A Soul I Cannot Save...

Frank realized he needed to do a big of digging into Gerard's past on order to truly help him. And for that, he needed to enlist the help of Mikey.

Frank decided he needed to spend a little time with Mikey before he started badgering him with personal questions about he and his brother's lives.

"Hello, Mikey." Frank said as Mikey walked out of the house. There was only one place Mikey ever went so it was pretty easy to track him down.

"Hi. You're the guy who cleans up around here, right? You aren't, like, praying on my brother or anything are you?" Mikey asked.

"I am the clean-up guy, I'm not a pervert. I'm just trying to help him, help the both of you actually." Frank replied only to receive the same 'what a creep' face Gerard gave him the first time they spoke.

"Look, man, if you buy me a case of beer I'll hear you out, if you don't, I'll report you." Mikey proposed. Ouch, Frank thought. He didn't expect Mikey to be such a blunt person, but he liked it.

"How about I do you one better? I'll treat you to dinner, wherever you want to go, if you talk about to me about you and your brother.

"Deal." Mikey said in agreement. He knew that Frank could be a serial killer, looking to get a bit of action before he murders him. But he also knew his brother seemed to trust him, so he couldn't be to creepy.

They ended up at a swank, little pizzeria. Mikey ordered them an extra-large cheese pizza with spinach. He wanted there to be enough to take home to Gerard since he wasn't feeling well.

"So, what did you want to know? Actually, tell me more about yourself first." Mikey said. He wanted to get most of the talking done before the pizza came in case Frank really was a killer and he had to make a run for it, with the pizza, of course.

"I'm you and your brother's guardian angel, and I can prove it. Ask me anything."

"What does God look like? I'm I going to hell because I don't believe in God? What's hell like? Is God really a man?" Mikey asked. Frank hadn't expected such straight-forward questioning.

"God doesn't have a physical image. No, you won't go to hell for that, hell is for evil people who've accepted that they are evil and continue their wrong-doings. I've never been to hell, so I don't know what that's like. I hate met Satan, though. They're pretty intense. Also, no, God is not a man since they've existed since long before gender was a concrete concept. " Frank had to take a breath. He wasn't used to saying that much at one time.

"Wow. You are an angel. Or maybe you're just really charismatic, 'cause I'm definitely buying it."

"Yep." Frank paused, knowing his next question might strike a nerve.

"What do you know about Bert, Gerard's ex boyfriend?"

"I'd actually like to know what YOU know about him first." Mikey raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing."

"Well, good. Because I didn't want to ruin any good feelings you had about him. He's an asshole, to be perfectly clear. I never understood what Gerard saw in him. I'm just glad they aren't together anymore. Gerard was with him. Y'know, when our parents..." He trailed off.

The pizza arrived at their table and both boys were grateful. Mikey found it amusing to see Frank pray before he ate. Frank found it amusing that Mikey could eat four slices of Pizza in 5 minutes. When they were full of pizza, soda, and breadsticks, they continued talking.

"Do you know where I can find him?"

"Who? Bert? Why would you want to? The 8 months he and Gerard were dating all I wanted to do was be wherever he wasn't."

"What's so shitty about him? Why do you hate him so much?"

"He was a bad influence on Gerard. Drugs, drinking, dealing, the whole bit. He even got me high a couple times. He lives in a glorified crack den. He isn't half bad when he's sober, but that's a rarity." Frank automatically hated him from that description. He didn't blame Bert for having a drug problem, but he was upset that he was including Gerard and Mikey in his bullshit.

"I want his address." Frank said.

"I don't know it. I can show you where it is though. I don't know if he'll be of much use to your little journey for information. He's a stoner and an ass. Even if he has the stuff you want from him, he won't give it up for free."

"I don't care, I'll make it work." "What is it you're looking for from him anyway?" Frank thought for a moment. He didn't actually know, yet.

"I'm not sure. But I have a couple of unanswered questions about your brother that I have a strange feeling he might know something about."

"Actually," Frank started, "I want to try something." Frank reached his hand out to hold Mikey's. Mikey flinched at the sudden touch. Mikey thought Frank was trying to get fresh with him and he simply wouldn't allow it.

"It burned you, too?" Frank asked, mistaking Mikey's actions.

"What? No. I just thought you were trying something." Mikey responded. What did he mean by that?

"Oh, sorry. It wasn't supposed to come off like that. I can only make physical contact with your brother at certain times. Sometimes when I touch him, he complains of a pain similar to being burned all throughout his body. Other times, nothing."

"So, you just made the 'executive decision' to burn me, too? Without any warning."

"No, it's usually when Gerard doesn't expect me to touch him, I burn him. Maybe it's some sort of defense mechanism to keep him alert of something. I still haven't made any concrete theories about it, though." Frank said to Mikey. Frank was glad that they were getting along and that Mikey had been so helpful in Frank's quest to find the answer to his questions.

"Well, I do wish you the best in your search, man." Mikey replied.

"You say that like you won be around to see how it goes." Frank said, half jokingly. Deep down he saw it as a bit of a red flag.

"I don't know. Maybe I won't be. Take me back, please." Mikey's immediate recoil nearly gave Frank whiplash.

One second he was open and inviting, the next he won't even make eye contact. Sometimes it was hard for Frank to remember that people, including Mikey, were multi-faceted beings capable of such sharp emotional transition. Angels were a bit different. They didn't feel the need to hide anything. Because really, who could legitimately judge them but God. But humans had each other to fear. So, Frank took Mikey home.

But he was intensely eager to speak with Bert. He understood himself enough to know there was no way he'd be able to sleep without seeing him.

Notes

i have a fic i haven't updated in a literal actual year. Happy birthday fic! I think i'll upate becuase im an asshole.