turps

Mikey and Frank remain wrapped up in each other and have lots of loud sex that makes Gerard glad he moved upstairs. They have a bad period where things get strained, when Frank's busy with school and work and Mikey hides his own issues until it's nearly too late.

Bob finds Frank in the garden that night, tearing out weeds -- and some flowers -- in the moonlight. Frank's feet are bare and wearing ratty sleep clothes, his hair falling into his face as he crushes petals in his fists and throws the plants behind him.

Bob doesn't ask if he's okay. Just sits and waits until finally Frank stops and says 'he should have told me. I thought we had no secrets'

And they don't, not really. Just Mikey's been so used to taking care of Gee that he's terrified when his own mind works against him, so scared that he can't form the words to explain.

Things are tense for a few weeks, then one day Frank finds a note under the unicorn. It's a long note, pages worth of how Mikey's so afraid, of himself, of Gerard leaving, of Frank realising he's not worth it. By the time he's finished reading Frank's chest is tight and he runs into the house and finds Mikey sitting at the kitchen table. Gerard just hurrying upstairs. Frank grabs Mikey in a hug, says he loves him and he's going nowhere. Ever.

And he doesn't. Over time they become less sickly sweet, but they always remain MikeyandFrank. Frank waits up for Mikey at night and Mikey will always get up to see Frank off to work or school. His eyes closed and stumbling until Frank feeds him coffee and pop tarts. They grow together and between them start arriving home with animals. Dogs that charge around the house and cats that make Gerard sneeze. Each year they dance together in the garden, just once, their own personal 'I love you'

Bob eventually moves in with Gerard. It takes a while because Bob wants Gerard to learn to live on his own first. It's tempting to move in sooner, Bob sleeps there often anyway, but he knows that would be doing Gerard a disservice and that he needs to stand on his own two feet.

It's why Bob stops automatically doing any cleaning, or making meals, just standing to the side as Gerard takes on those responsibilities until he runs the house effortlessly. Not that it's always neat and hygienic, this is Gerard, but it never gets to the levels it did before and Bob doesn't care if the counters are a little sticky, not when he comes back from work and finds Gerard humming along to the radio as he waters his plant or emerge covered with paint from the room he made into a studio.

Gerard eventually makes a living selling his art. He never makes a fortune but there's enough for a comfortable living. To celebrate that he takes Bob out on a date for the second anniversary of that disastrous coffee shop date. Not that this one goes much better. Gerard wants it to be special but they both feel uncomfortable in the up-scale restaurant and when they finish their meal they're both still hungry.

They end up going through the drive thru at McDonalds, eating burgers in the back of Bob's van. The back doors open they sit together, food on their laps, plants behind their backs, and Bob knows he's never been happier.

Long comment is long. I enjoyed revisiting this verse :)