Gerard had been walking home from school when it happened. He wasn't even alone either, he was walking with his best friend, Frank. They didn't see it coming. But this was New Jersey, so they really shouldn't have been surprised.
Frank and Gerard were deep in a conversation about which pop music group they hated the most when unseen hands reached out from the alley they were passing. Frank was pressed against the wall while Gerard was held with an arm pressed against his throat.
The two men who were holding them were both wearing ski masks, and they were pretty short for someone attempting to mug people. Frank wasn't too worried about himself; his guy didn't have a weapon. He was very worried about Gerard, though. He could tell his friend was on the verge of an anxiety attack and he didn't know how the two robbers would handle that. Hopefully he wouldn't have to find out.
Frank looked his guy in the eyes, trying to appear confident.
"What do you want?"
The guy rolled his eyes and punched Frank in the stomach. Hard. Gerard cried out and the man holding him tightened his grip on his throat. Gerard felt tears in his eyes, too scared to care as they fell down his face.
"Give me whatever you have of value. Money, jewelry, watches, rings, etc. Don't you know how these things work?"
Frank looked up at the man.
"I-- I don't have anything. I'm not rich or anything, and I don't carry money around normally."
The man rolled his eyes again and waved his hand at his partner. Before he knew what was happening, Gerard was being pushed to the ground, the man's foot on his hands behind his back. Frank watched in horror as the man reached behind his back and pulled out a gun, bending down and pressing it against the back of Gerard's head.
Gerard was crying quietly and he was shaking violently trying to suppress the noise. His eyes were clenched shut and it looked as if he was whispering a prayer.
Frank turned back to the man in front of him, trying to stay calm.
"Please, don't hurt him. I'll give you anything you want, just don't hurt my friend."
"How about that pendant you're wearing? Is that valuable?"
Frank was taken aback. The pendant? It was solid gold, it'd been in his family for years. His grandfather had given it to him shortly before he passed away. Frank nodded his head.
"Well then I suggest you hand it over."
He looked over at Gerard who was crying harder now. Did he think that Frank would leave him like this to keep a family heirloom? Frank would have to prove to him that he was worth more than gold.
He slipped the warm metal off of his neck, piling the chain in his hand before holding it out to the man. The man smiled, and he punched Frank again in the gut before whistling to his friend. They both fled the alleyway.
Frank was hunched over from the pain in his stomach, but he managed to haul himself over to Gerard, collapsing to his knees beside him. He helped his friend sit up, hugging him tightly as he tried to calm him down.
"Shh, Gee, it's okay now. I won't let anyone hurt you."
Gerard cried into his shoulder, holding onto him like he was his lifeline.
"Frank, they-- I-- they could've k-killed us!"
Frank shushed him and kissed him on the head, rubbing his back gently.
"No they couldn't. Because I'd never let anyone hurt you. Never. Got that, Gee?"
Gerard nodded into Frank's chest, and Frank kissed him on the head again. After some time of kisses, hugging, and reassuring words, Gerard was mostly ready to go home. Frank had offered to hold Gerard's hand as they walked; he thought it might help him remember that he was with Frank and that he'd be okay. Gerard accepted the offer, and they walked home.
On the walk home, Frank thought about the fact that Gerard almost did, in fact, die. He thought about how his future could've been blown away along with the boy he loved. He felt himself tearing up, and he stopped in his tracks.
Gerard stopped as well, not letting his hand go.
"Frankie? What's wrong?"
Frank looked up at Gerard.
"I almost lost you..." He said quietly. "Oh, god, Gerard--"
He felt like he was drowning. He couldn't breathe. He was coming face to face with the reality that his best friend almost fucking died, and he was dying. His vision started fading.
The next thing he knew, he was inside Gerard's room, the older boy staring down at him with a worried expression. Before Gerard could say anything, Frank grabbed his face and brought it down to meet his.
They kissed for a good thirty seconds before Gerard pulled away panting. He was blushing badly, but he didn't seem too opposed to what'd just happened. He coughed.
"Maybe warn me next time okay, Frankie? And there's going to be a next time."
Frank laughed and pulled Gerard, his best friend, who was very much alive, into another kiss.
