I Mean This, I'm Okay. Trust Me

11. Do You Trust Me?

Frank laid on the couch, a furry blanket was wrapped around him. He was only in boxers, the clothes he wore a bit ago was irritating his skin. He made me lay with him, my arms around him, keeping him warm. The TV had The Dark Knight playing. Mikey was sitting near our feet.

Donna and Donald took all of Frank's pets to the veterinarians for their shots. Frank was on edge with them gone, but I insisted I'd keep him safe. Under the blankets, our hands were linked, our fingers were like a weird knot.

Occasionally I'd press the lower half of my face against Frank's back and place soft quiet kisses against his soft warm skin. I could feel his breath catch in his throat whenever I sucked on the vulnerable flesh. Mikey never noticed, he was zoned out by Heath Ledger's Joker parts.

"So please explain to me why Frank is almost naked." Mikey said, he just now noticed when he saw Frank's bare shoulder as I shifted the blanket.

"He's having an allergic reaction to our fabric softener." I answered. Frank looked over his shoulder at the back of the couch. His eyes were scared. I quickly followed his gaze, there was nothing there.

"That's fucking weird. But why are you both cuddling?" Mikey asked. I pressed the palm of my hand against his stomach and he looked at me.

"Keeping him warm." I answered.

"Do you have a thing going on?" Mikey asked in an accusing tone. Frank shrugged and I did too. He kept looking behind the couch.

"Can we go to your room, Gee?" Frank asked almost silently. I nodded and hr got up wrapping the blanket around his shoulders. I stood up.

"You're on your own now, Mikes'." I said to my Lil bro. He gave me a nod, his attention diverted to the action on TV. Frank and I went to my bedroom. When i closed the door, Frank sat down on my bed, his feet hanging over the floor.

"He won't go away." Frank whispered quietly. He put his hands up in his hair and gripped at the roots. I flicked on the lights and sat down beside him. "Are you real, Gerard? Or are you fake too?" Frank asked. I touched his shoulder.

"Can you feel that?" I asked, he nodded. "If you can feel this, then I'm real." I told him. He shook his head.

"I can feel when he touches me too." Frank mumbled. "How can I believe you? He tells me that he's real too." Frank said, he sounded so distraught. I put a hand on his cheek and turned him so he looked at me. I pressed my lips lightly to his, his body went rigid, but his lips formed softly against mine.

"I'm sure the 'Gerard' you see wouldn't do that to you." I said against his lips. His eyes flickered dark.

"Gee...he has." Frank whispered. His eyes became watery and pulled away. He leaned toward me and collapsed against my chest. He let out rough quiet sobs.

"What has he done to you?" I asked softly. I wrapped my arms around him. His whole body was shaking.

"O-one night I was w-walking home. A g-guy grabbed me and pushed me into a-an alley. It was so dark. He held me down in t-the mud and raped me. So d-did 'Gerard'." Frank cried. I rubbed his bare back soothingly. I let him cry into my shoulder.

"Do you trust me, Frankie?" I asked. He nodded against my chest. "I want you to trust that I'm real. I promise I'll never hurt you." I whispered. He nodded once more and curled into my lap. He clung to me and sniffled. "It'll be okay." I told him.