𝘎𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘞𝘢𝘺

The back desk by the window was Frank Iero's unofficial property. Or rather, his personal exclusion zone. Everyone in school knew: Frank was an outcast, a walking magnet for bruises and trouble, the guy who never spoke to anyone. People gave him a wide berth, they bullied him in the hallways, and he would only pull his hood tighter, hiding a gaze that actually held a dangerous, cold superiority. He was clearly much cooler and deeper than this whole pack of school hyenas. And Gerard Way saw it.

Gerard himself was considered strange. A bit "loopy," always with his head in the clouds, paint smeared across his fingers and a silly, soft smile. He wasn't afraid of the school bullies simply because he lived in his own world. And in that world, Frank Iero was taking up more and more space. Gerard had been watching him for weeks. Watching how Frank took a hit. Watching how proudly he stayed silent. Watching his sharp cheekbones and beautiful, albeit bruised, lips. In Gerard's chest, that strange, feverish feeling was already blazing. He had fallen in love. Hard, foolishly, and irrevocably. And unlike the others, Gerard didn't intend to just stand on the sidelines. He wanted to possess this guy. Completely.

The bell for the long break rang. The classroom emptied quickly, but Frank remained in his seat, buried in his notebook. In the hallway, the laughter of the football team—who had pushed Iero against the lockers five minutes ago—was just fading away.

Gerard slowly rose from his seat. Instead of heading to the cafeteria, he made his way to the back desk. Clutched in his hands was a paper cup of hot sweet tea and a soft cinnamon roll. That same dreamy, slightly blissful smile lingered on his face, but in his eyes burned a very conscious, stubborn spark.

He stepped close and, without permission, sank into the chair right in front of Frank, turning to face him and resting his chin on his hands, which were folded over the back of the chair.

"Hi, Frankie," Gerard murmured softly, almost tenderly, sliding the tea toward him.