dance.' I would like to warn you all that if anyone dances I will personally punch you in the face. Just scream....' He trailed off as he screamed himself as Lindsey played the bass intro and did her signature back bend. Frank jumped up suddenly pulling Gerard up and started spinning him around dancing with him. Gerard breathed out being pulled into franks arms trying to stop himself from blushing, but that was a lost cause. Frank and Gerard danced ridiculously to the song and giggled as they failed to have any co-ordination. Jimmy noticed the movement coming from off of the stage and turned slightly to see Gerard and Frank prancing around giggling. Jimmy took this opportunity to embarrass Gerard.

'The nerve.' He stopped singing the lyrics but it didn't matter because the first couple of rows were screaming the lyrics anyway. The band kept playing. 'To both dance and to dance with my GeeBear!' He said sarcastically winking at Frank and moving back to the audience to sing the final lines. Lindsey had turned to face them both her back to the audience she smiled.
Frank spun Gerard around as they both giggled furiously. Gerard moved closer to Franks ear and spoke.

'This isn't exactly the song for this kinda dancing.' Gerard giggled as him and Frank danced childishly only in the view of Lindsey now. Frank nodded.

'You're right!' He said into Gerard's ear making him shiver again. He pulled away and stared up at Gerard. They were extremely close now. Unbelievably close. Frank could just kiss him. Just move a little closer. He was going to, because now was the perfect moment. The adrenaline coursing through both of their bodies, the loud music and the moment was there and so tempting. His little pink lips here so tempting. He moved only a inch closer.

Gerard was frozen to the spot, unavoidably, giving Frank all the work as he moved closer his lips closing in on Gerard. His mind was trying to process what was happening. But then all he heard was a scream. The music cut out. Frank turned towards the stage, Gerard was still in a trance. Still waiting to be kissed by Frank. But unbeknownst to the currently malfunctioning Gerard that kiss was never going to happen. He clicked out of the trance a moment later looking over to see what the fuss was about. His cheeks still burning and his heart still beating erratically trying to break out of his rib cage it took Gerard to moment too long to notice the figure laying with their back on the floor was his best friend.

Lindsey had fallen. And hurt herself from the way her leg was twisted. Gerard for the second time in the past thirty seconds was frozen and unable to do anything but stare dumbly.
Frank jumped into action running across, sliding off of the stage and landing beside Lindsey crouching down beside her in one swift movement. He looked up at Jimmy and Steve who were just staring at her like she had performed a disappearing act and reappeared 3 years later.

'Don't just stand there. Phone an ambulance.' Frank called to the two who suddenly sprung into frantic movement.

'I don't need an ambulance.' Lindsey muttered pushing herself off of the ground before calling out in pain and laying back down. 'Okay. Maybe a ambulance would be needed and some morphine.' She muttered smiling slightly up at Frank who was hovering over her and shaking his head.

'Why do you take things so literally Lindsey?' He smiled down at her and pushed her hair out of her way she smirked back.

'I don't like to disappoint you Frankie dear.' She muttered shifting and staring up at him. 'You said break a leg and here I am.'

Notes

Hiya, guys! Update: turns out people actually want a 'Lonely Hearts Club' sequel? Who would've thought. If you haven't read it i suggest you check it out on my archive account, same name as on here, and get ready for the sequel.
This chapter is kinda bad, but it's all leading up to the next chapter in which frerard fluffiness ensues.
Comment below plsssssss....

-C

(I love MSI, like omfg they are my life. Listen to them now!!!! My favourite album is probably 'If'. Also can we talk about how this entire chapter was a huge joke and the punch line was literally the final sentence. Wow.)