The Trees Are Watching ~ Frerard

4. Survival At It's Worst

"Where are we?" Gerard jumped up from the patch of dirt he sat in, unexpecting any sound to have fallen from his friend's lips. If he hadn't be so caught off guard then he likely would've answered nonchalantly, not even realizing Frank was awake until some few moments later.

The older teenager snapped his neck in Frank's direction, his eyes near falling out of his head when they were met with utterly gorgeous shades of glowing hazel, a color he hadn't realized he missed so badly until this moment. He lurched forward and fell onto his knees right in front of Frank, throwing his bare arms around the boy's neck. "Holy shit, Frank I'm so happy you're awake, fuck!"

Gerard was near salivating with relief. His mind had continuously haunted him with the idea of Frank never returning to him from the realm of the sleeping. He imagined dying inside their cave long after Frank had, or even worse, outliving him in the real world. To be met with his conscious body made Gerard's heart warm and squeeze violently in his chest.

"Woah," Frank grunted, feeling oxygen leave his body as it was being squeezed so tightly. "Gee- can't- hmph.. breathe."

"Shit, sorry. I'm just- fuck. Are you okay? Does anything hurt? Are you cold?" Gerard rambled as he relaxed his hold on Frank, but not bothering to move away from him. Only through their proximity, Gerard noticed that Frank looked beyond tired, pale red staining the area around his eyes and a sluggish posture. His thin brows pulled together and his lips parted slightly.

"What? Why would I be hurt?"

Gerard stared blankly at him, retracting his arms and slinking to the ground. "Um... we fell down a big ass hill and your head slammed into mine?" Gerard offered the memory, watching Frank's expression as he spoke, but seeing no metaphorical bells go off in the boy's distant gaze. Rather, he looked more alarmed after a minute of silence, neither having spoken. Frank darted his head around, finally taking in their small cave. Gerard could see the same panic he had felt settle over his crush like a cold, bitter shower.

"Gerard, where the fuck are we?"

"Uh..."

"What's going on?" Frank demanded, anger leaking into his voice. He sat up further, moving as if he were trying to stand, but his legs buckled, causing him to tumble backwards. Gerard moved forward and caught him before he could hit the ground.

"Frank, oh God," Gerard gasped, holding the younger by the pit of his arms and laying him down. Frank's eyes fluttered and his body went slack. Gerard stared down at him, "No, no, no, Frankie come on. Don't fall asleep on me. You have to stay awake. Damnit!"

It was only a mere moment before Frank awoke again, much to the relief of Gerard. He was disoriented, tossing himself around like a squirming newborn baby. Gerard's heart was encased in ice, fear for his friend and fear for the one who held the delicate organ. He didn't understand what was wrong with Frank, at this point just wanting to keep the younger awake.

"Can you hear me, Frank?" Gerard asked, taking one of Frank's hands in his own and using the other to hold the boy's jaw. Frank's eyelids fell again and clenched tightly, before opening again and nodding up at Gerard. "Good, good. How many fingers?"

Frank squinted in the direction Gerard's hand was raised. "Three?" Gerard smiled gently. He asked Frank to describe what he was feeling, wanting to asses just how sick he was. "Uh, well, my head feels like I've been kicked by a horse. And I'm tired. Like on the level I could fall asleep any second. That what you wanted to know, Dr. Way?" Frank, despite the heavy cloud of exhaustion lingering over him, managed to smirk up at the beyond attractive man looming near him.

"You keep passing out, and I'm really worried about you. When I woke up here, you were asleep for hours... I think you might have a fever," Gerard cautioned. Frank's smirk dropped, and he turned away.

"You said we fell down a hill," Frank murmured. "How'd that happen?"

"We were just messing around. You pushed me, and I fell first. I guess you jumped after me and we rolled into this cave."

Frank's skin pressed together to form a frown in the center of his forehead. Subconsciously, he pressed himself into Gerard's palm, momentarily abandoning his thoughts to appreciate his crush's heat. He pulled himself away, lifting his hand and placing it over Gerard's before grasping it and shoving it away. He gestured around the enclosed area. "How come it looks like we're trapped in here?" Frank asked.

The younger boy's heart almost stopped when Gerard answered. "Because we are trapped."

"There's no way out?"

Gerard flashed a grin, "That is what 'trapped' means, Frankie." The older's attempt at lightening the tense air backfired, irritation emitting from Frank rather than ease.

Frank's frown sank deeper, his eyebrows furrowing and his lips tilting downwards. He sat up straighter. "Have you even bothered to figure out what the hell that means? We are stuck in a fucking cave. That means no food, no water, no toilet, no fucking light!" His voice rose with every word, the severity of their situation igniting a buried instinct to survive. "Gerard, we can't live here! We are going to fucking die! Have you even tried to find a way out?"

Through listening to Frank's panic-induced rant, Gerard shrank into himself and away from the one he wanted more than life. How could he not consider their survival? Sure, he'd contemplated Frank's well being, but only the extent of his sickness.

"I'm sorry, I was more concerned on making sure you were alive and breathing rather than what our next meal would be," Gerard retorted.

Frank glared at him. "Well then I hope you're good at digging, because I'm not staying here."