As the movie began to play, and Frank settled back onto the couch with his drink in hand, he was halfway convinced that he had died and gone to Heaven somehow, even though he was pretty sure he would remember if he had bit the big one, but that was the only explanation for how tonight had turned out so far.

It seemed much more plausible that Frank had passed away in the last five minutes than to think that this was all real; that would explain Gerard's perfection at the very least, because someone like him could definitely make Frank a believer in angels.

Frank mentally winced as his cheesy analogy, but he couldn't seem to help himself tonight; Gerard had turned Frank into a sappy mess of emotions, and he had no idea how to deal with it, but at least he hadn't voiced any of his thoughts out loud, and as long as Gerard wasn't a mind reader, his corny commentary was safely contained inside his head.

Frank wasn't even entirely certain how he had gone from trying to find a hookup in the bar, to befriending Mikey, to ending to next to the most beautiful man he had ever seen, but he definitely wasn't complaining, no matter how unrealistic this entire situation seemed.

It wasn't like Frank couldn't remember the actual events of this evening - of course he could, and honestly, he would probably never forget them, but good things in Frank's life were few and far between, and people like Gerard shouldn't want to be around people like Frank, but he did, and that made Frank's sad existence a little easier to bear.

And even though Gerard hadn't really done that much - he had simply given Frank a few drinks and let him stay over for a bit - those small gestures meant everything to Frank, because kindness wasn't something that Frank was used to dealing with, and this was the last thing he had assumed would happen to him tonight, which just made it all the more special to him.

Gerard just seemed too good to be true, and Frank had been expecting to be politely asked to leave as soon as Mikey was home safe, but Gerard had welcomed Frank into his home - his life, and Frank didn't deserve that, which made him even more grateful for that gift that Gerard had unknowingly given him - the gift of being wanted, which meant more to Frank than any material possession he could ever receive.

You would think that Frank would have experienced situations similar to this before, and in a way, he had, but it had never meant anything to him, because he had paid for them with his body. Even though it was never actually worded that way, Frank knew it was true; a kind word and a free drink was a sign to Frank that he was being buttered up for sex, and no one had ever been sweet to Frank without wanting something more - that was what made Gerard different.

In Frank's mind, Gerard was this entity of goodness, someone told about in storybooks, but never actually existing in real life, and Frank kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and Gerard to laugh in his face before telling him what a fool he had been to think that he was actually wanted here, but that was just Frank's insecurities kicking in, and he knew Gerard would have already thrown him out if this was some elaborate joke meant to hurt him.

As far as Frank could tell, Gerard's intentions were entirely innocent in nature, and that was a breath of fresh air to someone who lived the life Frank did, where every word and action was calculated to end up in someone's bed.

Frank still felt uncomfortable here though, on edge even, and it was because of Gerard's considerate nature, and his unexplained willingness to let Frank stay without expecting anything in return. People like Gerard didn't do that, people like Gerard shouldn't even look twice at Frank, and even though Frank was used to men being attracted to him, they were never anything like Gerard.

Even when Frank went home with another man, they were usually worse off than Frank, and not just appearance wise. They had nothing left, and it showed in the way they spent their earnings in the bar as their life passed them by, and even though Frank didn't have much, he did still have his youth - like Brendon had said, and he had a chance of things maybe turning around someday, and Frank was foolishly thinking that Gerard might just be that chance.

Because Gerard was young too, not as young as Frank, but still young, and he could probably be out right now with someone better, doing something else, anything really, but he had chosen Frank, Frank's company, Frank's presence, and even though Frank had given Gerard plenty of opportunities to be rid of him, he had actually wanted Frank to stay, and that made Frank feel like he meant something to someone after all.

That wasn't to say that Frank didn't understand why Gerard was desperate for some companionship, because like Frank had said before, he empathized with Gerard, and he had a feeling that they shared many of the same demons, so it wasn't that need to be with another person that had confounded him - no, it was the fact that Gerard had picked Frank, because why the fuck would someone like Gerard actually think Frank was worth anything more than a passing glance?

Gerard hadn't even been that drunk when he had first laid eyes on Frank - maybe a little buzzed, but nowhere near that state of inebriation where anyone seems appealing because of the alcohol flowing through your veins, which meant that he had chosen to spend time with Frank because he really wanted to, while the men at the bar were pretty much desperate for anything with an ass that they could fuck, but Gerard hadn't even insinuated that he wanted sex - not that Frank would turn him down if he did, quite the opposite actually.

But it was the fact that Gerard had chosen to treat Frank like a person with feelings, and not just an object of pleasure that really touched Frank. He couldn't remember the last time anyone besides Pete had offered to simply watch a movie with him, but Gerard had, which in turn had Frank falling pretty much head over heels for this man he barely knew, but it was too late to do anything about that now.

And Frank actually dared to hope that maybe Gerard was feeling the same way about him; he had called him cute after all, and no sane person invites a stranger to stay in their home and watch movies unless they have some sort of attraction to them, and even though Gerard seemed a bit odd, Frank didn't think he was crazy.

No - he just seemed lonely, like Frank, and he wanted Frank to break that bubble of solitude, even if it was just for tonight, but fuck, Frank wanted more than a few hours with Gerard, but he would take whatever he could get.

Maybe they could maintain some sort of friendship after this, or perhaps even a fuck buddy thing if the evening went where Frank hoped it did, because even with this newfound hope Frank was feeling, he knew better than to believe that someone like Gerard would actually want to be his boyfriend.

That idea was too insane to even contemplate, and Frank really needed to shut his mind off before he started getting delusions of grandeur or some shit, but fuck, just imagining Gerard as his, and Frank as Gerard's had a horde of angry butterflies battering against the walls of Frank's stomach.

But no, he couldn't think that way, so Frank did his best to stop kidding himself before returning his attention to the television screen, trying his hardest to stay away from crazy thoughts of things that would never happen in a million years.

And in this moment, Frank really wished his brain did come with a power button, or something, because his mind was simply cycling now, repeating the same thoughts and worries over and over, varying the wording each time as it did so, but the meaning was essentially the same, and it was getting borderline pathetic.

Frank was tired of his mind trying to make problems when, for once, there wasn't any, so he forced himself to push all of his negative thoughts down into the dark hole they typically resided in, and instead, returned his concentration to Gerard, and maybe the movie as well.

And even though Frank loved X-Men, he had seen this particular film numerous times before, so he found himself observing Gerard more than the screen, and he was pretty sure that staring at Gerard could easily become his new favorite hobby.

Gerard was just so fascinating to observe, and even though that made Frank sound like some nature specialist taking notes on a new species of animal, it was true. Frank felt like The Crocodile Hunter or some shit as he tried to use his peripheral vision to keep Gerard in focus the entire time without letting him know he was being studied - hey - maybe Frank could even get his own television show, in which he would share the wonders of Gerard with the world.

Okay, that thought was a bit far-fetched, and it was safe to say that Frank was already getting a little drunk, but he held to his belief that Gerard was a fascinating creature to examine. His face was so expressive, and Frank couldn't stop watching the way it changed along with the storyline of the movie; he could almost follow the plot by Gerard's reaction to each scene.

As the movie continued, Gerard began to shift closer and closer to Frank's side of the couch, and now that Frank was sufficiently drunk once again - they had both consumed numerous cups of vodka in a relatively short amount of time - Frank wasn't overthinking everything like he had been previously, so he managed not to have a mental breakdown at Gerard's rapidly narrowing proximity, instead, he simply enjoyed it.

And if Frank thought about it, this was just like the bar, only it was someone's house, so it really wasn't, but whatever. Gerard was drunk, or at least well on his way there, and he had said he was lonely, and if Frank was good at anything, it was hooking up with inebriated men who were looking for someone to spend the night with them.

So Frank reciprocated Gerard's actions, pressing against his side slightly, and when Gerard didn't react negatively, Frank leaned more of his weight against him, inhaling deeply in satisfaction at the newfound contact.

Gerard's skin was warm; Frank could feel the pleasant heat through both of their t-shirts, and he smelled amazing, like smoke, and beer, and something else - some unique scent that was probably just sweat, but Frank liked it, which probably was a sign that Frank might be a little bit too drunk when he found the scent of an unwashed body attractive, but fuck - this was Gerard, and Frank had yet to find anything he would actually consider a fault with the man.

It didn't take long for Gerard to wrap one arm around Frank's shoulder, and that was when Frank knew Gerard wanted this just as much as he did; his actions showed that, although he hadn't actually spoken the words, and the butterflies that Frank had apparently swallowed at some point in the evening made their presence known again in the form of the violent fluttering sensation in his stomach.

Frank froze up at the initial touch; he swore Gerard could hear his heart beating, it was drowning out the sounds of the movie, at least, that was how it seemed to Frank, but Gerard didn't appear to have noticed. He simple sighed happily and pulled Frank marginally closer to him, and after a minute or two, Frank felt the tension in his body slowly draining away.

Frank was tempted to make a move then, but he decided to let Gerard set the pace for tonight. Frank still wasn't entirely sure what Gerard really wanted from him, and Frank was actually pretty content just cuddling for the time being.

Warning bells should have been going off in Frank's head right then, because he didn't cuddle, not even with Pete, and especially not with strangers, but Gerard was different - Frank couldn't stress that enough, and just the simple feeling of his arm around him had Frank lightheaded with joy.

Frank was just beginning to truly relax against Gerard when their game of seduction was broken by Gerard standing up abruptly with an apologetic look on his face, his sudden withdrawal shocking Frank like a bucket of cold water poured over his head unexpectedly.

For one second, Frank was terrified that Gerard was going to tell him that he had to leave, and it had been a mistake to let him stay here. Frank felt his heart sinking into his feet before Gerard even opened his mouth, but he had been trained to always expect the worse, and he knew this had all been too good to be true.

"I'm sorry, I'll be right back. I've just got to go check up on Mikey really quick." Gerard truly did look reluctant to move, but of course he had to go make sure Mikey was okay, and Frank nodded to show him that he understood, pausing the movie with the remote so Gerard wouldn't miss anything while he was gone.

Frank waited until Gerard had entered Mikey's room before letting out a sigh of relief. He had honestly forgotten about Mikey until just now, so he had been terrified that Gerard was going to make him leave, and now that he knew that wasn't the case, Frank was trying to calm down for his recent spike of anxiety.

He should of known Gerard wouldn't do that; he was obviously interested in Frank - if he was actually going to do something about that was another question entirely, but Frank had a feeling he would make a move sooner or later, and if he didn't, Frank would just have to give him a nudge in the right direction.

Frank needed to pull himself together before he attempted anything though; he was still trying to come down from the high of having Gerard's arm around him, and if such an innocent touch had produce such an extreme reaction, Frank had no idea what would happen if he attempted to kiss Gerard, and Frank couldn't afford to embarrass himself after he had made it this far without incident.

Gerard seemed nervous too though, and that made Frank feel slightly more comfortable, but also out of his depth all at the same time. His typical sexual encounters began with both parties knowing exactly what the other wanted, and there was little room for awkwardness or doubts when you were both trying to get each other naked as fast as possible,

But Frank had a feeling that Gerard didn't do this often, or maybe it had just been awhile since he had been laid, which Frank found hard to believe - Gerard was so attractive he probably got propositioned in broad daylight.

Frank had no idea about Gerard's sex life though, and he still wasn't even sure if that was what Gerard was insinuating with his actions - maybe he just really liked snuggling, but sitting here and having a mental debate about it wasn't helping things, and Frank was really getting tired with how active his brain was tonight. The alcohol should have taken effect by now, but Frank's mind still wouldn't shut up, no matter how much he drank.

Frank finished the last of his vodka quickly, hoping that maybe this would be enough to tip him over into a truly inebriated state as he strained his ears, trying to listen for Gerard's melodious voice while he waited.

Frank didn't hear any sound coming for Mikey's room though, and it couldn't have been more than a few minutes before Gerard reemerged into the living room with a tired expression on his face.

"He okay?" Frank asked as Gerard sat down again, making sure to regain his previous position pressed up against Frank's side.

"Yeah - he's fast asleep. Sorry I took so long, I just wanted to make sure his breathing was regular and all that," Gerard sighed heavily, and this time, Frank put his arm around the older man in a comforting gesture, which Gerard leaned into gratefully, much to Frank's delight.

"Don't apologize - hell, I'm worried about him too, and I feel like a dick for not reminding you to check up on him sooner." Frank hung his head slightly, because it had been almost ninety minutes since Gerard had put Mikey in bed, and now he recalled Gerard saying he would check up on his brother in an hour, and Frank hadn't even thought to keep track of the time.

"Fuck - I know I already said this, but you really are sweet, and sorry, I say sorry a lot, even if it doesn't really apply, but I am sorry for ditching you mid movie like that, and thanks for pausing it," Gerard rambled, and Frank couldn't get over how fucking adorable he looked when he got slightly flustered.

"No - I'm sorry for distracting you and drinking all of your liquor," Frank chuckled quietly, feeling that tingling sensation again as Gerard graced him with a smile.

"You aren't a distraction - well, maybe you are, but you are the best kind of distraction, and I really needed this tonight after...well everything. Fuck - I can't remember the last time I have actually watched a movie with anyone who wasn't Mikey, and even then, he's always going off somewhere lately, and I'm so glad you decided to stay...like really," Gerard trailed off awkwardly, but Frank had barely even heard him. His brain was shorting out temporarily because of the way Gerard was staring at him, as if he was the only person in the world at this moment, and he actually mattered.

There was lust in his gaze, yes - Frank would actually have been disappointed if there wasn't, but there was so much more to his look then just that, and Frank didn't even know how to describe what he was seeing, or the way it made him feel, because this was so much different than a regular hookup, and Frank wasn't sure what to do, or say, right now.

If this was any other guy, Gerard would be all over him, but this wasn't just anyone - this was Gerard, and Frank was beginning to panic again. He wanted to lean forward and kiss him, but what if that wasn't what Gerard wanted; what if pulled away and freaked out on Frank, even though that outcome was unlikely with the way he had been snuggled up against Frank not even five minutes ago.

Gerard took the decision away from Frank though, and he did it in the best way possible, dipping down and pressing his slightly chapped lips against Frank's gently, and holy fuck - Frank was pretty sure he had just died, and it was a ghost that was sitting there kissing Gerard.

Frank was too shocked to react, the feeling of Gerard's lips moving chastely against his own was indescribable, and even though, technically speaking, this kiss was nothing special, right now, it was everything to Frank, and he knew he would never forget it, no matter how many more men he kissed in the future.

The sparks Frank had known he would feel were erupting throughout his bloodstream, bursting inside of him with a fiery sharpness that intensified everything, making this simple kiss more pleasurable than some of the sex he had partaken in.

Every nerve ending in Frank's body was tingling all at once, originating from the point where their lips met, and spreading outward until Frank's entire body was filled with pleasure. Frank had never felt anything like this before, and even though the intense rush of sensations was slightly terrifying, Frank never wanted this kiss to end.

But like an idiot, Frank had been too paralyzed to actually reciprocate Gerard's actions, so after what had probably been only a few seconds, but which felt like years to Frank, Gerard pulled away with a horrified expression on his face.

"Oh my god Frank - I'm so sorry, I don't know why I did that, you are just so pretty...and I thought...but that was too forward, and I totally understand if you want to go, fuck - I'm sorry."

Gerard continued to ramble on, and Frank wanted to tell him it was okay - more than okay actually, and that he had been waiting for Gerard to kiss him all night, but he was still reeling from the kiss, and his mouth didn't seem capable of forming coherent words just yet.

So Frank did the only thing he could think of, tangling his fingers in Gerard's inky black hair as he pulled his mouth back to his again, making sure to kiss him properly this time, and effectively shutting Gerard up in the process.

So this is shorter than usual, but it was mostly just a continuation of the last chapter, and they kissed, so that made up for it right?

I am pretty sure you all know what is going to happen in the next chapter, so yeah - there is that to look forward to, I just need to get back in the smut writing mood again.

I don't know when I will be able to update next, we lost two managers at work, so this next couple of weeks is going to be killer, but I will try my best not to make you guys wait too long.

This chapter is dedicated to GDB123 because you are always one of the first to comment and vote on this fic, and it makes me really happy that you are enjoying this so much.

((((frerard vibes))))

<3 starr