FicWad

Hey all! So, I’m sorry to disappoint, but this is the last chapter. Maybe I’ll post some snippets of a possible sequel soon, though? ;)

Someone asked me if I wrote the lyrics—I did, actually, and I’m so thrilled that you thought they were possibly MCR’s for a new song! They really read more like a poem… good luck fitting them to a melody, haha.

Anyway, here’s the final installment! Surprise, surprise… different point of view!

Could I Lie Next To You? – Chapter 15 REVISED

“Frankieeee,” I whined, “I want to go home.”

“Hang on, Gee, I want to check this one out.”

I sighed and sat down on a stool, watching as he pulled down another guitar from the wall display and plugged it into one of the large amps. He strummed once, then started playing one of our songs. I was honestly too distracted to even recognize the song; all I wanted to do was go home and relax. We’d been out all day, between hanging around at an arcade, going to the mall, and buying things to restock the kitchen with (the necessities, of course: Twizzlers, chips, and salsa). I felt way too old to be at the arcade to begin with, and going food shopping with Frankie made me feel like we were some old married couple. Finally, we were at Guitar Center and Frankie was checking out some Gibson he had his eye on.

“I’ll just be a few minutes, hang on.”

I huffed. “Take your time.” But please don’t.

A few minutes later, after checking it for scratches and making sure it wasn’t obscenely expensive, Frankie bought the guitar with a new case and strapped it to his back as we made our way through the parking lot. I noticed him check his watch and smile slightly out of the corner of my eye. What was he up to?

“I guess I have kept you out all day. It’s three o’clock already. Wanna go home now?”

“Please!” I let out an overdramatic, exasperated sigh and smiled at him. He chuckled and kissed my cheek.

“Okay, I’ll drive. Come on.” He got into the driver’s seat and I slid into the passenger’s, and I soon let out a relaxed sigh as we were on our way home.

When Frankie pulled into the driveway we both got whatever bags we needed from the car and headed inside. For whatever reason, he insisted on holding the majority of the bags and wouldn’t let me hold his guitar when I offered.

“You’re tired, remember? I’ll handle it.” He grinned mischievously. “My keys are in my back pocket though. D’you mind?”

I chuckled. Always conniving. “Of course not…”

I put my bags down and reached into his back pocket, feeling the keys immediately but making sure I also got a good feel of him before pulling them out. He giggled a bit and moaned into my ear.

“Man, wait until we get inside at least,” I laughed. I put the key into the lock and turned it, kicking the door open as I bent over and grabbed the bags off the stoop.

“SURPRISE!”

“HOLY SHIT!” I nearly stumbled backwards off of the stoop and Frankie grabbed me, laughing uncontrollably. Inside were Mikey, Ray, and Bob, underneath a huge banner hanging from the living room ceiling. On it was scribbled, undoubtedly in Mikey’s handwriting, “Happy First Anniversary, Gee! Clean and sober!”

For a few seconds, all I could do was stare in shock.

I had no idea. But damn, once I thought about it, it was so obvious. Frankie had been desperate to keep me out as long as possible. I knew something was up.

He brought me back to reality by nudging me gently in the back. “Wanna go inside? My arms are gonna fall off with all of these bags.”

I smiled and nodded, hurrying into the house and hugging each one of them.

“You guys scared the living shit out of me!”

“Yeah, you should have seen your face,” Bob laughed. He bent over and pulled a bottle out of a cooler by his feet and tossed it to me. Non-alcoholic beer.

I shrugged my jacket off and smiled gratefully at him, popping the cap off and taking a sip.

“We brought plenty of stuff to have fun with,” Ray said. “Video games, our instruments, plenty of that” – he nodded to the beer in my hand – “you name it.”

What would I do without them?

“Thanks man, I dunno what to say…”

“Don’t say anything,” Mikey grunted, trying to move the big television in the living room, “just help me move this damn thing so I can plug the Playstation into the back of it.”

I grinned and pressed on a small latch on the front of the T.V. It popped open, revealing three colored outlets.

“I think you can save yourself the struggle, Mikes.”

Mikey stared at the outlets for a moment, shook his head, and plugged the system in. I chuckled and walked back to Frankie as the guys got it set up and wrapped my arms around his waist.

“So, you knew?”

“Of course I did!”

“You know what this means, right?” I pecked his lips softly and he returned the kiss with a knowing smile.

“Mmm.”

“One year for us, too… since we got back together.” I wove my fingers with his and kissed him again. Damn, if you were to tell me about a year ago that I’d be with Frankie right now, clean and sober, I’d have said --

“Ow!” Huh, definitely not what I had in mind.

I rubbed the back of my head as a bottle cap fell to the floor. Turning to the chuckling behind me, I saw Bob with a very guilty look on his face.

“We all came over to hang out, not to watch you two suck face. Come on.”

“Fine, fine.” Frankie heaved a fake sigh, crossing his arms. “I guess if you don’t let us get out all of this energy now, you’ll just have to deal with some rowdy behavior on the bus next time we’re on tour –“

He got a unanimous “aauughhh!” from all three of the guys, each of whom closed his eyes and either covered his ears or held up his hands as if begging him to stop. I burst into laughter and seized the opportunity to snag Mikey’s controller while he was still distracted.

“Hey!” he whined.

“Hey, it’s my day today. I get first dibs.”

“You always got first dibs,” he mumbled. “Even when we were kids.”

“That’s ‘cause you made it easy!” I said, raising my gun to the zombie approaching me. “You have to be… aggressive.” Hah, blew that fucker up. I took another sip of my “beer” and moved on to the graveyard, another group of undead awaited me. Man, I love games like this. I turned back to my brother and smiled.

“Wuv you, Mikes.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he grunted. I knew by the small smile he was trying to hide that he wasn’t really mad at me, so I turned back to the TV. “Have any of you guys actually ever played this?”

“I have,” Ray said. “It’s mine. They never played before though.”

I stopped my character at the foot of a long hallway and smirked up at Ray. Apparently he knew what I was thinking, because he grinned and stepped a few paces back to watch the guys’ reactions. I pressed forward on the joystick, sending my character forward, and then—

CRASH.

“Holy shit!” Mikey screamed. Bob gasped and Frankie stumbled back a few paces, spilling his beer. It was hard trying to control my laughter as I fought off the zombie dogs that just burst through the window.

“Geez, why so scared, you three?”

“You could have warned us!” I smiled at Frankie and paused the game.

“I had my fun. Someone wanna take over?”

“No, that’s okay!” Mikey chuckled nervously, stepping away. I passed the controller to Ray with a smug grin and pulled Frankie onto my lap in the armchair, snuggling close as Mikey and Bob sat on either side of Ray to watch him. I nibbled his ear gently and whispered into it so that only he could hear me.

“They seem busy… want to go have a little celebration of our own?”

He giggled and hit my arm playfully. “They’re right here, Gee, they aren’t stupid.”

Standing and pulling him up with me, I took his hand and turned to the guys. “Anyone want something from the kitchen? We’re gonna go make some coffee.” Each of them shook his head, not once taking his eyes off of the video game.

I pulled Frankie into the kitchen with a grin and quickly put on a pot of coffee. “Have to be convincing,” I said to him, plugging the pot in. “Can’t have them think we’re doing anything dirty in here.”

“And where would they ever get an idea like that?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. “Oh, maybe from the time Mikey walked in on us while we were – whoa!” He grabbed onto my shoulders as I lifted him up and sat him on the counter. I tried to unbuckle his stubborn belt, which was starting to become a real struggle until his hands found mine. “Hey, today is your day. Shouldn’t you be getting what you want?”

“You’re right,” I agreed, “I should.” I yanked his belt through the loops and quickly undid his tight jeans, pulling them down. “And I want you.”

Frankie let out a small gasp as I started to kiss up the inside of his thighs. Being the torturous deviant I am, I made sure to let him feel my hot breath on every inch of his sensitive skin as I slowly licked and nipped my way closer to his growing erection. After teasing him until he couldn’t take it anymore, I let just the tip of my tongue trail up the underside of him, causing him to moan and grunt in frustration.

“Gerard, please…” he whispered shakily. I took his tip into my mouth and shut my eyes as his fingers automatically locked into my hair. His entire body shook with a low moan; he was trying – and just barely succeeding – to be quiet.

Sucking gently, I swirled my tongue around him before pushing him deep into my throat. One year and I was definitely a pro at this. His head snapped back and he pulled my hair, pushing my head further down. I heard the small “thud” of his head against the kitchen wall while he started moving mine back and forth, pulling it away from him and then guiding it back down.

The smell of coffee started to fill the room and for a while all I could hear was the bubbling from the pot and Frankie’s low, struggled moans. His breaths became shorter and shakier by the second until I finally pulled away from him and slid him off of the counter. Before he could protest, I helped him step out of his pants and pushed him up against the wall. I made sure to stay behind the piece of wall that jut out between the kitchen and the dining room, in hopes that if anyone walked in they wouldn’t see anything right away.

“I love you Gerard,” he panted, looking back at me as I undid my pants and lowered them. I smiled and wrapped my arms around him, planting a kiss on his cheek.

“I love you too, baby. Happy anniversary.” I leaned my body against his and entered him carefully. He winced and tightened up for a moment before relaxing. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he breathed. “Nothing I’m not used to.”

My laugh was cut off by a low moan as I started to move in and out of him. Slowly first, then faster. Gripping his hips, I helped him move against me, pumping into him in time with his movements. He groaned a bit loud and I could see him biting his lip to try to quiet himself.

“Frankie…” I moaned, pushing deeper into him. His back involuntarily arched and he placed his hands on the wall to steady himself. I could feel myself ready to explode and fought against my orgasm as long as I could.

Reaching around Frankie’s hip, I grasped him and started to pump him quickly. It was one hell of a struggle trying to hold myself back until he was ready. Finally I released into him, biting down on his shoulder to suppress my moans while he came, as well.

I leaned against him tiredly, then, pressing him between the wall and my body. The coffee pot sputtered and the light shut off to signal that it was ready.

A loud “damn!” came from Ray in the other room, causing both of us to jump slightly. Bob laughed and Mikey commented on how fast the zombies became later on in the game. Good, they were still distracted.

Frankie and I stood in silence together, him leaning against the wall, me leaning against him, until I finally pulled out of him and dressed. He grabbed his pants from the other side of the kitchen and slipped them on as well.

“Might wanna clean that up before we go back in,” I said, nodding to the wall as I poured two cups of coffee. He chuckled and quickly cleaned up our mess. Taking a paper towel and wetting it, I wiped a few drops of sweat from my forehead to cool myself off. We both made sure to run our fingers through our damp hair in an attempt to tidy it before grabbing our coffee and heading back into the living room.

“What did we miss?” Frankie asked casually. The guys turned to us without a suspicion in the world.

“Ray blew a few of those freaks to pieces,” Mikey said. “Other than that, he’s been going around in circles.”

Ray looked offended. “I know what I’m doing!” he argued, concentrating on the screen. “I just forgot where that damn key is.” Frankie and I shared an intimate smile and settled back into the armchair together. “No way,” Ray chuckled, shutting off the Playstation. “You’re not sitting down just yet, Frankie.”

Frankie had just gotten comfortable and winced for reasons only known to me. He glanced at Ray with practiced innocence and soon had a plastic guitar tossed into his lap.

“Guitar Hero?”

“You bet. Get up here.”

I gave him an encouraging smile and gently tapped his butt as he eased himself out of the chair. My poor little guitarist. I knew the discomfort he was in right now all too well.

Soon Frankie was mastering song after song, amazing everyone other than Ray, who was playing beside him just as well. They were so good that I even decided to give it a try, but soon gave up after stumbling awkwardly across the buttons and failing All That Remains’s “Six” on easy mode.

“Aww c’mon, Gee, that’s a hard song. Try an easy one,” Frankie pleaded.

“No, no, it’s fine. Let the guitarists play.” I kicked back into my chair and watched them both, though my eyes were mostly on – surprise, surprise – Frankie.

They continued to play for what seemed like only minutes but really turned out to be hours. By the time I turned around it was already eleven and we were all tired out. We’d played game after game, jammed for a while in the basement, and even sat around and played a good old round of Bullshit with two decks of cards. Almost every non-alcoholic beer that Bob brought, including the two or three pots of coffee we’d made, was finished off. All of the caffeine and sugar was making us crash.

Through my withdrawal and over the year I’d refrained from drinking I missed it a lot. I never really got what was so bad about getting a little messed up now and then and having fun. But finally I could see I didn’t need it in the least. Mikey was sprawled out on the couch, one arm hanging off the side and his feet propped up on the arm rest. He was on his stomach and his cheek was pushed up like a little kid’s. Ray was on the floor beside his Playstation, one arm around his plastic guitar from his final round of Guitar Hero and one arm under his head as a pillow. Bob was on the floor as well, sitting up and resting his head on the couch cushion with his arms slumped across his stomach. Nestled into the arm chair, adorable as always, was Frankie. They all looked the same way they did after passing out from too many drinks… and not a drop of alcohol was involved.

Frankie. There was no way I would have been able to do it without him. He only intended to stay with me through the withdrawal, but I got so used to having him there that soon after I’d asked him to move in with me. Whenever I had headaches, he was there with aspirin. Whenever night terrors returned to haunt me, he was there to soothe me back to sleep. Whenever I slipped into depression, he was there to lift me out of it. Together we fought through my withdrawal, came out with several new songs for the record, and found other “useful” ways to pass the time. I loved each and every second of it.

Picking up the last bottle of the non-alcoholic beer I’d grown to love so much, I carefully stepped over Bob’s legs and walked back into the kitchen. I opened one of the drawers, lifted the small basket-like organizer that held the silverware, and pulled a stack of papers out from underneath it. After a few seconds of shuffling through the papers I found where I’d left off and resumed reading.

It was such a tedious process. One would be too expensive, one would be in a bad neighborhood, one would be affordable but suitable for only one person…

“Gee?” Frankie’s sleepy voice came from behind me as he shuffled into the room. My heart leapt into my throat and I stiffened up. Shit, this was it…

“Gee?” He repeated. He placed his hand on my shoulder and peered down at the papers. It took him a few seconds to comprehend what they were and he looked at me in confusion. “Why are you looking at houses in California?” I couldn’t help but smile at how worried he looked. Taking a deep breath, I stood and took his hands in mine.

You can do it…

“Because… you have to live in a state for a certain amount of time to become a resident of it.” It felt like my heart was going to beat itself into exhaustion.

He still didn’t get it. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, making my smile widen. “Why would you wanna be a resident of California?”

“Because –“ I gulped, squeezing his hands slightly. “Because they allow gay marriage there.” A moment later it dawned on him and his eyes widened. I could hear him suck in his breath and hold it, and I knew if I didn’t get it out now I’d chicken out. “Frankie, will you marry me?”

“I—“ His eyes darted around the room nervously before returning to mine. I was actually worried for a second that he’d say no until he broke out into a smile and hugged me tightly. “Of course I will…”

I wrapped my arms around him and held him close, burying my face into his shoulder and sighing heavily.

“Good, then you wouldn’t mind wearing this…”

His eyes widened and he held his breath as I pulled away. Reaching into my back pocket, I brought out and held before him a white thong that read “Mrs. Way” across the front. His face fell and he furrowed his eyebrows in a mock look of anger and disappointment.

“Oh, very fucking funny.”

I grinned. “I thought so.”

“I am not wearing that. And honestly, I’m kind of glad it isn’t a diamond ring. I’d start to wonder who you thought was the woman in this relationship.”

“Oh, you mean we aren’t clear on that? I knew I should have never let you on top.”

We both laughed, and when he opened his mouth to come back at me again, I pulled him into a kiss. His laughter melted away under me and he brought his hands up to the sides of my face, hooking his fingers behind my ears and running his thumbs across my jaw. When we parted, his eyes were glazed over and misty.

“So, all kidding aside…”

“Yes,” he said firmly. “Yes…”

We leaned our foreheads together and sighed simultaneously. After everything that happened, despite his living with me for a year and settling in, I was honestly afraid that he’d say no.

A small chorus of chuckles and “aww”s broke us apart. We turned to find the other guys standing sleepily at the doorway, goofy grins on their faces. Frankie smiled excitedly and pulled out of my arms.

“Guys! We—”

“It’s about damn time, Gerard,” Bob cut him off. “We were wondering when you’d pop the question.”

“You knew?” Frankie turned from Bob to me, then back to the others.

“Yeah, of course. We all did.” Ray smiled and hugged Frankie. “Congratulations, man.”

I smiled happily at my new fiancé, who was obviously struggling to keep his tears at bay. Mikey looked at me seriously and held up a finger.

“I’m happy for you, bro. But one condition,” he demanded.

“What?”

“I don’t want to hear any details about the honeymoon.”

End

I hope you all enjoyed it... like I said, I have a sequel brewing, but don't expect anything other than a teaser for a while. I probably won't have time to write until summer, when classes are over. :(

Thank you SO MUCH for your ratings and reviews, and feel free to keep adding to them! ;P You guys are great; I love opening up my email to reviews from you all.