Here's to the Heartache (Frerard) *Discontinued*

3: Who The Hell Let Brendon And Ryan Run A Bar?

Frank barely even remembered work, and it wasn't because he was drunk or anything; it was just boring, and monotonous, but it was a way to make money, and thankfully it ended quickly at the very least.

And even though Frank had probably drank enough last night to reach his alcohol consumption levels for the week, he found himself turning his feet toward his favorite bar, not because he particularly wanted to get wasted tonight, but because he was hoping to find someone to take him home so he wouldn't have to return to his room with the pillow that was probably still slightly damp with his tears from last night for a few more hours.

He was well aware the he could sneak back into Pete's house and just spend the night with him, but he knew Pete would want to make him talk more about his "feelings" and Frank didn't want that, not tonight, maybe not ever.

He wanted someone who didn't know a thing about the real Frank Iero, someone who wouldn't ask how he was holding up, or offer him advice and comfort. Frank just wanted to forget about his father right now, especially since he had ignored the text Frank had sent him this morning, simply stating that Frank missed him. Frank hadn't really been expecting a reply; he wasn't even sure if his father still had the same phone number anymore, but a fucking "I do too" would have been really nice - nowhere near enough by any means, but it would have been a start.

So that is why Frank wanted - no, needed, another man's arms around him tonight, telling him he was beautiful, and special, because maybe he would actually believe it this time, and maybe - just maybe, it would lessen the pain of the complete radio silence he had been receiving from his father for the past two years.

The other guys from work had decided to head straight home after their shift had ended; it was a Monday night after all, so they had a long week ahead of them, and his coworkers actually used the bar to get wasted, instead of a pick-up zone - not that Frank wasn't planning on drinking, he just wanted to be able to actually remember who he went home with, if he was fortunate enough to get that far.

When Frank pushed open the door to the pub, he found it decently empty, which wasn't a surprise. Friday and Saturday nights were the busiest time of the week, and Frank knew that, but he thought he would try his luck anyway.

There was a larger, much more populated club kind of thing further into town, and although Frank would probably have a better chance of finding a willing guy there, he wasn't close with the bartenders at that establishment, and his fake ID only fooled the bouncers about fifty percent of the time.

Brendon waved at him from behind the counter when he caught sight of Frank, and he returned the gesture. Frank considered him a friend, even though he never hung out with him outside of the bar. Brendon owned this place, and he and his boyfriend Ryan were the sweetest people Frank had the pleasure of knowing.

Frank had been attracted to Brendon when he first started coming here, but that quickly dissipated when he saw how perfect Brendon and Ryan were together. They were literally the most adorable couple he had ever seen, and even though he wanted to throw up sometimes when they got especially mushy in front of him, he didn't blame them for it. If Frank had someone look at him the way Ryan did to Brendon, he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off him either.

"Just the usual Frank?" Brendon smiled down at him as Frank placed himself on what he had claimed as "his bar stool".

"Yeah, where's Ryan?" Frank asked when he didn't spot the headband wearing man anywhere.

"In the back, balancing the books. I swear I would lose this place if it wasn't for him. I don't have the right sort of mind for numbers." Brendon's lip twitched upward slightly as he talked about his boyfriend, and Frank felt a slight pang of jealously erupt in his chest. He wanted what Brendon and Ryan had, and even though he knew it would never happen, it still hurt sometimes, and his emotional defenses hadn't recovered entirely after last night's breakdown.