~Frank~
I curled up against Gerard's side, listening to him talk me through the movie. Mikey was talking to his mum in the next room, but I couldn't hear a word. I nuzzled closer to Gerard and he put an arm around me, rubbing my leg. “I'm sorry about earlier. About interrogating you. We just care about you so much...we don't want you hurt, Frankie.”
I smiled slightly. “I know.”
“Do you want a proper cuddle?” He asked quietly. I nodded, climbing into his lap and curling up against his chest, my face buried in his neck. He tugged a soft blanket up around my shoulders, smoothing it over me before wrapping his arms around me tightly. “That's a bit more comfortable,” he hummed, playing with my hair gently.
I grunted softly, but I was starting to get sleepy, the rhythmic rise and fall of Gerard’s chest and his warmth causing my eyes to close and my head to nod. I shifted, snuggling closer to him and letting my body relax. I was just drifting off when I heard Mikey walk back into the room and sit down. Gerard rubbed my back slowly. “It's okay, Frankie. Go back to sleep.”
I shifted again and slid off his lap, rubbing my eyes to try and wake up. Gerard chuckled, stroking my hair. “Cutie pie. You okay?”
I nodded slightly and yawned, leaning against his side. Mikey got up, moving around and sitting on my other side. “Frankie. We need to talk to you about something.”
I sat up a bit, blinking. Gerard rubbed my back soothingly, and I could feel him watching me.
“Frankie, we’re really worried about you. Very worried. And so...I told my mum about it, because I think she can help us out.”
I sat quietly, not sure what to say or how to react.
“She’d like to talk to you, is that okay?”
Mikey was rubbing my arm now, his shoulder against mine. I nodded slowly, then turned to Gerard. “Come with me?”
He gently lifted me up onto my feet before standing up next to me and taking my hand. He walked me into the kitchen slowly, his thumb running over my knuckles. I almost tripped over nothing and Gerard caught me gently, kissing my cheek. “You're okay.”
He helped me sit down at the table, still holding my hand.
“Frank,” Mrs. Way started quietly. “How are you feeling, sweetie?”
I decided on honesty, with Gerard watching me and the only mum I’d had for two years sitting across the table from me. “I'm tired. Exhausted, even. I'm sore, my body hurts. I just want to curl up in bed and do nothing for a week.”
Gerard's breath hitched and he squeezed my hand gently.
“Frankie, baby. I think we should call CPS.”
I sat there, feeling like the bottom had just dropped out of my world and I was falling, falling indefinitely. Gerard brought me back, stroking his knuckles over my cheek. I blinked, starting to shake slightly.
“I...I don't know. I-I..”
Gerard stroked my hair slowly, leaning so our shoulders were touching and I could feel him there. “You don't have to make a huge decision now, Frank.”
“I...where would I live? I d-don't want to be a foster kid, I-”
“You'll be eighteen in October,” Gerard said quietly. “They’ll let you make your own choice. My apartment is a two-bed, you could come stay with me, or you could take my old bedroom here.”
“I c-can't ask you to d-do that..” I sniffed, and Gerard wiped the tears off my cheeks.
“Well, you're not asking, we’re offering,” Mrs. Way pointed out gently. I rubbed my eyes and buried my face in my hands, shivering. Gerard wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer protectively. “Shh, sweetie. Don't cry,” he murmured, stroking my hair slowly. I heard footsteps and Mikey sat down next to me, rubbing my back gently. “We’ll be here for you.”
I nodded shakily, lifting my head slowly. “O-okay. I c-can't do this anymore.”
Gerard ran his fingers through my hair.
“So do you want me to call, Frank?” Mrs. Way said softly, sounding concerned. I nodded again, trembling now.
“Please.”
Gerard immediately scooped me up, carrying me back to the living room bridal style. I clung to him, crawling into his lap as soon as he sat down. He hugged me tightly, wrapping the blanket around me again. “Shh, Frankie. Don't cry, sweetie. Take deep breaths and close your eyes. You could do with some more rest.”
But I was already struggling to breathe, my fingers scrabbling for a grip on Gerard's shirt. Mikey tried to calm me down, talking to me quietly, but it just got worse, until I started to feel lightheaded. Gerard stroked my cheeks, kissing my forehead. “Shh, baby. If you can't breathe, you're gonna pass out. If you do, Mikey and I will lay you down on the sofa and let you rest for a while. So don't be scared, alright? We're here..”
I gasped again, my fingers tangling in his hair just before I felt my body go limp and everything faded away.

I came to on the sofa, a pillow under my head and a blanket over me. Gerard was sitting nearby, humming to himself. I sat up, wincing as I turned my head towards him. He stopped.
“Hey, Frank.”
I blinked, laying back down and curling up in a tiny ball. “Hi.”
“Do you want to go to bed? It's almost nine and I know you're tired.”
“Where is everyone?”
Gerard stood up and walked over, kneeling down by the couch and reaching out, rubbing my side. “Mikey and Mum are sorting things out. CPS are gonna want to talk to you in the morning, so I think you should try and get lots of sleep.”
I nodded and Gerard picked me up again, carrying me down the hall and to the end, slipping into his room. It smelled of him. Vanilla and lavender and warmth. He walked over to the bed and laid me down carefully. “I have some pajamas you can borrow. Do you want me to help you?”
I nodded, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. Gerard hummed, slipping my shirt over my head slowly, before replacing it with a clean, soft one. I let him take my jeans off, a bit distant.
Just after my accident, when I'd first lost my sight, people had had to dress me for a while. It took me a while to be able to do it myself. Dad would always help me, singing to me quietly as he did so.
“Frankie?”
I turned to Gerard. “Yes?”
“You're crying, sweetie, what's wrong?”
“I miss my dad.”
Gerard slipped the jeans off my hips and down, then helped me into a pair of soft pajama pants instead. “I'm sorry, sweetie. But you can get some sleep now.”
I crawled back onto a comfortable area of the bed, curling up. Gerard sighed. “You don't look happy, Frank. Do you want me to come lay down with you until you fall asleep?”
I nodded, trembling slightly. The mattress sank and I felt Gerard lay down behind me, his chest against my back as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close.
“Just get some rest, Frank,” he murmured, stroking my hair slowly. I yawned and settled back, letting my eyes close up.

Gerard was holding my hand, Mikey sitting not far away. The woman across the table was stern, but seemed okay.
“How did you lose your sight?”
I swallowed hard and rubbed one eye shakily. “It was an accident that damaged my ocular nerves.”
She sighed. “What accident?”
“I was hit by a car.”
Gerard's grip on my hand tightened.
“How old were you?”
“Ten.”
Gerard rubbed my forearm slowly, and I could feel his worried gaze on me.
“And your dad passed away two years ago from cancer, is that right?”
I nodded, my fingers starting to tremble.
“Okay. You're doing really well, Frank, I know this is hard,” she said quietly, and I could hear a hint of a smile in her voice. “You're fully blind, is that correct?”
I nodded again. “Yeah, just black. No shapes or anything like that.”
“Okay. And can you recount some of what's been happening with your mother?”
I coughed and Gerard wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Well, it started after my dad died, I don't think she's handling it very well. She stays out a lot and leaves me at home, and eats out a lot so there's never much food in the house. If I ask for any, she gets angry. I stayed here the other night because she wasn't coming home, and she slapped me. She doesn't like the fact that I'm gay..” I trailed off and took a deep breath.
“What about what happened with Mikey?”
I shrugged and sighed. “I'd texted her to make sure it was okay that he came over, and she said yes, and when I got there she said it wasn't and she kicked Mikey out and then turned on me. She asked me if I was having sex with him, and when I said no, she slapped me. Later, I went downstairs to get myself something for dinner and she got really angry. She hit me again and I ended up on the floor. She hit my arm and kicked me, then walked away.”
Gerard was holding me a little tighter now, his hands shaking.
“Are you okay? You don't need any X-rays or anything?”
I shook my head. “I'm a little sore, but it's just bruises I think.”
“Okay, well you've been really brave, Frank. I'd like you to have a think about where you want to go, I know you have some options, and then when you choose, let us know and we’ll sort everything else out.”
I nodded quickly. “I know where I want to go. I want to stay with Gerard, if he's still okay with that.”
Gerard squeezed my shoulders. “Of course it's okay, Frank.”
“Okay,” the lady said, getting up. “I'll be in touch.”

Notes

Just a warning, there's some blood in the next chapter. Not self-harm, just some blood.