What's this? What's this?
There's color everywhere
What's this? What's this?
There's white things in the air

Nightmare Before Christmas played for the fifth time today. I could smell the cookies Mikey was making all the way from Gerard's room. Speaking of Gerard, I'm surprised he's not in hospice care or something. A week until the day. A fucking week. He's been acting really awkward recently, but I don't blame him. It must be hard to be around your boyfriend who knows you're about to die. He's currently out running errands for his parents. I heard him talking to them about money this morning, but didn't ask him about it. For the past few days, I've been thinking about my relationship with him. I'm gonna fucking miss him. I'm gonna miss his toothy grin and his pixie nose, the way he still blushes when I kiss him and how he marvels at the few tattoos I have yet is too afraid to get his own. I don't think he understands how much he means to me. He's the reason there aren't scars littering my hips or my arms anymore. Before him, I didn't think anyone could do that. I honestly thought that... that I would be alone forever. But now I have someone I wake up to every morning.
Fuck, I should probably stop thinking about this.
I wiped the forming tears from my eyes with the sleeve of my- well, Gerard's- sweater. I tried to avert my attention back to the movie, but I couldn't bother when this shirt smelled like coffee and cigarettes, exactly like him. God, I sound like a teenage girl getting over her first boyfriend, where every little thing reminds me of him. Well, I guess it makes sense I'm constantly reminded of him, I live in his house and we share clothes, for god's sake.

Suddenly, my phone rang. I reached over to the night stand and grabbed it, pressing the "answer" button. When I put it to my ear, I was greeted with Gerard's voice. "Okay, so..." he started. He was obviously nervous about something, what with the way he sounded distant. "I have a present for you."
I giggled. "Oh, really?" I glanced over to the calendar hung on his door, the dates crossed off until today, the 26. "Kinda late."
"It's only a day off, Frankie," he sarcastically replied. "Can you please wait for me on the porch?"
"But it's so cold outside!"
"Just do it," he pleaded.
"Fine, fine. I love you." He didn't reply, just hung up. That was a little worrying. Shit, what if he's going to kick me out? Or break up with me? Oh, fuck. No, it's just my anxiety getting the better of me. I stood up and stretched my legs, seeing as I've been sitting criss-cross-applesauce for the past few hours. I pulled on a pair of jeans and went downstairs.

Mikey was sitting at the dinner table, a bowl of cookies in front of him. He looked up at me and smiled. There was something about it, though, like he knew something I didn't. Probably something to do with the "present". I smiled back out of courtesy and walked over to the front door, swinging it open and letting in the freezing cold winds. I was definitely reluctant to do so, but I stepped out onto the porch and closed the wooden door behind me. As if on cue, Patrick's car drove up our street and parked in the driveway. I could make out Gerard sitting in the passenger seat, fidgeting around. He held something in his hands, but I couldn't see it. Patrick put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly while telling him something. Gee got out of the car, still definitely nervous. Patrick drove off without another word, leaving Gerard in the drive way. "What is this present you speak of?" I asked him. He smiled and walked over to me. His hands were still clasped around whatever he had in his hands. When he reached me, I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him, but he pushed me away. Fuck, is he breaking up with me?
"Uh, I-I..." He bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut. "I should've done this earlier, but my parents wouldn't give me money until Christmas. Even then, they didn't give me much money." He opened his eyes and cupped my face with one hand, the other one still wrapped around whatever he was holding. "I didn't have a lot of money, so I'm sorry it's not very spectacular. I had to go to a pawn shop."

Then he fucking knelt in front of me, holding out what he had in his hand, a small box with a ring inside. "Frank Anthony Iero, will you marry me?"

I covered my mouth to muffle the inhuman sound I made. He was smiling up at me, making me just want to scream my answer, but then I remembered there was a week until the day. I took a deep breath and uncovered my mouth. "Gerard, I..." I ran a hand through my hair. "There's a week until... until the day."
He laughed, making me tilt my head in confusion. "I probably should've told you this earlier, but um--"
"His medication took an unexpected effect on his tumor," a voice next to me said matter-of-factly. I turned to my side and saw Mikey standing there, a huge smile on his face.
That only confused me further. "So, what does that mean?"
Gerard laughed again, standing up. "Frank, I'm cancer-free."
"What?" I asked, out of shock this time out of confusion. "Oh my god," I muttered, cracking a smile. I looked over to Gerard, who was smiling the widest I've seen from him a while.
"So, what's your answer, Frankie?" he asked.
I pretty much pounced on him, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. He stumbled backwards, but found support on a beam near the steps. "Yes!" I answered, practically screaming. He slipped his arms behind my back, pressing me against him. "Of-fucking-course!"
He chuckled and gave me a quick kiss, chaste and sweet. "I think your answer is yes," he said sarcastically. He kissed me again to shut up any snappy comment I would've made. "Merry Christmas, Frank."
I ran a hand through his hair, my cheeks starting to hurt from smiling. "I'm so mad at you for not telling me."
"It wouldn't have been much of a surprise to propose then, would it?"
I rolled my eyes, leaning forward to kiss him again, more passionately.
"Still here, guys!" Mikey called from behind us.
"Oh shut up."

Notes

I DON'T LIK E THIS UGHHH
i'm probably going to do a epilogue later (meaning: tomorrow)
thank you all for reading!
i love you all

xo