FicWad

Blaze the Butterflies

Disclaimer: I’m a big fat liar. The title is from an art piece by Lindsey Way from her collection Hush Also there’s no real storyline I just kind of felt like writing but I had no real ideas so this is the result. Also I'm editing all the typos etc out of my stories, finally!




“He’s cute.” Frank says.

“Yeah, in a of going-to-tie-you-to-your-car-then-set-it-on-fire-whilst-scratching-all-your-good-CDs kind of way.”

Frank could see neither fault nor problem with Lyn’s analogy.

“So romantic.” He swoons, resting his head on his hands, lunch ignored.

“Tell me Frank, what do my words mean to you?” Lindsey asks, stealing Frank’s sandwich.

“Do you think he tops or bottoms?”

Lindsey looks up from Frank’s lunch and out across the playground --they’re in fucking high school why do they still have a playground? —To where the new kid is sitting miserably next to his brother, glaring and pouting in equal measures.

“Tops, definitely,” she decides with a nod “the quiet ones always do.”

“Mm.” Frank agrees, sinking more into his open palms, probably getting splinters on his elbows from the table. If elbows are even a place you can get splinters. He’s sure he could manage. “He’s beautiful.”

The boy flicks out his lighter and snaps at it a few times, still glaring at the cheerleaders from under his hair, his brother is just as cheerful, headphones glued in, and lunch in a similar condition to Frank’s. Well to Frank’s before Lyn realised he wasn’t going to eat it.

“I must have him.” Frank says.

“Oh must you?”

“I really must.”

Lindsey hm’s and finishes the last of the PBJ then picks at her nails and looks thoughtful, considering the callouses on her fingers for a moment. “You here by have my blessing. As long as you are sure you must.” she says, and then adds, “Just don’t wear too much hairspray around him.” as an afterthought.

“You ate my food.” is apparently about as grateful as Frank is going to get.

Lindsey shrugs and slings her messenger bag over her shoulder, crumbs still hanging around her mouth “I felt like I deserved it.” she says.

-

New kid is a senior so Frank doesn’t see him much outside of the playground, though he does still find out that his name is Gerard and his brother is Mikey and he is the most beautiful person to have ever walked the planet. Gerard, not Mikey, though they both could have just walked out of a modelling agency, really. Frank wishes that his mum had super genes for, like, the fifth time that day because then Gerard would notice him. But alas no because the world hates Frank and his teenaged dick.

So Frank has to make the most of his lunchtime staring time, which means he doesn’t often see his food— Lindsey actually stops brining her own in —but he does see a whole lot of gorgeous pained artist, possible pyromaniac, new guy. Which is simultaneously awesome and totally heart breaking because Frank is in love— he’s pretty sure.

He says as much to Lindsey who replies a few minutes later once her mouth isn’t full of bread and peanut butter. “Oh you poor tortured soul.” She coos, brushing the crumbs from her binder- when the fuck did Lindsey get a binder? —And pouting appropriately. “Why don’t you go talk to him?”

Lindsey is clearly an idiot.

“You don’t understand! Z, it’s not that kind of love!” Frank whines because he thought that was obvious.

Lindsey frowns like it wasn’t obvious then looks like she is going to ask Frank what brand of crazy he is hooked up to but in the end she just stands up and starts waving about frantically.

“Hey!” she shouts, “Gerard!”

Gerard looks up and Frank wishes he had a lunch to feign interest in because- whoa, okay he’s looking over. Frank forces every cool cell in his body to the surface in an attempt to look —well, cool.

“Yeah! You!” Lindsey ploys on mercilessly, “Come sit with us.”

Gerard frowns and considers her offer/demand for a few moments before apparently deciding that there are worse things he could be doing and he gets up and starts over.

“Oh my god I hate you.” Frank hisses.

Lyn just smiles coyly and watches as Gerard makes his way over to the bench. When he sits down Frank almost feels like he’s about to interview him, or maybe interrogate him and oh okay not going down that path of thought.

“Welcome, Gerard.” Lindsey says.

Gerard kind of glares a little less and nods, gloved hands resting lightly on the table. “Um. Thank you?”

“I’m Frank” Frank says-- whilst trying not to fall over because it’s the first time he’s heard Gerard’s voice and he likes it-- earning himself a curt nod.

“How are you?” Lindsey asks and she and Frank stare deeply at Gerard until he answers.

“Okay?” the single word curves up into a question, Lindsey and Frank nod in unison, they’re expressions the deadpan the situation apparently calls for.

“I’m Frank.” Frank says again, mainly because no one is paying any attention to him but also because his brain isn’t really running at full capacity right now so constructing sentences is hard.


“Yes,” says Gerard, “I believe you.”

Frank nods and doesn’t say it again.

“So Gerard,” Lindsey says, “You’re a senior.” It’s not a question, not really but she arches her eyebrows in wait for Gerard to answer anyway.

“Correct” Gerard says but is forced to elaborate when Lindsey’s expression doesn’t change “just transferred”

Lindsey and Frank stare some more.

“From Belleville”

They both blink really slowly, in that unison they got perfected in their first year of middle school when they decided they were going to be best friends.

“I was expelled?” Gerard looks uncomfortable “From my old... school”

“What did you do?” Frank asks and Gerard looks mildly shocked, maybe because he hadn’t realised that Frank could say anything more than his name. It would have been a fair assumption.

“I’d rather not talk about it”

Frank supresses a groan because he is clearly just as pained as he previously assumed ugh and he and Lyn continue to sit and stare at Gerard for the rest of lunch.

_

“I’m going to ask him out” Frank says.

“Who?” Ray asks because Ray is not Lindsey and he does not understand the complexities of Frank’s mind “Ryan?”

“No, no, no not Ryan” Frank says, it hasn’t been Ryan for at least two weeks “Gerard”

“The fire guy?”

“Well he is hot” Frank’s got jokes and he’s not afraid to use them. “I’m going to write him a letter”

Frank shuts down the spreadsheets open on the school computer, and checks briefly that the teacher is not looking -– he’s actually not in the room at all but Frank has stealth and he’s not about to get caught out. Not now-- then opens up Microsoft Word.

Dear Gerard,

How are you? This is Frank, you met me once. I’m writing to ask for you to join me at the cinema this Saturday I would be delighted to experience a film of your choice in your company.

Tick yes or no in the space bellow and return this letter to me by Thursday.

Yours truly, Frank xo

“Do you think the kisses are a bit much?” Frank asks, skimming over his masterpiece.

“Is it yours truly in a formal letter?” Ray asks, ignoring Frank’s question.

“It’s not a formal letter. I’m asking him out”

“It looks pretty formal” Ray says, eyeing the screen suspiciously as if perhaps Frank is tricking him somehow and a small man is about to jump out of the screen to steal his lunch money.

“I could put it in Comic Sans”

Ray nods seriously, “I think that would do it”

So Frank hits print and butterflies escape into his chest and his tummy and his knees because he can’t believe he is actually asking Gerard out.

-

Frank gives the letter to Ray to give to Mikey to give to Gerard the following day then spends the rest of his time chewing nervously on a hangnail and fucking up his chords even though the song is his own. Lindsey gets progressively more pissy because she’s trying to keep time but it’s hard when Frank’s head is on fucking Venus or something, seriously, and she kind of feels like she might have to punch Gerard in the face if he messes Frank up or breaks his heart.

“Do you think he’s read it yet?” Frank asks nibbling on his lip and hiding, kind of, beneath his hair. “Or do you think he just threw it away?”

“Why would he throw it away?” Lindsey asks, spreading her fingers over a scale and raising one eyebrow, not saying anything about the lameness of Frank’s letter. A fucking typed letter asking their local pyromaniac out on a date.

“Because he’s a bad ass motherfucker, Z, duh” Frank whines giving up on his guitar —it’s not like he really needs to do any work it’s the end of term and music is basically a class full of slackers anyway— and starts picking at the hole in his jeans.

“Buck up little camper, you’re pretty bad ass too y’know” Lindsey says because Frank lets her eat his lunch and he paints her right hand because she can’t and he has cool hair so he deserves a compliment of some sort.

“You think?” Frank asks all big eyes and clasped hands, his face a complete open book of emotion, hope radiating from his pores, looking at her like her next words will change his life forever.

“Don’t push it” Lindsey says.

Frank can accept that.

There’s a nock on the door then and Lyn shouts, “Yeah?” and Gerard steps in, fucking cool as a cucumber.

He holds the letter, folded between two fingers like a cigarette, and cocks an eyebrow in Frank’s direction. Frank might actually die. But then Gerard just drops the letter into his lap and saunters out leaving Frank mid heart attack.

“What’s it say?” Lindsey asks, staring at Frank with wide exaggerated eyes.

“I don’t know yet” Frank breathes then begins to unfold the paper.

It’s a little more crumpled than before and there are sticky fingerprints and smudges of charcoal around the edges but it’s definitely Frank’s letter beaming up at him in Comic Sans.

The box is ticked yes.

-

Frank has nothing to wear like seriously all his clothes suck and Lindsey is no help.

“I’m just saying society is a lot more excepting these days and you really have the legs to pull it off” She’s saying, holding one of her many mini skirts up to her chest and peeking glances between it and Frank.

Frank looks down at his legs, he supposes they’re not all that bad but there’s not really all that much of them and he doesn’t have a t-shirt that will go with the skirt anyway. “No.” he says and Lindsey pouts but puts the skirt down. “I need something that screams rebellion, manliness, sex!”

Lindsey chews on her lip a little bit then nods a couple of times. “And you’re sure you can’t wear that fire fighting outfit from your tenth?”

Frank shakes his head, he had considered it, he really had, but he didn’t know if Gerard actually did have a fascination with fire and even if he did wouldn’t that be a little offensive? “No. It simply wont do”

Lindsey sighs like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders, even though it’s Frank with a hot date in less than an hour and nothing to wear, Jesus Christ.

“Ugh just,” Lyn says, rifling through the pile of clothes “this” she chucks a black top at him then picks up a pair of worn skinnies “Got any scissors?”

So Frank ends up wearing trousers full of holes, he’s not really sure about it because wont his legs get cold? And he kind of just feels homeless but Lindsey insists that he looks hot and Frank doesn’t really have time to disagree so he just rolls with it and runs to the cinema.

Frank half expects Gerard to be late or to like, stand him up or something like an asshole punk, but he doesn’t, in fact, he’s outside the complex when Frank gets there. Leaning up against the building and smoking nonchalantly, glaring at passers by with a face full of smoke and disgust.

Frank takes a few moments to truly appreciate all that Gerard is, the essence of Gerard, ouder de la Gerard or something. Frank doesn’t speak French, but whatever he drinks in his beauty all the same.

“What’s up, pudding cup?” He says as he nears his Black Knight, because Frank can totally steal lines from Internet comics if he likes.

“Um,” Gerard says and his lips twitch into kind of a smile, “You got a hole in your jeans” he notes.

Frank grins, “I know! C’mon what d’ya wanna see?”

Gerard barely has enough time to drop his cigarette before Frank is pulling him inside the complex happily.

They end up watching The Avengers even though they’ve both already seen it and even though the comics are better and even though half the heroes have super boring story lines (no pun intended). Whatever, Frank doesn’t really care about the film anyway.

So they buy popcorn and go into the theatre and they sit at the front even though it will hurt their necks later, they like having the foot room, and they just watch the film without talking or cuddling or anything and Frank’s really disappointed except then when it finishes Gerard offers to get them dinner. Which beats his mum’s cooking any day of the week, blindfolded.

“I’m just saying” Gerard just says, “That the Hulk’s bit doesn’t even make sense he couldn’t control himself the first time but then he could all of a sudden” Gerard shakes his head in disgust.

“No, no!” Frank interjects, “because like he said didn’t he that he’s always angry that’s how he did it”

“You’re missing the point entirely, Frank. I don’t doubt that he’s always angry but what I’m saying is how did The Hulk know who his friends were in the final battle when he wanted to kill them all the first time round?”

And oh, okay yeah, Frank gets it. “Pfft whatever, fucking Marvel, man” he says like that explains it.

Gerard nods solemnly then holds open the door to the creatively named Jersey Pizza House Frank giggles as he walks in and Gerard places a hand on his back as they wait to be served.

Frank does his best not to just melt on the floor.

The restaurant is actually kind of nice, for Jersey, it’s nondescript and kind of small but the lighting’s good and the tables are a comfortable distance apart from one another. And Jersey pizza is best despite what Bob says about stupid Chicago and it’s stupid attempts as cheesy bread goodness, so Frank is pretty happy.

They get a table (for two) by the window and smile at each other for a little while. Well, Frank smiles and Gerard does what is probably close to a smile for him or at least he assumes because his eyebrows are a normal distance apart and he isn’t pouting so…

But anyway, it’s a nice moment and Frank seriously doesn’t think that Gerard is capable of arson because he just looks really sincere and he’s buying a freshman dinner and psychopaths don’t usually do that, do they? Well maybe they do in films, like mafia bosses probably do and then lace their date’s drink with arsenic while they’re looking the other way. Or is that Bond? Frank has really got to get round to reading those books at some time before Lyn goes insane because he’s actually pretty content with just watching the films but apparently they’re not the same which he doesn’t think matters if he hasn’t read them anyway.

But the moment is nice all the same, and if Gerard’s planning on killing him then Frank’s honestly not too bothered as long as he can play with his hair a bit first. What? It’s a thing.

“ ‘s nice here” Frank says, looping his hands together on his lap.

“It’s okay, I guess” Gerard says and smirks a little when their eyes catch, and Frank’s never really been one to get lost in the depth of a guy’s eyes but oh he can see the appeal now. “What do you want?”

Frank doesn’t need to look at the menu; he’s a vegetarian so there’s pretty much only one choice unless he wants to start stuffing fruit on his pizza which- ew.

“Margarita”

“I’m gonna get ham and pineapple” Gerard says and Frank glares at him through his mind’s eye because- ew.

So the waitress comes and takes their order and she’s not one of those who stick around for ages trying to impress the high school kids with her epic serving skills and low cut tops. She’s probably actually in her fifties and so it would be illegal for her to be chatting them up but Frank’s still grateful because he enjoys alone times with Gerard.

“So how d’ya like Belleville?” Frank asks for lack of a better subject.

Gerard hmms and sips his coke a bit before answering, “It’s nice. Small but I haven’t gotten stabbed yet”

“Your time will come”

Gerard laughs, honking and a little too loud for public but it’s adorable all the same and made better by the fact that- fuck yeah Frank caused that hippo of a laugh.

Their feet brush under the table and Frank does his best shy smile, looking up through his hair and blushing slightly. He’s pretty sure it’s as effective as Oshawott because Gerard moves his leg again and looks pretty happy.

“So,” Frank says, because he is king of killing moods, “If it true you get a kick out of setting shit on fire?”

Gerard chokes a bit on his drink. “What? I- no, Frank”

Frank nods a few times and decides to never trust Lindsey and her gossip ever again. “And do you think I have the legs for a skirt?”

Gerard chokes again on the drink he was sipping to stop the previous choking. “Um” he says.

“Because Lyn says I do, but she’d kind of like a mom in the way that I can’t trust her better judgment” Frank’s lying, he just wants to know what Gerard thinks of his legs, but he doesn’t have to know that.

“I guess you do?” Gerard twists the words into a question again.

“Cool” Frank says.

The conversation isn’t nearly that interesting for the rest of the meal, they mainly just talk about Elfen Leid and other animes that could almost class as comics and then Gerard pays the bill because he’s a gentleman.

Then he drives Frank home and walks him to the door and Frank’s freaking out a bit by this point because Gerard’s almost in his space now and their eyes hold one another and he just knows what is coming.

Not to say that it’s any less spontaneous and amazing when it does happen, Gerard is standing there one second looking fidgety and awkward and for the first time uncomfortable in his pasty skin. And then the next Gerard’s lips are on Frank’s and Frank’s soul is on fire but it’s chaste and slow and nice.

Frank pushes against Gerard’s lips and Gerard does this totally awesome and super smooth thing where he pushes Frank’s lips apart with his own to allow his tongue access and Frank might actually die.

So they kiss like that for a while but then Gerard pulls away with pink cheeks and messy hair— Frank didn’t even know he’d been playing with it, okay? —and he whispers in Frank’s ear, “G’night, Frankie. See you tomorrow”

Then he’s waving and walking back to the car and Frank can’t believe how awesome his life is.

-

“Lindsey, this is Gerard and he’s my new boyfriend” Frank says, Gerard’s arm round his waist.

Lindsey rolls her eyes and steals Frank’s sandwich when he isn’t looking.



So I originally started writing this as practice for make out scenes and to get back in the mind set for writing humour as I have a new story brewing in my noggin but my mind sort of wandered and make out scenes kind of bore me to write IDK I have issues with spit and personal space and –yeah I’ll get the hang of it one day. So I hope this wasn’t a massive waste of your time because I had fin writing. Reviews are my drug.