title: Opportunity
pairing: Frank/Maxxie, Gerard/Tony, Frank/Gerard (unrequited)
rating: R
words: 900+
summary: Gerard liked to eat lunch alone, his sketchbook propped on the table next to his plastic-wrapped sandwich. He liked to watch people. He liked to watch Frank.
disclaimer: I don't own the MCR boys, and I don't own the Skins characters.
a/n: This is a crossover between My Chemical Romance and the British TV show Skins.
Tony is played by Nicholas Hoult, and
Maxxie is played by Mitch Hewer. In this universe, Frank and Gerard are at school with the Skins characters. Sort-of-spoilers for the Russia episode.
a/n 2: I didn't even know I wanted this crossover until someone requested it and it was seconded by a few other people. And then I couldn't resist. Because seriously, MCR + Skins = AWESOME.
Gerard liked to eat lunch alone, his sketchbook propped on the table next to his plastic-wrapped sandwich. He liked to watch people. He liked to watch Frank.
Frank had a tattoo of the Virgin Mary on his forearm, holding a heart in her hands and crying blood. Gerard thought it was beautiful. It wasn’t like tattoos he’d seen on other kids, of stars or dragons or butterflies. It looked like Frank had actually put some thought into his ink.
Gerard had a few sketches of it in his sketchbook, and an unfinished painting on an easel in his bedroom. He sat next to Frank in Psychology, and usually spent most of the lesson staring at Frank’s arm.
Gerard didn’t like Frank just for his tattoo, though; he was a genuinely nice guy, and he was also ridiculously pretty. Gerard knew girls who would kill for Frank’s eyebrows, and his eyes were a brilliant shade of hazel.
He had the idea in the back of his mind that one day, he would get up the courage to actually talk to Frank, as more than a nameless classmate. One day, he would talk to Frank, and they would become friends. One day, he would maybe ask Frank out on a date.
But one day, Maxxie got to him first.
“Hey, man,” Gerard heard him say, dropping his stuff on the bench next to where Frank sat, eating his lunch. “I noticed your tattoo today in class. Can I see it?”
That was a lie. Maxxie had done a drawing of Frank’s hands-of his tattoo-last month in art class. It was a good drawing, Gerard had thought. Good enough to suggest that Maxxie had been stalking Frank in the same way Gerard was, only he’d actually had the courage to turn the drawing in for their assignment.
“Oh, yeah, sure,” Frank replied obligingly, rolling his sleeve up to his elbow. “You’re Maxxie, right?”
“Yeah!” Maxxie said enthusiastically.
“I’m Frank.” Frank held out his other hand for Maxxie to shake.
“Cool, man, nice to meet you.”
By the next week, Maxxie and Frank were inseparable, and Gerard had seen them making out in the hallway between classes a total of six times. He figured he must be a glutton for punishment, though, because Gerard still sat in the same place, a table away from Frank’s usual spot, to watch him during lunch hour.
A week after that, Tony Stonem sat down next to him. Gerard stared at him.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, torn between awe and fear.
“Y’know,” Tony said smugly, “if you talk to him, he’ll probably fuck you. He’s kind of a slut like that, our Maxxie.”
“I’m not-”
“You look pretty miserable, mate.”
“No, it’s not that, it’s not Maxxie…” Gerard mumbled. He ducked his head, hiding his face behind his scraggly hair.
Tony put his elbows on the table and leaned in, peering through Gerard’s hair and giving him a knowing smirk. “Not Maxxie? Who is it, then?”
“What do you care?” Gerard asked. “Why are you even here?”
“I told you,” Tony replied, looking affronted. Gerard knew it wasn’t genuine; Tony had a reputation for not caring about anybody. “You look miserable.”
Tony nudged Gerard’s shoulder, grinning again. “It’s Frank, isn’t it? I can’t say I know him well, but I imagine he’d fuck you if you just talk to him.”
“He’s with Maxxie,” Gerard said sadly. “And he wouldn’t, he’s not like that.”
“Tell you a secret?”
This close up, Gerard could see why so many people fell in love with Tony. Even knowing it was all an act, Tony was remarkably irresistible. Gerard sighed and nodded. He couldn’t not.
“I’d fuck you, if you wanted.”
Gerard’s eyes widened, and he had to work hard not to let his jaw drop. “Aren’t you, like… afraid to be seen with me? Aren’t you with Michelle?”
Tony shrugged. “You’re not bad looking. You’re just weird.”
“Oh, thanks,” Gerard said bitterly, rolling his eyes.
“And Nips and I are on a break.”
Gerard rolled his eyes again. “What did you do?”
“Does it matter?” He paused, then said causally, “I slept with Maxxie.”
“Oh,” was all Gerard could think to say. He said it again: “Oh.”
“I told you, he’s kind of a slut. Wanna fuck, then?” Tony asked cheerfully. “C’mon, it’s a good opportunity for you.”
“Why would I…”
Tony leaned in again and nodded his head toward Maxxie and Frank. Frank was draped over Maxxie’s lap, their arms around each other, giggling about something.
“Because you can’t have him.”
Gerard watched as Frank curled his hand around Maxxie’s head, cupping his jaw, and pulled him in for an enthusiastic, playful kiss. Right there in the cafeteria, in front of everybody. In front of him. Gerard looked away, down at the table. He closed his sketchbook, which had been left blank today, anyway.
“Yeah, okay,” he finally replied.
Flashing Gerard his sideways grin, Tony stood up and slid a hand over Gerard’s shoulders. “I’ll ring you later.”
Gerard didn’t ask if Tony had his number. Tony had ways of finding out these things. He probably had every number in the school programmed into his mobile. If he was serious, he would call.
Gerard looked up and saw Tony heading back to where he usually sat, with Sid and Michelle and the rest of his gang. He didn’t want to admit it, not even to himself, but he hoped Tony would call.
fin.