He Likes Me

The door of Gerard's house made a clicking sound as it opened; Frank had trained himself to listen out for this noise because it usually meant one of two very important things. (One) someone was breaking into the house and Frank probably needed to call the police or (Two) Gerard was home. Obviously the boy had to check whether it was an intruder or his boyfriend entering the house before he started kissing them or called the police, but usually it was his boyfriend. No one had ever broken into the house whilst Frank was home alone yet.

Frank rose immidiately, sort of but not really hoping it was actually an intruder, just so he didn't have to face his boyfriend looking like such a mess. His face was red, his eyes blotchy, his nose runny and dried tear tracks on his cheeks. His hair was a mess due to shoving his head into his Mother's neck for comfort - something she had not given him in a long time. What would Gee do if he saw Frank like this?— Frank knew he wasn't goodenough for the man, he knew he was so, so lucky to have been given the short amount of time with him he had already had… but he didn't want to give Gerard up. Gerard had told him he loved him!— Had promised he'd never let him go! Would he go back on that promise now, now that he realised Frank was just a clingy, snivelling child?

It would be too cruel, Frank thought, to have the thing he had longed for for so long given to him and at the same time be the cause of him losing the best thing that had ever happened to him. If being reunited with his Mother caused him to lose Gerard, he didn't know if he could bear it. He knew his Mother wouldn't feel guilty if he broke up with Gee because of her. The irony of having the home he had loved and cherished in his childhood given back to him and the home he had shared with the love of his life taken away from him at the same time would just be too cruel.

Frank made a little whimpering noise in the back of his throat when he saw Gerard was home and it was not, in fact, a murderous intruder intent upon killing the owner's entire family and pawning off whatever he found inside on the black market. Gerard shut the door with another soft click and they stayed like that, staring at each other in the hallway, for the longest time. Neither of them said anything; they didn't need to. Gerard looked into Frank's eyes and Frank looked into Gerard's eyes, and they told him everything he needed to know.

Yes, they told him, it's okay, I still love you, I'm going to kiss you now.

And yes, Frank decided, it was okay, because Gerard still loved him, and he was going to kiss him now.

The older man closed the distance between them with three long strides and grabbed Frank's face, one soft hand on each cheek and a pair of chapped lips on his own, moving against his in a dizzying, intoxicating rhythm that sent Frank's brain to mush.

Frank never got over kissing Gerard. It was weird, but the good kind of weird. It was like breathing in your sleep, or laughing at a funny joke, or crying over the death of your favourite character in a soap opera. It was normal and calming and comforting… and yet, at the same time, it was totally, completely utterly different. Kissing Gerard was like your first first date all over again, it was like sitting at the wheel of a car with a map and about a hundred different packets of candy, not knowing where you're about to go. Kissing Gerard was new and dangerous and exciting and so, so good. He tasted like coffee and syrup - a delectable mixture that had Frank licking into Gerard's mouth for more despite his usual shyness - and Frank just wanted to eat him up.

He couldn't, of course, because Frank's Mother was still in the other room, probably listening to her son and his strange, rich, illusive lover go at it like there was no tomorrow, and Gerard didn't even know his Mother was in his house.

"I'm sorry," Gerard blurted out before Frank had the chance to speak. "I'm so, so sorry. I overreacted this morning; I was way out of line and I apologise."

Frank blinked in confusion; that wasn't how he had expected it to go. He had assumed he was the one in the wrong - after all, he had invited a stranger into Gerard's home without the man's permission, and then refused to tell him who was in there, even going so far as to hold him back when he tried to walk into his own living room! Frank had definitely been in the wrong… but here was Gerard telling him he had overreacted and that he was sorry, even! Frank usually agreed with Gerard on everything - and not just because he was pathetically, hopelessly in love with the man - but because he actually tended to agree with everything he thought, but in this one instance he had to admit Gerard was wrong. Frank had been the one in the wrong earlier, and he had to prove how sorry he was now.

If only his Mother wasn't in the house. Frank wasn't good with using his words to apologise…

"No, I'm sorry." He said quickly before he could get carried away with himself. "I shouldn't have invited someone else into your house. That was— that was out of order and I really shouldn't have done it. It wasn't my place. You had every right to get mad at me." Frank had to look down as he spoke, unable to look his lover in the eye as he recalled with humiliation the was he had weakly tried to stop him from entering rooms in his own house. Gerard was definitely going to kick him out…

"Baby, no." Gerard murmured, gently placing two fingers under Frank's chin and pushing his head up. Their faces were mere inches apart and Gerard wanted nothing more than to lean down and kiss the boy, maybe add tongue, maybe involve a little groping as well…

"I told you that whatever's mine is yours. This house belongs to you just as much as it belongs to me, understand? You can have as many visitors over as you like, just don't… just tell me first, okay? Tell me if you're inviting people round and tell me if people are already here, okay?
They're my only wishes. Okay Baby?"

Frank nodded. Gerard's words had left him shocked and breathless; he had been so certain that Gerard was going to yell at him, hit him maybe and kick him out of the house. But here the man was, standing in front of Frank gently stroking his cheeks with his thumbs and looking into his eyes with such sincerity as he promised him that "no, I'm not mad, I love you, I overreacted."

Frank couldn't help it when he started to cry, but it wasn't because he was sad. Oh no. It was because he was so unbelievably happy. He thought it hadn't been possible to love Gerard any more than he already did, but obviously he had been wrong because looking into the man's eyes now he could feel a level of adoration and devotion that he had never felt before. He needed Gerard— Gerard was his everything— he couldn't bear to be away from Gerard for even half an hour, let alone a whole day. It all seemed so clear to Frank now. Before meeting his boyfriend, he had always pondered the meaning of life; not just life in general, but his particular life. Why had he been born?— What was his true calling?— Did he have any special purpose?

Now he knew the only reason he was alive was because of Gerard. The man was Frank's soulmate, and Frank loved him with everything he had.

"I love you so much." He whispered as Gerard swiped a thumb across his cheek, wiping off the tears that had started rolling down his face. The older man bent down to kiss him, gently at first but then with more power, more desperation behind his lips. Frank opened his mouth eagerly and moaned softly as Gerard wrapped his tongue around Frank's, massaging it.

"Let's go upstairs…" Gerard suggested, already beginning to walk backwards and tug Frank along with him with a hand on either side of the boy's face. This was what jolted Frank back into reality and he pulled away from Gerard with a wet noise as their mouths separated.

"We can't," Frank mumbled despairingly, knowing now he would have to tell Gerard about his Mother who was currently sitting in the next room. Really, he wanted nothing more than to follow Gerard upstairs, spread his legs and spend all night with the love of his life, but he had only just got his Mother back and he didn't want to lose her because he was too horny to stop himself.

Gerard's face fell, so Frank hurried to explain himself.

"My— my Mother's in your living room."

Frank watched his boyfriend's face carefully, noticing as a myriad of emotions flitted across it. First confusion, then shock, then something reminiscent of awe, or maybe it was fear. Frank couldn't be sure, and he didn't have time to ask as approximately three seconds after the revelation, Linda appeared in the hallway.

It was fair to say she was exactly what Gerard had imagined, what Gerard had planned. She was dressed in a prim knee length skirt in a horrible peach colour that clashed with her lavender blouse and cream coloured suit jacket. It truly was a awful choice of clothing, but somehow it looked good on her. The woman was pretty, beautiful even, and Gerard could see immidiately where Frank got his looks from (and no, it wasn't Gerard's imagination.) Linda Iero looked to be around forty, certainly not old looking but not young either. The wrinkles around her eyes only served to make her look more friendly and even though this was the woman who had hurt Frank so much - he certainly didn't owe her anything - he felt like he had to make a good impression on her. She was Frank's Mother, after all.

"Mrs Iero," he began, holding his hand put to meet hers as they shook for the briefest time. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Something in his tone must have offended Linda, or perhaps shamed her, because she turned a mottled shade of red and pursed her lips.

"Likewise." She said dryly, in a voice that showed just how delighted she really was to meet Gerard. Gerard swallowed.

"If I'd known you were here I would have tidied up a little." He commented, greatly confusing Linda because to her eye every aspect of this man's house was immaculate. It seemed only Gerard could see the many imperfections that he was itching to correct.

"Nonsense. You don't have to clean for me." Linda replied, looking directly at Gerard who looked at Frank for help. Frank shrugged desperately and chewed on his lip ring helplessly. Gerard cursed himself for noticing how sexy Frank looked right then.

There was a long, awkward pause where no one said anything. She only sound was the quiet clinking of Frank's lip ring against his teeth and Gerard kind of wished he could go back to when he didn't know this woman was in the house. The tension was palpable and if someone didn't say something soon, Gerard was going to swan dive out of the window.

"So…" Gerard finally spoke up since it appeared that no one else was going to. "Will you be staying for dinner, Mrs Iero?"

She did not smile, nor did she tell him to call her Linda. If anything, she grew more hostile.

"I should like to stay for a lot more than dinner. I've only just reconnected with my son, and I'd like to spend more than a few hours with him." She bristled, adding on, "If that's alright with you." as an afterthought. Gerard got the feeling that this woman didn't like him, and whilst he didn't care for her all that much either, he had to at least try to be kind. For Frank, if nothing else.

"That— that would be fine." Gerard stuttered out, watching Frank carefully as he gazed at Gerard and his Mother in turn. If Gerard had to guess, judging by his expression, he couldn't quite believe his Mother and his boyfriend were getting alone. Gerard couldn't quite believe it himself, to be honest. He had written Frank's Mother to be cold hearted and cruel when it came to her son's sexuality, yet here she was apologising, wanting to spend time with him and managing to hold a conversation with her son's very gay boyfriend.

Frank looked like all his wishes had come true, and if Gerard had to converse with this dreadful woman to get him to stay feeling like that, he would have to bear his punishment like a man.

Notes

So this is the last chapter I have pre-written; updates may be less frequent now but hopefully a new chapter shpuld be out soon. <3