I'll Be Better Tomorrow (frerard)

Alternative ending

A/N: Everyone is happy! Everything is good! This kinda ruins the whole point of the story, though, so fair warning.

"Okay, fuck this shit, let's go."

Gerard glanced around the hospital room one last time, adjusting the bag on his shoulders.

"Have everything?" Frank asked him.

"Yeah, I'm done with this place," Gerard said.

They were leaving the hospital—leaving for good. Frank was ecstatic, but it was nothing to how Gerard felt. The boy practically skipped out of the hospital doors, into the sunlight. Frank watched him bask in it for a few moments, and then return to Frank's side. Gerard took his hand, and Frank spun him around playfully, making Gerard laugh. The sound wasn't rough and cracking and weak and wispy. Frank was comforted by it, resting his temple to Gerard's.

Gerard's voice had healed with the rest of him. When the leukemia retreated, he stopped puking blood, which gave the tissue in his throat and vocal chords the ability to heal. He had a month of physical therapy, when he still had to stay in the hospital. Just in case. And for once, the precaution was unnecessary. His recovery was smooth. He started vocal therapy, too, to become reaccustomed with his own voice.

Gerard sounded good , he even dared to say he sounded better than before his sickness. He sang to Frank a lot, especially since Frank asked him to, often times. It was so beautiful to hear his voice after the fear that he had lost it forever.

It was so beautiful to have Gerard after the fear of losing him forever.

"We never celebrated your birthday, Frank," Gerard said as they walked to the car. "We should go out somewhere."

Gerard sounded so happy, so excited, that Frank couldn't even try to resist him. "That's not the only thing we should be celebrating," Frank said, swinging their locked fingers.

"I guess not," Gerard said. "I don't care what we do, though. I'll leave it up to you."

"Well, if you leave it up to me, I'd just take you home right now, and fall asleep, and you'll be bored."

Gerard grinned. "I'm okay with that. I kinda wanna sleep in an actual bed, too."

"Then let's go home, baby boy. The house is so empty without you." Frank had been sleeping at home more than at the hospital, as Gerard recovered. He was more at ease, with Gerard not being extremely sick. He'd been looking forward to the day Gerard would walk in the door with him for so long, for the day Gerard would be living with him again.

"I'll take you out for breakfast tomorrow," Gerard promised. "We have to do something special for you."

"We can do whatever you want," Frank said.

Gerard laughed more, and Frank felt the rush of how in love he was; seeing him smile filled him with undeniable happiness. And to think, Frank could have had to live the rest of his life without seeing it, would have never heard Gerard's laugh again. He'd been so close to losing Gerard, he'd accepted that it would happen—Gerard had as well. It made Frank giddy to think that Gerard wasn't going to slip between his fingers, that he could touch him and not have him be in pain. Gerard was happy, exuberant, and it was positively radiating off of him.

In the car, Gerard laced their fingers, his hands warm. "It's so weird," he said. "I can't wait to just go home with you."

"I know, G," Frank replied, squeezing his fingers. "I get to keep you forever."

Gerard giggled. "Or until you get sick of me."

"Never will."

Frank parked in front of their home, feeling like it was their first time there, that this was the beginning of their lives together. Maybe Frank felt that way every time he kissed Gerard, but at least it was the beginning, and not the end. The fear was gone that every kiss would be their last. As if reading Frank's thoughts, Gerard leaned across the console of the unmoving car, closing their lips together, and again outside their front door.

After unlocking the door, Frank slipped an arm around Gerard's waist and guided him inside. Gerard stopped in the doorway, looking around the place for the first time in several months. "Did you clean?" Gerard asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I wanted it to look nice for you."

"That's sweet. I know you never keep things this tidied."

Frank gazed down at Gerard, his awed smile at everything. Unable to contain himself, Frank gathered Gerard up in his arms, hugging him tightly. He bowed his head far enough to hide his face in Gerard's neck. Gerard slowly hugged him back, petting Frank's hair. "I'm so glad you're here, beautiful," Frank mumbled.

"I love you." Gerard cupped Frank's face in his hands. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too. Come to bed. I've been freezing every night without you."

They didn't necessarily let go of each other to wander to the bedroom, taking their time. On instinct, Frank tried to support Gerard's weight, in case he were to fall. Gerard was more than strong enough now, but definitely didn't mind having Frank wound around him.

"As much as I missed skinny jeans," Gerard said, when they walked into the bedroom, "they're not the most comfortable thing to sleep in." He slipped out of Frank's hold, and threw open the closet door. Gerard sighed. "So many t-shirts I can steal from you."

"Go for it," Frank said.

"And you said you were cold, so I think you should take—this." Gerard picked up one of his own hoodies, showing it to Frank. "It's only fair."

Although Frank's shoulder had healed, his sling had been taken off a week ago, Gerard pulled his shirt over his head for him, and pulled the hoodie over his body. Frank caught his hand as he pushed the zipper up, locking their fingers.

With that, Frank lead the way to bed, pulling back the covers for both of them. Gerard immediately closed his eyes when he laid down, the covers wrapped around him. "We have a really nice bed," Gerard muttered. "The hospital beds are, like, stiff, and even worse than bunks on tour, I swear. It'd be a lot fucking better if you laid down, too." He cracked an eye open.

"Yeah?" Frank crawled underneath the sheets, and rolled over to have his head on Gerard's chest. "Better?"

"Well, babe, I think you're breaking my ribs again," Gerard said, groaning slightly.

"Oh, shit, sorry. Hey, are you okay?" Frank immediately moved to the other side of the bed, eyebrows furrowing in concern.

Gerard laughed. "I'm fine, lover, I'm totally messing with you. Come here." He reached for Frank, pulling him even closer than before. "I'm alright, I promise."

"Don't joke about that stuff," Frank insisted. "I'll constantly still be worried about you."

"You just will be, no matter what."

"I can't help it." He kissed Gerard's temple.

"I don't blame you."

Frank shifted. "I'm so relieved you're going to be okay." That was all he had to say, and Gerard was getting choked up.

"Me too, really, I am too," Gerard said. "I get to stay with you."

"You get to do everything, my love."

"Thank you, Frank, thank you so fucking much. You don't even know. I don't think I would've made it without you."

"You're strong, sweetheart."

"So are you. I don't know how I would be able to handle it if you were that sick."

"You'd take good care of me, I have no doubt."

So maybe Frank would be completely terrified out of his wits whenever Gerard simply coughed, or if he ever got the slightest bruise anywhere, but the boy was okay. Frank had him, safely, and everyday was a relief, every breath and every kiss.