I'll Be Better Tomorrow (frerard)

dead and gone

Frank fell asleep sitting in a chair with his head bent forward. He woke up, with Gerard looking at him. He was already smiling when Frank looked at him. Frank's neck was sore from falling asleep in such an awkward position. He'd somehow slept through the night, as the sun was shining through the window of the room. "Morning, Frankie," Gerard said. "I didn't want to wake you up and make you go to bed. I know you have a hard time sleeping through the night, anyway."

"Thanks," Frank said with a yawn.

Gerard reached out to touch Frank's hair, running his hand through it and rubbing at the knot in Frank's neck. "Is there anything I can do for you?" Gerard asked, quietly. "I know you're, like, overly stressed."

"No, G," Frank said. "I'm okay."

Gerard kept stroking Frank's hair. "You need a break."

Frank shook his head. "A break? From what?"

"From sitting here all day. You should do something fun."

"No, no," Frank said. "I don't know what I'd be doing. I'd rather be with you." Gerard was the one who needed a break, deserved it, from everything at the hospital to the sickness inside him. Gerard's fingers brushed under Frank's chin, just touching his face.

"You're sweet," Gerard said, "but really, I don't want you to waste your whole day here."

"I'll just be worried about you if I leave," Frank said.

"Why? What's gonna happen to me? Yeah, nothing. Go out somewhere."

"I'll think about it."

"Go get me some food from outside the hospital," Gerard said, half joking. The request, of course, sealed the deal. Frank wouldn't hesitate to do that for Gerard. "If that's what you really want me to do," he said.

Gerard smirked, close-lipped and pleased with himself. "If that's what it takes for you to see the daylight before you go stir-crazy, then yes."

"I guess... what do you want, if I go out?"

"Shit, I don't know. Uh... get me some tacos. Please."

"Alright, I'll do that. Is there anything else you want?"

Gerard smiled then. "Go home, and bring me a guitar. I need to play. It's been too long."

"Oh, okay, yeah. That'll be a good thing to have here."

"Thank you."

Frank got dressed and ready at the hospital. "You'll call me if anything's wrong, won't you? I'll be close by, if you need anything at all , just let me know."

"Frankie, it's fine. I'll be fine. Take your time."

Frank sighed, eyebrows furrowing with concern for a moment, before he had to let it go and trust Gerard's judgement. "I'll be back soon," he said. He leaned down to kiss Gerard's lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Don't worry too much."

"I'll try." Frank said. They said their goodbye's before they parted.

It was terribly sunny and warm outside, and Frank could feel his mouth go dry the second he stepped out of the hospital. Frank thought Vegas summers were the reason he was so pale. He always refused to go outside in that kind of heat. Just from the walk to his car in the parking lot, he told himself that there was no reason for him to leave the hospital again, at least not without Gerard leaving with him.

Frank put on his sunglasses and drove back home. The house he shared with Gerard seemed empty without both of them there, like some vital piece was missing—everything felt faded and inanimate, yet too exposed. It had always felt like that when Frank was home alone, even if Gerard was just out buying sub-sandwiches by himself.