★ updating sooner than usual because why not 😌 ★
FRANK HADN'T BEEN getting work done. Any work for that matter; especially not the police kind. Which really sucked balls because Hurley wasn't exactly happy about that, and neither was Mikey.
Luckily Mikey hadn't been up in his ass like he had before, and although a large part of Frank was grateful, he was also feeling soft pangs of disappointment. More towards himself than anything. He knew Mikey had been right when he told Frank to get ahold of himself before he hurt Gerard, but Frank was stubborn with no real regard towards anyone really. Not even towards himself. So he was glad Mikey was downright ignoring his existence, because that would at least avoid the guilt that came with speaking to him.
What was worse than being in some sort of no-getting-work deficit, was how Ray had reacted when Frank had inevitably told him what happened. He felt obligated to, he was weak, and he had to admit that the disappointed glint in his friend's eyes was enough to make Frank hate his life that much more.
"Frank," Lindsey said wandering over to his desk, "Some dude mishandled some evidence so the DA's dismissing your last arrest."
Frank groaned internally, looking up at her with a blank stare, silently signalling for her to leave. And when she inevitably didn't, he couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Is that all or are you waiting for me to shed a few tears?" Frank asked, making Lindsey's once sympathetic eyes glare at him. Before he could respond to it she was smacking the back of his head harshly.
"Y'know of these days you're gonna get shot by your own partner for being a complete cunt and you better not come back trying to kiss my ass." Lindsey grumbled, walking off back to her desk, leaving Frank to rub his head.
Frank ran a hand down his face, sighing tiredly as he logged onto his computer for the first time since he walked into work. His eyes bored into the dim screen as his mind wandered off.
And in all honesty Frank really shouldn't have been all that surprised when Brendon nudged him, making him jolt.
"Dude, you've been staring at your screen for like... an hour." Brendon said slowly, "You um, you haven't really moved."
Frank grunted, feeling his left eye twitch before he glanced up at the brown haired man, "What'd you want?"
"Well, was sorta hoping you'd help me pick up a few pizzas for our lunch break. I um, lost a bet to Wentz."
"Sorry, Urine. I'm not some errand boy." Frank squinted when he only received a laugh in return.
"You crack me up, Iero." Brendon laughed, patting his back, "No but for real, grab you shit we're picking up those pizzas."
Frank groaned, somewhere deep down feeling a smile bloom at Brendon's attitude towards him. Even when Frank was a cunt, as Lindsey had so perfectly put, Brendon only ever found it amusing, and Frank kind of liked that. Brendon never took him too seriously, which almost made him feel a lot more like a person and not some shitty knockoff version of RoboCop.
Besides, in picking up those pizzas at least he'd get a chance to put some distance between him and the precinct. Which was all Frank really wanted in that moment.
✩ ✩
"You can't say neither." Brendon exclaimed dramatically, keeping one hand on the wheel as he flailed the other.
Frank rolled his eyes, "Well obviously I can since I am."
Brendon just laughed, parking in his spot in the car park near the precinct, "So you wouldn't sleep with a pornstar or a stripper? Boring."
Frank resisted the urge to slap him as he stared out of the smudgy window, "It's not boring. It's just... they would have done shit with so many people and that'd just be fucking weird."
"Protective, are we?" Brendon grinned when Frank glared at him, "But that's the whole point though, they're, y'know, gifted."
"God, this conversation is over, I helped you pick up the pizzas. Which in reality really wasn't a two man job." Frank said as he unbuckled himself from his seat, opening the car door.
"I know, I just find your company interesting." Brendon shrugged, making a small part of Frank feel as light as a feather.
"Why?" Frank asked with a raised eyebrow. Brendon already opening the trunk to his car to get out a few of the pizzas.
"Dunno," Brendon said, balancing the boxes, "You're a funny guy. A bit of a dick, but funny nonetheless."
Frank laughed quietly at that, not bothering to really add anything as they made their way towards the doors of the precinct.
His smile dropped though when he saw a certain berry-smelling individual holding a brown bag by Lindsey's desk. They seemed to be engrossed in a conversation, but Lindsey caught sight of Frank when he was taking his jacket off by his desk.
"Iero, Hurley wants to talk to you." Lindsey called from her desk, and when Frank looked up of course he saw Gerard's pebble-like eyes staring at him.
Frank nodded, wordlessly walking to Hurley's office. He didn't bother addressing Gerard, respecting his wishes to put space between Frank and himself.
"Take a seat," Hurley said the moment Frank walked in, making Frank raise an eyebrow.
He did as he was told, looking curiously at Hurley who had his thick glasses perched on his nose.
"I couldn't help but notice you've been off this past week." Hurley said, though for a boss he seemed oddly concerned.
Frank sighed, "It's nothing, sir."
Hurley gave him a quizzical look, "Alright, I only mention it because your numbers since the start of this year have been getting lower, detective. I hope it isn't a family issue weighing you down."
Frank shook his head quickly at that, "It isn't. I'll work on it." Frank said curtly, already standing up.
Hurley gave him another uneasy glance as he walked out of the office. Again he was met with Lindsey and Gerard who were stood by the entrance to Hurley's office.
"Everything alright?" Lindsey asked, because even when she was inevitably pissed at him, she did still care.
Frank nodded, avoiding Gerrard's eyes. "It was nothing."
Lindsey nodded and Frank went to walk past them when he felt his feet stop on their own accord. Frank was only half aware of what he was doing when he turned and looked up at Gerard who had been playing with his hands uncomfortably.
"I'm," Frank sighed and screwed his eyes shut as he tried to remember why he even opened his mouth in the first place, "I'm sorry 'bout what I said."
When he opened his eyes again, he was faced with Gerard's curious eyes, his fiddling coming to a quick stop as he stared at Frank. And Frank realised then that saying he was sorry was probably the most sincere thing he'd ever said to Gerard, and probably the most honest.
Because he was sorry, even if he couldn't show it through his actions or if he wasn't the most orthodox at apologies. He also knew that although he felt out of his comfort zone doing so, he needed to let Gerard at least know that he was in fact remorseful about the harsh things he had said— or really, accused him of being.
"Don't get me wrong," Gerard said quietly, "I still think you're an absolute cunt bag,"
There was a small pause where Gerard sighed.
"... But that's probably the nicest thing you've said to me." Gerard said dumbly, making Lindsey snort before Gerard could even finish his sentence.
"'I'm sorry?' Jesus, Frank, are you like the antichrist or some shit?" Lindsey laughed, but she shut up when she saw both Gerard and Frank glaring at her.
Gerard looked back Frank momentarily, "I- I appreciate you saying that, Frank."
A weak smile crawled across Frank's miserable face, he nodded gently at Gerard's words before turning to walk back to his desk for real that time.
For that split second, Frank didn't feel like the heartless prick everyone had made him out to be. He felt okay.
✩ ✩
Frank had just gotten out of the shower, a towel hanging low on his hips as he brushed his teeth.
He wandered back into his bedroom in the search of clothes, taking breaks in between brushing his teeth because multitasking was a perfected art, and luckily for him he was perfect at it.
He heard his phone buzz from his nightstand, making him sigh. After getting dressed in a pair of matching ratty sweatpants and shirt, he finished brushing his teeth.
He groaned when he heard his phone ringing again, "Who the fuck.."
Picking up his phone he checked his messages, rolling his eyes when he saw most of them where from Ray and one from Lindsey.
As he read through, he found that Ray was only sending him an update about some of the suspects they were bringing in tomorrow, and one about inviting him to the same bar as last time. Something about Brendon's surprise birthday party which Brendon himself had actually organised. A few nights ago he had overshared- saying he wanted to go to a strip club for his birthday too, but thankfully Frank managed to shut him down as quick as humanly possible. Though he was still unfortunately roped into the whole bar thing without any room left to protest.
Shrugging it off he checked Lindsey's message, already in bed and blocking out the sounds of Bob talking loudly on the phone to probably Ellie.
Though when he registered her words, he felt his insides twist like horses being pulled in different directions, his eyes rereading the words over and over again in some sort of confused and hazy state.
if you ever get the balls to actually get some ass, here's gerard's number
xxx
Frank looked over the message one last time, his eyelids soon fluttering shut as he set his phone aside. And maybe somewhere deep in his subconscious state, he thanked Lindsey for being the nosy and intrusive woman she was.
//—//
the tea in the next chapter is scorching lemme tell you