Gerard woke up to a sound that he couldn't quite place. His eyelids felt heavy, but he managed to pry them open. At first, it hurt. The light. It was too bright. He groans and reaches a shaky hand up to rub his eyes. The sound immediately stops and then someone has their arms around Gerard's neck. Gerard's eyes fly all the way open.
"Frank..." He croaks, hugging the smaller man to him as tightly as he could without hurting him. Frank nods against Gerard's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Frankie. I'm so sorry. I love you, please. Please don't tell me you still hate me." Frank pulls back and looks into Gerard's eyes for a second.
Gerard can hear the monitor emitting his heartbeat suddenly jump and speed up, much like his heart. Which he can hear thumping rapidly in his chest. He can't help it. 'This is it. He really does hate me. He's going to step back and my heart's going to give out, I can feel it.' He thinks, his bottom lip trembling.
'No.' Frank mouths and closes his eyes, gently kissing Gerard. Gerard smiles wide pulls Frank against him again, pulling Frank halfway onto the bed. Frank smiles and pulls back.
"I love you, Frank." He says, grabbing Frank's legs and swinging them onto the narrow, short cot before pulling Frank down onto his chest. Frank smiles wider and lets his head rest in the crook of Gerard's neck as the older of the two men plays with the younger's hair. Frank presses a kiss to Gerard's neck. 'I love you, too.'. Gerard knows that's what it means.
He lets his hands continue to play in Frank's somewhat long-ish brown-black hair. His hair feels slightly greasy. Though it's missing the stiff feeling that accompanied his chopped-off dreadlocks. Frank had told Gerard how he had thought it was a good idea, right up until he got them and looked in the mirror. He had written that, 'They were going to stay a thing of the past.' and Gerard had laughed.
Frank sighed against Gerard's neck, relaxing into him. Gerard was glad. He had realized just how much his fear of Frank being serious about hating him had been sitting on his chest, weighing him down. Now, he realized, he felt much better.
"Frankie." He murmured, nuzzling his cheek into the mentioned boy's hair. Frank presses the tip of his-albeit cold-nose into Gerard's neck again.
"Did Billie..." He swallows and pulls Frank instinctively closer. "Did Billie tell you? Why I was in there, I mean." Frank goes still. Gerard can't even feel Frank's breath on his skin anymore. Frank nods against Gerard's neck. It's a silent 'yes' in any language.
Gerard closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths. He knows if he lets himself get too angry that he'll just end up hurting himself-and Frank, mentally or emotionally-even more. But he can't help it. He's pissed off. Pissed off beyond belief. He'd bee mad plenty of time before. Livid, even. He'd never actually felt such pure, raw hatred and anger before.
"I'll find him, Frankie." He said, his voice clear and wavering. "I'll find him. I'll kill him. Then you and- We'll go somewhere. For a little while. Maybe a few weeks, maybe a couple of months. But I'll get rid of him and I'll take you somewhere. Somewhere they don't know us." Frank bites his lip ring lightly, rolling his teeth over the smooth, familiar surface. He shakes his head again. Killing James wouldn't do anyone any good. He knew it would sit on his conscious.
Gerard laughs breathlessly. It hurts. To Frank it's more of a wheeze than a laugh. "I knew you'd say that. That's why I'm just going to throw him somewhere." Frank shakes his head again. He didn't want Gerard to hurt James. Not because he liked James or enjoyed James' company or anything. Frank just didn't believe in revenge. He used to, but since meeting Gerard... he learned it got you nowhere.
Gerard had once told Frank, he remembered, that he had wanted to draw comics or cartoons. He'd had an internship with Cartoon Network. One thing led to another and BAM he was in the mafia. A few more things happened and he was where he was.
"Alright... the let me take you somewhere?" Frank nodded the slightest bit. He wanted to go somewhere other than a warehouse, police station or a van. He wanted to go somewhere. Somewhere with fresh air and other people that wouldn't look at him as though he were a mental case or a freak of nature.
"Good... I'll take you somewhere. Soon, I promise." Gerard said.
'Right after I kill that bastard.' He mused to himself as Frank fell asleep against him. 'I'll kill him and we'll be safe.'
