3 Months Later

The sunlight broke through the gap in the curtains and Frank blinked slowly, waking from his deep sleep. Gerard was still asleep bedsides him, the crisp white sheets resting around his hips, his bare milky skin only a few shades darker than the bed sheets.

"Gerard?" Frank said softly, squeezing the older man's hand.

He didn't stir and his breathing remained steady and slow. Frank sighed and crept from the bed as quietly as possible, his feet hitting the bare, cold floor boards, chills shooting up his legs.

Frank caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror as he crossed the room to the wardrobe. He'd gained back some of the weight he'd lost but he was still much slimmer. His body was no longer just decorated with ink, but with scars and fading bruises.

Gerard had been hurting him less over the past weeks. Frank had just stopped trying and had started to believe Gerard. Gerard had saved him. He had saved him from his alcoholic mother and saved him from going nowhere, taken him away from New Jersey, where nothing was ever going to happen for him.

Without Gerard he'd still be stuck there, not going anywhere at all.

He was happy now. This is what it felt like to be happy. He was loved by the only person he needed, and God, Gerard loved him. So much it scared Frank sometimes. There was so much tensity and compassion in Gerard's eyes when he looked at him that Frank would catch his breath, stumble and feel as if he'd just been hit by a truck.

When Gerard said his name, Frank could feel his heart stutter at the adoration and love he could hear in Gerard's voice. And then when Gerard loved him... Frank wondered how it was possible to get any closer to perfect. Every time Gerard pulled him close, ran his hands over Frank as if it wasn't enough, it made Frank feel dizzy. When they fell together between the sheets of their bed, when their skin was pressed together in the heat of the moment, Frank felt infinite.

He felt like there was nothing but the two of them in that moment and it felt like forever. It was love, and Frank felt weak with it sometimes, when he stepped back and looked at Gerard, everything he had done for him, everything he had sacrificed and given to Frank, all just because he loved him.

"Frank?" a voice mumbled from between the sheets, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Why are you awake love?"

Frank blinked and smiled at Gerard. "I just wanted to get up. Can I take Atticus out?"

"Baby, Atticus is asleep, I really don't think he wants to get out of bed anymore than I do," Gerard replied, smiling gently at Frank.

The small ball of white and black fur lifted its head from the dog bed in the corner of the room and Frank giggled at the dog's sleeping face, his muzzle resting on top of the bed and giving Frank a half assed glance before yawning and burying itself back into his bed.

The Dalmatian was a gift from Gerard after he'd noticed how lonely Frank was whilst he was away at work. They had no one here but themselves and Frank was alone most of the time. So Gerard had come home one day with a tiny Dalmatian puppy bundled up in his arms and Frank had beamed all week. Gerard didn't admit it, but he'd felt jealous at first at the amount of time Frank had spent with the puppy. Of course, he realised how ridiculous it was that he was jealous of a dog. Frank didn't love him any less just because he had a new puppy.

Frank stretched and yawned as he stood up, blushing when he saw Gerard watching him with a possessive glint in his eyes and a smirk pulling his lips up. He was stark naked and he suddenly felt the urge to crawl back under the covers with Gerard and hide himself away, but he didn't. He could feel Gerard's eyes watching him as he moved around the room, dressing himself and opening the blinds.

He skipped back to the bed and pecked Gerard on the lips, telling him he would make him breakfast before he went to work. Gerard just smiled and kissed him sweetly, watching the teenager leave their bedroom. He sighed happily and lay back down in bed waiting for Frank to come back. Atticus jumped up on the bed and dumped himself unceremoniously across Gerard's head, giving him and affectionate lick over his ear before going back to sleep. Gerard just rolled his eyes and let the puppy stay where he was.

When Frank returned to their bedroom, he stopped in the doorway and smiled fondly at the sight before him. Gerard and Atticus were curled up together in the bed, half asleep. Frank set the tray of coffee, pancakes and juice down next the Gerard and kissed him softly to wake him back up.

As Gerard ate, Frank pulled his dog into his lap and petted the Dalmatian back to sleep as he quietly talked with Gerard.

"Gee?" Frank asked softly.

"Yeah?"

Frank swallowed. "I... I was wondering..."

Gerard frowned and moved his breakfast to the foot of the bed, waiting for Frank to speak again. "What Frankie? What's wrong?"

"We've both been so happy recently and everything is perfect and... I just... I know I probably shouldn't, but I still think about before and...I really miss my best friend. I wanted to ask if I could speak to him..." Frank eventually got out, after awkward pauses and cut offs.

Gerard stared at him. "What?"

Frank bit his lip and shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Forget about it, I'm sorry."

"Frank... You know I love you but you're asking a lot. You're asking too much of me Frank and I can't give you that."

"But why?" Frank whispered, tears clouding his eyes. "I miss him so much Gerard, every day. And I think... I think he probably misses me too."

"No Frank," Gerard said flatly, his eyes becoming cold and emotionless. "I meant it. We're not going to talk about this anymore and you're going to forget about him."

Gerard stood up, not looking at Frank and left him alone in the bedroom, Atticus following Gerard out.

Frank suddenly felt very cold.

"But I can't forget him," Frank whispered to the empty room.

*******************************

Mikey promised himself he wouldn't do it agan, but he had to.

He picked up his phone pressed the call button over Frank's number. He held it up to his ear, closing his eyes against the tears that were already slipping down his cheeks.

"Uh, hey this is Frank. Well yeah, obviously, other wise you wouldn't have called...um, sorry, my voicemail sucks. Just leave a message or whatever. Bye!"

"Frank... Frank please... Just please be OK," Mikey whispered before he broke down in tears, his phone slipping from his trembling hand and onto his bedroom floor, covering his face with his hands and sobbing.