Frank hurried out of Gerard's classroom as quickly as his tired muscles would let him, stubbornly ignoring the intense desire to rush back into Gerard's arms and hold him for as long as possible. Frank wanted to beg Gerard to tell him that his decision had been a mistake, that he didn't want to break up anymore, but Frank knew that Gerard wasn't going to change his mind that easily, so Frank had to get away before the fact that he and Gerard were no longer together fully sunk in.

Frank knew he was going to regret his impromptu departure any second now, especially since this was the first time since Monday that Gerard had been willing to talk to him, but Frank couldn't stand to stay in Gerard's presence right now, not with his words playing on an endless loop in his head that seemed to get louder with each repetition, reminding him with every step he took that Gerard had left him, that they were over, that the happiness he had found with the other man had been nothing more than a fleeting thing.

And yes - Frank had heard Gerard say that if Frank still wanted him when he was eighteen that they could try again, but it had seemed like an afterthought to Gerard, an add on to give Frank a fake sense of solace. Frank wasn't sure if Gerard was being serious about his promise or not, but even if he was, Frank couldn't imagine Gerard staying single for two more months while he waited for Frank's birthday to arrive.

Everything following Gerard's initial statement in which he told Frank that they needed to break off their relationship was fuzzy and blurred, no matter how hard Frank tried to recall Gerard's exact words. Frank's tears and heartache had muddled up everything until he had reached the point where he honestly wasn't sure what exactly had been said after that, his mind had shut down in an effort to avoid the agony that rose up to take the place that Gerard had once occupied.

Deciding not to torture himself with what had just happened for any longer, Frank began to plan what to do now, because contrary to what he had told Gerard, his mother wouldn't be home for another hour, and Frank didn't want her to see him in this state anyway. She might not notice his emotional distress, but if she did happen to comment on it, Frank knew he wouldn't be able to handle any sort of inquiry that would come from her, not to mention she would most likely tell him to brush it off or something else just as callous.

Frank couldn't go back to Pete's either - not yet anyway. Gerard may have given him permission to sleep with other people, in fact, he wasn't even his boyfriend anymore, but Frank was still overcome with guilt every time he allowed his mind to wander back to what he and Pete had done last night, and Frank didn't want to face his best friend who would instantly catch on to Frank's distress, and unlike his mother, Pete wouldn't drop the subject until Frank explained what was bothering him.

Frank was still debating his options as he scrambled aboard the late shuttle seconds before the door closed, hurriedly taking an empty seat before burying his head in his arms, wishing the ache in his temples would dissipate so he could actually think without being distracted by the intermittent pulses of pain.

Remembering his promise to Gerard, Frank pulled out his phone, sending him a text that said he had caught bus and he was on his way home, immediately turning the device off afterward so he wouldn't have to deal with the added pressure of checking if Gerard had responded or not. As much as Frank did want to keep in contact with the older man, he needed to get away from everything right now before he lost his mind completely.

Frank had three options for an escape as far as he could tell; he could either hide in his room and pray that his mother left him be, which didn't sound very appealing, he could return to his and Gerard's meadow and hope he found peace there once more, which he highly doubted he would with their breakup still so fresh and raw, or he could go see Brendon and Ryan at the bar.

Frank hadn't stopped into the pub lately, not since the night Gerard had originally taken him to the forest clearing and ask him to be his. At first Frank had just been too busy with other things to make time for it, and then he hadn't wanted the friendly bartenders to see him in such a miserable state, but now Frank could think of no one else to turn to. Even if he wasn't as close to Brendon and Ryan as he was to Pete, they were no strangers to listening to his dismal life, and Ryan did give excellent hugs that somehow always managed to cheer Frank up slightly.

The bus creaked to a halt at its one stop which was luckily very close to the bar Frank planned on visiting. Frank waited until everyone else had exited the vehicle before grabbing his bag and making his way down the steep steps, throwing his things onto a nearby bench so he could loosen his constricting tie and unbutton his white shirt, stuffing the fabric into his backpack once it was off, leaving him in a plain white t-shirt and jeans. Frank was aware that Brendon most likely realized that he was in high school by now, but he didn't want to risk getting the man into trouble by showing up at his establishment in clothing that proclaimed he was under twenty-one, not that he planned on drinking right now, but still - better safe than sorry.

Frank hesitated once the familiar sign came into view though, because as much as he ached for someone to lend an ear to his woes, he felt guilty for bothering Brendon and Ryan with what they would most likely view as trivial problems. They were two of the nicest people he had ever met, but Frank couldn't help but fear that they would soon begin to view him as a burden, especially if he didn't at least purchase something to pay them back for their wasted time.

Frank shoved away his insecurities the best that he could after standing outside for over a minute, the odd looks he was getting from the few pedestrians that passed him by making him decidedly uncomfortable, because even if his musings proved to be correct, Frank wasn't going to abandon his only source of comfort just yet. The simple act of deciding to see Brendon and Ryan had actually managed to dry up his tears, so hopefully speaking with them would soothe his bleeding heart for a short while.

Frank winced slightly as the bell above the door chimed out once he had pushed it open, the soft sound hurting his head more than it should have. Frank heaved a sigh of relief after his quick scan of the bar showed it to be almost entirely empty, which made sense since it was barely four in the afternoon. Grateful that he wouldn't have an audience for his private conversation, Frank made his way over to where Brendon was standing with his back turned to him.

"Hey Bren, you busy?" Frank asked in a raspy voice, his throat scratchy and raw from choking back sobs for so long.

"Frank - long time no see," Brendon exclaimed happily, whipping around so quickly he almost dropped the glass he was polishing in the process. "You know I always have time to chat with my favorite customer." Brendon's face fell when he got a better look at Frank, leaving Frank to wonder if he was wearing his misery on his sleeve, it certainly felt like his sorrow was coating him constantly lately, but he hadn't been aware it was so noticeable to anyone else. "Are you okay?" Brendon whispered softly, the question only reminding Frank of how Gerard had spoken those exact same words to him not an hour before, leaving Frank quivering softly as he breathed deeply through his nose in an attempt to keep his composure.

"I don't think so," Frank whimpered softly, moving so he could lean most of his weight against the wooden bar when his legs began to shake along with the rest of his body. "I fucked up with Gerard," Frank admitted, his muscles tensing up in preparation for another round of tears, but Frank was so exhausted and dehydrated that none appeared, although his eyes stung painfully.

"Oh honey." Brendon ducked under the wooden counter gracefully, reappearing at Frank's side before wrapping his arms around his shoulders tightly. "Do you want to come in the back room and talk about it? Ryan's in there, and that way you can sit down on something more comfortable than a hard bar stool."

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother," Frank sniffled, lifting his head slightly only to see Brendon staring down at him with a concerned expression tinged through with sincerity.

"Of course you aren't," Brendon shushed Frank, forcibly pulling him to his feet before helping him navigate over to a section of the building that Frank had never been in before.

Frank let Brendon lead him without protest, even though a part of him was mortified that he was allowing someone else to practically drag him around when he should be able to walk on his own, but Frank was too worn out to bother with maintaining his dignity for any longer.

"Ryan, we've got company," Brendon called out as they entered a small room furnished with a comfortable looking couch, as well as a desk and a large computer that Ryan was currently hunched over. Brendon sat down on the nearby piece of furniture as his boyfriend flipped around, pulling Frank down with him. Frank couldn't seem to convince his torso to remain upright, so he allowed himself to curl up on his side, his head resting on Brendon's shoulder as he continued to tremble weakly.

Frank hated this, he despised appearing so pathetic in front of anyone, of being unable to control his anxiety, which was something he hadn't struggled with for years before this, but losing Gerard had brought back the return of a plethora of terrible things that Frank thought he had finally left in the past, including a never ending storm of emotional turmoil that Frank was beginning to fear that he would never navigate his way out of.

"What happened?" Ryan asked in a hushed tone of voice, gently shifting Frank's legs so he could squeeze himself onto the cushions as well. Frank felt slightly uncomfortable being surrounded by the two men, but Brendon and Ryan had always been affectionate with him, and in a way, their closeness made him feel safe.

"Do you want to tell him Frank?" Brendon prodded when Frank remained silent, and as much as Frank would really rather not, he wasn't going to turn up here in such a state and refuse to explain himself, especially not after Brendon and Ryan were being so kind to him.

"Well you remember Gerard right?" Frank began, waiting for Ryan's nod of affirmation before continuing. Frank swallowed thickly as he tried to find his tongue, but unlike with Pete where the words had spilled out of him like poison leaking from an open wound, Frank found his throat closing up, and no matter how hard he tried, all he could produce were soft whimpers.

"It's okay Frank, you can talk to us," Brendon smiled reassuringly, stroking Frank's hair idly as he spoke, and although Frank was slightly thrown off by the gesture, he allowed himself to lean into the touch gratefully.

"You are too sweet to me," Frank chuckled hoarsely, earning himself a grin from Ryan as well.

"You are our friend Frank, we have known you for years now, so if you are hurting, we want to help," Ryan responded, causing Frank's heart to swell slightly when he realized he might not be as alone as he thought, even if his only friends were Pete and a pair of bar owners who were probably older than Gerard was.

"Thanks, that means a hell of a lot to me," Frank heaved out, bracing himself to get back on track with the original point of his visit before Brendon had to return back to the bar. "So - uh, Gerard and I were doing great, he actually asked me to be his boyfriend the night I saw you last, but then...fuck - it still doesn't seem real, but he's my teacher, and I'm not exactly at the age of legal consent yet, which he didn't know until I saw him in class. He broke up with me today, and he was really nice about it, he even said if I still wanted him when I'm eighteen then he is willing to wait for me, but that's two months away..." Frank trailed off for a moment, trying to find the correct terminology that would convey how he felt like the world was ending all because of a man he had meant four weeks ago, "I think I love him, and I don't know what to do without him anymore."

"Oh my god that's so sad," Ryan gasped, and he did sound truly distraught over Frank's predicament. "How much older than you is he?"

"Um...he's twenty-six, so that's a nine year gap," Frank mumbled guilty, the discrepancy seeming so much worse once it was vocalized aloud.

"Well that isn't too bad, I'm six years older than Brendon," Ryan shrugged, "and as long as you were both consenting, and he didn't do anything to take advantage of you, I really don't see anything wrong with it."

"No - Gerard was wonderful to me, and I lied to him about my age, so he wasn't aware of it until Monday." Frank wanted to make it abundantly clear that Gerard wasn't at fault here, the blame for this situation laid entirely on Frank's shoulders, but Ryan already seemed to understand that.

"Are you sure that you love him though?" Brendon questioned warily, his full lower lip caught between his teeth when Frank craned his neck upward to look at him. "I mean - it's not that I don't believe you, and I saw for myself how happy you were when you talked about him the last time you were here, but honestly - dating a teacher won't be easy, especially not in a smaller town like this, and if it turns out to be simple infatuation, then you would have put yourself at risk for nothing."

"Well it doesn't matter anymore since he's left me," Frank muttered sullenly, giving himself a metaphorical pat on the back for being able to make it through his sentence without crying, "but I think I do. From the moment I first saw him I felt this instant connection with him, and I experienced all of those cheesy things that I never used to believe in; the butterflies, the sparks, the urge to always be around him. I've never met anyone like him before, and you of all people know how many men I've gone home with, but none of them hold a candle to his flame."

"That sounds like love to me," Ryan sighed dreamily, snaking his arm around Frank's back so he could squeeze Brendon's shoulder gently. "I know most people would tell you to forget about him, but I can sense just by looking at you that you don't want to do that. Still - I think Gerard did the right thing here. He's trying to protect you, and I think that alone proves that he cares about you. He said he would wait for you too, and I know two months seems like a long time, but it will fly by before you know it."

"I'm already such a mess though, I'm not even sure if I can make it another day," Frank choked out, his eyes watering heavily as he blinked multiple times in an attempt to dispel the tears that he had managed to avoid so far. "He promised we could still talk over the phone, and he said he wasn't going to cut me out of his life, but he didn't answer any of my calls this week, and...and..."

"Here," Ryan leaned over, snagging a nearby water bottle before handing it to Frank. Frank accepted it eagerly, chugging the cool liquid which alleviated his parched throat as well as distracted him from the urge to start sobbing again.

"Thank you, and sorry - I don't know why I'm so unstable. I was pretty sure I would have calmed down by now, but apparently that hasn't happened yet."

"He's totally in love," Ryan smirked proudly, as if he took great pleasure in repeating the phrase as often as possible. "Brendon and I were just as emotionally screwed at first, but we also met in sort of a fucked up way."

"Oh yeah?" Frank perked up slightly, desperate to remove the attention from himself for a moment, not to mention he was curious about how the two had gotten together.

"Don't remind me," Brendon groaned, but Frank didn't miss the playful lilt to his voice, and apparently neither did Ryan.

"I was his therapist," Ryan chuckled, scooting closer to Brendon as he spoke, sandwiching Frank in-between the two of them even more than he already was, "and I wasn't allowed to date my patients for two years after they stopped seeing me, so believe me, I understand what you are going through."

"Whoa - wait a second, how did you go from being a therapist to running a bar?"

"I did it so I could be closer to Brendon, his dad owned this place, and when he passed away, he gave it to Brendon. I only studied psychology since my mother pushed me into it, and it was nice to help people, but it was never really my passion, plus I can wear whatever I want here without getting odd looks." Ryan gestured to his floral headband, and Frank did have to admit that he had a point since he couldn't visualize a therapist with Ryan's odd fashion sense.

"Wow," Frank breathed out, suddenly humbled by hearing about Brendon and Ryan's struggles which were significantly worse than his own. "How did you make it so long without going insane?"

"Well it wasn't love at first sight for us," Ryan smiled dreamily, "even though I did find him attractive from the start."

"I hated him," Brendon piped up, shocking Frank with his admission, because he honestly couldn't image Brendon ever looking at Ryan with anything other than adoration, "but I was also being forced into therapy that I didn't think I needed and Ryan was a pretentious asshole back then."

"I was not," Ryan huffed, crossing his arms over his chest in an attempt at looking stern. "You were an arrogant punk though."

"I sort of was," Brendon shrugged in agreement, "but anyway, I was in a really bad place when we met, and it took Ryan ages to get through to me. I didn't see him for very long as an actual patient, but he kept tabs on me even after our sessions had ended, and eventually, I began to realize how much he meant to me. Once I figured that out, we started to get a lot closer, and we may have started unofficially dating a little before the two year mark, but for me, Ryan was worth the wait, and I can tell Gerard is the same for you. I know our situations aren't exact parallels since you had him and now you know what you missing out on, but if I were you, I would be patient and see if he holds true to his word. You can hang out with us as much as you want in the meantime."

"What if he was lying though, or he changes his mind?" Frank asked fearfully, because that was what was truly eating away at him, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make himself believe that Gerard would truly be willing to take him back on his eighteenth birthday.

"If he does then he is an idiot," Ryan scoffed loudly, actually succeeding in making Frank giggle softly, "but no - in all seriousness, if you two are meant to be together, then everything will work out in the end. I know that sounds cheesy as fuck, but I have found that it's the truth. If you really love him, and he loves you back, then you will make it through all of this drama, but if not, then your feelings will fade and you will find someone even better."

"I don't want anyone else," Frank whispered, curling inward around his knees in a way that alleviated some of the painful pressure that was threatening to crush his heart.

"I know you don't honey," Brendon murmured soothingly. "Why don't you give him a call tonight, and if he answers, it most likely means he is willing to keep in contact with you like he promised, but if he doesn't - well..." Brendon trailed off, shooting Ryan a concerned glance when Frank began shaking again.

"Brendon's right, just take things one day at a time. He'll pick up, I'd bet good money on it," Ryan smiled, his confidence leaking into Frank, allowing him to sit up on his own now that speaking with his friends had alleviated some of the smothering emotions that had been dragging Frank down both mentally and physically.

"Okay, I will," Frank agreed, trying his hardest not to get his hopes up, because Gerard could very well decide that it was too soon to speak with Frank, or he could be hurt about Frank's sudden withdrawal from his classroom earlier, in fact - Frank could think of a thousand reasons why Gerard should ignore him, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to keep trying, he most likely would have ended up attempting to reach out to Gerard sooner rather than later even without Brendon and Ryan's prodding, but their confidence in him made the task that much easier to contemplate.

"Shit -" Brendon cursed, standing up abruptly when the bell over the door chimed again. "I didn't mean to stay away from the bar for so long, but good luck with everything Frank, and you better drop by again soon to tell me how it goes."

"I will," Frank called out after Brendon's retreating figure, regaining his own feet as well now that he had the space to do so. "I probably should be heading home as well, but seriously, I owe you guys for cheering me up."

"Don't be silly," Ryan grinned, pulling Frank into one of his trademark hugs before beginning to walk with him out into the front room. "We love you Frank."

"I love you too," Frank whispered breathlessly, still unused to having those words being applied to him since Pete was the only one to ever utter them aloud.

As Frank exited the pub, he managed to produce a genuine smile, because even if Gerard didn't answer Frank's call for whatever reason, Frank had discovered that he was cared for by two amazing people, and even if their affection didn't fill him with the same sensations that Gerard's had provided him with, Frank still felt warm bubbles of what could only be happiness fizzling around his stomach as he waved goodbye to Brendon and Ryan.

~~~

Later that evening, Frank sat on his bed with his phone clutched tightly in his palm, the skin of his knuckles turning white under the strain. Frank wasn't sure if he should follow through on his plan to call Gerard - it was almost midnight now; Frank had been kept occupied with trying to balance his mother's checkbook after she had once again maxed out all of their credit cards, and time had flown by without his knowledge.

Frank knew he would never be able to sleep if he didn't though, and every second he wasted debating on if this was the right thing to do was lessening his chances of Gerard still being awake, so he forced his thumb to hit dial, having already pulled up Gerard's number over fifteen minutes ago during which he had done nothing but stare at the screen blankly.

Frank curled into a ball as he pressed the phone to his ear, subconsciously preparing himself for the agony he would most likely be assaulted with when Gerard didn't pick up, but much to Frank's surprise, not to mention relief, he heard a soft click after three rings, followed by a soft scuffling sound."

"Frankie?" Gerard's voice rang out warily, as if he was afraid that someone else had gotten a hold of Frank's phone and was prank calling him or something else just as ridiculous.

"Yeah - it's me, is this a bad time?"

"No, not at all. I was just getting ready for bed." Frank swore he could hear Gerard's smile through the line, and his face mirrored that exact expression. "Is everything alright?"

"Mhmm," Frank hummed happily, flipping over onto his back as he spoke. "I just missed you, and I wanted to apologize for taking off so suddenly this afternoon. It was just a lot for me to process all at once."

"I understand sugar," Gerard paused, and even though Frank had no idea what he was doing, he imagined that Gerard was slipping underneath his own sheets at that moment. "I - it was hard to do that, but I'm glad you aren't upset with me."

"I should be the saying the same to you," Frank laughed wryly, because Gerard seemed surprisingly unbothered by Frank's unfaithfulness, but maybe since they were no longer together, it really wasn't an issue to him, and either way, Frank wasn't going to bring it up and ruin the first normal conversation they had partaken in since Sunday.

"I can't stay mad at you, believe me - I tried, but it's more of a hassle than it's worth."

"Thank god," Frank exhaled loudly, unsure of what to say now that they had established that there were no hard feelings between the two of them. "Do you need to go?" Frank asked nervously, not wanting to keep Gerard from sleeping just so they could talk.

"Probably, but I don't want to," Gerard replied coyly, causing Frank's lips to stretch into such a wide grin that it almost hurt. "Did I tell you about the stray dog Mikey brought home yesterday?" Gerard asked.

"No I don't think you have," Frank replied, although he knew that Gerard was aware of that, but if Gerard was willing to pretend like everything was normal, then Frank was more than happy to play along.

Frank burrowed deeper under the covers as Gerard began detailing the entire incident, making small noises of glee when Gerard painted a verbal picture of the small beagle puppy that Mikey had somehow stumbled upon. Frank groaned softly when Gerard mentioned that it was no longer staying with them anymore since apparently their apartment manager had a vendetta against pets, forcing Mikey to pass it off on his friend Ray who was less than thrilled about the new addition. Frank would have loved to meet the small animal if Gerard would allow him to come over for a visit again now that he knew that Frank was his student.

Frank yawned loudly once Gerard's story had ended, the sound escaping past his lips without his consent. Frank didn't feel tired, but it had been another emotionally draining day for him, and he knew that the exhaustion he had been struggling with earlier was going to catch up with him at any moment.

"You should sleep, we've both have school in the morning," Gerard giggled nervously, the topic still obviously an uncomfortable one for him, but at least he wasn't avoiding it entirely like Frank had thought he would.

"I guess so," Frank grumbled petulantly, not wanting to end his time with Gerard just yet, but he also didn't want to come off as too clingy so soon after their breakup. "Gerard..." Frank spoke up when Gerard remained silent, wanting to get one thing off of his chest before he lost the courage to do so.

"Yeah sugar?"

"I'm going to wait for you okay? I know you don't believe me, but I wouldn't give you up for anything," Frank choked out, knowing that he had already voiced this sentiment multiple times before, but he had to make sure that Gerard believed him, and this was the first time he had been able to say it aloud without tears breaking up his words.

"I want you to do that," Gerard breathed out, his sentence emerging so softly that Frank could barely hear him. "I shouldn't be saying that, because I'm not good for you, but fuck Frank - if you are serious, I'll be here, I swear on my life."

"You're worth so much Gerard," Frank protested, ignoring that fact that Gerard hated compliments almost as much as he detested lies.

"I just want you to be happy Frank, don't throw that away for me," Gerard mumbled dejectedly, the desolation in his tone physically paining Frank as he decided how to word his answer.

"And if you make me happy?" Frank asked hesitantly, unsure of how Gerard would react to Frank's stubborn refusal to entertain a future without Gerard in it, but if he was going to make it through the next two months, then he had to convince Gerard that he was serious about this.

"Then you won't be able to get rid of me the second you turn eighteen."

"I can't wait," Frank exhaled happily, hugging his pillow close to his chest as if it was a pale imitation of Gerard.

"Me either, but seriously, you need to go to bed," Gerard chastised Frank fondly, "and so do I. I'm still not used to these early mornings."

"Okay, I will, and Gerard - thank you for picking up," Frank interjected quickly.

"I said I would didn't I?" Gerard teased, but Frank didn't miss the slight hint of hurt coloring his tone a deep aquamarine shade. Frank didn't comment on it though, and honestly - if Gerard hadn't ignored him for the past three days, Frank wouldn't have had any doubts about him answering his phone in the first place.

"You did," Frank grinned, unable to stop smiling now that he knew Gerard was going to keep his promise after all.

"Sweet dreams sugar," Gerard whispered lowly, the affection lacing his words filling Frank with conflicting sensations composed of love and longing, although he wasn't anywhere near ready to admit how deeply he cared for Gerard aloud, not while they stood on such shaky ground.

"Sweet dreams," Frank repeated softly, forcing himself to end the call after a few moments of dead air had passed.

Frank's muscles unwound as soon as he placed his phone on the nearby charger, tension that he hadn't been aware he was carrying melting away now that he and Gerard had made some form of contact that didn't involve sobbing and heartbreak. Frank knew they still had a long way to go, and he would be foolish to think that each one of their interactions were going to be so smooth, but it was a start, and not only that, it was proof that maybe they could remain friends until Frank's birthday, which wasn't a perfect solution, but Frank would definitely take that over radio silence.

And for the first time in what had only been days but what felt like years, Frank slipped into a deep slumber easily with no tear tracks staining his cheeks, instead, he carried the remnants of a smile, his lips twitching upward even after his lids had closed and his breathing had evened out.

Hello all of you lovely people.

So this was a bit of a filler, but I wanted to put some more Brendon and Ryan in this story before I moved the plot along. I have the next chapter all planned out though, and I am very excited to start writing it.

Votes and comments are lovely as always.

Chapter dedicated to kjb0808

I'm a pain in women's clothes (I finally found a replacement for my vibes)

<3 starr