Pete stared at the crumpled piece of paper. “I don't understand.” He mumbled over and over.
“What don't you understand?” I snapped.
He looked up at me, his face flushed.
“This is my boyfriend’s number!”
I blinked and my heart sank. “Shit.”
Suddenly Pete was crying, and I felt sick. I hated seeing people cry.
I rubbed his shoulder awkwardly. “There's so many reasons why Gerard could have had his number. Don't jump to conclusions, okay? I'll ask him about it nice and calmly tonight. Then I'll call you, okay?”
Pete nodded, sniffling and trying to wipe his face. I handed him a tissue and he thanked me tearfully.

---

Gerard glared at me, snatching the paper out of my hands. “Stay the fuck out of my business, jackass!”
I sighed and took a deep breath, reminding myself that Gerard was scared, not mean.
“It's my business now, because that's my best friend’s boyfriend’s number. Y’know him, the other guy who saved your life. Please, I just need to know if he's a client of yours or not. You don't have to tell me anything else.”
Gerard shoved the paper into his pocket, flicking his hair out of his eyes defiantly. He looked away, blinked slowly, and sighed.
“He's my older brother.”
I stared at him for a second, then nodded slightly. “Okay. Okay. Um. Would you mind if my friend came over?”
Gerard shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, looking highly agitated. “I guess...can he bring Mikey?”
He was so hesitant. I stepped forward and hugged him. He instinctively nuzzled up to me, letting out a soft breath as he buried his face in my neck. “I'll ask.” I said simply, rubbing his back slowly.

---

I'd never met Mikey. Pete had been dating him for a few months, and I knew he was crazy in love already. It was adorable. Pete complained about Mikey almost constantly, but honestly I think he was just trying to sound like all the other officers who whined about their girlfriends. And there was always something genuine and lighthearted about the things he said.
I smiled as the doorbell rang. Gerard looked a little panicked, shifting uncomfortably. I squeezed his shoulder as I got up, opening the door. Pete smiled at me, hand in hand with a tall, blonde guy. He had nerdy glasses and was thin, but not lanky or weirdly skinny.
“This is Mikey..”
Mikey rolled his eyes and held his spare hand out to me. “I can introduce myself, Pete. Nice to meet you, Frank.”
I chuckled and walked them inside. Gerard had vanished. Mikey frowned and called his name softly. “Gerard? I know what you've been up to, and I'm not angry. Just worried.”
I sighed and gently pulled Mikey towards Gerard’s room. “You can go in.” I murmured to him. He nodded and slipped inside, closing the door behind him.
They were in there for close to half an hour. Pete and I made a pot of coffee and chatted for a while. When the two men finally came out of the room, Gerard was in tears. I walked over and hugged him briefly, a little worried. Mikey smiled sadly at Pete, kissing him quickly. Gerard leaned against my chest, trembling all over. Mikey glanced at him and smiled a little wider. “I think it's time Pete and I went home, Gee. You're a bit overwhelmed and I think you need some breathing time. I'll come visit you soon, okay?”
He nodded and buried his face in my chest as Pete and Mikey left quietly.

---

I tried to get Gerard to talk to me, but he just quietly put himself to bed. He wouldn't talk for 48 hours. I left him alone for the most part, remembering Mikey's advice for ‘breathing time.’ I wanted Gerard to be okay. He was damaged and I hated that he felt so bad.
I helped him get ready for his first day at his new job three days after Mikey's visit. He was just stocking shelves at Target, but it was a great start for him.
He ran around erratically, panicking about lunch and uniforms and house keys. I managed to calm him down and help him pack his bag, talking to him calmly and quietly. As soon as I dropped him off, he ran into the building, and I smiled. He seemed happier.

---

Pete grinned when I arrived at the station.
“Mikey has been so happy since he saw Gerard..”
I smiled and started changing. “That's great, Pete, I'm glad they seem to get along.”
Pete sighed. “Yeah. He won't tell me anything, though.”
I nodded. “Gerard won't talk about it either. I don't think it's worth pushing them. I know how curious you are, but I'm scared that pushing one or both of them is just gonna make it worse. They're good people and they deserve to be given a little extra time for this.”
Pete looked at me sideways. “Gerard is a good person?”
I looked down at the floor for a couple seconds. “Yeah. I know how you feel about prostitution, Pete. But he's a good kid. He really is. I think he got hurt really badly..”
Pete snorted and I slammed my locker door, turning on my heel before walking out quickly.

---

I didn't have a long shift that day, thank god, and I got home in time to take a shower before I had to go pick Gerard up.
He ran to my car and climbed in, smiling breathlessly. I chuckled and pulled away from the curb. “How was your first day?”
Gerard was staring at the road with wide eyes. “No one touched me!”
I blinked, then took a deep breath. “Well, yeah. That's a good thing. And if anyone does, you can report them for sexual harassment.”
“I know!” He squealed. “Isn't it great?”
I forced myself not to laugh, nodding sagely. He'd had a wildly different life than mine, and I had to remember that.
“I'm so glad you're excited. Was there a lot of training?”
He shrugged and curled up in his seat. “Only the first hour.”
“That's good.”
“Mhm.”
Gerard leaned his head on the window, closing his eyes. I reached over and rubbed his shoulder, making him jump.
“Fuck! Frank!”
I chuckled softly and smiled at him. “Hey. You're gonna be okay, yeah?”
Gerard nodded and smiled to himself as he closed his eyes again.

Notes