fluorescent adolescent
Frank has never been able to talk to girls. Heck, Frank can’t even talk to people. At lunch; he always just grabs his shit and sits alone. He kind of sucks at making friends and at a school were people are obsessed with their image and reputations, no-one's going hang out with that weird, short punk kid who sometimes wears pink eye-liner.
Jamia is probably the prettiest girl he has ever seen. She wears her short, dark hair in those cute little bunches that she ties with baby blue ribbon and she’s always smiling or giggling. So, sometimes he sits on her table. They’ve all just learnt to ignore him and Frank's given up on trying to talk to her because every time he does, his throat closes up and he can't get his words out.
'Are you in like, special ed?' Jamia had asked the last time.
Yeah? So, no. He tries to keep all human interaction to a minimum.
*
The locker room is noisy, steamy and really smelly. Frank fucking hates the amount of testosterone saturating the air. He doesn't care about dick sizes or whose tits whoever got to see. He just wants to shower, get dressed and get the fuck out of there.
He’s tying his shoe laces and is just about to get his bag and leave when the whole room goes quiet for a moment then everyone starts wolf-whistling.
'Daaamn...'
'How you doin'?'
'I would tap that over and over and over...'
Frank looks up from doing a bunny ear to see leather covered legs. He frowns and raises his head higher. Standing in front of him is a girl, probably in her twenties in some sort of leather jumpsuit. Her hair is long, kind of messy, and orange with bits of blonde at the bottom. Frank isn't even looking at her face. It's just that her outfit. It's um. It's really tight and the zip on the tiny little jacket is low enough for him to get an eye-full of boob. She leans down into him and Frank has to resist the urge of just sticking his face in them.
'Frank Iero. Your country needs you,' she whispers urgently in her ear.
In the background he can hear confused chatter.
'What the hell, lady. Who are you?' Frank replies.
He knows not to trust anyone. He's been trained to.
She rolls her eyes.
'Just come with me kid,' she says before bunching her hands in his shirt and dragging him behind her.
The boys all whistle loudly, clap and bang onto the lockers. Frank would totally wave and like, bask in it if he wasn't fucking stunned, confused and kind of excited because oh my God - tight leather and boobs that are not on his computer screen.
*
She drags him out of school and into the back of this big black van. She just throws him in and yells at the driver to go.
'Is this him?' A short dude with glasses, side burns and a hat asks the girl, frowning.
'Oh yeah. Kids are like, the new black, dude. I bet he could kill you with his eyes closed. Go on, poke him on the head, he'd snap your fucking finger off,' another guy says - slightly taller with styled dark hair and a really fucking goofy grin.
Frank looks around. Both sides of the van are clattered with monitors, head phones, like, a million buttons and all this other gadgety shit that he is so not in the right mind-set to try and figure out.
'Ok. What is this? Who are you and what do you want from me?' Frank asks, his eyes darting from one face to the other.
'I cannot reveal more than that your country needs you, Agent Iero. It is vital you come with us,' the girl says.
Agent fucking Iero. Oh God. It can't finally be his first mission.
'Can you at least tell me who you are?' Frank asks frowning.
'I'm Agent Williams but Hayley will do, and this is Agent Stump and Agent Wentz-'
'-soon to be Stump-Wentz,' Agent Wentz says, 'but actually, that'd be kind of confusing...'
'We're just Pete,' Agent Stump says pointing to Agent Wentz, 'and Patrick kid,'
Frank nods his eyes huge. He would be smiling stupidly if he wasn't so stupidly overwhelmed. He wants to stand up and touch everything, just so he can know it's real and that he isn't imagining it all or like, dreaming.
'Are. Is this. Am I going on my first mission?' Frank asks almost whispering.
Pete grins some more and smacks Frank on the back, 'Yeah, little dude! They want you to bust this evil scie-'
Hayley stamps on his toes and Pete shrieks. She has no sympathy.
'Your country needs you, Agent Iero. It is vital you come with us. It is not up to me or anyone else,' she looks at Pete, 'in this van to disclose vital information. We are nearly at HQ anyway. The commander will brief you there.'
Behind her, Pete is glaring while Patrick strokes his hair and quickly kisses him on the forehead.
*
Frank thinks the van is impressive so when he sees headquarters he is gob-smacked. The place is all white, silver and glass. There are men in either black suits or white lab coats walking around and looking very busy. Frank can't wait to be one of them. He wouldn't mind wearing one of those leather suits Hayley has.
'Hey, since we're like, partners; do you think you could hook me up with one of those jumpsuits. They look kickass,' Frank asks her.
Hayley immediately stops and puts a hand on his shoulder.
'Agent Iero, I am not your partner. Handler, not partner.'
Frank frowns and they continue walking.
*
'Donald Way,' Commander Schechter says and a picture of him appears onto the interactive whiteboard.
Way has greying dark brown hair, in the picture he is wearing an expensive looking suit and some sun-glasses. The picture appears to be either a still from a CCTV camera or taken secretly. He is walking with a couple of large men.
'Fifty-three. His wife died unexpectedly of a heart-attack three years ago. She left him with two sons: Gerard Way, seventeen and Michael Way, fifteen.
'Way is a scientist, deeply involved in oil. One of the top dogs in the industry and has over ten million in his bank account.
'Lately, Agent Iero, there has been suspicious activity at his mansion. Way has been receiving a large amount of packages and deliveries, this is where we need you. We do not know what is going on as we have failed to intercept said packages. It is vital for us to find out. We need to keep an eye on these rich powerful men as they have proven to be able to do anything, Agent I.'
'Awesome,' Frank says leaning forward and resting his elbows on the glass table in front of him, 'you want me to go in there, kick his ass a little and get him to confess?'
Hayley snorts.
'Uh, no, Agent Iero. That will not be necessary,' Commander Schechter says.
'Well, what do you need me to do then?'
'You need to get close to one of the boys - Gerard Way as he is the same age as you. For that to be possible you will be attending his school from tomorrow on and we have put you in every one of his classes.'
Frank nods.
'Hang on. What do you mean by ‘close’? How 'close' do you want me to get to him?'
'Close enough for him to invite you to the mansion, Agent Iero. You need to get in so you can break into the lab and have a look around.'
Frank scratches the back of his neck and fidgets a little in his seat.
'You don't like. Want me to date him or anything?'
'Whatever it takes, Agent I. This is a matter of government security. So, whatever it takes.'
'I understand that but just to be clear, you know. You know I’m not. I'm not. Um -'
Schechter puts his palms flat on the table and leans forward into Frank's bubble.
'You don't have to be anything, kid. This is a mission. You do what you are told. Understood?' he says, low and quiet.
Frank grunts but nods anyway.
'Understood.'
*
Hayley takes Frank to be given his uniform.
'When you said uniform, this is not what I had in mind,' Frank says holding up a dark blue blazer with the St Bernard’s school logo on it.
'Sorry, kid. We all have to start somewhere,' Hayley replies shrugging.
She hands him two tiny cameras to pin onto his blazer, the latest sidekick, a microphone and an ear-piece.
'Woah. Is that my ride?' Frank asks, ogling a black Ferrari.
'No, this is your ride,' Hayley says handing him a skateboard.
'A skateboard? I can drive y'know...' Frank says looking very unimpressed.
'This is what I was told to give to you. It has like, the same horse-power as most cars anyway. Brendon also said something about it hovering. I think the thing can float if you want it to. Or. Something.'
'Cool, I suppose.'
'Yeah, this is all you're going to need. You’re all set.'
“Okay, awesome.'
Hayley looks at Frank, her expression serious. She lowers he voice.
'You ready, Agent Iero?'
'Yeah. Yeah, I am.'
*
'Honey, a prep school?' Linda asks, furrowing her eyebrows.
'Yeah, they gave me a scholarship. It's all sorted, you don't have to worry.'
'But, Frank. You don't even like God. What's going on?'
'Nothing. Just. It's a good school. They've offered me a place and I start tomorrow.'
Linda doesn't know what to say. There are all these thoughts running through her head. They aren't really a religious family. She's not sure why her son suddenly wants to go to a private catholic school... which is on the other side of town.
'Oh,' she says.
*
Frank's getting kind of used to the van. Patrick has told him sternly not to touch anything and not to listen to Pete. Hayley just sort of stands there looking pissed and bored while Pete sings along - really loudly which would be okay if it wasn't so bad - to whatever is playing on his iPod while trying to grope Patrick.
Frank is really psyched to be actually working on something now. His heart is beating super fast and he's just thrumming. He'd agreed way back when he was fifteen to be trained when an Agent had come up to him in the middle of comic book store. Now at seventeen, he is totally ready for this shit.
The van comes to a sudden but steady halt and Frank gets ready to be let out. Hayley double checks he's got all his shit and gives him a sheet of paper.
'As Schechter already told you, we've put you in all of Gerard's classes. This has your schedule, room numbers and a small map of the school.'
'You've put him in all of the kid's classes,' Pete says with an amused smile, 'Is that not kind of... creepy?'
Patrick shrugs.
'Creepy is kind of what we do, dude.'
Hayley slides the door open and Frank is just about to step out when she puts a hand on his shoulder. She leans into him and looks him in the eye.
'Frank, just be careful okay? If something happens, we're only a couple ‘a feet away. Oh and I also forgot to give you this,'
She hands him a brown paper bag. Frank looks inside and grins at the sandwich wrapped in cling-film, an apple and a fruit juice.
'Peanut butter and jelly, made it myself. Heard you were a veggie,' she says smiling - oh God, she actually isn't a robot - a little.
'Awesome!'
Frank would like, hug her but this is still Hayley. He doesn't want to get slapped.
'Be careful, kid,' she says patting him on the back.
She looks really pretty like this. The sun is making her orange hair glossy and soft-looking; she even looks soft and friendly. Frank had never noticed her eyes. They are this amber-green colour that looks really good on her. He smiles to himself.
Behind her, Pete and Patrick give him thumbs up. He steps out and they close the van door behind him.
*
The school isn't that much different from his old one. Yes, the kids here have to wear uniform and their parents are filthy rich and are dropping them off in expensive cars that probably cost more than Frank's house. Hell, the older kids are driving fucking cool, costly cars. But it's still a school. There's still a shit load of noise, balls being thrown around, the odd rebel smoking in the corner. It's just a school. Frank can totally handle this.
He has seven minutes before his first class - Creative Writing. Frank easily finds the room and enters.
'I'm in, guys,' he whispers into the tiny microphone pinned to the collar of his shirt.
He knows they can see and hear everything anyway but he's always wanted to say that so.
Frank thinks he's pretty good at creative writing. He puts a lot of thought into his poems and short stories. Generally, they are all kind of angry but pretty good. His teachers tend to frown as they read over it and look genuinely concerned. Frank thinks his shit is top fucking banana. He's maybe thinking of starting a band just so he can sing his lyrics and share them with the world. Fuck yeah.
He immediately spots Gerard towards the back of the room with is feet up on the desk reading an issue of Hellboy. His black, messed up hair is in face - obscuring Frank's view of him a little but he knows who this kid is. He's spent ages being told about his favourite ice-cream flavour - mint choc chip, his favourite book- Catcher in the Rye, his favourite bands - Iron Maiden, the Misfits, Metallica, his favourite drink - coffee, black, two sugars.
He takes a couple of deep breaths and reminds himself that he can do this. That's why they chose him. Frank is small, flexible, daring and kind of crazy. Toughest kid in America can totally do this shit.
Frank is super-hyped; he can feel his heart beating in his throat. All this evil genius shit is like something out of a fucking comic. He's so ready to be the hero.
There's an empty space next to Gerard so he goes to sit there.
''s taken. Sit somewhere else,' Gerard says without even looking up.
Frank ignores him and sits anyway.
'You're Gerard, right?' Frank asks cocking his head to the side.
Gerard lowers his book, looks at Frank and raises an eyebrow. Frank waits for him to say something but he doesn't. Gerard just looks at him.
'Well, I'm Frank.'
He thinks about offering his hand but then decides that stopped being cool ages ago and it's kind of clammy anyway.
'Cute. You must be new, never seen you around before.'
Gerard's voice is kind of nasally. Frank can't help but wonder what it'd be like to hear him sing. He sounds like he'd have a really cool, smoky voice, good to listen to. Frank can't also stop staring at Gerard's lips as he talks - pink and soft-looking. Frank starts to wonder if they are as soft as looks. He thinks maybe this whole gay thing wouldn't be such a bad idea. If he could just move forward a little and-
'Hey. Hey, new kid? Frank? Hello-oh?'
Frank is literally snapped out of his thoughts by someone repeatedly clicking their fingers directly in front of his face.
'You're in his seat.'
Frank looks up to where Gerard is signalling and there's this tall, burly blonde dude with a beard - a fucking beard, Frank barely has like, armpit hair. He nearly decks himself while scrambling to get out of the fucking seat.
'Sorry,' he says quickly grabbing his backpack.
He goes and sits in a far corner. As far as he can from Way.
'What the hell, kid?!' Hayley says through the ear-piece.
Frank doesn't reply because he doesn't know. He really doesn't fucking know.
*
The next day, Gerard completely ignores Frank. During lunch, Frank tries to ollie on his skateboard but fails because he hasn't been able to do anything other than roll since he was thirteen. The big blonde dude laughs really loudly at him and Gerard doesn't even seem to notice. It's kind of painful and embarrassing so he hides away and keeps to himself for the rest of the day.
As a fucking spy, he needs to be able to manipulate people, wrap them around his little finger and make them trust him. Frank doesn't how to do this when his mark doesn't even know he exits. He's fucking seventeen and he still stutters and blushes whenever people his age try and talk to him. By like, day three, Frank just wants to go home and forget about all this shit.
Pete tries to cheer him up with ice-cream and embarrassing stories Patrick hits him on the arm for telling. Even Hayley comes out with them and acts normal. They all tell him how it was like for them when they started out. Pete nearly got fired within the first week for blowing up a van, Patrick was too shy to ask for help so he fucked loads before he got the hang of things and even Hayley messed up a couple of times too. Frank smiles and tries to be positive.
*
On Friday, they have their drama lesson. Mr Ross pairs Gerard and Frank up to work on a scene from Shakespeare’s The Tempest - Hayley woops into his ear-piece.
They only have three drama lessons - which are all an hour each - to plan and rehearse their scene. They also need to write their steps out for Mr Ross to analyse. The scene needs to be ready for the fourth lesson and so does the planning sheet. For the first two, Gerard doesn't talk to Frank. He just sits in the corner and reads his comics. Frank doesn't even bother because Gerard's an asshole and he has to talk to him at some point. Schechter told Frank that Gerard's dad was still strict about school work and always expected good grades.
'So, what are we gonna do about this then?' Gerard finally asks on the third lesson.
Frank shrugs and looks away, 'Dunno.'
'Oh, don't be an ass, dude. Come on. We have to work on this.'
Frank can't honestly believe this shit.
'Are you fucking joking?! You have been the one fucking around and slacking off. I'm in every one of your classes and you've done nothing but ignore me even when we're put together to work on something. Who the fuck do you think you are?'
The whole studio has stopped to look at them. Frank would be embarrassed but he's too fucking angry to care right now. Mr Ross calmly ushers them both outside.
'Sort your sh- your problems out here. Not in my studio.'
He smiles at them before retreating back into the studio.
'Ouch, that dude’s a bitch,' Pete says in his ear.
Frank just stands there looking down. He doesn't know what do with himself. He feels like writing a poem for creative writing. Mr Smith doesn't frown at his work. He actually puts good comments in the margins and doesn't suggest he talk to the school counsellor.
'Shit,' Gerard says.
Frank looks up to see Gerard looking at him with huge eyes, his head bent low.
'Look, Frank I. I'm just not good with people y'know. Especially people I don't know. I just. You came from nowhere and you were in every one of my classes and trying to talk to me and shit. It was kind of... like, woah. Creepy.'
'Told ya!' Pete says in his ear.
Hayley and Patrick both shush him. Frank just zones them out and concentrates on Gerard.
'But I was wrong. I just. I just judge people before I get to know them. I'm just tryna’ apologise. I was an ass.'
Frank smiles and nods.
'So, we're cool?'
'Yeah, we're cool.'
'God. I feel so bad. How about you come to my house and we can work on this there?'
Frank tries not to jump up and down on the spot.
'Yeah. Sure. That'll be cool.'
Frank has to ignore the guilt pooling in his belly because this is his job, ok? Gerard really shouldn't trust him but he's meant to. And Frank has to do everything he can for him to. It's just his job.
*
Gerard drives them to the mansion. It is way bigger than Frank ever thought it would be. He's going to have to check the map so he doesn't get lost trying to find the lab. He can hear Hayley, Pete and Patrick's excited chatter in his ear. They kind of sound like proud parents which they are in some sense. They're all his secret family and he's really starting to get used to them all. Patrick helps him with his homework - there is so fucking much of it, Pete hangs out with him and they get up to all sorts and Hayley trains with him and she teaches him new shit all the time. So yeah, family. They're parked a couple of streets away. If they got too close, Way's tracking device would've spotted them. He's a clever guy.
Gerard and Frank walk into the kitchen. Frank immediately recognises Michael Way from the pictures and that scary big blonde beard guy. There's another guy, though, sat on one of the high stools at the breakfast bar with impressive hair that Frank's not familiar with.
'Guys, this is Frank,' Gerard says dropping his keys on the counter.
They all nod and mumble disinterestedly.
'And Frank, that's Bob, Mikey and Ray.'
Frank smiles and lifts his hand to give a small wave. There's an uncomfortable silence and Gerard goes to get himself a glass of orange juice from the fridge. Mikey looks up and rolls his eyes.
'Gee, you're such a shitty host. Do you want anything to drink, Frank?'
'Nah, I'm good,' Frank says just awkwardly standing there.
'Shut up, Mikey. Go blow Bill Becket.'
'You smell,' Mikey retaliates lamely.
'So does your face,' Gerard says, slapping him on the back of the head.
Mikey is about to launch out of his seat after him when Ray stands up and puts a hand - a really large hand, damn - on his chest.
'No-one fucking smells. How about we all go back into the living-room so I can beat Bob's ass at Guitar Hero?'
Bob snorts.
'In your fucking dreams, Toro.'
'Is that a challenge? That really sounded like a challenge. Are you challenging me?'
'What if it is? And what if I am?'
Frank and Gerard end up watching Bob beat Ray over and over and over again at Guitar Hero. Mikey doesn't have to sit through it because he's on his phone, ('Bill Beckett,' Gerard whispered earlier,) and Frank swears he can hear someone snoring through his ear-piece.
'Oh my God, enough,' Gerard groans after Bob beats Ray again and Ray 'demands a re-match' for like the thirteenth time. It's already kind of dark and Frank's left a message letting his mom know he's sleeping at a friends. It's a Friday.
'This isn't fair,' Ray whines setting the guitar down, 'You can't even play guitar.'
Bob just shrugs.
The four end up watching Hellraiser before Gerard gets them all sleeping bags. Gerard, Frank and Ray sleep on the floor, Bob and Mikey on the couches. They don't even bother with changing, just crash in their uniforms. Ray though, makes them all brush their teeth.
*
When Frank wakes up, there's a weight across his stomach. He shifts and turns his body on its side to see Gerard there fast asleep so fucking close to him. Frank tries to squirm away inconspicuously but Gerard just snuffles and follows. Frank is totally freaking out on the inside because it is too fucking early in the morning for this shit.
He lifts his head and looks around. Everyone's still fast asleep, he almost expected Mikey Way to be there taking fucking pictures or something. Outside it's still kind of dark but the first signs of light are just coming through.
Eventually, Frank manages to wriggle free. He gets his ear-piece, mic and one of the cameras out of his back pack - he'd sneaked them in when he was brushing his teeth. He quickly shuffles out of the living-room, wincing at the creaking fucking door and stands a little away from it. His school shirt is all damp and wrinkly from sleeping in it and his legs are cold because he kicked his pants off sometime during the night as they were way too uncomfortable to sleep in.
'Hayley? Hayley? Guys? Get the fuck up,' Frank whispers frantically into the mic.
His heart is racing and he just wants to get this part over and done with. Well, he could always say he got lost on his way to the bathroom but who the fuck knows what Donald Way would feed him to if he found out some kid had been snooping around his lab?
Muffled voices, groans and yawns come through. Frank can't imagine sleeping in the van. He can imagine them all tangled with someone's foot on someone's face and someone's elbow digging into someone's belly. Oh and poor Hayley and her incredibly sexy but incredibly uncomfortable leather suit. These are Schechter’s orders though, to stay close whenever an Agent is in that house.
After a few seconds of, 'ow, that was my face,' and 'ew, Pete, you totally drooled on my favourite hat,' the shuffling stops and everything sounds less... frantic.
'This better be good,' Hayley finally says.
Pete and Patrick one hundred percent second that.
'Yeah. Listen, everyone's asleep. Do you think it's safe for me to go check out the lab now?'
'Well, we're not sure where Way is at the moment so it's kind of risky, Frank,' Pete says.
He sounds nervous.
'We're also not sure of how well the lab is secured,' Patrick says.
'Yeah, but, it's what, five? When else am I going to get this opportunity? Think about it.'
'Yeah, he's right. What if we never get this chance again? This whole thing is risky anyway, might as well,' Hayley says.
'Well, then fucking go for it, kid. We're wasting time. Just do it. Now, go!' Pete says.
Patrick still sounds a little unsure but ends up being convinced by the other two. Frank can tell Patrick's scared. He can empathise.
They lead him to the lab. The whole thing is pretty impressive but to be honest, it's all just a huge modernized basement. Frank starts to wonder if maybe Mr Way had a bad childhood or something.
Because Frank hasn't got the password for the main entrance and is pretty sure Donald Way would be know someone had got in, Patrick finds another way in. It involves a lot of climbing and crawling which Frank really doesn't mind. He's sweating so much; his shirt has started sticking to his back. He just listens as Patrick gives him directions, he doesn't really want to talk much.
It's not long before Frank's gently sliding one of the ceiling panels and shimmying down onto the floor. Patrick quickly analyses the room and tells him where all the cameras are. Aside from that, Patrick can't spot anything else that might get him caught. Frank takes a long around, gently but quickly walking on his toes. The lab is all white. It's kind of clattered and there are all these substances in glass tubes every where. No-one spots anything suspicious looking.
'Woah, hey. Back up, dude. I've just spotted something pink,' Pete says.
Hayley snaps at him and tells him to shut the fuck up because this is serious. Frank goes back anyway, though to where there's about thirty like, metal tubes of this pink solution. It looks like it's fizzing and bubbling. Because Frank doesn't listen during chemistry, he dips his pinkie in it and brings it up to his eyes. For a few seconds nothing happens and he's about to move on when his hand suddenly starts burning. Now, Frank's fucking drank acid before and it never hurt that much. He shrieks and rubs it off using the bottom of his shirt. He doesn't even hear the panicked voices in his ear because as soon as he wipes the pink stuff onto his shirt, it starts… disappearing. Hundreds of thousands of there little particles start fucking eating away at his shirt. Everything goes silent and he can tell the guys can see this shit.
After they've eaten a tiny chunk - about the size of a grape - they slowly start dying - Just, falling to the floor like glitter before completely disappearing like nothing happened.
'Whaaat,' Frank whispers.
Everything's quiet for what feels like, ages. Everyone's just taking all this shit in.
Suddenly Patrick's shouting, 'Fuck! Get the fuck out of there, Frank. Someone's moving. I've detected movement. Get out,'
Frank quickly does. He narrowly escapes getting caught by one of Way's men.
*
They have a meeting back at Headquarters the following day. Frank, Hayley, Pete and Patrick all tell Schechter what they saw. Frank thinks that he's done his job and they can put him back in his old school and give him another case. Schechter wants to find out more though, the information and evidence they've got is not enough to bust Way. Apparently there isn't a law that stops people making matter eating insect-thingies.
Patrick says he's read about something similar to them called nanobots. They basically disintegrate anything that isn't a complex mixture of silver, platinum and iron - which explains the special tubes.
So Frank still has to stick around and just pick up as much information as he can.
*
Gerard is surprisingly amazing at acting drunk. Mr Ross gives them an A minus on their Trinculo and Stephano scene. He also comments on how impressed he is of how well they sorted things out to deliver 'a brilliant piece of drama'. He kind of goes off on a tangent about hardships and how we can overcome them in life...
When Frank and Gerard step out of the studio, they fucking explode with laughter. Frank has to lean on Gerard a little so he doesn't fucking fall over.
'Oh, man! His voice is just so dry and monotone. I mean, how do people take him seriously?' Gerard says through the laugher.
Frank stands up straight and tilts his head up - nose up in the air.
'I'm glad you two boys worked out your differences,' he mocks.
Gerard's laughing so hard he starts choking on his own spit. He swallows a couple of times.
'Things like this happen all the time in life, we just have to overcome them,' Gerard says, doing his own impression.
Frank goes silent for a couple of seconds before exploding with laughter. Gerard frowns. He doesn't feel like they're laughing together anymore. He kind of feels like he's being laughed at.
'Hey, what?' he says, trying so hard not pout.
'What the fuck was that, dude? He's not Irish.'
Gerard shoves Frank and gives up on not pouting. He laughs anyway, though because Frank's laugh is fucking contagious.
'What the fuck does an Irish accent even sound like anyway?'
'…exactly what you just did then, man.'
Gerard crosses his arms and actually starts walking away in a huff.
'Hey, dude. No, hey. I'm sorry okay. I was laughing- with y'know- with you.'
Gerard stops and looks at Frank. His face is all flushed and the fucker's shoulders are shaking - he is still fucking laughing. Gerard flips him off and carries on walking. Frank eventually calms down and catches up. He puts his arm round Gerard's shoulders without even thinking.
'How about I take you out for some ice-cream? To say sorry? Also, to celebrate our A fucking minus?'
Gerard leans into Frank and nods. He's not even pissed anymore; he just kind of likes having Frank's attention.
Before Gerard, Frank was fucking hopeless. Now, he can't imagine being without him. He doesn't like thinking about that too much, though...
*
At the shop, Frank orders mint choc chips for both of them. Gerard grins and puts his elbows on the table, resting his chin into his open palms. Frank thinks he looks adorable. His hair is all wild, falling into his face and Gerard doesn't even care. He randomly keeps smiling at him, showing all his little teeth. Frank can't help but smile back. They just sit smiling at each other until their ice-creams come. Frank is past trying to figure all this out, so he's just going to roll with it.
'Mmm. How did you know even that this was my fave?' Gerard asks, tucking in.
'Idiot', someone says in his ear.
Frank just shrugs.
He sometimes forgets that they're there; that there's other people listening in. His ear-piece is so small and discreet, Frank can't even feel it.
They're sort of lying low now, anyway. Schechter’s just trying to squeeze all the information he can. He's also just buying time so he can figure out the next move. Frank's job is pretty much done; he's just wrapping shit up.
Hayley's pretty bored; she wants to work on something else now, something action packed. That is what the suit was made for. Patrick needs to control all the shit in the van and Pete just won't leave him. Schechter doesn't care; he just leaves them to it. They work better together anyway.
The van's kind of cool to hang in, though. They really have some fun times in there. They stop for junk food, comment on the people walking past the places they monitor ('oh my God, what is that? Why is she wearing that? It makes her look so... pregnant' 'Pete!!' 'Whaa-aat? It's not like she can hear me') and listen to CDs. All in all, it's a good life.
'So, you into any music?' Frank asks.
Gerard is basically moaning into his ice-cream. The way he's licking the little blue plastic spoon is fucking obscene and it's doing stupid things to Frank.
'Yeah, dude. Me and Ray go to tonnes of shows. He has all these connections... because he's a fucking god at guitar. He makes quite a lot of money.'
Gerard licks his lips and his fingers. It really shouldn't be hot because children do that, those really small, messy, annoying children who get it fucking everywhere. That doesn't even matter because Gerard's hot and the way he keeps licking is quickly making Frank regret taking him out for ice-cream. Frank clears his throat.
'Really? What sorta’ stuff are you into?'
'Iron Maiden, Misfits, stuff like that. I'm also into you know like, up and coming ones? Yeah, the ones Ray takes me to see. That shit is raw. I used to want to start a band but... Nah. I'd be shit,'
Frank nods, 'Yeah, same here. I've written a couple of lyrics. I think they'd sound awesome if they were sung right.'
'Yeah? That's cool. You should show me sometime.'
Gerard lifts the bowl up to his face but then pauses and lowers it a little.
'Sorry, do you mind if I just,'
Frank laughs nervously, 'Nope, go ahead.'
Gerard licks the bowl clean, making these little sounds at the back of his throat. Frank's throat goes dry; he has to swallow a couple of times before he can trust himself to speak again. When he’s, Gerard has ice-cream all over his face. It's all on his chin and his cheek and Frank- Frank just- How is expected to- Frank has to look at the ceiling for a few seconds.
*
As soon as he's under the covers, Frank sticks his hand under his boxer. He only has to stroke once, twice before he's coming hard and quick, thinking about Gerard with come on his face and biting his arm to stop the noises threatening to spill out of his mouth.
*
'We're all going to the movies after school. D'you wanna come, Frank?' Mikey says when Frank walks up to their regular lunch table.
Hayley's stopped making him sandwiches now. Turns out, peanut butter and jelly is all she can make. Frank was totally okay with that until they started making him feel sick so now his mom makes some - a different one for every day of the school week - for him. Yeah, he obviously has no time with all his 'homework'.
'Sure,' Frank says.
'What are we watching? If it's shit again, I’ll be pissed,' Bob warns.
'Last time, Ray and Gerard wanted to see something about thongs and perfect snogging. We had to sit through like, two hours of that.' Mikey says.
'I wanted to die,' Bob says seriously.
'Okay, okay. Just decide when we get there?” Ray says.
Bob glares at him.
'It will be manly. About cars and blowing shit up and guns and tits and beer. Okay?'
They all agree when and where to meet up. In the end, Bob agrees to go.
*
Except when Frank gets there, there's no-one else apart from Gerard. Immediately, he feels really fucking angry because they lied to him and tricked him. Then he's kind of paranoid. He knows he's been staring at Gerard a lot, but he didn't think he was making it fucking obvious. Then he feels stupid and relieved because maybe the others are all just really late.
He walks up to Gerard and smiles.
'Hey, so where is everyone?'
Gerard shrugs.
'Shall we just wait? If they're not here in ten, we're going in without them.'
Ten minutes go and there's no sign of them. No phone calls, no text messages, no nothing. Frank thinks that maybe, yeah, they've been set up.
Seeing as Bob's not here, Gerard would really like to see the one about thongs again so Frank just lets himself be dragged in.
He turns his cell-phone off and puts all his gadgets in the pocket of his jumper.
It's actually pretty funny. Gerard's laughing all the way through it and he looks really happy. Frank keeps looking at him. He likes Gerard like this. He likes him happy and comfortable and smiling.
He wants to kiss him there and then. He really wants to kiss him in the dark where no-one will see. Frank starts bouncing his leg up and down in anticipation because he's really going to do it. He won't even say anything; he'll just go straight in there.
Gerard puts his hand on Frank's thigh and Frank freezes. He leans into him and whispers, 'stop that,' right into Frank's ear. When he pulls back, his lips - accidentally? Intentionally? - brush Frank's cheek and Frank shivers. Even when Frank stops bouncing his leg, Gerard leaves his hand there for the rest of the film.
When they walk out, nothing is said. Frank just grabs Gerard's hand and holds it. He doesn't care anymore. He doesn't care what that makes him. He just wants to get Gerard alone somewhere and fucking ravish him.
When some fat dude wearing baseball cap the wrong way round yells, 'faggot' at them, Frank sees fucking red. He's just not in control of himself when he fucking leaps on the guy and starts kicking his face in. His friend tries to jump in but Frank punches him in the face and twists his arm behind his back into submission. The baseball cap one tries to creep up behind him but Frank uses the one he's hot as a shield and Kung Fus his ass. Just like Hayley trained him.
The fight attracts a hefty crowd. When the guys are on the floor fucking bleeding Gerard yanks Frank up by his arm and pulls him out of the theatre.
Frank is a mess. His nose is bleeding, his knuckles ache and he's got blood all down the front of his shirt. Gerard just drags him to his car and doesn't talk to him during the drive. He doesn't even look at him. He just drives them to the mansion in silence. Frank's too scared to turn the radio on and he doesn't know what to say.
When they get there, Gerard drags Frank to the bathroom and gets a towel running under cold water. Frank goes and sits on the close toilet bowl until Gerard's done. He walks up with the towel, wincing at the state of Frank's face. He gets really close before he starts gently wiping away the drying blood on Frank's nose.
'What the fuck was that?' Gerard asks.
He doesn't sound angry. His voice is calm and kind of soothing.
Frank doesn't answer, because honestly? He doesn't know.
Gerard goes back to the sink to rinse the towel. He comes back with it clean and wet again.
'You haven't got any cuts or anything, just a little nose-bleed which has stopped now.'
Frank nods.
'We need to get you out of those clothes. You can borrow something to sleep in.'
Gerard takes Frank upstairs to his room and Frank just awkwardly sits on the bed. The room's more or less like his. There are band posters on the wall, a laptop in the corner, a television, some DVDs, a stereo, some CDs and a bed in the middle. It's pretty huge though, like the size of Frank's living room and he can tell someone comes in everyday to make his bed. It's pretty cool.
Frank still feels pretty disorientated from the eight. His head is still foggy and so he's just trying to get his bearings.
Gerard throws him some clothes and tells Frank to go change in his bathroom. It's just a huge t-shirt and some cotton sweats.
Frank comes out and Gerard's in his boxers and t-shirt. Gerard giggles.
'Dude, you are so tiny. You're like, drowning in my clothes.'
Frank mock gasps.
'Bitch!'
He shoves Gerard onto the bed and they tackle each other, rolling around, laughing and slapping at each other's faces.
Gerard rolls them over so he's on top of Frank, his arms on either side of Frank's head. They stop, panting on each other's faces. Gerard slaps Frank's cheek. It's not playful, no-one's giggling anymore. Frank moans.
They both freeze and Frank is certain that Gerard can feel his erection digging into his thigh.
'Oh,' Gerard says softly.
He dips his head down a little and just gently brushes his lips against Frank's. It's barely anything so Frank rolls them over until he's on top and kisses him. Frank licks into Gerard's mouth quickly and urgently. It gets rough and desperate. Their teeth clash as Frank starts fumbling with Gerard's shirt. He wants and fucking contact. Fuck.
'Frank. Fuck, Frank,' Gerard says, panting when they pull apart.
Frank makes quick work of getting rid of Gerard's shirt and boxers. He looks down at Gerard, flushed and hot, his pale chest rising and falling rapidly. His hair is all messy and already a little sweaty.
'Yours. Take yours off,' Gerard says.
Frank does. They look at each other, both naked. Frank's on top of Gerard with his knees either side of Gerard's hips, his hands braced on Gerard's chest. Gerard's eyes are huge, pupils blown, mouth red from kissing and biting.
Frank leans down to kiss Gerard's neck, sucking and biting - leaving red angry marks on the pale soft skin. Gerard fucking loves it. He's moaning and writhing and helplessly thrusting his hips. Frank moves down his body, flicking his tongue on a nipple, nipping lightly with his teeth.
'God,' Gerard says panting.
He puts both his hands in Frank's hair, firmly pushing down. Frank smirks.
'What do you want me to do?' Frank murmurs, biting down on the flesh around Gerard's hip and ignoring the blatant erection flushed and leaking against Gerard's stomach.
'Fuck. Fuck, just.'
'Yeah, baby?' He says kicking and kissing the inside of Gerard's thigh.
It just slips out and to be honest, Frank is past caring. He teasingly licks the glistening head of Gerard's dick, just pokes his tongue out and drags it around. Gerard gasps and shudders. Frank knows he's not gonna last long.
'Fucking hell, Frank. Just suck me,' Gerard says shoving Frank's head down hard onto his dick.
Frank groans. It feels really weird on his tongue and kind of intrusive because he's never had anything that big just in his mouth before. He likes it though, he enjoys the sounds Gerard's making. He likes knowing that he's the one causing them.
Gerard tightly grips Frank's hair and starts thrusting in and out of his mouth. Frank tries to relax his throat as much as he can to just take it. Gerard's careful not to choke Frank so he makes his thrusts quick and shallow. It doesn't take long before Gerard's coming down Frank's throat with a loud groan.
Frank swallows most of it but some drips down his chin. He moves up Gerard's body until his knees are at either side of Gerard's head. He jerks himself off quick and comes all over Gerard's face. Gerard grins dirty and licks off the bits he can reach with his tongue.
Frank rolls off him and they get under the covers. They sleep with their limbs all tangled up, covered in sweat and come.
*
When Frank wakes early in the morning, he is sighing happily with his face tucked into Gerard's neck. He yawns and gets up to check his phone. There are about seven missed calls from Hayley. He goes into the bathroom and calls her back.
'Where the fuck have you been, Iero? I was- Schechter was worried,'
Her voice is rough and she sounds really fucking exhausted.
'God, relax. I'm at the mansion.'
'Well, how come you cut off communication?'
'I was at the movies, duh. I just forgot to turn shit back on when I got out. What's the fucking big deal, anyway?'
'The big fucking deal is Way knows we're onto him. Yeah, one of Way's men saw you kicking some guy’s ass. He recognised your method as ours and now he knows. You've blown your fucking cover and you better get your ass down here pronto or you'll lose your fucking badge, 'kay?'
'Shit, okay.'
Frank quickly gets his shit and runs out of there, leaving a snuffling Gerard behind.
*
'Agent Iero, you have let me and your teammates down. I mean seriously, kid, what the fuck were you playing at?' Schechter asks, raising his voice at the end.
It's really scary because Frank has never seen him this angry. He just keeps his bowed and takes it like Pete told him to.
Schechter paces around the room a couple of times with his head in his hands.
'You're so fucking lucky that I think you're the best thing since sliced bread, Iero. This time, I'm letting you keep your badge but you're off this case. We're gonna send in the big boys.'
Frank breathes.
'Thank you, sir.'
'Yeah, yeah. We're pulling you out of that school. You will resume education at your previous one. Meanwhile, you can hang around the lab; help out with some gadgets there. Tell them what you need until we put you on a new case.'
'Oh God, thank you.'
'Now get out of my office, Iero before I change my mind,' Schecter says.
Frank knows he's being serious but there's a hint of (fondness) there. He smiles and leaves.
*
Schecter said he had to go back to St Bernard's for one more day so he finishes the week off. The guys ignore him and Gerard's back to not looking at him again. He figures they've found out.
It's drama and Gerard's in his usual comic, reading the latest Hellboy.
'So, um. Hey,' Frank says, nervously putting his hands in his pockets.
Gerard just glares at him over his comic.
'Could you at least let me explain?'
'Explain fucking what Frank? How you fucking used me to get to my dad?'
The whole studio goes still and looks at them. Mr Ross just shoves them outside and rolls his eyes. It's cold and raining a little and Frank feels pretty miserable. Gerard stuffs his Hellboy in the inside pocket of his blazer.
'You. Fuck, I knew I shouldn't have fucking trusted you. God, so basically everything was all an act, right? So you could bust my dad? You know what, Frank? Fucking fuck off. I don't ever wanna see you again,' Gerard says before walking away.
Frank doesn't bother following.
*
He spends the next few days sulking in one of the labs with Brendon. He tries to cheer Frank up but he's kind of not funny. Frank doesn't think anything is funny. He feels like the biggest ass ever but he doesn't know how to fix it. Gerard lives on the other side of town, it's not like Frank's going to see him ever again - that's what Gerard wants.
When Frank starts humming Vanessa Carlton, Brendon stands up.
'Oh for- we're going for coffee and you are going to fucking smile,' Brendon says, walking away and dragging Frank behind him.
He takes them to a Starbucks were one of his friends work.
'Jonny!' Brendon calls out as soon as they walk in.
Jon gets them both half price coffees and chats to Brendon. Frank is polite and smiles and stuff but eventually, he just goes off and sits on a table on his own.
He sees a familiar copy of Hellboy held up by a person sat at one of the window seat and his heart stops.
'Gerard?' he calls out with out thinking twice.
The comic is lowered and Frank immediately knows it's him from the mass of messy black hair. He stands up and walks over.
'Fuck. Off,' Gerard mutters, returning to his comic.
'Just hear me out, okay? Hear me out.'
Gerard rolls his eyes but drops his comic onto the table.
'I'm sorry, okay? I'm fucking sorry. When they told me to get close to you, I didn't expect anything to happen. You're like, the first ever person I’ve ever even kissed never mind anything else. Before you, I didn't even know I liked dudes okay? I'm sorry. God, I never expected to fall in love with you.'
Gerard's eyes get comically huge at that.
'You. You what?'
'I'm um. I'm. Huh,' Frank stutters.
Gerard grins and leans forward, pressing their foreheads together.
'You love me,' he says, showing all his cute little teeth.
'I. I. Yeah. I do.'
'Maybe you should stop trying to talk and kiss me,'
Frank doesn't care who sees, he just leans in and kisses him - slow and soft. He faintly registers Brendon saying something really loudly in the background but he's not even paying attention to anything but the fucking beautiful boy he has in his arms.
*