A Kiss and I Will Surrender

It's Not a Conversation if I'm the Only One Speaking

The afternoon dragged on until night rolled by and Gerard still hadn't said one word to Frank, despite both of them being in the same room the whole time. Frank had watched with interest as Gerard got out a sketchbook and had started sketching a picture of a rose, it was an amazing picture and Frank found himself getting lost in the beauty that was Gerard's art.

It was when Gerard slowly glanced sideways and noticed Frank gaping at him with an open mouth, that Frank decided to say something.

"That's really good, where'd you learn how to draw like that?" Frank got up from his own bed and started walking towards Gerard's bed on the other side of the room, Gerard snapped his book shut and looked up at Frank with distressed eyes. 

"Oh, okay, I'm sorry. I just thought it was a rad drawing." Frank returned to his bed, watching as Gerard's body relaxed slightly. 

"I'm going to get some snacks, do you want any?" Frank asked, stopping at the frame of the door to the basement. Gerard shook his head slowly, then returned to his drawing.

Frank wandered into the kitchen where Donna and Linda were making spaghetti, he realized he didn't actually need snacks anymore because they'd be eating soon anyway.

"Dinner will be ready in five minutes, please could you tell Gerard." Donna said, Frank nodded and walked back to the basement, opening the door he didn't remember closing.

"Hey Gerard, your mom said dinner's almost re-"

Gerard whipped his head up, his eyes wide when he saw Frank at the door. He rushed forward and slammed the door in Frank's face.

Frank just stood in the same place frozen, he had seen Gerard shirtless.

Clearly Gerard wasn't happy about it because of how angry he looked when he saw Frank. Although thinking back to the pale, pudgy skin, Frank didn't understand what Gerard was freaking out about because he looked gorgeous.

Gerard stood inside the room, heart racing furiously in his chest. Frank had caught him while he was in the middle of changing shirts and based on the way Frank's eyes grew big and his mouth dropped open just proved what Gerard was. Gerard quickly pulled on the shirt and a baggy sweater over it, making sure he'd calmed down enough. 

Frank scurried back to the kitchen and sat at the dining table where Mikey and Donald sat,  Frank was just waiting for dinner to be served and trying to just normal about everything. Donna and Linda placed the big dish of spaghetti on the table and passed around plates to everyone.

"Enjoy, boys." Donna said, taking a seat next to Linda. Gerard walked in without making a sound and sat down in the only open seat which happened to be next to Frank, but he never made eye contact with anyone and just kept his head down. 

Everyone dished up a big pile of spaghetti onto their plates and started digging in, but Frank noticed that Gerard had a tiny portion on his plate that was no bigger than a fist.

"This is really good, what did you do to make it taste different?" Donald asked, shoving a big forkful of spaghetti into his mouth.

"Frank's a vegetarian so we made vegetarian spaghetti." Linda explained, smiling at the fact that everyone was enjoying the food.

"So, Frank, your mom told me you like to play the guitar?" Donna chimed in.

"Yeah, I really want to be in a band when I'm older." Frank smiled, he really did like playing the guitar because it was the time he could be as wild and crazy as he wanted to. 

"That's nice. Mikey plays the bass sometimes, don't you?" Donna looked at Mikey, who had already finished his whole serving of spaghetti and was piling more onto his plate.

"Yeah, we should talk more about this some other time." Mikey grinned slightly at Frank, the only emotion Frank had seen him show the entire time.

"Gerard likes art and drawing." Donna said, looking at her other son who hadn't said a single word.

"I saw one of his drawings and it was so good, he's really talented." Frank noticed Gerard blush at what he had said. 

The dinner carried on and playful banter was exchanged between the two families although Gerard had been silent through it all, never once uttering a single word. 

Frank noticed that the food on Gerard's plate never went down at all, Gerard seemed to just move it around and look at it with squinted eyes. He clearly wasn't hungry, so Frank didn't understand why Gerard had even bothered to put food on his plate.

The dinner concluded and everyone was doing their own thing so Frank decided to take a look at some of the ancient books that were in the cottage's book shelf, and he relaxed on the couch after picking up a random book. It seemed to be some kind of book about different cheeses and Frank wasn't really absorbing the words in the book, that's when his concentration shifted to Donna talking to Gerard in the kitchen.

"Gerard, we talked about this. It needs to stop." Donna was whispering so Frank had to strain his ears to hear what she was saying. Gerard mumbled something that Frank couldn't understand and then Donna nodded and gave him a hug, whispering something into his ear.

Gerard walked away but as he passed Frank he gave him a strange look, almost like a glare. Frank didn't understand what was going on because Gerard was acting like Frank had done something wrong even though all he'd done was been friendly and tried to get to know Gerard.

Frank found himself just staring into fresh air contemplating his existence when he realized it was quite late so he started getting ready for bed. When he walked into the basement, Gerard was huddled by the closet and when he heard Frank enter he shoved something into his mouth and swallowed quickly. Frank tilted his head to the side, confused why Gerard had been so suspicious about whatever he was doing but Frank just ignored it and sauntered over to his bed.

The two lay in bed in the darkness in silence when Frank decided to try and say something again.

"I saw you had some band shirts, do you like The Misfits?"

Frank heard some shuffling then a small cough from Gerard, it was an adorable sound that Frank wanted to hear again but he kept that thought to himself.

"I'm just trying to talk to you, why don't you speak?" Frank turned on his side so he could see Gerard but he was lying with his back facing Frank.

"You know it's not a conversation if I'm the only one speaking." Frank let his arm dangle over the side of his bed, Gerard didn't reply although it was clear he was still awake.

Frank wasn't giving up, he refused to allow the whole Summer to be him trying to talk to Gerard who wouldn't speak no matter what.