Bestfriends (Frerard)

Chapter 20

Oscar was stuffed unceremoniously next to Melissa as she strapped her seat belt around her, glancing at her Dad with pure happiness, like always(except for the rare occasion when she wasn't). "Everybody liked Oscar!" She exclaimed, turning to her side in an awkward position to pet the head of her dolphin. Gerard doesn't say it, but seeing it brings on a wave of uselessness and desperation. It feels like that day was so long ago...when Gerard had lifted Mel up on his shoulders and Lindsey told him to stop acting stupid.

Next, his mind wandered on to Frank and Alex and Gerard thinks about the first time he held him. He'd felt all weird and fuzzy, just like whenever he held Melissa, and he was scared. Scared as hell. He thought he would drop Alex and kill him- just like when he held Melissa. So, he gave him back after literally only about 3 seconds of holding his bestfriend's son.

Frank chuckled a little and asked him what was wrong and Gerard had just shook his head. He didn't talk as much as now when someone asked him a serious question like that. Frank had stared at him and opened his mouth to say something but then his phone went off.

"That's awesome!" Gerard smiled at her through the mirror and she giggled before telling him about the highlights of her day. Once home, Gerard instructs Melissa to do her homework and that he's thinking about ordering Chinese food for dinner. "Yes! Please?" She pokes out her bottom lip and stands on her tip toes while clasping her hands together in front of her.

Gerard pokes his lip out too and she laughs before skipping down the hall to her room. Gerard takes a shower and then helps Melissa with her homework. After that, he's painting again and them grabs his phone to call Frank. "Hey, baby." Frank answers and Gerard blushes. Jesus. When will he get over this? He's a grown man...

"Hey. I was painting and I used the color orange...and then I thought about your lighter. Did you see I left it on the counter?" Gerard sits back on his legs. He can hear Frank giggling. "I was painting and I used the color orange and then thought about your lighter." Frank repeats. Gerard laughs quietly this time.

"It's things like that that makes me love you."

"Good. If it was based solely on looks we wouldn't be together." "What do you mean? You look perfect." Frank sounds like he's actually really confused. "Yeah, because my stomach is perfect." Gerard scoffs, sitting back up to continue painting. "I think it is." Frank replies and the line goes silent. "I love the way you look. You're my definition of perfect. You in all your pale and beautiful glory."

"Mngh." Gerard whines when he says pale.

"To answer your question though, yes. I have it and I used it already." "Stop smoking." Gerard sighs. "You don't tell me what to do." Frank teases. "Mngh." Gerard says again and then stops painting.

"Hey. Remember when you said I could talk to you...tell you everything? Remember that day?" "Yeah."

Gerard rubs the heel of his palm into his thigh and licks his lips. "Can I take you up on that?"

"Wha-Of course, babe. Why would you even ask?"

Gerard shrugs but then remembers Frank can't see it. "Because you're busy with things." He whispers. Then, he feels so stupid for even bringing it up. Sure. Let Gerard complain about what a pathetic piece of shit he is to Frank, who's dealing with something bigger than Gerard's words. "Never mind."

"No. I hate when you do that." Frank says almost as if he's admonishing Gerard (he probably is). "Sorry." "Gerard." Frank groans. He doesn't say anything and then he hears Frank move around. "You can talk to me whenever you want, okay? I can come over if you want." "No! No, you don't have to do that." "Well, now I want to because I want to cuddle with you."