Surrender The Night (Frerard)

"I think I have a stalker." Frank announced at lunch time on Friday. He was sitting on a slightly damp bench on the football field with Ray, delicately nibbling a sandwhich and shooting sidelong glances at his best friend every now and then. He had been paranoid that Ray would somehow be able to tell what he'd done the previous night - as if he might look different as well as feeling different - and as much as Frank wanted to stop behaving like such a teenage girl, he still felt a thrill when he thought about it. It all just felt so surreal, like it was happening to somebody else rather than Frank.

Ray spluttered and choked on his drink, shaking with laughter in a way that wasn't very attractive at all. Frank considered slapping his on the back - considerably harder than necessary - but changed his mind; he wanted Ray on his side and assaulting him was probably not the best way to get it.

When he had finally stopped dying, Ray turned to look at his best friend and raised an eyebrow, taking in Frank's unimpressed expression and decided the kid was serious. Why anyone would want to stalk someone as uninteresting as Frank, Ray didn't know, but Frank never lied and he couldn't think of a single reason why he would be making it up.

"So, a stalker huh? What makes you think that?" He asked, and regretted it when Frank took a deep breath. He looked like he was readying himself for a rant, and it was not good to be stuck listening to one those. They'd be there all day if they were lucky.

"Okay, so I keep seeing this car, right? A black BMW; I've seen it twice now I'm sure. And on top of that I constantly feel like someone's watching me and I know you could just say I'm being paranoid and stupid but both times I saw this car I felt like someone was watching me and then when I went to go see if anyone was in there - 'cause I couldn't see, right? Because of the blacked out windows, right? - the car just started driving away and I chased after it but it sped up and I lost it and I'm really freaking out and it's everywhere I go and I just don't know what to do anymore. Ray, help me!"

Frank collapsed onto the bench, laying his head on his arms and taking shaky breaths in and out to calm himself down. Ray nodded slowly, then picked up his water bottle and took a swig, thinking about what to say. When Frank got as worked up about something as he was now, it was usually a valid problem which would not go away by being ignored.

"Have you told anyone?" He asked slowly, tearing a chunk out of Frank's sandwich and chewing thoughtfully - because Frank was obviously a walking restaurant to Ray - before hopping off the bench. He walked over to Frank's side and picked up his friend's bag, motioning for him to follow.

"No one but you. I was going to tell my mom but then I'd have to explain how I skipped school and how I'm seeing -" Frank stopped walking abruptly and shut his mouth with an audible 'snap' as his teeth clacked together. He had almost let slip he was seeing Gerard, and while he trusted Ray to keep his secret, he didn't want to just tell him without the other man's permission. Gerard hadn't actually said anything about not telling anyone, but Frank assumed that was just in the job description when fucking your teacher.

Ray stopped walking too, his head swivelling round to glad suspiciously at Frank so fast that his afro bounced up and down hypnotically.

"Were you just about to say you were seeing someone?" He accused, jabbing a finger at Frank's chest in a way that probably wasn't meant to hurt but would definitely bruise by tomorrow. Sometimes Ray was too strong for his own good.

"Nope. No! What? Don't be ridiculous Ray!" Frank stuttered out hopelessly. "Why would I be seeing someone? There's no one to see. Nothing to see here."

Ray sighed deeply and folded his arms over his chest. "Frank, I know when you're lying. You have a tell."

Shit.

"Shit," Frank sighed, and then so he could avoid future confrontations with his best friend, he added, "what is it?"

Ray smirked. Frank was painfully gullible at times.

"You don't actually have a tell. But now I know you're lying you have to tell me who it is. Or I'll never let this go."

And yeah, sometimes Frank wished there was a guidebook on how to murder your best friend and get away with it, but for now he would just have to suck it up and accept the fact that he was busted.

"Yes, okay? I'm seeing someone; happy now?" Frank said truthfully; he was unwilling to say anymore than that and was desperately hoping Ray would just let it drop, but of course this was Ray we're talking about here, and giving up was not in his vocabulary.

"Who is it? Does he go to this school? Do I know him? What's his name? How long has this been going on? How did it start? Why didn't you tell me?!" Frank was bombarded with question after question and did his best to answer most of them truthfully. Of course, there were some he had to lie about, but he was pretty sure he got away with it.

"He does go to this school. You do know him. It hasn't been going on long. I just saw him in class and liked him, and we got talking. And I can't tell you anything else because he doesn't want people to know he's gay. Alright?" Frank replied as honestly as he could - of course missing out the bit about him being at the front of the class rather than at a desk. He didn't think that would go down as well as Ray believing he were just seeing another student.

"What?! But you know me Frank, I would never say anything! I can keep a secret. He doesn't even have to know I know!" Ray bargained, getting louder and louder as he went on until Frank was forced to clap a hand over his mouth - but pull it away again in disgust when the taller boy began licking his hand. Ew.

Frank knew Ray would never give up on this; when he wanted something he would never give up until he had it, no matter what the cost. Usually though, it was just about something petty like Frank supplying him with snacks throughout the day or persuading his father to buy him cigarettes without his mother finding out. It was never anything so serious - or in this case, illegal.

So the only option really was to get a fake boyfriend: either create one - but Frank didn't know how long Ray would believe that for - or say someone Ray knew was his boyfriend and get the stranger to go along with it. But who would agree to that? Who would like Frank enough to do something for him? Someone who didn't know much about the hierarchy of the school... someone who would be eager to please Frank for whatever reason... someone with no friends of him own...

"Brendon!" Frank shouted out before he could talk himself out of it. The boy was new to the school. He wouldn't have made any friends yet and this would give him an opportunity to get in with Frank's group - aforementioned group consisting of only two people - and Frank could probably get him to do it without asking who the real boyfriend was. It was perfect!

"Who's Brendon?" Ray asked, wrinkling his nose up in confusion and continuing to walk towards the school.

"He's new here. He's in my history class and we just started talking and things went from there. I just don't want my mom knowing I was in his house yesterday. She thinks I was just on a date with him somewhere."

"You went to his house? What did you do there?"

Frank raised an eyebrow and smirked at Ray cockily, even though inside his chest his heart was pounding like a drum. He was so scared he was going to say something stupid to give him away and then he'd risk his best friend finding out about his maybe boyfriend.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Ray took a step back and held his hands up in front of his face as if to protect himself from the grossness that was in fact his best friend.

"No, I don't think so actually." They walked in silence for a while until Ray spoke again, this time with a hint of amusement in his voice. "So when can I meet him?"

Frank hesitated. It would be better to get this over with as soon as possible, but he needed time to talk to Brendon to see if he would go along with this idea, and then to Gerard to see if he was okay with it. That was one conversation he wasn't looking forward to.

"Monday. I'll need to talk to him and it'll be easier if we're at school when you guys meet. Less ... one on one, y'know?" Frank chuckled nervously and hoped his anxiety wasn't showing through his confident facade.

"Okay then. Monday."

***

Frank finally found Brendon after at least twenty minutes of searching. He had said goodbye to Ray - thank god the guy had a detention today or Frank didn't know what he would have done. He had no way of contacting Brendon as he didn't have his number and he had no idea where he lived; he could always have broken into the school office and looked up Brendon's file on the computer, but that seemed more 007 than Frank Iero.

He was sitting alone at a lunch table in the last quad, the one nearest the end of the school building. He wasn't eating, but he had a book open in one hand and the other was being used to rest his chin in as his eyes flitted over the words on the page.

"Brendon." Frank sighed in relief when he saw him and the boy's head shot up quickly like he was expecting to be attacked. "It's Frank. From history class, remember?"

Brendon nodded and replaced his frightened expression with a friendly smile. He shuffled over on the bench to give Frank more room to sit down and then turned to look at him straight on.

"So..." Frank started, anticipating a long and awkward conversation. "You know how you sat in my seat for history?"

Brendon nodded slowly, biting his lower lip. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that by the way."

"Totally wasn't your fault." Frank allowed. "But I've thought of a way you can make it up to me!"

"But I thought you said -"

"Hush." Frank commanded, sounding like a crabby old teacher. He shuddered at the thought. "I need a favour, and you're the only person who can help me."

Brendon tilted his head to the side like a puppy and gestured for Frank to continue. Frank figured he would get along with Ray just fine, and he would be happy to be in a group if he was terrified about his peers beating him up all the time. Ray was like a bodyguard; nobody ever approached the two of them because they knew Ray had the strength and the complete disregard for the rules to make them regret it.

"I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend so my friend won't find out who my real maybe boyfriend is."

And when he said it out loud like he did just then, it did sound quite ridiculous. Frank expected
Brendon to flat out refuse, or at least ask why he couldn't tell his friend who his real maybe boyfriend was, but much to Frank's relief he didn't. He just shrugged.

"Sure." He said.

***

Frank knew there was something wrong as soon as he walked in his door and was greeted by an overly cheery, "hello sweetheart! How was school?"

His mother never asked how school had been. Something wasn't right, and Frank was determined to find out what it was. Naturally, though, his mother had to make things difficult for him and deny anything was the matter.

"I don't know what you're talking about Frankie!" She insisted. "I'm absolutely fine!"

"Mom." Frank was quick to jump in with Ray's logic and see if gullibility ran in the family, or if it was just him. "I know when you're lying; you have a tell."

Her face fell and Frank almost regretted bringing the subject up when she seemed to shrink in on herself. She suddenly seemed very tiny, her body frail and easily breakable, wrapped in her thin dressing ground with her tiny feet in her worn out slippers.

"Daniel came round today." She said in a whisper and Frank felt his blood freeze over. "I knew he would come round sometime; it was stupid of me to think I could just kick him out and that would be the end of it."

"What happened?" Frank questioned immediately, although he was terrified to hear the answer. If Daniel hit his mother again he would go straight to the police, he decided.

"He said he just wanted to talk to me. Said he wanted me to give him another chance - that he messed up, y'know. Apparently he's taking anger management therapy sessions and he's getting better. I don't know what to do, Frankie."

"Don't take him back." Frank said hurriedly, worried his mother would, in a moment of weakness, get back together with the monster who had almost ruined their lives. Surely she couldn't be so naive to think that he would never hurt them ever again?

"I won't, baby. I promise but..."

"But what?"

She sighed and a tear rolled down her cheek. Frank wanted to run over to her and hug her but he knew that as soon as he did that she would start sobbing and he would never hear what else had happened while he was out. It was hard though, seeing someone he loved more than anything in tears while he was fighting with himself not to comfort her.

"He said he would keep coming to see me. He said he would prove that he'd changed no matter what."

Frank swallowed the growing lump in his throat. He felt sick and weak at the knees, so much so that he had to grip onto the kitchen counter behind him so as not to fall over.

"So get a restraining order or something." He croaked, his breath coming in short, uneven pants. "Get the police involved. He can't hurt us again; he can't."

He was enveloped in a warm, comforting hug before he knew what was going on and then they were both sobbing, clinging onto each other for support. Frank was still shorter than his mother - much to his annoyance - and so he was able to rest his head on her shoulder comfortably.

When they finally broke apart, Frank turned and ran, making the steps to his room two at a time. He needed to talk to someone who wouldn't ask him loads of questions or make him talk about something he didn't want to talk about. Pulling out his phone, he called Gerard.

"Hey Frankie." Came the cheerful voice at the other end. It was so calming that Frank found his worry dissipating as soon as the man spoke. "What's up?"

"Gerard." Frank choked, his voice still thick with tears that were evident when he spoke. "Hi."
There was a pause before Frank's maybe boyfriend replied, and when he did his voice was softer and lilting. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. Just... talk to me. Say things; random things. I don't even know, just please talk." Frank could almost feel Gerard nodding through the phone and he imagined him sitting on his sofa watching horror movies and grading papers, a pair of sophisticated yet still sexy glasses pushed up on his nose as he sipped at a lukewarm mug of coffee. The picture he created helped soothe him, as did the man's voice when he began talking.

"So my brother came to visit me today. We see each other all the time; we were really close growing up. He's having problems with his girlfriend - he thinks she's cheating on him but he doesn't have any proof. He's kinda like you, y'know? Headstrong, won't take no for an answer, doesn't like to take advice."

"Hey!" Frank interrupted, objecting to the older man's less than favourable description of him. He found himself laughing, despite his earlier worries. They all seemed so far away now that he was talking to Gee.

"Anyway; he was talking about bugging her phone to see what she's saying to this guy he thinks she's seeing behind his back. I think he was joking - God, I hope he was joking - 'cause I don't think he even knows how to bug a phone. Like, don't they only do that in detective movies and shit?"

Gerard giggled and Frank was overwhelmed with a sense of affection for the man. It didn't matter that he was breaking the law - statuary rape was a complete and utter joke, in Frank's opinion. All that mattered was that Frank wanted Gerard to comfort him and he was doing a pretty good job so far.

"Yeah. He's not a cop, is he?" Frank said, wanting to contribute to the conversation even though it wasn't exactly the best contribution.

"Nope. Not even close. He's an English student. He's in his last year; you'd like him."

"Maybe I'll meet him sometime." Frank asked, somewhat optimistically. He didn't want to assume he would be with Gerard long enough to meet his family, but he didn't want to believe that he was just another fuck to his teacher. "What's his name?"

Gerard hesitated and for a a second, Frank didn't think he was going to answer. Then, slowly, the man said, "Michael. His name's Michael."

"Huh. Michael Way. Gerard Way. Gerard and Michael Way." Frank sniffled softly, just wanting to see how it sounded on his tongue when he said it out loud.

"You finished, Frankie?" Frank could hear the smirk in his voice and he felt his earlier feelings of dread and sadness disappearing. "Or you wanna say my name some more?"

"Shut up. What are you doing right now?"

"Marking papers."

"Ooh, are you wearing sexy glasses and drinking coffee?" Frank asked excitedly, referring to his earlier daydream about the man. He probably should have specified what he was talking about, but there was no way Frank was feeding the guy's ego any more by admitting he'd been thinking about him pretty much all day.

"What?" Gerard laughed, snorting unattractively but somehow managing to make it the most attractive thing ever. "I don't wear glasses, babe."

"What?"

"What?"

"You just called me babe."

"Oh. Yeah, I did."

"So... am I your babe now?" Frank asked tentatively. He wanted Gerard to say yes but didn't want to appear desperate.

He was met by that annoyingly hot laughter. "The fuck, Frankie?"

"Shut up!" Frank whined, resisting the urge to stomp his foot even though he knew Gerard wouldn't be able to see him. He'd probably know anyway; the guy had ways. "Am I your boyfriend or not?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Frank wished he could take them back. What was he thinking, coming right out with a confrontational question like that? That was bound to make Gerard feel awkward and uncomfortable and he would want to spend less time with Frank than he already was.

"I don't know. Do you want to be?" He asked, completely surprising Frank, but in a good way. A really, really good way.

"Yes." The boy responded immediately, just wanting to get it out there that yes, he did want to be Gerard's boyfriend.

"Okay then. Boyfriend."

And that brought Frank back to one of the original reason for calling. Brendon, and the prospect of him being the cover boyfriend. Frank, deciding not to waste any time with pleasantries, proceeded to tell Gee all about Brendon and Ray and the boyfriend crisis and how 'Brendon totally knows we're not really dating, babe."

Frank expected him to object. In truth, he kind of wanted him to object, because then he would be able to think Gerard was jealous and that was a really nice thought, but to his - kind of... - relief, his boyfriend was okay with the idea. Perfectly okay with the idea of his boyfriend having another - fake - boyfriend.

"So you don't mind? Like, you don't mind that people think I'm dating someone else?" Frank queried, a little offended.

Gerard clicked his tongue and sighed melodramatically. "Just do your homework, Frankie."

"Wait, we had homework?!" Frank panicked, but Gerard had already hung up.

Some boyfriend.

Notes

Sorry this took a while to post. I just found it really had to write this chapter for some reason and I'm dreading going back to school and uh. Have a chapter. Enjoy! <3