Latter Day Sinner

Chapter 12

"So what's the deal?" Cooter asked one morning. They were finishing up band practice one Monday afternoon, and the aforementioned guitarist was draped across a lawn chair. Frank looked up, arching his eyebrows.

"The uh, the deal?" he asked uncertainly. Cooter nodded and sat up properly, looking at him intently.

"Yeah. Where are you these days? You haven't hung out with us outside of band practice in like...like a month," Cooter continued, waving a hand. Frank shared a concerned look with Mia who, helpfully as ever, just gave a little shrug in response.

Frank sighed, putting his guitar back in its case and looked back at Cooter.

"I've just been busy, that's all," he said gently. It wasn't untrue. He had been busy. He'd been busy cuddling with his not-quite boyfriend.
Although, in the week since their talk, there hadn't been much of that either. But in essence, that's what he'd been doing.

"Too busy for your friends?" Cooter asked sharply.
Mia, thankfully, came to his rescue then, standing up and standing between them.

"Guys, guys, come on. Frank has his reasons, I'm sure," she cooed. Frank nodded and smiled at her.
At that point, though, even Damien cut in with a little shrug and a reluctant tone.

"I mean...Frankie...you haven't been around much," he pointed out, his voice soft, but accusatory nonetheless. Frank looked to Mia again for help – but she was looking at him with a sort of sheepish expression, too. In fact, all of his friends were. They looked irritated, but also genuinely hurt.
He swallowed hard, feeling guilt stirring in his stomach.

"I...I'm real sorry, guys. I didn't realise that I was-" he shook his head, biting his lip.
"I'm sorry. Let's do something this weekend, huh?" he suggested. He didn't miss the way the group looked at each other, as if they were silently debating on whether or not to accept the apology. While that hurt, he knew he didn't deserve any less.

"I guess so," Cooter said eventually with a flippant one-armed shrug. Frank smiled a little and nodded, tugging his bag over his shoulder.

"That's great. Thanks, guys. I promise I won't blow it," he grinned.

It was at that point that he glanced up and made eye contact with Daniel who, he noticed, had a faint shadow over one eye, the skin swollen and irritated. Frank frowned, looking at him intently until the other boy looked up. When he realised Frank was looking at him, he blushed and averted his eyes. Something about the (albeit brief) interaction made Frank deeply uncomfortable, a nervous, twisting feeling in his stomach. He made a mental note to mention it to him if he chance – which, at that time he didn't. Almost as soon as their eyes averted, Daniel stammered a general goodbye and stormed out of the garage
Nobody but Frank seemed to find it odd.

Frank wasn't looking for an excuse to go see Gerard – but he certainly wasn't complaining when he had one. Frank walked to Gerard's house with a strong feeling of anticipation which, embarrassingly, he felt often when it came to Gerard. It wasn't just the tension between them that got him excited (although, it certainly didn't diminish the feeling); but the knowledge that, in a few moments, Frank would be able to actually see him.
That, at least, was something to get excited about, as far as Frank was concerned.

He arrived in the late afternoon, the sun just about dipping behind the soft, hazy clouds that slipped lazily along the horizon.
Gerard was, to Frank's surprise, already sitting just outside his house, leaning against the front door with a cigarette hanging from between his full lips.
Frank raised an eyebrow in surprise as he approached, watching as Gerard smoked with ease.