Staring through the demons (unholyverse )

14

They were back on the bus when Frank appeared next to Mikey's bunk, shirtless. He held up the tub of ointment that Ray made for him and waggled it at Mikey. "You mind?"

Mikey shook his head and rolled out of the bunk, grabbing the tub as he stood up. Frank turned around wordlessly, presenting his bare back to Mikey.

Mikey didn't know exactly what Ray put in the cream, but whatever it was, it worked. Frank's scars hadn't faded completely, and Ray said that they probably never would. They'd stopped improving about six months ago, but Frank still slapped the stuff on regularly. He'd told Mikey he was afraid they'd come back if he stopped, raised and livid like they were before.

"How do they look?" Frank wanted to know, his head bowed as Mikey smoothed the lotion over his shoulders.

"Not too bad," Mikey said. The pale, silvery lines lay criss-crossed in every direction, etched into the skin forever. Frank's tattoos were still in their ruined state, and Mikey knew that underneath Frank's jeans the scars continued, some reaching all the way down to the backs of his knees. "The same."

"Yeah," said Frank. He waited for Mikey to finish up, then turned around. "Thanks."

"No problem." Mikey handed him the tub back, and Frank screwed the lid on, then stood there staring down at it for a minute, chewing his lip. "What is it?"

Frank's eyes darted around everywhere while he hesitated, and then he took a deep breath and blurted out, "Would you have sex with me?"

Mikey stared at him. "Uh."

"I don't mean - God, Mikey," Frank rolled his eyes. "I mean the scars. Like, if you didn't know me, would they - would they put you off?"

Mikey had never thought about that before. He knew Frank didn't like to go shirtless in public anymore, and he knew it was for the same reason that he wore long sleeves all the time, the same reason he'd asked Ray to cut his hair so it fell in his face. But he didn't exactly spend a lot of time thinking about sex and Frank. Not since they first met, anyway, before they'd decided to be best friends.

Frank was still looking at him anxiously, and Mikey realized he hadn't said any of that out loud.

"It's hard to say for sure," he said honestly. "Because I do know you, so when I look at you, I just see, like...you."

Frank deflated a little bit. "Oh."

"But I don't think it would," Mikey added.

"Really?"

"Well, but don't take my word for it. I had a huge crush on Bride of Frankenstein when I was a kid."

Frank rolled his eyes again. "Thanks, man, I feel all warm and fuzzy with the reassurance."

"They're really not that bad," Mikey promised him. "And you're just about cute enough to pull it off."

"Fuck you," said Frank, but he'd relaxed enough to smile a little bit.

Mikey watched him digging around in his bunk for a shirt. "Did Cortez say something about them?"

"What?" Frank pulled the shirt over his head, then reached up to pat his hair down over his forehead. "No. And keep it down, dude, his bunk is like, right there."

"Okay," said Mikey. "But I think the incredibly loud snoring is a good sign he's not listening. You must have seriously worn that dude out."

Frank rolled his eyes and grabbed his cell. "Whatever. I'm going to call my Mom."

"Gee's in the back lounge," Mikey told him.

"Okay," said Frank, and headed for the front of the bus.