The Chasing of Moons

Compromise

"Gerard," Frank says flatly, looking down at him as Brendon pushes him over to the booth where he's sitting.

"So, like, we have to go... study the architecture of the outside of this restaurant," Brendon says, grabbing Pete, who's looking at Mikey like he's a briefcase full of money, and dragging him away.

"See you," Mikey says, waving at Gerard who looks incredibly pissed.

"They lured you here on the promise of ice cream too, didn't they?" Frank asks, looking at the bowl in front of Gerard, which looks bland in comparison to Frank's bowl of cavities.

"I figured they'd do the same to you," Gerard groans, "but I fell for it anyway."

"The breakup blues," Frank sighs, sliding into the booth on the opposite side as Gerard. Gerard's tucked away to the wall because he's been making room for Mikey, who's not here anymore. Frank's sure if he were to look out the window he'd see four people staring at them and waiting for them to make out. "It demands ice cream."

"It wasn't really a breakup," Gerard says, "We were never really together."

"Then how come I feel like shit?" Frank asks, "I mean, I've never had a real boyfriend before, and I still apparently haven't. I've never even dated anyone I liked. I've only ever dated girls, and I wasn't really dating them anyway. It's not dating if you just can't find yourself attracted to them."

"I don't wanna hear about it," Gerard tells him.

"You're mad at me?" Frank asks, already knowing the answer.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't mean much," Gerard replies.

"Well, I see it this way," Frank says, "I'm asking too much out of you, and you're asking too little. There's not much of a compromise that isn't going to piss one of us off and make this relationship miserable," Frank says.

"So what are you saying then? If one of us will inevitably be drawing the short straw, than what's the point of us making up?"

"There isn't a point," Frank says. "That's what I'm saying. Whatever either of us do, it'll piss the other off which will make us fight again, and there's no way for this to ever work itself out, because you don't care enough about me to ever consider a real relationship with me, and I care too much about you to settle with a relationship that's going to end soon anyway."

"I never said I don't care about you."

"You didn't fight very hard when I asked you if you did care though," Frank responds.

"You were putting me on the spot. You were basically asking me for a proposal, and I'm eighteen, I can't give you that. I've still got most of my life ahead of me, I can't just tell you something that may not be true."

"You're putting words in my mouth. I never asked you for a proposal," Frank says.

"You asked me for an assurance that I cannot give you."

"Well let me ask you this," Frank says, "Do you think there's any potential of you liking someone else more than you like me in the next year?"

"What? I... no!" Gerard says.

"So you like me more than you think you could like someone else right now. Then why is it so hard to tell me that you don't want this to end as soon as things change a little bit," Frank asks.

"Because I don't know what I want," Gerard replies.

"I do know what I want," Frank says, "I want you. I don't know what career I want, or where I want to live, or if I want to have an electric or gas stove, but I know one thing, and that is that I want you. I don't care about the other shit, I'm willing to compromise on just about anything if it means I'm going to be given the chance to have a shot with you."