THREE: Vanilla Down Your Throat

25: Jeez, Rothschild, Relax with All Your Money

Everyone sat in Gerard's living room a day later, all four boys and Lindsey sitting on the sofas as they discussed the way forward. They were all sipping on some of Frank's homemade lemonade, thinking quietly now that they all had time to acknowledge and accept what had happened the day prior.

Gerard looked at Frank, "Perhaps this is our chance to start completely anew, boy."

"How so, sir?"

"Somewhere else. Anywhere." He smiled as he sipped his drink.

"But where, sir?"

He sat up and set his glass down on a coaster, "It was meant to be a surprise for our anniversary, but I actually had bought us a second house. More of a vacation home, if you will. And I was going to surprise you with a trip in January."

"What?" Frank almost spat, his eyes widening as his heart nearly fell out of his chest, his internal brakes squealing as he slammed on them suddenly, "Where?!"

"California." Gerard smiled, "It's why I was so interested in politics there and why we actually went there on our business trip. I wanted to see if it was worth moving to a place where I could do more."

"So... So we have a house for ourselves?" Frank's voice wobbled, "J-Just us?"

Lindsey scoffed, "I can take a hint."

Frank laughed softly looking at her just briefly, unable to look away from a man who just admitted to buying a new house for them to share together, to start a new life together, "Sorry, Lin. But this is so exciting. I... A house. A house, dude. Like... A whole one. And not a small ass house in Tenafly that was always trying to kill me."

"Well, right now, it's still just a foundation and all, my boy. We only just finalized the plans when we were there."

"Is that where we'd move to, sir? Where in Cali?"

"Please don't move to L.A." Lindsey snorted as she got up to get some wine, "I won't be able to take you seriously."

"Luckily for my ex-wife, it's in San Fransisco, Hillsborough to be exact."

She whistled softly, "Jeez, Rothschild, relax with all your money."

Gerard rolled his eyes, "I'm allowed to spend the money I earned, and if I want to build a house in a safe town for my submissive and I, then I will. Besides, who are you to complain, you're getting this one."

She spat back into her drink this time and turned to stare at him, and Frank had to laugh softly when he caught the expression on her face. It was so weird to see her caught off guard to this extent, and it looked about as normal for her, as colors did on Ty. She wiped her chin quickly, "I, what?!"

Gerard smiled, standing up just in time as Lindsey let out a shriek and ran at him, hugging him with her entire body, wrapped around him like an anaconda. He laughed, stumbling, accepting the dozens of kisses to his face.

He eventually managed to pry Lindsey from him, smiling at her warmly, "The house is paid for already, we can put everything in your name."

She wiped her eyes and smiled, touching his cheek, "You are the most selfless man."

"You're not the one in the room who usually kisses my ass, why start now?" He grinned, earning a small slap and a scoff from his soon-to-be ex-wife. He turned to look at Frank, "Would you like some time to think this through?"

"Well..." Frank immediately began playing with his ring again nervously, he ran the ball of his tongue bar over his teeth as always, looking incessantly at his secondary Dom, his heart constricting with doubt and ill at ease. The idea of starting a new life, the idea of leaving the mayhem and secrecy behind just to finally be themselves across the country in such an amazing place like California was heartwarming. He couldn't deny that even for a moment, and he couldn't deny how much it excited him, but the very prospect of who they'd leave behind, it left a murky film over the clean slate he had been hoping for, and what's worse, is that the murkiness only distorted, it didn't completely cover. He could still see pink hair and black beanies from the other side, and it made his heart hurt. He turned to Gerard, "What about Ty and Josh?"

"What about us?" Ty looked at him, and it made Frank double-back, his head swiveling between both Dominants more times than a ball during Wimbledon.

"How would it work for all of us? Long-distance?" Frank asked, his immediate internal reaction was to intervene and put a big red 'X' on the plan if that was the case. He knew they would make it work somehow, but long-distance relationships tended to lose their sparkle, at least seventy percent of the time. That number was far too high for Frank to take the risk. There could be exceptions, of course, but would they be able to make it work? Frank also wondered whether or not Gerard was really ready to just leave his best friend and his secondary submissive behind so quickly. Would he just abandon them, too?

Ty sat up and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees to look at the fretful submissive, his face was always so painstakingly stoic and Frank cursed his Native heritage in moments like this. Ty could win millions of dollars with a pokerface like that, and Frank knew he didn't have a hope in trying to guess what was lurking under that tanned exterior. Ty tilted his head an inkling, scrutinizing Frank in a way that somehow made him feel naked despite being fully clothed, "Why would you think so, pixie?"

Josh turned to look at him now, too. He sipped his drink, remaining just as blank and impassive on the exterior, allowing the others to talk amongst themselves because he knew he didn't have permission to talk at that time. Frank could tell he was observing the entire interaction as he always did. Josh never liked to steal the spotlight, even when it was just the four of them, and even in a conversation like this, Frank was surprised at how little he had to say. Perhaps the other three had discussed this beforehand and Josh had already agreed with Ty. The thought had Frank teeming with anticipation as he looked at Ty, tapping his feet on the rug, "You're coming with us?"

"I made an oath fifteen years ago that wherever this man goes," He pointed his thumb at Gerard poignantly and then at himself, "I go."

"Then it's settled." Gerard raised his glass for the others to follow, "To our new start."