Calibrations: Extras

Oneshot #6: Test Run

When he got home, Gerard found Frank on the porch, smoking a cigarette. "How's everything going?" he asked as he pressed a kiss to Frank's cheek.

"Much better now that you're here," Frank said with a slight smile. He put out his cigarette and then asked, "How does it feel to have a TV adaptation of your comic book?"

"It's like all of my dreams are coming true," Gerard said. He'd never imagined that the Umbrella Academy would get a TV adaptation, and he couldn't be more excited about seeing the world he'd created come to life. He stared into the distance for a moment, looking out over Los Angeles, and then he turned back toward his boyfriend. "I couldn't have done it without you, Frank."

"That's not true," Frank said. "You wrote the Umbrella Academy while you were married to Lindsey."

"But the comic's about us. It's about the whole band, really. You and me and Mikey and Ray and Bob...we were like a dysfunctional family back then."

"Except two of the 'family members' were hopelessly in love with each other."

Gerard laughed. "It was a really dysfunctional family, okay Frank?"

"Anyways, I can't wait to watch the show when it comes out," Frank said. "I'm sure it's going to be amazing. Just like you." All of a sudden, he glanced toward Gerard's wrist. He was wearing a fancy, high-tech watch, one that Frank was sure he'd never seen before. "Where'd you get that watch?" Frank asked.

Gerard smiled. "It's a time machine, actually," he said. "They gave it to me earlier today." The Watch had told him not to tell anyone, but he figured that he could tell his boyfriend. After all, Frank already knew about time travel, even if it was only because of his past self's indiscretion.

"Hey, look what it can do!" he exclaimed, eager to show Frank his favorite feature. Gerard pushed a button on the side of the watch, and it instantly transformed into a coffee mug.

"That's pretty rad," Frank said.

"I'm going to go get some coffee," Gerard said as he headed inside. "I haven't had any all day."

"Wait a second," Frank said as he followed Gerard into the kitchen. "You have a fucking time machine, and you're going to use it to drink coffee?!"

"I really like coffee," Gerard said. He poured some into his mug and then asked Frank, "Do you want any?"

"I'm good," Frank said. "I just don't get it. Why don't you use it to, I don't know, travel through time?"

"Why would I travel through time before I've had my coffee?"

Frank shrugged as Gerard downed his first cup of coffee. Just as he was about to pour himself another, Frank said, "Come on, Gerard. Don't you want to time travel?"

"I do, but I'm only allowed to use my time machine for research."

"That didn't stop you from saving me from that bus crash."

Gerard put the coffee maker down and paused to think. He wasn't Figment yet - 2019 was still a few years off - but this was Figment's time machine. His future self had used it to save Frank's life. Gerard thought of all the times he'd run into Figment over the years, from when he talked to him after the album release party to when he'd ridden in the Trans Am to last year, when he'd gone to Australia to rescue Frank from the crash. Figment hadn't used his time machine for research. He'd defied the Watch to save the man he loved, and soon, Gerard would do the same. In just a few short years, Gerard would become him.

"Maybe I should test out the time machine," Gerard decided. He looked toward Frank and smiled. "Would you like to join me?" he asked.

"Of course," Frank said as he took Gerard's hand.