Safe?.... Never! (Re-edited for easier reading)

Gerard picked up his cell and pressed the answer button.

"Hi Frankie.."

"...."

"Frankie? You there?..."

"...."

"F..Frank....?"

"Hello GeeGee.."

"NO!!!!!"

It couldn't be him!!! Gerard dropped his phone in the bath, and started to panic...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Two hours earlier~

"Frankie?.. Where'd you put the painkillers babe?"

Gerard called from the bedroom.
Frank stuck his head around the door, a worried look in his big hazel eyes.

"Are you ok baby?... What hurts?"

He entered the room wearing dark blue skinnies and a Batman tee.
Gerard winced.

"My hips.."

Ever since Bert had dislocated them with that fuckin' chair of his, Gerard had been in almost constant pain. He'd had to have two operations to just get back on his feet, along with hours and hours of physical therapy... But they still hurt him.

".. I can't stand this Frankie!"

He whimpered.
Frank moved to the nightstand and dug around in the top drawer, before pulling out Gerard's medication.

"Here you go.. You need water?"

Gerard shook his head as he accepted two small white pills, and swallowed them dry.

"Thanks Frankie... Any plans for today? You gotta work?"

Frank took Gerard's hands in his, it was a comforting gesture, one Gerard needed to feel safe.

"No baby, no work again til Monday... But..."

He hesitated, and Gerard picked up on it, raising an eyebrow in query. Frank sighed, gently caressing Gerard's long fingers.

".. It's just that.. Well.. Mikey asked us to pop round later, he needs help with something.."

He could feel Gerard's hands tense up, and start to tremble. Gerard had only left the house they shared once since he'd moved in, straight out of the hospital, apart from visits to the surgeon, and that had not gone well.

Frank now works completely from home, so he can look after Gerard, but at the time, he was still having to go into the record label he owns, at least twice a week.
Mikey, Bob and Ray would take it in turns staying with Gerard on those days, as both physically, and emotionally, he couldn't cope on his own, but this one day, everyone's schedules seemed to clash, and there was no one available... So he had to go in with Frank.

Everything seemed to be ok at first, Frank sat Gerard down in a big comfy chair in the corner of the studio he would be working in that day, with a large black coffee, and his I-pod and earbuds.
He was nervous about being out of the house, and scared about the strangers he could hear moving around him, so he cranked the volume up high, and tried to get lost in the music.

At this point, he basically had no sight at all, not even the little he has now, so he was living in perpetual darkness, and it scared the hell out of him every single day. But being in a strange place, surrounded by strange people, had his anxiety levels going through the roof.

Heart pumping fast in his chest, breaths coming in heavy, ragged gasps, Gerard knew he was headed toward a panic attack, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

Having drunk his coffee a while ago, and put the cup down on the table Frank had told him was on his left side, he now had his fingers gripping hard onto the leather arms of the chair, as The Misfits blasted into his ears.

Gerard didn't know where Frank was, he didn't even know if he was still in the room with him, but he was too terrified to remove his earbuds to find out.. What if people were talking about him? Laughing?... Worse... What if he was alone?

Tears slid down his face from behind his dark glasses, as he sat, tense and afraid, now gasping for air.. He was beginning to hyperventilate.
Where was Frank?... Why wasn't he here?... Why wasn't he helping him?

Suddenly he felt the buds being pulled from his ears, and he full-on lost it... Screaming, hitting, kicking out... He didn't know where he was, or what was happening, and he simply couldn't deal.

As it turned out, it was Frank who had taken out his earbuds, seeing how distressed he was becoming, and wanting to calm him down... It didn't go to plan, as Frank ended up with a black eye, that Gerard apologised repeatedly for, all the way home, then most of the evening too.
It had taken Frank a good five minutes to get Gerard to stop fighting him, and another ten after that for him to stop crying and shaking, eventually collapsing into Frank's warm arms, and clinging to his shirt til the sobs subsided.

So now, he was sat on their bed, shaking, and trying not to cry, as Frank drew small circles on Gerard's wrists with the tips of his thumbs, and spoke softly to him.

"Baby, it's right next door... Plus, it'll just be you, me and Mikey.. No strangers.. I'm sure you can do it.."

He cooed.. Hating seeing Gerard like this.

".. Will you try?.. For me?.."

Gerard thrust his head against Frank's chest and breathed him in, the familiar scent helping to calm his frayed nerves.

"I could... "

He swallowed hard.

".. I could stay here?.. If you're not long?.."

Well, that was a first!... Clearly he really, really didn't want to go out.
Frank let go of Gerard's left hand, still holding onto the right, and gently stroked the fragile man's soft red hair.

"You sure baby?"

Gerard lifted his head up toward Frank's, leaning in so that their lips could softly meet. It was just a small, chaste kiss, no tongues involved, but it was full of love, and trust.. These were the kisses Gerard appreciated the most, the ones that told him he was with someone who would never hurt him, someone who would protect him with their life.

"Yeah.."

He began, as their mouths pulled apart from one another.

"I kinda want a bath anyway.. My hips..?"

He grimaced slightly.
Frank frowned, still remembering the last time Gee had a bath while he wasn't there.

"I don't know babe... A bath? While I'm gone?.."

Gerard smiled softly.

"I promise I won't get out before you get back... Just help me get in, and I'll stay there til you come home... I've got to be left alone sometime... Please?..."

Frank sighed, he was right, Gerard wasn't a child. He could be trusted on his own for a while.... Eventually Frank agreed.

A little while later, making sure that all the doors and windows were locked tight, that Gerard was safe and comfortable, had his cellphone close at hand and knew he wouldn't be gone long, Frank gently squeezed Gerard's hand once more, closed the bathroom door to keep the heat in, then left, double locking the front door as he went.

He would worry about Gerard the whole time he was next door, of course he would, but he wouldn't be that long... And besides, what's the worst that could happen..?.. Hey?.......

Notes

I'M BACK!!
I had several people asking for this sequel, and I'm pleased to say that the "fun" starts here
Comment etc
peace out my chipmunks
<3