Chapter Twenty 

The next two weeks before my birthday passed in a blur of college, the odd errand for Ian, and staying round Gerard's almost every other day. Now that Kellin's mum had jetted off again I didn't need to hide where I was going at night, and he didn't really mind me going as he was spending as much time as he could get with Vic, working around their very hectic writing and recording schedule for the band. 

My birthday itself started by being woken up by a Kellin parading into my room, singing happy birthday at the top of his lungs whilst holding a present. 

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" he cheered, making me groan and blink myself awake. 

"what time is it?" 

"You don't get to be grumpy today!" he declared, handing me my present "you're officially an adult! Now be happy and open the damn thing!" 

"You didn't need to get me anything" I frowned, beginning to tear off the paper. A record player stared back at me, brand new and amazing and way too expensive for my liking "Kellin! This is awesome!" 

"You said you used to have one back home, and so I figured you'd appreciate having one here. I've also got you these" he held up a massive '18 today' badge and a packet of plastic shot glasses "but I figured they'll come in more useful tonight." He'd been planning the party like mad, and was probably more excited about it than I was. 

"Thank you so much" i hugged him "man, I need to get using Ray's discount at the record store now." 

"Don't worry - I think the others are already onto that" he grinned "now go have a shower and get dressed - you need to go get out the house and spend time with loverboy so I can get it all set up for when you return." 

"Yes sir" I placed the record player down and got out of bed, heading in search of coffee. 

My parents phoned my mobile when I was eating breakfast, and I reluctantly picked up, hearing the usual 'happy birthdays' from them both before they tried to ask me where I was living or what I was doing - was I still going to college? How long till I came home? My dad even tried to convince me to go and apologise to James as he was 'sure he'd take me back', to which I told him very bluntly that there were not many places in the world I'd rather live in less than I would like to live under James and Isabel's roof again. He did seem to back off after that to be fair to him, and instead said they'd transferred me some money to spend on a present from them. 

When the post arrived I found Pete had posted me a birthday card, signed in his usual scrawly handwriting, and even signed from Patrick too. There was also a birthday card from Mikey, which made me smile. He must've asked Gerard for my address. Along with the card he'd also sent me a book on tattoo art, with a note inside reading 'now that you can legally get some more! As long as you take Gerard with you so you can see him squirm at the needles first hand!'

I chuckled, placing the book and the cards to one side as I heard Gerard beep the horn from outside. When I headed out he was stood leaning against his car, smoking. 

"hey" I grinned as he threw the cigarette away. 

"Hello, fellow legal adult" he grabbed me and kissed me right there and then, in broad daylight. for the whole world to see. And I loved it. "Fuck, I've been wanting to do that for a while." 

"You still have a potential job to loose if someone sees us doing that."

"Shut up, it's your birthday and we're celebrating our newly-legal relationship."

"Fine, what's the plan? It better not be anything over the top because i'm already getting some sort of birthday extravaganza tonight" to be fair, all I really wanted to do was go round his and just live in our own little bubble for the day. 

"Jump in" he grinned "and I promise - no big extravaganzas are in store." 

True to his word, Gerard drove us about half an hour out of town to a small village that neither of us had ever been to before, and we went for a quiet lunch in a local restaurant there. 

"Subtle enough for you?" He asked once we were sat down. 

"Perfect" I grinned. 

"This is what it can be like from now. Even if someone recognised us here, there's nothing they could really do about it. We don't have to hide anymore" he reached into his bag and handed me a small wrapped package "here, I wasn't sure when to give it to you, but now seems as good a time as any." 

I unwrapped it slowly, wanting to take my time with this one. As soon as I realised what it was my grin widened, pulling out the box and looking up at him. 

"How did you know i've always wanted one of these?" 

"I didn't, but I realised we don't have any photos together, and I thought we should change that straight away" I held up the polaroid camera, turning it over in my hands as he spoke. 

"It's perfect" I switched it on and held it up, pointing at him "smile then".

He gave me a toothy grin as I took the photo and watched the film slowly come out, blank at first but with each moment going darker as his face slowly came into focus. 

"We need one of the both of us later on though" he pointed out as I watched it develop "and we need to take some on my phone too - I can finally put you as my lock screen now." 

"Maybe the home screen instead of the lock screen" I chuckled "unless you're literally asking to get caught before we choose to tell everyone." 

"I guess" he surprised me then by leaning down into his bag and pulling out another present, this one flatter and smaller, perhaps the size of a book or a DVD. "There's something else too." 

"Gerard you've already spent enough money on me!"

"This didn't cost me anything" he said cryptically, handing it over "just time." 

I slowly pulled back the paper to see it was a handmade book of sorts, and when I opened it I gasped aloud. 

It was a comic, I could recognise his distinctive drawing style. But the character looking up was clearly me, lip ring, spray can in hand and even a scorpion tattoo on the neck that I was guessing he'd recently added. I started to flick through it, seeing images of cartoon me tagging walls, running from police, playing guitar with Ray, and scenes where I was sat on a very familiar doorstep with a face covered in bruises, and a cartoon Gerard, minus the priest collar, was sitting next to me. 

"Gerard. This is amazing." 

"I'm glad you like it" I heard him say, not yet able to take my eyes off the drawings "I wanted you to know how much you inspire me Frank. Everything you do is amazing to me, and I just needed to get it all out." 

"This is the best present ever" I looked up at him "I love you so much." Having him draw me like that made me feel almost immortal. Like he'd captured a bit of my soul into the comic in the process. Every detail was perfect. 

"I love you too." 

Gerard dropped me home a few hours later, full of promises that he'd see me later tonight once the party was already in full swing. When I walked into Kellin's kitchen I saw that numerous balloons and banners had been hung up, red solo cups were piled up high on the kitchen table and Oli was setting up the speakers. 

"Happy birthday mate" he grinned, being the first one to see me. That's when the others all appeared, and I was immediately pulled into various hugs. 

"I didn't realise you were all gunna be here this early" I admitted. 

"We wanted to give you our presents before you got too drunk" Lynz grinned as Kitty picked up a big box "they're all in here, and they're from all of us." 

I sat down as I opened it up, seeing inside were all my favourite records on vinyl. 

"Holy shit, you've literally picked my exact favourites!" I turned to them all "how did you know which ones to get?" 

"I lived with you for a while, and it was pretty easy to hear what you were listening to through the walls" Ray's voice made me turn to see him stood in the doorway. I immediately grabbed and hugged him. 

"Thank you so much Ray, and all of you, this is perfect." 

"You deserve it Frank" Kitty smiled. 

"So what did your boyfriend get you?" Jimmy cut in, grin emerging "don't think I've forgotten that you promised I could meet him tonight!" 

"He got me this" I pulled out the polaroid camera "and I know, he's coming later." 

"Let's test it out then!" lynz changed the subject for me, and for a while we all mucked around posing for the camera, making sure we got a group picture as well as individual ones of me and Ray, me and Lynz and me and Kellin. 

It was later on that me and Ray were stood in the kitchen whilst the others got ready that we finally had a moment to speak alone. 

"Is Gerard really coming tonight?" 

"Yeah he is" I grinned "fancy dress, but I don't think anyone here would recognise him anyway. I'll introduce him as Gee, not Gerard, just in case." 

"Good idea" he nodded "god, it's going to be so weird being at a party with my priest." 

"Here, look at what he made me" I handed him the comic book, watching his eyes go wide as he flicked through the pages. 

"Holy shit Frank, these drawings are so amazing. He really loves you, doesn't he?" 

"I hope so" I chucked, quickly taking it back "I'm going to go put it somewhere safe and find my costume." 

It was 9pm, and the house party was in full swing. The kitchen was full of people talking, the living room full of people dancing, and the smokers stuck to the garden. The turn out was big - most people from our college were here, but I still mainly gravitated towards my inner circle of friends. So many people had wished me a happy birthday, and I had a crazy amount of cards. I hadn't realised they even knew who I was. Maybe Kellin was paying them. It wouldn't surprise me. 

My costume was a classic skeleton one, whilst Ray was a zombie, Lynz was Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice, Kellin and Vic were both werewolves and Jimmy... well, Jimmy was stood there dressed as some sort of priest. 

"Since when were Priests halloweeny?" I laughed. 

"Since forever!" he cried "I'm Father Jimmy Urine, here to exorcise the shit out of any ghosts" and on cue, Chantal rounded the corner dressed as the corpse bride. 

"I think it's very appropriate" Ray remarked with a sideways glance at me "I mean, what Halloween party would be complete without a priest or two?" 

"Yeah Frank" Lynz joined in "you cant disagree with that one." 

I gave them a both look that said shut up right now. Luckily, Thriller started playing at that point, and Chantal immediately started towing Lynz and Jimmy towards the dance floor. 

"Whens the actual priest getting here then?" Kellin asked.

"He should be here any minute actually" I beamed, and sure enough about a minute or so later Ray emerged from the hallway with Gerard by his side, dressed as a vampire by the looks of him. His face was covered in pale white powder, making his hair look even darker, and he had fake blood running down his jaw and neck, a cape over his back. 

"Look who showed up" he called over to me, and Gerard just waved adorably. I immediately walked over to him and gave him a quick kiss.

"Hey" he grinned "I think i'm here to crash the party." 

"You just made the party" I corrected him, turning to Kellin "Hey Kellin, nice to see you again in better circumstances". 

"Tell me about it" he laughed, shaking his hand. 

"wanna go get these introductions over with?" I asked.

"Sure" he let me tow him into the kitchen where most of the others were. 

"Guys, this is my boyfriend Gee" I announced, making them all turn and immediately give us their full attention. Luckily they were still only tipsy at this point.

"Hey" Oli shook his hand "nice to finally meet you." 

"Yeah, Frank's kept us waiting" Chantal added. 

"Nice to meet you all too. Sorry it wasn't sooner, we just had a few things to sort out first"  Gerard answered as honestly as he could, coming off far more relaxed than I think he actually was. 

"I hope it wasn't covering up Frank's hickeys, because if so you did an appalling job" Jimmy moved forward and offered him a drink rather than a handshake "Jimmy Urine, or Father Urine for the one night and one night only. Pleased to meet ya." 

"Nice to finally meet you Jimmy" Gerard chuckled "I like your, er, costume". He took the drink but set it down on the side without sipping it. I got the impression he wasn't really that keen on drinking, especially if he was driving home. 

"Thanks dude!" He turned to me "see Frank, told you priests were cool." 

"Oh, I wasn't denying that" I smirked, feeling Gerard try not to giggle beside me. 

"Anyway, you are not nearly as drunk as you should be on your 18th birthday, come on!" he dragged me over to the table and started to pour me another drink, and I shot Lynz a grateful look when she started talking to Gerard, steering the group conversation away from priests in general.

"Hey Frank, want me to take a picture of you and Gee on your polaroid?" Ray asked, and I quickly stood next to Gerard as he draped an arm around me, both of us smiling into the flash of the camera. 

"Thanks Ray" I pocked the photo, reminding myself to check it later. I then turned back to Gerard "come dance with me?" 

"Anything you want" he took my hand and let me lead him into the living room, where the lights were low and way too many people were dancing to notice the two of us spinning around before he grabbed me by the waist and kissed me deeply, making everything else melt away. 

"Happy birthday Frankie" he yelled over the music, and I just leaned up and kissed him again, feeling the happiest I'd ever felt in my life.