Cigarettes and Sass (reupload)

Chapter 14

"Gerard?"

"Mm?"

"Tell me about Bert?"

Gerard tensed up instantly and slowly turned his head to gaze at Frank, his eyes wide and alarmed. The two men had spent all day driving back from Mikey's college and had collapsed straight into bed at Gerard's place once they had arrived. They had managed to strip of their clothes and were just lying in one another's arms, not needing anymore than that. They hadn't been talking because they didn't need to... but Frank had been unable to get one thing off his mind all day.

"I... Bert?" Gerard tried to sound confused but it was obvious he knew what Frank was asking and his reluctance to explain was only too clear. "Why do you wanna talk about him?"

"Because..." Frank shrugged, not sure how to voice what he wanted to without upsetting the older man. "Because he seems important."

"He's not." Gerard scoffed instantly, his eyebrows knitting into a frown. Frank gazed up at him with innocent eyes, his hand starting to drift slowly over Gerard's chest to relax him.

"Well, tell me about him anyway?" He asked gently, Gerard's scowl intensifying and he glanced down at Frank to meet his gaze. He seemed to relent a little when he met Frank's hazel eyes, but his body remained tense.

"I don't want to talk about him." He finally whispered, one hand coming up to cup Frank's jaw, his thumb sliding beneath his lower lip. "I haven't seen him since I was nineteen Frank, there's nothing I could tell you about him that would matter anymore."

"You know that's not true." Frank sighed, anchoring himself up on his elbows so he could cage Gerard beneath him and look at him carefully. "He was your last boyfriend Gee... Something must have happened in that relationship to stop you from getting into another one until now." He pointed out, his voice soft but firm. He was determined to get the truth out of Gerard. He didn't want to upset him, but he needed to know exactly who Bert was and what he had done to Gerard to shape him into the man he was now. Bert was important, Frank knew it... He just didn't know why.

"Jesus Frank, you trying to psychoanalyse me or something?" Gerard scoffed, his cheeks tingeing pink as he turned his face away.

"No..." Frank sighed, blushing and sitting up with a pout. "I just... Forget it." He sighed, sliding out of bed and crossing the room to start pulling his clothes back on. Gerard leant up on his elbows to look at him curiously, his heart starting to race.

"Frank?" He mewled, realising he had upset the younger man and his stomach lurched. "What are you doing?"

"Going home." Frank shrugged, doing up his jeans and grabbing his belt. "I'm obviously just upsetting you."

"What? Frank don't go." Gerard groaned, sitting up properly and crawling to the end of the bed to sit there and look hopelessly at Frank. He wondered whether calling the younger man a diva would just make him angrier... More than likely, so he kept the word back. "Sit down?"

"No."

"Frankie..." Gerard groaned, squeezing his eyes shut and running a hand through his hair. He could feel a headache coming on and he pressed his fingertips to his temples. He didn't want to go through this. He had heard enough of Bert as it was and he didn't want to talk about him. Frank was the man he had wanted to be with for years... He was supposed to be perfect. He wasn't supposed to get moody over something so stupid. "Please just come back to bed."

"How can I Gerard?" Frank sighed, his voice exasperated as he snatched his t-shirt from the floor. "We're supposed to be a couple but I feel like I hardly know you." Frank's eyes were wounded as he gazed at Gerard, the artist stunned for a second.