Gerard's POV. So, dinner that night was weird

So, dinner that night was weird. Everyone was quiet and my Mom kept trying to find out more and more about Mimi. I had no clue why. Frank thought she had a hidden agenda, like she was eventually gonna set Mikey and Mimi up after Mikey got over Erica's death.

Frank's Mom arrived the following day and now we had two women trying to get us to clean the house. And if Frank and I did so much as to share a kiss, they'd be standing right there cooing at us, telling us how cute we were together. At least they were both accepting of our sexualities now. They got along really well too. They would sit there and talk for ages and ages and if Frank and I tried to talk to them, it was rare that we could get a word in on the conversation.

The day after Frank's Mom arrived was the funeral. Everyone was there, the media writing in the newspaper the day after, stating the fact that The Dark Ninja, The Skeleton and Hot Boy were not seen at the funeral but were most likely there without their costumes. It was so sad. Everyone was crying, especially when they were taking the body out of the chapel. I'd worn sunglasses so that no one saw me crying. Frank didn't wear glasses and instead, he cried all over me. I didn't mind. I hugged him tight and let him cry.

The following day, Mikey, Frank and I had to attend the ceremony downtown to receive our bravery medals. Our Moms were so proud of us and kept fussing over everything. We wore our costumes to this event, obviously. This was also the first time since the tragic event that happened that we were seen out in public with our costumes on. We participated in a press conference afterwards where we were asked all sorts of questions.

"Were you at Hot Girl's funeral?" one of the media asked.

"Yes," Mikey said. "We decided to not wear our costumes out of respect to Erica."

"Are you worried that people who knew you were with Erica before the events that happened now know your secret identity?" a journalist asked Mikey.

"Apparently some people have challenged some of my family and friends with this question, but these questions have not been directly answered and will never be directly answered. So if people want to assume a certain guy out there is Hot Boy because he was dating Erica, then this will not be confirmed or denied," Mikey responded. I thought that was the best way to answer a question like that because otherwise the media would find out where Erica used to work and would snoop around to find out who Mikey was. The media could be assholes when they wanted to be.

Suddenly, Mikey's cellphone rang.

"Excuse me for a moment," Mikey spoke as he turned around and answered his cellphone.

"When are you planning on coming back and helping us fight crime?" a media person asked.

"We're not sure yet. We are yet to discuss these things. However currently, we would like time off to grieve properly and to recuperate from last Saturday's disaster," I spoke. "We hope that everyone is understanding about this as life without Erica, especially for Hot Boy is going to be difficult at first," I explained. At this point Mikey got off the phone.

"I just got fired," he said bluntly. I looked at him, shocked.

"Why?" I asked.

"I guess I probably should've told work that I wouldn't be coming in this week," he spoke, smirking. It was the first smirk he'd given all week. He'd managed to smile a few times, but it was good to see he saw the positive side of this situation. Frank giggled at what Mikey had said.

"I don't mind being fired. Working where I worked was boring anyway. I think I might find a different career," he announced.

"Like?" I asked.

"He can't tell us now! He's newly single. If he told us where he wanted to work in front of all these cameras, he'd have female admirers stalking him," Frank pointed out.

We answered a few more questions before leaving and going back home.

"So, what is your new career option?" I asked him as soon as we'd entered the apartment.

"I'm gonna be a fire-fighter," Mikey said.

"Way to go! That is so awesome! I totally wanna be that too!" Frank exclaimed.

"Why don't you apply with me then? You've always said how you hated working in the tattoo parlor," Mikey pointed out to my man.

"It's true. Maybe I will," Frank said, "That way, I can do something I love and can use my strength to its advantage," he decided.

Later that day, Frank and Mikey went online and applied to be trained by the New York Fire Department. I was pleased that Mikey's morale was up a little more. Sure, he wasn't completely happy, anyone could see that. But at least his heart was on the way to being mended.