I lost my fear of falling || frerard fanfic

Chapter 2: Circles and Consequences

Frank's head was still buzzing from the confrontation as he trudged through the rest of the day. The ache in his jaw had dulled, but the memory of Gerard's fist lingered. It wasn't the first time Frank had been hit—he'd had his share of run-ins with people who thought they were bigger, tougher, or just plain meaner. But there was something about Gerard that stuck with him, something he couldn't shake. The guy had a presence, one that made everyone in the hallways seem to part like the Red Sea when he walked through.

By the time last period rolled around, Frank was staring blankly at the clock, willing the minutes to move faster. The teacher droned on about something—history or English, he wasn't sure anymore. It all blurred together in the haze of Frank's post-punch headache. His locker still had a faint dent from where Gerard had slammed him into it, and that stupid smirk was stuck in Frank's brain like an irritating song you couldn't stop humming.

When the bell finally rang, Frank shoved his books into his bag and bolted for the door. The halls were packed with kids anxious to escape, and Frank did his best to weave through the crowd without bumping into anyone. The last thing he wanted was another run-in with Gerard—or anyone, really. But of course, life didn't work that way.

As Frank rounded the corner to the exit, he spotted Gerard at his locker, casually leaning against it like he didn't have a care in the world. His black hair fell messily into his eyes, and he was talking to a group of guys Frank didn't recognize, probably other delinquents like him. Frank's stomach clenched, and he ducked his head, hoping to slide by unnoticed.

No such luck.

"Hey, Iero!" Gerard's voice cut through the noise of the hallway, making Frank freeze in place. Slowly, he turned around, catching the same cocky grin on Gerard's face.

Frank hesitated, his hands tightening around the straps of his backpack. "What do you want?"

Gerard took a step closer, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Just wanted to see if you'd learned to listen yet."

Frank's pulse quickened, but he kept his expression as neutral as possible. He wasn't about to give Gerard the satisfaction of seeing him rattled. "I'm not deaf."

Gerard's grin widened, but there was no humor in it. "Good. Keep that in mind." He lingered a moment longer, as if waiting for Frank to push back, but Frank just stood there, refusing to give him any more of his energy. After a tense few seconds, Gerard shrugged and walked off, his entourage following behind him like loyal shadows.

Frank exhaled shakily once Gerard was gone. He knew better than to try to fight back—guys like Gerard thrived on reactions, and Frank wasn't interested in playing that game. Still, the knot of anger and frustration in his chest wouldn't go away.

He hurried out of the building, pushing through the doors and onto the front lawn. He was halfway down the street when he heard footsteps behind him.

"Frank! Wait up!" Mikey's voice called out, and Frank turned to see his friend jogging to catch up.

"Hey," Frank greeted, though his voice was a bit tight. He wasn't mad at Mikey—it wasn't his fault his brother was a complete asshole—but that didn't stop the weird feeling of tension between them.

Mikey fell into step beside him, adjusting his glasses. "You alright?"

Frank shrugged, keeping his eyes on the sidewalk ahead. "Yeah. Same old shit, different day."

"Gerard... He didn't do anything else, did he?"

Frank shook his head, but didn't say more. He knew Mikey cared, but what could he do? It wasn't like Mikey had any control over his brother, and Frank wasn't about to drag him into the mess. Still, he could tell Mikey was worried.

"I don't get why he's being like this," Mikey muttered after a while, kicking a stray rock down the street. "He's been... worse since Dad died, but this? I don't know."

Frank glanced over at his friend, feeling a pang of guilt. Mikey had enough to deal with, losing his dad, Gerard spiraling—it wasn't fair for Frank to dump his problems on top of that. "Don't worry about it, man. I can handle it. I've dealt with worse."

Mikey didn't look convinced, but he nodded anyway. "Just... let me know if it gets bad, okay? Gerard's not all bad. He's just... messed up right now."

Frank bit back the retort that was on the tip of his tongue. Gerard was more than "messed up"—he was a walking disaster waiting to happen. But Mikey didn't need to hear that. Instead, Frank just nodded. "Yeah. I will."

They walked in silence for a bit, both lost in their own thoughts. Frank knew Mikey wasn't blind to what was going on, but the loyalty he felt toward his brother was obvious. Frank couldn't blame him for that. He'd do anything for his mom, too. Family was complicated.

By the time they reached Frank's house, the sky had darkened, clouds rolling in overhead. Frank stopped at the edge of his driveway, turning to Mikey. "See you tomorrow?"

Mikey gave a small smile. "Yeah. And Frank... thanks."

"For what?"

"For... putting up with Gerard."

Frank laughed softly, shaking his head. "I'm not doing it for him."

Mikey nodded again, understanding, and waved as he headed off toward his own house. Frank watched him go for a moment before turning and heading inside.

The house was quiet when Frank stepped through the door. His mom was working late, as usual. She was the hardest-working person he knew, holding down two jobs just to keep things going. Frank dropped his backpack by the stairs and made his way to the kitchen, grabbing a soda from the fridge before collapsing onto the couch.

He stared at the ceiling, thoughts swirling. Gerard Way was becoming a problem he couldn't ignore, but the last thing Frank needed was more drama in his life. His mom had enough to deal with, and Mikey... Mikey didn't deserve to be stuck in the middle of this mess.

But Frank had a feeling this wasn't the last time Gerard would make his presence known. Something was brewing, something bigger than just a punch in the face and a smirk in the hallway. And Frank wasn't sure if he could outrun it.

As the rain started to patter against the windows, Frank closed his eyes and sighed. The year had barely started, and already it felt like it was going to drag him into the kind of storm he wasn't prepared for.

And Gerard Way was right at the center of it.