for Frank [dated May 13th]

[colbert_bump]

It was Stephen's second birthday on the island. Why was he still there? Shouldn't there be a time limit or something? He wanted to go back, back to his show and his money and his fans...And his wife and kids

Comments

[refugeforlosers]

It wouldn't have been Frank's first choice of outfit to wear today but the clothes box had been handing them out all day to him yesterday so he figured it was probably a sign. So that was how he ended up walking around the Compound wearing a Property of Colbert Nation t-shirt with a picture of Che Colbert on the back.

And that was how he greeted Stephen.

"Wait a minute, I know you..." He pointed vaguely at him, then lifted the hand to stroke at his chin, faux deep thought. "Where have I seen you before?" He turned around slowly so Stephen could see his back and when he completed the circle to face him again, he had a smile on his face. "Oh, that's right. You're the birthday boy."

[refugeforlosers]

Since present buying was kinda out of the question here, Frank decided to leave the puzzle up to Stephen to decide. He was willing to listen to suggestions.

"Depends," he answered, narrowing his eyes a fraction, unconsciously. "What else do you want?"

[colbert_bump]

"Money, a gold-plated car, and a pony," Stephen rattled off automatically.

Then he laughed. "Kidding. I don't need a pony."

[refugeforlosers]

"I can't help you with the car but I have..." Frank held up a hand and reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. It was habit, something normal from home, that had prevented him from just leaving it lying around, since it was pretty much worthless here. Especially now the photo of him and Josh had been destroyed. "...twelve dollars, if you're interested."

[colbert_bump]

Well, dammit, why was Frank so nice? It was clearly an underhanded way to get Stephen to admit to things, which is what he ended up doing.

"I like you more than Steve sometimes," he blurted as if he had been cursed with that truth crap again.

[refugeforlosers]

Frank had known Stephen long enough to appreciate the effort it must have taken to say the words. He was a little embarrassed by the admission in all honesty, and when he smiled again it was with a bent head, fingers still wrapped loosely around the cash.

"That's a very" - sweet? Stephen? -"nice thing of you to say," he admitted himself, starting to put the wallet and the money back again.

[colbert_bump]

"That's it?" Stephen gave Frank a semi-glare, expecting more. Frank had badgered him for hours upon hours about stupid Steve! "Nice?"

[refugeforlosers]

At that, Frank launched himself forward and wrapped his arms around Stephen again in his own hug, hoping to turn the clock back a minute and get back to when Stephen was smiling and everything was good. It might have looked like a comical effort but there was a important purpose behind it.

"I'm just wondering in what way you like me more than Steve sometimes," he explained over Stephen's shoulder, using a serious, quiet tone because it was obvious to them both that he was teasing, right? "It can't be in a co-anchor kind of way and it's not in a we-have-a-similar-name kind of way..." Did being in the basement together count as a locked-themselves-in-their-office-after-a-show kind of way?

[colbert_bump]

Oh, okay, so that wasn't really what Stephen was expecting either, but--wait, what?

"Hey, it can be in that way if I say it is!" he said, laughing nervously. He tried to pull away again. "You're nicer than Steve," he added in a duh tone.

Even though clearly, niceness didn't always have anything to do with what Stephen thought of a person.

[refugeforlosers]

Frank let him go, walking back to Stephen's bed, suddenly remembering there was hot - warm - food to be eaten.

"And you're nicer than..." Lennox? Frank couldn't even think it; Jim was in a class all of his own. He stared at the corner of the bed for a brief moment, thinking. "Chloe. I mean Joey. I mean them both combined." Because Frank actually quite liked that dog...

[colbert_bump]

That didn't sound very sincere anymore...

"Really," Stephen non-asked, giving Frank a suspicious look. "I accept your compliment."

He reached out to grab a fry and popped it in his mouth. Hey, it was actually good!

[refugeforlosers]

Sometimes it was a relief when Stephen was his usual tunnel-vision self, seeing and hearing what he wanted to see and hear, because it meant Frank didn't have to protest too much to convince him of something. Stephen usually went ahead and did that himself. At other times, it wasn't such a pleasant experience.

"So..." He took a red fry from his own plate, bit off half in one go, and sat on the edge of the bed, leaning back on an elbow. "How old are you?"

[colbert_bump]

"Well that's a rude question," Stephen commented, also sitting. Frank had yet to be one of those people to accuse Stephen of being old, though, so Stephen just sighed. "Forty-five. Which isn't old."

He felt more like thirty-five, really. If not younger.

[refugeforlosers]

Forty-five. Yeah, Frank remembered having asked before now, memories flooding back. Stephen didn't seem to though so he did the reminding for him.

"Nope, not at all." He started unwrapping his burger, a white star stick to his finger. He tried to shake it off. "Same age I'll be come August." That was a little scary.

[colbert_bump]

Damn. So close, and Stephen was still older.

He grabbed a burger, too, giving it a pleased smile before realizing what he was doing. That was just stupid.

"You, sir, never said who it was you have a big gay crush on," he said conversationally before starting to eat. He figured it was only fair, after all the Steve-talk. And Asher-talk. And wives-having-lesbian-affairs-talk.

[refugeforlosers]

Would you look at how well Frank timed the big bite of his burger? He shrugged one shoulder, deciding manners were suddenly extremely important and he couldn't possibly speak with his mouth full.

He gave Stephen a look like what can you do?