The Majesty of Choice

Corrupt

Gerard only wakes up because he can feel Frank playing with his fingers. He knows its Frank, because the hands that are holding his are more familiar than anything in the world. Gerard sighs very contentedly, and he stays there. He pretends to be asleep for several more minutes, just enjoying the feeling. Frank plays with his fingers very delicately, tracing patterns along them. Gerard can feel Frank's breath the moment before Frank's lips press against the back of his hand. At this, Gerard decides to wake up. His eyelids flutter open, and he sees Frank, not having noticed yet that Gerard is awake. Gerard pulls his own arm to him, which surprises Frank, but along with his arm he pulls Frank too, and that's when he kisses him. Very slowly. Softly.

Is this what it will always be like to wake up next to Frank? He's sure he could get used to this quite readily.

"Good morning," Gerard says, in a morning sort of voice that doesn't sound like his own but doesn't sound like someone else's either. It's not even light out yet, it's not really morning per se. The space below the curtains doesn't expose anything that would be considered light so much as it is a very subtle shade of grey that allows Gerard to see the silhouette of Frank's face.

"Good morning. You are more beautiful now than you were last night."

"You're full of shit," Gerard says, and Frank snorts with some of the most unattractive laughter ever, which Gerard is very attracted to. He gets a warm feeling in his stomach that feels so comfortable that it almost doesn't feel nice at all. They kiss. And they kiss. And they kiss. For a really long time. Every few minutes or so, they'll stop kissing and then look at each other for a few seconds before they kiss again.

"I want to stay here with you forever," Frank whispers into Gerard's hair.

"Okay."

Eventually, Gerard settles himself into Frank's arms and they talk. It has to be for hours. They talk about everything. It's the first time they've ever felt like they have all the time in the world. Nowhere to be, nothing to do, no one to interrupt. Just Frank and just Gerard.

They talk about growing up. Gerard talks a lot about Mikey, and Frank tells him about training alongside knights. Gerard tells him about meeting Patrick, about how much he hates his step sisters. Frank remembers fragments he had of his father. They talk about stupid things as well. Frank really likes math, which Gerard finds appalling. Gerard got in a lot of trouble as a kid for playing on this one guys farm, and he has been forbidden to even be a hundred feet near it. It was an order actually, he just can't tell Frank that. At least he never got his foot stuck in a fox trap. Frank used to be afraid of the dark, so he had a lamp lit all night. Gerard's past twenty and still hasn't quite gotten over his hatred of vegetables. Frank loves, like loves potatoes. Gerard has never really gotten over his bear Mittens who drowned in that lake so long ago. Gerard's never seen an ocean, and Frank promises to take him someday.

"I love you," Frank says. Gerard feels so warm right now. He's so soft, and comfortable. He's so lazy and hypnotized by how nice he feels right now that he almost forgets to stop himself from saying those words back. Almost. Gerard hums softly, loves Frank more with every breath he takes into his lungs.

At that, there's a knock on the door. They both freeze, slightly in surprise, and also slightly in fear, because they're both still naked, and in bed, and it's got to be close to 10 in the morning, which is definitely too late for anyone to be sleeping in. Well, maybe not here at the castle, but Gerard grew up on a farm, so it's late. Gerard scoots a little bit away from Frank, which is awful for the both of them. They have a silent conversation wherein Gerard's face asks if he should hide, and Frank's eyes tell him to stop being ridiculous. They make a grand gesture of making sure the blankets cover them completely, before Frank finally says, "yes?"