'Sup, kids? Alrighty, this is my first fanfic that I've posted so, for the love of Gerard, be nice. I'll post more, for sure. Oh, this chapter doesn't have much slash at all, and it's unsmutty. I'm babbling, aren't I?

side note, didn't realize until like, a week later that I called Cassie 'Chrissie' a few times. My bad. xD

Anyhoo, DISCLAIMER: I do not own My Chemical Romance, nor their adventures. This is FICTION. From the mind of myself. Nothing more. Kthxbai.

The new kid walked in, half an hour late. Not that I take much notice to anyone else sauntering into my Bio class besides myself and my girlfriend, but this guy was particularly strange-looking. He had tattoos snaked up his arms, his fingers read something I couldn't make out at the angle he was holding them. He had a pierced lip and two pierced ears. He was a short kid, but not overly so. My girl, Cassie, turned to me and asked "Who's that?"

I shrugged indifferently. It looked like this guy was going to give me a bit of a challenge to be the unique one in my school. My hair's a black mop, and my clothes usually consist of black skinny jeans and t-shirts underneath jackets. I wear black eyeliner on a daily basis, and I stand at average-height.

"Oh," said my teacher, "who are you?"

"Frank."

"Frank, right. Take a seat."

I looked at the seat behind me. Ugh, shit. It was empty. Meaning that Frank was probably going to pick it, because I doubted he'd want to sit next to the creepy kid with the thick glasses and the dandruff issue. Frank started to walk with a certain assuredness about him towards me. He sat down and gave me a quick salute. What the fuck? Since when were we in the military? I rolled my eyes and turned back to listen to the lesson we were having, but I tuned out most of it so it was hard to pay attention. Plus I could feel Frank staring at the back of my head. That freak was probably making holes in the back of my head! I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of my turning around, so I tolerated his stupid stare for the half hour left of the class.

When the bell rang, I couldn't be glad enough. I waited for Cassie out at her locker because I knew she took ages to leave a classroom. She'd come to expect me leaning there, looking at my boots. Apparently I looked sexy leaning there. I thought that didn't hurt.

"Hey, Gerard!" I heard her say.

"Hi, Cass."

"So you have no idea who that Frank guy was?"

"Nope." I shook my head, but I doubted she could see it, since she was putting away her stuff.

"Really? You two look like you could know each other."

"Do we?" I was kind of shocked. She couldn't think that! I didn't want to be compared to some weird kid who liked to stare.

Cassie shut her locker. "Kinda. You should talk to him. I think he wants to be friends with you."

I ran my hand through her long black hair once. "I don't think so."

"Please?" Cassie looked up at me with those big, blue eyes. Her secret weapon.

"Fine." I huffed and walked away to find that kid so I could make my girlfriend happy.

"Love you!" she called after me. I turned on my heel and returned the sentiment.

Frank wasn't hard to spot, he was the one just standing against the wall like I always did. He was even copying the way I stood! Well… not copying, I guess people are allowed to stand however they feel comfortable. I took a deep breath and stuck my hand in front of him. "I'm Gerard. Gerard Way."

"Mm." he mumbled. Dick.

"And you're Frank…?"

"Iero."

"Interesting."

Frank Iero finally looked up at me. "I suppose so." I got a better look at his hair, something I didn't care about before. But I noticed it was long, and dark, and it flipped out a little bit at the bottom. That was kind of cool. It suited him.

I leaned beside him and bent one foot on the wall. I had to make it look as if I'd gotten instantly chummy with him in case Cassie was looking. I was about to push off the stupid wall and away from Frank when he suddenly spoke up. "Gerard, huh? That's kind of old fashioned."

"My parents are old-fashioned."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Frank, eh? That's pretty straightforward." I chuckled at my lame joke.

"Clever. Nah, I'm actually a namesake. My dad's Frank and so is my grandpa." I saw him shrug.

"Family reunions must suck, huh?"

Frank laughed. I'd never, ever heard a laugh like that. It was high in pitch, very contrasting to his low, smoker's kind of voice. I only know a smoker's voice from another because I have one. I suppose you could call his giggle a pot laugh. "Never been to one."

"I wouldn't recommend it."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I couldn't imagine if I was Gerard the Third."

Frank laughed again; I could definitely get used to the sound. It was contagious, so I started in a fit of laughter, as well. "So I see you two are becoming fast friends!"

"I guess we are. What's your name?" Frank asked the familiar voice.

"Cassie. It's good to meet you."

"Yep, my mom even cried when she met me. But not to worry, seventeen years later, she's grown to hate me."

"Mm." Cassie wasn't used to Frank's information-dumping. It shocked me at first, too.

I lifted my head from Frank's black Converse and puckered my lips. I didn't need to worry, Cassie automatically put hers on mine. Two years together and you get used to those little cues. "Awwww!" Frank said, loudly and sarcastically.

"At least I'm getting action." I elbowed him in the side.

"I've been here for what, forty-five minutes? Give me some time."

"You've got a point, there."

"Of course I do."

"Cocky?"

"Maybe." Frank winked at me slightly. I didn't quite know how to interpret that, so I just smiled at him, hoping he'd take it in the nicest possible way.

The bell sounded, and I pushed off the wall to get to whatever class I had. Frank stayed put. "Uh, Frank?" I prodded, "The bell just-"

"I'm skipping." he interrupted.

"Oh." I nodded, feigning interest, and walked off to my locker. Started to, anyway.

"Wanna come with?"

I thought for a second. Did I want to go God-knows-where with this Frank person I just met? Hmm. Yeah, I did. "Sure."

I headed back over to Frank, who was grinning like a maniac. "Good!" he enthused, "Because I'll need someone to blame if I get caught."

"Fair enough."

"And," Frank drew out the word, "I wanted you to come."

"Thanks, dude. Where are we going?"

"Uh, I hadn't figured that out yet. Anywhere you got in mind?"

"Not really. It's boring here."

"I figured that out."

I smirked at Frank who tried to give me one back, but he ended up smiling. We wandered around the community for a little while until we found a park. Frank sat down in the shadow of a tree and motioned for me to sit beside him. "What's this park called?"

I snorted. "Fucked if I know."

"Damn."

"Why?"

"I dunno. I like it."

I nodded. It was kind of nice, I just wasn't an open-field kind of guy. I liked my basement and posters as opposed open air to grass. To each his own, I suppose. I was lost in my nature-hating thoughts when I heard Frank sigh. "What's up?"

"I kind of miss home."

"Where's home?" I asked, instantly curious.

"Belleville."

"Well that's not too far from Newark!" It honestly wasn't. Like, a fifteen minute drive with Jersey traffic.

"Yeah, but where I live is aeons away from my old school. From my girlfriend."

"Oh?" I tried to take Frank's mind off his homesickness. "What's her name?"

"Backstabbing Bitch. I didn't say 'ex' before I said 'girlfriend', did I?"

"No you did not. What happened?"

"Ah, stuff. I tell her I'm moving away, she goes and messes around with my friend. Whatever." Frank shrugged.

It kind of bummed me out to see him apathetic like that, so I attempted to change the topic. "We might want to get back." I tapped the face of my watch.

"Sure."

Frank and I left the park and got to school right on time for lunch. I found Cassie within seconds and Frank tagged along. I suppose that meant we were friends?

"Where were you guys?" Cassie demanded.

"Chill. We were over at the park."

"Whatever." she huffed. I knew how to make it better, though.

"You're sexy when you're angry." I purred.

Cassie blushed, like I knew she would. "Be right back."

She scampered off to go grab someone. A girl. A really pretty girl, actually. Petite, and a brunette. She looked at Frank shyly and turned away. "Frank," Cassie announced, "this is Teagan. She thinks you're cute!"

Teagan swatted Cassie's arm, and I couldn't help but notice the smile creeping onto Frank's face. "Tell Teagan that Frank think's she cute, too." he said to Cassie, but winked at Teagan. I swear, she almost passed out. It's good to be with someone who almost faints when you look at them. Great ego-boost. That was like Cassie the first time she looked at me, actually.

"Teagan-" Cassie began, taking Frank's sarcasm literally, but Teagan shushed her.

"I heard him." Teagan said, tensely. "Really?"

"Yeah. Would you want to hang out sometime? Like with Gee and Cassie and I?"

I wondered who this 'Gee' kid was, but then I realized it was me. Frank just gave me a nickname without my consent! Though it was a pretty cool name, I'll give him that. Now I needed to think of one for him… Ooh! Frankie! Definitely.

"Sounds like fun!"

"For sure!" Cassie beamed at me. I smiled at her, too.

From that moment on, in the following month, Frank, Cassie and Teagan became my best friends, Frank especially. We spent every single day hanging out until the sun went down, and it was always him sleeping at my house or me sleeping at his house. Our parents became casual friends, and everything was perfect, in my eyes.

One night, he and I were sitting on his couch, watching a movie as we usually did on Thursdays. He put his arm around the back of the couch, which I didn't think too odd. He'd done it before, not frequently, because I think he sensed that I was uncomfortable with it the first time. But I'd definitely gotten used to his touchy stuff by that point. Frank was one for hugs, and he was constantly kissing Teagan. I'm barely exaggerating, actually.

At some point during the movie, Frank turned his head to look at me. I felt his stare like I so often could, so I turned my head to meet his eyes. His look was different, though. I could see some sort of want in his eyes. I didn't think much of it, but it was making me slightly uncomfortable, so I asked him, "What?"

"Nothing. Just looking at you." He drew the right corner of his mouth up into my signature smirk.

"You've been practicing!" I grinned.

Frank laughed the laugh I loved. "Yep!"

"You wear it well."

Frank turned the other side of his mouth up in a full smile. I felt his hand slide over mine, which was resting on the couch. I gulped, and I was pretty sure he heard it. Damn it. Frank sighed a bit and took his hand back. Though I was a little bit bummed when he moved. My hand was all warm and it felt kind of good. "Nah," I reassured, however unsure I was myself, "keep it there."

Frank looked shocked for a second, and covered my hand with his shaking, clammy one. Why would he be nervous? My frigging hand was cold and that was it. It was nobody's business. Frank stared at me again, and I looked over. This time he looked so nervous that I felt it. "What's the matter, Frankie?"

"Ah, nothing."

"Lies."

"So?"

"Well, tell me."

"I can't."

"Why not?" I pressed 'pause' on the remote.

"'Cause… I don't want to."

"Frank." I pleaded, "Come on."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." I nodded to hide my nervousness. My stomach was turning cartwheels.

"I want to kiss you."

I could feel my eyes widen and my mouth tighten in absolute shock. "W-w… yuh-!" I spluttered.

"See?! I shouldn't have said anything!" Frank took his arm off the back of the couch and hopped up to start pacing the living room.

I felt like shit. No, lower than shit. I could at least do the guy the favour of getting out a coherent sentence! "Frank, I-"

Frank held up his hand. "No, no. It's okay. Really. I don't need an explanation, I should be the one explaining."

I stared at Frank for a second. My stomach got instantly worse. I don't know, seeing him all stressed like that, and a bit embarrassed made him look… different to me. Helpless, in a way. And he was my best friend, I wanted to- needed to help him. So I got up off the couch and over to Frank. I bent over and took his chin in my hand, pushing it up to my face. "Gerard, what're you-?"

Frank didn't get to finish asking me his question, because I was already pressing my lips to his. It was good for a few seconds, but then he relaxed into the kiss and I realized what the fuck I was doing. I instantly took a large step back and stuttered, "I-I ah, I need to go."

"Yeah. You should." Frank was quiet as he watched me grab my jacket and shoes and practically sprint out the door.