yall I really just wrote one chapter then just yeeted myself out of here

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I paced around my room, staring at my phone on the bed. I sent Gerard a text five minutes ago. Shouldn't he have answered by now? No, he's just busy. But what if he only gave me the number as a nice gesture and didn't want me to actually contact him? What if he gave me a fake number? What if--

My phone dinged and I jumped at it.

Gerard: Hey, Frankie, what's up?

Frank: I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to hang out

Frank: Like, right now if you're available it's okay if you're not

Gerard: Yeah, I can hang out now, come by my apartment

He texted me the address and I sighed, thankful that it was close. I put on black jeans and a black hoodie before grabbing my backpack, climbing out my window. I climbed down the tree, making sure to keep out of sight of the cameras before jumping the fence. I pulled out my penny board, riding down the mostly empty streets in the middle of the night.

Gerard buzzed me into his apartment when I got there and I went up to the third floor where he let me in. The living room was dim, lit only by the soft pink LED lights lining the ceiling. There were some clothes on the ground but other than that it was pretty neat. I couldn't help but notice the glass bong sitting on the coffee table.

Gerard's red hair was wet, he clearly just showered. He had on a fuzzy black robe and I was thankful when I saw he was wearing briefs underneath it. He had a joint between his lips, lips that were smirking down at me.

"Couldn't stay away, huh?" He asked.

I shrugged, standing nervously as I played with my sleeves.

"Come on, sit down," he said.

I set my backpack and penny board down before sitting on the couch. Gerard carefully set the joint into an ashtray before coming to straddle my hips.

"So, what can I do for you?" He asked.

"Th-this wasn't a booty call," I said.

Gerard stopped running his fingers through my hair as he blinked. "Oh? It's not? Damn, I shaved my asshole for you."

I blushed, looking away trying to get the image out of my head.

"So, what can I do for you?" He asked, moving off of my lap.

"I just thought maybe we could be friends and I could have a normal life," I said.

"Oh," he said. "Yeah, totally, dude. We can hang out whenever you want. Except for when I have classes, obviously."

I nodded, biting my lip.

"So, what do normal friends do?" I asked.

Gerard shrugged. "Just hang out, talk about life and stuff like that. You know, the usual."

Life. Well, I had a rather complicated life and I couldn't tell him about any of it, I couldn't expose the business. Maybe that's why I've been so lonely all my life.

"So, what do you like to do for fun?" Gerard asked.

"I like to play guitar and draw," I said.

"So, a very artsy boy," he said. "I was worried you were going to be like one of those rude jocks who bullied me in high school."

"People bullied you?" I asked in shock. "But you're so...so pretty."

"And also very gay," he said. "There weren't many gay kids at our school, especially not openly out ones like me. Didn't help when I wore tights to the musical to play the part as Peter Pan, which is usually given to a girl."

"People are actually like that in school?" I asked.

"Unfortunately so," he said. "It wasn't always too bad, though. You made friends and stuff, there were cool teachers and art projects to do."

I smiled, nodding my head. I wanted to hear more about his life, maybe I just wanted to live vicariously through him.

"Being homeschooled sucks," I said. "I have literally no friends, the only people I hang out with are my cousins."

"Why is your mom so over protective?" He asked.

"It's complicated," I said. "Actually, a lot of my life is really complicated so I don't know if I can really talk about it at all."

"Well, I understand but is there anything we can talk about?" He asked. "We can't exactly have a one-sided relationship."

I nodded, biting my lip.

"What? You witness protection program or something?" Gerard asked.

"Something like that," I mumbled.

I wished it was just that, that would make things a whole lot easier, maybe a little better. I wouldn't be doomed to one day become a mafia boss.

"Got a girlfriend?" He asked.

"I'm not really into girls," I said.

"That's okay, honey, I'm not either," he said.

I looked down at my lap, biting my lip.

"Ever had a boyfriend?" He asked.

"I don't really have any friends at all," I said. "I don't meet anyone outside of my house ever."

"Your mom let you come over?" He asked.

"Well, I kind of snuck out," I said.

"Oh, so we have a bad boy in the house," he said. "A little rebel, I like that. Even more so, I like taming that."

I blushed, looking around.

"Sorry, I get a little flirty when I'm high," he said. "Just tell me to stop and I'll stop, I just kind of say stuff without really thinking."

"It's okay, just a little bit shocking," I said. "Nobody has ever flirted with me before. I don't really know how to react or how to flirt back."

"Oh, so you wanna flirt back?" Gerard asked with a teasing smile playing on his lips.

I wasn't really sure if I did want to flirt back. Of course I did want a boyfriend, I was a sucker for cheesy romantics. But I knew that it would be far too complicated to bring him into my life as anything more than a friend I could merely hold at arms length away from my family. But no, a boyfriend would integrate himself in a way that I could never allow. My life was already terrible and set in stone, I couldn't allow anyone else to live the way I do.

"So, here is how to flirt," he said. "A nice, playful touch is a good place to start."

Gerard put a hand on my knee.

"And lean in a little, tilt your head in their direction," he said. "And, when you want to kiss, subtly look at their lips."

Gerard did just that and I could feel my heart thundering in my chest.

"You've never had your first kiss?" He asked and I shook my head. "You want to?"

I didn't say anything and Gerard slowly leaned forward, his lips brushing against mine. He tangled his hand into my hair, kissing me roughly. I whimpered, kissing him back when he suddenly pulled away.

"Was that okay?" He asked.

I didn't know what to say, I couldn't really remember how to speak.

"I guess it was," gerard said. "You want some food?"

He got up, fixing the fuzzy robe on his shoulders. He went to the small kitchen and got me a glass of water, which I quickly drank.

"You good?" Gerard asked. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have--"

"N-no, it's okay," I said, finally catching my voice. "It was really nice."

"Let me go get dressed, I wasn't aware this wasn't a booty call," he said.

He turned on the normal lights instead of the pink ones and went to the bedroom, giving me an opportunity to look around. The cabinets were falling off hinges, there was water damage on the walls and ceiling. His bookshelf was made of just wooden planks and cinder blocks. The place was rather run down, but I guess I couldn't really be surprised seeing as he was a college student, stripping just to make ends meet.

There were some peculiar things, however. Such as the brand new smart phone he had and the new macbook on the coffee table. There was even a pair of Louis Vuitton heels by the door.

"So, Frankie," Gerard said when he walked out in Star Wars pajamas and sat down beside me, "Where are you from?"

"Lived here my whole life," I said.

"Really? Where at?" He asked. "I lived by that place on the river by the park. The trailer park there."

"You know that one big house on the edge of the town by the pond?" I asked and he nodded. "Yeah, I live there."

Gerard stared at me. "You're joking. You live there? That place is a fucking masion. It's insane!"

"More like a prison," I said. "You can only walk the halls so long before it gets way too boring."

"Well, I can always make it easier and swap places with you," Gerard joked.

I smiled, looking down. What I wouldn't love if we could just switch places and I wouldn't have to worry about taking over the business and being forced into a life of crime.

"You don't take offense by me and my 'extracurriculars' do you?" He asked, gesturing to the drug paraphernalia on the table.

"No, not at all," I said. "I smoke a bit too."

"So, even more of a little rebel then, huh?" He asked. "You're getting even more attractive as time goes on."

"You're flirting again," I said.

"Right," he said, sitting straight. "Sorry about that."

"What's up with you and liking boys who rebel?" I asked.

"I have a little side hustle working as a dom," he said.

"Oh, so you're a top?" I asked.

"No, a dominant bottom," he said. "And there are many men who like to shower me in gifts and money for a chance of me to simply order them around. Have you ever really been into that kind of stuff?"

"I don't know," I said. "I never really explored much into...things like that."

"Kinks?" He asked and I nodded. "Hm, maybe one day I can show you. I have a few tricks up my sleeve and a few toys in my chest."

I looked at my watch and sighed.

"I can't stay long, I should probably get going," I said.

Gerard nodded and walked me to the door. I picked up my backpack, slinging it over my shoulder. I looked up just as Gerard pushed me back against the door, kissing me roughly. I whimpered, disappointed when he pulled away.

"You're so sweet, like a bunny," he said, caressing my cheek. "See you later, Bunny."