The World Is Ugly (But You're Beautiful to Me) | Completed

Chapter 4

Frank felt like a teenager on his first date.

Okay, maybe he was technically still a teenager at nineteen, but right now he felt like he was more of a fifteen year old on his first date. No, actually, scratch that, he felt like he was a fifteen year old on his first date with his crush who he wasn't allowed to touch, which really defeated the idea of a date anyway.

Frank was trying to watch the movie. He was, he could swear, but Gerard was so distracting he had no idea what was going on in the movie anymore. He had never spent so much time with Gerard in the same place before, and apparently no matter how much time passed, he still could find something to distract him in the man he was sitting by, especially that Diana's insisted on turning off the lights and now all Frank could do was stare at Gerard's face from the corner of his eye as the lights from the screen lit it. With every scene change, Gerard's face was casted in a different color and Frank couldn't help it.

"Frank?"

Frank was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he flinched at his name being whispered by Gerard. He turned to the man sitting on the other side of Diana (she's insisted on sitting in the middle while both of them sat on each side of her). Gerard's face was so close and now illuminated by a blue light. Frank decided that was the prettiest color to illuminate the other man's features so far.

"Huh?" He asked.

Gerard only pointed down with his eyes. Frank took a moment before realizing that he was pointing at Diana, she had snuggled at Frank's side a few minutes earlier and judging by her breaths, Frank knew she was sleeping. He tried to move slowly so not to stir her up, but she didn't move as he stood up. He looked at Gerard for a moment as he stood before him, but couldn't see anything because he was blocking the screen. He ducked and carried Diana in his arms instead.

Gerard sat properly after Frank managed to hold his baby sister in his arms, he seemed like he wanted to say something, but changed his mind as Frank moved to the door.

Frank hesitated. He turned and said, "I'll be back," barely above a whisper, but Gerard must've heard him because he nodded, putting the almost empty popcorn bowl he had in his lap on the coffee table in front of him.

...

Diana moved a bit as Frank put her in bed, but thankfully didn't wake up. She just hugged her blanket. Frank brushed her hair off her forehead and smiled. He's missed this. It was true that he got to put her in bed most of the time back before working for Gerard, but then he's always been too tired or needing to be at some job to actually spend time with her.

Now that he thought about it, it was probably the first weekend in a while that Frank's spent with Diana propably since he finished high school. He felt something constrict his chest, that was most likely why Diana was going through his DVDs in the first place. She must've realized it was their first weekend together in a while and wanted to spend it doing something they both enjoyed.

Frank moved the blanket to cover up sleeping Diana's shoulders and meant to turn after promising himself to spend more time with her, he noticed the sketchbook he's bought her on the nightstand by her head. She's already decorated the cover with watercolors and her name. He didn't go through it because he respected her privacy even if she was too young to know better. He decided to wait and see if she'd show him on her own later.

...

Frank was on his way to the living room when he noticed Gerard hadn't turned the lights on, he realized Gerard might have just left and couldn't help the flicker of disappointment, but when he made it into the room, Gerard still sitting on the sofa.

A moment passed that Frank took Gerard in, he was still sitting in the same position Frank's left him in, still watching the movie playing on the screen with lights flickering over his features, giving certain places shadows in a moment and others in the next. Frank stared until he realized Gerard wasn't there in the first place, not mentally at least. He was thinking of something troubling, Frank could tell because no  matter what the scenes changed into, Gerard's expression remained the same. He wondered if he should turn around and leave.

In the minute Frank decided to turn around, Gerard looked up at him and smiled, a small form of his crooked smile that made Frank's heart stop. Frank blinked, when he opened his eyes, Gerard's smile was still there.

"Is she still sleeping?" Gerard said in the same quiet voice he used to tell Frank Diana was sleeping.

"Yeah," Frank said clearing his voice and managing to look away, "she didn't even stir,"

Gerard didn't say anything else, but Frank could tell he was also taking Frank in as well. For a second, Frank felt so self-conscious that he wanted to move somewhere Gerard couldn't give him that look, but he didn't have to, the movie on the tv ended and the screen turned black, casting the whole place in darkness.

Frank could tell Gerard has moved, and a second later, the lights were back on causing him to blink a few times against them. When he opened his eyes again, Gerard had moved around him to the door.

"I need to go," Gerard said, urgency in his voice.

Frank turned to him, "where?" The clock was turning ten and Frank knew Gerard didn't have night appointments, he wrote the man's schedule.

Gerard didn't answer and Frank knew his asshole boss was back and the nice guy who arranged a movie marathon to an upset eight year old was gone, just like that.