The Ocean's Enigma ♡ Frerard

XIV; Pale Recollection

Gerard woke up feeling eerily normal despite finding a headache alive and furious behind his eyes. The sunlight streamed in through the thinnest cracks between the filmy curtains strung over the windows, shards of sunlight spilling their presence through the room to cast a soft glow along the walls. He could hear the familiar shrill cries of seagulls as they glided above the pale sands sloping downwards and waded into the glittering ocean in hopes to capture their prey for the morning. Gerard could imagine the way their imperfectly white and gray wings would dip into the lapping waters, droplets dribbling from the tips of their sodden wings whenever they embarked towards the sky again. The heat of summer was dulled by the pleasant breeze rolling through gap of the open window, moving through the part in the glass and sailed inside to spread all around. The coolness of the air fanned across Gerard's skin and rustled tendrils of his hair lying limply across his forehead and his cheek. The feathery sensation made his nose twitch with the urge to scrunch up. The sea breeze kissed his flushed cheeks like refreshing hands and lips soaking up the heat trapped inside his skin and he shut his eyes again for a moment to soak in the relief.

Gerard slowly became aware of the tender hand stroking through his hair. The fingers were gentle and moved through sections of his hair as though they carded through delicate glass wind chimes singing in the summer. The hand focused more at the back of his skull, he assumed it was due to the angle. He realized his head rested peacefully on someone's chest, he could hear their heartbeat underneath his ear pressed so close to where it was located. He recognized it as Frank's the longer he focused on the soothing pattern and the relief rushing so quickly into him had him wrapping his arm tighter around Frank's waist, which meant he must have secured them there during his slumber.

Gerard thought, for one moment when he was being dragged underneath the ocean, that he would never be able to do this. To rest in the arms of the angel brought to land to become his guardian, to relish in his loving touch possessing all of the comfort he never found through years of wishing for something more. It almost seemed impossible for every doubt holding Gerard captive could be eliminated by the mere presence and sensation of arms holding him close, the arms of the purest soul he'd ever met. Gerard could feel his throat was raw as he swallowed and if he breathed deeply, his chest ached, abused by the inhalation of salt water almost stealing his life away from him. He didn't resent the ocean for sweeping him too far into her embrace; he blamed the Siren, the entity that longed to bring an end to his life after all.

Frank's hand went to brush Gerard's hair away from his face when he realized he was awake. His fingers were as warm as the strip of sunlight going across Gerard's back and the mattress underneath their bodies. Gerard's eyes fluttered shut and he breathed out a shaky sigh, turning his face towards Frank's hand. Frank gently caressed his jaw and glided it down towards his neck, rounding his shoulder, and riding up again to stroke his hair behind his ear. He was humming; Gerard could feel the rumble under his head, and hear the melody building behind Frank's closed lips. He supposed that was the reason why he wasn't sent into a panic the moment his eyes opened. He was far too tranquil given the circumstances, but Gerard was too absorbed in Frank to be bothered by it.

Gerard shifted slightly under Frank's touch that he was almost despaired to feel vanish as he tilted his head back to gaze up at his face. Frank quickly met his eyes and offered a small smile barely raising the corners of his pink lips. His eyes swarmed with emotion always, but there was something haunting inside of them that made some of Gerard's tranquility fade. It touched his voice vibrating in his throat until he decided to let the song fade. It soon decayed in his chest and only the sound of the ocean and the curtains fluttering in the breeze filled the room.

Gerard was able to think without so much of a haze diluting his senses. He looked between himself and Frank, moving his hand to rest it on Frank's belly subtly rising and falling with every breath.