Magic Tricks

Frank fretted in his lounge chair. Around him, people in swim trunks and bikinis frolicked and socialized. He wasn’t sure where Mikey, Ray, or James had gone. The crowd was too thick to spot anybody, either in the pool or out. Frank himself had an untouched mojito in his hand, waiting to fill his belly.

Yet he did not drink it -- nor did he socialize, nor frolic. His eyes kept darting every which way, looking for a patch of cherry red through the sea of other, summery colors.

The last he had seen Gerard was an hour prior to the moment, pleading with Frank in his hotel room. And Frank trying to swallow down his rising temper.

“He just gets a little rough sometimes.”

“That’s no excuse to hurt you.”

“It’s the alcohol he drinks.”

“I drink alcohol too, that doesn’t mean I hit other people when I do…well, not most of the time anyway.”

“He’s trying to get better. He has plans to get help.”

“And exactly how long has this been happening, G?”

Gerard hadn’t answered that question. It was obvious that he was regretting his decision to come to Frank more and more. But that just annoyed Frank more. How could he really think that he’d be okay with this? Did he really believe that he’d show his wounds to Frank, and Frank would just roll his eyes, say something like “Oh you mischievous little ragamuffin “, help him conceal them and be done with it?

Did he really think Frank wouldn’t ask any questions about it?

And above all those things, Frank was just plain confused.

It was all so out of character. It didn’t add up. The Gerard he knew would have never allowed this to happen.

The Gerard he knew wasn’t physically much of a fighter, but he was still very fierce and could be intensely dominating when he wanted to be. The Gerard he knew took nobody’s crap.

So who was this meek, scared looking thing that was staring at him then, with tears in his eyes and fear in his voice?

What could this guy have done to break him this way? To take a stone statue and make it crumble into a pile of rubble?

“Please don’t tell anyone Frankie, we just need some time to work things out right now.” Gerard asked for about the hundredth time.

“Are you crazy?” Frank scoffed, “What if he goes too far? What if one night right before a show you end up in the hospital, and no one else but me has no fucking clue as to why? What am I supposed to do then? That's not fucking fair!"

"I promise I won't let it get that far!" Gerard said with confidence.

It made Frank sad, really. He had known many other people stuck in abusive relationships before, and they all said the same lines. They all said the same excuses. He wondered if Gerard knew just how cliché he was being just then.

"I'm sorry." Frank had sighed before he told Gerard, with the sternest voice he could muster, "This isn't something I can't just let fucking slide. If you're getting hurt, Gerard --"

"HE'LL RUIN ME!" Gerard screeched at him suddenly.

Frank stopped mid sentence and stared at Gerard, who was looking at him right in the eyes for the first time since he had come in. There was a feral look to him then, like a cornered cat hissing at an oncoming predator. It was a look of both fear and desperation.

"He'll tell her." Gerard continued on, and Frank did not have to ask who "her" was. "...He'll tell her and then they'll take away B from me, I'll never be able to see her! My reputation will be shot, it'll hurt the image of the band! I have too much at stake here Frank! Please, you can't..."

Frank mentally cursed. He would admit that in light of the anger he had felt when he saw Gerard's injuries, he had forgotten about the rest of the whole mess.

He struggled to reach a decision, knowing the others would come knocking on the door soon, wanting to know why they weren't at the arranged meet up spot for the party.

On one hand, he was afraid for Gerard. As previously contemplated, Gerard was not a physically strong person. If someone of decent size really wanted to wreck Gerard, it wouldn't be hard. There aren't a lot of men Frank could think of who wouldn't be able to. Gerard was just weak, and the last brawl he got caught up in, Frank himself had to jump into and save him. He wasn't sure what would have happened to him if he hadn't. Frank didn't think he could trust that Gerard could fight for himself if he ever got into a really bad spot with Troy. On the other hand, Gerard had some good points. If this guy had really threatened to reveal his secret to the public, including Lindsey, Gerard's life would really go to shit on an emotional level. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Not to mention the fact that he had no real right telling Gerard what he could and couldn't do in his relationships. Much as he regrets some of the time, he has no actual ownership over Gerard Way.

I mean, said a voice in his head, this is all kind of his fault anyway. He shouldn’t have cheated. Especially after learning all this, Frank could not even begin to try to comprehend what had brought Gerard to do such a thing. And why with this particular guy?

Oh Gerard, he silently groaned as he stared at his friend, who just then looked absolutely miserable. What kind of fucked up mess have you found yourself in?

"Okay. Fine." Frank resigned finally. He picked up the brush he had dropped and motioned for Gerard to turn back around. Gerard did so, curling up into a fetal position.

"But you need to promise me." Frank had said as he went to work, painting over of Gerard's wounds and scars, wondering just how many more there really were, "If he gets out of hand, you come to me. Got it?"

"Got it." Gerard had nodded.

"I fucking mean it, G." Frank reached around and grabbed Gerard’s chin, turning his head so that he was facing him over his shoulder. Their faces were practically touching as he half whispered, half hissed, "I will protect you no matter what. All you need to do is tell me."

"Okay, Frank." Gerard whispered back.

Now at the party, that whispered agreement played on a loop in his ear. He wanted to believe Gerard, but the plain and simple fact was that – he didn’t. Gerard has always been stubborn, and it took him constantly vomiting and collapsing on the ground to admit that he had an alcohol problem. He didn’t like asking for help.

Frank got up from his lounge chair, realizing he should probably go do something. Nothing was going to be achieved by him just sitting there. He was at a party, he was supposed to be having fun. Not just hanging back, worrying about things that weren’t his problem.

He walked around for a while, trying to find anyone he knew. He found a couple of friends, but they were already in their own clicks. As usual, various girls came up to him and tried to chit -chat, but he knew where it was going and he brushed them off quickly. All the while, he sipped at his alcoholic beverage, figuring he should at least be drunk while being bored.

Finally, he found a large bush of sandy brown hair that he recognized as Ray’s signature afro. He wedged his way to Ray’s side, clapping a hand on his back.

“Hey!” Frank greeted him.

“Hey!” Ray greeted back.

Frank looked up at the group Ray had been conversing with. Some of the crew stood there, red in the face and probably too drunk to know where they were.

And then there was Gerard.

He frowned at the same time Gerard’s smile dropped from his face. Gerard stood there in his swim trunks, his body perfectly pale and unmarked, thanks to Frank.

Arms snaked around him – Troy’s arms. His arms were muscular and large, and made Gerard’s whole body look small as they held him possessively.

Suddenly, Frank’s blood boiled.

He must not have been doing a very good job keeping a poker face, as Gerard did the slightest shake of his head. Troy buried his face in the crook of Gerard’s neck, looking like a vampire feeding on his prey.

Frank couldn’t control it.

He couldn’t do this.

He had to say something.

He couldn’t bear to watch this asshole touching Gerard any longer.

He felt his mouth open slightly, but before he could do or say anything, Troy spoke up first.

“Who wants to see a magic trick?” he announced, a line they have heard him bellow at every party they’ve attended with him.

Everyone around them cheered. Troy squeezed Gerard’s sides before releasing him, stepping over to the left and bowing at the now forming audience. Frank fought the urge to roll his eyes. Troy looked at Gerard and grinned, “If you might be my assistant, as always, my dear?”

“Of course.” Gerard nodded, smiling back at him fondly.

“For my first act,” declared Troy, “I’m going to make my beautiful beau over here…disappear.”

Gerard laughed. Frank chugged down the last of his drink, and threw it aside. He stalked off angrily, thinking it was best to leave before he did anything he might regret. Anything Gerard might get angry at him for.

He went back to his hotel room and dived on the bed. He screamed into he pillow, only realizing then that his hands were shaking from fury.

Troy’s voice echoed in his head.

“I’m going to make my beautiful beau over here…disappear.”

Frank drove a fist into the mattress, thinking to himself:

‘Like hell, you will.’

TBC

Notes