F
I slipped into the club and frowned. Good atmosphere, good music. Shitloads of people. This wasn't good, not for me. I pushed my way to the bar, glancing over the space and the dancing people. The stage was big, as was the dance floor.
Fuck.
All I could hope for now was shitty drinks or shitty bartenders. I leaned over the bar, my key necklace falling out of my shirt and dangling slightly. I held my hand up to catch the bartender’s attention and he hurried over. His black hair was long and thick, falling to below his jaw in layers, the messy fringe falling almost in his eyes.
“What can I get you?”
My heart nearly stopped. He was thin, very thin, and taller than I'd remembered. But the way he talked was the same, half out of the side of his mouth, and his eyes...his eyes were the same soft hazel, almost seeming to change color as he shifted.
I blinked, snapping out of my trance. “Shit. Um, I'm sorry. You remind me of someone.”
I glanced at the menu and winced. “These all sound so...heterosexual.”
The bartender laughed and nodded. “I know. It's horrible, isn't it?”
I chuckled and rolled my eyes. “Give me whatever you think is best.”
I watched his hands as he worked quickly, his hair falling in his face slightly.
“How long have you been working here?”
He stopped and smiled at me as he poured the dark red liquid into a glass. “Just about a year now.”
“Cool.”
I handed him my card and he froze, running his thumb over the raised letters of my name.
“Gerard Way,” I said quietly, or at least relatively so. He jumped and looked up at me, his eyes wide and worried. “Frank?”
I grinned, nodding slightly and sitting back a little. “I thought so. The hair threw me off..”
“You're um..very tattooed..”
I took the drink as he handed it to me and took a sip. It was good, but I didn't really know how I felt about that anymore.
“And you're taller.”
I slipped a business card out of my pocket as he ran the card, now avoiding eye contact with me. “Here. Call me,” I hummed, fiddling with the necklace. I saw him look up and he hesitated before giving my credit card back, keeping his eyes fixed on the key pendant. I slipped my card away and slid off my bar stool, walking into the crowd with my drink.

---

I ran a hand through my hair, tapping my foot lightly. I'd arranged to meet up with Gerard for lunch and he was late. Twenty minutes late.
I didn't mind, not really. I wasn't angry or frustrated. Just impatient. I wanted to see him again, I wanted to kiss him, I wanted to wrap him up in my arms and tell him I never stopped loving him.
But that would be crazy anyway. So I waited, shifting occasionally or playing with my phone.
He rushed into the cafe suddenly, nearly tripping over a chair as he hurried to me, looking completely frantic. He threw himself down in the chair opposite me. “Fuck! I am so sorry, Frank, I-”
Gerard looked at me and trailed off, his eyes suddenly sad. “F-Frankie..”
I leaned across the table and took his hand quickly. “Gee, come back to my house. Please? I wanna talk in private. Properly.”

Gerard sat down on my couch, looking around nervously. “Sorry it's a little fancy,” I mumbled, taking a seat next to me. “I um. Yeah.”
He sniffed, staring down at his lap. I brushed my fingers over his cheek and he stiffened, jerking his head away. I leaned back quickly, biting my lip hard. Gerard glanced at me.
“S-sorry, I um...sorry..”
I shook my head slightly and sighed. “We don't know anything about each other anymore. I shouldn't have assumed. Are you single?”
Gerard buried his face in his hands. “Divorced. For the second time.”
I frowned and ran my hand over his thigh, unable to keep my hands off. I had always been a touchy person, and Gerard was everything I had ever wanted. “Whoever was stupid enough to let you go will be knocked off by natural selection before he's forty. Would you like a drink, Gee?”
He winced and shook his head slowly. “No. Thank you.”
“It's okay..Gee, hon. You can look at me,” I murmured, lifting his chin gently. “I'm still the same person. I know I have more money now and we’re adults, but I'm the same Frank. Really..”
Gerard pulled away from me. “But I'm not the same Gerard,” he muttered quietly. “You don't want me.” He stood up, turning his back to me and walking a few steps away.
“C’mon,” I sighed, patting the couch. “Sit down, Gee. Enough drama, I know you're still my Gee.”
“I'm not!” He snapped suddenly. “Stop calling me that!”
I blinked and bit my lip harshly just as I heard the key in the door.
“Frank?” Sasha called out quietly. “I didn't know you were home?”
I jumped up quickly, touching Gerard’s shoulder lightly. “Hold on a second, Gee..”
I jogged to the front door and smiled at the young woman.
“Can you help me get him in? He's cranky today.”
I chuckled and nodded slightly. “Of course. But cranky is for old men. I guess I'll have to hit him over the head with his walking stick, beat the cranky out.”
Sasha laughed quietly. “I doubt it would work.”
I nodded, walking to the van and unloading the wheelchair. Sasha opened one of the doors, and I hurried around, helping her get him out of the van and into the chair.
“There,” I grinned, kissing his forehead. “Better?”
Chris rolled his eyes, but smiled at me. “I thought you were in the office all day, Frankie.”
I shook my head quickly and fixed his hair gently before starting to wheel him up the path. “I bumped into someone I used to know, and I invited him for lunch, but he was late and upset and yeah..”
Chris chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Am I interrupting something?”
I smacked him on the head very gently. “Shut up, old man. Of course not.”
I half lifted Chris's chair over the tiny step in the doorframe, then kissed his cheek. “Home sweet home. Would you like to come meet my guest?”
I walked in front of the wheelchair, and I watched Chris's face as Gerard turned around.
“Holy fuck.”
Gerard's shock quickly turned into a huge grin and he rushed to Chris, hugging him tightly. “Chris! Oh my God! How are you?”
He laughed, rubbing Gerard’s back lightly. “I'm okay, hon. How are you? I didn't think I'd ever see you again.”
I left them to chat, quietly walking into the kitchen. I heard Sasha come in behind me and sighed.
“That's Gerard?” She asked softly, taking the cup of tea I'd made for her. “He doesn't seem...different.”
I shrugged and rubbed my eyes. “He's different on the inside, Sash. I mean, you can see how much Chris loves him.”
I handed her a mug of coffee as well. “Could you take that to him? It might put him in a better mood.”
She nodded and hurried out of the kitchen. I walked after her, holding two mugs as well. When I got to the living room, Chris was sitting on the couch quite happily, chatting to Gerard. I walked over and offered the coffee to Gerard, smiling as he took it. Chris glanced up at me, worry in his eyes.
“Y'know, we should go out for dinner sometime,” Gerard announced suddenly, smiling at Chris.
“Did you get that stuff you needed, Dad?”
Chris looked over at me before he could reply to Gerard, smiling softly. “Yeah, I did, thanks.”
“Um. Who was that nice lady?” Gerard asked me suddenly. Chris cut in before I could answer.
“That's Sasha, she takes care of me, takes me out in the day and that sort of thing. Frank does a lot of things for me, but he's not here 24/7.”
Gerard nodded, glancing at me. He looked worried and upset. “I should get going. I gotta get to work soon.”
I smiled, standing up. “Would you like me to drive you back?”
“Uh, no, I'll walk. Thanks, Frank. I'll be okay.”

I swung Chris's legs into the bed and pulled the blankets over him. “So you've been doing better?”
He nodded slightly as I sat down on the edge of his bed, taking his hand gently. “S’only been ten years and I can finally take a step.”
“Nine,” I corrected gently, squeezing his hand and smiling at him. “And you took four. In a row. That's awesome, Dad. Really. You'll be doing hurdles soon.”
He rolled his eyes at me. “Like I'd want to if I could. Gerard seems...different.”
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair slowly. “He said he'd been married twice or something and he didn't seem to enjoy talking about it. He still seems like Gee..”
Chris nodded slightly. “Just be careful, Frank. Something about him made me uncomfortable today.”
I tilted my head slightly. “What do you mean?”
He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I don't know. There was something different in his eyes, something harder. I don't think he's had the best life since we moved away.”
I nodded slowly, my eyes unfocused. “Yeah, I get that impression too..” I took a deep breath and stood up. “Oh well. I think you need to get some sleep, yeah?”
Chris smiled up at me, brushing his fingers over my hip. “Thanks, Frankie. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” I hummed, waving before slipping out of the room.
I got myself ready for bed and climbed in, curling up and closing my eyes. I was just beginning to drift off when my phone rang. I answered it quickly, mumbling ‘hello’ in a hoarse voice.
“Hi...is this Frank?” Gerard asked uncertainly.
“Yeah..what's going on, Gerard?” I murmured. “Everything alright?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to apologize for today. I was late and then I left early and...yeah. I'm sorry it was awkward. I just want to say that I miss you a lot. And um...if you want to see me again, I'd really like that. A lot.”
I closed my eyes briefly and sighed. “Gerard...there's something...different about you, isn't there? Something happened.”
Gerard paused for a while, and I could hear him taking deep breaths. “Yes. Something happened. I got married twice, I didn't go to college like I wanted to, I-...look, it's not something I want to talk about with you, I'm sorry. Not yet. I wanna be sure you're still my Frankie.”
The words ‘my Frankie’ made my heart flutter and my throat close up. “I'll prove it to you. Meet me at that café at four tomorrow.”
“O-okay...um...what happened with Chris? Is he okay?”
I smiled to myself and ran a hand through my hair slowly. “Yeah, he's doing better, actually. When he woke up, they managed to find a spinal injury, I'm not sure how the stupid fucks missed it in the first place, but he was completely paralyzed from the waist down for a while. He's been doing physical therapy and it’s finally starting to pay off, he's actually been able to walk short distances, but it does tire him out. And he had some issues with motor function on his right for a while, but that's much better now. He can't write, but he can type and everything.”
“That's awesome,” Gerard hummed, and I imagined him playing with his hair. “I should probably let you sleep.”
“Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow, Gerard.”
“Bye.”
He hung up and I sighed, flicking the light off and curling up again.

Notes