Noise and Kisses- Chapter Three
Title: Noise and Kisses
Author: aurora_enkeli
Pairing: Gerard/Frank, Gerard/Bert
Rating: this chapter- PG13 [hard R/NC17 overall]
POV: Third person
Summary: A story of love and lust, pills and booze, goodbye’s and “fuck you”s- nothing stays the same forever.
Disclaimer: Among my few possessions, these lovely boys do not reside. Certain technicalities (e.g. time frame, chain of events) have been altered a little to suit my pervy mind.
Author Note: I’m still working out exactly how I want to portray certain characters but I’m getting there. Thanks, as always, to those who reviewed chapter two.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
- - -
The problem with not getting out of bed until three in the afternoon, Bert reckoned, was that everybody else is already going about their day. Not a single one of his band mates were to be found and Bert presumed that they were probably well on their way to getting wasted.
He padded groggily up the bus, wondering where he had tossed his jeans the previous night. Finding them draped over a pile of other clothes at the back of the bus, Bert hauled them on, getting his foot caught and falling over with a mumbled ‘shit’.
“Very graceful,” Quinn said, emerging up the bus steps. Bert simply looked up and glared through straggly locks of hair. “We’re hanging out by the My Chem. bus, you coming?”
Bert nodded, pulling himself up from the floor.
“Bert?” Quinn asked, pushing blond hair from his eyes as he looked through several cupboards, “where’s the J.D.?”
“Drank it,” Bert responded, pushing various bits of rubbish around in the hunt for a packet of cigarettes. He found one but, upon discovering it to be empty, threw it away with a huff.
“Fucker,” Quinn replied, shoving Bert playfully, “how was your blind date, by the way?” he asked with a grin, earning him a shove back.
“Funny,” Bert said sarcastically, finally finding a packet of cigarettes that wasn’t empty, “and it was cool.”
Bert lit a cigarette, making a point of blowing the smoke out at Quinn.
“Cool,” Quinn said, “I like those guys …and Brian seemed pretty set on getting you two talking,” he added, trying to gauge Bert’s reaction but getting nothing. “You coming then?” he asked finally. Bert shook his head, his mind having changed from his earlier answer and shoved his sunglasses on his face as he followed Quinn outside.
“I need coffee,” Bert told him, taking another drag of tobacco. He ran his hand through his hair, missing the slightly mischievous look that passed over Quinn’s face.
“Head across there,” Quinn said, pointing across the road towards a nearby high street, “there’s a Starbucks a few stores up.”
“Thank fuck,” Bert said, flicking the butt of his cigarette away and sliding his hand into Quinn’s back pocket.
“Hey!” Quinn protested, moving away too late. Bert took some money from Quinn’s wallet, grinning as he it back into Quinn’s pocket before kissing the guitarist on the cheek.
“Thanks!” Bert called over his shoulder, the promise of caffeine spurring him on.
- - -
The walk to Starbucks would have taken at least ten minutes longer than it actually did if Bert hadn’t been so willing to walk out in front of moving vehicles. After a short walk up the quiet street, he entered the establishment, sliding his sunglasses up onto his head as he ordered his usual black coffee.
“Bert!” he heard someone call from across the room. Assuming it was a fan that had recognized him, Bert’s face contorted into an indulgent smile as he turned around. Bert saw Gerard sitting at a table in the corner beside Frank who was motioning him over energetically. Nodding in recognition of their presence, Bert took his coffee from the counter, handing over his money before maneuvering around the other tables towards Gerard and Frank. It was only then that he noticed that Frank wasn’t sitting across the table from Gerard but was, in fact, sitting right beside him, so much so that Bert could have almost sworn that Frank was actually sitting on Gerard.
He quietly ‘hmm’-ed to himself and filed it away as very useful information.
“Hey, pull up a chair,” Frank said, waving casually at the empty table beside them. Bert did so, noticing the way Frank and Gerard were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder.
“How are you?” Gerard asked, his soft spoken, gentle tone a complete contrast to Frank’s energetic speech.
“Fine, as always, thanks,” Bert replied, taking a mouthful of his coffee and wincing as it burnt his tongue. “How are you two?”
“Good,” Frank replied quickly before Gerard could do any thing more than open his mouth. Instead of looking at Frank in annoyance, Gerard glanced softly through his dark lashes at him, a tender smile playing on his lips.
“Glad that our couple of days off are finished as of tomorrow, though,” Gerard added, finally looking away from Frank. Frowning, Frank rolled his eyes.
“Gerard doesn’t like having time off stage,” he said as Bert blew on his coffee, “attention whore,” Frank added, smiling at Gerard and playfully nudging his shoulder.
“I’m with Gerard,” Bert said, causing the other two to look around in slight surprise. Bert nearly snorted- nothing quite like being a third wheel. “I’m sick of all this fucking lying around, I can do that shit after playing a set, you know?” Bert took a mouthful of the now slightly cooled liquid.
“Exactly,” Gerard said, sitting forward with a hint of enthusiasm etched on his pale face, “everyone else is like ‘oh fuck yeah! A day off!’ I mean- what the hell does anyone do on a day off that they don’t do any other fucking day?”
“Reading my mind, Gerard,” Bert said with a grin, mock toasting Gerard with his mug. Gerard smiled back.
“Must be those wavelengths,” Gerard responded, his eyes locking with Bert’s across the table.
Bert wasn’t sure if they were staring at each other for seconds or minutes. All he knew was that the hazel was getting darker and the smile on Gerard’s lips was faltering even before Frank finally spoke.
“Wavelengths?” he asked. Bert snapped back to reality, seeing Frank looking between them with a look of confusion and something else that Bert couldn’t quite pinpoint.
“Just something I said yesterday,” Bert replied, watching Gerard frown and look out the window with a distant look in his eyes.
“Oh,” Frank said plainly, turning his gaze to Gerard and shuffling a little closer as if subtly reminding the vocalist that he was there. Gerard blinked a couple of times, eyes catching Bert’s very briefly before they fell to Frank. He smiled a little and Frank beamed back, seemingly satisfied with whatever the gesture had meant.
Bert watched the entire display with interest over the rim of his mug, taking a long mouthful of coffee.
“So,” Bert said, slamming down his mug and attempting to keep the mischievous look off his face, “the two of you…” he said, clasping his hands under his chin and leaning forward across the table. A light blush began to creep over Gerard’s pale cheeks as Frank raised an eyebrow, leaning forward to copy Bert’s position.
“What about us?” he countered cheekily. Gerard shook his head in amusement, content to lean back in his chair and watch the exchange.
“Are you guys fucking?” Bert asked, making absolutely no pretence at subtlety. Gerard spluttered indignantly but Frank simply smirked.
“Not at this exact moment,” he replied, eyeing Gerard slyly, “but probably later,” Frank winked, sitting back and letting his hand fall onto Gerard’s thigh.
“Is he your boyfriend?” Bert asked before downing the last of his coffee. Frank and Gerard shook their heads in unison, nearly causing Bert to choke on his coffee.
“Nope,” Frank said simply, “he’s just …my Gerard,” he finished. Bert heard, and saw, the hint of pride in Frank’s words. Bert nodded in understanding before Gerard spoke up.
“We were getting ready to head back to the others,” Gerard said, “you coming with?” he asked, turning his focus to Bert.
“Yup,” he said, standing up slowly, “I thought you guys were already with them from what Quinn said,” Bert added, gesturing for Gerard and Frank to walk in front of him.
“We wanted some peace before the madness the evening will probably bring,” Gerard said, walking closer to Frank than needs dictated.
“Makes sense,” Bert replied, his eyes drifting down Gerard’s back. His gaze snapped back up quickly as Frank turned around, holding the door open for Bert. Bert thanked him before reaching into his pocket and taking out his cigarettes.
Frank had already sped on ahead, spotting someone or other from some band or another that he knew and wanted to talk to, leaving Bert and Gerard alone. Wordlessly, Bert held out his packet of cigarettes to Gerard who took one with a nod of thanks.
“You and Frank aren’t exclusive?” Bert asked after lighting up and handing Gerard the lighter.
“Nope,” Gerard replied, handing Bert his lighter back, “why?” he asked with a frown. Bert shrugged, walking a bit quicker in order to hide his smirk from Gerard.
“Just asking.”
Author: aurora_enkeli
Pairing: Gerard/Frank, Gerard/Bert
Rating: this chapter- PG13 [hard R/NC17 overall]
POV: Third person
Summary: A story of love and lust, pills and booze, goodbye’s and “fuck you”s- nothing stays the same forever.
Disclaimer: Among my few possessions, these lovely boys do not reside. Certain technicalities (e.g. time frame, chain of events) have been altered a little to suit my pervy mind.
Author Note: I’m still working out exactly how I want to portray certain characters but I’m getting there. Thanks, as always, to those who reviewed chapter two.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
- - -
The problem with not getting out of bed until three in the afternoon, Bert reckoned, was that everybody else is already going about their day. Not a single one of his band mates were to be found and Bert presumed that they were probably well on their way to getting wasted.
He padded groggily up the bus, wondering where he had tossed his jeans the previous night. Finding them draped over a pile of other clothes at the back of the bus, Bert hauled them on, getting his foot caught and falling over with a mumbled ‘shit’.
“Very graceful,” Quinn said, emerging up the bus steps. Bert simply looked up and glared through straggly locks of hair. “We’re hanging out by the My Chem. bus, you coming?”
Bert nodded, pulling himself up from the floor.
“Bert?” Quinn asked, pushing blond hair from his eyes as he looked through several cupboards, “where’s the J.D.?”
“Drank it,” Bert responded, pushing various bits of rubbish around in the hunt for a packet of cigarettes. He found one but, upon discovering it to be empty, threw it away with a huff.
“Fucker,” Quinn replied, shoving Bert playfully, “how was your blind date, by the way?” he asked with a grin, earning him a shove back.
“Funny,” Bert said sarcastically, finally finding a packet of cigarettes that wasn’t empty, “and it was cool.”
Bert lit a cigarette, making a point of blowing the smoke out at Quinn.
“Cool,” Quinn said, “I like those guys …and Brian seemed pretty set on getting you two talking,” he added, trying to gauge Bert’s reaction but getting nothing. “You coming then?” he asked finally. Bert shook his head, his mind having changed from his earlier answer and shoved his sunglasses on his face as he followed Quinn outside.
“I need coffee,” Bert told him, taking another drag of tobacco. He ran his hand through his hair, missing the slightly mischievous look that passed over Quinn’s face.
“Head across there,” Quinn said, pointing across the road towards a nearby high street, “there’s a Starbucks a few stores up.”
“Thank fuck,” Bert said, flicking the butt of his cigarette away and sliding his hand into Quinn’s back pocket.
“Hey!” Quinn protested, moving away too late. Bert took some money from Quinn’s wallet, grinning as he it back into Quinn’s pocket before kissing the guitarist on the cheek.
“Thanks!” Bert called over his shoulder, the promise of caffeine spurring him on.
- - -
The walk to Starbucks would have taken at least ten minutes longer than it actually did if Bert hadn’t been so willing to walk out in front of moving vehicles. After a short walk up the quiet street, he entered the establishment, sliding his sunglasses up onto his head as he ordered his usual black coffee.
“Bert!” he heard someone call from across the room. Assuming it was a fan that had recognized him, Bert’s face contorted into an indulgent smile as he turned around. Bert saw Gerard sitting at a table in the corner beside Frank who was motioning him over energetically. Nodding in recognition of their presence, Bert took his coffee from the counter, handing over his money before maneuvering around the other tables towards Gerard and Frank. It was only then that he noticed that Frank wasn’t sitting across the table from Gerard but was, in fact, sitting right beside him, so much so that Bert could have almost sworn that Frank was actually sitting on Gerard.
He quietly ‘hmm’-ed to himself and filed it away as very useful information.
“Hey, pull up a chair,” Frank said, waving casually at the empty table beside them. Bert did so, noticing the way Frank and Gerard were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder.
“How are you?” Gerard asked, his soft spoken, gentle tone a complete contrast to Frank’s energetic speech.
“Fine, as always, thanks,” Bert replied, taking a mouthful of his coffee and wincing as it burnt his tongue. “How are you two?”
“Good,” Frank replied quickly before Gerard could do any thing more than open his mouth. Instead of looking at Frank in annoyance, Gerard glanced softly through his dark lashes at him, a tender smile playing on his lips.
“Glad that our couple of days off are finished as of tomorrow, though,” Gerard added, finally looking away from Frank. Frowning, Frank rolled his eyes.
“Gerard doesn’t like having time off stage,” he said as Bert blew on his coffee, “attention whore,” Frank added, smiling at Gerard and playfully nudging his shoulder.
“I’m with Gerard,” Bert said, causing the other two to look around in slight surprise. Bert nearly snorted- nothing quite like being a third wheel. “I’m sick of all this fucking lying around, I can do that shit after playing a set, you know?” Bert took a mouthful of the now slightly cooled liquid.
“Exactly,” Gerard said, sitting forward with a hint of enthusiasm etched on his pale face, “everyone else is like ‘oh fuck yeah! A day off!’ I mean- what the hell does anyone do on a day off that they don’t do any other fucking day?”
“Reading my mind, Gerard,” Bert said with a grin, mock toasting Gerard with his mug. Gerard smiled back.
“Must be those wavelengths,” Gerard responded, his eyes locking with Bert’s across the table.
Bert wasn’t sure if they were staring at each other for seconds or minutes. All he knew was that the hazel was getting darker and the smile on Gerard’s lips was faltering even before Frank finally spoke.
“Wavelengths?” he asked. Bert snapped back to reality, seeing Frank looking between them with a look of confusion and something else that Bert couldn’t quite pinpoint.
“Just something I said yesterday,” Bert replied, watching Gerard frown and look out the window with a distant look in his eyes.
“Oh,” Frank said plainly, turning his gaze to Gerard and shuffling a little closer as if subtly reminding the vocalist that he was there. Gerard blinked a couple of times, eyes catching Bert’s very briefly before they fell to Frank. He smiled a little and Frank beamed back, seemingly satisfied with whatever the gesture had meant.
Bert watched the entire display with interest over the rim of his mug, taking a long mouthful of coffee.
“So,” Bert said, slamming down his mug and attempting to keep the mischievous look off his face, “the two of you…” he said, clasping his hands under his chin and leaning forward across the table. A light blush began to creep over Gerard’s pale cheeks as Frank raised an eyebrow, leaning forward to copy Bert’s position.
“What about us?” he countered cheekily. Gerard shook his head in amusement, content to lean back in his chair and watch the exchange.
“Are you guys fucking?” Bert asked, making absolutely no pretence at subtlety. Gerard spluttered indignantly but Frank simply smirked.
“Not at this exact moment,” he replied, eyeing Gerard slyly, “but probably later,” Frank winked, sitting back and letting his hand fall onto Gerard’s thigh.
“Is he your boyfriend?” Bert asked before downing the last of his coffee. Frank and Gerard shook their heads in unison, nearly causing Bert to choke on his coffee.
“Nope,” Frank said simply, “he’s just …my Gerard,” he finished. Bert heard, and saw, the hint of pride in Frank’s words. Bert nodded in understanding before Gerard spoke up.
“We were getting ready to head back to the others,” Gerard said, “you coming with?” he asked, turning his focus to Bert.
“Yup,” he said, standing up slowly, “I thought you guys were already with them from what Quinn said,” Bert added, gesturing for Gerard and Frank to walk in front of him.
“We wanted some peace before the madness the evening will probably bring,” Gerard said, walking closer to Frank than needs dictated.
“Makes sense,” Bert replied, his eyes drifting down Gerard’s back. His gaze snapped back up quickly as Frank turned around, holding the door open for Bert. Bert thanked him before reaching into his pocket and taking out his cigarettes.
Frank had already sped on ahead, spotting someone or other from some band or another that he knew and wanted to talk to, leaving Bert and Gerard alone. Wordlessly, Bert held out his packet of cigarettes to Gerard who took one with a nod of thanks.
“You and Frank aren’t exclusive?” Bert asked after lighting up and handing Gerard the lighter.
“Nope,” Gerard replied, handing Bert his lighter back, “why?” he asked with a frown. Bert shrugged, walking a bit quicker in order to hide his smirk from Gerard.
“Just asking.”