Please, Try Again - 4

Title: Please, Try Again - Chapter 4
Author: vitalspark
Pairing: Frank/Gerard . Patrick Stump, Pete Wentz, Adam Lazzara all end up making appearances.
Rating: NC-17 as a whole.
Summary: AU -- "This, was real..." 23 year-old Gerard shot to fame after portraying a tortured high school student who turns on his high school in the indie film of the year, immediately generating Oscar Buzz. Thrust suddenly into the spotlight, he's torn between his new hetero 'Hollywood 'It Boy'' status and lifestyle, and the small town homosexual man that he was -- engaged to his 17 year-old lover, Frank Iero.
POV: Third-person.
Authors Note: Gerard is 23, Frank is 17, but this is not a pedophile fic. Their ages are an important note to the story, but it is not all that the story is about. This story is set AU.
Dedications: Thank you to everyone who has commented!
Disclaimer: Fake, fake, fake.


All chapters, etcetera, can be found at vitalspark.




The mall was bustling with activity, parents walking around with strollers and young walking children attached to hands, older women walking by as they paced around the mall, getting their daily exercise. A few teenagers walked around on their day of ditching school, high-tailing it into the teenage-centric stores. Frank, however, was still amazed that anyone would exercise by walking around the mall... and not shop.

Then, there were the two men standing in front of the ice cream kiosk, trying to one-up each other with who was putting the most extra items into their medium ice cream cups filled with two scoops.

"I want... chocolate sprinkles, rainbow sprinkles, gummy bears, pink dusting sprinkles, and... green dusting sprinkles!" Frank exclaimed, watching the monstrosity take shape in the cashiers’ hand.

Pete watched Frank's ice cream concoction, shaking his head and grinning once she was done, and ready to make Pete’s. "Um, Oreo bits, chocolate sprinkles, gummy bears, rainbow sprinkles, chocolate chips, and... candy bar bits!"

Staring at him, Frank began to shake his head slowly. "Fag," he exclaimed.

"Technically, you are," Pete said cheekily, nudging into him with his shoulder.

A grin settled over Frank's lips as he thought about it. "I am, aren't I?" It felt good to be able to confirm it in front of people he didn't know, without having to worry about who was hearing, and if they could recognize Gerard or damage his career with that little bit of information. But it was all going to change by him telling Steven. "I'm just flaming!"

Laughing, Pete shook his head and paid for their ice cream cups, walking over to a table and sitting down. Frank joined him, taking a bite of his ice cream. "Excited about the holidays?" Pete asked, "And getting to be with Gerard?"

"Yeah," Frank said after he swallowed what was in his mouth, taking an extra moment to chew a gummy bear. "I've never been engaged before obviously, and, I don't know, it just seems really cool this year and like we get to do all the stupid couple-y stuff these holidays and be like, 'we're here, we're queer, we're engaged, bitches!'" He blushed. "I don't know, I just kind of like the fact that we're engaged now that he's all pseudo famous because it means those girls can like him all they want, but he's mine."

"I understand," Pete said, nodding and scooping up a bite with his spoon. "I see all the time, these musicians in bands who aren't loyal to what they've got, because they hit it big, so they think they're some fucking Morrissey you know? Just because they make girls quote their stupid as fuck emo lyrics on their MySpaces when they think life is so hard because Mommy didn't buy them a hot pink IPod Mini, Nano, whatever the fuck is out now. I can't even keep up. But Gerard? He's loyal to you Frank, I know that. Granted, you've known him longer, and better, but I've never seen a single person I've known in this industry look at someone the way he does with you. So fuck, you gloat all you want about that engagement, because if I had someone like Gerard I sure would too."

Frank laughed, "I know. I don't know. I get worried sometimes but, then again, you know, I don't know." He shrugged a little, sucking on his spoon and speaking around it. "Aunt Gina would kick his ass."

"That, she definitely would. I would never even try and mess with her," Pete said, smirking. "Anyway, I know you and Gerard probably want to be with family for Christmas, but you guys should make it up here one night during the season. I'm going to decorate the apartment real nice, and everything in New York, well, you know how pretty New York gets."

Tilting his head a little, Frank lifted an eyebrow at the idea of Pete decorating his apartment. He did have a good decorating sense, and he did dress spectacularly well... "Are you sure you're not gay Pete?"

Pete gave him a look. "Just because I love to decorate and can dress does not make me gay!"

"Just a little?" Frank asked innocently.

Oh, Pete would get back at him all right. "Would you share Gerard if I was?"

"Fuck no!" was the exclamation from the boy, holding up his finger with the ring on it proudly. "Property of Frank fucking Iero, bitch!"

Laughing, Pete shrugged. "Well then guess I'm not gay then, that's just how that goes."

"Straight as a whistle, hands completely off my man."

* * *

Sitting at another table in a downtown trendy restaurant, sat Gerard and Steven. Plates long filled with appetizers sat away, waiting for the waiter to come and pick them up. Clear goblets were placed next to main course dishes and Gerard picked his glass up, taking a sip of water to replenish his parched mouth.

"So was there something that you wanted to talk about?" Steven asked, leaning back in his chair and watching him. He knew how to read people, and Gerard was giving the classic examples of holding a secret. Steven didn't like secrets being held from him.

Gerard swallowed thickly. This was it, moment of truth. "Yes, it's about Frank," he said.

"Oh," Steven said slowly, pursing his lips. "I've already arranged for him to be in LA."

"It's not that," Gerard said. Taking a deep breath he leaned against the chair, his fingertips tapping on the armrests. "Frank... is my boyfriend, and recently, he became my fiancé. I'm gay." There, it was out. And what a weight off the chest that that felt like.

Steven just stared at him. In fact, neither man moved for a few minutes as Gerard’s words sunk down and absorbed into consciousness.

The waiter came and picked up the appetizer plates.

"So... you're, yeah," Steven said, shaking his head slowly. "Wow." And this is why he didn't like surprises.

Gerard nodded a little, scratching his face. "It's not... I don't want to come out to the world. But, I needed to tell you, to make you aware. It's why Frank has always been around, and it's why he's going to continue to be."

"I just..." Steven started, trailing off. What could he argue with? "I'm just concerned that this could potentionally be harmful to your career." Sitting up, he clasped his hands together. "Look, Gerard, I'm not the bad guy here, and I don't want to be. I don't want to be the one who tries and runs your life. But acting is what you want to do, and it's what I want to give you. But you have to work with me."

"I know," Gerard said, "believe me, I know. And I'm thankful for everything that you've done for me. I'm willing to do what I have to do to keep everything going normally, I just wanted you to know. To be honest with you. So you understand the reasons for things, because Frank isn't going anywhere."

Steven grew silent as the main courses arrived, and each man was quiet for a few minutes as they set up their meals, arranging everything on the plates and surroundings to satisfaction. He took his napkin and placed it on his lap, following it with picking up his glass and pressing it to his lips. After a moment, Steven cleared his throat. "How long?" he asked.

A bit of barbeque sauce on his finger, Gerard licked it off before responding. "Three years and some," he said, not even blinking an eye. "We've known each other for like thirteen years."

"I see," Steven said, pressing his lips together. So it wasn't just a half-assed relationship like he had seen in countless other actors before the one in front of him. "How are you two doing?" It was his job to know what he was working with.

"Pretty well, considering we're engaged," Gerard teased, laughing when Steven cracked a smile. "We're fine. He's smart for his age, and though this change in my schedule has been pretty sudden, he's been adjusting fine to it, and we're both adapting pretty much as we go. I think since we've known each other forever, there's not so much worry about the other changing suddenly, or any exes that could tempt them, etcetera. It's just relaxed."

For one of the first times, Steven did not honestly know how to handle a situation. Pursing his lips he nodded, shrugging his shoulders lightly. "That's good," he said, "I'm happy when you're happy." Rule of thumb when it came to management? Never let the client see when you're unsettled about a situation, always appear poise, sure of everything. Smiling lightly, Steven lifted up his glass and tilted it a little to Gerard in a small salute, and pressing it to his lips.

* * *

The key to the hotel room took four tries to get the door to open. In that time, Gerard grew increasingly frustrated, and Franks giggles from the inside at his attempts of getting in increased. Once he had finally opened it and stepped in he looked at him, pointing straight at his body and shaking his head. "None tonight, just for that!" he threatened, taking off his coat and walking in more, tossing it against a chair.

Frank stared up at him in a pause, his lips immediately scowling. "That's not fair!" he exclaimed, "I was only laughing because you can't even open the door!" Pete having left an hour or so after their mall adventures in order to attend a show that evening, Frank had opted to stay back at their hotel. Taking a long, luxurious shower, he had wrapped himself up in a hotel robe, sprawling out on his stomach on the bed, his legs spread, taking up the entire bed as he flipped channel to channel. When Gerard took off his jacket though, he sat up and crossed his legs underneath him, staring.

"And that's why you're not getting any," Gerard said, kicking off his shoes and walking over to the bed and sitting down next to him. Grabbing the remote from Frank, he started to flip channels on his own.

"You know, if I wanted to be flipping channels, I would have, I had just found something I liked!" Frank said, reaching over and trying to grab the remote back from him, Gerard easily keeping it out of his reach. "Give it back!"

Looking over at him, he made a face, before laughing. "Who are you going to tell? Nobody's here to let you get your way!"

Staring at him, an idea brewed in Frank's head and he sat back and let him flip channels for a few more moments. Reaching over, he placed his hands on Gerard's shoulders and pushed him back on the bed. Climbing on top of him, he straddled his waist and grinned down at him, his hands sliding down to Gerard's wrists and sliding them up and above his head, pressing them into the bed. "I'll get my way when it comes to you!"

"Yeah, right!" Gerard said, trying to free his wrists as he laughed a bit. "Frank, you're not fucking me, get it out of your head."

Scoffing, he sat back down on Gerard's legs and looked at him, his eyes narrowing. "You know, you're not as macho as you think you are. I saw you that one time a year ago, I saw you shave your armpits!"

He shrugged, sitting up and placing his hand against the back of Frank's head, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his lips. "I like shaving my pits," he said, "and you don't see to mind either, so, Frank, I tell you this with love - shut the fuck up."

Laughing, Frank lifted up and wrapped his arms around his waist, tugging them back down into a laying position on the bed, curling up against Gerard. "So what happened today at your lunch?" he asked, looking up at him hopefully, his fingertips brushing against the fabric that covered his waist. "Talk about anything interesting? Aka, just me?"

Leaning down and smiling, Gerard pressed a kiss to Frank's forehead. "We did talk about you," he said, adjusting in the bed and tightening his arms around you. "I told Steven the truth. I told him that I was gay, and that you were my fiancé, and that we've been dating for three years."

"Really?" Frank asked, his eyes widening larger, if possible, as he gave a girlish squeal and hugged him tightly, pressing a deep kiss to his lips.

Gerard laughed into his mouth. "Really. And I told him that my relationship with you wasn't going to change, because you weren't going anywhere."

"Oh, you are so getting laid tonight!"