"You surprise me, Gerard," Frank said one afternoon. Gerard looked down at him from the footstool he was standing on, and beamed.
"I surprise you? How so?" he asked, fixing a decoration onto his front door. Frank hummed and leaned against the wall, gesturing a little vaguely to the house.
"I mean. Isn't supporting the witchy-spooky-haunting season a little...un-Catholic?" he asked, a smirk tugging at his lips. Gerard rolled his eyes and grabbed the pumpkin, setting it on his doormat.
"Isn't having sex with other men a little un-Catholic too?" Gerard retorted, not turning around, but smirking to himself. Frank snorted, taking a pull of his cigarette.
"You'd have a point there, if we were having sex. Which, by the way, we're not. Trust me. I'd have noticed," he huffed. Gerard grinned and stepped down off his stool, a little shakily, before leaning in to kiss Frank gently.
"My apologies," he smiled. Frank sighed and rolled his eyes dramatically.
"You should be sorry. You...you damn Saint," he grinned. Gerard kissed him again.
"I'm hardly a Saint. Maybe... maybe compared to you. But that's not saying too much," he smiled, nuzzling into Frank's shoulder. Frank grinned and leaned in for another kiss, but Gerard pulled back, smiling weakly.
"We should go inside if we're gonna cuddle, baby. I don't...wanna get caught," he murmured, cheeks blossoming pink. Frank sighed and gave an almost sad smile.
"Ashamed of me, Father?" he teased, albeit weakly.
"No," Gerard answered, a little too quickly. Frank arched an eyebrow.
"I was joking. But uh. Are you? Ashamed to be with me?" he asked quietly. Gerard, unfortunately for the situation, hesitated. Frank's face crumpled a little, and the Priest let out a soft whine.
"It's not because you're you. It's because I'm me, you know?"
"It's not you it's me? Really Gerard?" Frank snapped, taking a step back. Gerard sighed and caught his sleeve.
"Babe, it's not like that. I'm a priest, and you're too young for me. I'm not ashamed of you, I'm ashamed...because of you," he tried, looking at Frank for approval. The latter's face, however, showed that the man had, once again, been unsuccessful. Fatally so.
"You're ashamed because of me?" Frank spat, drawing back. Gerard was, at first, relieved to see that he didn't seem angry. His heart fell a moment later, though, when he realised that Frank wasn't angry, because he was fighting tears. Gerard let out a soft whine and moved forward to hold his hand, but Frank snatched it back before he could, like he'd be burnt if he let the Priest's hands fall on him.
"No, fuck off. Fuck you," he said, shaking his head as he stumbled back a little. Gerard frowned and took a step forward. He was upset, then, that he'd left his cane inside. If Frank tried to leave, he wouldn't be able to go after him for long.
"Frankie, I promise I didn't mean it so bad. I adore you. Please, honey, come inside and –"
"And what? Be your little secret? Your filthy secret?"
He shook his head, biting his lip.
"I don't want that. I want you. I want to be able to... to have you. Really have you. Why can't I..." he shook his head again, this time with tears prickling in his eyes. Gerard looked resigned. What was he supposed to say? It's not like he could make out with Frank in front of the whole town. He'd lose his job, his friends. He'd lose everything.
And sure, Frank was worth it. He was worth...everything. But if he could have Frank and his life? That was preferable. By far.
"You have me," Gerard insisted, cupping his cheeks. He kissed him swiftly, holding his face. He wasn't entirely surprised, but was still hurt when Frank drew back, pushing on his chest.
"Do I, Gee? Cause it feels like...it feels like I'm just borrowing you, y'know? You're theirs. You belong to the Church, or to God, or whoever. But fuck, it's definitely not me," he snapped, turning on his heel and walking away from him.
He knew it was unfair, but he walked at a pace that he knew Gerard physically couldn't keep up with.
He heard the Priest's sigh of dejection, and the gradual stop of his heavy footsteps as he gave up.
Frank didn't realise he'd been hoping for a miracle until it didn't appear.
Normally, Frank would have been in an awful mood for the rest of the week – but, as always, Mia managed to save the day.
She rushed into the lunch hall the next morning, a broad grin on her face.
"Guess what, guess what, guess what?" she sang excitedly. Damien rolled his eyes, smiling fondly. He was leaning a little against Daniel, his arms straight by his sides. Daniel's bruises were fading, and his eyes seemed a little more confident. Still, they flickered up a little nervously to Damien's profile when the latter wasn't watching.
Before anyone else could speak, Cooter cut in.
"Does it have anything to do with the gig we're playing on Frankie's birthday?" he asked coolly. The rest of the band turned to look at him in badly-veiled surprise. He shrugged, waving a hand.
"I saw a poster for it in town. And by the way, Mia – not cool on designing posters without us," he said bluntly; though, if you looked, you could see the veiled excitement in his eyes. Mia shrugged.
"They needed something quick, so I got my brother to throw something together. Sue me," she said curtly. She turned to the rest of the group and smiled.
"Basically, yeah. What he said. Frankie, if you're not busy on your birthday, we'd really like you to play with us," she said fondly.
Frank considered it for a moment. He'd been wondering if Gerard had planned anything for the day – but, since they weren't speaking currently, he imagined not.
"I...yeah. Yeah, that should be okay," he said brightly, leaning forward.
Mia looked vaguely surprised, but not displeased.
"Yeah? You don't have...y'know. Any plans?" she asked pointedly –nor subtly. The other guys noticed. They noticed that, just as they'd noticed how Frank was rarely around outside of school or band practise. But, thankfully, they didn't speak up. Frank would tell them in time; they were sure of it.
"No. My plans got..." he shrugged. "Cancelled. Sort of," he said, waving a hand. He gave her a look that clearly said 'later', and she nodded.
Mia turned her attention to the rest of the group and beamed broadly.
"So, is everyone in?" she asked happily.
It was then that Daniel stood up, looking a little disturbed. He didn't speak, just let his eyes fall over the group, before turning on his heel and leaving the hall.
A hush fell over the group of friends, each looking at one another in despair. Daniel was normally so quiet and calm – this outburst was more than out of character; it was downright shocking.
After a moment, Damien sighed, leaning in close.
"His older brother's been smacking him around," he said softly. If anyone else had said it, it may have sounded blunt, but Damien was always so pointed, that the statement rang as nothing more than a gentle notification.
The group looked upset, but a little understanding. The year before, Frank recalled, Daniel had mentioned that he was excited about his brother moving to college. He supposed that he'd returned.
"Oh man," Cooter murmured, showing an uncharacteristic display of sympathy. Damien sighed and nodded, wringing his hands.
"I've been letting him stay with me, you know? As often as he can. His Dad's being a bit weird about it now, though. Thinks he's gay," Damien sighed and waved a hand. "As if that's the worst thing he could be," he added in a mutter.
Frank blew out air, shaking his head. He felt bad, for not noticing. He didn't blame Gerard, but at the same time, the Priest did take up a lot of his time. He loved him – sort of. He loved spending time with him. But there was something a little draining about spending all his time with a middle aged man, and certainly not around his closest friends.
He smiled weakly.
"Should we go after him?" he asked gently.
Damien shook his head.
"No. I think he needs to be alone. But, uh, Frankie. I was just...I think you should come to that gig. Daniel feels safe around us, and pretty much only us. And....yeah. You think you could come?" he asked. His voice was firm, as if he was telling rather than asking, so Frank really couldn't say no.
"Of course I'll be there, Damien. I wanna help him," he said sincerely. Mia looked a little apprehensive, but smiled warmly.
Frank, however, didn't miss the side-eye she shot him, and knew he'd be in trouble later.
Or, at the very least, be forced into a deep, dragged-out gossip session, in which he spilled all of the intimate details between himself and his boyfriend.
Not that the details were all that intimate.
True to his expectation, Mia cornered him after school, literally grabbing the strap of his bag to reign him close to her.
For someone exceptionally tiny, she was unusually strong.
Frank swallowed hard and looked at her nervously. She stared back for a moment with an expectant gaze.
"Well?" she demanded after a moment. Frank waved a hand.
"Well what?"
"Well, what's happening with you and loverboy? Aren't you spending your birthday together?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
They were currently stood in the school's parking lot. The stream of students was dying down, so they spoke in almost complete privacy.
Frank waved a hand, giving a dismissive shrug. With anyone else, he'd have been happy to just leave it there, but he knew Mia would push.
"We argued," he said gently. Mia rolled her eyes, half glaring up at him.
"You argued? That's why you're not seeing him on your birthday? Because you argued?" She asked incredulously. Frank sighed, leaning against the wall. He ran a hand through his hair, staring intently out in front of him.
He couldn't go into it. Not now – not with her. He already knew exactly what she'd say. She'd tell him that he was being ridiculous, and that Gerard was trying. She'd tell him that the older man had so much more to worry about, and a hell of a lot more to lose, and that Frank needed to respect that, and understand that it might put a strain on things sometimes.
He knew she'd say all of that. He knew that her words would send him running back into Gerard's arms. So he didn't tell her. He just shrugged, ignoring the frustrated groan she gave.
Frank had very little will power, so he was impressed to the length at which he stuck to his guns. Several times, he caught himself walking past the church, glancing a little at the small house tucked away. But he didn't go anywhere near it.
He knew, by that point, that he was being ridiculous. Gerard was doing the best he could. So what if they were being kept secret, or if they couldn't fuck, or if they couldn't go on dates? It was difficult, but Gerard was worth it, and Frank knew it.
Yet somehow, he couldn't bring himself to go back on his childish decision. He wanted to make Gerard suffer. He wanted the Priest to feel what life would be like if Frank wasn't around. It was selfish, he knew, but maybe things wouldn't be so bad if Gerard left the church, once and for all. He remembered how he'd been just a few nights before. He'd looked so free and excited. He'd never seen him so much himself.
But when he'd felt that guilt, he'd just closed up again. It wasn't fair.
Frank, of course, was aware that Gerard was connected to the Church, to God. That he'd given his whole life to his faith. That being a Priest helped him connect to his brother again. But it wasn't fair.
Before he knew it, Frank wasn't angry anymore. He was just regretful, and missed his boyfriend.
His pride, however, kept him away for another week.
Even if Gerard hadn't come to him, it was likely that Frank would have broken and gone to see him that evening.
As it happened, that wasn't necessary.
As the week had progressed, the blanket of fiery leaves that settled on the floor only grew, the air becoming tight and cold, biting at people's fingers and noses. The houses became strewn with orange and black, the grotesque faces of jack-o-lanterns peering out from windows and porch ways.
For these reasons, rather than just his birthday, Frank adored Halloween. It was the only time of the year that made him feel excited, in the way people often did for Christmas. It was magical, and he loved it.
Frank spent the morning with family, as always. Aunts and Uncles whom he hadn't seen since the year before piled into their living room, handing Frank gift cards and envelopes bursting with money. They used to try to give him presents, but when he hit 16, the illusion shattered, and both parties were content with an envelope and a mumbled "happy birthday."
They didn't leave until about three, and by that time, Frank only had a couple of hours before he had to go to the sound check for his gig.
He was upstairs, tuning his guitar, his outfit laid out on the bed, when he heard the knock at the door.
He let out a faint groan. His Mother had left to get some last minute candy for Trick-or-Treaters, so Frank was left to face whichever forgetful relative was at his door now.
Frank hopped downstairs, humming softly to himself.
He placed his hand on the front door, and momentarily, felt a shock. It was almost as if he knew who he'd find on the other side of the door.
Still, he gave a short gasp of surprise when he swung the door open to reveal Gerard standing there, a soft grin on his face.
The Priest wasn't wearing his usual outfit. He was instead wearing a pair of comfortable-looking black jeans, and a dark red knit sweater. His smiled widened a little.
"Hi, Frank. Happy-
"What are you doing here?" Frank cut in. Gerard gave a little smile.
"It's your birthday. I wanted to give you your present," he murmured. Frank raised his eyebrows.
"My Mom isn't home," Frank murmured. He wasn't sure why he was telling him, but felt like he should inform him anyway. Gerard smiled and blushed a little.
"Then may I come in?" he asked. Frank responded by stepping aside and gesturing into the home.
Gerard nodded and smiled as he stepped in, resting on his cane as he made his way past the threshold.
"This is nice," Gerard hummed thoughtfully. Frank couldn't help but smile, leaning against the counter.
He didn't know exactly where he and Gerard stood. They hadn't spoken since their argument, but Gerard didn't seem mad.
Perhaps it was that divine forgiveness thing he had going on. Frank was grateful for it regardless.
"How do you know where I live?" Frank asked timidly. Gerard let out a gentle laugh.
"Your parents invited me over for coffee when I first moved in," he explained. Frank accepted that – it was something his parents would do.
Frank bit his lip and gestured to the cane.
"Can you walk upstairs with that?" he asked. Gerard nodded.
"I can,"
"Okay. Uh. Wanna see my room?"
Something flashed momentarily in Gerard's eyes that Frank couldn't quite decipher. The older man nodded.
"I do. Lead the way," he smiled. Frank giggled and took his free hand, patiently leading him to the stairs. Gerard dragged a little as he rested on his cane, but kept up well.
There were only a couple of stops, but soon enough, Frank was standing in his bedroom.
With his boyfriend.
Who was twenty years older than him.
And a Priest.
Gerard grinned, resting his cane against the wall.
"This looks like what my room looked like as a kid," he whistled. Frank smiled.
"Yeah? Great minds," he chuckled.
Gerard was quiet for a moment, before moving over to Frank and holding his hands.
Frank sighed, looking into his boyfriend's eyes. He was fairly sure what was coming.
"Are we okay?" Gerard murmured. His eyes were wide and hopeful, his teeth pressing gently on his bottom lip. It made Frank's heart hurt. He'd been torturing him all week, and Gerard still wanted him.
"Of course, baby. Of course," he whispered, touching Gerard's cheek delicately. Gerard looked down and sighed, the soft prickles of hair along his cheek brushing Frank's hand. He hadn't shaved, but it looked oddly nice. It made him look a little older, which Frank wasn't complaining about at all.
"I just...I thought that-"
"No, honey. I was wrong. I know how much you do for me, how much you've sacrificed. It's just hard-" Frank broke off with a shrug. Gerard looked back up.
"What?"
"I want you so badly. I wanna...I wanna be able to go on dates with you, and have sex with you, and do things that boyfriends do, and I can't," Frank mumbled. A faint blush spread across Gerard's cheeks, and the older man laughed weakly.
"Can we sit down? That's...I wanted to discuss that with you," he murmured. Frank raised his eyebrows in surprise, but nodded, perching on the bed. Gerard sat down next to him, swallowing. He hesitated, before putting his hand onto his thigh. Frank smiled softly.
"What did you-
"Hush," Gerard murmured, rubbing his thigh softly. He let out a shaky breath. "Hush. Let me just-" he swallowed again, moving his hand up and against Frank's crotch. The younger man let out a soft whimper, resting against Gerard's arm.
"Oh. That's what you wanted to talk about?" he laughed breathily, feeling himself harden against his boyfriend's hand. Gerard chuckled, kissing his neck.
"More or less," he smiled. Frank bit his lip.
"Is this my present, too?"
"More or less," Gerard laughed against his skin. Frank sighed, relaxing completely into Gerard's arm. The older man glanced up, pressing his lips together. He let his thumb swipe over the button on Frank's jeans, before beginning to undo them, fumbling a little with the button and zipper, before nudging them down. Frank laughed and wiggled them down.
"You want 'em off?" he murmured. Gerard nodded, continuing to kiss eagerly at his jaw and neck, arm winding around his waist. Frank whimpered and kicked the jeans off, a hand moving absently to rub himself. Gerard kissed his cheek and pulled back.
"I want it too. I want you. I want everything that comes with being yours," Gerard whispered. He sunk to the floor in front of Frank, and the younger man's heart raced.
"Gee-"
"I used to be good at this," Gerard chuckled, reaching up to slide Frank's boxers down. His cock was mostly hard, standing against his stomach, leaking very slightly. Frank nodded.
"Baby. You don't have to if-"
Gerard shook his head, throwing his boxers to the side.
"I want to. I wanna suck your cock so damn badly," Gerard chuckled. Frank moaned and nodded, leaning back on his arms. He looked adoringly down at Gerard, spreading his legs a little wider.
"Please," he murmured. Gerard let out a soft moan and leaned in, gently kissing along his thighs, his eyes fluttering shut as his teeth scraped against the soft, pale flesh. His lips skimmed the baby hairs growing along his legs, becoming thicker and deeper as he approached his crotch. The preist looked up through his eyelashes, and Frank felt – and saw- his cock throb. Frank let out a soft moan, his hips twitching upwards.
Gerard pulled back for a moment, hand resting on Frank's thigh.
"You're sure?" he whispered. Frank nodded.
"I want you, Gerard," he murmured. The Priest moaned and gently began to lick at his cock. His tongue was hesitant and a little unsure, but after a moment, he gave a low groan and moved his tongue in slow, fluid lines along Frank's length.
"Oh, oh god. That's it," Frank whispered, reaching forwards and tangling his hand in his hair. Gerard moaned, closing his eyes as he wrapped his lips around the head of his cock, moaning as he took him into his throat.
The older man gagged a little, his teeth bumping against his length a little – but it wasn't awful. It was better than Frank had expected from someone who hadn't so much as looked at a cock in years.
Besides, it was Gerard. Frank would love anything if it was Gerard.
Eventually, Gerard built up a rhythm. He wrapped his hand around his length as he bobbed his head up and down, his mouth and face wet from saliva and precum.
"Gerard, Gerard, oh, baby!" Frank gasped. Gerard was right. Frank could feel that he used to be amazing. He was amazing now, even. Frank felt like his cock was being worshipped for every inch.
Ironically enough, anyway.
Gerard let out a low growl, his tongue flicking along his length. Frank whimpered and tugged on his hair. Gerard let out a whoreish moan in reply, gripping hard onto Frank's legs.
The younger man let out a slow smirk.
"You like that? You into pain, huh?" Frank cooed. Gerard whimpered and nodded, looking up at him with puppy-dog eyes.
Reluctantly, he nodded very softly, and Frank felt his heart flutter.
Oh. He hadn't expected that.
"You just wanna be a good boy, don't you?" Frank cooed. Gerard moaned and nodded, more confidently this time, and continued to suck him, his head moving eagerly along his cock. Frank moaned and tugged hard on his hair.
"Oh, oh, I'm close, I'm so close," Frank whispered. Gerard whined and began to rub the younger man' balls, his cheeks hollowing as he sucked him.
Frank cried out, arching his back as he felt his orgasm pooling in his stomach.
"Gerard, Gerard, Fuck-" he let out a loud cry as he came hard into the Priest's mouth.
"Fuck, Father," Frankie gasped.
Gerard pulled back only when Frank was beginning to go soft, the younger man splayed out across the bed, his breathing shallow and fast.
"Was that okay?" Gerard whispered.
Frank grinned airily, nodding.
"That was perfect. You're so perfect, and I lo-" he stopped.
Gerard beamed and kissed him.
"It's mutual," he whispered, nuzzling into his neck.
They lay like that for several minutes, Gerard's erection slowly softening, Frank coming back into reality. Frank looked over to his boyfriend and curled into him, clutching at his neck.
"I love you," he whispered. Gerard laughed softly, dancing his fingers along his back.
"You mean it?" he teased. Frank nodded, kissing his jaw.
"I mean it."
"I love yo-
They were cut off by the sound of Frank's phone. He groaned, sitting up and reaching into his hoodie. He picked up, leaning against Gerard, who pressed gentle kisses along his shoulders.
"Mmmm. Hello?" Frank murmured.
Cooter's angry voice snapped him fully back into consciousness.
"Frank, dude, what the fuck? We go on in 20 minutes, where the fuck are you?"