Chapter 10 - Gerard's POV
I try to think desperately of a way to get Mikey and Ray out of my room without being mean. Got it.
"Ray? Don't you want a bed to sleep on?" he opens his eyes slowly and finds me with his sleepy eyes.
"That," he yawns widely, which just makes him look even more like a lion "is a good idea."
"We could always go through to my room Ray? These guys could have Gerard's bed?" Mikey asks him, this is going even better than I planned. Ray nods and slowly makes his way through next door, Mikey shuts the door behind him as he walks out.
"I see what you did there." Frank smirks up at me from the floor, I go and find the drawing I started earlier to quickly get the shading started while he was still laying on the floor. "Are you drawing me?" I hear what he asks me but I don't really hear it, I'm concentrating too hard. I finish the bit I'm on, when I put my pen down Frank immediately crawls onto my bed and makes himself comfy. I go over and lay next to him. I turn my head and plant a kiss on his neck and he giggles,
"Don't do that, it tickles." So, naturally, I did it again and again until he was squirming around, trying to push me away from his neck. "Gerard! Stop it."
I kiss his neck again and say, "But you're smiling, you must love it." He looks at me and puts on a grumpy face,
"Gerard," he says in a put-on deep voice, I burst out laughing, he breaks a smile as well but he quickly recomposes his face, "Gerard, stop it."
"Urgh, you're such a killjoy Frank." I pout at him.
He leans in and kisses my forehead, "I know." he says. Our eyes lock again, I swear I feel some sort of connection when we do. He lays down next to me as I put my arm on his waist, I don't break contact with his eyes.
"I swear I could look into your eyes all day, Frank."
"I don't think I could do the same, Gee, I just wouldn't be able to resist kissing you." I smile as he runs his hand through my tangled hair. "I've never gotten this close to anyone in my entire life and I've only known you for less than a day and we're this close. You don't even know my last name." he breaks eye contact with me, I see in his eyes something change when he does, "In fact no one's ever known me. I've never had a friend or..." his voice tails away. I hate the pain I'm seeing in his eyes because I've been through it before.
I put my hand to his chin and bring his face up towards mine, I give him a kiss and say, "Frank, I want you to know that from now on I will always be here for you no matter what the consequences. I'm sure Ray and Mikey will be too, but I am here the whole time, 24/7, non-stop, here for you. You'll never be alone again. I mean every single word, Frankie. You deserve so much better than being alone, and so much more than the scars and burns on your arms," he winces, ashamed, and turns away, but I carry on, "Frank, listen to me." I turn his head back towards mine and wait until he's looking me in the eye, "There is absolutely nothing on this earth that is worth hurting yourself over, no matter what it is. Everyone feels exactly like you do at one point in their lives, I have as well." I roll down my sleeve and show him the faded marks along my arm. "But it's us, the strong ones that get through it, that carry on, that keep fighting, that rebel against the people that make you feel this way because in the end it's really them that are wrong. And when the time comes for them to feel this way, they'll crumble because they haven't had shit in their lives to deal with 'cause they're the ones who've caused it. You don't deserve this Frank and I'm not letting you feel this way anymore." I look straight into his eyes before hugging him close, I whisper in his ear, "I know we've just met, but dammit, Frank I love you." I feel him start to cry in my arms and I let him have some air. I wipe the tears away from his eyes as I say, "Damn, I knew I was bad at speeches but I never knew I could make someone cry."
"No, I'm happy Gerard, I'm so fucking happy," he beams at me while he keeps crying, "thank you." he pulls me in for a tight hug and we stay there locked in each other's arms until he calms down. Once he's stopped crying, he pulls away and says, "Gee, I love you too.". He looks awkwardly down at his hands, then up at me again. "And by the way, my last name is Iero."