Stage 4 Fear Of Dying ✔ (Frerard)

//Chapter 12\\

"I don't know why it took so long to get back home."

Frank's POV:

"Happy Birthday Frank!!"

The guys woke me up by shouting this as they stood above me. I had crashed out on the couch after many films and candy last night. I smirked.

"Thanks guys." I groaned and sat up on the couch to make room. To which they all obliged and plonked themselves down next to me, warming up my shivering bones.

"So, what are we gonna do until later tonight then??" Gerard asked, slinging his arm around my shoulders and pulling me slightly into his chest. I just shrugged and hummed as I pressed myself further against him in an attempt to steal all of his body heat.

"Oh, come on Frankie. You're the Birthday Boy after all." He insisted.

"Ummm...I guess we could go back to sleep." I suggested.

"No. You're not allowed to do that."

"But Gee I'm dying." I paused to dramatically fake cough. "See?? And so I need my rest."

"Don't pull that card on me sugar. Now come on. You say you're dying all the time, that's gotta get boring. How about you start living a little??"

"Live a little huh??" I grinned and he nodded warily. "Well then. In that case, I suggest we go Trick-Or-Treating early."

Mikey pursed his lips together in concentration.

"But then...what would we do tonight??" He asked.

"Tonight...we party."

I could see Ray and Mikey's eyes light up a little but Gerard only creased his face in concern.

"Are you sure?? I mean, I'm no Doctor but even I know that's not good for your health."

"Gee, I know. I know it can't be good for me but...I'm gonna die anyway. Sooner rather than later and...this is something I wanna do before I go. I wanna drink and dance and act like a fool because that's a part of life. A part of living. You want me to live a little right??"

He nodded solemnly.

"Well then let me. Let me feel alive before I can't."

He turned his eyes away from me and I felt him tense up. I swear I felt his heart tense up too. I hated seeing him like this. Hated doing this to him. But this is one of my deathwishes. Gerard closed his eyes and sighed heavily before turning to me with a small, heartbroken but genuine smile.

"Okay Frankie. Whatever you wanna do right??"

"Yeah." I held his hand tightly, trying to memorise how his hands felt and how they fit perfectly with mine despite them being all veins and bones.

"Umm..." Mikey started and we turned to him. "So...does this mean we can go get our costumes on now??" He asked timidly but eagerly.

I chuckled and patted his shoulder with my free hand.

"Yeah, we can go get our costumes on now."

He sprinted out of the room and Ray quickly followed. I turned to Gerard and he kissed my nose.

"We should go play dress up too huh??"

I gasped and feigned hurt, clasping my chest.

"How dare you show no respect for this day. It's special Gerard."

"Yeah yeah. But only because you were born." He sassed cheesily, taking my hand and leading me to find our costumes.

---

"Mikey...what are you??" Gerard asked as Mikey came in with his costume.

"I'm a Zombie!!" He exclaimed.

The three of us tilted our heads at him.

"But you're just...black and red kinda looking." Ray stated as nicely as he could.

It was true though. He'd gone way overboard with the sunken in, black eyes and rotten-coloured teeth. Then again it was hard to make anything out underneath the excessive amount of fake blood he'd used. It was like he bathed in it.

"Well yeah, I've eaten a lot of people so I'm gonna be covered in blood. Not to mention the kids'll be terrified of me."

"To be honest I think they'll be more terrified for you." I sniggered lightheartedly.

Mikey just frowned and gestured for the rest of us to show off our costumes. Ray was a clown, much to everyone's dismay because...well clowns are clowns, enough said. My little self was dressed as a Skeleton with a fancy little suit. Obviously I had tried to make myself look like Jack Skellington but it didn't work as well as I'd hoped. I still look great though. After all, I'm Frank Iero. And Gerard was...um...

"Hey Gerard, what are you dressed as??" I asked.

He was wearing a black shirt with a read tie, black skinny jeans and had a long haired black wig on with a pale contortion and heavy eyeliner.

"Oh, I'm me, but younger."

"Why would you dress up as your younger self?? You're meant to be scary."

"This is scary. At least, it is to me. I'm terrified of who I was back then. It was all drinking, drugs and depression. It was me at my worst and my greatest fear is that I might go back to it. And I don't want to. I can't."

"You won't." I held his hand and promised him. "That part of your life is over now. It was dark and scary but it's done and you made it here today. That's amazing Gerard. It's strong and brave and I'm so proud of you for getting better. For fighting and coming out happier on top."

"Thanks Frankie. Now whadya say we go trick, treat and trick again huh??"

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

---

I have to say, that was the best Halloween I've ever experienced. Kids were either confused or screaming. Old folks were having heart attacks (not literally) and parents were cursing at us and chasing us from their property. Well, most of them. Some of them actually went along with and gave us candy. Only after every single one of them asked what the Hell Mikey was meant to be. Ray made a little girl cry and then made it worse by trying to comfort her. I felt sorry for both of them. Ray was just trying to be nice but...who in their right mind would want a clown to comfort them??

We'd bought snacks and alcohol on the way home. Lots of it. And we'd finished putting the decorations up. Well, not me. I wanted to help but because I was the 'Birthday Boy' I was forced to do anything but help. But hey, they did a pretty good job. And of course we'd changed out of our costumes and into more comfortable clothes. I was back in my (washed) Electric Century shirt. Not gonna lie, it's now probably my favourite shirt.

"Alright, the night is young, but we're not so let's turn the stereo up and drink until we can't remember who, what, when, where or why life in general!!" Ray exclaimed as he began blasting Ramones out of the speakers.

The three of us gladly obliged, cheered obnoxiously and burnt our throats out with whatever alcohol was on offer. Shots were the first to be demolished and pretty soon we were wasted. Gerard and Mikey seemed reluctant to drink so much at first but with my drunken persuasion they soon gave in and Mikey had decided to hide the bottle of JD down his pants so no-one else could touch it. I'll admit I tried but Gerard smacked me and frowned disapprovingly like a Wife accusing her Husband of cheating.

The chemicals from the alcohol had turned his brain and emotions to mush so it was just as well he started crying about it. I'd like to say I tried to soothe him as soberly as I could but really I just made out with him. Things got heated. We went upstairs. But I was so drunk I didn't care. So drunk I didn't even notice the agonising pain of my lungs collapsing as they finally gave up and out.