uppercut - frerard

It was about a month later, in February. Frank had just gotten done with his workout, and Gerard jogged over to him.

"We have a tournament going on this weekend," he said, handing Frank a flyer. "Obviously you're not going to compete, but I'd like for you to come."

"Sure." Frank said. He started taking off his gloves and unwrapping his hands. While he was focused, Gerard stared at him. He looked tough, but Gerard knew him well enough to know he wasn't. He was the softest. Yet the way he scowled when he concentrated could scare any stranger away. When he wasn't concentrating, though, he was cute. Gerard notices a lot of cute people, but Frank was unique.

He had spent the last month trying to convince himself he wasn't in love with Frank, but he wasn't fooling anyone. Especially not himself.

He knew he didn't have a chance with Frank, he was probably straight and attractive enough to have a girlfriend. That fact still didn't stop him from staying up at night thinking about him. Immature, he thinks. It was immature of him to be in love with a college sophomore he only saw an hour a day.

------

That weekend, Gerard drove both of them to the hotel where they were holding the tournament. They grabbed drinks, but only drinks since Frank was ashamed to eat in front of Gerard. He didn't say that though, he just said he "wasn't hungry."

He was ashamed to eat in front of anyone, but he was especially ashamed to eat in front of Gerard. He couldn't place why.

They saw the kids spar. One teenager got a bloody nose. Then they saw the adults do the exact same thing. Except without the bloody nose.

Gerard didn't want to break the boxers' concentration, so he whispered into Frank's ear.

"Notice," Frank could feel a chill down his spine. "Notice how he's moving. He's rocking and using his rhythm to his advantage. You should learn to do that too. Crazy how I was the one who taught him, huh?"

Frank nodded.

------

Soon the tournament was over, and Frank wasn't feeling too good. Gerard held Frank's forearm and traced his fingers across it. "Look, you're all hexed up. Are you hypoglycemic? When was the last time you ate?"

"Uh, I don't think I am. I ate a peanut butter sandwich last night."

"Christ, Frank! It's ten o'clock at night, and you're telling me you haven't eaten all day?!"

"I'm sorry."

"I'll walk you home and make you something to eat. You may faint at any second." Frank didn't doubt that.

They got to Frank's dorm, and hopefully his roomate, Ray, would be out with his band or whatever. But he wasn't.

Frank was losing consciousness at this point. Gerard grabbed the key that Frank had given him earlier and tried to unlock the door with one hand, since the other was wrapped around Frank's waist. Soon, Ray walked in the hallway. He noticed a guy he didn't know trying to get into his dorm, so obviously he was a little confused.

"Hey, what are you-" he noticed Frank. "Whoa, Frank?" He looked over at Gerard and said, "Did you drug him? Is he drugged?" Ray's older brother instincts kicked in.

"No, I'm just walking him home, I-"

"What business do you have walking him home? Do I know you? Does he know you?"

Frank was in and out now. He caught bits of the conversation, and tried to get himself to snap out of it.

Frank groggily said, "Ray, he's…." What was he going to say? This is kinda funny, he thought. He giggled. "He's my boyfriend." Frank kissed Gerard on the cheek. Gerard almost lost his cool. But he went along with it.

"Yeah. He hasn't eaten in a while and his blood sugar got a little low. I'm gonna make him some food."

Ray was dumbfounded. He didn't know Frank was gay, much less that he had a boyfriend.

"Uh, yeah. Go ahead. I'm gonna go out."

Gerard practically dragged Frank into the room. He handed Frank a box of cereal. "Here, eat this so you don't die. I'm gonna make you a sandwich." God, Gerard thought. His nerves were on fire. Burning beyond belief.

Frank shakily took the cereal, but he just couldn't eat it. "Gerard," he said in a serious tone. "I can't eat this."

"Why?"

Frank burst into tears. "I eat like a pig! Everyone who has ever seen me eat thinks of me that way! A dirty, greasy, fat pig!"

"Frank." Gerard said. He grabbed Frank's shoulder. "I've never thought of you that way. I really like you." Gerard immediately went red. Did he mean to say that?

Frank wiped his eyes. "Really? I'm not the biggest whale you've ever seen?"

"No! Of course not! Why would you even think that, Frank? You're not fat! And even if you were, I'd still like you!"

Frank looked down. "Thank you. I'm sorry."

Notes