A Fine Line (Frerard)

Bandit, Thief of Hearts

"What?" Gerard was shocked, very appropriately so. What could've happened out in the hallway that made Frank come to this decision? "Frank, what are you talking about? You don't.. you can't mean that, can you?"

"Yes, I can and yes, I do. I can't take what isn't mine. I'm a demon, but I'm not heartless. Guess since I was supposed to be an angel maybe that has something to do with my humanity, but I know what I'm doing. Bandit should be with her parents, her real parents. Not some guy who just happens to be her dad's rebound."

"But.." Gerard stood up with Bandit resting on his hip and his arms wrapped around her, "You're so much more than that.."

"Save it, Gee. Look.. this is as hard for me to say as it is to hear, trust me, but we both know it's for the best." Frank suddenly paused and sighed, "This is turning into a soap opera that my grandma probably watched."

"What, Days of Our Supernatural Lives?" Lindsey chimed in with enough sarcasm to fill the Atlantic Ocean.

"Sure, whatever. I just.. can't, alright?"

"Frank, you're not making sense."

"In more ways than one," Gerard jumped back into the conversation, "Frank, you can't just leave."

"Oh, yes, I can. Lindsey, do me a huge favour and stand by Gerard."

"Um.. okay.." She awkwardly walked over to Gerard and stood next him, "What now?"

"Just.. stand there." Frank sighed and smiled a little, backing up against the door with his hand on the doorknob, "Picture perfect. Y'know why? Cuz I'm not in it."
~~~~~~*~~~~~~
"You know I'm right, Ryan!"

"You can go piss yourself for all I care, Brendon. What did he ever do to you?"

"You should know how I work by now."

"Shut up, I know, just-"

"I did it." Frank's sudden appearance interrupted Brendon and Ryan's fight. That just happened to be about him, "I broke up with him. Are you fucking happy now, Brendon?"

"Ecstatic." Brendon smiled at him, genuinely happy.

"You are such a-"

"Okay, Mr. Fussy Pants.." Ryan hooked a hand on the back of Frank's shirt collar and dragged him out of Brendon's office. "Let's go talk this out."

"What the hell was that, Ryan?"

"What's this I hear about you breaking up with Gerard? For what reason?"

"He has a kid, his ex is the mom, I'm making it easy on all involved."

"Who's his ex?"

"Lindsey Ballato, I'm sure you're familiar with that name."

"Duh, everyone knows the archangels."

"Guess who's one now."

"It's not me.. not you.. heh, not Brendon anymore.."

"Gerard, Ryan. Gerard's an archangel now."

"I was getting there! But what? How does that work?"

"A whole lot's happened since I last saw you, Ry. I'll just skip over some details here.. soo, in short, Gerard's an archangel cuz he wanted to save his brother from Billie Joe, which didn't work, Mikey died anyway, but with angel magic or whatever, they got him back. Then Lindsey showed Gerard his daughter that he never got to know, and no, Ryan, I don't have any tissues, so hold 'em back cuz it just gets even more pleasant from here. Anyway, Lindsey told me all this stuff about how she can't control who Bandit ends up with and that if she goes with Gerard, then she's kinda mine, too, and I couldn't deal with that. I'm a demon, not fuckin Rumpelstiltskin. I don't steal people's kids, so to make it easy for Bandit and Gerard, I just.. let him go."

"How is that making it easier on Gerard?"

"Lindsey gives him his memories back, Gerard gets to keep Bandit and they live happily ever after, possibly with Lindsey."

"Gerard wants her back? Isn't he gay?"

"No, he's also European." Frank rolled his eyes, then realized his sarcastic comment actually made sense, "Actually he is European, he's half-Scottish, half-Italian, but that's not the point. He's pan, and his feelings for Lindsey? I don't know.. but who wouldn't want her back?"

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say Gerard. Honey-"

"Don't you dare 'honey' me right now, Ryan. I am so not in the mood."

"That's just fine, sunshine. As I was saying, if Gerard felt anything for Lindsey, then he would've felt something the moment he saw her again, right?"

"Not if he couldn't remember her."

"I'm sorry," Ryan placed a sassy hand on his hip, "who's the love expert and puts up with Brendon on a regular basis?"

"You..." Frank grumbled to himself.

"That's right, now answer my other question."

"I guess? Ryan, you're kinda overestimating the power of love, this isn't a Disney princess movie."

"I am a princess!"

"What, Brendon's your prince?"

"Sometimes." Ryan looked around awkwardly with a light blush on his cheeks, "Anyway.. what I'm trying to say here is think about you breaking up with Gerard. Is that really what you want?"

"Does anyone care about what I want?"

"You should."

"Well, I don't."

"I know you care about him. Maybe even love him."

"Don't you ever dare say that disgusting sentence ever again. The last time I loved someone.. was the last time." Frank wasn't mad at Ryan, more at himself, "I-I can't do it again. If he would've just listened to me that one time! The last time.. maybe one of us would still be alive. Maybe he'd be with her again somehow. Maybe they'd be a family.. without me.. A-And.. Maybe I wouldn't want him back so bad.. Ryan.." Frank fell against Ryan into his open arms that closed around him, enveloping him in a warm hug, "Why does this hurt me so bad?"

"Cuz you love him."

"I don't.."

"Then why are you crying? I can feel my vest getting wet." Ryan smiled down at Frank who was wiping his tears away quickly, "It's okay to say you love someone, Frank."

"I know that in my brain, but something's broken and it's stopping me from doing so."

"Poetic."

"I wrote a song or two.. for him."

"Tell him that."

"I don't think you get the point of breaking up with someone."

"I don't think I get the point of breaking up with someone who you're meant to be with."