"Oh," I said in a small voice.

Gerard shook his head, turning away again. I heard a sob.

Wordlessly, I wrapped my arms around him.

He lay down on his side and began speaking again.

"It was so horrible. I didn't know it, but Robin had stayed back two grades. He was thirteen, and so short I didn't even realize it. He duct taped me to my bed…and…and," he ended in a choked voice.

"God, Gee, I had no idea," I gasped.

"I told Mikey."

"You did?"

"Yep. He laughed."

"Holy…" I breathed.

"Mhm."

There was a pause.

"So, do you have any other tragic life stories?" Gerard asked, breaking the silence.

"Not as bad as that, really. It's not really tragic, it's just…the other day, I ran into this guy and he called me a faggot, and that made me think because I really don't know if I am or not."

"You've never liked anyone?" Gerard said, looking surprised.

"Eh," I shrugged. "I don't know what love is."

"Really?"

"No…"

Then it hit me. Why not ask him?

"Gerard, what's love?"

He gulped.

"Well, uh, there's a lot of different. Things."

"Like what?"

"Love is when…is when you think about them so much it hurts. Whenever you see them with someone else you go insane with jealousy, or maybe that's just me. When you always want to be near them…when you'd do anything for them. When you get these weird feelings in your stomach whenever you see them." He paused. "Is that enough?"

"I guess you felt like that around Robin?"

"Actually, no," he half-smiled. "I just…liked him. There's kind of a difference, though it's hard to explain…love is a lot stronger."

"Who did you love, then?"

He fell silent, and I regretted asking.

"I'm sorry for prying into your personal stuff," I apologized quickly.

"It's a bit late for that," he chuckled.

My stomach dropped, until he added, "I don't really mind, though. It's nice talking about it to someone. Really nice."

"Ditto."

"You know something else, though?" Gerard said quietly, curving his arms back around his figure.

"What?"

"You're the only person I trust."

"I'm glad you do, and I trust you too, you know."

This small, fragile trust we have built upon each other.

"DUDE, not-, agh- fair!"

"Totally fair," I smirked, satisfactorily watching his face turn redder and redder beneath me.

"Get your hands- ack!- off of me!"

"Boys, what are you doing in there?"

I turned about as red as Gerard, who was still winded from laughing.

"DAD, you seriously need to get your mind out of the gutter! WE'RE. HAVING. A. TICKLE FIGHT."

"Which may soon become World War Three if Frank doesn't stop tick- oh, fuck you!" Gerard ended in a gasp as I started tickling him again.

"NEVER!" I shouted.

Being the fucking ninja he is. Gerard managed to free his hand, grab one of mine, and lick all the way up my arm.

"Gross!" I exclaimed, but my stomach shivered a little.

He took advantage of my distraction and kicked his way free, grabbing a pillow and bracing it in front of him defensively.

I got ready to jump on him again, but before I could he pounced on me, yelling, "Revenge!" as he did so.

"Dad! Help! 911!" I cried in between hysterics.

"No way, you earned it," I heard Dad call.

"Dude, your dad is awesome," Gerard laughed as I was slowly tortured to death beneath him.

I began to writhe and squirm, trying to escape, but he held me fast. "I am not afraid to lick you again, you know," he said seriously, though the effect was marred slightly by him laughing at me practically dying.

"Go right ahead," I panted sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

"Seriously?" he asked, his hands slowing down a little.

"I don't really care, do what you like, just get off me."

"No way," he grinned, before bending down and placing his tongue on my skin.

He started at my wrist, traveling upwards in a slow line. I thought he would stop at my shoulder, but he hesitated a bit before continuing on to my neck.

All the rational thoughts disappeared from my head as he licked my collarbone. I couldn't deny how good it felt. It made my stomach churn, but in a good way, like someone had replaced my insides with helium.

He drew his mouth up near my chin, and I wasn't sure if he was actually aware he was doing it. I jokingly yelled," Not the face!"

He jumped, but masked it with a grin. "Why ever not?"

"Cause it's my face. Your tongue does not need to be on my face."

Inexplicably, I felt a small shudder pass through him. Then he smirked evilly and opened his mouth, his tongue hovering right above my nose.

"No, Gerard, no, gah," I choked out.

He laughed, which looked really weird, and then slowly licked my nose. I thrashed around, and I'm pretty sure the expression on my face looked like I just swallowed a lemon.

I wrenched my hands free and attacked his sides. He gasped and rolled off me.

We both caught our breath, and then I began wiping his spit off of me. "I'm all wet, gross," I laughed.

"What'd you expect?" Gerard giggled.

Well, I didn't expect what happened back there.

I fell silent.

"What's the problem, Frank?" Gerard asked.

What's the problem? I don't know.

Well, maybe I'm in love.

Makes me want to turn around and face it, but I don't know anything about love.

His clicking fingers in front of my face interrupted my reverie. "Frank?"

I shook my dazed head, looking up at him through my curtain of hair.

"Something wrong?" he asked, looking concerned.

"Not in particular…" I trailed off.

Well, I didn't mean to do it, but I'm sure about it.

I'm accidentally in love.

I stole a couple of lyrics from the song Accidentally In Love by Counting Crows. It was in Shrek :3