(no subject)

[why_me_why_not]

So. I wasn't going to write bandslash. Pete/Patrick doesn't count as bandslash, and alli_everyday is probably going to yell at me for posting this before I post the Pete/Patrick I've been teasing her about for weeks. But yeah. So, I was resisting writing MCR fic for weeks, and then the news broke that Gerard got married and an idea kinda wrote itself (or finished itself, I guess).

So I figure Gerard sees Mikey & Alicia (who are happy and adorable and LOVE) and he wants that too. So he asks Lyn-Z to marry him b/c she makes him laugh and the sex is awesome. Frank thinks it's a bad idea, that Gerard is rushing into this and possibly idealizing it because Gerard & Lyn-Z aren't Mikey & Alicia. So they argue over it and the hug on stage that starts the drama (there's a video somewhere) is Frank's attempt at apologizing only Gerard doesn't want his apology and pulls away before Frank wants to let him go, and of course they end up falling and Gerard pushes Frank off and stomps around stage like a three year old having a hissy fit. And later he feels guilty about it and has himself worked into knots over it so that's part of the reason he's sick the next day, even though the heat definitely had something to do with it. And after the show Frank takes care of him (while bitching him out about getting so worked up) and tells him he just wants Gerard to be happy. And Gerard knows this, but he really wants Frank to be happy for him too. So Frank fakes it, pretends that he's happy about this whole situation when he's not.

Don't get me wrong. I really am happy for Gerard & Lyn-Z and hope they find their happy ever after and all that. But somehow, from that idea and the evil influence of irisgirl12000 and several hundred text messages, came The Epic Love Story of Brendon Urie and Frank Iero. Which also led to some Jon/Spencer -- which was completely accidental, I swear! -- but that doesn't come until later. And there's some other pairings in there too.

The Epic Love Story of Brendon Urie and Frank Iero
written by why_me_why_not and irisgirl12000
This part: ~1800 words, pg b/c of a dirty word or two
Summary: Frank nods, even though he quit wishing on stars a long time ago. He thinks that maybe the next time he sees one, he might make a wish for Brendon.

A/N: In our fictional 'verse, MCR is on tour with FOB and P!atD. Mikey's back with MCR. MSI is apparently not on tour but Lyn-Z is only around part of the time. We know nothing and are really just making up shit as we go along. Also, we're tending to ignore things like facts and canon and girlfriends (I think Jamia and Haley just kinda evaporated or something) and stuff, so be forewarned. This was written more for our own amusement than anything else, so. Unbetad.



Frank's sitting by the back fence of the parking lot, behind the buses, smoking and trying to ignore the loud party-type noises. He's not really feeling in the party mood. The whole faking-being-happy is tiring, and he just can't put forth that effort tonight. Not after three straight nights of killer shows and no sleep. The first week of tour is a novelty, and things are just now starting to fall into a routine. Only their routine is different than their previous tours because Mikey's back with them and he and Gee are both married now and everything just feels different.

He doesn't notice he has company until someone plops down beside him. One of the Panic! boys -- Brendon, he thinks.

"You don't mind, do you?" The words are rushed, fitting perfectly with the jittery way he shakes his legs when he pulls them up to wrap his arms around his knees. It's like he can't sit still, fueled by an inner energy that seems to not have an outlet, and he kinda reminds Frank of child who's been allowed too much sugar.

Frank actually does mind, but he shakes his head 'no' anyway. Maybe it'll help his mood to be reminded that he's not the only one that feels left out here.

"Thanks. I couldn't sit in there anymore, and I'm really kinda not good at being alone. Plus, Zack wouldn't let me out the door until I said I was coming to sit with you. I don't know why; it's not like I'm gonna wander off and get lost or something. Again."

Frank thinks life on the Panic! bus must be an adventure. They all seem like good kids, but god. Kids. He takes a final drag off his cigarette and flicks it off to the side. "Brendon, right?"

Brendon nods. He's practically shaking with the apparent attempt to sit still, and seems to be watching Frank and everything around them all at once. He doesn't speak at first, but he wants to. Frank knows the quiet won't last long. He's just pulled out another cigarette when Brendon asks, "Who rained on your parade?"

Frank laughs. He doesn't mean to, he just does, and there's not really any humor behind it. "Just not really in the mood tonight." He doesn't want to talk about it, and even if he did, it's not going to be with some kid five or six years younger than him who he barely knows. "What about you? Why are you out here?"

Brendon sighs and turns to stare at the Panic! bus. "Ryan's being a bitch. Apparently I can't do anything to please him. And he doesn't really say anything; he just gives me these looks. I know he wants everything to be perfect, but I'm doing the best I can and it's still not good enough."

Frank wants to ask why it matters, why Ryan matters, but he can kinda hear it in his voice. He wonders how long Brendon's been obsessing over Ryan, even though it isn't his business.

Brendon scooches closer and rests his head on Frank's shoulder. He's like a puppy -- full of energy, wanting to please, looking for affection -- and Frank wonders if Brendon likes to be scratched behind the ears. He's almost tempted to find out, but doesn't want to break the careful silence that's fallen over them. It seems like a long time before Brendon speaks again.

"Sometimes I think it'd be easier if I didn't love him, y'know? Ryan, I mean. But I do love him, and it just makes everything more complicated because I want him to be happy, not just with the music and the tour, but with everything. Even though that doesn't always make me happy."

Frank gets that, more than Brendon knows.

Brendon sighs again starts to say something else but abruptly sits up and points to the sky. "A shooting star! Did you see it?"

He closes his eyes and Frank watches as his lips move in a silent wish. Frank might think it's a little endearing. When Brendon opens his eyes and leans back on his hands, looking a little satisfied, Frank asks what he wished for.

"I can't tell you!" Brendon looks appalled at the thought. "If I tell, it won't come true!"

Frank laughs. "You really believe that?"

Brendon nods earnestly. "Of course! And, my grandma told me that the other secret to good wishes is not to keep them for yourself. You have to wish for things for other people. It's not nice to wish for bad things for other people, though. Once, I wished my cousin wouldn't get the lead in the school play because she thought she was so great, and the next day she fell and broke her leg so she couldn't act. I felt really bad about that; I think I did all her chores for her while she was in the cast. So if you want your wish to come true, you have to wish something good for someone else and not tell anyone."

Frank nods, even though he quit wishing on stars a long time ago. He thinks that maybe the next time he sees one, he might make a wish for Brendon.

*********************

Frank doesn't usually watch the Panic! show -- he's usually busy getting ready for his own show or passing the time by irritating the piss out of Bob -- but he makes a special effort to catch it the next night. They sound awesome and the crowd loves them, but Frank's attention is almost entirely focussed on Brendon. Brendon's energy is put to good use on stage, and Frank knows he's not the only one mesmerized by him. Frank tells himself that the only reason he's there is because he and Brendon have apparently formed some strange sort of friendship. The fact that he might be slightly attracted to Brendon has nothing to do with it.

After Brendon, Ryan, Spencer, and Jon come off the stage -- all smiles and glazed eyes, high on adreneline and the music, a feeling Frank knows well -- Ryan pulls Brendon aside and says something to him. Brendon's smile fades a little, no longer reaching his eyes, and he's nodding in agreement to whatever Ryan's saying. Frank thinks about their conversation the night before and feels a little irritated by the fact Ryan has this kind of power over Brendon.

"Brendon!"

Both Brendon & Ryan look up, surprised, and Brendon breaks into a grin when he sees him. "Frank! You saw?"

"Yeah, man, you were amazing!" He glances at Ryan and adds, "All of you were great."

Brendon's smile is back in full force and Frank can't help but grin at the memory of it, even after he's been called off to play his own set.

***********************

Two nights later, Frank notices Brendon standing just slightly offstage, almost out of sight, with a mischievous grin & a sign that says FRANK IERO is my HERO in large sparkly letters.

"Where did you get that?"

"Some girl at the meet and greet. Told her that I have a thing for you and she gave it to me."

Frank shakes his head with a smile. "You know that's going to be all over the internet tomorrow, right?"

***********************

There's an impromptu party on and around the Fall Out Boy bus; they were supposed to leave right after the show, but there was some kind of mechanical problem with one of the busses and now they're stuck for a few hours. Frank enjoys the downtime, makes conversation and jokes around and pretends he's not wondering where Brendon is. Frank's gotten used to Brendon being right there all the time, so when he's been wandering around the lot for an nearly an hour with no sign of him, he thinks something strange is going on.

He makes his way back to where Gerard and Lyn-Z are and finds Ryan and a pretty blonde with them. The girl is introduced as Ryan's girlfriend, Keltie, and Frank manages not to make a joke about her name even though a few spring to mind. When Frank asks about Brendon, Ryan says something about him claiming a headache and going back to the bus.

The Panic! bus is quiet when Frank steps onto it, and even though he knows which bunk is Brendon's, he thinks maybe it'd be weird for him to show up there if Brendon is sleeping. Only, Brendon is sitting on the couch in the lounge, his shadowy form barely visible even after Frank's eyes adjust to the darkness.

"Hey. Why are you sitting here in the dark?"

It's quiet for a minute, like Brendon's thinking about his answer, which is unusual. "Because the lights are off," he finally says. It's the kind of response that should sound smart-ass, but it falls flat. "Ryan and Keltie are cute together, huh? She makes him laugh and I know he loves her, but I don't know that he's really happy."

"Yeah." Frank understands -- god, does he understand -- but he thinks that maybe he and Brendon have both spent too much time worrying about the happiness of their best friends. Frank crosses the room and straddles Brendon's lap, resting his hands on the back of the couch behind Brendon's head. "I don't like it when you're sad, Brendon Urie, and I'm going to kiss you, so if I'm reading us wrong and you don't want me to, you'd better stop me now." Frank leans in and presses his lips against Brendon's.

Frank almost expects the hands that come up to his waist to push him off into the floor, but instead they're holding him in place. Brendon parts his lips slightly, the tip of his tongue running across them and barely touching Frank's, before pulling away.

"I'm not sad," he whispers. "This is all just part of my cunning plan to seduce the great Frank Iero."

Frank laughs. "Oh really? If I would have known about said scheme, I'd have fallen into your lap earlier!"

Brendon grins as he slides his hands into the back pockets of Frank's jeans and pulls him closer. "Shut up and kiss me."

Part II

Comments

[asimplechord.livejournal.com]

You rock SO HARD. I'm gonna go pimp this.

And dude, I'm totally gonna see about the international phone thing. :D

[wearethestars.livejournal.com]

More yes? MORE YES!!!!