Together (Frerard, Petekey, Ryden)

8. Morning after

Frank woke up to a body pressed against him. A hand was resting on his exposed hip where his shirt had ridden up and he could hear breathing. He panicked for a moment before he remembered last night. He settled into Gerard and closed his eyes again, basking in the warmth.

Frank hadn't rested for long when he felt Gerard move around in behind him. He heard Gerard's breathing quicken and felt him pull himself away quickly.

"Shit." Gerard muttered. Frank pretended to sleep. He could hear Gerard standing up.

Frank waited for Gerard to leave the room before opening his eyes. He rolled on his back and stared at the ceiling, trying to pretend his body didn't yearn for Gerard's touch.He could still feel the feeling of Gerard's cold fingers resting on his hip. He touched his hip subconsciously.

 He hadn't laid there for long when the bedroom door opened. Frank looked up to see Gerard standing there scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"So I'm gonna head out." Gerard didn't make eye contact with Frank. Frank reckoned it was because he was scared.

"Mikey giving you a ride?" Frank asked. It was doubtful. Knowing Mikey, Frank knew that on the best of days Mikey didn't wake up until at least 1pm, and Frank had seen him leave with a guy, which means he must've been drunk. Mikey wouldn't be up until at least 3pm. Frank looked at his bedside clock. It was only 11:30.

"No." Gerard said "I'm taking a cab."

"I could drive you?" Frank suggested, in a totally non-suggestive way of course. Gerard shook his head. "Gerard, there's no need for you to spend money on a cab when I can drive you." Frank was staring at Gerard, waiting for him to make eye contact, and when he did, Gerard broke out into a tiny smile.

"Fine."

Frank smiled.

"Just let me get my keys and we can go."

Gerard nodded awkwardly and watched as Frank crawled out of bed and stretched himself out.

"Do you want some breakfast before we go?" Frank asked.

"No thank you." Gerard tapped his foot impatiently. Frank noticed this and smiled, it brought back memories from when they were together. Frank got rid of that thought almost as soon as it crossed his mind.

"Well I'm gonna make myself a quick bowl of cereal so just hold on like ten minutes." Frank walked up to where Gerard was still standing in the doorway. "Excuse me." Gerard glared down at the tiny man but moved out of the way nonetheless.

Frank went to the kitchen and got out a bowl, a spoon and a box of cereal. He poured the cereal into the bowl and looked over to where Gerard was now leaning in the door way of the kitchen near the fridge.

"Can you please get me the milk?" Frank asked. Gerard sighed loudly. He was clearly annoyed. Frank smirked to himself as Gerard got the milk out and set it beside him. "Thanks!" Frank exclaimed happily and poured some milk over his cereal.

"Can you please hurry?" Gerard asked impatiently.

"Why?" Frank asked, a mouth full of cereal. He swallowed before continuing. "You got somewhere to be?" unlikely. Gerard was extremely introverted, and going out two days in a row would have been exhausting for him.

"No." Gerard practically growled. "Just hurry up please." Gerard turned around and began to walk away from Frank, grumbling something about being annoyed under his breath.

"Gerard, what is your problem?" Frank slammed his hand down on the counter angrily and Gerard paused in his tracks. "Why do you seem so pissed off? Can't you at least act civil?" Frank was fed up with the way Gerard was acting. "You can't come into my house and act like this. I didn't ask you to be here." Frank whined.

"What do you mean?" Gerard questioned.

"I offered to give you a ride and now you're getting annoyed because I'm not going fast enough for you. You don't even have anywhere to be and I just want some breakfast."

"Shit. I'm sorry Frank. I don't mean to be like this." Gerard's shoulders slumped forward. "This house just stresses me out." He muttered. "Can we please just go?" Gerard turned around and met Frank's gaze.

"Yea. Let's go." Frank pretended not to hear what Gerard said about the house stressing him out. Because Frank knew that is was because of the memories, and Gerard would be too proud to admit it. Frank grabbed his keys off the counter. He sauntered to the front door, Gerard following closely behind. He slipped on a pair of shoes and waited for Gerard to do the same before he opened the front door and walked out.

"Close the door please" Frank called behind him and heard the door slam.

The two guys got into Frank's car and Frank started it.

"Frank?" Gerard said with a sigh, as Frank pulled out of his drive way.

"Yeah?" Frank replied, noticing a hint of reluctance in Gerard's voice.

"What's up with the drugs?"

Frank froze. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel with all his might.

"Drugs?" How the fuck did Gerard know about the drugs? "What drugs?" Frank laughed. Trying to play it off like it was no big deal.

"Cut the bullshit Frankie. I came to your house to pick Mikey up like two days ago and you were high out of your mind on God knows what." Gerard sounded disgusted.

 "I don't know Gerard. It just makes everything seem so much better. I can finally forget when I'm high." Frank admitted after a moment of awkward silence.

"What do you want to forget?" Gerard gulped.

"Do you really want to hear the answer? Because I think you already know."

"I need to be sure Frank."

Frank sighed.

"I need to forget you Gerard. Because you were the only thing that kept me going. I was so dependent on you and then I fucked up and now I have no idea what to do with myself. Everything I do has some tie to you. Except drugs. I know how much you hate drugs, so it made me feel independent from you. Also, I'm sorry about Mikey. I don't remember that day at all but if he was at my house I must have something to do with it." Frank didn't dare look at Gerard to see his reaction.

Both Frank and Gerard were silent for a minute before Gerard broke it.

"We're just two fuck ups, hey? Relying on each other like puppies rely on their mother. We're really fucked up Frankie."

Frank looked over at Gerard curiously.

"Oh right, you don't know. Nobody knows." Gerard laughed in a way that suggested he was ashamed. Frank felt sympathy for him. "Well my dear Frankie, I have reverted to alcoholism to forget you. But lately my friend, the alcohol isn't working. And quite Frankly, Frank, I have no idea what to do."

"Gee I-" Frank began to express his sympathies but Gerard cut him off.

"Honestly Frank, you are in no position to pity me. You're more fucked up than I am."

"But Gerard," Frank said, looking Gerard in the eyes "You're so much more significant than I am." Frank tuned his attention back to the road and tried to ignore the fact that Gerard was staring at him like a therapist might stare at his 13 year old patient who just broke up with her boyfriend of two weeks.

"Stop."

"Stop what Gerard?"

"Stop putting yourself down Frank. It's pathetic. Yeah you've made a mistake. But get the fuck over it." Gerard was awfully blunt about things and it made Frank frown.

"But you're not over it."

"Frank, I am over it. I just miss what we had. And you have yet to properly apologies." Conveniently, they pulled up in front of Gerard's apartment precisely at this time. "Come up." Was all Gerard said that had Frank following him inside like a lost puppy. Really that's all he was anyways.

I hope someone is enjoying this story???