Lonely Hearts Club (Sequel comming in June/July)

'You'll phone right? And text. Oh and you gotta come to one of Fall Out Boys gigs! Please!' Patrick had his arms tightly wrapped around Frank's small frame and Pete was ranting on wafting his hands around and being a bit of a twat. 'I'll miss you Frankie! You see, if I didn't have Joe I would ask you to play guitar for the band in a heartbeat. You are the greatest guitarist I know!' Pete was waffling now and trying to put off Frank getting into the car. Frank looked over Patrick's shoulder to Pete and smiled at him. He pulled away from Patrick and pulled Pete in to a suffocating hug.

'I'll miss you too Pete. And promise me you will tell Patrick.' Frank whispered into his ear and squeezing his eyes shut. 'Tell him how you feel.' Pete nodded silenced as he pulled away from the hug and ruffled his hair. Ray moved closer to Frank and looked at Pete.
'Although I am slightly insulted Wentz, you're correct Frank is amazing.' Ray was pulling them both into a hug. One small person in each of his arms. 'I'm gonna miss you Frank. You and your hyper moods and 'is there a vegetarian option?'' Ray did a very accurate impression of Frank high pitched New Jersey slur.

'That was too much like Frank. Maybe you can do an impression every once in a while so that he feels like he never left.' Pete said not taking his eyes off of Frank.

'I feel like when you leave we might all slowly die out.' Dallon caught the attention of everyone with that. 'Like you are just a small, but dangerous, ball of energy and I feel like you fuel us. How did we actually function as a group when he wasn't here?' Everyone smiled as Frank ran up and wrapped his arms around Dallons tall frame. Franks feet actually left the ground as he hovered and pressed his smiley face into Dallon.

'Dallon.' Frank said solemnly. 'Always the poetic one.'

~~~~~

'When I leave those thoughts...this.' Frank moved his fingers across Gerard scarred wrists slowly. They were faded and smooth now. 'It doesn't have to start again. Feeling the way you did for all those years.' He moved closer and places a small peck on his rough lips. 'You don't have to go through that again, because I'm here.' They placed their foreheads together taking in each other's intriguing features. 'I'm always here for you. Because you're important.' Gerard closed his eyes tightly trying I keep his emotions at bay. 'It doesn't matter if I'm on the other side of the world.' He nudged Gerard to get his attention and spoke sternly. 'You are important. Are you listening to me Gee; really listening?' Frank seemed breathless like he poured out his entire inside and was trying to recover.

'I am important.' Gerard stated simply. Reassuring Frank that he will be fine on his own and that he will never go back to the place he used to reside in in his mind. But he couldn't really promise him. Because saying goodbye to him might tear Gerard apart and destroy him inside and out. He can't be sure that he won't start self harming again or that he will never think about the fact he feels unwanted and unneeded, but what he came be sure of is that he will try. Because he doesn't want Frank to loose someone else. He doesn't want to let Frank down. 'I don't wanna let you down Frankie.' He whispered and Frank wouldn't have heard his if they weren't in such close proximity.

'You could never disappoint me. Unless you I don't know, started to hate the Beatles. Then you would disappoint me. No one could ever hate the Beatles.' Frank moved in to Gerard embrace and caught his slight smile. Frank loved to make people smile, but he loved to make him smile more than anything.

'No. No never.' Gerard it was barely audible. Just a mumble. He wrapped his hand around Franks exposed arm tracing his fingers along the 'Loyalty' tattooed onto his arm. Focusing all his attention on that instead of Franks sad eyes.

Patrick was watching the two of them as they said their goodbyes. He felt a pang in his chest for them both. He knows how much they feel for one and other and how inseparable they are. He couldn't imagine what it would be life if Pete moved away. The thought of him going on tour made Patrick miserable. He watches them some more and then decided to give them some privacy. He glances towards Pete who is sitting on the pavement. Joe is coming to give them both a lift home. Patrick in this moment has a burst of confidence that he has never felt before and would never, except 5 years later, experience again. In that moment he realised life is too short to be scared. Even if it is Pete Wentz. And what was the worst that could happen? Really?

Pete swung his head around slowly as Patrick approached and shot a quick, but sad smile up to him. He tapped the concrete next to him lightly inviting Patrick to sit next to him. They sat in silence for a moment. Pete broke it.

'They really are in love ain't they' Patrick nodded solemnly. 'I'm in my 20's and I've never experienced that before. I mean I've been in love. David Bowie, Uma Thurman, Billy Joe Armstrong, Meagan in 6th grade...the list goes on.' Patrick giggled and the sound made his heart flutter slightly. 'But I've never had it returned. And not in that way. They are still kids. They haven't even left high school and they can feel in that way? It astonishing.' Pete is staring blankly out onto the quiet road just rambling. 'And it's oh so sad. It makes me feel like I have to grasp life by everything it's got.' Patrick places his hand on his friends back. This makes Pete jump slightly. Patrick never initiates contact; he is too shy.

'That's what I was thinking.' Patrick took a hesitant breath in and closed his eyes speaking fastly. 'And why I wanted to ask you...' Patrick was cut off by Pete.

'Patrick.' He opens his eyes in response to his name looking at his friend. 'Before you say anything I feel like I have to get something off of my chest.' Patrick nods, his heart rate slowing back to normal and smiling. 'I think. I think I'm in love.' Patrick's eyes drop slightly. This. This is the worst thing that could happen.

'In love?' Patrick says quietly smiling falsely and removing his hand from Petes back. 'That is something.'

'I wasn't finished.' Patrick inwardly groans. The last thing he needs is Pete going on about how he is totally in love and how he and his perfect face is going to snog someone who isn't Patrick... 'With you.' Patrick shakes his head slightly and looks up at Pete confusingly. Petes eyes are wide and questioning.

'I'm sorry, I'm confused?' Patrick States dumbly and Pete breathes out and resigns more into himself. Patrick gets closer to Pete slightly.

'I'm in love.' Pete whispers not daring to look at Patrick. 'With you.' He was so quite this time it was just a mumble and inaudible.

'Can you speak up?' Patrick was clueless and kind of intrigued.

'I'm in love with you! Patrick!' Pete shouts making Patrick move away from him slightly. 'You and your little giggle and constant singing with that beautiful voice and your hats and cardigans! You!! You tiny little hipster! You!' Pete was breathless and so was Patrick. Patrick couldn't seem to form words, so he just sat there looking at Pete dumbly and biting his lip. 'Oh great!' Pete said suddenly after a minute of silence. 'Frank Iero and his great ideas!' Patrick's eyes went wide and he finally had the courage, but more the curiosity, to speak.

'Frank knew?' Pete nodded looking defeated and very sad. 'That bastard knew?'

'They all knew.'

'I'm gonna kill them for not telling me!' Pete nods and looks at his shaking hands.

'I get it. Some creep is harbouring feelings for you since the moment he met you. I guess you would have wanted them to inform you if that.' Patrick stood up and looked down at Pete.

'That's not why I'm mad!' He shouted at him which prompted Pete to follow him and stand up.
'Then why?' They were both angry and shouting and right in each other's faces. 'Why are you so mad? Eh?'

'Because they all knew we were both in love each other and never told either of us!' Patrick shouted in Petes face sending him tumbling backwards only to be saved from falling by Patrick's grip on the front of his shirt.

'You.' Pete stuttered out. 'You feel the same?'

'Of course I do you idiot!' At that Patrick pulled Pete forwards making their lips crash together.
Frank is staring over Gerard's shoulder watching his two friends. He can't hear what they are saying, but he can see very clearly when Patrick grasps onto Petes shirt and pulls him into a very passionate kiss.

'Don't make it obvious when you look. But I am pretty sure I am Cupid and that Pete and Patrick are sucking face right now.' Gerard smiles slightly turning his head and stealing a glance at the two before laughing and swinging his head back to Frank who isn't staring at the others but at him. 'I'm gonna miss you. So fucking much you don't understand.' Gerard smiled tightening his grip on his arm.

'I do.' He said quietly.

'No, you are gonna be okay. You have those guys and Mikes and the bed where we first...and the road where we first met and the music room where you held my hand for the first time.' Frank mumbles sadly. 'You get to have those memories. I'm scared mine will fade away.'
'Maybe and maybe not. You have spoiled everything for me Frank Iero. Everything reminds me of you. Peanut butter and jam sandwiches, the woods where we stumbled across Mikey snogging that girl, every school hall and every classroom and even my own bed. You've ruined the smashing pumpkins and tattoos and vegetarian options. You've ruined me for everyone else.' Frank smiled and placed his head in the crook of Gerard's neck.

'Well, I don't want you to ever forget about me. I am glad I've ruined everyone for you. Call me selfish, but it's means I can have you all to myself.' Gerard laughs and places his hands of Franks knee. Frank suddenly remembers just a week previous. The day they spent the entire day in franks house annoying his mother.

'Do you know what, this book isn't actually that bad.' Frank mumbled as he turned the page of 'Carry On' and snuggled closer to Gerard. 'It's like a Harry Potter rip off, but with romance and gay shipping. I kinda love it.' Gerard placed his book down and smiled down at Frank.

'And you made fun of me for liking her stuff.' Gerard said simply scanning the page and recognising that part of the story Frank was on. 'Oh the next bit is great. Just keep reading.' Gerard exclaimed excitedly.

'Okay, okay. What part are you on?' Gerard picked up Franks rather used version of 'Cell' and pried oped the pages and scanned the book quickly.

'I'm at the bit there they get to that guys house and he has a cat.' Frank nods and looks back at 'Carry On'. 'I'm quite scared.' Frank just looked up at him questioningly. 'I'm really worried one of them are going to die and I really don't want them to.' Frank laughed and shook his head.

'Just keep reading okay?' Gerard nodded and the returned to their former state. Frank snuggled into Gerard's side as they both read each other's favourite book and shared a tub of Ben and Jerrys ice cream in Franks empty bedroom. The once busy and untidy bedroom covered in music sheets and posters and unwashed band t's was now nothing but a bed and a guitar. The rest was packed away into boxes. Gerard only read a couple of chapters more when he placed the book down and looked around the room. Feeling a pang of sadness for what once was.

'I hate when your room is like this.' Gerard scanned the room sadly trying to reimagine the posters and stacks of books and old records. Frank didn't look up from the book that he was so engrossed in.

'Yeah, me too.' He replied simply. Gerard picked up the book again and began reading.
'I loved your bedroom. It was like someone cut you open and smeared your insides all over a room.' Gerard said after a while.

'Wow. That was graphic.' Frank laughed and looked up at Gerard.

'I think I might have read enough of this Zombie apocalypse book for today.' Frank laughed and tore the book from his hand folding the corner of the paper down at the page he was on and placing it beside them.

'Yeah, I think so.' Frank crawled up the bed slightly to kiss Gerard on his cheek and then on the side of his mouth. He pulled away slightly and smiled down at him. The books and ice cream now long forgotten about. Gerard pushed his head up further to capture Franks lips in his and pull him down on top of him. 'My mums outside the door.' He mumbled against Gerard lips and pulled himself up. 'You can come in.' He says to the door. Slowly the door creaked open revealing Linda smiling innocently.

'How did you know?' She said smiling and looking at the two.

'Mum. You are so heavy footed I herd you walk up to the door and then just not walk away. Also you giggled when Gerard said about my guts being all over the walls.' She shrugged slightly and changed the subject.

'You guys coming down for some lunch?' Gerard nodded and stood up off the bed and walked out of the room leaving Frank and his mother. 'I like Gerard.' She says smiling after him.

'I do too.' Frank was still sitting on his bed. He looked down at his hands as he drummed a beat on his knees.

'I should hope so.' She opened the door more trying to provoke Frank to go downstairs with them. 'He can come visit.' She stated whispering slightly. 'The house out in Chicago it's got a spare bedroom and I'm sure Donna would want him to come out and see you.' Frank nodded sadly gradually moving towards his mum.

'I think he'd like that.' Frank said smiling at his mother and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek and then following Gerard down the stairs to the kitchen.

'My mum says you can come stay.' Frank interrupts their thick but comfortable silence.
'I think I'd like that Frankie.' Gerard whispered into Frank's ear.

~~~~

He sat on the pavement. Beside the road where he first met Frank. The road in which Frank's mother nearly killed him. It had seemed like a life time ago, but in reality it was only 3 months ago. Frank was gone now. Not forever but for a while and Gerard didn't know if he could cope. Didn't know if he could make it through. But he could try. Try for Frank.

Mikey came out a couple of times. Sat beside him in silence just sat looking out onto the street. The street where they both first met Frank.

'If this is what you're going to be like for the next 5 months can you please be sad somewhere warm.' Mikey shivered. 'It's really hard to be a comforting brother when it's minus 3.' Gerard laughed breathily and placed his hands into his pocket digging out his pack of smokes. Him and Mikey shared a cigarette in silence. This warmed them up slightly.

'He has been gone for an hour and I'm already contemplating just locking myself away for the rest of my life.' Gerard said placing his heads in his hands.

'He'll come back. It can only get better.' And with that Mikey led Gerard back into the house and into the warm.

__________

'I think it's time the lonely hearts club had another meeting.' Gerard Way was fed up with life. He couldn't deal with it. Maybe he needed a break from school. Maybe he needed to leave that place. Luckily he only had another 4 months left and then he was free. Then his routine would change. He didn't like change, not usually, but maybe that's what he needed. Change.

He just never expected it in the form of a small punk kid with the tattoo on his neck and a guitar hanging off his back.

But there he stood. Looking down at Gerard smiling. Beside him a suitcase and on his back his guitar. Gerard got up from the ground shakily and grabbed on to the lapels of Franks coats. He pressed his forehead to Franks.

'You absolute bastard.' Gerard laughed. Frank mirrored him. 'Why?' Frank frowned guiding Gerard back to the ground and they sat back in the pavement.

'Because. Because life is short and sure we are only 18, but I couldn't go there. I would be miserable there. Mikey and Patrick and you and Ray you are all my friends, my only friends. The band. The arcade. Pete fucking Wentz. Dallon and his floppy hair and your mothers cooking. I would miss it all too much. I'll miss mum sure and Mark, but I have school and life here. It's only another 4 months of school left. Then I can go anywhere. We can go anywhere together. But I wanna finish school here. I wanna live out what's left of my childhood here.' Frank smiles breathing in a sigh of relief.

'You haven't thought any of this out have you? I mean what the hell are you gonna do? This is mental you can just leave your family.' Gerard was laughing.

'You're right I didn't think any of this through. But I have to try don't I. We have to try and maybe I'll go back to them in a week or maybe I never do. But I had to move out sometime so why not now? This is where I wanna be and maybe it isn't very well thought through, but I'm gonna try.' Frank looked worried now. And settled his face into his hands.

'It's okay.' Gerard placed his hand on Franks shoulder. 'I'll help you.' Frank looked up and shook his head.

'What a mess.' Frank turned his head towards Gerard's house when he heard the door creak open.

'What are you guys doing?' Mikey said shaking his head laughing. His happiness at seeing Frank evident and fully spread across his face.

'Having a meeting.' Gerard said staring up at his brother.

'A meeting for what exactly?' Mikey leaned against the doorframe staring down at the two of them he was undeniably happy, but was trying immensely not to show it.
Gerard turned towards Frank and locked eyes with him. He shook his head giggling slightly and smiled brightly. He knew at this point more than he had before that he was in love and going to spend the rest of his life this this guy, even if it kills him.

'For the lonely hearts club.'

_________

'Hey!' Ray snapped his fingers in front of his friends face. Gerard shook his head coming out of his daydream. 'What's going on inside your head which is more important than this math test.' Ray whispered quickly.

'Frank.' Gerard said staring down at his blank test. Ray smiled sympathetically and then placed his hand on Gerard's shoulder.

'Soon. What 3 more weeks?' Gerard nods. 'Yeah and then you and Frank can spend all summer together.' Gerard giggled happily.

'We made it. I never thought we would make it. Him in Chicago and me here.' Gerard whispered across to his friend without drawing attention.

Ray grinned and nodded in agreement. 'You made it.' He turned back to his test and began to write furiously.

'The lonely hearts club lives on.' He whispered to himself as he slipped back into a daydream.

THE END.

Notes

God this sequel is going to be fun. See you in two months.

-C