The Fabulous Kill Boys

“You don’t listen to me, do you?” Melanie noted Gerard when she arrived in the basement.

Gerard was on his knees as he was told, but was still wearing his boxers. She ran her fingers through his hair, fisting her hand close to the nape of his neck and pulled Gerard’s head back. He swallowed harshly and tried not to drool at how amazing Melanie looked.

“I’m not in the mood for any of your bullshit tonight Gee. Clothes off, collar on, hands and knees on the bed. You make any fucking noise and you won’t be able to sit for a week after I’m done with you.”

Gerard was quick to do as he was told this time, putting his collar on, slipping his boxers off and settling on his hands and knees in the centre of the bed. He knew better than to push Melanie’s buttons when she took that particular tone with him. Melanie didn’t like it when he when he knew, or at least could work out what she was planning to do, whereas, he much preferred to know - it added to his sense of anticipation. Despite the strong temptation, he tried hard not to look at the table beside the bed where Melanie had set up all the toys she was planning to use on him.

“What am I going to do with you Gee? Can’t even follow simple instructions. Here I was thinking you were the smart one.”

Melanie told him as she dragged the riding crop slowly, teasingly across his shoulders making him shiver.

“I’ll be good, I promise.”

She sighed impatiently, grabbing the gag off of the table next to the bed and pulling Gerard’s head up so she could shove it in his mouth.

“I told you to keep your mouth shut, little boy, and you can’t even manage that. Now, I was going to make you count off while I punished you, but since you want to mouth off, you’re going to have to think of another way to thank me.”

When Melanie began to hit Gerard’s thighs with the crop, he closed his eyes and whimpered through the gag. She wasn’t concerned by the sounds, she knew how much Gerard liked it when she hit him, especially with the crop, but his wasn’t about giving Gerard what he wanted it was about Melanie asserting her authority and control over him.

Noticing that his eyes were closed, Melanie stopped, putting the crop down and roughly grasping Gerard’s chin, pulled his head up from where it had dropped between his shoulders. Taking the gag from his mouth, she stroked his cheek before slapping him lightly.

“Eyes open Gee, you know I like it when you can see what I’m doing to you. You don’t want to disappoint me, do you baby?”

“No Melanie, I want to be good.”

“Well, aside from how much you love running your mouth, you are a good boy Gee, you’re my good boy.”

Gerard smiled and looked up hopefully at Melanie and she kissed his forehead sweetly and took a seat on a chair in front of the bed.

“Now, what have you and Frank been talking about? What kept the two of you up all night, hmm?”

Melanie very slowly and very deliberately crossed her legs, giving Gerard a flash of the black, lacy underwear she was wearing on as she did. Melanie had worn this outfit for a reason, a black shirt that doubled as a dress because of her height with white skeleton hands grabbing her breasts and ass, it was much easier to move around when she had very little clothing on and clothing that flowed nicely with her movements. She’d paired the outfit with red, thigh highs and red lipstick. Gerard opened his mouth to start explaining then closed it again, needing a second to think about what he was going to say and Melanie sighed.

“I’m giving you an opportunity here, Gee, but if you’re not going to answer me I’ll just go back to hitting you.”

Melanie moved the chair forward and ran her hands through Gerard's hair, fisting a handful of it and holding him still while she kissed him. Gerard made a surprised noise against Melanie's lips - this was something he was normally not allowed to do. The excitement soon overwhelmed him and he crushed his lips against hers in the heated kiss, enjoying everything that she was letting him have.

“I forgot how good you taste, Gee Baby.”

“You too, Melanie. Thank you for letting me kiss you.”

Melanie smiled and sat back down in her chair, running her thumb across Gerard's bottom lip.

“Now, what did you, and Mikey’s pathetic friend talk about?”

“I played the worried brother perfectly Melanie, broke down in tears and everything, pretended to be worried about my poor, innocent, sweet little brother. The idiot fell for everything! I even told him that I took care of Pete, Mikey's ex, after I found out he was cheating on Mikey. That was before you joined us. Not that I told him exactly what I did to Pete, of course.”

Gerard laughed and Melanie’s lip quirked but she didn’t exactly smile and waited for him to continue but he appeared to be done. Not entirely satisfied with what she’d been told, but still happy nonetheless, Melanie rose from the chair once more and crawled onto the bed with Gerard.

“I’m proud of you, Gee, you’ve done so well. Ready for your reward?”

Melanie gripped the bottom of her dress and pulled it off over her head, dropping it to the floor beside the bed and beckoning Gerard over. He swallowed hard at Melanie’s perfect body, and the black and red satin bra and matching panties were paired well with the red thigh highs and black satin suspenders and it all complimented her pale skin.

“My…my reward? Didn’t I already…?” He stammered.

“Yes, Gee, your reward. You may touch me, and you may kiss me, and…”

Melanie took his hand and pulled him until she was lYong on her back with him hovering over her on all fours.

“…I want you to make me scream your name so fucking loud that Mikey will hear it next door, and Ray will hear it upstairs. He needs to know how much of a good boy you’ve been.”

Melanie wrapped her arms around Gerard's neck and pulled him down so they could kiss; it was all the encouragement he needed.

*

“Oh my god, Gee, right fucking there!!!!”

In the other dungeon, Ray rolled his eyes and Mikey shuddered as Melanie screamed out Gerard’s name.

“She’s faking it with your brother. She always does. Melanie doesn’t tend to make any noise when she’s being fucked right, especially when it’s me. You would have gotten to find out what getting fucked by me was like if you weren’t such a tease, Mikey.”

Ray told him casually as he tightened the shackles around Mikey’s wrists. Mikey swallowed hard and stared back at Ray, remaining defiant.

“Huh,” Mikey raised an eyebrow. “I've never heard of a woman staying silent when you’re doing it right. Doesn’t sound like I missed much.”

Ray levelled a solid right hook, splitting Mikey's lip and jarring his neck with the force of the blow.

Mikey spat blood on the floor as he looked up at Ray.

“You’re sure she’s faking it with Gee?” He pressed.

Ray offered Mikey a dark frown before tightening the shackles until Mikey gasped with pain.

“Go ahead, Mikey, run your mouth. I will always be able to hurt you more than you could possibly hurt me.”

“Fuck you, Ray,” Mikey snapped angrily.

Ray chuckled and wrapped his hand around Mikey’s throat, cutting of his oxygen and waiting until the boys lips started to turn blie before letting go.

“Still defiant, I see. It won’t last forever, Mikey. I will break you.”

He whispered in Mikey’s ear as he struggled to catch his breath and coughed and spluttered. Ray turned the light off as he left the dungeon, locking the door as he went. It was only when he was gone that Mikey started crying, praying that Frankie would outsmart Gee and come and save him.

*

The next morning, Gerard had risen early. He didn’t need to, but he was excited. It had been the first time he had been excited about something new in a very long time. What was new? Frank was new. There was something about the man that had captured his heart and soul. Even the previous night when Melanie had allowed him to touch, kiss and even fuck her, it wasn't the same sort of excitement that he felt now. He thought about what the difference was and he realised that the intimacy and closeness was the difference. With Melanie the excitement was because normally she was off limits, untouchable - literally. But with Frank, dear Frankie, the excitement was purely to be with him. His perfect eyes, his smile, his contagious laughter, his toned frame and tattoos. He was beautiful, beyond beautiful.

Today, he was meeting him again. It was the first time since Mikey’s disappearance and although it had only been one full day in between, it was far too long. It was just coffee, but it was wonderful, exhilarating and he longed to see him.

Gerard grabbed his jacket, phone and keys and headed for the door, humming a cheerful tune to himself. He checked the text message on his phone and smiled to himself. It was only meant to be a small, satisfied smile, but it broadened into a grin. He’d seen the message arrive and the preview had shown him enough information to tell him it was time to go and, indeed, where to head to, but now it was open, the small ‘x’ on the end of the message brightened his day just that little bit more.

“Gee!”

Gerard turned quickly, almost checking himself as he did, concerned that the guilt he felt might somehow be visible. Perhaps it was dripping off him like water? Or maybe it was wrapped around him like a cloak? Could Ray see it? Could he smell it? Like fear?

He was meeting Frank; it wasn’t even anything he should feel guilty about.

Of course it was!

A voice inside him was arguing with him, confusing him, upsetting him, even. He felt relieved that it wasn’t Melanie who was standing in front of him right now. She would know. Yes, she would know exactly how to get it out of him too. Nervously, he clenched his fists before immediately releasing them as he realised he was trembling. Did Ray know? Could he tell?

Gerard felt guilty. He also felt somewhat lightheaded. He was only going to meet Frank, as he had done two nights ago. All he had to say was that Frank had called him and he was, once more, playing the worried big brother. Or that he was keeping an eye on Mikey’s friend to make sure he didn’t go to the police. Provided Gerard gave him regular updates on the non-existent progress into Mikey’s disappearance, Frank would remain oblivious. He had nothing to feel guilty about.

Oh, yes you have!

Gerard hated his mind sometimes. He could easily switch off the guilt when it came to murder, but not this. How messed up was that?

“You all right, Gee?” Ray asked a few seconds later, having not received a reply.

“What?” Gerard replied, slightly flustered. “Oh, yeah, sure,” he finally managed a smile. “Just surprised; I thought you were busy with Mikey. Do you need me?”

“No… well, kinda,” Ray replied cryptically. “I was with him, but I had to stop. I need to buy some lube.”

“Dude! That’s my brother! I don’t wanna hear…”

Gerard’s eyes widened in alarm, cutting his sentence short as a broad smile burst across Ray’s face, immediately followed by his body seeming to crumple, shaking helplessly, backed by his surprisingly girlish laughter.

“No! One of the ratchets has seized up!” he gasped between laughing. “Oil, I need oil!”

“Oh! Thank God!” Gerard rolled his eyes and looked upward, releasing a slow relieved breath.

“It’s fun messing with you, Gee.”

Ray’s laughter slowly quietened, offering the younger man a slight smirk, leaving a disgruntled pout on Gerard’s face. A misunderstanding was one thing, but deliberate was something else entirely and he was unexpectedly angry.

“Well, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Torture is your thing, Ray,” Gerard offered a forced smile. “But don’t you forget what mine is,” he added with a mildly threatening undertone.

Ray folded his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow, deeply unimpressed.

“Yeah, being submissive and a total pain slut.”

Gerard’s forced smile grew sour and sunk into the angry scowl he’d been hiding. It wasn’t often they argued, but when they did it could descend into something pretty ugly. He didn’t have time today, he was already going to be late now. Almost as if he sensed it, Ray threw an arm around his shoulders and squeezed him playfully.

“Don’t overreact, Gee.” Ray laughed again. “I’m sorry, I’m just messing with you. I was after a lift into town, if you’re going that way.”

“Yeah… yeah,” Gerard nodded. “I’m… er… just doing a bit of shopping. Nothing special.”

First Melanie, now you’re fucking lying to Ray! He knows, you know! He’s not stupid!

Gerard sighed inwardly as Ray let go of his shoulder and headed towards the door. He hated himself, he hated the nagging little voice inside his head, but more than that he hated that he never listened to it.

Throwing his jacket on the back seat and settling in the car, Gerard took his phone out of his pocket and placed it in a cup holder between the two front seats before switching the engine on and heading off.

“Wearing your extra-skinnies today, then?”

“Umm, yeah,” Gerard replied trying to sound nonchalant – there was no way he could sit in the car wearing these particular jeans with a phone in his pocket without cutting off the blood supply to his leg.

“I thought they were only for date nights,” Ray chuckled.

Gerard spared a glance to Ray, noting the inquisitive expression on his face.

Go on, tell him – you’re meeting Frank. Oh, no, you can’t tell him, can you? Because you already lied about it. Now you’re in a mess, aren’t you? It’s going to be lie upon lie, isn’t it? You don’t have that good a memory, Gerard. Are you sure you’re up to this?

Gerard swallowed thickly; he really wished he could silence his inner monologue.

“Ray, you know we went out the other night because neither of us are getting any,” he sighed, unaware that Ray and Melanie slept together regularly. “If I saved them for date nights, I’d be too old to wear them by the next time I got them out!”

“You’re such a drama queen, Gee,” Ray shook his head. “You do just fine, on a very regular basis.”

“Only if Melanie lets me,” he muttered in reply.

“If… what?”

“If Melanie lets me,” Gerard repeated as if it were obvious. “She doesn’t always. Isn’t she like that with you?”

“She’s never said no to me,” Ray replied honestly but to a slightly different question than the one Gerard was asking.

“Oh, well, aren’t you Mr Goody-Two-Shoes?” Gerard grumbled.

“Says the man who gets five dates to my one!” Ray retorted. “She probably feels sorry for me.”

Gerard exhaled deeply; a different sort of guilt washing over him this time.

“I’m sorry, Ray,” he shook his head. “Don’t know what’s with me today.”

Ray offered a conciliatory smile. “Maybe you’re still tired? Mel told me to keep out of your way yesterday so you could rest. You had a long night with Frank doing the concerned brother routine. Surprised you could keep it up so long.”

Gerard coughed suddenly, reaching for a bottle of water from another cup holder beneath the dashboard and taking a drink.

“Then, you were up half the night last night with Mel while you were on the phone to a client,” he chuckled as he spoke.

“She told you about that?” he frowned almost as deeply as he blushed, sparing Ray another quick embarrassed glance.

“No,” Ray laughed again. “I just saw your schedule. But now I’m going to ask.”

“Don’t, Ray, please don’t,” Gerard sighed, shaking his head.

“Did we lose a client, Gee?” Ray asked, wondering if Melanie had gone too far again.

“No,” Gerard replied decisively. “It could have happened but I pulled it back.”

“How?” Ray asked. “We’re not doing a freebie are we?”

“No,” Gerard chuckled with a distinct sound of menace in his laughter. “I told him that he had better go ahead or I’d kill him instead. I went into a few details too, just to prove I meant it.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt he realises you meant it,” Ray offered a broad smile. “I told Mikey that your work has much more of a psychological edge than mine does. I expect we’ll be able to ask for double our usual fee just to not kill him.”

“Triple actually,” Gerard beamed, proud of himself.

“I don’t know why you don’t want me to ask about it then! You can take more calls in Mel’s dungeon in future.”

“No!”

Ray was definitely going to ask Melanie now. The emphatic and absolutely final tone to his voice spoke volumes and Ray wanted chapter and verse. But that would be purely for amusement value, the previous conversation only half an hour earlier was much more worrying.

*

“Ray?” Melanie began. “Something’s wrong.”

“What?” Ray raised an eyebrow at the cryptic words.

“Gerard lied to me last night, I’m pretty sure. In fact, no, I’m certain.”

“What about?”

“This friend of Mikey’s who was rude to you. Frank, wasn’t it?”

“What did he say?” Ray asked with concern.

“It’s more what he didn’t say. First of all, he claimed to be really tired because he’d been with him talking all night,” she emphasised the word ‘talking’ with air-quotes. “But after he got back from his termination, I asked him to tell me what he talked about and I could have written it out on a postage stamp. No one can spend that long talking and not actually say anything.”

Ray tipped his head. It seemed to him that Melanie’s words triggered an understanding in him as he remembered the exchange between him and Gerard the night of Mikey’s kidnapping.

“What do you think’s going on?” Ray asked.

“I think they did a lot more than talk. That, I don’t even have a problem with, but the fact he thinks he has to lie about it makes me wonder exactly what did happen?”

“What do you mean? Can you be a little more specific? Please?” Ray asked, willing her to get to the point and stop making him guess.

“I think he’s gone soft.” She frowned with distaste. “Is that specific enough for you?”

Ray shook his head and stopped himself from rolling his eyes; the last thing he needed was another argument.

“He did the termination he was scheduled for last night. By all accounts he was pretty vicious, they’re even talking about it as the return of the Belleville Butcher. He’s definitely not gone soft, no matter what he’s up to with Frank.”

“Clearly not specific enough!” she grumbled as Ray misunderstood. “I mean I think he’s regretting setting up his brother and he’s becoming a liability. Look, Ray, if he’s gone all gooey-eyed over this guy, who knows where it’ll lead? You saw Mikey’s reaction when we threatened him with bringing Frank here too. If Gee wants to get into this guy’s pants, how far will he go? Free Mikey? Then what? We’ll go down for every murder from the last three years!”

Ray exhaled loudly. “Actually, I was afraid of this. He may even have defended his brother the night we took him.”

“What!” Melanie snapped angrily. “And exactly when were you planning on sharing this little nugget?”

“When I knew for sure,” Ray growled in response. “Come on, this is Gee we’re talking about. I’m not going to start accusing him of any of this before I’m sure.”

“And by then, if he’s already told this annoying friend about us? We’ll just be arrested.”

“Yeah, we have to deal with it before that happens!” Ray agreed worriedly.

“So?” Melanie pressed.

“So?” Ray repeated uncertain what had happened that convinced her.

“So, follow him, everywhere. I want to know exactly where he goes and what he does when he gets there.”

“Don’t you think you’re being a little paranoid?” Ray asked, risking an argument.

“Okay, Ray, why don’t you go to your dungeon? I’ll lock you in and you can stay there all day. Then maybe I’ll let you out for an hour then I can have you beaten up and…”

“What the hell are you taking about, Mel?” Ray snapped, irritated by her words.

“Just practice for the real thing! I’m not going to be arrested because you can’t stand up to Gee! Do you have any idea what they do to girls like me in prison?”

“I may have a better idea,” Ray nodded. “I saw him getting ready before. I think he’s going out. I’ll ask him for a lift, we can talk on the way.”“Discreetly?”

“Of course, discreetly!”

“And then follow him?”

Ray took a deep breath; when Melanie got like this, it was easier just to go along with it. Besides, was it really worth the risk of doing nothing if she could even possibly be right?

“Okay, okay! I’ll follow him. I’ll see if I can get his phone too; check for messages.”

Melanie smiled, satisfied that he was now taking this problem seriously. Even if Ray didn’t truly understand the significance, she knew that something serious was happening to embolden Gerard to brazenly lie to her. It might be nothing, as Ray wanted to believe, but it would take more than a few platitudes to convince her.

*

“Ray!”

Ray snapped suddenly out of his reverie and looked up blankly.

“Jesus, Ray, where were you?” Gerard frowned. “I’ve been trying to get your attention, but you were off in la la land!”

“Oh,” he sighed, “just thinking about something Melanie needs me to do.”

“What? It really had your attention, so it must be important.”

“Oh, just some re-con on a client,” he offered a vague explanation without letting Gerard know that he was the client.

“Oh,” Gerard smiled. “If you don’t fancy it, I don’t mind. Who’s the client? Is it a new one?”

“Yeah, I’m not convinced anything’ll come of it, personally. Not sure if it’s worth the time, but I said I would. Thanks for the offer. I know you do the bulk of the re-con, but I need to keep my hand in and it shouldn’t take long to find out if it’s a serious proposal or not. Besides, it’s your day off.”

“Okay,” Gerard smiled reassuringly. Ray seemed out of sorts today, perhaps he and Melanie had had a row? “Do you need some angry sex?”

Ray turned a smirk towards Gerard, realising that he had caught on to the fact that something was wrong, but seemed uncertain as to what.

“No thanks, Gee, you’re not really my type.”

“Smart ass!” Gerard replied with a barely suppressed laugh. “Where do you want me to drop you?”

“Nowhere special, you just park where you’re going and I’ll head off from there.”

“Okay, I’m going for the parking garage in the mall. That okay?”

“Perfect, there’s bound to be a bike shop or something in there.” Ray nodded. “I’ll have the ratchet working again in no time. Those ankles won’t crush themselves.”

Ray said nothing but merely observed the briefest flinch on Gerard’s face. If he hadn’t been looking for it, he might not have even noticed, but it was definitely there. Maybe Melanie had a point?

*

Having parked and gone their separate ways, Gerard opened the car door and reached inside to retrieve his jacket and phone.

“Oh, damn it, he’s picked up my phone! I knew it was a mistake us getting the same model.”

Gerard turned to see where Ray had headed. It had been only a few seconds, but already Ray was lost somewhere in the rows of cars or even already headed in the elevator to the mall. In reality, he hadn’t gone very far at all. Standing in the shadows, Ray saw the frustration on Gerard’s face as he realised his phone was gone and, as if to confirm why, a light buzzing in his pocket drew his attention. Waiting until Gerard had turned his back, Ray pulled out the phone and read the text message.

Hi, Gee! I’m in a booth at the back, near the big window. I got you a coffee… what else? :) CU soon. Xofrnk

“Well, now, Gee?” Ray chewed his lip as he considered apologising to Melanie. “What have you got us all into?”

*

Gerard entered the coffee shop and scanned the tables and booths, smiling as he saw a hand waving at him. The sunlight streaming in from the large window almost creating a glowing aura around the handsome man now smiling in return.

“I got you a coffee,” Frank grinned as Gerard slid into the booth opposite him.

“Thanks,” Gerard beamed. “Sorry I’m late, I had to give a friend a lift in too. Well,” he tipped his head, “I didn’t have to, but…”

“It’s okay, Gee,” Frank chuckled. “The coffee’s still hot, you’re only a minute or two late. Did you get my text message?”

“Yes,” Gerard replied, unaware that he had sent a second. “It’s great to see you, Frank.”

“Thanks, Gee,” Frank smiled thinly. “I don’t know how I'd have got through the last couple of days if it hadn’t been for you.”

Gerard noticed that Frank had left his hand stretched out across the table. Placing his own softly on top, he manoeuvred his thumb underneath and gently stroked Frank’s palm.

“You’ve helped me too,” Gerard lowered his head. “'I think I've made a big mistake with Mikey.”

“What do you mean?” Frank frowned in uncertainty.

Gerard let go of Frank’s hand and pulled back before covering his nose with both hands then allowing his fingers and palm to run over his eyes and cheeks. He knew what he meant, but there was no way he could tell Frank. This was a mess. He either allowed his brother to die so that he could keep Frank in the dark about his role in Mikey’s disappearance. The alternative was to tell Frank what he had done and he was pretty certain he knew how that would pan out. He really didn’t like the idea of prison, not one little bit. There was only one possibility - he could free Mikey, then somehow convince him not to tell Frank what he had done. Yeah, right, that was going to happen. He sighed heavily, not realising how long he had been silent.

“Gee?” Frank prompted.

“Oh, sorry, I was just thinking.”

Of a plausible response now that I've opened my big mouth!

“You said you’d made a mistake.”

“I shouldn’t have gone out with Pete in the first place, I know, but most of all, I shouldn't have gone five years without speaking to him.”

Now it was Frank’s turn to comfort the older man. Taking Gerard’s hand and interlacing his fingers with his own, he offered him a gentle smile.

“You’re worried, Gee, it’s understandable. I'd be surprised if you weren’t. Have you heard anything from the cops? It’s kinda frustrating that I haven’t heard anything. I mean, I know I'm not family, but I do live with him! I've a good mind to go down there and speak to this Detective Grady and make sure his doing his job properly.”

“Um… yeah, I have had some news.” he lied.

What do I say? I have to say something substantial! If I don’t come up with something, he’s going to go down there!

“Well?” Frank encouraged, at first surprised by his reluctance to speak, then concerned as a possibility entered his mind. “Is it… is it bad news?”

Gerard took a deep breath; Frank had unknowingly given him an idea to explain his reticence.

“They think it might be Ray,” he replied solemnly.

“Oh!” Frank’s eyes widened. “Ray from the club? Your friend?”

Gerard nodded bleakly, hoping it was sufficient to explain why he didn’t open with the statement.

“I’m sorry, Gee, that must be quite a shock for you.” Frank frowned sympathetically. “But, can’t you just…? I mean, have you spoken to him?”

Gerard shook his head.

Lie upon lie upon lie! This was getting exhausting. Was he telling the truth to anyone? He probably wasn’t even telling himself the truth. He hated lying to Frank, but what choice did he have? He cared about him, possibly a little too much. They had only met a couple of times, but already it had been heated and passionate. He didn't want to… no, he couldn't risk losing him. Lying was never going to win him any support but perhaps he could make Frank care for him enough that if or when the truth ever emerged he wouldn’t reject him.

It was a long shot, a very long shot, but he could hope.

“I’ve tried,” he shook his head. “I don’t know where he is. No one has seen him, the cops haven't found him either.”

“But…” Frank’s eyes opened wide. “He’s your friend, you must know where he lives.”

“I do, he lives with me! But I haven’t seen him since Mikes when missing. I’ve tried calling and nothing. I don’t know if he has another property or he’s found a motel or something. I don't know what to say, Frank.”

Frank took a deep breath as he processed the words.

“Well, does that mean that he’s safe? Sort of? I mean, you live with him, I assume he’s not a psycho.”

Gerard licked his lips and took a sip of his coffee.

“I… erm… he was really angry.” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“I’m sorry, Gee,” Frank conceded. “This must be doubly difficult for you. Your brother goes missing and your roommate is the chief suspect. You must be beyond shock.”

Gerard exhaled; he hated himself. He had caused this entire situation, Mikey was being tortured by Ray and Melanie - both certifiable psychopaths, not unlike himself - he was lying through his teeth just to be close to this beautiful man and in return he was understanding, sweet and caring. Gerard knew he didn’t deserve it, but his need far outweighed his guilt. And he needed Frank.

“I’m sure he’ll be okay. I’ll keep trying his phone, I promise.”

Gerard desperately wanted to change the subject. He wasn’t a good liar. He considered this a strange irony given his profession, but he never really needed to lie very much. He was always happy to tell his victims exactly what was going to happen to them - he enjoyed witnessing their responses, which ranged from disbelief to terror, fainting to trying to escape, stammering to pleading, even trying to scream for help. He preferred it when they put up a fight, he always made sure to arrange things so that no help was ever on hand. He was very careful, and he loved his job. It gave him such satisfaction and it quieted his overactive mind. There was nothing quite so relaxing to him as the peaceful art of reducing a once living, breathing person to distorted lumps of flesh and bone, sinew and blood. He hated guns, they were too random and messy for his taste. He much preferred the precision of his favourite hunting knife or a scalpel. No, the idea of shooting someone from a distance wasn’t the sort of personal service they were famous for - or infamous, he supposed.

“You’re out of coffee,” Gerard changed the subject. “Can I get you something else?”

“It’s tea,” Frank corrected.

“Oh,” Gerard raised an eyebrow. “Well, do you want another? Something to eat?”

“Um, er, yes, please.” Frank replied, not sure if Gerard was ready for his dietary requirements. “A tea, but no milk and anything non-dairy, gluten-free and vegetarian would be great. Let me pay though.”

“No, it’s my treat,” Gerard replied with a smile, getting to his feet. “Frankie, you’re a complicated date.”

Frank grinned up at him; firstly glad not to be judged and second at the suggestion that this was a date. Mikey had never told him how hot his brother was, understandably, but neither had he told him how unusually sweet he was either. Again, as he hadn’t even managed to be civil to him for five years, he probably should have expected that too. But he was glad he had discovered both of those qualities now. He didn't know if it was reciprocal but he was falling hard.

He watched Gerard walk to the counter. Well, walk wasn't exactly the right word, he sort of sashayed. Frank sucked his bottom lip into his mouth to stop the broad smile that wanted to emerge as he wondered if that was his real walk or it was for his benefit. Looking at the casual, effortless motion and the fact that he didn't even look back to see if he was watching, Frank allowed the smile to break as he concluded that it was in fact his walk. Turning back, he shook his head with mild amusement before looking out of the window. The coffee shop was on one of the mall’s corners and the big window next to him looked out almost to the entrance to the giant mall. He was amazed to see how many people were pouring in from the bright sunshine, with only a few people leaving. He knew the place was large, but the sheer volume of customers entering was staggering.

It was then he saw one person standing absolutely still, unmoving and merely staring directly at him. Frank’s lips parted slowly as he began to recognise the man. He was tall, in dark clothes and a leather jacket. The eyes, wide lips and unmistakeable hair of Gerard’s friend Ray. Leaping to his feet, he was torn between calling for Gerard and racing from the coffee shop to confront him. Even as he stood staring, Ray merely glared back, not afraid to have been spotted. Not wanting to take his eyes off him for a moment, Frank opted to shout Gerard's name, barely caring if he disturbed anyone else in the process. At first, getting no response, he turned briefly and screamed for Gerard once again. This time he got his attention but by the time he looked back, barely a few seconds later, Ray was gone.

“No!” Frank cried bleakly.

Still waiting to be served, Gerard ran back to their table. Frank, still standing, was distraught and scared.

“What? What’s wrong?”

Gerard tried to turn Frank to face him, but the younger man was determined to look out of the window, scanning the crowd for the face he had taken his eyes off for the briefest of moments.

“Frank!”

Gerard physically turned him, cupping his cheek with his hand to prevent him from turning his head back. Gerard frowned deeply, before glancing out of the window for a moment himself. Frank appeared terrified, with blown pupils and physically trembling, he seemed to have difficulty in concentrating on what Gerard was saying to him.

“Frank, you have to calm down,” he spoke softly, as much to stop people staring at the pair as to actually make Frank relax.

It was as if Gerard was talking a different language and none of his words were registering. He decided the situation called for actions over words. Pulling the younger man into a gentle hug, he smoothed his soft black hair and whispered calmly into his ear.

“It’s okay, babe, you're safe. Try to calm down, shh, it’s okay.”

Frank began to take slower breaths as he felt Gerard’s calm, slow heartbeat against his body, and the soothing sounds made him feel warm and safe.

“I’m okay,” Frank managed, almost hiccuping as he spoke.

Gerard leaned back and cupped both of Frank’s cheeks with his hands.

“Are you sure?” He asked gently, receiving a smile and a nod from Frank.

“Okay, you sit down and I'm going to get you a tea and something to eat. You look like you need it. I'm going to put some sugar in the tea, is that okay?” Gerard checked; considering his other dietary needs, he didn’t want to guess.

“Thanks,” Frank nodded, grateful that Gerard was there and not freaked out by his apparently strange behaviour.

“Then you’re going to tell me what happened. Okay?”

Frank nodded uneasily as he took a seat once more. Staring back out of the window, not seeing any sign of Ray. Gerard leaned down and kissed him sweetly on the cheek.

“I'll see you in a couple of minutes, Frankie. Just relax, I'm just over there, okay?”

As he walked away, Gerard scowled at some of the coffee shop patrons who were still staring or obviously disgusted by either the disturbance or his public display of affection. He didn’t care what their problem was, but he was damn sure they weren’t going to stare any longer. The look was enough to make most of them return to their own business.

Waiting in line, he felt the stranger’s approach before he said a word. The hair went up on the back of his neck and he virtually shivered as the danger in the man’s intent reached him before the man did. Turning suddenly and fixing the man behind him with a dark glare, Gerard almost dared him to make a move. Gerard’s eyes bore into him, unbalancing the man unexpectedly.

“What do you want?” Gerard asked sweetly.

“I…”

The man had to mentally shake himself to get back to where he had been before Gerard had sensed his approach - before he had seen those truly maniacal eyes that seemed fixed on a spot roughly two inches inside his head.

“You…?” Gerard prompted politely.

“I don’t like you and your boyfriend getting all…”

“Let me stop you there," Gerard raised a hand, his glare not wavering for a moment. “I'm prepared to ignore that fact that your elevator doesn't go up to ten, provided you go and sit back down again.”

“Who the hell do you...”

Gerard allowed his jacket to fall completely open, displaying the razor-edged hunting knife sheathed in a purpose built quick-release holster.

“I'm sure you don't want any trouble. Do you?”

“Just… watch yourself,” the man replied with a degree of uncertainty.

Gerard merely offered a smirk in reply before turning back to the barista to place his order.

Placing a meatball wrap and a feta, olive and roasted pepper salad on the counter, Gerard ordered a coffee and a tea.

After a brief wait, the tea, coffee, salad and a number on a stick were placed on a tray and Gerard paid.

“We’ll bring the wrap over when it’s heated,” the barista announced with a brief smile.

“Thank you,” Gerard smiled engagingly.

Gerard looked relieved when he placed the tray down on the table; Frank appeared much calmer, but he definitely seemed much more relaxed now that he had returned. Tearing his eyes from the window, Frank offered Gerard a genuinely happy smile.

“I’m not sure on the whole lactose and gluten thing,” he announced. “Is this okay?” He asked, uncertain about the feta.

“Oh, that’s great, thanks!” Frank beamed. “I can manage goat cheese. What was going on back there?”

“Nothing much,” Gerard brushed the incident aside. “What happened to you?”

Frank looked down; he felt embarrassed. He was wondering if it had even happened. Had he imagined it?

“I’m sorry, Gee,” Frank shook his head. “I must be going crazy. I… I saw Ray. At least, I thought I did.”

“What? Walking past?” Gerard asked, knowing that Ray was in the area, but imagining him to be a long way away shopping for whatever oil was used on ratchets.

“No,” Frank almost shuddered at the memory. “I saw him, standing, right over there. He was staring right at me. I mean, really staring. He knew who I was and it was like he was letting me know he was there.”

Gerard turned his head to look out into the crowd of people near the entrance.

“He’s gone now,” Frank advised. “At least, I think he has.”

“Looking at you?” Gerard repeated with uncertainty.

“Yeah,” Frank looked down. “He scared me, I don't mind admitting,” Frank sighed. “What if he’s stalking me? What if he’s got Mikey and now he’s after me?”

“Over my dead body,” Gerard growled.

The barista appeared with Gerard’s meatball wrap and placed it on the table.

“Frankie,” Gerard sighed. “This isn’t good enough for you. How about I take you out for something a bit special?”

“I’m okay with this,” Frank replied, taken aback by the sudden suggestion. “Really,” he added.

“There’s nothing that’s too good for you,” Gerard smiled, lifting Frank’s hand and kissing his palm. “You've had a shock and I want to make you feel better. Come on, let’s get away from here.”

“Okay.”

Frank’s smile widened; Gerard was as unpredictable as he was beautiful. Right now, he could have suggested just about anything and Frank would have agreed.

“I just need to go to the bathroom.” Gerard pointed to the corner of the room. “I’ll be right back.”

Gerard was washing his hands when behind him he heard the door opening.

“You think you can intimidate me with the flash of a knife?”

The man from earlier growled as he locked the bathroom door but, as he turned back, Gerard was forcing him back against it and placing the sharp blade against his throat.

“Well, tell me, does this intimidate you?” He asked with a mocking smile.

“Are you fucking crazy?”

“No," Gerard shook his head, but technically I am a psychopath. “This way, I think.” He added as he guided the man into the stall furthest from the door.

“I don't want...”

"Don't worry, you're really not my type, but let me ask you a question. Have you ever heard of the Belleville Butcher?”

The man swallowed hard, his breath faltering.

“Well? I hope you have or I'll be most upset.”

“Yes,” the man whispered.

“Good,” Gerard nodded. “Now you can tell all your friends you've met him.”

Gerard waited until he saw the glimmer of relief in the man's eyes.

“Oh, no, sorry,” he chuckled, “you can't.”

Gerard pushed a hand over the man's mouth as he stepped quickly to the side and pulled the knife sharply down tearing through his chest down to his navel. Careful to avoid blood spatter from the gaping wound, Gerard allowed the man to fall, pushing him so that he landed draped across the toilet bowl so the majority of the blood lost didn't spill to the floor. Stepping from the stall, Gerard carefully closed the door, cleaned the knife, washed his hands once more and left the bathroom.

That was a first, he mused, he'd never killed anyone on a date before.

“So, Frankie,” Gerard smiled as he returned to the booth. “How about a trip to the zoo, dinner and then maybe a club? Perhaps back to yours?”

“'Do you mind if I suggest something slightly different?” Frank asked.

“You can suggest anything you want, babe.”

Frank licked his lips, not quite believing he was about to say the next few words.

“How about we go back to mine right now?”

Gerard merely grinned and held out his hand to help Frank from the booth. Oh, yes, his first assumption was right - Frankie was special.

Notes