Cigarettes and Sass (reupload)

Chapter 15

It had taken four cups of coffee, two 'great chill out songs' compilation albums and a hell of a lot of pacing and hair pulling before Gerard managed to feel like he wasn't about to have a nervous breakdown. He had stopped pacing at last and was now just sat on the couch, hands fisted in his hair and body slumped so that his chest touched his knees.

Bert was in his bed.

Bert was in his bed.

His ex-boyfriend was in his bed.

Gerard's stomach lurched and he had to cover his mouth quickly before he ended up vomiting onto the floor. Seven years... Seven damn years and Bert had to come back now!? It just didn't make sense... He hadn't made any attempt to come back into Gerard's life before and Gerard hadn't tried to get back into his. In fact he'd done everything he could to try and forget him completely and yet here he was, fast asleep in the bed he had been having sex with Frank in only hours earlier.

Frank.

"Fuck..." Gerard breathed, squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to stop the dizziness washing over him. What was he going to tell Frank? What was Frank going to say? He had been so understanding the night before about Gerard and Bert's past, maybe this wouldn't bother him... but Gerard wasn't an idiot, it seemed very strange that the day after finally revealing what Bert was to him the guy suddenly showed up out of the blue. Frank was bound to be suspicious and Gerard had no way to explain any of this. He was so confused...

Taking a deep breath Gerard tried to force himself to compose. He and Frank hadn't made any formal plans to meet yet, so he had a couple days grace before he'd have to consider telling him, and maybe by then whatever was wrong with Bert would be sorted and he'd be out of here. He certainly couldn't stay with Gerard. They hadn't seen each other in seven years Gerard wasn't about to just let him live with him, no matter how briefly. He'd had no choice but to bring him back to his apartment though, Bert had been passed out for about ten minutes and Gerard had been considering calling an ambulance when the younger man had finally managed to stir. He had been obviously disorientated and hazy and Gerard had had no choice but to help him out of the building and into his car.

Gerard sighed and slowly looked up, gazing towards his bedroom door. Bert hadn't been making much sense on the way back, his eyes struggling to stay open and his words slurred where he was mumbling in the passenger seat. Gerard had seen Bert crash on drugs enough times to know what was happening and he knew his only other option was to take him to a hospital where the drugs would be found in his system and he'd probably have ended up in prison. Gerard would be forced to be involved since he'd be the one to take him there and it would have just caused a whole lot more crap than bringing Bert back here until he was sober again.

It had been about four hours since Gerard had got Bert into his apartment and into bed. He had sat with him for a little while, just trying to soothe him so he would fall asleep. Even on the brink of unconsciousness he had been obviously distressed and had only calmed down when Gerard had gently stroked his hair and whispered to him to just get some rest. As soon as he had fallen asleep Gerard had left, leaving Bert fully clothed in his borrowed suit sleeping on top of the covers.

Gerard sighed and bit anxiously on his thumb nail as he wondered whether Bert was any closer to waking up. It felt like he had been here forever and Gerard just really wanted him to wake up so they could talk and then Bert could leave. He was clutching his cell phone in one hand and had been since he'd got home. He had called in sick at work once he'd got back home and though he knew he had been seen by plenty of people walking out with Bert he hoped no one would flag it up and get him into any trouble. He had been expecting Brian to call but there was no word from him yet... or Frank for that matter, but he was probably busy doing a shoot or something and Gerard just really didn't want to think about that.