Death Is Strange

TWENTY-TWO

Ray didn't ask Frank for a demonstration of his time-bending superpowers. Nor did he laugh it off or call Frank crazy. He listened carefully, asking questions, offering his thoughts at the right time.

When Frank finished, Ray pulled him into a hug. "You're really brave, Frank," he said, his voice muffled against Frank's shoulder. Then he pulled back. "Seriously. If I had that power, I would never use it. I'd be afraid I'd mess everything up. But you just go for it. Even though things didn't work out for Gerard's dad, you at least tried. And if nothing else, you were able to get back to the present. Which is good, because we would have missed you terribly." He paused for a moment, then smiled gently. "If something did happen with Gerard and Jeph, would you be able to forgive him, since you did technically sleep with Jeph in one reality?"

"Yeah," Frank said. "I tried to tell him that on the phone. Now I just feel like shit."

"You shouldn't feel like shit," Ray said firmly. Frank realized that was the first time he'd heard Ray swear. "Frank, Gerard loves you. There's something about you that he's drawn to. He tells me all the time how great he thinks you are, from how you take care of him to how good sex is." Ray laughed, then grew solemn again. "Don't take any of this for granted, Frank. I sure as hell don't. If you hadn't come, and Gerard hadn't met you, I don't know if he would still be alive. The transformation I've seen in him since you showed up is incredible, and it's happened so fast."

"Yeah," Frank said lamely, trying to process everything Ray was saying. He saw James and Jack across the yard, having an animated conversation. Mikey was standing by himself, his grey beanie growing white with snow, his hair in his eyes. "What's Mikey's deal?" Frank lowered his voice. "I'm guessing he's the loner type."

"Yep. He's my best friend. He's geeky, and plays tambourine." Ray laughed. "People call Gerard and Mikey the 'Gay Ways' but Mikey's never really been interested in anyone, guy or girl. He's perfectly content with just me."

"I can't imagine being like that," Frank admitted. "I'm too social."

"Same," Ray agreed. "Hey, Gerard hasn't mentioned in the last few days how the search for Bert is going. Any leads?" He started walking again, and Frank fell into step beside him.

"I have a shadow of an idea of somewhere we can look," Frank admitted, "But... I'm kind of waiting for Gerard to get back. I... want to check Danny's room. We all know he hates Gerard. And then the thing with Mikey and Denis happened. What if he did something to Bert?"

Ray inhaled sharply. "That makes sense, but I wouldn't go through someone's stuff."

"There's no other option," Frank said. "If Danny did something to Bert, we need to know."

Jeph made ramen for dinner and they ate on the couch, watching an old episode of Game of Thrones. Gerard always felt a little nauseated by this episode, when the little boy got kicked out the tower window, falling to his death, after seeing a brother and sister fucking each other. Gerard said as much to Jeph.

"Yeah, well, if you were fucking Mikey, and someone walked in, you wouldn't want them saying anything, right?" Jeph twirled the ramen noodles around his fork, then looked up at Gerard. "Siblings fucking each other is sort of frowned down upon in society."

Gerard set aside his bowl on the coffee table, realizing that once again, he'd zoned out and eaten all of it. "I know. But seriously? 'The things I do for love'?" Gerard quoted, sketching quotation marks with his fingers. "I wouldn't kill a kid for being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Jeph laughed. "You're a better person than me. And no I'm not a murderer," he added quickly. "Shit, that sounded bad." Jeph stacked his empty bowl on Gerard's, and stretched out on the couch opposite Gerard, tangling their legs together, his eyes glued to the TV. "If it's still snowing in the morning, I will suck my own dick."

Gerard burst out laughing. "I look forward to witnessing that."

Jeph grinned at him. "Seriously. I think if you're here too long, Frank's going to show up with a machine gun."

Gerard's smile faded. "Frank's not like that," he said. "I know he's suspicious of this, but... he's really not the jealous type at all. I'm serious. Like, a naked picture of you shows up on my phone when you call, remember? He didn't even react. And he's so nice about Bert, like you have no idea, man."

Jeph blinked. "I was joking. Sorry, love."

Gerard relaxed. "I'm sorry. I overreacted."

Jeph smirked. "No worries. But I do want to see that photo of me. I'd almost forgotten about it."

Gerard and Jeph fell asleep on the couch like that, and when Gerard woke up an hour later, it was dark out, and the streetlights below were casting a warm glow through the half-open blinds. He stretched, sitting up.

His movement woke Jeph. "You good?" Jeph mumbled.

"Yeah. Don't you want to go to bed?"

"Nah. I'll stay here with you." Jeph's eyes glittered in the light of the TV screen, and he smiled slightly. "Are you comfortable?"

Gerard shrugged.

Jeph laughed shortly. "Come here."

Gerard clumsily stretched out on Jeph, laying his head on Jeph's chest. Jeph stroked his hair. "I think in an alternate reality, I was definitely your parent. I'm scared."

"I'm fine with that, as long as I don't have to call you Daddy."

"No daddy kinks here," Jeph said firmly, his breath tickling Gerard's hair. "Go back to sleep. At least it stopped snowing."

Gerard didn't reply, just closed his eyes and lost himself in the darkness of his dreams.

Frank had the dream again. Fighting his way up the hill to the lighthouse, screams echoing in his ears, wind lashing his face.

But this time, the tornado was closer. He could feel its fury, as it swept past him, heading for the town.

"No," he gasped, reaching out his hand.

He woke up when he hit the floor.

Ray gasped and snapped on the lamp. "Frank?"

Frank felt his face turn a dull red. "I had a nightmare and fell out of the fucking bed." He rubbed his eyes, and stood up, flopping back on the mattress, the sheets soaked with sweat.

Ray looked like he'd been woken up by an air raid, but he asked gently, "do you need to talk about it?"

"It's the same one I told you about earlier," Frank admitted. "I feel like it's a premonition, to be honest."

Ray sighed. "The best thing you can do is put it out of your mind and go back to sleep. I'm sorry you had to go through it again."

"Yeah." Frank rolled over, pulling the sheet over his body, repulsed by the damp patches caused by his own sweat.

Sleep evaded him, though, and he finally resorted to putting in his earbuds and listening to the Misfits while he aimlessly clicked around on his phone, ending up in his photos.

There was an album dated from almost six years before, and he tapped on it, confused.

A copy of the Polaroid of Gerard and his father was staring back at him. A chill raced down his spine, and he had to tell himself several times he wasn't crazy before he clicked Delete.

CANNOT BE ERASED, his phone informed him.

He wasn't even sure what the proper response was to a situation like this, so he powered off his phone and shoved it under his pillow, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to banish every thought from his mind.