Good Morning and Welcome Home

Gerard opened his eyes to see a still figure laying next to him, surprising him. He sat up with a jolt, his heart pounding. The shock didn't last too long, for he quickly realised it was none other than his husband, Frank.

The younger man had been on tour with his band, Frank and the something or other. Gerard was too sleepy to care about names. His heart pounded with excitement and joy, not being able to resist the urge to kiss Frank's cheek softly.

The tattooed man didn't move a muscle. Gerard slid off the bed and ruffled his un-dyed hair that returned to his natural brown with time. He strutted to the windows and raised the blinds, like he always did to bring in light. It was nice drawing light, so he would always raise them so he could see his papers better.

Not so distant buildings filled his line of sight, some tall and some not quite. There were people pacing on the sidewalks below, going somewhere Gerard would never know of.

A pair of cold hands on his pudgy hips startled him, making Gerard gasp. His hands shook as he squeezed his eyes shut. A body pressed against his bare back, for he hadn't put on a shirt after his shower last night. Lips, along with a scratchy feeling of hair, tickled his neck, and he relaxed into the touch. Frank.

Frank had a very distinct smell. Usually cigarettes and various anti-bacterial hand sanitisers that you could buy in the check out isles of Walgreens. Now, he smelt of cigarettes and some sort of citrus. Not a good combination, but Gerard ignored it.

"Good morning." Frank whispered, resting his chin on Gerard's shoulder.

"Welcome home. Sorry for not staying up long enough to say hello." Gerard murmured, reaching behind himself to grab Frank's arms. He wrapped them around his waist, closing his eyes at the affection.

"I'm gonna go shower, and then I'll be back in here." Frank said, his voice raising above a whisper. It was crackly and deep from sleep, which made Gerard smile softly.

"Okay, I'm probably gonna go in there and brush my teeth." Gerard announced, feeling Frank's hands pull away from his body. The shorter man grabbed Gerard's hand and the couple made their way to their shared bathroom.

Gerard hadn't really looked at Frank, so he took that moment in the bathroom to examine him. His facial hair had grown out a little bit, a visible amount of stubble decorating his jaw and upper lip. In all honesty, Gerard loved the feeling of stubble. But beards were gross. No beards.

Frank's hair was growing longer than usual. Not as long as it had ever been, but longer than Gerard remembered. It swayed next to his cheekbones, but didn't quite exceed that point, except in the back.

"I'm tired. Help me?" Frank smiled playfully, tugging on his shirt. Gerard hummed sweetly and pulled off Frank's shirt.

His torso was more rounded now. Tattoos still as beautiful as ever, and his belly poked out slightly. Gerard wanted to 'aww' and tease him playfully for it, but decided to do that later.

Gerard had definitely changed with the months. His hair was shaggier, and he was a little pudgier from not leaving the house much.

The taller man helped Frank with his jeans and underwear, tossing them in the dirty clothes hamper. Gerard turned to the sink and began to brush his teeth while Frank got in the shower.

When he finished, he simply left the room, sitting at his desk to examine some drawings he did just the night before. Not too long passed before the sounds of running water and Frank's occasional singing stopped. Gerard continued to look over a practice comic he made, adding a few details to the backgrounds.