This Is Our Second Skin (Frerard)

22: A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words But Gerard Only Wants Three

*above picture is one of Frank's photos of Gerard*

Gerard collapsed onto Frank's abnormally comfortable mattress with a loud sight, his muscles finally relaxing after a long day of practicing for their rapidly approaching performance; Frank had convinced him to come to the club at the ungodly hour that was six in the morning, Gerard only agreeing once Frank explained that this meant he could practice on stage without any patrons filling the large room, a halfhearted smile tugging Gerard's lips upward when he spied Frank waiting for him at the backdoor with two steaming cups of coffee clutched in his tattooed hands.

And even though Gerard had been terrified once the wooden platform that he would be showcasing himself on in less than a week came into view, despite the fact that no one was watching him, once Frank began singing, Gerard's vision had narrowed down to nothing else except for his boyfriend, his voice joining Frank's instantly as they glided across the polished wood floor smoothly, any mistakes that occurred were quickly laughed off, leaving Gerard no time to dwell on the negative emotions that were still lurking underneath his happy veneer.

Once Gerard had gotten over the initial shock of what he had agreed to do, he dedicated all of his free time to preparing, because if Gerard was going to make a fool out of himself, he was going to try and minimize the damage as much as he possibly could, startling himself, as well as Frank with his sudden rush of enthusiasm.

They hit a snag straight off the bat though in the unexpected obstacle which was a song choice; Gerard had been dead set on performing one of Frank's original pieces, that's what they usually sang together, so he was flabbergasted when Frank stubbornly refused, stating that participating in a duet was already a strange enough anomaly for him, and he wasn't ready to expose his personal compositions to anyone that wasn't Gerard quite so soon.

And Gerard understood in a way, because Frank's lyrics were a window into his soul, they were gritty, and raw, evoking so many emotions that Gerard found himself on the verge of tears multiple times when listening to them, but even though Frank's reasoning made sense, Gerard still sulked when he found out that he wouldn't be by Frank's side when his music took its first stage appearance.

Frank quickly mollified Gerard with his suggestion for a different piece, because Gerard was a sucker for Queen, and when Frank mentioned performing Somebody To Love, Gerard's eyes lit up like fireworks, the fact that Frank had picked that particular song giving him a staggering rush of hope that almost brought him to his knees, because maybe Frank meant something more by what appeared to be nothing but a casual selection, and maybe Frank was trying to say with lyrics the three words that Gerard secretly ached would fall from his boyfriend's lips one day.

The song seemed to be perfect for their contrasting voices, and Gerard found himself belting it out as soon as Frank brought it up, Frank somehow instantly melding into the impromptu performance, both of them knowing instinctually when to switch off, and when to let the other take the lead.

Gerard had a much harder time with the choreography though, because dancing was not his forte, eventually forcing Frank to cater the routine much more heavily on his side, leaving Gerard to simply look pretty and maybe shake his hips every now and then, and despite Gerard's constant apologies and offers to try to add a bit more to his embarrassingly unembellished moves, Frank simply smiled broadly when Gerard voiced his worries aloud, assuring Gerard that what he was doing was more than he ever expected, and he could stand there like a statue for all that Frank cared as long as he was willing to partake in this show with him.

But no matter how much Gerard was enjoying himself once he began to loosen up, nothing would ever compare to the feeling of being wrapped up in the sheets that smelled like Frank, his boyfriend pressed against his side affectionately, both of them exhausted by their early awakening on a weekend, which were typically spent wasting the morning hours away in bed instead of being actively busy.