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"Dude, it reeks down here," Frank muttered, waving a hand in front of his face to dispel the basement stench.
The musty smell of stale pizza and sweat hit him like a wall as he pushed open the basement door, the hinges creaking loudly in protest. It was a familiar scent, one he had grown accustomed to over the years of hanging out in Gerard's basement. It was a cluttered mess, with piles of comic books and empty soda cans scattered across the floor. It never wasn’t.
Gerard looked over, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "Frankie! You're just in time.”
He waved the PS2 controller in front of his face. This was the only warning Frank got before Gerard scooped up the second controller and tossed it in his direction. Frank caught it, luckily before it hit him square in the face.
“I got this new game the other day when I was out with Mikey. We need to play."
Frank dropped his backpack on the floor and flopped down on the bed with StarWars sheets and worn-out mattress, perching beside Gerard.
"Sweet, what's it about?" he asked, trying to sound more enthusiastic than he felt. He was tired from a long day at school, but he knew he’d liven up soon enough. Hanging out with Gerard always seemed to do that to him.
Frank was greeted to Gerard’s frame, clad in a worn black hoodie, as he reached over the edge of the bed to fish for the game cover. Once in his grasp, Gerard whipped around to show it off.
"It's this RPG. You play as these twin goths, and you have to complete quests to save the earth from zombies."
Frank raised an eyebrow, squinting at the graphic sleeve in the empty case. It was cheesy shovel wear, but the graphics were cool. It read ZOMBIEZONE in bright green lettering with gnarly zombies crawling from behind the title. The center had the two characters, both in matching black and red school uniforms. The girl was cute, with thick eyeliner and cute ponytails, and her skirt was ridiculously short. The guy was unimportant, especially considering the giant NC17 label on the bottom right.
“Violence and sexual contents,” Frank read aloud.
Gerard nodded, like an all-knowing monk. “These zombies can be slaughtered in so many brutal ways, you have no idea. The guy had to ID me when I bought it.”
“Awesome!” Frank cooed. There were advantages to being friends with the guy a few years ahead. “I’m down."
He leaned back, stretching his legs out in front of him, trying to get comfortable. As Gerard booted up the game, Frank watched the PS2 home screen load. It would take awhile as, frankly, the console was getting up there in years, but he could wait.
"So, how was your day, Gee? Anything exciting happen?"
Gerard shook his head, his focus already on the game. "Nah, just the usual. Had to help a few elderly women with their printing and deal with a few business interns stressing about getting their graphics laminated. The usual. You know how it is."
Frank chuckled, a genuine smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah, tell me about it. I had a pop quiz in biology that I totally bombed." He felt a pang of guilt for not studying harder, but... whatever. He was already an adult, ever since October had rolled around. He’d be graduating in a matter of months.
Frank watched as the game finally loaded, the title screen flashing onto the screen with a sick, gory animation of zombies feasting on unsuspecting victims.
"Dude, this is gonna be the greatest time ever."
Gerard grinned, his fingers already hovering over the controller. "Lemme start a new co-op game save."
Frank nodded, leaning forward with anticipation. "Yeah, okay.”
Frank watched as Gerard carefully set up the word, opening up a cheats menu to toggle with settings. Frank never did that when he played on his own, but Gerard was a nerd who knew how to do shit like that.
As the game began, a prompt appeared on the screen: "Select player character!"
WIthout thinking too hard, Frank sighed as selected the twin with the mohawk and safety goggles. Gerard hesitated before sliding his selection over to the dude as well.
“What the fuck? That’s bullshit.”
Frank looked over to see Gerard furiously mashing away at the circle button that was refusing to select the guy.
Frank's eyes widened slightly, a mix of confusion and amusement crossing his face. "Why wont it let you select him?"
Gerard shrugged. "I dunno, man.”
“Maybe we can’t both select him?” Frank thought for a moment, then a mischievous grin spread across his face. "Either way, I already called dibs on the boy player. You can be the girl."
Gerard's eyes widened, and he sat up straighter. "What? No way, man. I'm not playing as a girl. You take the girl."
Frank chuckled, shaking his head. "Come on, Gee. Don't be such a wimp. It's just a game."
Gerard crossed his arms, a stubborn look on his face. "No way, Frank. I'm not doing it. You take the girl."
“Look at yourself, man!” Frank raised an eyebrow, a challenge in his eyes. "Dude, you're such a girly guy anyways, so who cares?" He brought a hand up to Gerard’s hair, greasy but still long enough to prove his point, and tugged at a strand. “See? Only one of us could have pigtails.”
Gerard went silent for a second, before viciously pulling his head away from Frank's grip. He hit his joystick dn selected the girl avatar. "Whatever, man. You're such a dick."
Frank would have continued to tease, but the games prompted them with a “PRESS START” popping up, and Gerad doing so, letting them into the first cutscene.
The screen flickered, crackled, and then burst into color as the first cutscene rolled. A heavily stylized animation played out, all smeared neon and grayscale. The twin goths (one with a gravity-defying mohawk, the other in impossibly high platform boots) stepped off a creaky, rust-covered school bus. Fog curled around their ankles. The camera panned to reveal a crumbling high school in the distance, its windows glowing sickly green as zombie moans echoed in the background.
The girl avatar struck a pose with her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes dramatically.
“Ugh,” she said, voice dripping with disinterest. “I just got these boots dry-cleaned.”
Frank burst out laughing. “Oh my god. She’s hot.”
Gerard made a face. “Dude. Shut up.”
“I’m serious! Look at her… she's like every girl I had a crush on in seventh grade, but more… homicidal. She has a chainsaw!” Frank leaned forward, inspecting the character as if she might jump off the screen. “She even talks like she’d bully me and then make out with me behind the gym.”
‘Okay, perv,” Gerard just snorted and mashed the X button to skip through the rest of the cutscene.
But the game wasn’t done being dramatic. The loading screen swirled into a glowing prompt box:
“Only the dark princess may wield the Tiara of Tears.”
Frank read it aloud, monotone, before turning to Gerard with a shit-eating grin. “Yo. That’s you, dude.” He elbowed him, hard.
Gerard groaned in protest.
Frank was wheezing. “You’re the dark princess! All hail Princess Gee!”
Another prompt appeared:
“Protect your fragile heart. It’s your greatest strength.”
Frank slapped the mattress. “I can’t breathe. Dude!”
Gerard rolled his eyes, but a small smile cracked at the corner of his mouth. “You’re such an asshole.”
Frank nodded solemnly, mock-serious. “Yeah, but I’m your asshole, Princess.”
Gerad dug a hand through his hair. “Just wait for the zombies.”
The gameplay finally started up, and the two waited for the location to finish loading, slowly filling with zombies. Gerard started idly flicking the right joystick, shifting the camera view as their avatars loaded into the game’s opening level: a glitchy, half-rendered hallway with flickering lockers and blood-streaked tile.
The screen suddenly jolted. The camera swung low…way low…and tilted up. Right under her skirt. Pixelated black-and-red-striped underwear. Clear as day. Frank went still. Then screeched.
“Gee! You did not just fuckin upskirt her!”
Gerard flinched. “What?!”
“Bro. Did you just… oh my god! Who’s the perv now?!” And you’re perving on yourself!” Frank grabbed a pillow and smacked Gerard in the arm with it, cackling like a maniac.
“It was an accident!” Gerard cried, frantically spinning the joystick to angle the camera literally anywhere else.
Frank howled, breathless. “Don’t even lie! You saw those thigh-highs and lost control!”
“I wasn’t! shut up!” Gerard buried half his face in the collar of his hoodie, turning pink as he tried to realign the camera.
Frank practically slid off the bed. “Dude. Dude. Do it again.”
Gerard dropped his controller. “No.”
“Just one more time,” Frank wheezed. “For science.”
“It's gonna unlock a secret perv achievement or something, I swear.”
Frank made a halo above his head with his hands. “It’s okay, Princess. I won’t tell anyone you peeked at your own panties.”
“Frank!”
“I’m just saying,” Frank snorted. “You play one girl and already you’re objectifying yourself.”
Gerard groaned, head in hands. “I hate you.”
“Not that I can blame you.” Frank patted his knee. “Girl-you is hot.”
"Shut up. ‘was an accident."
"Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Princess."
Frank turned back to the game, realising he actually had to kill zombies in order to Not Die. As they continued to play, more game prompts appeared, each one more ridiculous than the last.
"Her cleavage is her greatest strength," Frank read aloud in a breathy falsetto, turning to Gerard like he was about to swoon.
“I’ve decided this game is sexist,” Gerard announced to no one in particular.
“Awe, you’re no fun,” Frank giggled as he reached over and cupped his hands around Gerard's chest, groping at him through his hoodie. "Oh, Gerard. You're cleavage!"
It was all in the name of emphasizing the joke, but there was a surprisingly decent amount to grab. Frank definitely gave another squeeze. For science.
Gerard made a noise of protest, swatting Frank's hands away. "Dude, seriously, cut it out."
Frank just smirked, leaning back with a satisfied look on his face. "I'm just saying what the game's saying. You're the one who chose to play as a girl."
Gerard sighed, his annoyance growing. "Is this what we’re calling choosing now? It’s very hard to kill zombies with you distracting me, you know."
Frank laughed, a genuine sound that filled the room. "You're doing just fine, Princess. Keep up the good work."
Gerard just shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips despite his annoyance. "You're such an asshole, Frank."
Frank grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Yeah, but I'm your asshole, Princess."
Gerard sighed, but he couldn't help but laugh as he continued to play, the game and Frank's teasing pushing him further and further out of his comfort zone. They made it the next hour or so with minimal instances of weird dialogue choices, giving Frank no opportunities to call Gerard pretty names. Frank felt mildly guilty from feeling disappointed with the fact. Eventually, they came face to face with the game villain, a Karate Zombie Lord with glowing red eyes and a sinister grin… who made his move on the girl player.
He cupped her face dramatically, his voice a low, seductive purr. "You have such beautiful eyes, my dear. They sparkle like the stars in the night sky."
Frank watched the cutscene, a mix of amusement and curiosity playing through his head. He leaned closer to Gerard who, like he was already expecting it, had stuck his chin out so Frank could grab at it. It was sort of funny, but Frank had to admit, though… It was kind of hot.
As the Zombie Lord continued his compliments, Frank found himself getting more and more into it. His fingers brushed against Gerard's soft skin, mimicking the villain's actions, and he felt a jolt of electricity at the contact.
"Look at you with your shiny hair and your cute little nose, Gee," Frank cooed, his voice soft and gentle. "You were meant for this role."
He gently stroked Gerard’s cheek, his thumb tracing the line of his jaw. Frank's internal thoughts raced. What was he doing? This was Gerard, his best friend. This was, objectively, a weird thing to do… but Gerad was totally fine with it actually, so why stop?
Frank leaned in closer, his breath hot against Gerard's ear. "My delicate gothic flower," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
He stroked Gerard’s hair, his fingers getting lost in the greasy strands. It was surprisingly soft, and Frank found himself wanting to touch more, to explore further. He glanced back at the TV hoping the Zombie Lord would make another move he’d be able to copy.
The Zombie Lord did. He slowly began trailing his zombie hand up the girl’s thigh. Frank, giddy and maybe a little horny, decided to copy the same move on Gerard. His hand trembled slightly as he mimicked the villain's actions, his fingers brushing against the inside of Gerard's thigh.
"Frank..." Gerard's voice was a low whine, a mix of protest and…
Frank froze, his hand still on Gerard's thigh, unsure of what to do next. He had expected Gerard to push him away, to tell him to cut it out, but instead, Gerard fell silent, his breath hitching.
Frank noticed the change in mood immediately. He thought maybe he’d gone too far and fucked it all up, but when he went to remove his hand, Gerard whined in protest.
"Don't stop," he breathed, his voice barely audible above the zombie snarling sounds coming from the TV.
Oh god… Gerard was hard.
Frank's internal thoughts raced. That was so hot. It should be awkward… but it wasn't. It was hot. Frank could almost feel the bulge in Gerard's pants, inches away from the fingertips. He could see the way Gerard’s chest heaved with each ragged breath.
What the hell was he doing? This was Gerard, his best friend in the whole world. And his best Male Friend. But he's also so fucking hot right now, and it would probably take an army to pull him away. The skin on his inner thigh was so soft, and his hair was so damn shiny. Frank wanted to keep going, to explore every inch of him. But he really couldn’t.
Frank's hand moved higher, against his better judgment, his fingers brushing against the waistband of Gerard's pants. He could feel the heat radiating off of Gerard’s belly. His hand was inches away from where Gardard’s dick was straining against the front of his Pyjama pants. Knowing his friend, he was probably fully commando.
Frank pulled back slightly, his eyes meeting Gerard's. The intensity in Gerard's gaze was almost overwhelming. He swallowed hard, trying to find the words.
"I can't, I'm sorry," Frank managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper. "This is... this is so wrong. I mean, I’m straight, you know?"
Gerard's eyes widened, a flash of panic crossing his face. "No, please," he breathed, his voice trembling with need. "It's fine. Keep going, I swear. I'm so into this, and so are you. I can tell."
Frank's heart raced. "But you're a dude, and I'm a dude, so..." he trailed off, unsure of how to finish the thought. It felt a little silly now that he’d said it, considering it was so incredibly obvious.
"Then let me jerk you off," Gerard whispered, his voice filled with a mix of desperation and longing. "You can pretend I'm a girl, or whatever. That's cool, right?"
Frank's mind reeled at the suggestion, a surge of arousal coursing through him. His dick basically spoke for him.
"Sure," he heard himself say, his voice barely recognizable. “But, what about you?”
Gerard smiled, a slow, seductive curve of his lips. "Trust me, I'm into that shit," he murmured, his hand already moving to Frank's waistband. “Just keep talking. As you were.”
Frank's breath hitched as Gerard's fingers deftly undid his pants, his touch sure and confident. He could feel the heat of Gerard's body pressing against him, the hard length of him straining against his own pants. Frank's mind was a whirlwind of confusion, but as Gerard's hand finally wrapped around him, all thoughts fled except for the sheer pleasure of the moment.
Frank moaned, his hips bucking involuntarily as waves of pleasure washed over him. He could feel Gerard's breath hot against his ear, his whispers of encouragement and desire sending shivers down his spine. He shut his eyes quickly, hoping his mind would refuse to acknowledge why he felt so good.
"Frank, I wanna make you feel good." Gerard murmured, his voice husky with arousal. "I want to hear you say it again. Please.”
Frank felt dumb. “What?”
“Call me something pretty."
Frank's eyes fluttered open, meeting Gerard's intense gaze. He swallowed hard, his mind racing with a mix of embarrassment and excitement. "You... you want me to?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Gerard nodded, a slow, seductive smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, I do. Like you were just doing. It… made me so hard."
Frank's breath hitched as he processed the request. He had never done anything like this before, but the look in Gerard's eyes, the way his body responded to the touch, spurred him on.
"O… okay," he managed to say in between the small breathy noises squeaking out of him, his voice trembling slightly. "You're such a pretty princess, Gee."
Gerard's eyes fluttered closed, a soft moan escaping his lips. It was entrancing to watch.
"That's it… Frankie. Keep going. Please."
Encouraged by Gerard's response, Frank found his confidence growing. "You're such a good girl, aren't you? So delicate and pretty."
Frank watched as Gerard's hips bucked beneath him into the stupid StarWars sheet.
"Yes, Please" he breathed.
Frank's mind was a whirlwind of desire, his body aching with need. He leaned in, his lips brushing against Gerard's ear as he whispered, "You're so fucking beautiful, Gerard."
Gerard moaned, his body trembling with pleasure. "Frankie, please," he begged, his voice a desperate plea. "Need more."
Gerard picked up his pace, humping the bed in earnest as he began to stroke Frank faster. He could feel the tension coiling in Gerard's body, the way his breath hitched with each stroke. Frank's own arousal was building, his hips bucking against Gerard's touch as he chased his own release.
Frank reached his hands out, gently grabbing Gerard's hair and pulling it back into two neat pigtails, just like the girl avatar in the game. Gerard moaned softly, his body responding to the gentle tug on his hair.
"Look at you," Frank murmured, his voice filled with awe and desire. "I bet you’d look so much better in that skirt. You’d be the hottest girl in school."
Gerard's hips bucked wildly beneath Frank, his body humping the mattress with a desperate need. "Frankie, please," he begged, his voice a mix of pleading and desperation. "I need more. I need to feel you."
Frank's grip on Gerard's hair tightened slightly, using it to guide Gerard's movements as he humped the mattress. The sight was incredibly erotic, and Frank could feel his own arousal spiking, his body aching with need.
"You're so fucking hot, Gerard," Frank whispered, his voice husky with desire. "I want to see you come undone. I want to make you feel so good."
Gerard's breath hitched, his body trembling with pleasure as Frank continued to pull at his hair.
“I'm so close," Gerard gasped, his voice trembling. "Please, don't stop."
Frank, his body still throbbing with arousal, couldn't resist the urge to take things further.
He leaned in, lips brushing against Gerard's ear as he whispered, "Come for me, Gee. Let me see you fall apart."
“Please.”
Frank gently pushed Gerard onto his back, his hands roaming over Gerard's body with a newfound confidence. Gerard moaned softly, his hips bucking up to meet Frank's touch.
Frank leaned down, his lips capturing Gerard's in a fierce kiss as he lined their hips up. The increased pace had him tingling all the way up his spine. He didn’t even try to go slow because Gerard wrapped an arm around Frank’s back to push him down further. Frank took that as his invitation to speed up. His body slammed into Gerard's with each thrust. He could feel himself getting close.
"Come with me," he whispered against Gerard's lips. "Let's fall apart together."
Gerard's body tensed, and with a final, desperate cry, he came undone, creaming his pants like a middle schooler. The feeling of Gerard's body shuddering underneath him pushed Frank over the edge, and he followed suit, his own release spilling between them, seeping into the front of Gerard's hoodie.
Frank collapsed, their bodies now slick and sticky with sweat and spunk.
He instinctively held Gerard close, his heart racing as he tried to catch his breath. He could feel the rapid rise and fall of Gerard's chest, the way his body fit perfectly against his own. Frank's mind was a whirlwind of… well, everything. He truly was dreading the post-orgasmic bliss wearing off because that meant that he’d actually have to face the consequences of his actions. He’s most definitely fucked up his entire friendship with Gerard now. Their dicks did in fact touch. It was, objectively, a Very Gay thing to do. Even if they were both definitely into it at the moment, Frank knew there was only so much he could play off as a joke. Still, he could try.
Frank's hand moved to Gerard's hair, gently pulling a section of it back into a pigtail, mischievous grin playing on his lips. "Look at you, Princess," he murmured, forcing his voice to be filled with a mockery. Incase Gerard wanted to take the easy way out.
Gerard blushed, a mix of embarrassment and residual arousal flushing his cheeks. He pushed Frank away gently, sitting up and running a hand through his disheveled hair.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Frankie. You're such an asshole."
Frank chuckled, a nervous sound from the turmoil inside his gut. "Well… It was just a bit of fun, right?"
Gerard shrugged, avoiding Frank's gaze. "Sure, whatever you say, Frankie."
The awkward silence hung heavy in the air as they both fumbled for their shirts, pulling them off considering the giant jizz stains down the front. Frank kept his eyes averted, not wanting to meet Gerard's gaze, as Gerrad also got his pants off. Frank eventually got a baggy shirt thrown in his direction so he wouldn’t have to sit bare-chested. Eventually, Gerard plopped back down next to Frank in cleaned(ish) PJs. Frank still kept his eyes averted.
"Uh, so... wanna get back to the game?" he asked, his voice slightly too bright.
Gerard nodded, a noncommittal grunt his only response. They turned back to the TV, the game screen showing the grim reality of their neglect. They had obviously died while they were... distracted, and now they had to restart from the last save file.
As the game loaded, the opening cutscene played once more, the Karate Zombie Lord's sinister grin filling the screen. Frank kept his eyes fixed on the TV, refusing to let himself look at Gerard. He didn't want his mind wandering to Gerard with the pigtails, to how he sounded when he came… or to how good he'd look with makeup on.
The villain's voice filled the room, his compliments to the girl player ringing out with an eerie familiarity. Frank shifted uncomfortably, his mind racing with a mix of confusion and desire. He tried to focus on the game, on the quests and the zombies, anything to distract himself from the whirlwind of emotions inside him.
Gerard, meanwhile, seemed equally determined to ignore the elephant in the room. The awkwardness was mutual. Frank kept his eyes locked to a monologuing and very perverted zombie lord. EVentually, teh cutscene ended with Frank’s avatar running in. And the battle began.
"Frank, look out!" Gerard yelled, his avatar pushing Frank's out of the way of a falling chandelier piloted by a zombie opera singer.
"Thanks, man!" Frank replied, his avatar rolling to his feet and launching into a series of kicks and punches.
As they continued to fight, Frank glanced over at Gerard, who was fully absorbed in the game.
“Frankie! Pay attention?”
Frank turned back to the screen to see he’d lost a few hit points. With a final, mighty swing, Frank's avatar decapitated the last zombie, its head rolling across the screen. Gerard's avatar gave a triumphant cheer, her chainsaw revving one last time before falling silent.
Gerard grinned, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Easy! You're not so bad at this, Frankie."
Frank chuckled, shaking his head. "Neither are you, Princess."
Shit. He hadn’t meant to let that slip. Luckily, Gerard rolled his eyes, but there was a smile playing on his lips. "Whatever, man. Let's just play, okay?"
Frank nodded, turning back to the game. Another cutscene was starting up.
"Okay. Let's kick some more zombie ass."