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Three months.
Apparently, all it took was three short little months for Frank and Gerard.
Today was the day.
Frank could hardly wait.
He turned the key, his key, in the lock and the door swung open. The apartment before him was quiet, no sunlight streaming through the windows. There was no sun, seeing as it was nearing 2am.
Where is Gerard? He found himself questioning. Maybe he’d gotten the time wrong? But, he reminded himself, the moving truck guys were already outside.
So where then was his boyfriend?
Shrugging, Frank walked in, the door closing behind him gently. He set his travel bag down on the end tabe by the door and went in search of his boyfriend. His borderline hermit, always late, sleep addict of a boyfriend.
God he was the luckiest guy alive.
Thankfully, Frank’s search was quickly over. He found Gerard in the most obvious place, in his spare room. Now, that may not seem so obvious at first but that little room at the back of his boyfriend’s apartment had quickly been turned into a makeshift art studio. Gerard spent every possible moment in that room.
It was honestly a little unhealthy but it only made Frank love him even more.
Now smiling, Frank took note of the headphone cord sticking out against his boyfriend’s hair and running down to where his phone sat on his lap. He could faintly hear the music, blasting as always, from the doorway.
For once, Frank decided to not scare the shit out of his boyfriend. He didn’t really feel like getting pinned to the wall at the moment.
Well at least not in that context.
Still, he walked around beside where Gerard was sitting, hoping to give him a chance to see him. Once he noticed Frank was there, his face lit up and the headphones were quickly pulled from his ears. With lightning speed, Gerard had him pressed tightly against his chest in a hug. Grinning, Frank hugged him back with equal force.
“Can’t believe I lost track of time,” his boyfriend said, voice muffled in Frank’s hoodie.
They pulled apart, both still smiling.
“I just let myself in, is that okay? I probably should’ve texted you first though,”
Gerard quickly spoke, his exasperation visible.
“Frankie,” he practically whined,” this is your apartment now too. Dats why I gave you the key, dummy.”
“Yeah okay, sorry,”
“Nope, no apologizing. There are boxes to be carried up multiple flights of steps! What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t help you carry them? C’mon Frankie, before the moving guys take off with all your stuff.”
Frank could barely keep up with the speed at which his boyfriend was talking and Gerard was out in the hallway just as quickly.
He had planned on telling the moving guys to leave his stuff in the lobby and then just using his magic to get it up to Gerard’s place. Now, the thought of his boyfriend lugging all of that shit up the stairs was kind of amusing. Maybe he’d wait a while before he told him about the plan.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Gerard was already in the lobby by the time Frank made it downstairs. He watched in amusement as his boyfriend paid the moving guys so he didn’t have to. It brought a smile to Frank’s face seeing him taking care of him, even though he would never expect Gerard to do something like that. However, as soon as Gerard began lifting the heavy boxes containing all of his books the moment shifted. Now, Frank could hardly hold in his laughter at him. Even with his increased strength, it was still amusing to watch the vampire lug the awkwardly shaped boxes up the flights of steps. He smiled at Frank as he passed him and it took everything in him to not bust out laughing. It wasn’t his fault that he had a shit ton of stuff or that Gerard’s apartment was on the 12th floor. Their apartment. He still wasn’t used to thinking of it that way.There was no one at the front desk, seeing as it was so late for most people, but he still didn’t want to make a scene. So, Frank did a double check to make sure none of the building’s other residents were in the lobby. Still grinning, he focused onto his magic. It was always just underneath, waiting for him to call on it. With much less effort than Gerard was giving, Frank willed all of his things to appear in their apartment. As he watched the boxes fade into nothing, he wondered if the stuff would be there when his boyfriend walked in. He kind of wished he’d be able to see his face in that moment.Oh well, he thought as he let the magic sink back down, dormant once again. The impending draining feeling that he expected hit, making Frank stumble a little. He probably should have eaten something before hand, but it didn’t matter. He and Gerard could just order takeout once they both got upstairs.That thought making him smile once again, Frank made his way back up the steps. By the time he got to the top he was craving pizza so bad that he was tempted to call before asking Gerard. The lack of his phone in his pocket stopped that though; he’d left it on the end table. He finally walked the short distance from the top of the steps to his door, a yawn escaping him as he did so. Before Frank had even opened the door, it swung open and he was met with a very anxious Gerard in front of him.“Holy shit, Frankie you scared me,” the older man spoke quickly, hands moving to Frank’s shoulders and holding him at arm's length. Gerard seemed to be giving him a once over, clearly worried over something.“What?”“All your stuff, you magic-ed it up here. Are you alright? I was just about to come down and check on you. Do you need to sit down?”“Whoa, Gerard,” he started, looking into his boyfriend’s eyes and visibly seeing the worry, “I’m fine, I promise.”“But-,” he trailed off, as if he didn’t quite believe it.He pulled them inside, practically pulling Gerard in and closed the door behind them.“I. am. Fine.”Frank punctuated every word with a quick kiss to his boyfriend’s mouth. On the last word, he didn’t retreat back, instead he stayed close with their breaths mingling together. All he could do was stare at Gerard’s lips as the older man pulled him even closer so that their bodies were pressed against each other. He snaked his arms around the other’s waist, as Gerard did the same. They kissed again, long and slow. He could stay like this forever, Frank realized. After a long moment they pulled away to breathe and he laid his head on Gerard’s shoulder.“Frankie?”“Mmh.?”“You alright?”Gerard sounded concerned again and he could feel the slightly tighter grip of his arms. Frank, regrettably, pulled away slightly so he could look directly at his boyfriend.“I’m fine, you don’t need to worry about me.”He didn’t seem convinced and of course Frank’s stomach decided that that moment was the perfect time to protest its emptiness.Seeing Gerard’s raised eyebrows, he grabbed his phone from the end table and pulled up their favorite pizza place’s website.“Food,” Frank said simply.“Definitely, our normal?”“Sounds good to me.”Frank nodded, already hitting the call button on his phone. He watched Gerard go into the kitchen, probably to grab some of his synthetic blood, as someone answered the phone.By the time he’d put in their order and given the address, his boyfriend still was in the kitchen so Frank practically fell onto the couch.He let out a sigh as his body hit the soft cushions. He could fall asleep right there. Well no, that was a lie. Recently he’d become so accustomed to Gerard being next to him as he fell asleep that it was nearly impossible when he wasn’t with him. Still, Frank let his eyes fall shut. Maybe a little nap before the food would be nice.He was woken by a knock on the door and he flailed a little in surprise. Frank’s eyes darted around, generally scared for a moment before falling onto his boyfriend. Gerard was trying to hold back his laughter, but a few giggles were escaping.Despite the blush forming on his cheeks, Frank couldn’t help but laugh as well. Soon his boyfriend was laughing freely, tears rolling down his face.As they tried to contain themselves so they could actually answer the door for the poor pizza guy, he quickly tried to beat Gerard to the door. He jumped up from the couch and sprinted to the door, socks sliding on the smooth floor, and yanked the door open. The pizza man had an uninterested look on his face, and he quietly handed Frank the boxes. As the apartment door shut again, Gerard grabbed one of the boxes from his hands and brought it over to where he’d been sitting. Frank quickly dug in, practically starving after his short nap, and watched from the corner of his eye as his boyfriend driped his fake blood over the entire pizza in front of him. Soon Gerard was digging in as well, quickly catching up to his own pace. He had never actually asked, but he was pretty sure that he needed more food than a normal person. Frank figured it might be because of his vampirism or maybe because of the blood substitute didn’t fill him up enough Quietly, in between shoving more pizza down his throat, he considered asking Gerard. It made sense, since Frank had explained the toll that using his magic took and the way food seemed to help him recover more quickly. Curiosity getting the better of him, Frank had to ask.“Hey Gee?” The vampire looked up from his food, pizza grease dripping down his face unnoticed.“Can I ask you something?”Gerard took a moment to swallow and then nodded for Frank to continue without reaching for another piece. Awesome, full attention so don’t mess it up.“Uh, does the fake blood do the same for you as real blood?”“What do you mean?”“Well,” he tried to figure out how to word the sentence without sounding like he was judging Gerard for how much he ate.“Like do you need to eat more of it to get what you need since it’s not the real stuff?”His boyfriend’s face lit up in understanding as finally he knew what Frank was asking.“Yeah, if I completely drained someone it would fill me up for weeks but since I got the fake shit I need to eat a lot more. I kinda feel bad for Ray but ya know,” Gerard said casually. Offhand, Frank wondered if maybe he could learn how to make the blood too. Maybe then they could give Ray a break without putting the vampire’s health at risk.He saved that idea for later and went back to stuffing his face, feeling his energy replenishing with every bite.Once most of the food was gone and both men were full, they decided to put away some of Frank’s things. Quickly they got to work, moving the heavy stuff first into the bedroom since they’d cleared enough space for his books. Gerard carried most of the boxes, taking three or four at a time, while Frank only made two trips. He walked over to the dog bed that was adjacent to theirs, checking up on his dogs. Frank saw how they were curled together, fast asleep and took a picture. He posted it quickly to his Instagram so all seven of his followers could be blessed by he adorable animals. A small thump brought his attention back to Gerard as he walked into the room.“How many are left?”“One more, I’ve got it,” the vampire said as he bent down to gently pet Sweet Pea’s head before leaving again.It was weird, he thought as his boyfriend went back for the last box as he set down his second, how protective he was. Not weird, that wasn’t the right word.No, it was really sweet and it made Frank a blushing mess every time he took such good care of him. He’d never had someone like that before. Normally it’d just be him and his dogs and while they did help him everyday, having a person be so considerate and concerned about him was… odd. Really, that was the only word Frank could think of to describe it.Not bad, just odd. He loved every second of it because he got to see just how kind Gerard really was. So often, vampires were given a bad reputation for being cold and heartless. While there were many who did fit that description, Gerard was different. He cried at sad disney movies and got lost in his art so often that Frank couldn’t believe a single piece of that man was cold or heartless. “Alright, last box for the night!,” Gerard said as he placed the things by the pile of the rest of his junk and effectively ending Frank’s train of thought. The two quietly began unpacking, Frank organizing as his boyfriend handed him the books.After a little while, they put on some music to fill in the quiet when they weren’t talking. It was still low enough that they could talk, something they always seemed to be doing. Frank loved his conversations with Gerard. There was something in the way he spoke that was addicting to him. He could honestly listen to him talk all day.Conversations were always so easy with Gerard.They had so much in common that it always just felt natural. As they continued unpacking his things, the he would read the title of the book as he handed to Frank. Then, Frank would briefly tell him what it was about, mostly from memory. He had a lot of books and most of them were the size of his head or bigger, but he had their topics committed to memory. Not necessarily that he could recite every word, instead Frank knew which books held what topic. That always came in handy if he needed to research something because for the most part, he knew where to look. Losing track of time, Frank and Gerard worked well into the very early morning. They made good progress, only a few books remained as the sky began to burn with the sunrise. Frank stood, wincing at the way his back cracked from sitting so long and trudged into the bathroom.Gerard followed close behind and the two changed for bed in silence, not realizing how tired they were until they had stopped with their work. Frank went to check if the front door was locked, smiling to himself as he passed the pizza boxes still on the coffee table. When that was done, Frank quickly said a small warding spell under his breath. You could never be too safe.______________________________________________________The next evening, Frank awoke alone. The sheets surrounding him were still warm and he knew Gerard hadn’t gone far.He was fairly certain that he’d told him that he had to work that evening but Frank was too tired to fully wake up; he really just wanted to go back to sleep so he decided to stay in bed.The thought of how much work that he had to do that day weighed him down further into the bed. Still fighting for the last bit of relaxation before he had to start his day, Frank wasted some time on his phone. He heard one of his dogs move around, their little feet padding on the floor as they went. Sweet Pea stood by the door, silently begging Frank to let her explore. Not wanting to get up, but also knowing how much she liked to nose around in new places, he pulled himself from the comfort of the bed. Frank groaned as his feet hit the cool floor. Before he could get to the door, it creaked open. The light spilling from the hallway made Frank blink a few times, but he heard Sweet Pea patter out.“Morning baby, didn’t think you were up yet,” a familiar voice said.The smell of coffee and something sweet wafted into the bedroom, and Frank finally noticed the way Gerard was standing. He stood, smiling with his arms holding something behind his back. Of course Frank was intently suspicious, especially since food might be involved.“What’s that?”Gerard smiled at his question and wordlessly brought the surprise into Frank’s view. A steaming cup of coffee was held in one hand and in the other was a plate of french toast. The smell was amazing but Frank was honestly more caught up on how sweet it was that Gerard had been bringing him breakfast in bed. He knew Gerard had work, very soon he might add, and still had made him breakfast. Damn it he was so lucky.He blinked hard, trying to keep the tears that were forming in his eyes at bay. His boyfriend was looking at him, slightly confused. After Frank didn’t say anything, or even move for a few moments Gerard’s expression changed. He could see the hesitation now in the way he shifted on his feet a little. It was nearly time for him to leave, Frank remembered, but he didn’t want Gerard to go. Now especially because of the breakfast. If he had it his way, Gerard wouldn’t have to go to work. He didn’t even want to think of how bored he was going to be for the evening while he was gone. Frank pushed those thoughts from his head, knowing that Gerard had misinterpreted his speechlessness for something else. He finally moved, a grin breaking on his face and pulled him into a kiss. They tried to mind the food still in Gerard’s hands, but very soon it was forgotten. He was vaguely sure that it’d been sat down somewhere because suddenly he was being backed up against the bed, Gerard’s hands roaming his body eagerly. Once the back of his legs hit the end of the bed, his boyfriend was hastily pulling his pajamas over his head, breaking the long kiss. Frank allowed Gerard to push him back onto the bed and watched as he took of his own shirt. He leaned down, connecting their mouths again desperately and leaving Frank with a complete lack of thoughts.The only thing that mattered was their bodies pressed against each other and their mouths moving in unison. Gerard’s weight on top of him only made the heat coursing through his body burn even hotter. He absolutely loved when the normally shy man took control, breaking out of whatever doubts he was having. It made Frank only want him even more. “God, I’m gonna be late for work,” Gerard said, despite moving from Frank’s lips to his neck, making him gasp.“Fuck it,” he answered, lost in the feeling of his boyfriend’s lips against his skin.__________________________________Gerard was absolutely late for work but as Frank kissed him when he finally made it out the door, he felt no remorse. He stood there, after the door closed, an oversized shirt barely hanging onto him with a stupid grin plastered to his face. He honestly was more than a little hungry now, seeing as it was nearly 6, and decided to see if the breakfast Gerard had made was still good. It felt like a waste if he didn’t eat it, especially since he’d gone through so much trouble to make it for Frank. Thankfully, he found it sitting on the floor by their bedroom door, untouched. It was undoubtedly cold but he whispered a simple spell to heat it up again before digging in. No surprise, it was delicious and Frank ate it all quickly despite his attempts to savor it. While he finished the last of his coffee, he went over what he had to do that day in his head. Mostly it was boring.Unpack, do a few charms, wait for Gerard to get home, maybe straighten up a little around the apartment. God he was becoming a housewife.It didn’t make much sense, seeing as Gerard had been the one to make him breakfast but still.First and foremost, he decided to clean up their room. It was honestly a mess of boxes and dirty clothes. He could see some dished scattered about as well and decided he might as well actually clean properly. Briefly Frank thought about searching for his record player in the pile of boxes still sitting in the living room, but decided against it. That was entirely too much effort.Instead, he turned on Spotify on his phone and got to work. So what if he was slightly procrastinating on the actual work he needed to get done. He could always do it later.Frank danced as he worked, cleaning up the nightstands first and then moving on the the bed, he ended up just stipping the bed and washing the sheets. Time got away from him, and he was so caught up in the cleaning that he didn’t hear his phone buz with a new text. As he was about to take a break and grab a snack, Frank finally pulled his phone out. Checking his messages, he found that he had three texts from Gerard.One from and hour before that simply read “Hey.”The next one was from 45 minutes ago and said, “ wanna come by for lunch?”The final one, sent 10 minutes ago was slightly concerning.“Is Mikey there with you?” Frank knew that Gerard’s brother ate lunch with him almost every day and that it was really rare for the two to skip a day. So, him asking Frank about where Mikey was was worrying. Just as he was about to text him and ask what he meant exactly, his phone rang, Gerard’s contact picture popping up on his screen.He answered quickly and was slightly shocked by the panicked voice that spoke almost instantly.“Frank are you okay?”Gerard sounded out of breath, like he’d been running, and he mixed all of the words together making them all come out as one long word.It took him a moment to understand what Gerard had said and then another to form his answer.“Yes Gee, I’m fine. Is something wrong?”The other end was quiet, making Frank nearly think he’d hung up.“Mikey didn’t show up for lunch today and he didn’t call beforehand and you didn’t answer your texts and I-”“Whoa- Garard slow down. Mikey didn’t tell you he wasn’t coming?”Frank tried to keep his voice calm so that Gerard would be able to actually tell him what was wrong.“No, no call. Nothing. I talked to him yesterday but he didn’t mention that he wasn’t going to come for lunch,” Gerard said more slowly this time but Frank could still hear the worry in his voice.“Okay, have you tried texting or calling him?”“Of course I have,”“And?”“Nothing. He hasn’t even opened them.”Now it was Frank’s turn to get anxious. He let out a sigh that he hoped Gerard hadn’t heard as he realized how weird it was for Mikey to not text his brother. Normally the two were in contact several times a day and that wasn’t even counting their lunch meetups.Frank tried to think logically, maybe there was something that could explain this easily.“Did he tell you what he had planned for today?” he asked Gerard, trying to find something to go off of.“Yeah, he told me he had to go on patrol today but that only makes it worse ‘cause what if something went wrong?”Gerard was beginning to get worked up again, the words once again melting together in his haist.“Shit, okay what time is it?” Frank asked, his mind attempting to come up with something that would help.“Uh, quarter past four. Why?”Frank got an idea and began to rummage around through his things.“And when was the last time you talked to Mikey?”His arms were now full as he carried books and supplies over to the small desk in their room, all the while holding his phone against his ear with his shoulder.“Uh, yesterday around 2 when he was here for lunch.”“Perfect,”“Wait what?,” Gerard’s confused voice come through the phone as Frank set the last of the things he would need down.“I have a way to see where he is; I agree it’s weird he hasn’t talked to you all day.”Now Frank was flipping through the pages of an old, worn book. The cover was slightly torn, the pages yellow with age and use, but they were exactly what he needed. Once he found the correct page, Frank then grabbed the other book he’d gotten and flipped through it. “How?”Gerard’s question took a moment to sink in, by that time Frank already was lighting the candles.“A tracking spell?”It looked like Gerard had finally caught on and Frank silently prayed that it would work. Those types of spells were always finicky and could never be a hundred percent trusted.“Wait, Frankie,”He paused in lighting the last candle, fully prepared to do this with Gerard on the other end of the phone. Maybe then if he really did find Mikey, Gerard would be closer to him.“What’s wrong?”“Wait for me, don’t do the spell without me.”Really? He was sure Gerard could hear his eye roll through the phone because seriously. Frank could do magic; it was the one thing he was actually good at “If I do it and he’s across the city then you’ll be closer to him from work than you would be from here,” he explained, trying to ignore the way knowing how worried Gerard was about him made him feel. He was -slightly- upset damn it. He did not need a babysitter every time he did magic. If that were the case, Gerard would practically never leave his side. Yet, the majority of him realized how worried Gerard was in that moment. His brother might be missing and Frank was about to attempt a difficult, and oftentimes unruly spell, to try and find him. If the situations were reversed, he would probably feel the same.“Sorry, you’re right. Please just be careful Frankie,”He nodded, then remembered Gerard couldn’t actually see him, so he then told him he was starting.Really the preparation for a tracking spell was easy. The only thing that made it difficult was singling out whoever you were looking for. Among the billions of people on the planet, finding the person you were looking for was literally a needle in a haystack scenario.Regardless, Frank began reading from the pages of the first book. This part was just to help him focus his energy in the correct place. All in all it took about a minuet for him to read that part, the only other sound in the room being Gerard’s breathing through the phone and even that was muffled to Frank’s ears.He took a breath, preparing himself for the next part.As he spoke, the world began to fade away. His eyes were no longer seeing the page in front of him, even though he knew they must be for him to be able to keep reading. Instead, he now was moving down the street outside their apartment. The people he passed were nothing but blurs of color that represented their auras.He looked down.It was always weird that he couldn’t see himself in this state but even more strange was the way he was gravitating towards a bright orange trail in front of him. The trail was glowing, meaning that this was the person he was trying to find. This was Mikey.Frank realized that he couldn’t hear anything anymore but paid it no mind because suddenly his surroundings were morphing around him. He found himself standing in an open field; the bright green of the grass nearly hurting his eyes from its contrast to the grey city he’d been in moments before.A lone cabin stood in front of him, hand-made with wood, larger than his apartment by about a hundred percent. Okay maybe his math was off, but there was no mistaking the way the orange trail led inside the house.All at once, as if he were being suctioned out Frank found himself lying on the floor, once again back in his apartment.He was breathing shakily as his body protested the rapid departure.Frank let out a groan as the exhaustion set in making his body feel like lead.“Frankie? Frank are you there? Oh god- I’m on my way back. I’ll be there soon, damnit, Frank-” The sound coming from his phone was nearing hysterical but he couldn’t bring himself to roll over and try and find it. He prayed that it was close enough by so that Gerard could hear him.“Gerard,” His voice sounded rough, even to himself. The spell had taken more out of him than he’d originally thought it would. No other time had it had this level of an effect on him. He’d been tired, sure, but Frank was fighting hard to stay awake as his body attempted to pull him under.Thankfully, the phone must have been nearby.“Frank?!” Gerard was definitely freaking out, that much Frank could tell easily. He wondered how long he’d been out of it.Oh- right- he needed to tell Gerard what he’d found. “Mikey, he’s in a- a cabin,” Frank groaned as his temple began throbbing, a sure sign he’d done too much.He distantly heard Gerard let out a sigh, whether it held any relief in it he wasn’t sure.“Just stay on the line Frankie; I’m gonna be home in about a minuet.”The last remaining consciousness Frank had allowed him to reason that Gerard was probably using his full speed to get to him. Though it seemed that was the last thought he was capable of forming. Still fighting against it, Frank fell into unconsciousness.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Frank distantly heard the door open.
Confused, he tried to open his eyes and see who it was. Something was preventing him from doing so, probably how fucking shitty he felt.
Whatever he was laying on was cool underneath him and it was cold enough to be uncomfortable. He groaned, headache returning with full force as he pried his eyes open.
He was met with a mop of red hair falling down over a concerned face; Gerard.
Why was he there?
“Frankie?” he whispered.
“Ugh. ‘M fine. Help me up,” he said, dragging his elbows underneath him and trying to rise. It was more difficult than he anticipated, so Frank was grateful that Gerard’s hands were on his back, gently supporting him into a halfway sitting position.
The simple movement made his head spin, and Frank cursed under his breath.
“Gee?” he whispered after the spinning subsided slightly.
“Yeah baby?”
“Help me up,” Frank was already moving again, attempting to get his feet underneath him. He ignored Gerard’s sigh and finally managed to stand.
His head swam yet again and Frank would have fallen if Gerard’s hands weren’t at his waist, holding him steady.
He swayed dangerously for a few moments until Frank willed the dizziness to fade, more frustrated at his own weakness than anything.
This was about Mikey, not him.
Pushing away from Gerard, Frank stumbled towards their bed and collapsed down onto it. He sat on the edge, breathing heavily despite how little he’d done to get there.
He rested his head in his hands, the headache even worse now after he moved.
Wracking is brain for a spell that would relieve the pain, Frank hardly noticed Gerard’s voice talking to him.
Hands were on his shoulders, not shaking but attempting to gain his attention. Hazel eyes stared at him, clearly trying to evaluate his health.
“Frank,” he repeated, “ can I get you anything?”
He thought for a moment, not really sure.
Honestly he should just bypass any additional spells. They’d help him feel better in the short run, but after they wore off he would feel worse.
Food and sleep were his next best options then, even though he really didn’t have time to rest. They needed to get to that cabin he saw. Mikey was still technically missing.
Food it was then.
Frank summoned all the strength he could and pulled himself back up.
Standing again was even harder than the last time but once again, Gerard was there, helping him to stay steady.
“What are you doing?”
He sounded frustrated and Frank quickly tried to apologize.
“ I just need something to eat; after that we can go and find Mikey. I’m sorry, I fucked up. It’s never been that hard before and I don’t know why this time was so difficult.”
Now he was rambling.
Great.
He felt terrible. Not just from the magic influenced drain on his strength; he was now making this all about him when at that very moment Gerard’s brother was missing. Mikey could be hurt, the fact that he was able to track him meant that he was still alive but that said nothing of his health beyond that.
“Frank,” Gerard gave him a look, something between exasperated and amused.
He frowned, confused now.
Gerard just rolled his eyes, even though he had to grip Frank tighter as he threatened to fall once again.
Truth be told, Frank’s legs felt like jelly and his head had reached a new level of pounding. Each little movement sent sharp stabs of pain through his temple and he continued to fight off the whimpers that tried to escape and squeezed his eyes shut.
Even the weak light in the room was too much for him to deal with.
Gerard must have realized how poorly he was feeling because all of a sudden he was being scooped up into the vampire’s arms.
He let out a squeak as he was suddenly being carried bridal style. The name alone made a blush come to his checks and he quickly assured himself that he would pass it off as a effect of the raging headache should Gerard ask.
Instead, it seemed like he didn’t notice Frank’s reddening face. He carried him through the apartment, but he couldn’t tell where they were going exactly. He had his face pressed up against Gerard’s shirt, breathing in his sent and trying to ignore his headache. The normal smell of coffee and cigarettes was strangely comforting.
It was wholly Gerard and Frank loved it.Gently, he was sat down onto what he assumed was the couch. A plus of living with a vampire meant that even at night they had few lights on. It was a small blessing because he was sure that his head would implode if he had to sit in a brightly lit room for any amount of time. He must have been still enough for Gerard to think he’d fallen asleep, he wished he could, because soft hands were running through his hair.
“Frankie,” he singsonged, voice quiet.
He groaned in response, even that hurt his head, but he did open his eyes to assure Gerard that he was awake.
If he could think clearly, Frank would definitely be trying to figure out why he was so exhausted and why it’d had been like someone was pulling him around during the spell.
Those were questions for later, after he got his damn head to stop pounding.
“ You gotta eat somethin’, Frankie.”
He hummed in agreement, now too caught up in trying to get comfortable.
He was freezing and no amount of snuggling into the soft cushions was bringing him any warmth.
“How about some soup? I think we have some potato soup from the other day still in the fridge,” Gerard suggested while laying a warm blanket over Frank, apparently reading his mind.
Frank smiled up at him in appreciation, loving the way the shadows in the room fell over his face. Even in the dim room, his bright red hair was practically shining. Gerard was staring at him but Frank was too busy taking in the details of his face.
His mouth was open slightly and Frank couldn’t help but want to kiss that adorably small mouth. He could see the tips of Gerard’s fangs, halfway retracted because he wasn’t eating.
Briefly Frank wondered what it would be like to watch Gerard feed, what it would be like for him to feed on Frank.
He shook that thought, figuratively because he didn’t want to risk the pain it would probably cause, from his head and captured Gerard’s lips with his own instead.
The vampire made a noise, surprised by Frank’s sudden strength despite the fact that his arms were shaking with the effort of holding himself up enough to keep their mouths close enough to move together.
For a while they stayed like that, mouths moving slowly against each other. Soon Gerard’s tongue was begging for entrance and Frank eagerly allowed him to explore. Warm hands were in his hair, gently playing with random strands and driving him wild in the process.
He was dizzy, but for an entirely different reason.
When Gerard accidentally scrapped his lip with his sharp fangs, Frank couldn’t hold back the moan that fell from his lips.
His arms gave out, whether from the sensations that Gerard’s mouth brought or his current state he wasn’t sure. He didn’t fall, his boyfriend’s arms once again supporting him with lightning speed.
Gerard was looking at him, thoughts unreadable. He seemed more sad now than confused but Frank wasn’t sure why.
Had he not wanted the kiss?
Was he really that bad at it that Gerard was sad afterwards.
“Stay here, I’ll be back in a second.”
Frank stared dumbly at Gerard for a moment before he remembered the promise of potato soup.
Ah that explained it.
Frank had probably scared the living shit out of him on the phone earlier and was continuing to make him more worried every time his body decided to show its current weakness.
Gerard had enough to worry about with his brother missing that Frank was genuinely surprised that he hadn’t just told him to go to sleep while he went to find Mikey.
Then again, he was always so protective of Frank. It wasn’t like he didn’t like it though.
It was so sweet how Gerard would always ask him how he was when Frank had obviously had a bad day. Especially when he would go out of his way to make sure that Frank was happy. Little things like breakfast in bed that night and now making him food brought a smile to his lips. He felt so loved in moments like that.
It felt like he was the only person in the world or at least the only one Gerard cared about.
Frank knew that Gerard could be just as protective towards Mikey because the older brother in him always felt the need to take care of him. He’d personally seen his boyfriend go to crazy ends to get a new cd that his brother had offhandly mentioned because he knew just how much he really wanted it.
Naturally, Gerard was just a kind person. He always seemed to be making people happy and safe and Frank loved him for it.
A few months back, just after they met, Frank had nearly died (having your neck and shoulder ripped apart was not something he would recommend) and Gerard had risked his own life to save him.
He’d always been kind and considerate towards Frank, but after that night he’d gotten even more protective.
Frank knew, thanks to a horribly awkward class in high school, the signs of an unhealthy or toxic relationship.
But, he thought, Gerard always trusted him. He always believed Frank and allowed him to be his own person so to speak.
Even though he was constantly asking Frank if he was okay it wasn’t a sign of distrust, instead he reasoned that it was just fear.
When Frank got hurt it terrified Gerard, to the point that he had nightmares about it for weeks afterwards. They still happened every so often.
Gerard never forced Frank to do anything. He’d always ask him to be safe, normally suggesting the absolute safest option, but he never actually made him comply.
Frank brought a hand up to his neck, feeling the raised scar tissue that ran along his neck and shoulder in ragged lines. He barely remembered what happened.
Extreme blood loss does horrible things to your memory.
Still, the memory of Gerard completely babying him the following weeks as he recovered brought a smile to his face.
It had led to their first real date and then later to them becoming boyfriends. Gerard was still in the kitchen, the sound of him making the food oddly comforting and domestic. It was a wild turn from just a few moments before. If Frank was feeling better he would have not let him leave, the feeling of his lips too addicting to give up.
A smile found its way to Frank’s lips again, now wishing he could have taken it further.
He still honestly felt like shit, but the headache had subsided slightly, leaving him all the more exhausted.
Again he toyed with the idea of using a healing spell on himself.
If he managed to make it last long enough to get Mikey back, it probably would be worth it.
He’d have to do it without Gerard knowing though.
There was no way that he’d be okay with it if he knew that once it wore off, Frank would likely be in worse shape than before.
On the down side though, he reasoned, Gerard would be so worried over him if he did; the anxiety that was still radiating off of him was proof.
It probably wouldn’t be worth it now that he thought about it.
The last thing he wanted to do was make Gerard even more worried. Besides, it would probably be easier for Frank to just suck it up for the meantime.
But, then again, it’d be so easy.
By the time he’d nearly finished deciding what to do, Gerard was back in the living room putting a steaming bowl of soup down on the coffee table in front of him.
He offered a grateful smile and dug in, feeling like he was starving despite having eaten just a little while before.
Frank noticed that Gerard didn’t have a bowl, which stuck him as odd because he assumed that he hadn’t had lunch since Mikey didn’t show up.
“Where’s your bowl?” He asked between mouthfuls.
Gerard looked down, seemingly noticing his lack of food all of a sudden. When he glanced back up at Frank he just shrugged.
“Eh, I’m not very hungry at the moment.”
“Did you eat lunch?” Frank questioned.
“Eat, Frank. You need it.”
Frank complied, even though he did notice the not very subtle way Gerard avoided his question.When at last the food was gone and he assured Gerard that he was full, Frank was feeling much better. His headache had subsided to a dull ache, something he could ignore. This in turn led to him being able to spare the energy to actually think about something other than “ow” or “fuck”.
The thing that troubled him the most was his tracking spell. He’d performed it a few times in the past, and even though it was not an easy task, it had never drained him so badly.
Most of the time he only got such a bad headache when he tried something beyond his reserves. More often that not it was because he did too many little spells and they added up, but he had tried healing ones that had similar effects on him. In high school he had saved a friend from dying after the two of them were in a car crash. He’d been unconscious for a week afterwards but his friend had been fine.
Never had a tracking spell taken such a toll on him. It was unexpected to say the least.
To top it off, had felt like someone else was controlling where he’d gone during it. Normally, he would be drawn towards the person or energy that he was trying to find. This time however, it had been like someone, or something, else was guiding him around. He had never been pulled so harshly towards the energy signal.
He thought about voicing his concerns to Gerard, just to get a second opinion.
The worst that could really happen would be that he had no clue what Frank was talking about.
So when Gerard came back into the room after putting his dishes in the sink, he asked. He told him how different, how freaking weird, it was that he was being controlled while performing the spell. He also mentioned how normally that type of spell wasn’t as difficult as it had been that night.
The whole time Gerard just listened, he didn’t ask questions but Frank could see his mind working quietly. He didn’t even sit down, just stood there and listened intently.
When he was finally done, Frank sagged a little against the couch. He could honestly go for a nap seeing as the food had helped, but only so much.
He cursed his stupid, weak body.
“I didn’t think people could control others’ spells,” Gerard questioned pulling Frank out of his momentary self loathing..
“Me neither,” he shrugged, “but that's exactly what it felt like.”
“Is there anything you can do to stop them from doing it again?”
He didn’t know. There were protection spells, but he would have to dig to even know if one existed that would fit their purpose.
“Maybe, but that’s a fuck ton of research that we don’t have time for. We still don’t know where Mikey is, or if he is even safe.”
“Wait,” Gerard’s voice rose an octave in slight panic, “ you said you followed his energy signature. Doesn’t that mean he’s okay?”
“Well yeah, kinda. It means he’s alive, that he’s emitting an energy that I can track, but it's a whole other spell to see the strength of his aura.”
“And that would tell you if he’s okay?”
“Yeah, I kind of assumed that he wasn’t hurt or anything. I was checking first to see where he was and then I was gonna do the second spell to make sure he was alright,” Frank explained.
Gerard sat down beside Frank on the couch and placed his head in his hands.
“Damn it,” he said, voice slightly muffled by his hands. It sounded like he was about to cry.
Gerard had only cried in front of Frank once before when he’d asked him to go to a bar with him. He’d learned a lot about him from that conversation and had never pressured him to go out drinking again, now knowing more about his past.
The sight of Gerard crying that night as he admitted to Frank that he’d been an alcoholic when he’d been in college was still prominent in his mind.
Frank would do anything he could to prevent him from crying again; anything to make him happy, because he deserved it.
“We can do the other spell. It's pretty simple to set up so we could know for sure that Mikey is alright in like 30 minutes at the most,” he said after a moment’s pause.
Frank stood quickly, already trying to recall which of his books he would need. This particular spell he’d only done once before and that was only to see if he could actually do it.
He was fairly certain that he knew how to do it properly, if not it wouldn’t hurt to try.
Before he could even move a step, Gerard had already stood and grabbed his arm. His grip was light, but firm enough to keep Frank in place.
“Seriously Frankie?” he said, eyes wide in disbelief.
“What?”
They needed to know what they were getting into when they went to that cabin to get Mikey. Technically they didn’t know exactly where said cabin was but it didn’t matter. He needed to do the spell that way they’d be prepared.
“Frank,”
He was looking at Frank in full disbelief.
“What?” he repeated.
Gerard sqwinted, trying to read him. His eyes softened when he came to a conclusion to whatever question he was asking.
Frank’s eyebrows rose, trying to prompt Gerard into telling him the revolation he’d apparently just had.
“Frank, an hour ago you were lying unconscious on the bedroom floor. You’ve done enough magic for the night.”
That wasn’t true, Frank thought to himself, he was fine now. He’d eaten and rested for the past hour so he was more than ready to continue their search for Mikey.
“No, I’m fine,” he protested, arms crossed.
He felt like a child arguing about bedtime or something equally as stupid.
“No you’re not. I know I’m overprotective but this time you know I’m right,” Gerard continued, voice soft.
Frank hated that he was sort of right.
Standing just for the few moments that their conversation lasted had already taken a tole. He tried to hide the way his head was swimming but Gerard caught on quickly.
“Come on, let's get you to bed.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Gerard guided him through the living room, giving Frank's brain enough time to protest as he ungraciously stumbled into the bedroom.
“But - Mikey. He needs us and-”
“It’s almost day, we can’t do anything until tonight. Besides,” he said, helping Frank into bed and curling up beside him, “ you’re exhausted.”
“But-”
“Nope. You need sleep.”
“We don’t… even know… where he is,” he continued, barely able to keep his eyes open.
“I do. Maybe. We’ll talk about it in the morning.”
He wanted to protest, say that they should talk about it now.
Instead he just listened and allowed himself to drift off to sleep.
___________________________________________________________________________It was sometime later that Frank was roused from his sleep. For a moment he laid there, not entirely sure why he was awake exactly, and tried to drift off again.
He lay there for a while, somewhere in between awake and asleep. Opening his eyes, Frank was met with a near dark room.
He was facing the window and small streams of sunlight filtered through the dark curtains. They only illuminated the very top of the wall, just above where the fabric ended. It was still hours until it was time for them to be awake.
Blinking slowly, Frank wondered if he’d be able to fall back asleep. He was warm and still pretty tired, but something was keeping him from sleeping again.
The bed shifted as Gerard rolled over suddenly, a whimper escaping his lips as he twitched in his sleep. Frank rolled over as well in an attempt to see what was wrong.
His boyfriend’s eyes were shut tightly and he was mumbling something that Frank couldn’t make out. Frank could see how rapidly his eyes were moving underneath his eyelids but he still wasn’t sure if he should do anything.
Gerard could just be waking up, he reasoned.
That thought was proved wrong when another whimper tore through Gerard and tears began falling despite his eyes being closed.
It was apparent then to Frank that he was having a nightmare. As quickly as he could, he shook Gerard. Normally if he could just get him awake, Frank would be able to calm him down.
It took a while, whimpers and half sobs rolling out of Gerard’s mouth at random, but finally those squinted eyes opened and stared at Frank.
He looked terrified, but the recognition that it was Frank visiblly relaxed Gerard. Frank watched, worriedly, as his boyfriend sighed and closed his eyes again.
From his position sitting up beside Gerard, Frank reached over and gently wiped the tear tracks still streaming down his face.
“Gee? Baby, are you alright?”
Those beautiful eyes that Frank loved so much opened at his words. Sometimes he would be absolutely certain that they were hazel, or green, but then the next day Gerard’s eyes would have specks of blue or brown and he would have to reevaluate everything.. Mostly now he didn’t try to assign a specific color to his boyfriend’s eyes. They were always beautiful. Just that.
Beautiful. That was something that never changed, no matter the lighting or Gerard’s mood. His eyes repeatedly took Frank’s breath away.
So to now see them looking up at him with such sadness and fear made a heavy pit form in his stomach.
Gerard looked at him; eyes silently pleading for something. What he needed Frank wasn’t exactly sure.
Sometimes after a nightmare Gerard would need constant affections, hugs and cuddling and shit like that, but other times he would become even more protective and not want to let Frank out of his sight. It all depended on what he had seen in the dream, and he wouldn’t know that until Gerard gave him a few more clues. He may be in love and have magic, but he could not read minds.
Gerard sighed again, finally breaking eye contact.
When he looked back up to Frank, the sadness was gone, replaced with a neutral expression. Well, replaced wasn’t the right word. It was more like Gerard had pushed it aside.
He really didn’t believe that he was fine.
With a raised eyebrow, Frank managed to coax more out of Gerard.
“It’s just- it’s the same shit as always.”
Gerard always dreamed of Frank in his nightmares. Of losing him. Of not being able to protect him.
Honestly the thought in itself was terrifying to Frank.
If a vampire wasn’t able to save him from something then he really would be screwed.
However, a deeper fear sparked from those nightmares. A fear that Gerard would blame himself, should anything happen to Frank. A fear that one day he wouldn’t be there to comfort Gerard when his literal worst nightmares bled into reality.
Instead of telling this to Gerard Frank wrapped him in a hug, not trusting himself to speak. How could he promise that everything would be okay when he didn’t know himself?
He could feel Gerard shaking slightly underneath him, not crying. The emotions and fear he was feeling still coursing strong through his system.
“Shh. Gee I’m right here. I’m fine. You’re fine. We’re fine.”
Frank kept mumbling the encouragement, though he consciously made an effort to keep to things he knew for a fact.
After a while, Gerard fell back asleep. The only way he could tell was the soft snoring coming from underneath him. Soon after Frank allowed himself to sleep as well, gladly accepting the extra few hours he’d get.
_________
Frank woke to something on him.
Something, or someone, was attached to his chest. Something warm but wet was moving along the skin just below his collar bone.
He groaned, still too asleep to process anything.
“Wake up Frankie, I’m bored,” came a whiny voice to his right.
Prying his eyes open, Frank was met with one of the greatest views in the world: Gerard half straddling him with his mouth attached to Frank’s skin. Letting his eyes close one again, he took a moment to just feel.
Gerard’s lips were soft against his skin, pressing open mouthed kisses along his way. When Frank closed his eyes, Gerard doubled his efforts. Now adding his tongue to the equation, he worked his way up Frank’s neck. Unable to stop the moan that built from the sensation, Frank looked again at Gerard. He was paying full attention to his task, allowing Frank to soak in the beautiful man doing glorious things to his neck.
Gerard’s hair was a mess, pieces sticking up in places and probably in need of a wash. Frank thought it was hot as hell.
He was the only person Frank knew that could pull off the “I haven't washed my hair in three days” look.
Once again a small scrape of Gerard’s fangs against his neck hit Frank unexpectedly. He led out a stuttered “Fu-fuck.”
He could feel Gerard smile against his skin, obviously enjoying what he was doing to Frank. Things were escalating pretty quickly, and he hated to be the end of this moment, but he knew they had work to do.
Mikey needed their help.
“Gee we can’t,” he whispered.
Gerard groaned, obviously understanding that they had important shit to do but also not wanting to stop where this was going.
After a few more sloppy kisses on Frank’s neck and along his scorpion tattoo, Gerard captured his lips. The kiss was passionate and deep, making him want to end the moment even less. When Gerard finally pulled away, Frank nearly chased after him.
He didn’t though. He just remained on the bed, eyes closed in content and a smile on his face.
When he recovered enough, Frank cracked an eye open to find Gerard grinning smugly down at him.
“Fucking dick,” Frank mumbled.
“You’re the one that wanted to stop, Frankie.”
Damn him and his teasing.
It took considerable willpower to sit up and actually walk away from Gerard, but somehow Frank managed to make it to their bathroom. He desperately needed a shower. He smelled like candles and old books, and not in the good way.
When that was done and he’d put on some fresh clothes, Frank made his way back into the bedroom. He found Gerard sitting on the bed, already dressed and scrolling through his phone. Frank plopped down beside him and noisily looked onto the screen in his hands.
“It’s my mom. I’m trying to find the address to an old place we used to visit as kids,” Gerard explained before Frank could ask.
“Okay, but shouldn’t we be focusing on finding your brother?”
Gerard looked up from his phone, thumb pausing in its typing.
“This actually has to do with Mikey. I think I know of a cabin that he might be at.”
Well didn’t that just clear everything up.
The look on Frank’s face must have told Gerard that he wasn’t following.
“So, when we were little, Mikey and I would always go to this old cabin that our parents owned. We’d spend a few weeks there in the summer and it was a blast. Anyway, I figured that if Mikey is in a cabin somewhere, then our best bet is one he’s been to before.”
That made sense.
“So you’re asking your mom for the address?”
“Yep,” Gerard said with a nodd.
“We haven't been to the cabin in ages, but I’m pretty sure its still there.”
Before Frank could reply, Gerard’s phone dingged. His mother had texted back.
“What’d she say?” he asked impatiently.
“Well, she gave us the address but she wants to know why I’m asking.”
“Will she freak if we do?”
“Uh, yeah probably. Mikey is her baby; she's always been protective of him,” Gerard explained, fingers still hovering over the keypad, unsure what to say.
“Huh, I wonder what that’s like?”
He couldn’t help the sarcasm. As much as he loved Gerard, sometimes he really needed to know Frank could actually take care of himself.
“I’m serious Frankie. Should I tell her he’s missing?”
“Would she be able to help us?”
“I don’t know.”
“How about we wait, if we can’t find him at the cabin then we tell her?” Frank supplied, maneuvering his arm behind Gerard’s lower back and pulling him into a sideways hug.
That rewarded him with a tired smile before Gerard was quickly typing again.
Frank felt kinda bad, making Gerard lie to his mother. But if it kept her from freaking out then maybe it was worth it?
“Okay, she thinks we’re gonna go for a weekend just to relax.”
“Ah very smart,” Frank said, getting up from the bed.
“Where ya going?”
“Kitchen. I’m hungry again.”
Without waiting on him to answer, Frank went into the kitchen and started pillaging through the cabinets. Thankfully he was no longer exhausted or had a migraine, but now he was starving.
Gerard came in a few minutes later and began helping Frank cook. He was a decent cook, meaning he could probably get something onto the table that was edible. Maybe.
Gerard on the other hand was not a master chef by any means, but his food always at least tasted good.
He was slightly taller than Frank so that meant he could reach the things on the top shelf. Normally Frank would have just climbed on the counters to get whatever he needed, but having a taller person was definitely useful. From there they continued cooking breakfast. Frank just kind of wanted something with eggs, but Gerard put some toast in the toaster and started cutting up strawberries.
“Why the hell do we need those?” Frank asked, pointing towards the cutting board covered in thinly sliced strawberries.
“ Cause we’re gonna put them on toast silly,”
What? Those were two things Frank had legitimately never thought about putting together. Was strawberries on toast some amazing thing he’d been missing out on because everyone else already thought he knew. Or was Gerard just weird?
“Don’t give me that look. It’s like strawberry jam just without the added sugar.”
“Thanks Gee, that explains everything.”
Gerard smiled, soft and happy.
“C’mon eggs are gonna burn Frankie.”
“Oh shit, oops,” Frank said, now turning his attention back to the pan in front of him.
When the food was finished, the pair quickly made their plates and sat down across from each other on the bar. Gerard’s apartment didn’t have a kitchen table, just a breakfast bar with three bar stools accompanying it. Most of their meals happened on the couch so Frank didn’t mind too much.
They ate quickly, Frank realizing that strawberries and toast was actually kind of good. He probably wouldn’t make it again, but not bad.
As they ate, he watched Gerard open a small container of his synthetic blood and pour a little on top of the eggs. It almost looked like hot sauce running down onto the paper plate, but Frank didn’t really mind. It was weird how used to Gerard drinking blood he was. Well, it was fake blood but still, the point remains.
He guesses, as he goes in for some more eggs on his plate, that its because he knows that Gerard wouldn’t hurt anyone in order to get the blood. The dude goes to the extent of having someone make him fake shit so that he doesn’t have to steal it from blood drives or people.
The rest of their meal passes uneventfully and before he knows it they’re trying to catch a cab outside on the sidewalk. Gerard has one of Mikey’s spar hunting packs, just a gym bag stuffed with weapons and shit, thrown over his shoulder. Frank has his magic. And also the small knife Gerard insisted he bring, “just in case.”
Soon after that they were in the back of a cab, riding outside of the city. As the lights and cars faded behind them, Frank watched the trees as they passed. The moon was bright in the sky and it illuminated the silhouette of the forest they were driving through. Everyone in a while Frank would be able to see an owl or small rodent. It was not peaceful though.
Despite the soft jazz music coming from the cab’s speakers, anxiety was eating away at Frank. He knew Gerard was upset too. He could see it in how stiff he was sitting, hands fidgeting with the bit of his t-shirt coming out from under his hoodie. Frank could hardly sit still either.
What would they do if they didn’t find Mikey at the cabin?
What if they found him, but he was already-
No, nope. Frank was not going to think like that.
When they finally pulled up to the address Gerard had given the driver, Frank got out first. Gerard was soon by his side, stuffing his wallet into his back pocket and holding the gym bag by his waist. They stood there for a moment, neither ready to make that first step.
The cabin loomed in front of them, completely dark save for a single light. Frank felt like he was in a horror movie, the kind where the lovable idot, that’d be himself, dies in the first ten minutes.
“Ready?” Gerard asked, breaking the silence.
Frank took a deep breath.
“Yeah, lets go get Mikey.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
They walked slowly towards the cabin. Frank pulled the small knife out when they got closer. The surrounding woods were quiet around them but an occasional owl did call out into the night, startling Frank every time. If Gerard noticed it, he didn’t acknowledge it. He walked in front of Frank, purposely but slowly stepping closer to the cabin. They were moving so slowly, enough to make him impatient. He wanted to just barge in already, the safely waiting was killing him. Anxiously he played with the handle of the knife. There were little ridges and bumps on the handle. In better light he might be able to tell if they were words or just a pattern.
The air was chilly, biting through his layers and making Frank shiver. He should have brought another jacket. Hopefully the cabin was warm, he thought absently.
Finally they were standing at the edge of the steps. Before he could walk up them and get to the door, Gerard’s arm was out in front of him, stopping Frank from going any further.
“What?” he whispered.
Gerard didn’t turn around. He just stared in front of them.
“It’s too easy.”
“We gotta know Gee,” Frank said, walking around Gerard’s arm and going up to the door. He planned on knocking the moment he got there, however anxiety kicked in again. He had no idea what was going to be on the other side of that door.
Frank took a steadying breath and, while bringing his magic up to the surface incase he needed it, knocked on the door.
The sound seemed impossibly loud, the quiet before being shattered by his action. He heard Gerard suck in a breath behind him.
Listening closely, Frank tried to tell if anyone inside the cabin was moving. Silence was the only thing he heard.
He made to knock again, knuckles already moving towards the wooden door. Just then the door swung open, the old wood creaking in protest. Someone stood in the doorway, hidden by the shadows, a gun in their hands pointed at he and Gerard.
Quickly Frank began a disarming spell, the words easily flowing out of his mouth. All of a sudden there was a hand over his mouth, stopping the spell even though his magic remained active beneath his skin.
Gerard had covered his mouth.
Why the hell?
“Mikey?” Gerard asked in disbelief, making Frank do a double take at the figure still standing in the shadows. It was definitely Mikey now that he looked more closely. The tall, lanky figure and awkward knees now a dead give away.
Frank stepped to his left, already knowing that Gerard was going to tackle his brother before the vampire even moved. He watched with a smile on his face as the two brothers embrace.
“Oh my god. I missed you so damn much.” He heard Gerard mumble, still holding onto Mikey with a deathgrip.
Mikey gave an amused laugh but was hugging back with equal force. When they finally pulled away, Mikey reached to the wall inside to turn on the light.
Frank had to blink a few times from the sudden illumination but he did catch Mike’s small smile directed his way. He returned it, honestly just happy that Mikey was alright.
Gerard stood there, not really moving as he stared at his brother.
“Gee,” he said, catching on to his brother’s worrying gaze, “I’m fine.”
No one spoke for another moment, then Mikey pointed inside and said, “C’mon. I’ll explain everything once we get inside.”
The inside of the cabin was dirty to say the least. Cobwebs and dust were everywhere and it was clear no one had been there in a few years at the least. Thankfully it was warm. Frank felt himself shiver a bit at the change in temperature but it was a welcome change. He put the small knife away and glanced around at his surroundings once more. There were old paintings, so covered in dust that he could hardly make out who was in them, that lines the walls. The hallway they were walking through had a long rug that ran down the middle of it and there were multiple doorways leading to dark rooms.
After a while of walking straight, Mikey stepped into a doorway on their left. Only a few lights were on, most of them probably blown or busted. The few that did work only partially let Frank see where he was going.
Mikey guided them through the rooms, the cabin was bigger than it seemed from the outside, occasionally putting his hand on a wall or piece of furniture. Everytime he did it, Frank saw him lean onto the surface for just a second but then quickly push off.
It was weird, almost like he was using the walls and tables as landmarks to navigate through the cabin.
They walked for a few more minutes, Frank no longer focusing on the cabin. Instead he was watching Mikey and growing more concerned by the second. Something wasn’t right but he didn’t know what.
Apparently Gerard noticed as well. As Mikey leaned against the wall for a few seconds longer than normal, Gerard walked over to him. He placed an arm on his brother’s shoulder, silently asking if he was alright.
Mikey gave him a smile that Frank could tell was tired and half forced.
“I’ll explain once we get back into the kitchen.”
With that they kept walking, though it did nothing to help Frank’s concern for Mikey. When they got to the kitchen Mikey made a beeline for one of the chairs that were accompanying the wooden table in the center of the room. He sat down harshly and let out a breath. Mikey’s right arm snaked over his middle and it seemed like he had forgotten about Frank and Gerard.
Frank was more worried now, finally somewhat understanding why he was acting so weird.
“You’re hurt,” Frank stated, already by Mikey’s side. He placed a hand over Mikey’s middle, using his magic to see what was wrong.
“It’s nothing. I’ve already bandaged it and everything.”
Mikey’s voice was a whisper and Frank knew without looking that his words had little effect on Gerard.
Allowing his magic to spread from his palm and down into Mikey was easy, he just let go of his hold on it. Guiding his energy through Mikey was also fairly easy and he found the problem quickly. There was a long, pretty deep cut running horizontal across his stomach. It wasn’t life threatening, but Frank knew it had been painful. He could also sense the stitches and whatever antiseptic Mikey had used. It seemed to be working as the wound was already healing quickly and there was no sign of infection.
“How did this happen?” Frank asked, attention still on double checking that Mikey was alright.
“It’s a long story-”
“Mikey,” Gerard said, stepping closer to his brother, “what happened? Are you alright?”
“He’s fine,” Frank stood, satisfied with what he found,” or at least he will be soon.”
“What happened?” Gerard repeated.
“I stuck my noise in the wrong place I guess. On patrol the other night I ran into a coven of witches. They were attacking this young werewolf kid and I stepped in. The kid got away, but I got this,” Mikey gestured to his stomach, “ from one of the witches.”
“I didn’t know witches carried knives,” Frank asked when Gerard didn’t seem to be able to speak; he looked shocked more than anything. His eyes were fixed on the t-shirt that hid Mikey’s wound.
“They normally don’t but this one had some kind of enchantment on it. The knife flew around without her touching it. It was crazy Gee, and I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Maybe Frank could learn how to do that spell. Flying knives sounded pretty badass.
“But you’re okay now?”
“He is, patched it up himself,” Frank answered,” though he really should be resting.”
Gerard looked at him, mouth moving in half formed sentences even though no sound escaped his lips.
“Really?” Gerard said finally,” C’mon Frank you gotta see the irony in that.”
Furrowing his brows, Frank tried to see what Gerard was pointing out. How was it ironic that he told Mikey he should be resting?
“Frank, have you already forgotten yesterday?”
Oh.
“But I did rest,” he protested.
“Yeah, after I practically forced you to.”
He had a point.
“Before you two go full old married couple on me, I think we should talk about that coven,” Mikey interjected. Playful annoyance in his words making both other men smile and a blush form on Frank’s face. He hoped Gerard hadn’t seen it, but chose to ignore the possibilities flowing through his mind.
“Yeah,” Gerard started, already going into full hunter mode,” why would a coven attack a kid? Interspecies violence without a hunting license is not something to make light of. They could start a war!”
Frank nodded, thinking it was weird how the witches would put peace on the line just to beat someone up.
“Yeah, and after they cut me with the knife they just sort of left.”,Mikey added,” I couldn’t go after them but when I went back to my apartment to clean up, they found me again.”
“They found your apartment?” Gerard said, voice louder now.
“Mh-hm. I had just finished cleaning myself up when they knocked on my door.”
“How did you get out? Why didn’t you come to our place?” Frank asked, waving his arms a bit. The idea that Mikey had been in danger without them knowing made his stomach feel like it was in knots. He’d only known the brothers for a few months but the thought of either of them in such trouble and him not being able to help was horrible.
“I climbed out the fire escape and came here. I didn’t want to bring them to you guys. Figured they’d leave me alone.”
“And have they?” Gerard questioned, arms crossed over his chest. He looked like he was running every possible scenario through his mind, trying to make sense of everything.
“Yeah, I lost them. I’ve just been waiting it out here to be safe.”
“And you didn’t think to call me?” Gerard said, a little of the hurt he was feeling escaping with his anger. Frank knew he was trying to mask his fear by appearing angry so that he and Mikey wouldn’t see how close to tears he was.
“My phone is dead, and by the time I was able to call you I was already here. I’m so sorry for scaring you Gee.”
Mikey seemed more tired than before, how badly his disappearance had effected Gerard more apparent. He’d done a good job of masking his worry when he’d been with Frank, but now that they were talking about it he saw how upset Gerard had been.
“I’m- I can’t be mad at you. I just wish I’d known sooner.”
The two were hugging again, Frank not even seeing Gerard move across the kitchen. He could see Mikey’s face, his eyes squeezed tightly shut and smiling as he held his brother. Gerard seemed to be crying, his shoulders shaking slightly being the only indication.
"We have to find them," Gerard said, loud enough for Frank to hear,"We are going to find them and make them pay for attacking that kid and for hurting you. I will kill them myself if I have to."
He saw Mikey nodd.
“Please don’t ever scare me like that again,” Gerard whispered after a while, tears having stopped a few minutes ago but not wanting to let go just yet.
“I promise.”
That seemed to satisfy Gerard. He pulled away and wiped his cheek on his shirt sleeve and looked at Frank.
“Would it be too late for me to yell at you for using magic?”
Frank laughed at the honestly weak attempt at a joke by Gerard.
“Yes, way too late and unnecessary,” he said between breaths, thankfully making Gerard light up a bit. Even Mikey smiled a bit, not knowing exactly what they were talking about but definitely understanding his brother’s protective nature.
“I was about to make some food. You guys want any?” Mikey said after the laughter died down.
Both of them nodded, starving even though they’d had breakfast only a short while ago. A thought came to Frank as he joined his boyfriend by the counter on the other side of the room.
“Gee, you don’t have any of your substitute with you.”
“Oh, shit. I honestly forgot,” Gerard said, leaning against the counter. His face scrunched up adorably as he thought things through, even though Frank already had a solution.
“Maybe you don’t need the fake stuff.”
“What do you mean Frankie?”
“You have the real shit right in front of you,” he said smoothly, inching closer to Gerard in the process until their bodies were nearly touching. From where Mikey was sitting it probably looked innocent, but Frank’s body felt on fire in the best way possible.
“No, Frank I won’t drink from you.”
He couldn’t help but pout.
“Why not Gee? You’re hungry, and don’t deny it because I know you barely ate breakfast this morning, and I’m right here.”
That seemed to do the trick for a moment, Gerard giving him a hungry look and fangs sliding out a little. Quickly though he seemed to collect himself, much to Frank’s dismay.
“No. I can’t.”
“Why not,” he whined.
“Because I could hurt you Frank. I could kill you very easily if I lost control for even a second,” Gerard explained, running a hand through his hair.
“I trust you.”
“No. Thats final Frank. I. Said. No.” Gerard all but yelled and pushed his shoulders hard enough to make Frank lose his balance and hit the floor. Mikey’s head turned to them, finally being let in on the lack of cooking going on.
Frank just stood there, not sure what to do. He’d never seen Gerard that angry before, at least not at him. The vampire’s eyes softened after he noticed Frank’s shocked and a little more than slightly scared expression.
“I’m sorry. Just- just please. Don’t ask me to feed from you.”
Frank couldn’t speak, still trying to process what had just happened. He knew Gerard was strong, that he was scary when he was angry, but had never had it directed to him. Without looking he knew his shoulders were bruised from where Gerard had pushed him.
“I’m sorry,” Frank mumbled, unable to make eye contact with Gerard as he got up and left. He didn’t know where he was going as long it was out of the kitchen.
He needed time to process.
Mikey didn’t even stop him as he passed him. Though he did give Frank an apologetic look, one that asked if he was alright without words. He didn’t give Mikey a response.
His feet led him to the living room. He wasn’t sure how he got there but it didn’t matter.
Laying down on the couch, Frank stared up at the cobwebs that covered the ceiling.
Why had Gerard gotten so defensive?
It wasn’t like Frank had asked him to turn him or something. He’d just wanted to make sure that Gerard ate something. So what if he thought Gerard drinking from him was insanely hot? It’s not his fault that his boyfriend is like the hottest vampire in existence. He couldn’t lie and say that he hadn’t imagined how it would be if Gerard let go and used his full strength on Frank. The way Gerard could control him if he got rid of his anxiety made Frank breathless. He desperately wanted to know what that was like. Their intimate life was by no means vanilla but Frank couldn’t help to wonder.
However, they way Gerard had acted was the exact opposite of what Frank imagined.
Maybe it was from stress?
The lack of a dinner the day before and small breakfast they’d had that evening was not enough, especially when Gerard needed more food than normal vampires. Frank just couldn’t understand why his boyfriend was so opposed to drinking his blood.
Frank was young, healthy and willing to donate so he really couldn’t figure out why Gerard said no.
Maybe it was his protectiveness?
Maybe Gerard was so afraid of hurting Frank that he couldn’t feed off of him. Frank once again wondered when his boyfriend would realize that he wasn’t made of glass. He wouldn’t just fall over dead if Gerard drank from him. Besides, he trusted Gerard.
Despite their argument. Despite his sore shoulders and tailbone. He trusted Gerard.
Why couldn’t Gerard see that?
“Frank? You in here?”
He lifted his arm high enough to be seen over the back of the couch at the sound of Mikey’s voice. A few seconds later he was sitting down on the coffee table in front of Frank. He tried to hide a wince at the movements but Frank noticed.
Suddenly, he felt guilty at the trouble they were putting on Mikey.
Frank sat up, trying to ignore his sore body while doing so.
“You alright?’ Mikey asked gently.
“Yeah,” he breathed,” I’m fine.”
He raised his eyebrows at Frank, the same disbelieving look that Gerard often gave him.
“I am, really.”
“Gerard is stronger than he looks. You’ve probably got some bruises.” It was a statement.
When Frank made no move to speak, Mikey stood slowly before speaking.
“Look, he went upstairs to have some time to himself. I think me and you can put something deciently edible together if we try.”
Frank nodded and followed him back into the kitchen. Once again he noticed the way Mikey was walking. He really should be resting, not playing referee to Frank and Gerard’s arguments.
“Stop looking at me like that. I’ve had much worse,” Mikey said, not even turning around.
Their conversation paused as they began preparing dinner. All that was left in the cabinets was some outdated peanut butter and canned soup that still had a few months before it was bad.
“Can’t help it. I can heal you if you want. I’m pretty good at healing spells so it’d be over quick,” he offered after they started preparing dinner. Soup seemed like the best option.
“No,” Mikey smiled,” I’m fine. Thank you though. I think you should rest a bit more too.”
“How did-?”
“After you left, Gerard and I had a conversation. He mentioned you had overdone it a bit the other day.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, but don’t worry. Let's just focus on the soup.”
They ate in silence, Frank not really knowing what to say. Even after all the food was gone and their dishes were clean, Gerard still hadn’t come back downstairs.
“I’m gonna go check on Gee,” he said, putting the last spoon in the drainer. Mikey nodded and continued drying off the dishes.
“The stairs are on the left once you get to the hallway.”
“Thanks,” Frank said, already walking towards that direction.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The steps were old and they creaked loudly with each step he took. When he got to the top, Frank didn’t have to look far to find Gerard. The door to one of the rooms was open and there was a soft light spilling out into the hallway.
Stepping closer, Frank could hear Gerard talking. Briefly he wondered if he was on the phone with someone, but as he took another step he realized that Gerard was alone.
“Damn it. You have to keep control of yourself better! You could have killed him! Oh god. I could have killed him.”
Gerard’s panic filled voice wafted through the hallway and before he knew it, Frank was inching closer until he was right behind the door. He peered through the small crack where the door was open. Trying not the breathe too loudly, and to ignore the million thoughts circulating through his head, Frank listened in.
Frank could hear Gerard pacing across the floor and he inched closer, further still, until he was behind the door and able to peer through the crack.
Just as he thought, Gerard was walking back and forth; his hands were in his hair, pulling as he mouthed words to himself. The shakiness of Gerard’s breathing was too loud in Frank’s ears.
Frank knew a panic attack when he saw one.
Knowing that he was most definitely the cause of the anxiety overwhelming Gerard was horrible to say the least. He had pushed him too far.
It was all his fault.
He was inside the room and hugging Gerard within seconds, startling the vampire pretty badly, enough to make him flinch at the contact.
Without letting go, Frank held onto him tightly until Gerard figured out it was him. But once he did realize it, he tried to push away from Frank by gently pressing on his upper arm.
There was a lump in his throat now, making it hard to breathe. Gerard knew about his bruised shoulders, something that really wasn’t that painful if Frank was honest, and was scared to hurt him again.
Feeling his heart aching at the thought, Frank let go. He kept his eyes on the floor, now regretting barging in. A warm hand was at his chin in seconds, lifting his head. Frank caught Gerard’s eyes hesitantly.
They swirled with so many emotions it made Frank dizzy.
“Frankie-”
Gerard stopped, like he didn’t know what to say.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you. This is all my fault Gee and I understand if you’re mad at me.”
He was rambling now, tears now falling against his face as everything that happened that day fell down on top of him.
Not able to tell if he was happy that they’d found Mikey, or upset because Mikey had been hurt, but pissed at Gerard for pushing him so harshly, and then guilty for starting that argument was confusing to say the least.
“Frank. You- I,” Gerard took a breath in an attempt to get his words out more clearly,” It was me who fucked up. I yelled at you. I hurt you Frank and I could have easily hurt you even worse.”
Frank didn’t know what to say.
With how Gerard had been acting, he’d assumed that he was mad at him. Frank had been the one to pressure him and that had been the reason he’d gotten so angry with him. That hardly seemed like Gerard’s fault to Frank.
“No. I can see you over thinking it right now. This was not your fault because I should have controlled my temper. I can’t express how truly sorry I am Frank,” Gerard spoke quietly but he seemed a bit more calm now. Definitely not panicking anymore.
Sometime in the middle of his speech Gerard had linked their hands together. The warmth from his hands sent shivers through Frank, just the simple intimacy of it.
“Why are you so against drinking from me?” Frank found himself asking without thought. For a moment he feared Gerard would get angry again but no such emotion crossed his face. Instead it seemed like he was waiting; like he was building the courage to answer Frank’s question.
“When I was younger, still in highschool, I went to this party,” Gerard started, hands nervously moving in front of him after separating from Frank’s
“ There was a lot of alcohol and I uh… I brought someone home. I don’t remember the rest of the night, but I woke up the next morning with him nearly drained dry in the bed beside me. The doctors barely saved him and thankfully his family didn’t press charges ‘cause they talked to me afterward I guess. But- my family moved to Jersey after that to get away. I started drinking from animals from then on and then when I met Ray in college he helped me even more with the fake blood.”
Frank didn’t know what to say.
He knew Gerard was strong and he knew he was powerful, but Frank had never thought of him being capable of killing someone. In the back of his mind he knew it was possible but the knowledge that Gerard very nearly killed someone was still a shock.
He must have just stood there, blinking and trying to wrap his brain around the information he was just told. Probably long enough for Gerard to get worried again.
“That’s- That’s why I can’t- I can’t take your blood Frank. I could so easily hurt you and- and I would never be able to forgive myself if I did.”
Frank was walking before he realized it and was pressing his mouth against Gerard’s. He made a surprised sound as Frank attacked his mouth with his own, tongue already roaming past Gerard’s lips. Gerard moaned low in the back of his throat and pulled Frank closer.
Their mouths moved together, breath and spit mixing together but Frank didn’t care if it was kind of gross; it felt fucking fantastic.
It seemed like Gerard understood the kiss as the accepted apology and forgiveness that Frank was intending. Soon his hands were roaming Frank’s body, massaging his shoulders and then moving down to rest on his lower back, pulling them even closer in the process.
Frank’s own hands were getting tangled in Gerard’s hair, gently pulling and twirling the strands between his fingers. Suddenly Gerard’s tongue was battling Frank’s and then moving in sync, sending waves of pleasure through Frank’s body.
If they kept going Frank wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop.
Not that he ever wanted to stop.
It was Frank’s turn to moan, as he gave in and let Gerard’s mouth have its way. Everything they were doing was sending his blood south, his jeans already getting uncomfortable.
When at last he came back to reality, Frank barely managed to pry his eyes open. Gerard was laying beside him, fingers running through his hair and humming softly under his breath,
Looking down, he saw blankets covering his body.
How long had he been out?
He really didn’t care, still too blissed out to think too long about anything.
“Frankie?”
Gerard was gently rubbing his cheekbone with a finger and it allowed Frank to pull himself out of the fog enough to answer.
It was hard to focus enough to look Gerard in the eye and he found the guilt swimming in them once again.
“Yeah?” He sounded fucked out in the best possible way.
“You scared me there for a bit Frankie.”
“Time is is?” he mumbled letting his eyes close again.
“After midnight. You’ve been out of it for over an hour.” Gerard’s voice morphed as he continued, “Are you alright? I got carried away and I think I took too much and was too rough and-”
Frank silenced him with a kiss. He was too exhausted to do more than gently brush their lips together but it seemed to work in disproving Gerard's fears.
Much like their kiss on the couch when Gerard had found him after the tracking spell, Frank’s arms were shaking as they tried to hold his weight up.
He ignored it.
He had honesty loved every second of Gerard being so rough with him and he knew that the second he’d recovered from that round he’ll be trying it again.
“So good then?” Gerard asked quietly as they pulled apart.
“Definitely.”
“I still think I took too much.”
“Hush, it was perfect,” he opened his eyes to look at Gerard,” you are perfect.”
_____________
Mikey had thankfully not heard them or was just choosing to pretend it didn’t happen. Either way Frank was grateful.
Gerard had gone back downstairs to grab some water and a snack for Frank earlier and told him that Mikey had already gone to bed.
That of course meant that he’d had to walk up the steps and pass the room they were in to get to his own room.
Gerard explained that he and Frank were in his own old room from when their family went there on vacations. Mikey’s was just down the hall so he most definitely walked past their door.
Any embarrassment Frank had was nothing compared to how amazing their sex had been. He was still reeling from everything that had happened.
On top of getting a blowjob, cumming twice, and cumming untouched, Gerard had actually, properly bitten him.
It made Frank feel so completely helpless but not in a bad way. He was at Gerard’s mercy and had nothing but pleasure.
Of course his boyfriend had asked if he was okay about a million times since then.
Even as they now sat around the kitchen table early the next night, Gerard watched him vigilantly to make sure he ate enough.
Mikey looked much better, he was standing easily by the stove. He had, on Gerard’s request, made Frank and his own food first. Gerard would be eating last.
As he munched on his cheesy eggs, Frank realized that sometime during the day one of the brothers had to have gone to the store.
There was only outdated food and some soup the night before and Frank was certain that there had been no eggs or cheese in the entire kitchen.
“Gee?” He asked between mouthfuls, his boyfriend zoning out a little in front of him but answering him relatively quickly.
“Yeah Frankie?”
“Who went to the store?”
Gerard looked uncomfortable as he and Mikey both shared a look.
“Uh I did. There’s a little grocery store about 30 minutes from here. I went while you were asleep,” Gerard explained quietly.
“Wait. That was the middle of the day and we don’t have a car here or anything.”
Frank’s eyes drifted over Gerard’s body, searching for any signs of burns from the sun.
Knowing what he was looking for, Gerard sighed and rolled his sleeve up a bit. The skin along the top of his wrist and hands was red and cracked from its exposure.
The burns looked painful and Frank couldn’t help but cringe a little at the sight of them.
“They’re not that bad. Besides,” he pointed lazily at Mikey,” I wasn’t about to let him walk to the store.”
“Hey!” Mikey protested.
“You needed your rest,” Gerard said simply and then tuned to Frank, “ as did you.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Gee. Let me see your hands.” Frank made a grabby hand at his boyfriend, hoping he’d get the message.
“You’re not healing them Frank.”
“Let me look at them,” he said a bit more forcefully. Gerard complied and reached across the table to let Frank inspect his burns.
Contrary to popular (Gerard’s) belief, Frank was actually pretty strong. He could work magic for extended periods of time if he was careful about it.
Even with the mind blowing sex and blood drinking that happened the night before, Frank was more than strong enough to heal the burns on Gerard’s arms and hands.
He didn’t give his boyfriend time to argue. Instead he quickly extended his energy out and into Gerard’s arms.
Mumbling the words as he went, Frank gently healed the ruined layers of skin.
Gerard didn’t protest this time. It was obvious that the burns had been bothering him.
Frank finished quickly and let Gerard take his hands back and inspect them. While he marveled at his now perfectly fine arms, Frank took another bite of his eggs. He only felt a little tired but the food helped greatly in dispelling any tiredness that might have lingered.
It was still so strange to Frank how strongly the tracking spell had affected him. It was like he was being drained and pulled around and it terrified him the more he thought about it.
“Mikey?” He figured Mikey would be the next best person to ask.
“Yeah?”
“You know anything about people being able to control another witch’s spell? Like from a distance.”
“Um,” Mikey’s brows knitted together as he sat another plate down in front of Frank and then sat beside Gerard with his own plate, “No. I can’t say that I have. Why?”
Frank explained the tracking spell to him.
It was hard to describe how it had felt seeing as Mikey wasn’t a witch and had never actually done a spell before.
“And how long were you out of it after?” Mikey asked once Frank finished his story.
Rather than answering, he wasn’t entirely sure of how long it had been, he looked to Gerard and waited on him to answer.
“I’m not sure. I was on the phone with him when he did it and he was quiet for a few minutes, at least, before I heard him hit the floor. After that he was in and out for about an hour.”
“You said you’ve never had it affect you that badly before?”
Frank shook his head.
“Huh. Okay I’ll give you that. That’s really weird,” Mikey paused for a sip of his forgotten coffee mug, “but you’re better now I’m assuming. I mean the mark on your neck is kind of proof.”
Immediately Frank’s hands went to where Gerard had bitten him. The puncture wounds from his fangs were closed over, something about a vampire’s spit having healing properties, but he could definitely feel what was left of them. If he could feel them, that meant Mikey could see them.
He couldn’t help the blush that rose to his cheeks.
Mikey didn’t seem to be trying to tease Frank for once. Instead he turned to a very guilty looking Gerard.
“I’m really proud of you Gee.”
“Thanks Mikey,” he replied sheepishly, a hand once again filing through his hair.
“So what are we going to do? I mean we can’t just let that coven run rouge,” Frank said half in an attempt to save Gerard from the awkward praise but also in necessity.
People’s, innocent people’s, lives were in danger.
“As a hunter it is my job to do something. I don’t think this was a one time thing,” Mikey said from behind his coffee mug.
Frank watched Gerard shuffle over to the coffee pot and full his own mug.
“But what can we do?” he said, leaning against the counter.
“We need to figure out why they’re attacking and who the witches are,” Frank said.
The brothers nodded their agreement but no one seemed to have any ideas about how to do that. If he was honest, the whole situation gave Frank the creeps. What kind of freak just invited themselves to someone else’s spell and attacked a kid?
Not someone he wanted to meet, that was for sure.
He couldn’t just ignore it thought. Some form of morbid curiosity and self preservation kept him running the scenarios through his head.
Even as Gerard and Mikey let the conversation fall and continued eating, Frank couldn’t focus on his food. It was probably growing cold as he thought, but he paid no mind.
There was no way that it was a coincidence. That much he knew for sure.
It would take a huge pool of magical energy to pull of the sabotage they’d done to his tracking spell. No one witch was strong enough to come even close.
Added to his confusion was why an entire coven would be out on the streets beating up werewolf kids. That kinda thing was definitely not a full coven job.
So why the overkill?
It’d come in handy when Mikey had interfered and Frank knew just how lucky he had been to escape alive.
Covens, while rare, were powerful. Vaguely he remembered one of his books talking about how anywhere from four to eight witches normally made up a coven and they bonded for life. The spells and magic they performed were extremely more powerful than a normal witch on their own.
So why were they messing with him?
Had Mikey already interrupted their attack and for some reason they decided to take it out on Frank?
“Mikey?” he said suddenly.
His brain was going a million miles an hour as he tried to figure out how the coven had interacted with both him and Mikey.
It just didn’t make sense.
“Yeah?” Mikey sounded confused, his own eggs paused halfway to his mouth.
“What time was it when you found the coven beating the shit out of that kid?”
“Uh. It must have been around midnight… I think. I don’t know. I really didn’t look at my watch dude.”
Pieces fell into place. Well a couple anyway.
That was about the right time Frank had performed the tracking spell.
“So if at midnight you ran into them, we can say you were home and cleaning yourself up around 12:30 1?” Frank said, mostly to himself.
Gerard looked up from his plate, waving the fork in his hand as he spoke.
“Yeah and then you would be here at the cabin by about three,” he looked at Frank, eyes wide as they connected the dots at the same time. “And Frank did the spell a little after three.”
Mikey nodded, confirming their timeline but still providing no explanation of why the conven had messed with Frank’s spell. Or how they’d known he’d existed at all.
“Okay so how the hell did the find me and why would they fuck up my tracking spell? If they wanted to know where you were so badly why didn’t they just do their own damn spell?”
“Maybe they couldn’t see anything even though they were messing with you?” Gerard said quietly. He looked around the room they were in, making brief eye contact with Frank, before settlingon the windows.
“Frank are we safe here?” Gerard said suddenly.
“Just a sec.”
Frank quickly called on his magic again letting his eyes slip closed as he pulled it forward and out. He tested each room of the cabin but everything was empty, quiet. No one was inside except them.
With a sinking feeling in his gut, Frank extended his gaze to the area surrounding the cabin.
In the woods to their east, don’t ask him how he knew the direction, there were five energy signatures. Each one stood out, bright and colorful against the green haze of the forest’s aura. Even worse, they seemed to be getting closer.
Snapping his eyes open, Frank stood quickly and spoke so fast that neither Gerard nor Mikey understood what he said the first time.
Gripping the edge of the table, he took a deep breath.
“The coven, they’re in the woods east of here and they’re closing in and we gotta go. Like now!”
“God damn it,” Gerard muttered before standing as well.
“Where are we gonna go? They’ll just find us again,” Mikey asked as he too stood and then followed them up stairs.
“Ray!? We can go see him. Two witches, a hunter, and a vampire all in one area might be enough for them to get the ‘fuck off’ message.”
A tiny sliver of hope but it was better than nothing.
Right before they separated to go into their separate rooms, Frank with Gerard and Mikey by himself, Gerard stopped in his tracts.
“Fuck.”
“Gee?”
He was standing still, head hung low like he’d been caught eating cookie dough by his mom. Something told Frank though that cookie dough theaving wasn’t what was bothering Gerard.
“What is it?” Mikey asked, loud enough to pull Gerard out of his head for a moment.
“We can’t- we can’t go to Ray.”
“What do you mean? Why not?” Frank demanded.
“I don’t know where he is,” Gerard mumbled as he turned the knob on the door but didn’t open it.
“Gerard? The hell does that mean?”
“He just fucking disappeared. I didn’t wanna worry anyone but he’s been gone for about a week now. Sometimes Ray just leaves for a few days without tellin’ anyone and I thought that this might be one of those times.”
“But it’s obvious that’s not the case. He’s got something to do with this. I don’t know how I know but I do. I-”
Sighing, Gerard let his hand fall from the door knob and back to his side. Despite being upset that Gerard hadn’t told him about Ray being missing, Frank wrapped his arms around him.
He pressed his chest against Gerard’s back and squeezed as Gerard brought one hand up to cover his hand.
“Gee you should have told us,” Mikey sounded exasperated more than anything.
“I know. I did think he was just doing his normal ghosting thing but now I-”
“We don’t have time for this. Lets go and we can talk about it on the way,” Frank reasoned. Thankfully Gerard and Mikey seemed to like his plan as they both resumed entering their rooms to get their things.
Frank followed Gerard into his and helped him throw random things into the bag without a word.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Once they made it outside they realized that they had no idea where to go. Ray was who-knew-where and there was a rouge coven after them.
That didn’t leave too many options.
They stood there, the three of them, in the night air. It was cold outside of the cabin’s warmth but not uncomfortable. The front door had been locked, all the lights turned off, and their things gathered. Yet they still didn’t know where to go.
If they went back to his and Gerard’s place the coven would probably find them. They’d known Frank was doing tracking spell so they most likely knew where the apartment was.
They couldn’t go back to Mikey’s either. The coven had found him there and they might still be watching it in case he returned.
To make things worse, Frank could still sense the coven. They were moving towards them, fast but still far enough away that they had a few minutes.
Not long but maybe long enough.
“Gee?’ Frank asked. For some reason he felt like Gerard was the one who would have the plan in this sort of situation. He hoped he did, at the very least.
Frank couldn’t see his face, just the back of his jacket and his messy hair that still shone in the dim moonlight. Mikey stood beside him, hands on his hips as the two of them watched Gerard stare off into space.
They hoped that he was coming up with a plan, since neither of them could think of anything.
All of a sudden, Gerard spun around excitedly.
“What if we go to our parents’?”
Frank blinked.
Frank’s parents?
They owned a bookstore and called him every week to make sure he was eating his vegetables. As much as he loved them, he doubted they’d be much help.
“Our parents Mikey,” Gerard continued,” they’ll be able to help.”
Oh. Well, yeah that made more sense.
“I mean that’ll tally us up to three hunters, a witch, and a vampire. Plus it’ll make it an even fight just by numbers,” Mikey answered calmly. His relaxed tone very different than Gerard’s excited one.
“Exactly!”
Frank sighed a little at Gerard’s over enthusiasm but had to admit that it was a good idea.
“Yeah okay I’m down for that,” he said, trying to ignore the steadily closer auras of the coven. They were moving way too fast for his liking.
“Okay, how’re we gonna get there?”he added.
“Uh, Uber?” Gerard suggested.
“They wouldn’t get here in time,” Mikey reasoned, “The coven will be here way sooner than they would.”
“Wait Gee, could you speed us there?”
“What do you mean Frankie?”
“Like, use your vampire speed-thing and carry us there.”
Gerard looked a little lost in thought for a moment but when he answered he seemed confident.
“Yeah, definitely. I can do that.”
“Are you sure? It’s a two hour car drive,” Mikey pointed out, making Frank worry a little. He hadn’t realized it’d be that far.
“Yep and I can do it in an hour.”
Mikey laughed, “Just get us there in one piece, okay?”
“Hop on,” Gerard said, turning once again and motioning for Mikey to climb onto his back. When his brother was securely riding piggyback, Frank was then lifted into Gerard’s arms. Or well, arm, seeing as Gerard was using his right to hold Mikey in place.
He stayed there, awkwardly, as Mikey secured all of their things on his own back.
Frank felt ridiculous but the ever closer coven overshadowed any embarrassment. If this meant that they’d be safe, he’d gladly ride Gerard.
Oops, he didn’t mean it in that way.
Well, not with Mikey so close.
He was pulled back into reality by the world suddenly blurring around him and wind was abruptly smacking into his face. It nearly took his breath away but thankfully he was able to burrow his head into Gerard’s chest and block out the roaring wind a little.
Mikey too had his head close to Gerard’s body in an attempt to keep his breath and Frank didn’t feel so bad about his own snuggling.
Truth be told, it was sort of nice. He could smell Gerard. The cologne he was wearing was faint and he couldn’t place it, but Frank didn’t mind. Also, Gerard was warm. The heat radiating off of him kept Frank from getting chilled from the wind blowing around them.
He should have felt anything other than safe but he didn’t. Frank knew Gerard had him, that he had nothing to worry about.
Time seemed to both speed up and slow down.
On one hand, everything was moving too fast, too sudden for Frank to process. He couldn’t make out anything other than blurry when he finally managed to pull his head away from Gerard’s chest. The dark, muted colors of the night passing by rapidly as Gerard ran.
At the same time though, Frak felt completely away from time. Every moment felt long and drawn out. He could hear every breath Gerard took, every beat of his heart. The calming rhythm kept him grounded and relaxed.
It was a confusing combination to say the least.
Maybe half an our in, Frank wasn’t too sure, he noticed something different. At first he couldn’t place it, what was wrong.
It was like something tiny in the background had changed just enough for him to notice but not to know what had happened. It took a minuet, Frank focusing and trying to figure it out.
Then it hit him.
Gerard’s heart beat, it was rapid where it’d been steady and calm for the first bit of running. His breathing was faster too, breath coming in small little pants like he was trying to hide it.
Frank looked up at Gerard.
The sky was still blurring around his head; the only thing in focus was Gerard’s face. His hair was moving with the wind and his skin seemed a little more pale, a little more sweaty.
Mikey had said that it was a long trip and not to mention Gerard was carrying two grown ups and their stuff so it made sense that he’d get tired sooner or later.
Trying to be discreet about it, Frank brought his magic up to the surface and let it sink a little into Gerard.
Eyes closed in concentration, he carefully worked his, literal, magic. He could feel the energy being expended as Gerard ran, a decent stream flowing through him and causing the tiredness that Frank had noticed. It was nothing serious though, Gerard was okay. A little tired but okay.
Before Frank retracted his magic, a little guilty for snooping around for no real reason, something caught his attention.
A little smudge, a bit of dark that swirled around Gerard’s middle, where his stomach was. It took a moment for Frank to narrow down what it meant.
Hunger. Gerard was hungry or he had been.
The smudge was small, barely there but Frank could see the way it lingered. It’d been much bigger not long ago.
“Frank, I’m fine.”
Shit. He’d kept his magic outstretched too long and Gerard had noticed. Pulling it back, Frank mumbled a quick apology, blaming his nosieness on worry.
Gerard laughed, a little breathless.
“Haven't ran this far in a while but I’m fine, just a little tired.”
Frank wanted to bring up the smudge, to ask when the last time Gerard had eaten before he’d fed from him the other night.
Doing the math in his own head instead, Frank realized that it’d been the night he’d moved his stuff into their apartment. They’d had pizza, a lot of it but not enough to last Gerard for three or four days.
Maybe that was why he’d been so quick to anger the other night, why he’d taken so much from Frank when he’d finally drank from him.
But why?
He needed to know but didn’t know how to ask.
Frank spent the rest of the trip trying to think of how to word his question. It was harder than he’d thought because he didn’t want to come across as demanding but at the same time he was worried.
Had it been on purpose? Had Gerard purposefully not eaten?
Frank didn’t think that was the case, he hadn't shown any signs of an eating disorder or anything similar. So why then would he go so long?All too soon they stop. Now in front of a white house, literally the definition of “white picket fence”. Mikey climbs off first, landing on his feet with a thud.
Gerard gently sets Frank down and his heart flutters for a moment from how careful he’s being. Until Gerard stumbles backwards a little.
Mikey catches him, arms under his shoulders supporting him.
“Gee!” Frank says, worried now as Gerard seems to take a moment to open his eyes from where they fell closed.
“M okay. Just give me a second,” he mumbles. Frank isn’t convinced.
He steps forward, ignoring Mikey’s questioning look, and pulls his magic up again. He presses his palms against Gerard’s chest and tries to ignore the rapid beating of his heart.
Slowly he lets his hold on his magic lesson, just enough to have it transfer to Gerard. He doesn’t give him much, just enough to take the edge off of his exhaustion.
When Frank pulls away, only slightly tired, Gerard stands up and looks down at his chest in disbelief and back up at Frank a couple of times.
“What was-”
“I gave you some of my energy, to replenish some of what you used carrying me and Mikey’s sorry asses here,” he answered, smiling.
“Thank you Frankie, seriously that was- wow.”
They stood there a moment longer, letting Gerard fully catch his breath. Frank glanced around the yard they were standing in. It was well kept with a small walkway made of colorful stones leading up to the door.
The house itself wasn’t exceptionally large but was white and had two stories. It even had a little balcony in the middle on the top floor, two sets of windows on either side. Looking to the porch directly in front of them, Frank could see two rocking chairs, old and well worn but in good condition.
The street was separated from the yard by a large, taller than Frank, white picket fence. No cars could be heard, the roads quiet at the late hour.
Even the neighboring houses were dark and quiet.
“Okay, lets go,” Gerard said at last. He led them to the porch and knocked on the door twice.
Frank took a moment to do one last check up on him.
He seemed to be okay. From what Frank could tell just from his aura on the outside, Gerard was tired yes, but not anywhere near dangerously so.
Good, that was one less thing to worry about.
Remembering the coven though provided something else to weigh Frank down. He extended his energy yet again, this time outwards as far as he could reach.
The cabin was too far, he couldn’t project his aura that sort of distance but he could sense a good ways around them. There seemed to be no sign of the witches. They’d lost them. The door swung open, an older man dressed in sweats and holding a coffee mug stood in the doorway. Despite the late hour, late if you were not dating a vampire Frank corrected, the man seemed wide awake. In fact, he was studying them, eyes burning holes into Frank as he looked at the ground.
“Hey dad,” Gerard said and Frank watched as he put on a small smile.
“The hell are you guys doing here? Could have at least called first ya know.”
“Yeah I know but it was sort of an emergency so can we please come in?”
Gerard and Mikey’s dad seemed surprised for a moment but it quickly formed into a laugh.
“Yeah, ‘course. Your mother is in her office; I’ll go an get her,” he said before briskly walking away.
Gerard instantly flopped down on the couch but Frank refrained from sitting, too interested in the interior of the house.
It was very different than the outside. On the walls were family pictures, showing Gerard and Mikey through the years. One that caught his attention was an old picture of the brothers. Gerard looked about maybe three or four and he was smiling as he held little baby Mikey in his arms. It was nothing short of adorable and Frank kind of wanted a copy of it for himself.
The front door had a small foyer that it opened up into, lined with some of the pictures, and a rug ran down the long hallway Gerard’s dad had gone through. Normal house things like couches and tables filled the living room but what really made it different was the numerous symbols that covered every wall. It looked like the very wall paper was made up of various sigils and runes.
Some of them, scratch that, most of them were ones used against vampires. Even more though were against witches and even though they weren’t currently activated Frank felt their power.
It wasn’t a full negative effect, just an itching sensation under his skin that was more annoying than anything. He knew though that if just a few of those runes were activated he’d be in deep shit.
How Gerard could relax on the couch with no worry while the walls were made of various ways to kill or harm him was a little concerning.
Mikey, who’d been standing in the foyer with Frank while he took in his surroundings, seemed to catch onto his thoughts.
“They don’t hurt you do they?”
“No, no they don’t hurt but,” he paused to look around once more. “They itch I guess. But if someone activated them I…”
“Don’t worry. They’re just for protection, our parents are very good at knowing when to use the signals.”
“But-”
He didn’t want to say “wow i feel super uncomfortable in your house cause the walls will literally kill me, very painfully, if your parents want them to”.
Instead he just trailed off.
“I know how you feel,” Gerard said from the couch, “When I first got turned it really sucked cause they didn’t know if I’d be able to control it. The walls have been like that since they bought the place before I was born and they used to be active constantly. When I became a vampire our parents deactivated them.”
“So they’re not gonna turn ‘em on and roast me?” Frank asked, ashamed of how small his voice sounded. He’d heard horror stories of how it felt to be in the presence of an active anti witch rune. He’d rather not try the experience for himself.
“No. I promise Frankie you’re safe here. That's why dad gave you the stare before lettin’ us in; he wanted to make sure you weren’t any danger,” Mikey said as he walked over to Gerard. Lifting Gerard’s legs from where they were sprawled out on the couch, Mikey sat down and push his brother’s legs on top of his own.
“He already knew I was a witch?” Frank asked as he followed the others’ lead and found himself a seat, on the loveseat across from where the brothers sat.
“He’s really good with that kinda stuff, been doin’ it for like 30 years so I guess he’s had practice,” Gerard said tiredly, his voice heavy with sleep.
“Hey Gee?” Frank said quickly before Gerard could fall asleep.
“Yeah?”
“Do uh, do you need to eat? I mean you did just run for like an hour with us on your back and my magic only did so much.”
“No, I’m good Frankie. I got enough to last me a while the other night.”
Oh, well that was a good thing.
“Oh- okay good.”
“I promise,” Gerard continued, probably knowing which way Frank’s thoughts would go if he let them run for a moment.
“Geard? Mikey?” a female voice called from the hallway, causing the brothers’ heads to jerk up. A rare smile found its way to Mikey’s face as he pushed Gerard’s legs out of his lap and stood suddenly. Gerard took a moment longer to stand but turned to face the woman entering the living room with a just as much excitement.
“Mom! It’s so good to see you,” Mikey said as she walked over and pulled him into a hug. Frank watched from his seat, glad to see the two so happy to see the other. Soon their mom was pulling away and grabbing Gerard for his own hug.
“Oh sweetie, you look exhausted.”
Gerard sheepishly looked down at his feet, looking like a scolded puppy as their mom looked over to Mikey and took in his appearance once more.
“What the hell happened to you boys?” she asked after a moment, hands on her hips.
“Its kinda a long story mom,” Gerard started but was quickly cut off.
“Then you better get to explaining because you look fit to drop and Mikey,” she turned to Mikey as she continued,” you flinched like you were in pain when I hugged you.”
“Well you see,” Frank started.
It took a while, way more than they realized needed to be explained. At on point, Gerard and Mikey’s dad came in with three cups of coffee in his hand. Frank gladly accepted the steaming mug and continued his story.
Gerard and Mikey were back on the couch in the same position as before while Frank spoke of the coven finding them in the cabin. Their mom seemed a little upset that Gerard had lied to her about why they needed the cabin’s address and Frank guiltily apologized.
“No sweetie, you don’t need to apologize. While you shouldn’t have lied to me,” she glared half heartedly at Gerard, “ I understand why you did it.”
She also wasn’t happy when Frank mentioned the state they’d found Mikey in. In an instant she was leaning over the couch and trying to lift Mikey’s shirt to inspect the wound.
“Mom I’m fine I swear,” Mikey said as he batted her hand away.
“I checked him over Mrs. Way,” Frank spoke up, “he is okay.”
She didn’t look fully convinced.
“You used your magic?”
“Yeah I uh just kind of checked for infection and anything bad but Mikey had already done a good job of patching himself up.”
That seemed to satisfy her and Frank was able to finish his story. He did however leave out the bit about Gerard and his concerns about why he’d gone four days without feeding.
By the end of the story, Gerard and Mikey’s parents were shocked to say the least but seemed more than glad that they’d chosen to come there to get away from the coven.
“How long do you boys think you’ll be stayin’?” Mr. Way asked after they’d each gotten another cup of coffee.
Frank instinctively looked to Gerard.
“Uh, I don’t know. Long enough to figure out what to do about the coven?” Gerard said as he took a long sip from his mug. Everyone else was on their second, he was on his third cup.
Mikey nodded before adding, “ and to find Ray.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I feel like his going missing has something to do with the coven thing,” Frank admitted, barely stifling a yawn.
It was only around three am, still a few hours until dawn but he was exhausted. It’d been a long ass day to be sure.
“Okay boys, we can finish this conversation in the evening. You all need to sleep,” Mrs. Way said, tapping Gerard on the shoulder. Frank hadn’t even noticed that Gerard had drifted off. Yeah they definitely needed sleep.
Frank stood up, another yawn escaping him and mindlessly followed Gerard down the hallway. He naturally assumed they’d be sharing a room, they were boyfriends after all, so he closed the door behind them once Gerard led them to what he assumed was his room. It was small and obviously his boyfriends because of the clutter, art, and comics scattered everywhere.
Old artwork covered the wall and despite how tired he was, Frank couldn’t help but look a them. Some of the older ones were just simple comics drawn in crayon but were somehow actually good. A few were genuinely funny, making Frank laugh a little to himself as Gerard got undressed behind him.
Others as he moved around the room were newer, probably made when Gerard was in high school. They were dark, no longer comics but paintings and drawings. A few were just splotches of black and red while others were depictions of comic book and horror movie characters in increasingly gory situations. Most though were of blood or death sometimes both. They were beautiful, somehow.
One in particular depicted a ghostly pale women with black hair and red eyeshadow around her eyes. Her black dress was simple but pretty and she was clutching a bucay of roses. She was dead, that much was clear by the way her skin was so white it was translucent on the page. Her eyes were hollow.
It was chilling to stare into the eyes of this women. The only information Frank had was written in Gerard’s messy handwriting at the top of the page. Helana.
“Its my grandmother,” Gerard said, startling Frank because he hadn’t noticed him walk over to his side.
“She’s beautiful.”
“She died right after I graduated college.”
“I’m so sorry. You guys were close?”
Frank didn’t mean to pry, really he didn’t, but curiosity got the best of him.
“Yeah. She was like my best friend. When she died I needed a way to get my grief out of me before it killed me. It nearly did,” Gerard’s voice became weak as he continued, “but I put everything I was feeling into this painting and it helped.”
Looking back at the picture, Frank could see it, Gerard’s grief. It was there in the hollow eyes and fearful expression the young women had. He could see the careful detail. It’d probably taken Gerard months to finish this painting.
“She’d be proud of you.”
“Frank I-”
“She would. I- I never got to meet her but something tells me that she’d be so proud of you right now.”
Gerard smiled at him, tears shining in his eyes. They slept peacefully that night, no nightmares plaguing Gerard for once.
The next evening, Frank once again woke before dusk. Light still shining through the blinds in Gerard’s bedroom, he took that moment to admire his boyfriend.
Even while asleep, Gerard was stunning. His mouth was open slighty and he snored quietly but his face was beautiful to Frank. The way his hair looked was somehow just as attractive despite it being knotted and tangled. Frank slowly began running his fingers through the red strands, removing the knots and his heart fluttered when Gerard leaned into his touch.
He loved him.
Truly and wholly, Frank loved him.
It was a little weird, for Frank to be so… platonic in admiring Gerard when just the day before he had let him bite him, drink his blood in the middle of sex. Or well at the end of it.
Gerard though, as insanely hot as he was, was also freaking adorable to Frank. He was so animated, kind, and overprotective. Now Frank knew that his constant worrying over his well being was more than simple possessive tendences. Gerard had nearly lost Frank, twice now if he counted the fucked up tracking spell, and each of those times he’d barely been able to keep Frank safe. As much as he promised Gerard that he was safe, that he was fine, it was not definite. That was what scared Gerard so much, that even with his vampiric strength, even with Frank’s magic, neither of them were really safe.But looking back down to Gerard, Frank realized that he never wanted to leave that moment. Gerard’s peacefully sleeping face was entrancing and the warmth they shared under the covers was enough for Frank to drift off again. This time it was Frank who dreamed, though not of blood and death, but of domestic bliss. It was something that multiple times in his life he hadn’t believed in, let alone allowed himself to hold onto to the belief that he would have it one day. Now, with Gerard, he could.
Once all of this was over, once everyone was safe, they could be happy. They could be normal
Frank dreamed of lunch dates and movie nights, of stolen kisses before work and fridge magnet arguments like he saw in that one Tumblr post. When he woke again, Gerard was awake and humming under his breath as he traced the patterns of Frank’s tattoos that covered his arm. Keeping his eyes closed, Frank relished in the simple touch. It was relaxing, enough so that he nearly fell asleep again. He just barely, like a fleeting memory, could recall what his dreams had been about. They’d been happy, peaceful, from what he remembered, full of Gerard and love.
Gerard must have caught on that Frank was waking up because he whispered his name, still running his fingers over his arms.
“Evening Gee,” Frank said, opening his eyes and taking in Gerard’s face. He looked calm, happy to Frank.
“Sleep well?”
“Yeah, I always do when I’m with you,” Frank answered only realizing how cheesy it sounded after he said it.
Gerard seemed to understand what he meant though and resumed humming under his breath.
Even though Frank didn’t want to ruin this quiet moment, he needed to confront Gerard. He was worried.
“Hey Gee, can I ask you something without you getting upset?”
“Yes, of course Frankie. You can ask me anything,” Gerard replied earnestly.
“How come you didn’t feed for so long before you bit me?”
Gerard’s expression fell, his face now unreadable as he stared at his moving hands, at Frank’s tattoos.
“Like is something wrong? Are you okay? You can tell me if it’s not,” Frank said stopping Gerard’s hand from its continued patterns on his arm and lacing their fingers together. He looked up suddenly, eyes wide and an almost smile twinging at the corner of his lips.
Frank couldn’t help but assume the worst, it was the pessimist in him. Gerard had told him about his struggles before, how much he’d fought for the happiness that he had with Frank. He’d fought his own mind on one to many occasions. So Frank couldn’t help but jump to the idea that Gerard had done it on purpose, that he’d not been feeding for some reason Frank didn’t know. His boyfriend wasn’t skinny, not tall and slim, but Frank though he was gorgeous. The soft curves and squishy skin was intoxicating for him, he loved Gerard as he is: natural. He was always a little messy, a little disheveled but still so beautiful. Frank might be biased, seeing as he was totally head over heels for the dude, but it also might be because he could see Gerard’s arua. It was light blue, soft but strong at the same time. All of Gerard’s kindness, his love, was projected through is aura at all times, blinding Frank with the incredibleness that was his boyfriend. To say he was a little in love would be the biggest understatement of his life.
That’s he was so worried about Gerard. Amongst the soft blue and best parts of his boyfriend’s personality was the dark stain, much like the one he saw when Gerard was carrying him. It held all of Gerard’s insecurities, all of his pain and while it wasn’t a particularly large spot, it did take up a large percentage of space in his aura.
Frank could see how large it had been, the ghosting of dark smudge along certain parts of Gerard’s aura, no longer affecting him but still leaving lasting effects.
“No, no Frankie it’s not like that. I just-” Gerard said, pulling Frank from his thoughts and back into his boyfriend’s eyes.
He waited for Gerard to continue, more confused than before.
“You know how Ray makes my substitute right?”
Frank nodded.
“Well since he’s been gone I’ve kinda run out. I was at the end of my supply the night we moved you in and I just figured I could hold out until Ray came back.”
Gerard looked ashamed, like he’d done something bad.
“But he didn’t come back,” Frank finished in a soft voice.
“Yeah but it was only a couple of days.”
“Gerard it was four days!” Frank said a little more annoyance escaping him than he intended.
“It’s not that-”
“Don’t you dare say it's not that big of a deal. You said it yourself that you needed to feed more than you would normally!”
Still avoiding looking at Frank, Gerard seemed more ashamed than before. At least Gerard hadn’t been doing it on purpose, that simple truth made Frank let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“Gee, I would have let you drink from me any time. All you had to do was ask.”
“I could hurt you. Fuck, Frankie I could kill you if I’m not careful,” Gerard said sadly, an empty edge to his words. It reminded him of the smudge.
“Gee,” Frank raised his arm to place a hand on his cheek,” You could never hurt me. I trust you, completely.”
“But-”
“No buts. I trust you with my life Gee,” Frank said softly, trying to get Gerard to meet his eyes. He needed him to see how much those words were true.
“Why?”
He sounded somewhere between surprised and sad, obviously not understanding why Frank had so much trust in him.
“Because I love you silly. You’ve put me first constantly and you’ve literally saved my life multiple times.”
Gerard finally looked at him, his eyes watery but no longer as sad.
“I’m so afraid of hurting you Frankie.”
“You won’t hurt me,” he said, rubbing small circles on Gerard’s cheek as he closed his eyes a little at the touch.
“Tell me the truth,” Frank started, making Gerard open his eyes, “do you need to feed?”
Gerard looked like he wanted to argue, to say no, but he didn’t.
“A little,” Gerard answered quietly.
Frank shifted, moving his head to the side so that his neck was open. Gerard seemed to get the message, his breath suddenly ghosting over Frank’s skin and he shivered a little.
“Frankie are you sure?” Gerard whispered.
“Yes.”
He remembered the smudge on Gerard’s aura, small but still there because he had eaten but not enough. Weirdly, god so much of his life was weird now, he didn’t feel like prey. He didn’t feel like Gerard was using him, quite the opposite really. Frank knew that Gerard would be careful, that he’d be safe no matter what.
Being one of the few witches who didn’t strive for chaos, well not complete chaos anyway, made him feel responsible. He did his best to help anyone he could, going out of his way on many occasions because he knew that no one else would.
Gerard needed him.
This was the same.
“Take as much as you need Gee,” Frank continued.
He felt Gerard place a soft kiss on his skin, right on his pulse, and Frank sighed. He probably shouldn’t be as relaxed as he was with a vampire’s mouth so close to his neck but he was.
Frank knew he was safe, that Gerard would be so very careful with him.
Gerard kissed his neck once more before he sunk his fangs into Frank. He gasped, the feeling far from painful a little uncomfortable but still sending soft pleasure through him. In fact it felt good, intimate, and Frank relished the way Gerard gently sucked on the puncture wounds. He could feel the blood leaving his body, it was weird but also not bad.
It wasn’t as sexual as the first time. Instead the bite felt more like a long, slow kiss. Pleasurable but not directly leading to more.
He heard Gerard groan against his skin, something between hungry and sated, as he pulled away. A moment later he was back, kissing the area where he’d bitten to help it close. Frank felt heavy and sleepy, in the best way, and hadn’t realized he’d closed his eyes until Gerard started gently kissing his eyelids.
Blinking up at Gerard, he saw the immediate effect of him drinking from Frank. His skin looked much healthier, not that he’d been overly ill looking before but now that Frank was looking he could tell the difference. Frank spared the energy to inspect Gerard’s aura. The dark smudge was gone from his stomach, replaced with blues and soft greens that he hadn’t noticed before.
All of Gerard’s arua was brighter, blinking a little stronger and more clearly.
“Are you okay Frankie?”
“Yeah, just give me a sec,” he answered, letting his eyes close once again. Maybe letting the vampire drink from him twice in three days was not the best idea that Frank had ever had. He didn’t feel terrible per se but he could definitely tell that his body was protesting the loss.
“Think you can make it downstairs? I think mom is making breakfast for us and I’m sure food will help,” Gerard said, sitting up and then helping Frank up as well.
He nodded; food sounded great.
With more than a little help from Gerard, they made their way downstairs. Sitting in the dining room, Frank felt out of place. Mr. Way was making breakfast in the other room, dressed in a white button down and slacks while his wife wore a simple but beautiful blue dress as she set the table. Frank was still wearing his clothes from the night before, just the jacket had been lost so he sat there in an Iron Maiden t-shirt and jeans. He was also fairly sure that the fresh puncture wounds on his neck were very much visible, though neither of the older adults so much as gave him a second glance.
Thankfully, Gerard was also in a t-shirt and jeans so Frank wasn't so out of place. Mikey wasn’t down yet but Frank assumed he’d be comfortably dressed too.
“How did you two sleep?” Mrs. Way asked kindly while setting two steaming mugs of coffee down in front of him and Gerard.
“Fantastic,” his boyfriend answered when he finally pulled the mug away from his mouth. It was already nearly empty. Frank was so glad that he’d slept well. While he’d only seen a couple of them, Gerard’s nightmares were terrifying. He could only imagine how they felt for Gerard if they were so traumatizing for Frank.
“And you Frank? How’d you sleep?”
“I slept great ma’am. Thank you for the coffee by the way, it’s amazing.”
It felt weird being so formal and polite but the smile Mrs. Way gave him was worth it. He had a punk vibe to keep up dang it but if he was honest his tattoos, piercings, and band shirt probably kept it alive. Hopefully.
She seemed genuinely glad that he was there and Frank was thankful for it. Hunters didn’t often be so open to trust witches, for good reason, and even though Frank was one of the few witches who wouldn’t try and take advantage of them, it was still nice to be treated fairly and with kindness.
A few minutes later, and another cup of coffee for Gerard, Mikey trudged down the stairs and into the kitchen, he was in a hoodie and skinny jeans thankfully.
The kitchen and dining room were connected by a pair of simple glass doors. Honestly the only way Frank could describe it was a chef’s kitchen. There were three ovens that he could see and a huge fridge and pantry. Every appliance in that kitchen was probably as expensive as his old apartment.
The dining room however was a little more homey. It had a long wooden table and five chairs which sat on polished hardwood floors. There were windows covering all of the walls but the one connected to the kitchen, letting in the moonlight.
Frank was sitting beside Gerard, where else would he be, and he reached over to connect their hands on top of the table. He must really love Frank because he gladly took one hand off of his coffee mug to hold Frank’s.
“You feelin’ okay Frankie?” Gerard asked, eyes searching Frank’s.
He smiled a little, “Yes Gee. I’m okay, food will make me even better though.”
Returning his attention to the kitchen, Frank saw Mikey kiss his mother’s cheek and grab a mug from a cabinet. Then he walked through the open glass doors to sit down beside Gerard on the opposite side of Frank.
“Evening Frank, Gee.”
Frank mumbled his response, his head aching a little. He wanted to check on Mikey, to be absolutely certain that he was doing better. Getting sliced open by an enchanted dagger-thing was not the sort of thing that your body overcame in a couple of nights. However, Frank decided to wait until after they ate. He’d rather not make an idiot of himself at the breakfast table by either fainting or getting sick all over the place.
Soon though the food was brought over to the dining room by Mr. Way and they were each served a premade plate. They had everything, eggs, toast, sausage, and small bowls of fresh fruit. Frank’s stomach grumbled but waited for the others to start eating, remembering from somewhere that the guest never eats first.
“Dig in boys,” Mrs. Way said with a smile, waving her hand as she spoke. Frank needed no more persuasion as he began inhaling his food.
Gerard ate more slowly. He didn’t really get anything from eating normal food and was probably really full after drinking from Frank. Still it made Frank happy to see him making an effort.
“We assumed you drank from Frank but I think we have some of your substitute laying around here somewhere if you need it,” Mr. Way said to Gerard as he took his own first bite of food.
Frank looked up from his plate, not realizing that someone other than Ray had the recipe.
“I didn’t know you guys had any?” Gerard asked, more than a little surprised.
“Well of course,” Gerard’s mother chided, “you’re our son and it’s our job to feed you when you come home.”
“How much do you have?”
“Just a little, it’s been so long since you’ve been here, but if you’re hungry I can go fetch it,” Mr. Way said easily.
“I don’t need it right now, I did, um I drank from Frank this evening but I’ll need it for later ‘cause I’m out of the mix Ray made.”
“Gee you didn’t tell me you were out?” Mikey interrupted, obviously only just then hearing about the issue. He seemed just as concerned as Frank was. Maybe he should have talked to Mikey about his worries regarding Gerard.
He made a mental note for next time.
“Yeah uh, I was running low when Ray went missing. I’ve been out since the night the coven attacked.”
Gerard, for his part, looked guilty but Mikey didn’t seem to actually be upset.
“But you’ve had something since then right? You’ve drank from Frank at least twice?”
“Yeah,” Gerard sounded pained, something crossing his face that Frank couldn’t figure out what it was.
Frank couldn’t help the blush that rose to his face though. Both times Gerard had drank from him it’d felt amazing, varying degrees of pleasure but still good enough for an awkward breakfast table conversation.
“After breakfast I’ll get the substitute for you. I think Frank’s body would appreciate a break,” Mrs. Way said kindly but Frank felt Gerard tense up beside him. She probably didn’t know how hard of a time her son had with drinking from Frank. How much Gerard was terrified of hurting Frank.
He reached his hand back over to grab Gerard’s under the table and gave it a squeeze even though he could feel how stiff his boyfriend was. Gerard didn’t say anything, just kept eating with one hand while the other held onto Frank’s tightly. It wasn’t enough to hurt and Frank didn’t mind. He wished they were alone, so that he would most definitely convince Gerard that he was okay.
Wait, was it wrong to be thinking of those kinds of things with Gerard and Mikey’s parents sitting across from them?
When they were done, they all sat there for a while, bellies full and bodies lazy because of the large meal. Frank had eaten a lot, probably more than he should have but it was fine. The food had been delicious and his body had needed it.
He felt better, fine even, now that he’d eaten and his headache had faded away. Gerard though still looked troubled. The grip on Frank’s hand hadn’t lessened, showing just how much his mother’s statement had bothered him.
“So, what are your plans to prevent this coven from attempting to harm anyone else?” Mrs. Way prompted just as the silence was getting to be a bit too much.
When Gerard didn’t answer, Mikey replied for him.
“We don’t really know yet but I do know I want to stop them before they start an all out war.”
“I agree,” Mr. Way said, “ they need to be taken care of before things get out of hand.”
“How though? We don’t even know what they want?” Frank asked.
“You said they knew to look for your spell right? That they interrupted it?” Mrs. Way said as she took a sip of her own coffee.
“Yeah?”
“Well maybe you can do the same. They’ll probably act again soon, whether that be finding you three or going after another werewolf.” Mrs. Way continued.
“I- I don’t know about that. I’ve never seen anyone else take over a spell like that before and it would probably take another coven to do it again.”
Mr. Way nodded and turned to Mikey, “Did you see their faces? I mean, do you know who they were?”
“No,” he answered, “ I know they were all females but I didn’t get a good look at their faces.”
“So what do we do?” Frank asked.
Like fate, or maybe just bad luck, a phone ringing broke the momentary silence. It seemed to be coming from Gerard and Frank watched as his boyfriend pulled out his phone.
Before he could apologize for the disruption, Frank saw Gerard’s face morph into shock as he quickly answered the phone.
“Hello?” he said after putting it on speaker phone.
“Ah, Gee?” said a panting voice through the speakers.
“Ray?”
“Thank god, Gee I’m on my way to your place. Some shit went down and I-”
“Wait no, Ray I’m not home. I’m at my parents’.”
“Shit.”
“Can you get here if I give you the address?” Gerard asked in a strained tone, his hand running through his red hair like he did when he was particularly nervous or anxious.
“Yeah but I kinda have a situation,” Ray sounded stressed, like he was pacing back and forth while talking.
“What kind of situation?”
“It’s a lot to explain over the phone but I’ll try and get a ride there.”
Gerard quickly rattled off the address.
One he was finished and made sure Ray had it written down, Frank leaned over to the phone. Something was-
There was something that-
“Ray.”
“Oh hey Frank.”
“Hey. Are you okay?”
He didn’t know how but Frank had a feeling that someone was hurt. It was like a ghost of an itch, similar to the way the runes made him feel but more concentrated. He felt like someone, maybe Ray, was hurt and his magic was begging to be released to help.
“I’m fine, nothing serious anyway.”
That wasn’t it. What he was feeling, whatever it was that he was picking up on, was stronger and more concentrated. Someone was hurt, badly.
So either Ray was lying or-
“Is there someone else there with you?”
The others in the room were looking at Frank like he was nuts, which maybe he was, but he couldn’t get the feeling to go away. Every instinct inside of him screaming for him to help, for him to fix something. Someone.“Yeah… how’d you? Yeah, this kid, they’ve been roughed up pretty bad and its part of my long explanation that I promised you.”
He’d been right, though he didn’t exactly feel relieved.
“Okay Ray just get here as soon as you can. We’ll take care of both of you and then we can exchange long ass stories.” Gerard said while his eyes glanced over to Frank, asking him a billion questions at once.
The phone conversation ended shortly after and Frank sat there for a moment. He’d never been able to tell when someone was hurt over such a distance. Let alone when he didn’t know for sure if there was someone on the other end.
“How’d you do that?” Gerard asked, just as surprised as he was. Everyone else at the table too seemed to be very curious for an answer that Frank most certainly did not have.
“I-I don’t know. I’ve never been able to do that before.”
“Gee,” Mrs. Way spoke up, “ I think it might be time for a certain conversation between you and Frank.”
Confused, Frank looked back to Gerard. He looked a little scared, oddly enough, and now Frank was curious as to what Mrs. Way had been talking about.
“Yeah, I think you’re right.”
“Gee,” Mikey said, putting a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Want me to come with you?”
“Yes. Please.”
And with that the three of them got up from the table and the brothers led a very confused Frank back upstairs and into Gerard’s room.
When they closed the door, Frank sat down on Gerard’s bed and waited for someone to start talking. It seemed though that the brothers were content with holding a silent conversation, leaving Frank in the dark.
Gerard, from what Frank could tell, was not too keen on telling him whatever it was that his mother had suggested. Mikey on the other hand was trying to convince his brother to tell Frank.
Or at least, that’s what it looked like.
“Gerard,” Frank said, pulling the brothers’ attention on him, “what do you need to tell me? Is everything okay?”
He couldn’t help it. The way they were acting made Frank feel like maybe something was wrong. That he’d done something and fucked up. Worse though was the feeling that maybe Gerard was hiding something from him.
“Hey. Hey no Frank,” Gerard said crossing the room and pulling Frank into a hug. He hadn’t realized how upset he was getting but his boyfriend’s embrace helped dispel some of the anxiety. Some of it.
“What does everyone know but me?” Frank asked, voice muffled by Gerard’s closeness.
Gerard’s hands pulled him even closer and Frank could feel his breaths; he used them to try and calm down.
“So I haven't told you everything. There’s some stuff about me, about us, that I’ve been waiting to tell you.”
Frank pulled away a little.
“Okay, what is it?” He tried to keep his voice even, to hide the anxiety. Was Gerard going to tell him that they couldn’t be together? Was this going to be a “it's not you; its me” thing, just with some bulshit about vampires and witches not being able to be together?Gerard took a deep breath and gave his brother one last look. Mikey smiled and motioned for him to start talking.
“ So, vampires have the ability to form bonds. It’s kinda like soulmates I guess. We form connections with people really close to us and they last for life,” Gerard said bluntly.
“What do you mean?”
The hell did this have to do with Frank?
“What he means,” Mikey says, seeing his brother’s struggle and Frank’s confusion,“is that every time you let him feed from you, as long as it’s consensual, there’s a bond that’s formed. After the first time, when Gee drinks from you the brong gets a little bit stronger.”
“It’s not just that. Our auras, our souls, are mixing Frank, blending together until, if I drink from you enough, they’ll basically be one.”
“What does that mean?”
“You won’t become one person but you will be connected. Like able to hear the other’s thoughts and know each other’s feelings.”
“Whoa.”
“Yeah. Frank it’s a big deal and I didn’t think that it’d get so strong so soon but I-”
“Gerard, I think I know why it’s acting so fast.”
Both he and Frank looked to Mikey, willing him to tell them.
“You’re in love. You were already informally bonded so when you finally drank from him, the bond didn’t have as much ground to cover, so to speak.”
Frank was still pretty confused. A part of him wanted to be upset, mad that Gerard hadn’t told him. Yet the thought of being connected to Gerard was not bad.
The way Gerard had made it sound, it was almost like soulmates. Like they were going to be together, connected for life.
“I’m sorry for not telling you Frankie. I thought I’d have more time because once the melding starts it’s really hard for it to stop. You can still back out of course but this is permanent if we let it go for much longer and I’ll understand if you don’t want to.”
Gerard sounded so small, so afraid. How on earth, in any world, could Frank not want to spend forever with him? How could he not want to be bonded with him?
He’d meant what he’d said before. He loved Gerard. He trusted him.
If there was a way for them both to be able to take care of the other, to know when the other was okay, then how could he pass that up?
It seemed like Gerard took his shocked silence as a bad thing.
“Of course, if you do wanna do this then we can take it slow. As long as I don’t drink from you the process should pause. Plus, I won’t ever drink from you unless I have to or- or you want me to.”
“Gerard. Shut up and let Frank talk,” Mikey smiled. Gerard looked back to Frank, eyes vulnerable, waiting for rejection that would never come.
“I am a hundred percent okay with this Gee.”
Gerard looked more than shocked. His mouth twitched into a smile but he still looked so afraid.
“I love you. I am more than happy to bond with you. From what it sounds, it’s a bit like getting married right? I promise to take care of you and you do the same for me,” Frank said, sure now that this was okay, that he wanted this. Because god, he wanted this.
“Yeah. That’s honestly a better way of describing it. I don’t know why I didn’t-”
Frank cut him off with a kiss. It was quick, just a peck on his lips because he was very much aware of Mikey still in the room.
“You’re sure Frankie? You’d want to be with me that long?” Gerard said as he held onto Frank.
“Yes,” Frank whispered.
He could feel Gerard shake, something between a laugh and a sob escaping his lips.
“I’m gonna give you guys some space,” Mikey said as he walked out of the room, but he took time to give Frank a warm smile.
Frank clung to Gerard after Mikey left. He still had a lot of questions but for the moment he just savored Gerard’s presence.
“God what did I do to deserve you Frank?”
He laughed a little. Frank had been asking himself the same question.
“I love you.”
“I love you too Frank. I- I do want to spend forever with you.”
“Wait,” Frank said, pulling back a little, “you live forever?”
“Do you know anything about my kind?”
Gerard laughed a little when Frank shook his head.
“No we don’t live forever, was just a figure of speech. We live the same amount of time as everyone else.”
“Damn I thought we’d be immortals together.”
Gerard laughed and pulled Frank in for another kiss. This one was anything but quick. They got lost in each other, the feel of bodies pressed together and hands roaming were all that was important. Covens and danger forgotten for the moment.
It was just Gerard and Frank. They were in love, Frank couldn’t believe that he was actually able to say that, and that’s all that mattered.
___________________________________________________________
Around midnight Frank and Gerard wandered back downstairs. Though not before Frank asked a few more questions because he wanted to make sure he knew everything about bonding so that he wouldn’t be surprised by anything.
Apparently, the reason he’d been able to sense the other person’s injury through the phone was because his powers would be heightened through his and Gerard’s bond. The same would happen to Gerard, his boyfriend explained. They would both see increases in their powers.
It kind of reminded Frank of covens. Witches, the ones who did join covens, pooled their strength together and were able to perform pretty awesome magic feats, if Frank did say so himself.
But he came out on top because he got Gerard instead of a bunch of crazy, rogue people.
Frank also found out that the bond was the reason Gerard had known he was using his magic to check up on him. That, Frank thought to himself, was pretty cool.
He honestly couldn’t wait until they were reading each other’s thoughts a shit. It sounded hella rad and he kinda wanted to ask Gerard to bite him right then so that it’d speed things up.
He didn’t, still aware of the fact that he’d been drank from twice that week already. Gerard would probably have a stroke if Frank had asked him to bite him. As they walked into the living room, Mikey and his parents were sitting and talking, their heads popping up and conversation pausing as they entered. Mrs. Way smiled and motioned them to join them.
Frank gladly took a seat beside Gerard on the couch where Mikey was sitting. There was even a fire going in the fireplace, comfortably warming the room.
Frank took this time to read Mikey, still a little worried about him. From what he could tell though, Mikey was okay. His aura was still a little dull, meaning that he wasn’t exactly a hundred percent yet, but the area where the knife had cut him was glowing orange. He was healing.
“So Gerard, I’m assuming you told Frank?” Mr. Way asked kindy, as if he wasn’t sure Frank knew yet.
“Yeah I did.”
“And I’m perfectly on board with it,” Frank added.
The relief on Mr. and Mrs. Ways faces was apparent. Had they really thought Frank would say no?
“Good. Good, I am so happy for the two of you. Most of the time… well,” Mrs. Way trailed off, leaving Frank looking to Gerard for clarification. Was there more he didn’t know?
His boyfriend sighed, looking tired all of a sudden.
“Most of the time, bonds are formed accidentally and the non-vampire backs out pretty quickly. It’s a big commitment so…”
Never in a million years could Frank ever think about backing out, of leaving Gerard like that. He meant way too much to Frank.
“Well we don’t have to worry about that. I don’t plan on going anywhere, Gee.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It really hadn’t taken long. Within thirty minutes there was a quick, if nervous, knocking coming from the front door of the Way house. Gerard stood before anyone else and briskly walked out of the living room and into the foyer to open the door.
The conversation before the knocking, which Frank knew was Ray and the other person, had been mostly small talk. At the top of the list of things for Gerard’s parents to talk about seemed to be Frank.
It made sense, really, Gerard’s parents didn’t know very much about him other than the basics ‘he’s a guy’ and ‘he’s a witch’. It was mainly because Frank and their son’s relationship had been moving rather fast; they’d only known each other about three months. So it was no surprise that he did get asked the typical ‘how did you guys meet’ and ‘what sort of job do you have’ but that was, honestly, a given. They were Gerard’s parents, they had the right to be nosy. He gladly answered their questions, knowing that they were trying to get a feel of him. Frank had never wanted to impress two people more than he did right then. Even talking to Gerard for the first time, as absolutely terrifying that had been to just say one word to the angel behind the counter, was not as bad as talking to said angel’s parents.
It wasn’t all bad though, rather than the questions that they asked being boring or just plain awkward, like they were when most older adults pestered him about his life, Frank found answering their questions pretty easily. He just told them the truth, figuring that would be the safest bet. Itwas kinda sucky when he told them the bit about Gerard having to save his ass from the vampire who’d attacked him but he knew that night was the reason he and Gerard were together. It was an important turning point in their relationship and if Frank were a literary critic and asked to find the moment in the book of his and Gerard’s relationship where their paths had crossed, he would pick that moment.When he told that bit, honestly expecting to lose some of the progress he’d made with having Gerard’s parents actually like him, they surprisingly took it well. Mr. Way asked Frank if he was okay and so he awkwardly pulled his shirt collar down some to show the old scars that decorated his neck and shoulder on his left side. He then again mentioned that Gerard had saved him and told them that he’d even taken Frank back to his apartment to patch him up. Of course he mentioned Mikey too in all of this. He’d done the literal sewing Frank up bit. Gerard wasn’t too great around needles.After that they’d just talked about Frank’s work. He told them how he worked from home, making little brews and enchantments for his customers. The occasional curse wasn’t rare nor was the anti curse but for the most part it was peaceful and he felt like he was doing something that helped. Frank told them how much he loved his work. He’d been around magic all of his life and it felt right to build his career from it, to use his gifts to make others’ lives just that little bit easier.
He wasn’t a traditional witch either, that seemed to really surprise Mr. and Mrs. Way. He knew how odd it was that neither of his parents had magic, not even the slightest tinge of it. Instead, he’d gotten his gift from his grandmother. She’d died before he was born but for whatever reason, magic completely skipped a generation and found Frank instead of his mother. He could remember how awesome and exciting it was at first, searching through his grandma’s old books and diaries to find out what he was and how he could control what he’d found.
It was scary too. As he’d gotten older, the knowledge that most people who had the gifts that he did were not so interested in using them to help their father’s flowers grow or their mother’s favorite book to be miraculously mended after a nasty encounter with a coffee mug. That was what Frank wanted though. He wanted to help and the gift his grandmother gave him was how he was going to do it.
The whole time he spoke, somehow he’d ended up sitting on Gerard’s lap, his boyfriend stayed quiet. He only interrupted Frank once and that was to tell his parents how Frank had saved Gerard in the first place back in the shop. He hadn’t meant to leave that part out, it just had honestly not stuck in his mind that he’d been just as protective as Gerard had been. When Gerard told that part his face lit up, a wide smile on his lips as he explained how Frank stood off with the vampire, even if it was just for a few seconds. He seemed proud as his hands wrapped comfortably around Frank’s waist. So when the knocking began, signalling Ray’s arrival, Frank was not desperately wishing for the conversation to end. Instead, he actual felt like he was making himself sound likable for once.
knew he was a decent person and he was pretty sure Gerard and Mikey knew, but convincing your boyfriend’s parents was a whole other deal. That would have to wait though, Gerard was back in the living room, guiding Ray to sit down on one of the couches.
Ray honestly looked like shit, if he was honest. Really, Frank had only met Ray once or twice because of how his schedule was the literal opposite of Gerard's but it was still a bit of a jolt to see him with his hair was sticking up in weird places in a slightly burned/ static shock sort of way. For the most part, Ray seemed laid-back and Frank had never seen him so nervous before. His face was pale and it looked like he hadn’t taken a shower in at least a couple of days. What was really catching Frank’s attention, however, was the thing in Ray’s arms.
Bundled up in a few blankets and at least one hoodie was a tiny, shivering… person. They were small, most definitely a child, and the only part of them that was visible was their head. A mop of brown, curly hair ran over the side of Ray’s arm. The kid’s face was relaxed slightly, eyes closed and mouth open as they pulled in struggling breaths in their sleep. There were old scorch marks all over both Ray and the kid and if Frank concentrated, there was most definitely a hint of a burning smell in the air, like campfires or blown out candles.
Really, Frank didn’t know what to do to but stand there. Gerard had already broken out of the shock, if he had any, and was already helping Ray unbundle the kid in his arms. While Gerard pulled the last blanket away, he kept asking Ray if he was okay, only for Ray to brush him off and instead insist that he was taking care of the kid first. Frank could only stare as the kid’s last layer of cloths was exposed. The fabric was burned, blackened in places with holes just about everywhere. He couldn’t even tell what color the clothes had been before hand, they were too stained with black. They probably used to be jeans and a long-sleeve shirt but really it was anyone’s guess. The child underneath was pale, barely healed burns covering every exposed inch of their skin and even a few that Frank could see through the holes in their clothing.
Distantly, he heard Mikey swear under his breath. He saw Gerard pull away, hesitating before touching the kid anymore at the sight of their burns.
Mikey left the room at some point but Frank paid no mind. He couldn’t help it, everything in him was pulling him to help now. He knew what he had to do, what he had to do. He barely noticed Mr. Way move to stand beside Gerard and begin helping him with the kid. Frank was more focused on calling his magic up to the surface.
Closing his eyes, Frank took a deep breath before opening them once again. Now, instead of simply seeing normally, he could see everyone’s auras in clear definition. Most of the time he could concentrate and look at one person’s at a time, like he’d done with Gerard the night before, but now he was able to see everyone’s for as long as he could hold the spell. Which wasn’t too long, he reminded himself, but plenty long enough to assess Ray and the kid’s conditions.
Gerard was a vibrant blue, strongly glowing as he keeled by the couch while Mr. Way was a more muted green/yellow color but that was normal for non-magicfolk. Frank then looked down, through Gerard, to Ray and the child.
Ray’s aura was a bright, burning shade of red but Frank could see the way it flickered with each breath he took. Ray was exhausted, not to a dangerous point by any means, but enough so that his aura was showing signs of it.
The child was a whole other story. Their aura was gray, wispy and it reminded Frank of smoke as it faded up into the sky. The kid was in pretty bad shape needless to say, whatever had happened had really done a number on them.
What was odd though, Frank noticed as he continued to look over the child, was that their aura had a static electricity or residual static feel to it. Frank felt like he was looking at the after effects of a lightning strike but that couldn’t be the case, because both Ray and the kid were still very much alive. At the moment anyway; the kid needed medical attention as soon as possible. Frank was already preparing to begin the healing spell that would help the child; he knew they didn’t have much longer.
Mikey walking back into the room, his aura was a bright orange and the fact that it was very rare for a human to have such a strong aura, distracted Frank a little. He had two big glasses of water in his hands and he passed one to Ray first. Then, Mikey helped wake the kid so that they could have some as well.
It took a few, heart stopping, moments before the kid finally woke. Frank watched, still trying to keep an eye on her aura because it was honestly scaring him a with how faded it was becoming, as Mikey helped the kid finish the glass.
Just that little bit helped, made a noticeable difference as Frank watched the kid’s aura brighten slightly. Instead of only grey he could now see small bits of teal blended in.
It was a start, better than nothing.
He was losing his hold on the spell, his vision blinking in and out as it switched between magically enhanced and normal.
“Ray, what the hell happened?” Gerard asked breathlessly, once again distracting Frank from his thoughts.
“I found her. Walking home the other night from work, I took a different way ‘cause I wanted some McDonald's and I found her in an alley. This… coven I guess, they had her held down and were using her for some kinda spell. I just sorta grabbed Lill without thinking and booked it.”
Ray sounded just about as tired as he looked but the way he kept fixing and moving the blankets around the, now asleep, kid showed how much he worried for her.
“I uh,” Ray continued, looking at Gerard mostly as he spoke in a hushed tone, “I shouldn’t have grabbed her though, ‘cause I made the spell go ape-shit and damn near electrocuted the both of us.”
Frank couldn’t help but wince in sympathy, he’d accidentally broken a spell like that before and it wasn’t a pleasant experience to say the least. He knew, hell Ray should have known, that if a spell’s energy or focus is broken in that way, before it can be channeled into whatever task it was meant for, it has nowhere else to go but outwards, like an explosion. The dangers behind breaking a spell early are pretty hefty and honestly Frank is surprised that Ray risked it.
If the kid was in the epicenter of the spell, the coven was then mostly likely attempting to use her, Ray said Lill was her name, as the power source. Frank could only imagine what it’d feel like to be drained of your energy, unwillingly, and then have it exploded back in your face. No wonder the kid looked like shit.
A hand was on his shoulder, bringing Frank fully back into reality and subsequently snapping his own spell off. This one was mostly harmless so he didn’t have to worry about such an explosion but it still wasn’t pleasant. He stumbled, disoriented for a moment but hands on his arms kept him upright until he caught his balance.
“Frank honey, you mind telling us what’s going through your head?” Mrs. Way said, ah so that was who’s behind him.
“Yeah I just- I was thinking about the spell Ray broke her from.”
Frank stumbled over to the couch on slightly shaky legs, he hated the dis-coordination that seeing with only his powers brought; it was inconvenient as hell.
“Ray,” he said, gaining the other witch’s full attention, “ that spell she was being used for, was it a tracking one?”
“I- yeah now that you said that… yeah I think it was. Why?” Ray didn’t really look up, too busy messing with the blanket around the shivering form of Lill. He’d only replaced one of the blankets and only because she looked so cold, shaking there in his arms.
It seemed like Gerard put the pieces together just as fast as Frank though, because he suddenly turned to Frank and started talking, nearly too fast for him to understand.
“Wait, Frank, does that mean that they were using this kid to stop your spell on finding Mikey?”
“Yeah, I mean, it does make sense,” Frank said, one hand now mindlessly resting on Lill’s arm as he spoke, “the coven couldn’t use the first kid that Mikey saved, so they probably just found another.”
“What’d they need a tracking spell for though? Plus, that one was freaky looking Frank, like it was ramped up to ten,” Ray said, shaking his head a bit like the thought was too weird to process.
“To fuck up my own tracking spell.” Frank mumbled.
“What do you mean?”
“They were using Lill as a means to amplify their spell and prevent me from trying to find Mikey,” Frank explained.
“Okay but why would they care about you finding Mikey?”
“Because I interrupted them,” Mikey said, voice soft.
“So they’re just getting revenge for you screwing their shit up?” Ray asked Mikey as he hugged Lill closer.
“Yeah it seems like it but we don’t know how they even knew Frank was connected to me.”
“It can’t be a coincidence that you’re a part of this too, Ray. I mean what are the odds of that?” Gerard asked, glancing back and forth from his brother to Ray.
“I think we need to know what happened to everyone, get all the pieces of the puzzle together before we try and solve it,” Frank said.
It took a while, explaining both parts of their story and trying to piece together what had happened when and where plus Ray’s explanation.
They found out that Ray had taken Lill back to his place after he’d rescued her and had tried to heal her. Even with his magic, she’d only gotten steadily worse because, on Ray’s best guess, the spell that the coven was doing had already been nearly finished and had nearly drained Lill completely by the time he got there. When Ray had broken the spell, the explosion of energy did a number on her as well.
“But wait,” Mikey interrupted, holding his hand up to stop Ray’s story for a minute, “why didn’t you call someone, preferably us, and just explain what happened? We could have helped man.”
“The explosion fucked up my phone, literally made it catch on fire by the way, and I haven't fixed it yet. I called you guys this evening from the lobby of my apartment when the receptionist wasn’t looking.”
“Okay, but my question is,” Frank started, “ why couldn’t you heal her? You’re strong dude, like freaky strong, so what gives?”
To Frank, it just didn’t make sense. Ray was powerful enough to do way more than Frank ever could. I mean, making a blood substitute that counters the primal vampire part of someone is no walk in the park. It takes time, skill, and a fuck ton of magic and Frank has never heard of anyone else even attempting it.
“The spell breaking, it did more than simply fuck with my phone guys. My powers have been… off, like I’m having trouble holding onto them and getting them to actually do what I want is even harder. I’ve tried healing spells and even simple things and the like but each time they won’t cooperate with me long enough to work.”
Well that was new. Frank didn’t know that was even possible, to have your magic not work with you. It sounded terrifying. So much of Frank’s life revolved around his powers.
“Fuck…” Frank mumbled, not really noticing that he’d spoken aloud.
“Yeah. Look I don’t know if Frank’s already figured it out yet or not,” when Frank gave Ray a confused look, Ray explained further, “you did do a spell to see our auras right? I sensed that much at least.”
Right, yeah he’d did that, but what was Ray getting at?
“Did you see what Lill is?” he continued, looking at Frank expectantly.
“Exhausted?” Frank tried, still not sure where Ray was going with this.
“No, Frankie, she’s got wolf blood in her. Someone in her family is a wolf and you mentioned the coven going after wolfkids,” Ray explained with a sigh. There was something close to sadness in his voice, his eyes going dark for just a moment before he looked back up to Frank.
“I think they’re trying to put this on all of witchkind,” Ray finished. Which okay cool, yeah go ahead and drop that confusing bomb.
“Wait. Like put the blame on witches in general?” Gerard sounded concerned, his attention flitting back and forth from Frank to Ray.
“Yeah, and its working. You guys turned on the news in the past few days?”
“No. We’ve been dealing with our own run ins with this damn coven,” Mikey answered for him.
“Well you should, ‘cause multiple wolfkind are being targeted by this coven. Each time, they leave just enough evidence to make sure the cops know they were witches and then they just fucking disappear.”
No one spoke for a moment after Ray finished, everyone trying to wrap their minds around it all. Sure, they’d talked about the coven trying to put the heat on other witches but this, it seemed so deliberate and horrible that Frank could hardly think for a few moments. After all of the good he’d done, all of the people he’d helped and the good word he’d put out about people like him, this coven just wanted to erase all of that. They just wanted chaos.
Coughing brought his attention away from his internal rant. Rough, harsh coughs came from Lill as she tried to burrow closer into Ray’s chest.
Frank could feel, through where his hand was on her shoulder, how each shuddering cough ate away at her aura. The bits of purple were fading yet again, right in front of his eyes.
“Gee?” Frank asked, not looking away but knowing his boyfriend was right beside him. “You said with the bond that we could share strength right?”
“Uh yeah, I mean it should. Why?” Gerard stuttered out. Frank wordlessly connected their hands, still keeping one of his on Lill, and began speaking. The spell he was going to use would be hell, he knew this because he’d used it after the car crash that had tried turned his best friend’s brain into mush. It had worked then, his friend’s head had hit the steering wheel with enough force to crack his skull and this spell had worked so maybe, just maybe it’ll work again for him now.Gerard seemed to understand what he meant, soon Frank felt the warmth of Gerard’s energy mixing with his own. The spell hadn’t really begun yet, just him calling up his magic to the surface and channeling it into Lill, but already the added strength was welcomed.
Going into the second verse, everything around him faded. No longer could he feel or hear the people surrounding him in the living room. It was just Frank and Lill. His magic was now flowing into her, mending the burns all over her skin first before sinking down. As he began healing the internal damage, bruised ribs from the explosion and things of that sort, the toll began to be noticeable. He was far from being too exhausted to continue but the steady drain on his strength, even with Gerard’s help, was being reminded to him.
Oh, right, Gee, he was still beside Frank. He wasn’t able to spare the concentration to look over and see his boyfriend’s aura mixing into his own but Frank could feel it. It was a bit like when Gerard drank from him. They were one, their energies working and blending together.
Slowly, painfully slowly, Lill’s aura began to shift. At first it was only little blotches of purple popping up directly where Frank’s magic had healed but soon it was steadily growing brighter. The greys were being overtaken by soft purple as Lill was no longer fighting for her life, even though Frank was flagging. Just a little more, she needed just a bit more.
“Enough.”
The voice had come from somewhere, obviously, but Frank couldn’t pinpoint where exactly. It was enough to let him realize that he needed to stop, his own body beginning to protest against the continued strain. Cutting of the ties to the magic, Frank opened his eyes.
Lill was the first thing that came into view, her skin was a more healthy shade of pale now and her breathing much easier. She also was no longer shivering and the burns were faded; Frank had healed her. She was going to be okay.
A hand was massaging his back, gentle circles with warm, soothing hands that were nearly lulling him to sleep. Whoever was massaging him was doing a damn good job, all the tension in his body melting as a hazy feeling came over him. He began to forget how tired he was or if he was tired at all.
“Frank?” Mikey asked but Frank hadn’t even remembered he was even in the room. Mikey was staring at him, silently asking him if he was okay. He got that look a lot, mostly from Gerard, but this time it wasn’t the same. He sort of, a lot, wanted to argue to insist that of course he was okay; it was just a little healing spell but Mikey seemed convinced he was going to keel over or something. Mikey continued to stare so long at Frank that he began to think maybe he could read his mind, could hear Frank telling him to fuck off and let whoever was massaging his back continue. Actually though, everyone in the room was staring at him. Concerned eyes met his everywhere he looked and really, Frank was getting sick of it. He was not made of glass damn it.
“I’m fine guys, really.”
Trying his hardest to push back the frustration bubbling up inside him, Frank pulled away from the hands on his back. They most likely belonged to Gerard but he couldn’t bring himself to look because he knew that he’d only see worry on his boyfriend’s face as well.
“Frank-”
“No,” Frank cut Gee off, “ I’m honestly okay. Little tired but I’m fine.”
This time he was telling the truth, he realized. Sharing energy with Gerard during the spell had made it far less tiring and much more manageable. The tiredness he’d felt during the spell was gone and he mildly wondered if it’d been in his head, a placebo thing where he was so used to feeling drained. He also assumed Gerard was feeling similarly to him, what with the sharing and all. In a moment of hypocrisy, Frank had to ask if Gerard was okay.
“Are you fine Gee?” He grumbled, a bit of the frustration coming out in his words halfway unintentionally. Gerard just stuttered but Frank didn’t look at him. He did look at Lill though. She slept peacefully, Ray’s arms holding onto her protectively.
“What? I-” Gerard stuttered out but Frank interrupted him before he could actually get his thoughts out into words.
“We both expanded the same amount of energy during that spell. I was just being nice,” Frank snapped but the last few words fell under his breath. He really didn’t want to be mean but damn the constant cycle of this was driving him nuts.
“Oh.”“Yeah. So can everyone just fuck off and quit acting like every damn thing is going to kill me. Is that too much to ask?”
Frank didn’t know where this frustration was coming from. He normally didn’t have this much of a problem with Gerard’s constant worrying but for some reason at the moment it, along with everyone else’s continued concern, was too much. He could feel the anger rising. At the moment he considered turning around and using so much magic that he burned out on purpose just so the others could be proved right.
Not giving Gerard a chance to answer, not even looking at the others in the room, Frank got up and left. He had no real destination in mind, just away.
Since his back was already to the living room, Frank didn’t notice Gerard try and stand to follow him only to collapse back down again. He was too mad to feel through their bond when Gerard slipped into unconsciousness and slumped against his brother. He didn’t hear Mikey asking Gerard if he was okay and what was wrong. No Frank was too busy being pissed off for no apparent reason to notice that or the fact that he no longer felt tired. At all.
______________________________________________
Slamming the door, unnecessarily, to Gerard’s bedroom, Frank dropped down onto the bed. He shoved his face into the comforter and screamed. God he felt like a teenage girl and it didn’t help that he felt no closer to ‘better’. He hadn’t the slightest idea as to why he was feeling like this, nothing had caused it, not really.
Sure, he’s been mad before, frustrated even, but never to this extent. He’s hyperactive with it, unable to stay laying face down on the bed anymore and having to pace back and forth in the too small room. Shuffling his feet as he walked, Frank tried to think of anything. Anything else, because he knows, god he knows, that he’s being unreasonable. Gerard and everyone had every right to be worried about him because he did just finish a huge, taxing spell.
But then that was the odd part.
He felt fine, more than fine really. There was no headache, no creeping feeling of exhaustion, nothing. Gerard had helped him with the spell, with healing Lill, but that shouldn’t have meant that he wouldn’t feel at least some of its effects. Normally, from what he knew from his books, when someone pools in for a spell, it takes equal toll on both people, regardless of if they have magic or not. With that, then Gerard and he should both be tired.
That was the thing though, Gerard had been fine. He’d been pestering Frank to see if he was okay so really, to Frank, it didn’t make any sense. Had their bonding really made him that much stronger?
A soft knock at the door made Frank pause in his pacing and he watched as Mikey poked his head in.
“Can I come in?”
“Yeah. Sure, whatever.”
God Frank really was becoming a teenage girl.
Closing the door behind him, Mikey came over to him. He was still antsy, couldn't stand still even as Mikey raised his eyebrow in questioning. Frank knew he was supposed to talk, to spill the reason he’d been a dick to Gerard.
He didn’t answer.
“Frank…” Mikey said, talking as if he were trying to coax a child into telling on themselves. It only strove to make Frank even more frustrated.
“No. Okay, just no. I’m pissed off and I really don’t know why so just leave me the hell alone,” Frank said with way more anger than he meant, arms waving as he spoke. Mikey didn’t back down but there were traces of surprise on his normally stone cold face.
He heard Mikey sigh but Frank was already moving over to the little window that sat in the far corner of Gerard’s room. It was an odd placement but he could see why they did it that way. The view from the window was pretty, rows and rows of white houses stretched on in straight lines for nearly as far as he could see. It was neat, even lines and it helped calm Frank down. The moonlight just barely reflected off the houses, painting everything outside in a soft, nearly black and white, color.
“Frank,” Mikey tried again, “Do you remember when we told you that bonding results in a sort of blend of your energies?”
The stars were just barely visible through the clouds, standing out every so often when a cloud moved just to be concealed again by the next one. Frank didn’t answer but he was beginning to calm down, calm enough to try and let Mikey speak. He at least deserved to be heard out, even if it sounded like he was explaining something to a child.
“That’s why Gee helped you with the spell.”
“I already know this,” Frank said, his words no longer full of bite the longer he stared out the window.
“Yeah but you’re not thinking it through. You two are in a crucial part of the process, of the bonding, your energies are still learning how to coexist with each other.”
Frank turned around and Mikey gave him a little half smile for the effort before he continued.
“You’re attitudes, feelings I guess, they’re a little mixed up at the moment. Gerard got a bit of your overwhelming need to put others in front of yourself and you got his frustration about it.”
“Wait, what? That’s- that’s possible?”
Nodding, Mikey looked down at his hands. He played with them for a moment, picking clean already clean nails.
“You’re close, it makes sense. That blending is part of the reason why Gerard offered to help in the first place and then because the two of you were even closer, physically, you got his emotions bombarded into you subconscious.”
“That’s… freaky.”
He didn’t get an answer, Mikey just looked back up at him but he did smile for real this time, which Frank tried to reciprocate. As Frank returned it, already calmed down and feeling way less frustrated he realized that there was something else that he needed to know.
“How much stronger does me and Gee being bonded make us?”
“I mean,” Mikey’s mouth moved a few times but no words came out. “ Not like superhuman strong or anything, just a little difference. Why, are you feeling more drained than normal or…?”
“No that’s just it, I feel fine. Like I don’t even feel like I did any magic at all and it's really freaky ‘cause I should at least feel something, right?” Frank said, quickly as his hands began combing through his own hair.
“Yeah, about that…”
“Spill it Mikey, c’mon.”
He didn’t have time for Mikey to be uncertain, he needed to know why this was so different. Magic was his thing, what made him, him yet over the past few days he’s been repeatedly proved wrong. All he wanted was to get the answers and go back to knowing a shitton about magic again.
“Reach out.”
“What?”
“Just reach out, with your magic, and feel for Gerard. It’s easier than me trying to explain it to you,” Mikey said as he pushed his hands into his jean pockets.
“Ookaay…,” Frank drawled but he humored Mikey. Sending his aura out to search the house, it, surprisingly, took him a while to find Gerard. When he did locate him, he knew instantly that something was off. Gerard’s aura was fading, flickering a little. It took a moment for his brain to catch up but when it did, Frank was retracting his magic so fast it left him spinning. Mikey had his hands on his arms, steadying him but Frank pushed away.
“What the hell? What the hell Mikey? Gee, he was- he was fine when I left. I don’t-”
“Frank,” Mikey said, calm as ever on the surface but Frank could see how his brother’s condition was bothering him or maybe it was Frank’s reaction.
“ He got a full wave of your self sacrifice bulshit and literally took the entire weight of the spell so that you didn’t have to. He healed you, completely replenish your energy, after the spell was over.”
Fuck.
Fuck, god was this how Gerard felt every time he did something just as stupid? Why would Gerard do that? Frank had been tired, sure, but he hadn’t needed that much.
“Is he gonna be okay?” Frank spoke quickly but was unable to even raise his voice, shame and guilt bubbling up inside of him. He needed to know but was too afraid to get any more than the glimpse he’d gotten of Gerard. It was cruel to make Mikey answer. He could see how much the situation was uncomfortable for him.
“Yes. He’s going to be fine, he’s strong, but what Gee really needs is you right now. He already knew the emotion mix up might be coming and you can sort that shit out later, but right now he’s tired and he needs you.”
If Frank didn’t know better he’d say that Mikey was trying to convince himself that those words were true. It did nothing to help Frank’s guilt.
The crashing wave of knowledge that he’d fucked up was drowning him. It would have to wait; seeing Gerard was way more important in that moment.
“I- fuck. I fucked up didn’t I?” Frank asked, something close to a smile forming but it was too wobbly to be sure.
“Yeah, you did fuck up but it’s okay ‘cause even though both you and my brother are idiots, you’re my idiots. ”
Needless to say, Frank followed Mikey back down stairs. The living room was quiet and it was clear that everyone else had already left. Frank asked and found that Ray and Lill were upstairs in Mikey’s room and were planning on sleeping off everything. Mikey said that they would probably be out of it for a long ass time. His mother had gone up to bed, needing a nap after everything too.
Only Gerard and his father remained in the living room. Gee was laying on the same couch that Ray and Lill had been on, while his father pressed a glass of water into his hands. They hadn’t noticed Frank and Mikey entering but Frank noticed the tremble of Gerard’s arm as he tried to keep steady enough to drink. Eventually, his father took the glass for him and lifted to his lips. There were dark bags under Gerard’s eyes and he was squinting as he took another sip. Frank knew that he was bound to have a killer headache.
He’d ran away, right when Gerard had needed him. Frank couldn’t imagine what it’d be like if Gee had just left him like that. As much as he bitched, the loving way Gerard would care for him during those times was something else.
How could he have just left him?
He couldn’t even blame it on Gerard's emotions because Gerard had never, not once, acted like he had. It was always the opposite. His boyfriend would always go out of his way to make sure that Frank was okay.
“Come on,” Mikey nudged, probably reading his mind again. That’d be cool, his mind wandered a bit, to know a real mind reader. Impossible ‘cause they didn’t exist but theoretically useful in situations when both he and Gerard were dumbfucks, situations like the one they were in now.
As they moved closer, Mr. Way noticed them and smiled tiredly to Mikey and even Frank got a small flash of a grin. He moved out of the way a bit and let Frank bend down beside Gerard. He was pale, that was the first thing that Frank noticed, too pale and breathing a little shallowly. His eyes were closed, not even noticing Frank was next to him.
The panic rising up in Frank’s chest was suffocating once again. He not only was worried for his boyfriend but felt horrible for the way he’d treated him. On top of all of that, he now knew how Gerard had always felt when Frank went and did something stupid.
Suddenly desperately needing to see Gerard’s eyes, Frank pushed the other man’s long hair out of the way from where it had been falling down into his face. His eyelids fluttered before his face scrunched up, telling again of the raging headache he probably had, but finally Gerard’s eyes opened. He blinked slowly a couple of times before his gaze fell to Frank. To say he looked surprised was an understatement but Frank could see the little bit of pain, of hurt and not in the physical way, that he’d caused as it hid underneath the wide eyes that looked up at him.
“Hey Gee,” Frank said softly as his hand began playing with Gerard’s hair. The strands were smooth and soft, the familiarity of it helping him to stay grounded as he waited on his boyfriend to say something, to prove that he was okay. He didn’t speak. Gerard’s eyes fluttered shut once again and he took a slow, if somewhat labored, breath.
This was too much.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize the whole emotion mix up thing and god, I- I shouldn’t have just fucking left you and-”
He physically couldn’t continue through the horrible way he felt for being so cruel because if Gerard had left him…
He’d reacted so badly to Gerard losing his temper the other night about him drinking from him and now he’d snapped when his boyfriend hadn’t even done anything wrong. In fact, Gerard had helped him, given his own strength to make sure that Frank was okay. He’d done something Frank himself had done multiple times and which Gerard had showered him in love and comfort afterwards.
Not even the knowledge that Lill was better, as relieving as that was because he’d honestly been worried about her, was enough to dampen how horrid he felt with the way he’d acted.
“Hey,” Gerard whispered, his own shaking hand coming up to wipe away the tears that’d begun to fall down Frank’s face, unknowingly, “Hey, no. It’s okay, Frankie. I- I understand.”
Gerard’s voice was quiet, horse.
“No, you should have to ‘understand’. I just-”
Frank didn’t know what to say, he could barely understand how he felt let alone try and apologize correctly to Gerard.
“Frankie,” Gee whispered, his voice so tired sounding but when Frank met his eyes, he was taken back by the love shining in them. Gerard had a little smile, wan and thin, but somehow he knew he was forgiven.
“I am so sorry Gee,” he continued. Even if Gerard forgave him, Frank couldn’t just forget this, he couldn’t stand it. He just kept replaying him just leaving over and over in his head, his own mind torturing him with the knowledge of how he’d acted.
“Frank.”
Gerard’s voice was more firm now. He knew Frank’s train of thought.
“We’re allowed to screw up every once in a while,” he reprimanded.
“Yeah but I hurt you Gee. I drained you and fucking left you.”
Frank was unaware of the irony in his words, how much they mirrored Gerard’s previous concerns with drinking from him.
“But you didn’t mean to. It was my choice; I wanted to help and so I did. Besides, you came back,” Gerard countered. He meant every word, somehow Frank knew that.
Gerard’s smile was contagious, Frank found himself relaxing that last little bit. He’d make it up to him, somehow.
“I forgive you,” he continued, making Frank stare at him in slight disbelief.
“Gee…”
“Shh, it’s okay. I promise.”
They stayed there the whole night, Mr. Way recommending that they don’t risk the stairs. Frank agreed, Gerard wasn’t used to magic crashes. Navigating a flight of steps would probably end in disaster and they’d had enough near disasters to last them the rest of their life. So, Mikey took Gerard’s room, on his brother’s insistence, and Mr. Way reluctantly left his son and joined his wife upstairs. Frank was alone with Gerard, the entire house silent except for the slow breathing of his boyfriend.
He wasn’t asleep, as far as Frank could tell, but he was drained. Frank still could barely process the fact that Gerard had taken the full blunt of a major healing spell for him. He wanted to blame it on his own self sacrificing shit like Mikey had mentioned but he knew it wasn’t true, not completely.
A piece of him, what he was quickly discerning as the bond he and Gerard shared, told him that it wasn’t entirely his own emotions governing that decision. Gerard was always protective; he just hadn’t been that reckless about it until Frank and his emotions were all blurred.
In any other situation, Frank would have butted Gerard to scoot over and try and fit the both of them on the couch. He was small; he could easily lay on top of his boyfriend to sleep if they had to.
Tonight though, Frank knew to just let him rest. His mind was racing as it flashed between the moment he was in and the night of that crash in high school. At first he’d been confused as to why the crash affected him so negatively, he wasn’t the brightest most self reflective person on the planet. His logic had been that both he and his best friend at the time Kevin had survived so then if everything made sense then it wouldn’t bother him. He was very wrong by that.
When he had first woken up after the crash, a whole week later, he’d been fine. As he recovered and his sleep became less like a comatose state and more just simple rest, the nightmares had begun. He’d been able to relive that crash over and over in his head, smell the burning gas around them, and hear the car being torn to pieces by the concrete.
It took a while, needless to say, before Frank had really been okay. He still wasn’t the biggest fan of cars, especially when he wasn’t driving, but the point was the similarities between the two situations.
Frank had nearly died saving Kevin and his friend never knew. He hadn’t been able to see him for weeks, the lack of car crash related injuries would have drawn suspicion and possible exposed his powers, and the two had grown apart. A piece of him knew that Kevin had decided that Frank blamed him for the crash.
But this night, there with Gerard drifting to sleep on the couch as Frank curled up on the nearest one, was way too close to the same situation.
Frank had gone out of his way to try and save someone that, as he would most definitely argue, was his responsibility. Because of that, another person was hurt. Except, rather than an emotional falling out, Gerard had been physically affected by Frank’s rash actions.
Even still, Frank felt the need to run up the steps and heal Lill the rest of the way. Then, he could fully close the wound Mikey got from the witches before tending to Gerard.
He knew, of course, that this was irrational, that it was his own anxiety telling him that it was his job to take care of everyone else. Even if it was at his own expense.
The view of Gerard sleeping stopped any reality in which Frank would actually try and heal everyone in the house. He could see now that when he put himself in such danger just to help others, that it wasn’t only himself that was hurt. Gerard had been dealing with this for months, watching Frank be self destructive just so that someone else was okay.
Honestly, now that he got a taste of his own medicine so to speak, Frank wasn’t sure how Gerard even did it. How did he not go insane with worry?
Even now, with Gerard now fully asleep, Frank couldn’t help but force himself awake. He was so afraid that while he slept Gerard would do something else and make his condition worse. Watching as his boyfriend slept peacefully, Frank tried to convince himself that everything was okay.
________________________________________________________________
The next evening, the house was slow to stir. Gerard and Mikey’s parents were downstairs first and even though they tried to be quiet, their footsteps woke Frank.
His neck was sore from the odd position he’d slept in on the couch though he really didn’t feel like he’d slept at all. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Frank sat up and glanced around the dark room.
None of the lamps were on, he’d turned them off at some point in the night, and the moonlight was obstructed by the pulled curtains. The darkness though wasn’t too bad, it meant that Gerard could sleep a little longer. Frank was a little wary to trying to wake him up before he was ready.
Looking over to the sleeping form of his boyfriend, Frank stole a quick glimpse of Gerard’s aura. Thankfully, it was stronger than he’d anticipated. There were gray-black bits blended into the blue and the green, each one a testament to the energy he’d expended for Frank.. Even the normal colored portions of Gerard’s aura were dim, faint even, as Frank looked. He couldn’t take his eyes off of it.
The rational part of Frank knew that Gerard was okay, that he was going to be fine in a day or two, but the other part of him was full of guilt. He could fix this, he would do whatever it took to show Gerard how much he means-
-to show them all-
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Frank had calmed down considerably.
He sat out of breakfast, unable to face Gerard’s parents or Mikey. A part of him knew that they weren’t upset with him and yet, the thought of sitting there at the table while Gerard slept off Frank’s mistake in the other room was too much. So instead he stayed in the living room with Gerard.
The vampire had slept through the day and would likely sleep through night as well. Frank kept watch over Gerard, monitoring his aura the whole time. For the most part, Gerard was doing better. Despite the still present dark smudges on his aura and ya know, his current unconscious state, he was slowly regaining his strength.
Frank had a lot of time to think. That day, as Gerard and the others had slept, Frank couldn’t stop the flow of his thoughts. At first he’d been horrified of how he had acted.
And yet, after a while, he realized that Gerard forgave him. He had truly forgave Frank, within a few minutes of his fuck up. That alone was proof of how much Gerard cared about him.
Because of that, Frank knew that he had to think rationally about this.
He had wanted to just shut down, to stop caring so damn much about everyone else so that he wouldn’t end up hurting them with his own stupidity. Even asleep, Gerard’s voice told him that that wasn’t true. He could hear it, Gerard’s words, telling him how much he loved him and supporting him despite everything.
Frank desperately wanted to just hide inside himself and keep everyone around him from suffering because of him. But he knew he couldn’t.
Gerard saw something in him, sometimes Frank had no clue how he did, but he noticed the true motivation Frank had. He just cared too damn much. As ironic and cliche as it sounded, Frank cared too much and was too willing to do anything to protect someone else.
As easy as shutting down, as ignoring how much he felt, would have been, Frank knew he couldn’t.
He owed it to Gerard to try. He could still protect others but now he would try to protect himself as well. The fear that he’d felt, knowing Gerard had nearly died in order to protect him, fueled this decision. He would never, never again make Gerard feel like that.
Still, his shame, his guilt, kept him from the dining room. He watched Ray stumble down the steps around 10pm, joining breakfast later than Mikey, who’d came down around 8pm, but he didn’t stay. A few moments later he was heading back upstairs with two plates balancing in his hands.
Before he’d gone up though, Ray’d given him a passing smile. Frank hadn’t reciprocated it, didn’t know how to.
Gerard slept through the rest of breakfast.
Frank stayed on the couch, restlessly playing with the hem of his shirt around 3am. The shirt was old and fraying in places but he couldn’t bring himself to throw it away. The shirt wasn’t fancy, or rare but it had a badass picture of Heath Ledger’s Joker fading on the front. He’d gotten it at Hot Topic or something. It was one of his favorites.
Gerard had a good laugh the first time Frank wore it in front of him and they broke into a heated debate on who was the best Joker and why.
That brought back fond memories. Of the two of them cuddling on the couch, binging Batman movies. They’d watched all of them, even the shitty ones. They may or may not have watched the Lego one too.
Maybe once all of this coven shit was over they could have another movie marathon.
For the time being however, Frank could only sit on that chair and watch Gerard sleep. Through their bond he knew Gerard was peaceful. He couldn’t explain it, understand how he knew, but somehow he did.
Gerard was sleeping soundly, his body savoring every second of rest.
“Frank.”
He turned to see Mikey walk into the living room, two coffee mugs in his hands. He gave one to Frank and took a long drink out of the other. Frank followed his lead, relishing in the heavenly caffeine as it entered his bloodstream.
“Thanks.”
“No problem,” Mikey said before looking over to his brother’s sleeping form. “How’s he doin’ this evening?”
Frank sighed quietly and extended his energy out to get a feel of Gerard’s current state. He figured Mikey would want the most up to date answer.
“He’s still,” sighing again Frank tried to keep his voice calm. The guilt he felt as strong as ever. “He’s still really weak. The spell took a lot out of him and adding in him jumpstaring me-”
Waving his arm vaguely, Frank felt only slightly relieved when Mikey nodded, seemingly accepting his update. Which was odd because Frank was sure he’d done a shitty job but whatever. As long as he didn’t have to keep mentioning his fuck up.
Or maybe this is his punishment. Karma or some shit.
“Gee’s gonna be okay though. He should wake up by morning and it’ll be easier from then on,” Frank added. If this was his punishment then the least he could do is give Mikey a proper answer.
“Can you feel him?”
Mikey’s question was sudden and it caught Frank a little off guard. He’d expected Mikey to want him to explain a bit more, not change the topic.
“Like through the bond?” Frank asked once he finally caught on.
“Yeah. Like, what he’s thinking of while he’s sleeping.”
“Well, no, not really. I know he’s peaceful though. No anxiety or anything as far as I can tell,” he answered truthfully.
“Good. I was worried he’d- well it doesn’t matter. I’m just glad he’s getting the rest he needs ya know?”
Frank didn’t answer, didn’t know really what to say.
“You need to sleep too,” Mikey continued after Frank didn’t respond.
“What? No, I slept. I’m fine.”
That got him the signature ‘really?’ look that the Ways must have fucking coined because he swears Mikey’s eyebrow is in his hair line it’s raised so high. There’s humor in his eyes though and Frank knows he’s not upset.
“Fine, so I slept like shit. No big deal.”
“Frank. Quit being stubborn and just at least take a nap. We’re gonna have a meeting later to come up with a game plan and I don’t want you falling asleep in the middle of the conversation.”
“I don’t- I don’t know if I’ll be able to. Sleep I mean.”
Gerard had spoiled him. Frank slept best pressed against Gerard’s sleeping body, twisted in the covers and sharing warmth. Not to mention that the concern that was eating away at him about Gerard.
Knowing their luck, Gerard’s health would spiral the second Frank closed his eyes.
Frank knew he was being irrational, that Gerard was okay, but he couldn’t help that fear creeping in.
“I’ll watch him while you sleep,” Mikey offered, knowingly. “Just a nap is all I’m asking of you Frank.”
His argument defeated, Frank took Mikey’s advice. Maybe he really was tired because even with the coffee and the uncomfortable chair, he was asleep the second he closed his eyes.
____________________
Frank woke sometime later. He could hear someone talking in the room with him, their voice muffled through his groggy state. The words were quiet, barely audible but flowing easily through the otherwise silent room.
Someone laughed, soft and quiet but enough to have Frank pulling himself up. Sitting up in the chair, Frank searched the room for the source of the talking.
His eyes fell on Mikey, sitting cross-legged on the floor by the couch. The couch that Gerard was sleeping on.
Gerard was awake now, his conversation with his brother paused as he watched Frank wake up. Noticing his brother pause, Mikey too turned to Frank. Giving an awkward wave, Frank tried to think of what to say.
Gerard was still laying down, arms resting on his stomach and when he resumed the conversation with Mikey, he moved them as he spoke. The gestures were sluggish, sloppy and the dark circles were still under his eyes. He looked exhausted.
But as Gerard finished his story, Frank now recognized it as the time he’d tried to cook a romantic dinner and nearly burned his apartment down, his voice portrayed none of the tiredness the rest of him did. He was smiling and laughing a little as he spoke and Mikey was trying to hide a grin for Frank’s sake.
“Yeah,” Gerard continued quietly. “We totally had to sleep at my place for like a week until it didn’t smell like burned spaghetti anymore.”
“Hey, you weren’t complaining at the time,” Frank teased as he moved over to sit beside Mikey, who was totally ignoring what he was implying.
Gerard on the other hand blushed an adorable shade of red, nearly the color of his hair, but he laughed all the same. Mikey chuckled awkwardly, as did Frank for a moment but sobered when Gerard groaned quietly and brought a hand to his forehead.
He’d tried to hide it but Frank caught on and his laughter died off.
“Gee?” Frank asked, a hand already moving to his arm and squeezing gently. Gerard took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. With them still closed, he moved a hand over to rest overtop of Frank’s and mumbled that he was fine.
After a long, worrying, moment, Frank was met with Gerard’s hazel eyes meeting his and a tired smile.
“ ‘jus got a little dizzy,” he explained, shyly. Frank tried not to notice the way Gerard’s breaths were a little quicker or the way he’d paled considerably.
“You need to eat something, Gee,” Mikey offered in a soothing voice. Gerard quickly shook his head and tried to assure them.
“No. No, I’m fine. Really.”
Frank didn’t believe it a bit. It seemed like neither did Mikey.
“Yes. Yes you do. Mom and dad still have some of your substitute and you’re going to drink some.”
“I don’t get a choice?” Gerard asked with a sigh, poorly hiding a smile.
“Nope,” Frank answered for him. Eating something always did wonders when Frank was going through a magic crash. Using the same logic, the substitute would help Gerard greatly in the long run. Mikey ducked away to grab the fake blood that their parents had kept, telling Gerard to stay put and earning a raised middle finger from said vampire.
“Be nice,” Frank chided playfully. Gerard squeezed his hand, reminding him that they were still sorta holding hands. This was nice, being so close to him.
“Missed you Frankie.”
He hummed, resting his head against Gerard’s shoulder. Frank felt him relax a bit underneath him after a moment, the tension easing away the longer they stayed like that. That didn’t stop the guilt that was building again. Gerard wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for him. It was still his fault.
“I’m sorry.”
“You already apologized,” Gerard said. Frank could hear the smile in his words even though he couldn’t see it from his current position.
“I know but…”
“No buts. I forgave you the moment you left and I won’t change my mind.”
“You’re sure?” Frank asked, moving only his head until his face was inches from Gerard’s. He could see those million little freckles that were scattered over his face. They were practically invisible at any distance but this close, they looked like a galaxy exploding across Gerard’s cheekbones. Frank could see the bright greens and soft browns of Gerard’s eyes as they regarded him, tinged with sadness.
“Absolutely, and I’m sorry too. I should have thought about the possibility of our emotions getting mixed together and warned you. Even then I shouldn’t have acted on what I knew was your emotion,” Gerard said quietly, playing with Frank’s intertwined hand anxiously.
“I forgive you too. I think Mikey was right.”
Gerard motioned for him to elaborate further, apparently Mikey was right more often than he’d realized.
“After I ran upstairs, Mikey found me and basically told me that I was an idiot but that it was okay because you were one too.”
“Ha. Yeah, I’ll have to agree with him on that one,” Gerard breathed. This close Frank watched as Gerard’s control over his exhaustion wavered and he suddenly looked like he was about to fall asleep again. He didn’t try and hide it anymore and Frank saw how much their short conversation had taken out of him.
“Hey, no, don’t sleep just yet. You need to eat something before hand at least.”
Gerard pried his eyes open from where they had been steadily falling closed and pulled his hand from Frank’s. Confused for a moment, Frank watched as Gerard struggled to get his arms underneath him.
When Frank finally caught on that he was trying to prop himself up, he eagerly helped Gerard move. With both of them working, well mostly Frank, he was half-way sitting in just a few moments. He was using the arm rest as a pillow and was only just barely propped up more than before. Yet the small move had caused Gerard to pale further. Frank watched, uneasy, as Gerard tried to recover from that simple movement. He breathed heavily for a moment, eyes scrunched shut and hand limply holding Frank’s.
“Hey,” Frank said in a hushed tone, fighting every instinct in him that was screaming for him to share his energy with Gerard. “You still with me Gee?”
“Yeah. Fuck is this how it feels every time?”
“No. Only when I do too much,” he answered. Gerard laughed a little under his breath but it sounded too much like a groan to give Frank any solace. Gerard needed to eat, if Frank couldn’t heal him, then the next best option was food. Vaguely, Frank wondered how long it took to grab a bag of fake blood from a pantry or something. Just then though, Mikey walked back into the room.
He had a coffee mug in hand, Frank was pretty sure the Ways kept the major coffee brands in business, and passed it to Gerard. For a moment he was afraid Gerard wouldn’t be able to hold it, like the night before, but his fears were proved wrong.
Gerard hesitantly took the first sip but was greedily chugging the coffee mix down a moment later. It looked mostly coffee, very little of the substitute actually being mixed in. Frank wanted to ask Mikey why he’d only used so little but he soon remembered that their parents had mentioned that they’d only had a little bit.
Frank watched as some dripped down Gerards mouth a little but he quickly wiped it off once he drained the cup. Mikey gladly took it back, relieved as much as Frank was that Gerard finally had something in his system. It was better than nothing.
Even better was the immediate effect it had on Gerard. He looked visibly more of his normal pasty color and seemed to be holding himself up a little more easily rather than just putting all of his weight on the arm rest. Frank watched, smiling, as Gerard took a deep breath that turned into one hell of a yawn. It was adorable and he kind of wanted to kiss Gerard all of a sudden. His lips looked really soft from where Frank was sitting and-
Just like that, Frank leaned back over and pressed his lips against Gerard’s. His lips were a bit chapped but Frank didn’t care, to him they were perfect. The kiss stayed soft, their mouths not really moving but just pressed together. Until Frank slowly began moving his lips against Gerard’s, his mind not really thinking, and the little half hidden moan Gerard let out was amazing. Frank could kinda still taste the substitute, which should have been weird or gross but it wasn’t. They probably would have stayed like that forever but Mikey cleared his throat loudly and they broke apart. Still only inches separating them, Frank watched Gerard’s eyes flutter back open after a moment. He returned the little smile Gerard flashed at him and had to make an actual effort to remember Mikey was still in the room.
“Thanks,” Gerard said. Frank pulled away more, knowing that if he didn’t he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from attacking his mouth again. Gerard had a dusting of pink on his cheeks, which Frank was very proud of.
“For the substitute I mean- I- that was really good too though Frankie and-”
“Don’t mention it,” Mikey said, saving Gerard from his, and Frank’s, embarrassment. Mikey set the mug down on the coffee table and returned to his spot beside Frank on the floor.
“We’re gonna have a meeting later but for now you should get some more sleep, Gee,” Frank reminded him, knowing that he would feel better after a nap. Just their short kiss seemed to have taken a lot out of him.
“Yeah,” Gerard agreed, already looking half asleep.
“I’ll be right here when you wake up, okay?” Frank said even as Gerard seemed to drift off. The only reply he got was a low, content, hum and then Gerard was completely asleep.“He’s doing better,”Mikey said quietly, neither of them moving from their spots beside Gerard.
“Yeah but still.”
“He is,” Mikey insisted.
Frank looked back to the now sleeping form of Gerard. He remembered how much it’d taken out of him just to prop himself up and that Frank had to practically do it for him. Gerard’s current condition was so close, way too close, to what witches went through if they survived a burn out. Even the simplest things seemed to drain what little strength he had and Frank was honestly, thoroughly terrified. When Frank had nearly burned out, he’d been in a similar state. He doesn’t really remember that time too well but he does know how much it scared his parents. Now, watching Gerard struggle to do simple things, because of him, his brain adds unhelpfully, makes him understand why his parents practically hovered over him while he was recovering. “Mikey, he is so weak that he couldn’t even sit up on his own. I literally had to pick him up and-” Frank didn’t finish, Mikey interrupting him mid sentence.
“Frank. He’s gonna be okay, you said it yourself.”
Fuck. Yeah he had said that. Frank knew it was just his anxiety that was leading to him second guessing what he’d said earlier but still...
“Plus,” Mikey continued, likely noticing his anxiety and attempting to ease it, “ He just ate. That’ll do wonders for him, you know that.”
“Yeah I know,” Frank mumbled reluctantly. His mind was still screaming at him to heal Gee but he forced himself to stay still. Watching Gerard breathe deeply as he slept calmed Frank a little. There was something about watching him sleep, probably a little creepy but oh well, that helped Frank remember that everything was going to be okay. Gerard was going to be okay. All he needed was some sleep, and maybe some more blood after he woke up again, and then he’d be good as new. Frank did his best to push all of those thoughts that were screaming at him, repeating his fear that Gerard was dying, from his mind
“C’mon.”
“Where are we going?” Frank asked, wondering if Mikey had been talking and he hadn’t been listening. That was definitely a Gerard thing to do if so. Maybe Frank was getting Gerard’s spaciness too.
“Food. You need to eat dude. It’s like one a.m. and you haven't eaten since early yesterday.”
Frank wordlessly followed Mikey into the kitchen. He’d really not wanted to leave Gerard but the look Mikey gave him left no room for argument. Stealing one last glance at the sleeping form of his boyfriend, Frank entered the kitchen right behind Mikey.
He handed Frank a glass of juice, which he drank without question because Mikey was still giving him that glare. His eyes were narrowed as Frank finished what remained of the orange juice. Once he was done, Mikey rummaged through the fridge and pulled out leftovers from breakfast.
With Mikey still hovering over him, Frank ate his food. It’d been reheated and wasn’t that great tasting but he knew better than to argue. His body did need to eat, he realized as he finished his plate in record time. Finally, Mikey seemed to relax and he even took the plate and washed it for Frank.
“Feel better?” he asked with his back turned to Frank.
“Yeah. Thanks, Mikey.”
He meant it.
When he’d first met Mikey the dude had pulled a gun on him. Granted Mikey is a hunter and seeing his brother with some random witch was probably a bit of a shock. Still, Frank had been a little wary of Mikey at first. Hunters normally didn’t distinguish between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ supernatural people. They shot first and never bothered to ask questions.
Mikey was different. Once Gerard had told him Frank wasn’t a threat, he’d warmed up to him rather quickly. Hell, after a few nights of hanging out with Gerard while he worked at Ray’s shop, Mikey had even begun bringing him lunch too.
Mikey always seemed to be so uninterested, bored even, on the surface and then he’d do things like bring Frank coffee when he’d pulled a 24 hour work day for a client who wanted a fuck ton of charm potions. Frank hadn’t even had to ask. Mikey just showed up, three coffee cups in hand and shared with Gerard and him.
The breakfast he’d just eaten was the same thing. Albeit somewhat forceful, Mikey had ensured that Frank ate something because he had caught on to how worried he was. Frank often forgot to eat when he was this nervous, something he wasn’t even sure how Mikey knew. Yet, the sentiment was nice all the same. He was full now, more relaxed than he’d been for a while. When was the last time he’d eaten? Was it really just the night before at breakfast? It felt like forever.Mikey didn’t seem to be in too much of a rush. They both sat there for a moment, just relaxing after the craziness of the past few hours. It was nice. Frank kinda felt like Gerard.
Not in the emotion mix up way, more like how he was learning how to read Mikey’s seemingly disinterested appearance.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Mikey looked up from his coffee.
“Gerard’s gonna probably sleep for a while. Do you need another nap or you think you’re up for some kid duty?”
“Um,” Frank mumbled. He felt fine, better really. He hadn’t noticed how hungry he’d been but now that he’d eaten his head was a little more clear and the anxiety was a bit more manageable.
“Kid duty?”
“Just going up to Ray’s room and helping him take care of Lill. She’s nearly completely recovered and is a bit of a handful. He asked me at breakfast if I’d come up later and babysit so he can get a nap in.”
That didn’t sound too bad. Frank had close to zero experience with kids, being an only child just like both of his parents, but he figured it wouldn’t be too hard. Besides, they could just color or something. That’s what kids like, right?
“Yeah sure, but uh. Who’s gonna watch over Gee?”
Mikey sat back down at the table, still nursing one last cup of coffee in his hands.
“I don’t wanna leave him down here alone I mean.”
“Mom or dad can. I’m sure they won’t mind.”
“Okay,” Frank said after a moment. “Yeah sure, better than sitting on the couch all night I guess.”
“C’mon then. I’m sure Ray can’t wait,” Mikey said, a smile twitching at his lips.
------------------
Frank underestimated the kid. He figured she’d be calm, maybe a little wary of the people she didn’t know. Nope. No, she was wide open.
When he and Mikey had walked into Ray’s, well technically Mikey’s room that Ray was borrowing, Lill was mid jump. She was bouncing up and down on the bed, singing some pop song that Frank didn’t know while Ray anxiously tried to get her to stop jumping. He looked tired, big surprise. There were bags under his eyes and it looked like he’d slept in his clothes from the night before. Ray had his hands stretched out like he was ready to catch her should she begin to fall.
He only spared Frank and Mikey a quick glance as they entered, too caught up in trying to get Lill to calm down.
“Lillian you need to get down right now,” Ray said, sounding more like a parental figure than Frank had given him credit for. Still, she didn’t listen. Ray ran a hand down his face with a defeated sigh.
“Hey Lill,” Mikey tried, a fake smile on his face. Lill did stop her singing for a moment to consider him, which Frank counted as progress because that kid can not sing.
“How about me, you, and my friend Frank,” he pointed to Frank, “play a game?”
She considers them for a long moment. Her face scrunches up as she stops bouncing finally, giving them a long look. Ray gives an almost inaudible sigh of relief and all but collapses down into a nearby desk chair.
“What kind of game?” she questions. Fuck. Frank hopes Mikey already had a game in mind.
“Hide and go seek. How does that sound?”
“Okay!” she says excitedly and jumps down from the bed, landing on the soft carpet with a thump. Frank isn’t sure exactly how old she is but she’s most definitely small for her age. She’s wearing an oversized, plain white t-shirt, probably one of Mikey’s, and it completely swallows her. Lill comes up to just below his shoulder as she happily goes over to him and Mikey. She’d seemed to much smaller the night before, maybe just in comparison to Ray. He was pretty tall, Frank was short as fuck so everyone was tall but still, and Lill had been bundled up when she’d first gotten there. She stands in front of them, hands on her hips and gives them an expectant look for Mikey to explain further.
“So we’ll have a couple of rules,” Mikey starts but Lill interrupts him.
“How many tattoos do you have?”
“Uh. I’m not sure,” Frank answers uncertainty.
“How do you not know?”
“I guess I lost cou-“
“What happened to your neck?” she asks, pointing to Frank with wide eyes. Apparently, she hadn’t been too excited to learn the rules of hide and seek. After her question, Frank found his hand rising up to dust over those raised scars. They were a few months old but definitely noticeable.
“Um I-” he stutters for a moment. He hadn’t been expecting that question and had no idea how to explain to her that someone had tried to rip his neck out. That didn’t seem like a conversation he should be having with a young child.
“I wanna see.”
Before Frank can do anything, Lill is pulling him down to her height by his shirt and inspecting the old scars on his neck. She runs her finger over them curiously while Frank silently begs Mikey with his eyes to help him. The fucker does nothing but grin devillishly as he gets a checkup from a hyperactive wolf kid.
“Those are,” she whispers, fingers stilled. “Those are from a vampire!”
She sounds afraid now, or horrified. The playful curiosity is long gone and Frank can feel her try and move away only to run her fingers over the scars again.
“Yeah a uh, a mean one attacked me a long time ago,” Frank explained, hoping he was making this age appropriate or something close at least. This was way more than he’d signed up for and Frank half heartedly made a mental note to retract all good things he’d said about Mikey.
“What about those?” Lill questioned, voice still quiet as her fingers brushed over the other side of his neck, where Gerard had bitten him the other night. Shit.
Now that was by no means a mean vampire’s mark, quite the opposite. This felt too intamate to explain to a kid, too personal.
“Well I uh-”
“I can smell the vampire downstairs. He did this to you didn’t he?”
Crap, she was smart. Lill knew Gerard was a vampire but Frank wasn’t sure how she could think he would ever hurt someone else. Ninety percent of the time he only drank fake blood, doesn’t that make him like vegetarian or something? Can someone be nine-tenths vegetarian?
“What? No, I mean yeah but-”
Great job, Frank. Just stutter your way through, she’ll definitely understand what you mean.
Lill turned serious suddenly, anger spilling down her face as she looked down towards where Gerard was sleeping. There was a floor and ceiling between Gerard and Lill but Frank still wanted to defuse this as fast as he could.
“He hurt you,” she said simply, anger rolling off of her. In any other situation, her attitude might have been something close to comforting to Frank. He just met her and she was already getting upset that someone had hurt him. However, factoring in that the vampire who’d tried to kill him was already dead, the other bites were from Gerard, and that Gerard was like the most docile vampire he’d ever known made the conversation less heartwarming and more scary. She may not be a full wolf but Frank knew better than underestimate her strength.
“No. He didn’t hurt me. Gerard would never hurt me,” he tried at last, hoping that she’d believe him. Lill still looked pissed but some of the anger was fading from her and the curiosity was back in her eyes.
“But your neck,” she protested. Mikey wasn’t smiling anymore and Ray looked just about as uncomfortable as Frank was. Mikey was going to owe him, big time.
“I let him drink from me. It was okay because he asked me and I said yes. He was gentle and it didn’t hurt at all.”
Frank could feel his face burning now. How could he explain to this kid that it was close to sex with how good it felt? That Gerard had drank from him during sex and it’d led to the best orgasm Frank had ever had in his life?
“Not at all?” she questioned.
“Nope. Not even a little.”
He tried to will those thoughts away, semi successfully, and looked to Ray for help. He was probably better at answering kids’ questions than Frank. Hopefully anyway.
“So he’s not gonna attack me and drain all my blood?” Lill asked quietly.
Her age began to show. Frank could see the fear in her now, making her shrink in on herself.
“Gerard would never hurt you or anyone else. I promise,” Ray said at last. Frank was sure Mikey knew right where his thoughts had gone but he tried to pretend he hadn’t been thinking about his brother’s dick. That was just weird. Frank was weird.
“Okay. Lill enough 20 questions. You ready for hide and seek?” Mikey asked, his voice higher pitched and bit fake as he addressed Lill. She just nodded and put her hands over her eyes to start counting.
“Wait. We gotta go over the rules first kid,” Mikey said, smiling a little. She pulled her hands down but rolled her eyes at him. He ignored it. “Normally this would be a free range thing but… well anyway, the downstairs is off limits. Gerard is resting down there and we don’t wanna disturb him okay?”
Mikey looked to Ray and Frank saw him wordlessly ask him where he was going to sleep. Ray simply pointed down, meaning he’d probably take a couch with Gerard. Frank was getting way better at understanding silent conversations, something he was sorta proud of. Lill was none the wiser, she just smiled up at Frank.
“Okay so since Gerard and Ray are gonna be napping, we’ve gotta keep it quiet okay?” Mikey finished, and Frank watched as she nodded impatiently. It was Mikey’s turn to roll his eyes but the easy happiness that was coming from him felt real. Maybe he really was good with kids.
“Okay. You can count now.”
Ray waved goodbye and trudged out of the room, heading downstairs for one hell of a nap. Following after him, Mikey sneaked into his brother’s room and was out of sight. Frank, having been an only child, had no fucking clue where to hide or what was deemed an appropriate level of hiding for Lill’s age. Should he hide behind a curtain with his feet poking out the bottom in plain view or should he bury himself in the back of a closet somewhere?
He decided on somewhere in the middle, choosing a nice door that was already open to hide behind. Frank was small enough to fit between the space of the door and wall, hidden enough to not be seen by just walking by but if Lill moved the door she’d know he was there. He was rather proud of this hiding spot and found himself genuinely enjoying the next few rounds after Lill found him in five minutes.
Time went by quickly and before Frank knew it, they’d been playing for a few hours. He heard the front door open, making him pause in his counting, and footsteps walk past the bottom of the stairs. Frank hadn’t known anyone had left the house nor were they expecting anyone.
Suspicious now, and game forgotten, Frank sent his magic out. Feeling around the house, he could sense Mikey hiding underneath a bed and Lill giggling in a closet. Going lower, he could feel Gerard. He was sleeping well, his aura already getting stronger. He could also sense Ray sleeping on the armchair he had slept on. In the kitchen, Frank found who he’d heard. Gerard’s parents were in there, putting away groceries and talking quietly.
He felt silly, having been worried over nothing but nonetheless, relieved.
It was only a few more minutes before Mrs. Way was walking up the steps and asking them to wrap up their game before dinner. Lill nearly argued but a stern look from Mikey kept her from making a scene. Frank nodded his thanks to Gerard’s mom and helped Mikey clean up.
Hide and seek was messy. He hadn’t realized that before.
Every spot they’d hidden in was disorganized at the least and completely wrecked at the worst. It took until dinner was ready for them to properly clean up. Lill had already gone down stairs to wake Ray up but Mikey and Frank were putting the finishing touches on their cleaning spree.
As Frank placed the last pillow back on Mikey’s bed, he did a quick once over of the room. Everything seemed to be in place, bed made, Ray and Lill’s dirty clothes in the hamper, and a nice candle burning on the dresser. Mikey was in Gerard’s room, cleaning up a mug that’d spilled after one of them had bolted when Lill had found them. It may or may not have been Frank but he would take that to his grave.
Frank, the nosy little fucker that he was, halfway snooped around Mikey’s room. He didn’t open drawers or anything, just browsed a few comics that were sitting on his desk. Mikey also had a bunch of Gerard’s art on his wall.
Most of them seemed to be gifts, little tags saying ‘happy birthday’ and the like. These were lighter colored than the ones in Gerard’s room. Most were of comic characters, batman appearing several times, but they were in his style. The occasional zombie version of the Joker was not left out though. Frank found himself wishing, not for the first time, that he had the kind of artistic skill that Gerard had.
Once again, one piece in particular caught his eye. It was really simple, just a pencil drawn depiction of Gerard and Mikey.
Mikey had a graduation cap on and was smiling, for real, at him while Gerard had one arm draped over him. He looked proud, eyes gleaming. The picture, even though it was cartoony, felt real. Frank felt like he was looking at a real photo of the two at Mikey’s graduation.
“Hey, all clean. Gerard will never know it happened,” Mikey said, walking into his room and throwing the bits of shattered mug into the trash. When Frank didn’t answer, Mikey finally noticed what he was looking at.
“Ah. Yeah Gee made me that when I graduated. I think he was more proud of me than mom and dad were.”
“It’s so good,” Frank said, in awe.
“Yeah, I think he worked on it for months. It’s one of my favorites.”
“I can tell why.”
“He couldn’t be there,” Mikey said randomly. “He’d gotten really sick a few weeks before and the ceremony was in the middle of the day. We couldn’t risk it when he wasn’t fully better. I almost didn’t go, just because I knew how much he wanted to be there.”
He didn’t sound sad, more like he was reliving a fond moment. Going out to a graduation ceremony in the middle of the day did sound like something Gerard would do. Especially if it was Mikey’s.
“Wait,” Frank’s brain caught up. “Gee can get sick?”
“Well yeah.”
“No I mean. I thought vampires were so much stronger and that they weren’t affected by colds and shit,” Frank explained, feeling a little dumb for not knowing this. Mikey didn’t seem mad, just slightly amused.
“I’m gonna ignore the ‘big strong vampire’ mindset you got there cause it’s gross. But yeah, normally something like a cold won’t really bother Gee. You’re right, the vampire venom in him is strong enough to fight off shit like that.”
“But?” Frank said, knowing a ‘but’ was coming.
“But, there are certain illnesses that exclusively affect vampires. Gee caught one of those.”
“Oh. Shit. It affected him bad enough to where he couldn’t go to your graduation?” Frank asked surprised. He knew that with the proper amount of layers, and maybe a protection charm, Gerard could go out into the sun for a little while at the least.
“Yeah. There was no way I was about to risk it but he felt bad, like it was his fault, and gave me this picture early.”
Frank couldn’t believe that Gerard would be unlucky enough to get sick right before his brother’s graduation, that he’d been so excited for. Just like the painting of his grandma in his room, Gerard had poured his emotions out onto the page so strongly that Frank could practically feel them. The shining smile and bright eyes of picture Gerard felt so real and Frank felt his own pride for Gerard swell a little.
“Hey, lovebird. You still there?”
“Fuck off. Was just thinking,” Frank mumbled, trying and failing to hide his smirk.
Then, before they could say anything else, Frank felt something flash across his mind. It was like a soft light being moved in front of him while he had his eyes closed. But his eyes were open, and no one had a light.
“The fuck?” he questioned to no one in particular. Focusing on the fading feeling, Frank found himself looking at Gerard. Or well, his aura.
“Frank?” Mikey’s voice cool but concerned.
“Gee’s awake!” Frank said happily, finally putting together what had happened. It’d been Gerard’s energies brushing against Frank’s as he’d woken up. He assumed this was part of the bond because honestly he had no clue how he knew it was Gee or how he knew it meant he was wake. Frank just went with it.
“Let’s go then,” Mikey said as he and Frank turned off the bedroom light and made their way down to the living room.
At the bottom of the steps, Lill ran past them, shrinking as she went into the kitchen. A less tired looking Ray flashed them an apologetic look before following her in.
In the living room, Gerard was right where they’d left him. He was sitting up a little on the couch, shoulders on the arm rest and a pillow under his head. His eyes still had dark bags underneath them but he looked a hell of a lot better than earlier.
Gerard turned a bit to face them as Frank and Mikey walked in further. Frank practically sprinted to him and crushed him in a hug. Gerard’s arms snaked around his middle and squeezed back. Frank heard him chuckled a little at his enthusiasm.
“Missed you,” Frank mumbled, his face sorta stuck against Gerard’s shoulder. It was entirely too much effort to move any amount away from him.
“Missed you too Frankie. How long did I sleep?”
Gerard seemed better. The grip he had on Frank was strong, comforting and he could hear his steady heartbeat. Frank was more than relieved. Gerard was going to be okay, the stupid anxious bits of him could fuck off because right here, in his arms was proof.
“It’s almost five a.m. so a good chunk of the day,” Mikey answered for him.
“Hmm,” Gerard mumbled lazilly.
“Sorry if Lill woke you up. She’s a bit hyper.”
Frank felt Gerard laugh underneath him at Mikey’s apologie.
“No, it’s fine. I probably would’ve woken up around now anyway.”
Pulling back slightly, but still laying nearly on top of Gerard, Frank gave him a once over. Despite the dark bags under his eyes, Gerard really did look better. He was sitting up well enough and Frank could only see traces of the exhaustion that’d been there before. Even though he knew he didn’t have to make an effort to see Gerard’s aura when he was this close, Frank expended the extra concentration anyway. Extending his vision to look at Gerard’s aura, he found the same dark smudges still present. They hadn’t gotten any bigger though, maybe even just a little smaller and Frank was counting that as a good thing.
“Frank?” Gerard asked quietly, one had rubbing small circles on the small of his back, bringing him back to the conversation.
“Just checking on you. I was worried.”
“I’m much better now. The nap did wonders,” Gerard said, pulling Frank down into another hug. It was nice, being this close to Gerard and being able to feel his warmth. Frank laid his head on his chest, listening to each of his breaths.
Hands were in his hair and Frank heard more than saw Mikey chuckle and walk out. Good, privacy was nice. Not that he would try to do anything… that exerting with Gerard at the moment. Maybe another time, after he was better. Frank had a few ideas how they could spend their time together once this was all over.
“Whatcha thinking Frankie?” Gerard whispered, placing a kiss to the top of his head. Feeling his face blush, he burrowed in more to Gerard’s embrace.
“Nothing.”
“Uh huh,” Gerard said, amused.
“Just what we’re gonna do once you’re better.”
“Oh really? What have you got in mind?”
The question was innocent enough, Frank could totally pass this off and say he was thinking of a weekend away or something. But, he’d most definitely heard the shift in Gerard’s tone. He knew exactly what Frank had been thinking of.
Regrettably, he pulled away enough so that Gerard could hear him without any mumbeling. Honestly, he kinda wanted to just say ‘ I want you to fuck me into the mattress the second you get your strength back’ but he refrained from it. As much as it was true, what he really wanted to do was much more… soft.
“Have a day just to us, to cuddle and not leave the couch. And we could make love right there on the couch all day long.”
“Hmmm. That sounds amazing Frankie,” Gerard said, placing a kiss on his forehead now.
“Yeah?”
He snuggled back down against Gerard, suddenly those few inches between them were a few too many. He held on tight, relishing in their closeness and the quiet around them.
“Frankie, I’m not going anywhere,” Gerard sighed, amused.
“I know. I just- I need to be close to you right now. I’m sorry.”
He wasn’t sure why he was so clingy all of a sudden but he did sort of feel bad about it. Right as he was about to let go and apologize again, Gerard spoke first.
“Don’t apologize, Frankie. This is nice and you know I love holding you.”
“Sorry.”
Gerard chuckled but Frank didn’t say anything else. Maybe it was their bond, making him be so clingy, but he didn’t care.
“Hey, guys, dinner’s ready,” Ray’s voice called from somewhere. Frank groaned, not wanting to move.
“C’mon Frankie. You need to eat,” Gerard said, letting go of him so he could sit up. He stood up and straightened his shirt, it had somehow twisted nearly all the way around. Frank’s eyes were off of Gerard for only a second but out of the corner of his eye he saw him begin to fall. Gerard had sat up well enough but the second his feet touched the floor, his knees had buckled and Frank only just managed to catch him.
Swearing under his breath, Frank guided Gerard back into sitting on the couch. All color had drained from his face and he looked ready to pass out. Gerard swayed a little as Frank let go of his shoulders, threatening to fall over. He cursed again but held him steady.
“Gee?”
God he hoped he was okay. Maybe Gee was just not quite recovered enough to stand.
Gerard’s head was hung, like it was too much energy to hold it up, and he was breathing rather heavily.
“Gee?” Frank repeated. Maybe moving was not the best idea.
“C’mon guys, stop sucking face for five minutes and come eat.”
It was Mikey that time, and he walked fully into the room with an annoyed look that Frank could see from the corner of his eye. The annoyance fell though as he took in the sight of a very pale Gerard and a slightly freaking out Frank.
“What happened?”
“He was fine but when he tried to stand up he nearly passed out,” Frank answered, without looking. His attention was still on Gerard, trying to get him to answer him. “Gee, come on talk to me.”
“I’m- I’m okay. I just- I stood too fast-” Gerard said weakly, Frank still completely holding him upright.
“Okay, lay back down,” Mikey said, placing his own hand on Gerard’s shoulder and finally Gerard looked up. He shook his head and quickly tried to assure them that he was okay.
“No, it’s fine Mikey. We gotta go over the plan for the coven and I need to be in there.”
“Absolutely not, Gee you need to take it easy. After dinner we’ll all come in here and have the meeting but for now you should rest.”
“Frank,” Gerard pleaded, knowing his brother wasn’t about to change his mind.
“I agree with Mikey. You nearly passed out trying to stand and I don’t think walking into the kitchen would be the best idea.”
“Fuck,” Gerard mumbled but didn’t argue any further.
“I’m gonna stay with him, you go on Mikey.”
Frank had a bad feeling that the second he left Gerard alone, he’d try something stupid like going into the kitchen.
“Are you hungry? I can bring you a plate if you want?” “No,” Frank answered honestly. “I’m still good from my late breakfast. I’ll stay and keep Gee company.”
Mikey told Gerard to get some rest and then went to join the others.
Helping Gerard back down was easy. He didn’t fight Frank, just let him guide him back until he was laying down once more.
“Gee?”
“Yeah?” he answered, eyes closed and looking nearly asleep. Frank couldn’t help but notice how adorable Gerard looked right then. His face relaxed and one hand holding Frank’s.
“Please stop scaring me half to death,” Frank joked but a bit of the truth in that statement came out as well, making Gerard look at him. He looked guilty and Frank felt horrible for making him think he was upset with him.
“Sorry, Frankie. I thought I could do it.”
Frank made the decision as fast as it came to him. In seconds he was pulling his magic up to the surface and preparing to channel it into Gerard’s hand, still holding his.
“Hey, no. Frankie don’t,” Gerard pleaded, snapping Frank out of it.
“Why not? You need it Gee and-”
“No. I don’t need it that badly,” Gerard reprimanded gently, even as Frank let his magic sink back down.
“But-”
“It’d be a never ending cycle and we both know it.”
Damn it, why does he have to be right?
Frank can distantly hear the quiet chatter of everyone else eating. He can’t make out the conversation but it seems light, happy. Just barely, he can smell the food. Something deep fried, he thinks.
He’s not really hungry but the smell reminds him that Gerard probably is.
“Then maybe I help in another way? Bite me,” his voice comes out lower than he’d intended. He can’t help it, just the thought of Gerard drinking from him makes his whole body feel flushed. But this isn’t about him, Gerard needs to eat too.
“Frank I don’t think that I’m up for any of that,” Gerard said, a half smile forming anyway.
“I didn’t mean it like that. You need to eat and your parents don’t have anymore of the substitute. Plus,”he added as an afterthought, “ Ray’s not exactly up for making any more of it right now.”
Frank watched as Gerard considered it for a moment, fully weighing it in his mind.
“Are you sure Frankie?” he said at last and Frank agreed quickly. Half of his mind was happy that Gerard would be getting the blood he needed but the other half was a little too excited for the fangs that were about to pierce his skin.
Gerard captured him in a kiss, stealing Frank’s breath away in the process. He falls down on top of Gerard, chest to chest as his boyfriend attacks Frank’s mouth with his own.
Breaking away, Frank moves enough so his neck is within range. His whole body is humming, waiting for the first scrape of those teeth.
“You say you’re not up for it and then you kiss me like that,” Frank says, trying to regain his breath. “It’s no fair.”
"Thank you, Frank,” Gerard turned serious for a moment. “I feel much better.”
“Always Gee, you know that.”
Frank shifted, pulling himself up to connect their lips again. All too soon he had to leave, his pants now very sticky and very gross and he was not about to face Gerard’s parents like that. Placing one last kiss on his boyfriend’s lips, Frank trudged upstairs.
He was still a little lightheaded so he held onto the handrail as he went but his mind was wondering.
It was strange, even from upstairs he could feel Gerard without concentrating. He figured this was part of the bond, and damn he didn’t think it’d go this fast.
Frank also could sense the content, easy feeling that was flowing through Gerard. He knew that Gee was feeling better but was a little surprised that he hadn’t needed to get off after.
Normally drinking from Frank would do that job on its own, Frank liked to think it was him and not his blood that got Gerard off so fast, but this time was different. Maybe he just had major control and was able to keep it down, which if Frank was honest was kinda a bummer. Even if they couldn’t actually have sex, he would gladly use his hand, or mouth for that matter, to help Gee out. He made a mental note to ask him once he changed.
Going back down stairs a few minutes later, Frank found Mikey in the living room, talking to Gerard quietly.
Well there went his plans for asking Gerard.
“Everyone’s cleaning up from dinner but I wanted to check in on you two,” Mikey explained, casually.
“And I was telling Mikey that you let me drink from you,” Gerard added nonchalantly but hinting at what had happened after.
“And you’re feeling better right?”
“Yeah, Frank did wonders,” Gerard answered, tone blissful.
“I don’t wanna know. Please stop talking.”
Shit. Mikey knew.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,”Gerard retorted, a sly smile worming its way over his features. Just to piss Mikey off, as payback for the interrogation Lill had done on him earlier, he almost wanted to shove his tongue down Gerard’s throat right in front of him. It seemed like he had the same idea because he was pulling Frank down by his shirt and instantly making out heavily with him.
“Ew fuck both of you.”
They kept going a little while longer, until Gerard pulled away first.
“That’s only a taste of what you do to me,” Gerard whisperer lowly into Frank’s ear, causing a shiver to run through him.
“Alright boys, enough,” Mrs. Way chided.
Frank hadn’t even noticed her walk in, and could feel his face heating up. Gerard seemed in the same boat, all traces of the filthy thoughts running through his head gone now.
“Sorry mom.”
“You can do that later Gee, right now we have to come up with a game plan,” Mrs. Way said, right as Ray walked in too. He had Lill on his hip, half asleep. She was leaning her head on his shoulder, blinking slowly as she fought to stay awake.
“I’m gonna put her down, she’s had a long day, and I’ll be right back,” he explained.
Shortly after, Mr. Way joined them, a tray of brownies in his hand.
“Figured since we’ve gotta talk about all this, maybe some sweets would help ya know?” He said, passing around the tray to everyone. Frank took two and plopped himself down beside Gerard on the couch. With a little help, Gee was sitting up and eating his brownie, little happy noises coming from him Frank didn’t really pay attention to his own brownie, too busy watching Gerard eat.
When Ray came back, after he got his own treat of course, Mrs. Way cleared her throat to gain their attention.
“Okay. So first we need to write down everything we know, both stories,”she said, pulling a small notebook from the coffee table.
Ray went first, retelling what had happened to him while Mrs. Way took quick notes. Frank went next, explaining their run ins with the coven before Mikey told his own story. It took a while, over an hour, but Mrs. Way seemed pleased with her notes.
“Okay, good. Now we know the coven is going after wolfkind, most likely to damage the peace between humans and the supernatural,” she said, biting on the end of her pen.
“But we don’t know why or how they’re choosing who to go after,” Mikey said, exasperated.
“True. But maybe we don’t need to know why, just when or how. We could stop them before they do anymore damage,” Gerard spoke up. Everyone considered it for a moment, the room quiet.
“I know who they’re after,” Lill’s voice spoke up from the doorway.
“Lillian, you’re supposed to be asleep.”
Even with Ray’s warning, she walked into the room and over to Frank. He could only look at her, confused as to how she had any idea of the coven’s plans.
“They’re going after my pack. They want our leader,” she bit out, words seeming to be painful as she spoke them.
“Why?” Frank found himself asking.
“Cause we turned one of them.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Cause we turned one of them.”
Lill spoke directly to Frank, like he was the one who should know what to do. That was a bit ironic because his brain was pulling a full blank. He wasn’t born a hunter like Gerard and Mikey and he sure as hell wasn’t used to planning missions of any kind. Ask him to make a charm or potion from memory and chances are he’ll get it damn near perfect. Hunting missions, not so much.
“And that’s why they’re after so many wolfkind?” Mr. Way asked, handing Lill a brownie despite Ray’s exasperation. Frank tried to hide his amusement as she scarfed it down and probably gave herself a sugar high strong enough to last through the day.
However, Lill looked a little shy, scared even as she continued.
“Yeah,” she mumbled, still standing right in front of Frank. “A bunch of our pack have- have gone missing after…”
“Wait, is everyone who's been attacked so far, a member of your pack?” Frank blurted when Lill paused in her explanation. He was beginning to form an idea but needed a little more information to be sure that it’d work.
Lill shrunk a little, nervously playing with her long hair as it swept over her shoulder. She rocked back a bit on her feet but nodded.
“Okay. Okay. How do we prevent them from going after the rest of the pack?” Mrs. Way asked, voice trembling a little. This was probably a bigger problem than they normally faced and Frank really couldn’t blame them for sort of freaking out.
“The pack leader will probably be their next target since attacking the youngest of the pack isn’t getting them what they need,” Mikey explained calmly. “Plus, the coven keep running into us.”
“Or us into them,” Gerard mumbled under his breath but it didn’t seem like Mikey noticed his interruption. Frank tried to hide his snicker at the sarcastic tone of his boyfriend.
Somehow, unsurprisingly if Frank really thought about it, Mikey was the calm one in this situation. The anxiety of the room was thick though as they all tried to wrap their heads around the impacts the coven’s actions would likely have. If they didn’t put a stop to this, an all out war could break out. Relationships between humans and the gifted supernatural were shaky at best and even worse was the fact that most supernatural people either hate or strongly distrusted one another.
“So we’re hindering their plans and they may know we’re on to them,” Mikey lamented.
“Well it’s pretty simple then. We cut this off at the sourse right?” Frank asked looking to Gerard to see if he was following his train of thought.
“What do you mean?” Gerard empathised, a little curiosity weaved in.
He clearly was not following.
“We should just beat them to the pack leader and confront them when they show up to attack them. Stop the coven from hurting anyone else,” Frank explained, trying hard to get his words to actually be understandable for everyone else in the room. By some miracle, around him everyone seemed to agree with his plan.
“That may work,” Mikey said slowly, mulling it over for a moment. “Do you know where your pack leader is?”
Lill was a bit surprised by the conversation being taken back to her and took a second to answer, her hands fiddling with the bits of brownie still left over in her palms.
“Yeah, I know the address and everything!” she said, excitedly as she licked the remainder of the brownies away.
After a little prompting from Mrs. Way, Lill told them the address and the name of her pack leader.
Apparently the coven were going after a dude named Brian who lived on the other side of town from where Frank and Gerard lived. Life really was a bitch sometimes.
“Alright,” Gerard started, shifting a little on the couch so that he and Frank were touching. Their shoulders were pressed against each other and Frank leaned a little onto Gerard, needing to feel his warmth. His comfort.
“So, we need to move fast, the coven are probably already on their way there now. We should leave as soon as possible,” he finished, also leaning a little on Frank. The weight was nice, reminded Frank that Gerard was there and okay.
“Agreed,” Mikey said with a sharp nod.
“But we don’t have our weapons. All we packed, Gee, was like one knife,” Frank added. There was no way the meager supplies they had on them would come anywhere near to what they would need.
“We can do a quick supply run. The coven is strong but they still play by the same rules we have to. With the amount of spells they’ve done in the past few days, they’re gonna need to rest,” Mikey contributed.
“Still doesn’t give us much time,” Frank said even though he felt bad for being the main negative input in the conversation. Still, he couldn’t help but worry.
“We can do it, just gotta leave like right now,” Gerard said, pushing himself up off of the couch in one fluid motion. He stood easily, Frank feeling a little proud that his blood had given Gerard that much of a boost.
“And you’re going where?” Mikey demanded, surprising Frank a little with the intensity.
Ray excused himself to go and put Lill to bed with a wave as they climbed the steps, looking awkward because he probably knew an argument was brewing. Lill didn’t protest, the tension in the room probably motivating her decision to follow Ray.
Attention back on Gerard and Mikey, Frank watched as a silent argument tore through the two of them. If they had been talking aloud, he was sure they’d be yelling.
Mikey was giving Gerard the death glare, similar to the one that Frank had been given over his late breakfast, while his boyfriend was somewhere between frustrated and angry. Neither spoke out loud though, both content in waging war through eye brows and hand gestures. Really, it was almost amusing to Frank. It would have been if they weren’t being so serious.
Normally, these quiet arguments were light hearted, little sibling spouts that were natural. Now though, Frank could feel the anger rolling off of Mikey as he and the brothers’ parents could only stand and watch.
Gerard remained standing, arms crossed over his chest as he gave Mikey a ‘try me’ look. His hip was thrown out and he was clearly beginning to get pissed. Gerard’s back was to Frank, who was still sitting on the couch, but he could tell how upset he was becoming.
“Guys,” Frank interrupted, before actual yelling happened. “Use your words.”
Mikey huffed and turned away, his back now to the rest of the room. He waved his arm, as if to tell Gerard to start talking.
“He doesn’t want me to go. Like on the mission at all,” he explained with a frustrated sigh.
Gerard sounded angry now, frustrated as he ran his hand through his hair while Frank tried to think of a way to diffuse the situation.
On one hand, he totally agreed that Gerard should stay in his parents’ house and be safe. He really would rather not go through nearly losing him again. Truthfully, Frank was still fighting the need to hover over Gerard constantly to make sure he recovered properly. So, he could definitely understand Mikey’s argument.
However, Frank has been in much of the same situation as Gerard was in at the moment. He knew how fucking frustrating it was for someone to decide you weren’t strong enough to do something. Even if it was done with the best of intentions.
So, he did the one thing he had wanted Gerard to do in those situations. He asked him if he thought he was able.
“Gerard,” Frank prompted, causing his boyfriend to turn and finally face him. “Tell me honestly. Are you strong enough to go on this mission?”
His boyfriend looked down at his own feet, trying to find the answer to Frank’s question. Gerard opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, agreement and denial both nearly being spoken aloud but snuffed out before they escaped. Mikey turned around, a hit of curiosity now on his face. Frank could have easily looked for himself. A quick glance at Gerard’s arua would tell him exactly the shape he was in. It would be no effort at all, not with their proximity and the help of their bond.
However, that wasn’t the point.
Gerard needed to see his own limits and be able to tell if this was one or not.
“Gerard?” Mrs. Way asked when he didn’t answer and a long pause had rested over the room.
He sighed again and didn’t look at them as he mumbled a quiet reply.
“No.”
It was Frank’s turn to sigh as he let his head fall onto the palm of his hand. In a way, he had know Gerard wasn’t ready for a mission just yet, even with the help of his blood. Now that his boyfriend had admitted it though, he hoped that Gerard would know that they weren’t doing this to be cruel. The opposite really.
“Gee?” He questioned, growing concerned when Gerard didn’t reply or move at all.
“I want to help, at least a little. I gotta do something,” he mumbled, sitting back down beside Frank and avoiding looking at anyone. The frustration was different now, a need to help out outweighing anything else.
“I’m sorry.”
Mikey’s apology was simple and to anyone else it would have sounded fake. To Frank though, he was sincere. Gerard lightened a bit at his brother’s words, though his hands were holding his head up while his elbows sat on his knees. He seemed drained, emotionally this time, and Frank didn’t know how to help.
“How about this,” Mikey started, closing the distance between him and his brother. His eyes were kind and no longer held the frustration they did before as he spoke to Gerard. “You stay with mom and dad while we go and grab our supplies? Rest up and help them with packing what we already got here.”
Gerard lifted his head a bit to look at his brother, his own frustration fading as well while Mikey continued.
“Then, when we get back, we can reevaluate this. If you’re strong enough by then, I’ll gladly have you on the mission.”
The tension was gone now, replaced with a peaceful feeling. Frank relaxed against the cushions, watching the interaction in front of him. Gerard smiled tiredly.
Through the quiet, Frank could hear birds beginning to chirp as the sun rose. It was time for them all to go to sleep, however, he doubted that was going to happen.
No one else spoke but all around him they buzzed about.
First Mrs. and Mr. Way quickly left the room, coming back shortly with a large, black duffle bag. When they opened it, there were numerous weapons packed inside. Everything from guns to knives and even a few charms filled the bag. Mrs. Way patted the duffle bag proudly as it sat on the coffee table next to the container they’d served brownies in.
“This is all we keep here. We’re retired, ya know, but you can never be too safe,” she grinned brightly.
Meanwhile, Mikey had the notepad in his hands and was scribbling furiously, concentrating heavily on whatever he was writing. After a moment he flipped the notepad towards them.
There, in his messy handwriting that Frank could hardly read, was a list.
“So these are the things that we’ll need that we don’t already have. I have all of this at my place and it should be relatively easy to get them,” he explained as Frank tried to read the list from the couch. It was hard and he only could make out a few words.
“We should stop by mine as well. I’ve got a few things that might help,” Frank tried, wanting to be useful.
“Like what?”
“Well, I’ve got plenty of things for warding spells, ones that can be worn by a person, as well as some things for healing and the like.”
He also had a few premade potions to help with stamina and endurance, both of which would be useful if they got into a lengthy fight.
“Okay, yeah, pitstop at yours’ and Gee’s,” Mikey agreed, writing on the notepad once again.
Gerard pouted beside him, arms crossed over his chest again but eyes playful.
“Can’t even go to my own apartment,” he grumbled, a hint of a grin forming but well hidden.
It was precious and only made Frank want to kiss Gerard more than normal.
“Want me to bring you anything?” Frank tried.
“My headphones?”
Raising his eyebrows, Frank couldn’t think of a reason as to why Gerard would need his headphones of all things.
“Might help in my ‘rest’ that Mikey so desperately wants me to do. I sleep better with music,” Gerard explained, only half heartedly jabbing at his brother.
“Okay, anything else?”
“Nope,” he answered, popping the ‘p’ and making Frank laugh a little.
Frank stood, stretching a little to relieve some of the tension settling in his muscles from sitting for so long. After a satisfying pop from his back, he goes over to Mikey and grabs the list from his hands. He fights back momentarily but gives in and lets Frank read over his shaky, barely legible, writing.
It’s got things like witch killing bullets and a bunch of anti-witch symbols written in a semi-neat bulleted list. Only the names of the symbols were written, none of them actually sketched out onto the paper but Frank still shudders while reading them.
The ones on the walls he’s growing used to. They’re there, he can’t ever forget that, but he is getting accustomed to the feeling of them always being present. These new ones that Mikey has just written, they’re stronger than the ones on the walls. They’re not banishing sigils, not warding symbols, no they’re ones to kill. One small uttering of their name and Frank would probably be dust.
They’re rare, the ones only trusted to a few hunters, given by the witches who strive for peace and understand their power. If the general public had access to those runes, Frank probably would have died a long time ago.
Even though he knows that Mikey won’t say them, won’t burn Frank alive with a single syllable, he still drops the paper like it’s on fire.
He takes a sharp step back, away from the notepad and tries to pull a deep breath through the tightening of his chest.
Mikey, who had tried to keep Frank from grabbing the paper, only held his hands out. Palms facing Frank, Mikey tried to calm him down.
Frank felt like a caged animal, his heart beating fast and breathing too hard to be normal. He had only seen those symbols once, in his grandma’s notes. They’d been scribbled in, a large note at the top of the page, warning who ever reading to never speak them aloud or try and sound them out. Instant death would be lucky if they were spoken.
“Frank. Frank look at me.” he couldn’t meet Mikey’s eyes. “I’m not going to say them. I would never.”
He was speaking slowly, trying to calm Frank down. It was working, mostly.
“Why?” he whispered finally.
If Mikey knew what those symbols would do to him, why the hell would he plan on using them for the upcoming fight? If done correctly, the rational part of him, knew that only the intended victims would be killed. Even then, it would most definitely not feel too great for Frank and could still kill him. And if they weren’t done correctly…
“It’s only as a last resort. I will not use them if I don’t have to. I know how to exclude you from their power and you will be as safe as can be promised,” Mikey soothed, still trying to keep Frank calm.
Most of the initial fear was gone.
It was an instinct.
You see something that can cause you the most painful death imaginable and you try and get away from it. Really, it’s just nature.
“It won’t come to that,” Gerard comforted, suddenly behind Frank and pulling him in for a warm embrace.
The last of the fear melted away, chased from his body by the strength of Gerard’s aura against his own. He could feel each breath Gerard took, breathing life into himself and into Frank. He spun around so that they were face to face. Their energies were one, each beat of their hearts synchronized as they both felt the bond snap into place. It was like they’d been connected, nearly completely, before but all at once everything was one.Frank could feel the comfort Gerard was sending him as well as the love pouring out of him. He was able to see, tangibly, his boyfriend’s energies as they mixed with his.
His own green now entertwined with Gerard’s blue. Frank could see it clearly as they stood there, eyes closed.
He knew Gerard saw it too.
“Living room to Gerard and Frank,” Mikey’s voice interrupted, pulling Frank from the moment. Gerard remained with his eyes closed, mouth forming a small smile as he continued to hold Frank close.
“Is this what you see all the time?” Gerard wondered quietly.
Frank hadn’t considered that he’d never seen their auras before, just forgot that not everyone was able to.
“Yeah,” he breathed, letting his eyes slip shut as he rested their foreheads together. Everything felt warm and calm. Everything felt like Gerard. Safe.
“Oh shit,” Mikey mumbled behind Frank.
He’d finally caught on.
Not that Frank was that much further ahead. He was still kinda baffled.
“You’re fully… wow,” he stuttered, chuckling a little at the end. Even his stoic heart had melted a little at the sight.
Frank heard Mr. and Mrs. Way ‘aw’ over them for a moment but he didn’t care.
Holding onto Gerard, he could feel everything.
He knew exactly how tried Gerard was, how happy he was, and how much he loved Frank.
That was what made him pause.
The love that was freaking pouring out of Gerard was breathtaking, it literally took Frank’s breath away. It was so pure and strong. His own love was pouring as well and he also knew that Gerard was having similar revelations.
It was prefect.
When they separated, only just as much as they had to, Gerard took Frank’s face into his hands.
“I love you so much,” he whispered and Frank heard an echo of it, not really spoken but felt through their bond.
“I love you too.”
Gerard smiled, warm and happy, and kissed him.
“Whoa what did I miss?” Ray’s exasperated voice called. He was standing there confused when they pulled away.
“Our bond completed.”
Frank wasn’t sure which one of them said it, which was kinda weird but freaking amazing at the same time.
He’d assumed having the bond being complete would be amazing, however the simply invigorated feeling coursing through him was nothing like he’d imagined. Gerard felt the same, energized and bubbly as the others in the room watched fondly.
“We’re going to get supplies from mine and Frank’s house, you coming?” Mikey asked, already shrugging his jacket on. It seemed he’d gotten over the major revelation occuring right in front of him.
“Yeah, count me in.”
Frank reluctantly pulled away from Gerard, kissing him one last time.
He half expected the feeling to snap away once they broke contact and while it did fade slightly, Frank still was able to sense it.
Everything about it was Gerard.
He could still tell how his boyfriend was feeling, the happiness and worry that swirled in his mind, and see his aura as it shone brightly around his body.
“Can you still see my aura?”
“Yeah,” Gerard breathed, eyes a little wide as they looked at Frank in amazement.“You’re beautiful,” he added, bringing a blush to Frank’s face.
“So are you.”
“Okay. Enough gross for one evening,” Mikey said, going to the door and motioning for Frank and Ray to follow.
Frank turned back one last time to look at Gerard.
He’d gotten back onto the couch, waving at him from his safety, away from the morning sun that would shine through when they opened the door. Really, Frank didn’t want to leave but he knew Gerard would be safest with his parents. They would most definitely ensure he rested properly and was completely ready for the mission once they got back.
‘I love you’ he thought to himself, not wanting to say it out loud because it sounded like a goodbye. And that wasn’t necessary. He wasn’t going far. ‘I love you too.’
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As soon as Frank climbed into the passenger’s seat, Mikey was already starting the car. They left quickly, the shape of Gerard’s house fading into the distance. Mikey was most definitely going over the speed limit, by a lot, and Frank stole a glance over to him.
His jaw was set, eyes focused completely on the road, and hands gripping the wheel so tight that his knuckles were white. Even his normally straightened hair was a bit messy and sticking out in places.
Now, Frank could chalk this all up to the past few days and the stress they’re all under. However, he knows Mikey. He knows that something else is bothering him. Mikey doesn’t even turn any music on, the car silent and slightly awkward.
Frank catches Ray’s eyes from the side view mirror. He’s sitting in the back, right behind Frank, and looks just as confused about Mikey’s behavior as he is. However, Frank would rather not get snapped at if Mikey is in a pissy mood so he keeps quiet. He and Gerard did just have an argument so maybe he was still just a little upset over that?
And then Frank’s thoughts were on Gerard, Mikey’s bad mood forgotten as he hoped Gerard was taking a nap or something. He could see it now, his boyfriend sprawled out over the couch with one arm hanging off while he snored, deeply asleep. Frank trusted him though, enough to not even check to see if he had his phone on him and text. He hadn’t really realized he’d had his phone until the other night in the cabin, he’d found it in his bag and just sort of forgotten it. Now, he isn’t sure if he has it right now but like he said, he’s not gonna check.
Frank trusts Gerard, if he’s tired he’ll sleep and if not… well Frank can hope he just takes it easy at the least.
After a particularly sharp turn made, barley, by Mikey, Ray has apparently had enough.
“All right, spill it dude before you wreck and kill us all.”
Frank really wishes Ray hadn’t worded it like that.
He had been actively trying to keep his thoughts away from car crashes for very important reasons. Most likely, Ray hadn’t meant it to sound like that. Hell, Frank wasn’t even sure if he knew but it still made his chest feel a little tight and he had to keep his eyes on the road as Mikey answered.
“Nothing.”
Ray snorted shooting ‘really?’ look that rivaled some of the Way’s glares. It was kind of impressive, or it would be if Mikey hadn’t ran off of the road for a moment and scared Frank to death. He needed out of the car. Now.
“Pull over,” Ray demanded calmly.
“What? Why?”
“Cause you’re gonna fuckin’ kill us if you don’t. Pull over,” Ray said forcefully.
Mikey listened, grumbling as he steered them over to a widespot on the side of the road. Frank didn’t waste a second, he was already yanking the handle and falling to his knees outside of the car. The gravel hurt but he could barely feel it, stomach rolling as he fought to not puke.
He could barely breathe.
Fuck, he was panicking. Okay. Okay. He needed to calm down. Breathe. Brea-
He can smell it now, the burning metal on the asphalt and the gas that was leaking. He can feel the ache from hitting something but even worse is he can see it.
He can see his best friend, leaning over the steering wheel as blood pours out of a huge slice on his forehead. It’s dripping everywhere and Frank can still hear the first few drops as they hit the floorboard. Over the ringing of his ears, both then and now, Frank can hear it. It’s too loud and his friend isn’t breathing.
Oh god. He’s going to pass out. He can’t breathe.
Someone is beside him, their touch startling him horribly. He jumps but can’t fight back as the person hold him against their chest.
He’s trying to breathe, really fucking trying, but he can’t. It’s too much.
Then he feels it, a soft brush over his mind. It’s barely there the first time but when it happens again it’s much stronger.
It’s like a shield going over him, blocking out the horrible memories and replacing them with something warm and soft and home and… Gerard.
It’s Gerard. He’s helping Frank through this and fuck, he tries even harder to get a breath in.
The person holding him his telling him to breathe, massaging his chest and trying to get him to calm down. He thinks it’s Ray because he’s soft and really warm and actually helping a lot.
With the help of both Gerard and Ray, Frank fucking finally takes a breath.
Another follows.
His head is pounding and he can’t open his eyes because everything is still sorta spinning.
Gerard is still there though, helping him through and Frank can just barely hear little words of love, of affection that he’s broadcasting to him.
It takes a while for Frank to fully calm down. He feels stiff and sore, mind still raw and he’s afraid to open his eyes.
He doesn't want to see Ray’s concerned face. Fuck he doesn't want to know how pissed Mikey probably is with him.
But he does. He cranes his head and looks at Ray.
He smiles down at Frank but it’s guarded, afraid and Frank has to look back down.
“Frank?” he asks, voice really quiet like he’s afraid he’s going to set Frank off again.
“Yeah?” Frank croaks, still holding on to Gerard’s presence in his mind. It’s a little faint from this distance but it’s steady and is helping him come back down.
He looks around.
They’re sitting in the gravel on the side of the road. The family car is haphazardly parked with their doors still wide open. Frank feels lightheaded as he tries to find Mikey.
The sun is a little too bright for his headache but he’s a little disappointed when he can’t find him. Was he really that pissed at him? Or just mad in general?
“Mikey?” Frank tries, his chest sore from the lack of breathing.
How long had this one lasted?
He hadn’t had an attack that badly in a long time. Cars, for the most part, didn’t trigger them any more.
“He’s digging for a gatorade bottle he saw the other day in there,” Ray answers simply, still rubbing Frank’s chest. “You scared the shit out of us…”
“Sorry,” he says, quick to apologize because he really didn’t mean to do this. He thought he was okay.
“Don’t say sorry dude,” Ray says with a half-hearted laugh.
Frank feels Gerard’s presence give one last… bump he guesses is what it is, against his mind and pulls away. He’s still there, kinda, but the presence isn’t as strong and it leaves Frank feeling a little cold and alone.
“Do you uh- do you wanna talk about it or… ” Ray tries but Frank shakes his head.
He really doesn’t want to risk going into another panic attack.
“Found it,” Mikey says, rounding the car and crouching in front of Frank.
He’s got a blue gatorade in his hand and is handing it to Frank before even asking if he wants it. Which Frank does because he feels like he swallowed a sandbox.
As he sips his blue beverage, a little warm and gross but he’s not complaining, he tries to relax the rest of the way.
Ray never lets go, just keeps holding him and even though he stopped massaging his chest, he lets his hand rest there. It feels safe, which Frank is thankful for.
He takes a deep breath, he owes them an explanation, and starts talking before he can psyche himself out.
“I was in a- in a car crash a long time ago and we were- we were going so fast and we went off the road and I- I just- I can’t - I don’t want to do- to go through that again- and I-” Frank is starting to panic again but Ray shushes him and returns to massaging his chest.
He manages to fight this one off but barely.
Mikey curses, turning away from Frank but he runs his hands through his hair.
Frank takes another awkward sip of his gatorade, the headache already subsiding. He still feels shaky and a little wired but he’ll probably be like that for a while.
At least he didn’t pass out.
“Damn it,” Mikey curses, back still turned but Frank watches as he takes his glasses off and runs a hand over his face.
When he turns back around, theres red rimming his eyes and Frank thinks he sees him take a shuddering breath.
He’s never seen Mikey look so… emotional.
It’s kind of scary and if he didn’t feel like a pool of jello, he’d try and comfort him.
He still didn’t know what was wrong though.
“God Frank…”
Fuck here it comes, Mikey’s pissed.
He can see it, the way his face is red and his hands are clenched. Frank is wasting their time, they’re on a time scale and the witches are gonna catch on soon. And here Frank is, freaking out on the side of the road.
Ray tightens his hold on Frank, whether its protective or comforting he can’t tell.
Mikey squats back down infront of him, eyes moving fast as they search Frank over.
“Are you- are you okay?” he asks at last, voice weak.
“I’m- I’m… me?”
Mikey grows sad for a moment, his face falling as he takes Frank’s shaking hand in his. He watched the trembling that Frank can’t control.
“Mikey,” Ray says, almost like a warning.
“Fuck. I’m sorry… I didn’t know about-about the crash but I still shouldn’t have been so careless. I am so fucking sorry,” Mikey finishes chancing a glance up to meet Frank’s surprised gaze.
That wasn’t what he was expecting at all.
“I’m sorry… you’re not- you’re not mad at me?” Frank whispers.
Mikey looks taken back, blinking hard at Frank’s words but then the sadness is back. He looks ashamed.
Frank has never seen him like this before… so… so open with how he’s feeling. His face shows everything running through his mind and Frank instantly forgives Mikey.
The way he’s hiding his eyes and taking another shaky breath tells Frank that he’s beating himself up.
“How could I be mad at you, Frank?” Mikey asks, sounded a little surprised at Frank’s question.
“You were pissed before so I thought...”
He felt Ray tense up behind him as Mikey answered.
“Yeah at Gee and at this whole fucking situation but Frank, I didn’t - I shouldn’t have acted like I did. I made you think I was mad at you and then I gave you a panic attack and you still apologized.”
“Mad at Gee?”
“Yeah,” Mikey breathed once again running a hand over his face. “It’s a whole thing that we don’t have time to unpack right now but I still shouldn’t have taken out on you two.”
“It’s- It’s okay.”
“Fuck… really?”
“Yeah. I forgive you; you just had a lot on your mind,” Frank says quietly.
He feels exhausted now, all the adrenaline wearing off.
Fucking panic attacks can suck his dick.
“Ray?” he whispers eyes falling shut.
He’s still a little raw feeling and he kinda wants to curl up in a ball, preferably with Gerard curling around him, and ignore everyone and everything. But he can’t, they gotta get the supplies. A person’s life, many people’s lives, are at stake.
Ray hums, waiting on Frank to continue.
“Help me up?”
Now, Frank would like to think he is perfectly capable of getting up at the moment. However, past experience proves otherwise and he’d rather not fall face first into the gravel.
With Ray’s support he’s up relatively easily. His knees protest moving though and the fabric of his jeans is rubbing the bleeding spots from where he hit the ground so hard.
“Oh shit. You’re bleeding.”
Frank ignores him, just focusing on trying not to puke on Ray who is so kindly holding him up until he gets his balance.
“Here sit down,” Ray guides him over to the passenger seat, instructing him to sit again.
His hands hover over Frank’s torn knees and he begins muttering under his breath. Frank watches as the soft touch of Ray’s aura heals his torn skin.
The orange energy is just barely visible, like colored light coming through a painted window, as Frank’s knees are healed.
He wonders briefly if Ray used his magic to pull Frank from the attack as well. It’d be a useful thing to learn if so. Maybe he could use it on himself if there was a next time.
It didn’t take long for Ray to finish and he looked up at Frank when he was done. He still looked worried but Frank didn’t feel the normal tinge of frustration, instead he felt safe.
“Thank you. They feel a lot better.”
His voice is still kinda rough but he was telling the truth. He feels better, not fine but better.
Mikey is sort of hovering behind Ray, looking guilty again.
“Come on. Let’s go,” Ray says moving away from Frank and walking around the car to the driver’s side. Mikey wordlessly climbs in the back, pulling his knees against his chest and not even looking at Ray and Frank.
Frank turns and buckles himself up, taking a deep breath as Ray fires up the engine. Ray looks over to him, making sure he’s okay before slowly pulling back onto the road.
He goes a little over the speed limit, they’re still pressed for time, but he drives carefully. Each turn, he slows down considerably and he keeps the car directly in the middle of the lane. Frank has never been more grateful for the careful driving.
Not that he’s still pissed at Mikey but he isn’t sure he could handle another scare like the one he’d just experienced.
They make it to Mikey’s apartment first, parking on the side of the street, Mikey pulls out an extra parking pass from his wallet so they don’t have to pay. When they enter the apartment, Frank can’t really believe how messy it is.
Normally, from what Frank can tell, Mikey is a bit of a neat freak. Everything is normally in place and organized for him and so this absolute mess is jarring.
On a closer look though, it looks like someone had searched the house.
The coffee table was cleared off, all of the books and things on the floor around it. The same went for the kitchen. Every cabinet was open and the plates and things scattered, shattered, on the floor.
“Okay,” Mikey said, the first time he’d spoke since the car. “Here, I broke the list into three. Just grab what you can find.”
He handed Frank a torn piece of the list. On it, it had the words ‘chalk, sharpies’ and a few other miscellaneous things written on it.
Mikey pointed him in the direction he should be able to find the things on his list and turned to go find his own set of items.Frank ended up in Mikey’s office.
Inside were quite a few bookcases, full of books and comics, with a comfy looking beanbag chair and a large desk. There was a pretty badass electric guitar sitting in the corner and Frank kinda wanted to touch it but refrained.
On the desk he could see art supplies and stationary neatly organized in little containers.
His attention however was on something else.
On the desk was a first aid kit, contents strewn over the otherwise neat surface and covered in bloody fingerprints.
There was blood everywhere now that he looked.
The desk chair, once Frank got closer, had a pool of it from where Mikey had sat there. This was where he’d gone to patch himself up.
There was blood on the floor too, drops of it forming a line to the door, which also had a bloody hand mark on it.
Frank shuttered but did his best to ignore the gory scene and instead grabbed the supplies on his list and booked it out.
________
Next was Frank and Gerard’s apartment.
When he opened the door, thankfully it was exactly as they’d left it. Messy, definitely, but not looking like a bomb had gone off inside.
He didn’t make it two steps before Lois was trotting towards him, tail wagging furiously as she greeted him.
Getting down at her eye level, he scratched her good behind her ears and got a little distracted playing with her. He’d missed his dogs damn it.
It didn’t take long for Sweet Pea to join the welcome party, she too enjoying the attention Frank was glad to give.
“Um Frank?” Ray asked, smiling at Frank’s complete attention on the two small dogs in front of them.
“Hmm?”
Sweet Pea rolled over and he gladly gave her belly rubs, earning an adorable lick on his hand.
“Have they been here the whole time?”
“Uh yeah. Why?”
“It’s been like… days since you’ve been here. Has anyone fed them or…”
Frank laughed but stood up and motioned for them to follow him.
A very confused Ray and Mikey found themselves in Frank and Gee’s bedroom.
It was a little more clean than the rest of the apartment, Frank had been cleaning some the last time he was here. The bed was still a mess though, Frank didn’t mind.
Beside the bed was four bowls.
Two sets, one for each of his dogs. Their names were written on them in sharpie and everything.
All of the bowls were full, the food looking fresh and the water clear.
“How?” Ray asked, amazed a little.
Frank was sort of proud that he could amaze Ray like that, the dude was like the strongest witch in Jersey.
“I charmed them. They refill periodically with fresh water and food. Plus they self clean.”
Mikey’s eyebrows rose, clearly impressed and Frank felt a bit of a blush forming. He wasn’t trying to brag but he was kind of proud of what he’d managed to create. It was useful when he and Gee were busy or had an off sleeping schedule for a couple of days.
“That’s pretty cool man,” Ray said, still looking at the food bowls like they weren’t bought at Walmart but were instead made of gold.
“Yeah. It’s kinda rad.”After that, Frank quickly grabbed the things he would need for the warding spells they were going to wear along with a few odds and ins that he thought might be useful. On the way home, they put all of their things in the trunk and Frank falls asleep in the passenger seat.
Ray’s careful driving and his own tiredness allowing him to fall asleep rather easily.
The car is quiet as he sleeps, no sound other than the engine and the occasional turn signal.
Mikey stays curled up in the back, watching the scenery pass by, deep in thought. Ray steals glances at him, worried more than he’s letting on. He has some suspicions as to what is bothering the brothers but he’s not sure.
Looking over to Frank briefly to find him sleeping peacefully, Ray decides to risk it. Eyes still on the road, he has to call Mikey’s name quite a few times to get his attention. Having to keep his voice quiet, he waits until Mikey is looking at him before he speaks.
“What’s goin’ on with you and Gee?”
Mikey sighs, looking out of the window again.
“Mainly it’s just me,” he answers so quietly Ray barely hears him.
“Okay. What about you then?”
“I- I had a nightmare the other night about… about ya know… and I just am kinda smothering Gerard. I know I am but I can’t help it.”
Ah. So that’s what this was about.
“And then,” Mikey continued, “then I gave Frank a fucking panic attack because I was being a dumbass and Gee’s probably gonna kill me.”
“He’s not going to kill you Mikey. Maybe be pissed yes, but I don’t think that’s the point. Have you told Gerard about the nightmare yet?”
Ray stole a glance to Frank, making sure he was still sleeping peacefully.
“No. No because you know how he’ll react. As bad as it is for me to remember it, it’s probably a hundred times worse for him to.”
“You need to talk to him Mikey. Just tell him so he knows why you’re being so overprotective and shit,” Ray offered, giving Mikey a small smile.
“Yeah,” Mikey said quietly, looking out the window again, “yeah you’re right.”
_____________________________
Frank was woken by Ray pushing on his shoulder. He bolted upright in the seat and found the car parked in the Way’s driveway.
The sun was setting, meaning he’d slept a long time and that Gerard was probably awake by now. He may or may not have sprinted inside and left Mikey and Ray to carry in their shit.
He found Gerard not on the couch but in the kitchen. The vampire was standing next to the counter, helping his mother put some bandages and things into a first aid kit. The second Frank entered the room, Gerard dropped the gauze he’d been wrapping and pulled Frank in for a hug.
Frank smiled against him, relishing in the tight embrace.
“Are you okay?” Gerard asked nervously.
Fuck. Frank had forgotten, nearly anyway, about his panic attack and Gerard helping him through it.
“Yeah,” he answered honestly, “yeah I’m better now.”
“What happened?” Gerard asked, lifting Frank’s face away from where it was buried in his shoulder with his hands.
“You know the uh- the crash I was in?”
Gerard nodded solemnly and Frank noticed Mrs. Way stop in her organizing to listen in. Frank took a deep breath before continuing.
“Mikey was driving a little too fast and it triggered a flashback I guess? I was suddenly back there and I just freaked.”
Gerard pulled him close again, wrapping his arms tightly around Frank. He placed a soft kiss on the top of his head, making Frank melt a little into his touch.
He could feel the anger though. Gerard was more than a little pissed at Mikey but he was pushing it down for Frank’s sake.
“Are you okay?” Gerard asked again, voice shaking a little.
“Yeah. You helped me a lot and so did Ray.”
He heard Mrs. Way leave the room as the front door closed loudly. She was probably going to help the others with the supplies in the other room.
“Please don’t be mad.”
“Frankie. How on earth could I be mad at you?” Gerard questioned a little exasperated.
“No. Not at me. At Mikey.”
Gerard tensed up, just barely but Frank noticed.
“Please,” he continued. “ he apologized and everything. He had something on his mind and was careless but he didn’t mean to scare me.”
Looking down at Frank, Gerard seemed to be trying to find any falsity in Frank’s words. Finding none, he breathed heavily and looked to his feet.
“I can’t promise not to go off on him Frank. He not only endangered you and Ray but he was the fucking cause of that panic attack. You would have passed out Frank, that’s how bad it was, and I could feel it. I could see everything you were remembering because the strength of the attack was enough to fucking broadcast it to me! I saw it all and you expect me not to be pissed at him?!”
Gerard looked torn between worried and furious and Frank unconsciously stepped back. He doesn't know why he did it but the hurt in Gerard’s eyes was like a slap in the face. Shaking his head, Frank pulled Gerard close to him again.
“No. Frank. I’m sorry,” Gerard said shakily, not moving to wrap his arms around Frank like before.“I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”
He can feel the sincerity in Gerard’s words, can see the guilt eating at him.
“It’s okay. You’re already forgiven.”
If Gerard notices the parallel to his own words spoken to Frank the other night, he doesn’t say it.
They stay there in the kitchen for a moment longer, just enjoying each other’s company before Mikey is knocking at the door frame. He looks even more guilty than before and Frank feels Gerard once again go stiff.
Prying himself away from his boyfriend, Frank smiles to the brothers and makes his way into the other room. They need to talk, without Frank there.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(Gerard’s POV)
As soon as Frank left the room, Gerard missed him. He wanted to stop him from leaving and beg for him to stay while he and Mikey talked. Gerard nearly did so, however, he knew that that wasn’t a good idea.
Gerard was, to put it simply, furious at his brother.
How the hell could he have been so careless?
Sure, they’d argued before hand but he’d thought they had left things on an okay note. Mikey was just looking out for him and had been a little hesitant to have him on a hunt like this so soon. Well, it was more like a mission or something like in the movies but Gerard felt ridiculous calling it that.
All of his brother’s actions today were understandable and really, Gerard had already put it behind him.
He’d spent the first half of the day taking a nap, which was fucking glorious by the way, in his own bed and had planned on helping his parents with packing the supplies afterwards.
Right after he’d woken up though, Frank’s memories had come crashing down onto Gerard. It had felt like a wave of absolute terror and helplessness and it hit him at all at once. It’d taken him a few seconds to realize that he was safe and that he wasn’t in a crash before the realization had set in that it was Frank’s emotions that he was feeling.
Then followed a brief moment of fear that Frank, Ray, and his brother had been in an accident. This was disproved when he did a small poke-thing against Frank’s mind. It was weird and he hadn’t been exactly sure how to do it, but the first nudge had shown him that Frank was in fact having a panic attack and not actually in a crash. He then remembered the crash his boyfriend had been in a few years back and the pieces clicked together.
It’d taken a while, the better part of a half hour, to get Frank calmed down and then another few minutes before Gerard had pulled away. He hadn’t wanted to leave before he was sure that Frank was okay. Only when his breathing had returned to normal and his mind wasn’t screaming did Gerard retract himself.
He hadn’t known what’d caused the panic to start in the first place and had assumed Frank would tell him when he got home.
So, when Frank told him that it was Mikey who’d caused it…
Well, he’d tried to reign in his anger, for Frank at the least, but he knew the small man had noticed it.
Something about Mikey’s attitude that day had been off and of course Gerard had noticed, but he hadn’t expected his brother to risk his life as well as Frank and Ray’s.
Even though, right then, Mikey stood in front of him, eyes down and guilt pouring off of him. He didn’t push his anger back then.
He didn’t care what Mikey’s reasoning was. All he cared about was the fact that Frank was still shaking a little when he’d hugged Gerard. The fact that he’d had to relive those horrible memories just because his brother had been in a bad mood and had gotten careless.
“What the hell Mikey?” he demanded lowly.
He tried, god he was trying, to keep his anger in check.
He loved Mikey, would do anything for him, and he knew that the kid was beating himself up over this. But at the same time… he just couldn't let this go.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? Really?! Sorry doesn’t fix this Mikey. You scared Frank so badly that he had to relive the worst moment of his life! Why the hell weren’t you paying attention?”
Gerard was yelling now, furious and not calming even when Mikey flinched a little at the harsh words flying out of him. He didn’t feel bad though, maybe just a little but he ignored it, instead he waited on his brother to say something. To defend himself or- fuck just anything.
“I didn’t wreck,” Mikey whispered. “I just ran off for just a second and-”
“No. That’s not the point and you fucking know it!” Gerard fumed, arms waving as he continued to raise his voice.
“Okay yes I know Gerard. I know I hurt him but it wasn’t like I was fucking trying to!” Mikey yelled at last, anger now replacing his guilt. Gerard didn’t back down though.
“Well you did! How would you feel if you were forced to see your most traumatic memory out of nowhere?”
Mikey stepped back, more affected by the statement than Gerard had assumed he’d be. He looked close to breaking down again as he stepped back a few steps.
Gerard stepped back too, leaning against the counter again, and tried to calm down.
He didn’t want to hurt Mikey, it really seemed like he was upset enough with himself.
“I know how it feels,” his brother whispers, not meeting Gerard’s eyes.
He thinks he can see tears falling now and his heart sinks. It takes a lot to get Mikey like this and Gerard instantly knows he’s been too harsh.
Before he can ask what Mikey means, he’s walking over to Gerard and grabbing his arm. Still not looking at him, he rolls up Gerard’s hoodie sleeve.
Gerard sucks in a breath just as Mikey tries to pull in a shaky one.
“Mikey…”
Without looking down, he knows what Mikey sees.
The faint line of scars decorating his arm. They’re old and faded but there’s plenty of them. Mikey runs his hand over Gerard’s skin, probably feeling the raised lines as he still can’t meet his eyes.
His brother pauses at the biggest one. A long, wide line that runs in the opposite direction as the others. The one Gerard knows has a twin on his other arm.
“Mikey?” he repeats.
Most of the scars aren’t really noticeable unless someone is close. His vampiric body has a healing factor that’s helped to fade them pretty well. But Mikey already knew they were there. He’d been there when the biggest ones were created.
Oh.
The pieces clicked for Gerard and he had to lean on the counter a little more.
Mikey had been the one to find him that night. That was his worst memory.
“I’ve been having nightmares again,” his brother speaks, barely over a whisper, “ about that night. All I see is you and blood and I just- I just don’t want to go through that again.”
He’s sounding like he’s nearly crying again, words shakey as if they’re painful to sound out.
“I woul- Mikey I promised you that I would never- I will never do that again. I promised you and I meant it.”
At his words, Mikey only barely seemed to relax. A promise wasn’t going to fix what had already happened. Gerard wished, not for the first time, that he’d never… tried that night. He can see just how much it traumatized Mikey to find him alive, but bleeding, and if he’d been just a few minutes later…
“But my dreams aren’t always of that night either,” Mikey continued in a scared voice. “Sometimes they’re of things that haven't happened yet.”
“What do you mean?” Gerard asks, now focusing on Mikey as he still was holding his wrist.
He tries not to dwell on them, his arms, too much, having made peace with what he’s done in the past a while ago. That doesn’t mean that they’re easy to look at though.
If he hadn’t been turned… he wouldn’t be standing here to have this argument. But he also might not have tried to kill himself in the first place so really it’s not something he thinks of often.
“The night you healed Frank, I had a dream about that- just pieces were all I could see, but it was the same. Now, I keep seeing you-” he stops, choking on a sob and that’s when Gerard realizes a few things.
One: he’s an idiot and never should have yelled at his brother. Because Mikey didn’t mean to hurt Frank and he’s heard it from the witch’s own mouth that he’s okay.
Two: he probably should have talked to Mikey a bit more because he’d had no idea about the nightmares resurfacing. It’d been so long since he’d had them that Gerard had thought he’d gotten better.
Three: and this one is just an odd guess. A gut feeling really.
“Do the things you see normally happen later on?”
“What do you mean?” Mikey questions looking at him cautiously.
“Like, what you see in your dreams, do they end up coming true later?”
Mikey lets go of his arm and Gerard pulls the sleeve back down hastily as he waits on his brother to answer.
“Yeah.”
“Do you think you might have like prophetic… abilities or something?”
Now Mikey looks a little confused but more so like he’s waiting on Gerard to crack a joke or say something cruel. He doesn't blame him, he’d been a real dick earlier.
“Maybe?” Mikey shakes his head. “No. Mom and dad are normal, no gifts, nothing. How could I have any if they don’t?”
“Well, Frank’s parents are non-magic. Maybe it skipped a generation?” Gerard asked hesitantly. Out loud his idea sounds a little more far fetched than it did in his head.
“Maybe. I just- they feel so real when I see them and I just worry that-”
“What do you see?” Gerard interrupts before Mikey can get worked up again.
“Other than… “ he waves his hand aimlessly but swallows hard before continuing. “ I see you, laying on the floor- your bleeding. It’s all over your chest and there's some on your face but I don’t- I don’t know where it’s coming from or why.”
“What have you seen that’s actually happened?”
“Well. I saw Frank falling back against you for a few nights and then you caught him the night your emotions got all tangled. Before that it was little things like me seeing a broken mug and then the next morning I smash the exact one on accident.”
After Mikey’s explanation, Gerard really doesn’t know what to say. Signs are pointing to some form of future-seeing-gift-thing but it still sounds so weird.
“And the uh, the bloody one, it’s not one from the night you found me?” Gerard asked quietly, he’s fiddling with his hoodie sleeve now. It’d been a while since he’d thought of these things and he’s not sure how to process them really.
“Different. I remember everything that happened and what I’m seeing is new. It hasn’t happened yet.”
“Well we’re fucked then aren’t we. Something is going to go wrong,” Gerard states bluntly, seeing no point in avoiding the truth.
“Fuck,” Mikey whispers, sounded scared again.
“Hey, just cause there’s blood doesn’t mean it’s mine. Also, people can bleed and not die, just ask Frank,” his joke falls flat but they don’t have time to say anything else before there’s someone knocking on the doorframe to the kitchen.
“Guys, we need you in here,” Ray says, obviously trying not to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Gerard nods sharply and walks out first, giving his brother a bit of time before he has to come into the other room.Truthfully, Gerard feels a little on edge himself. He’s still sorta upset that Mikey triggered such a bad attack for Frank but he’s also worried about Mikey himself. The kid, and he really is only a kid damn it, has been through a lot in his life. Having Gerard for a brother was probably not the easiest thing and it wasn’t like he’d tried super hard to stay alive right after he’d gotten turned. More of the opposite really. The fear Mikey had, of something going wrong, Gerard understood. He wished he could dispel it, to reassure Mikey that everything was going to be fine. But he couldn't. Because they simply didn’t know.
______________________________________________
Frank tried so hard not to listen in on Mikey and Gee’s conversation.
He knows they need to talk, that something is seriously bothering Mikey, but at the same time it’s hard to not pick up on things. Frank can hear the shouting from the living room, Gerard’s words unintelligible but dripping with anger. He’s sorta glad he can’t hear the words.
Even with their connection showing Frank all of Gerard’s anger and fear, he tries to ignore it.
He focuses on talking to Ray.
He’d realized something and needed to ask before he forgot.
“Ray,” he started, “I thought your magic was being stubborn, that you couldn't like, control it. But then you healed my knees and...” he still wasn’t sure if Ray had used his magic to pull Frank from the panic attack.
Chuckling a little, Ray brought his hand up to catch Frank’s attention. Little sparks were dancing at his fingertips, weird things that looked like static electricity.
“It was harder than it looked and I’m sorta paying for it right now,” Ray explained, bringing his hand back down. “I’d been practicing though, trying to regain my control and I guess that’s why I was able to heal you.”
“Oh.”
Well now Frank just felt bad. Ray’d given up the little control he had on his powers to heal a couple of scraped up knees.
“But it’s getting easier so I should have full control pretty soon.”
“Thank you,” Frank said sincerely, wishing he knew how to help.
Ray smiled and told him that it was no big deal, only slightly reassuring Frank. Just as he was about to ask Mr. Way what time it was, he was the only one with a watch, he felt Gerard’s emotions snap. It was like an instant change.
In seconds, Gerard went from angry as hell to sad and maybe a little guilty. Frank tried even harder to block out the emotions.
It was not his business and if Gerard wanted to tell him he would. He trusted Gerard and knew that he would ask Frank if he needed him.
Then the emotion changed again, Frank now completely forgetting his conversation with Ray in favor of focusing on blocking out the conversation in the next room.
There was no shouting anymore and Frank could feel Gerard get really curious and thoughtful. The sadness was still present though and it made him a little worried. It was different, something he couldn’t put his finger on.
He wasn’t about to snoop. He respected Gerard’s privacy damn it.
Something flashed across his mind, bright and blinding, causing him to double over as his head felt like it was on fire.
He saw faces.
Behind his closed eyes were five women peering down at him like a bad copy of a Queen photoshoot.
None of them opened their mouths but Frank felt the words vibrate through his bones.
‘Do not continue to interfere. We have been merciful up until now. We will not continue with our mercy.’
His brain felt like it was fucking melting and he tried with everything in him to push the coven out of his head. With one particularly strong push of his aura, they left and Frank sagged into whoever was holding him.
He was getting fucking sick of collapsing damn it.
“Frank what the hell was that?” Ray asked, he was the one holding him. For the second time that day.
There’s a killer headache brewing behind his eyelids but he pushes himself out of Ray’s grip. Whirling around, he tries his best to describe what he just saw.
Ray is wide eyed as he listens and Mrs. Way runs upstairs to grab him some painkillers. It’s hard to even talk with the pounding in his head but the fear keeps him speaking.
After he’s done, Ray pushes him to sit down before he falls, and goes to get Gerard and Mikey. Lill comes over and awkwardly pets his arm but she looks genuinely concerned and he really doesn’t mind. Mr.Way is somewhere but he has stayed quiet and Frank isn’t too concerned with what he’s doing at the moment.
Frank rests his head in his hands, listening to Mrs. Way come back in with some tap water from the bathroom probably and the painkillers. He accepts them gratefully just as Ray leads Gerard in.
Mikey isn’t directly behind him and Gerard looks a little stiff. His arms are crossed over his chest protectively and he’s more slouched than normal. Though, when he takes a good look at Frank he gets wide eyed, gasping.
“Frank?” he asks, beside him in an instant.
Apparently he hadn’t felt Frank’s mind get freaking possessed or whatever the hell that was. Maybe Frank blocking out Gerard’s emotions blocked out Franks as well.
“The coven just hijacked my brain for a second. Gave us a message,” he explains a little impatient. The drugs haven't kicked in yet and his head is pounding.
“They did what?”
Gerard has his hand on Frank’s head now, like he’s checking for a fever or something.
“Told us to fuck off basically.’
It seemed like his boyfriend was not taking to his answers.
“Look it’s fine but I don't know how they got in my head to start with. That’s what’s really bothering me.”
“Well,” Ray starts, all eyes going to him. “Some covens are capable of stuff like that, it’s rare but definitely possible.”
Frank groans but Gerard sits down beside him and takes his hand. The touch is comforting and lets Frank take a good breath. He hadn’t realized they’d sped up.
“But, Frank, you kicked them out. You expelled them from your mind, I sorta felt the energy from that,” Ray continued excitedly.
Frank hears a noise from the kitchen, one he can’t make out, and suddenly remembers that Mikey hasn’t come through yet.
No one is looking at Frank because Ray is speaking so he gets Gerard’s attention, it’d been in the direction of Mikey, and mouths ‘what’s going on’.
Gerard sighs inaudible but shakes his head as a way of telling Frank to not worry. Which of course does nothing.
Before Ray is finished with his informative speech on powerful covens and the amazingness that is Frank, he’s paraphrasing that bit, Mikey walks back into the room.
He looks fine to Frank, a bored expression on his face like always as he nods for them to continue the conversation.
Frank stares for a moment, as does Gerard beside him, and tries to see what took Mikey so long. It could have just been his and Gerard’s argument and he hadn’t wanted to walk in with him if he were feeling petty or some shit. But something told Frank that it was different.
Gerard was fiddling with his sleeves anxiously as Frank tuned back into the conversation.
“-ould probably leave before morning. If the coven know to tell Frank to leave, then they’re probably about to go find this Brian guy,” Ray finished, now looking at Frank for confirmation.
“Yeah, I say we need to leave as soon as possible. We don’t have much time,” Frank agrees but out of the corner of his eye he sees Mikey flash a worried look to Gerard.
It’s all agreed then and everyone breaks off into groups. Someone is working on weapons and really that’s all Frank can tell before Gerard is dragging him up the steps, telling the others that ‘Frank’s been up all night. He at least needs a nap.’
He’s all but pulled into Gerard’s room and the door is shut hastily behind them. Watching as Gerard sits down on his bed, patting for Frank to join him, he tries to figure out what’s up.
His boyfriend looks worried, scared, and honestly it’s concerning.
He won’t pry though.
He respects Gerard enough to let him tell him when he’s ready.
Instead, he lays his head on Gerard’s shoulder. Then Gerard wraps his arms around Frank’s waist and pulls him even closer.
Frank’s hands sit awkwardly in his lap but he doesn't mind. He feels Gerard relax against him finally and that’s all that matters. Nothing else.
Something brushes against his mind. It’s almost painful, his mind feeling sore from the assault it had just undergone and he can’t help but wince.
“Shit, sorry,” Gerard is quick to apologize and he looks guilty when Frank chances a look up to him.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’ve just got a killer headache and you took me by surprise is all.”
Gerard hums and wraps his arms a little more tightly around Frank.
He could fall asleep like this. He nearly does, the exhaustion of the day finally hitting him.
Almost asleep, he hears Gerard start to speak.
“I spoke to Mikey,” he starts, pulling Frank from his near sleep state. He doesn't mind though. If Gerard needs to talk about things, then he’s glad to listen.
“Well more like I yelled at him but… found out what was bothering him.”
Frank waits for him to continue, watching Gerard fiddle still with his sleeves where his hands connect around Frank.
Gerard sighs and he can tell, even with his mind being so sore, that whatever he’s about to say is hurting him. It’s bothering Gerard a lot.
He moves away from Frank, unwrapping his arms. Frank tries his best to not be dissapointed at the loss of contact and instead focuses on his boyfriend. Gerard is staring down at his own hands from where they sit in his lap. He takes a deep breath.
“He used to get these nightmares. They were horrible and he hardly ever slept because of them. I thought they were in the past; it’s been years since he told me about having one. I don’t know how long ago it’s been but they’ve started back up again.”
That would explain Mikey’s sour mood over the past few days but still, why would they argue over that? Or was this all because Frank had had a flashback?
He doubted it.
“They were always the same thing. One memory, I guess you could call it, that stuck with him and was painful enough to cause him to see it over and over,” Gerard continued, quietly.
“The night I- the night I tried to kill myself, he’s the one who found me. I don’t- I don’t remember him coming in but it scared the shit out of him. I mean of course it would but still… “Frank knew Gerard had attempted suicide, one look at his arms told the story without him ever having to open his mouth. He had never asked for details though, respecting his privacy and knowing that he probably wouldn’t want to talk about it.
To hear about it now though, even with knowing beforehand, was not by any means easy. He couldn’t imagine how Mikey had felt, finding Gerard bleeding out on the floor. The image was not a pleasant one and he understood why Mikey would have nightmares about it.
A lump was in his throat as he waited for Gerard to continue.
“He started having those dreams again, about me, and that’s why he got so pissed when I said I was going today,” Gerard finished, now looking at Frank hesitantly.
“Gee…”
Frank didn’t know what to say. What was there to say?
“I feel kinda bad for getting mad at him now,” Frank mumbled, earning a half smile from Gerard.
“Me too… but there’s more.” Frank motions for him to continue. “ He says he’s seeing new stuff. Stuff that happens later on.”
“Like a vision or something?” Frank asks, sort of excited now. It’s not mind reading but it’s still super freaking cool.
“Sorta. Well this time, he’s been seeing me again. Except, I’m covered in blood and I’m laying on the ground somewhere.”
It takes Frank a moment to think about that. The way Gerard said it was casual but the longer Frank thinks about it the scarier it gets.
If Mikey has seen stuff that’s come true before then… that means Gerard is going to get hurt. Badly.
“What are we going to do?”
He’s scared now, completely understanding Mikey’s attitude earlier and one hundred percent on board for leaving Gerard at the house. With like 700 protective charms to keep him safe.
“I’m not sure but if I know anything about magic, and I only sorta do, if we try and change what he’s seen, it’ll lead us to that outcome all the same.”
“Yeah, but Gee, if you get hurt and if it’s bad enough for Mikey to freaking see it then- then I -”
Oh fuck he’s panicking again.
This is getting out of hand honestly. He has control over his anxiety now, or at least he fucking thought he did. It’s been a while since he’s had this many close calls in one week but he’s too busy fighting to breathe, for the second time that day, to dwell on it.
Even without knowing exactly what Mikey had seen, Frank can still picture Gerard laying on the ground blood covering him and his eyes vacant and stained.
He’s not breathing now.
Distantly he thinks he feels Gerard brush against his mind but he’s too far gone this time. His brain is shutting down and everything is going dark. The sound of his own ragged breathing is all Frank can hear and it’s defining.
By the time he sags against Gerard a few moments later he’s already completely unconscious.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
He floats for a while, just drifting around. Something tells him that he shouldn’t try and wake up, at least not for a little while, because whatever made him like this was too strong. He only has a ghost of the feeling left over but it’s far from pleasant.
He feels cold and hollow, alone.
Then, he feels warm.
A safe, protective feeling washes over him. It’s strong and comforting. He feels like he’s being wrapped tightly in a hug, soft hands holding onto him. There’s love, so much of it, being projected towards him.
He’s still not awake, can’t seem to pull himself out, but it’s no longer uncomfortable. Everything feels calm and secure and he falls further. The next time Frank comes to he’s sitting up in a bed. He must have only just sat up because there’s a thump as someone hits the floor with a very startled sound. Gerard’s head pops up from the floor and stares in shock at Frank.
Frank looks down, he’s halfway under the covers of Gerard’s bed, it looks like he’d thrown them off as he’d woken up, and his boyfriend was probably sleeping on top of them. He’d literally thrown Gerard off of the bed.
Great.
He’s confused though.
Gerard is looking at him with a billion questions running through his mind too. Frank can’t even begin to pick up on them, to single them out, because there’s just too damn many of them.
‘Frank?’
Looking down at his boyfriend, Frank tries to remember why the hell he’s in bed. One glance at the window shows that it’s the middle of the night and he knows they’re leaving to stop the coven probably very soon.
He takes in Gerard’s form. He’s sitting, slouched, in a heap on the floor. As always, his hair is sticking up in all different directions. The hoodie he was wearing has been discarded somewhere and his pale skin is on display. His t-shirt is crumpled a little and he looks half-asleep still. His attention falls down to Gerard’s exposed arms. Frank remembers what happened now.
Mikey’s nightmares, Gerard’s past, and his very likely future.
Frank tries to keep his breathing steady again and Gerard seems to notice that he’s struggling because he’s already moving. He stands quickly and covers Frank back up, this time getting underneath with him. Holding onto Frank tightly, Gerard brushes their minds together.
‘Frank?’
It takes Frank a moment to realize Gerard hadn’t spoken aloud. He’s confused as he looks at his boyfriend. Gerard is holding him still and Frank can see the worry he’s trying to hide.
‘Yeah?’ he tries, also not speaking out loud.
‘How’re you feeling?’
Now, Frank is having a couple of revelations all at once. First, apparently he and Gerard can talk without ya know actually talking. He vaguely remembers Mikey mentioning something like this but he’s not sure.
The second thing he’s realizing is that he had another panic attack. Only this time he did pass out, even with Gerard right there with him.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Why are you sorry? You can’t help it Frankie,’ Gerard’s voice in his head chides him gently. Now, really Frank is trying to figure out why his anxiety has gotten so bad so quickly. He was on medication damn it; he thought it was under control. It has been under control.
Wait…
His meds. They were still on the nightstand by his and Gerard’s bed. He didn’t grab them when they’d left to find Mikey and that’d been nearly a fucking week ago.
Against his mind, Frank felt Gerard’s amusement at Frank’s realization but the worry never faded.
‘I asked you to get my headphones cause I knew your meds were on the nightstand beside them. Figured you’d see them and grab ‘em,’ Gerard explained.
Well now Frank felt bad because after the attack in the car, he’d a hundred percent forgotten about the headphones.
‘It’s okay Frankie.’
‘No it’s not,’ he thought, ‘I keep freaking out and each time it keeps getting worse. There’s a reason I’m on those meds in the first place Gee.’
He’s a little frustrated now. Whether it’s at Gerard or at himself he isn’t sure.
‘Do you feel what I’m doing now?’
Frank concentrats for a moment but can only really tell that he’s warm and… quiet?
‘I figured out how to sorta shield you from the worst of it with my own aura. It’s pretty easy and pulls you out pretty fast, I think,’
Frank falls all the more in love with Gerard in that moment.
‘It can only really work when we’re touching though. But stay here, I’ll be right back okay?’ Gerard says, confusing Frank. He hates the pang in his chest as Gerard climbs out of the bed and starts walking to the door.
‘Wait! Where are you-’
‘Frankie, I’m just going downstairs to get you some tea. My grandma had a killer recipe for some stress relief stuff and I figured it’d be a good bet since you don’t have your meds.’
Oh.
Gerard must have picked up on how helpless Frank was feeling. He kinda hated it, being so vulnerable and scared but he really didn’t want to be alone right now. Not even for the tea Gerard had mentioned.
‘Do you want to come down with me? I’ve already got it brewing so it should nearly be done.’
Frank is more than thankful for Gerard’s offer and he scrambles out of the bed. He’s a bit unsteady and his head hurts a little but he’s able to follow Gerard.
The house is quiet and Frank wonders where everyone is. Did they leave without him?
‘They’re all taking a few hours to rest. We all stayed up all day and we’re in no shape to go into a fight. Mikey’s gonna be up again soon though, I wanted to talk to him before everyone else wakes up,’ Gerard explains as they noiselessly go into the kitchen.
There, on the stove, is a saucepan. It’s got a few tea bags sitting inside of it, their strings wrapping around the handle so they don’t fall in. Looking more closely, Frank sees that the tea is full of little bits of herbs and it smells heavenly. It’s like a mix of camomile and jasmine, blended together with something else that Frank can’t place.
Gerard stands a little bit away, while Frank breathes in the smell. It really is calming, not enough to get rid of the lingering tightness in his chest, but nice all the same.
It reminds him of some of the brews that he makes. The herbs are similar as are a few other things. It obviously hasn’t been inchanced with magic but it’s the basics of a brew all the same.
‘Ya know, you’re supposed to drink it right?’ Gerard teases and Frank doesn’t have to turn around to know he’s smiling affectionately towards him.
When Frank doesn’t answer, Gerard goes to the cabinet to grab a mug and fills it for him. He holds the warm mug with both hands, near his chest and breaths in the calming sent its giving off a little longer. The first sip is the perfect temperature, not too hot, not too cold, and Frank relishes the feeling of it.
‘How is it?’
‘Fucking amazing.’
Gerard smiles again, soft and warm, making Frank’s heart flutter but in a good way.
‘Was your grandma a witch or something cause this is the shit!’ Frank asks without really thinking.
He can feel the flinch at the mentioning of Gerard’s grandma but the hurt doesn’t linger. Soon he can feel the pride swelling and the happy memories that mark Gerard’s mind.
‘Yeah, actually, she was.’
Frank wasn’t expecting that answer. It made sense though. The tea and Mikey’s apparent magic all could connect to Gerard’s grandmother being a witch. Still, it was a lot to think about.
‘No one but me knew. Before I got turned, I was already struggling with my mental health. She’d make me this tea whenever things got bad and often times she was the one who patched me up after…’
Frank could feel the memories Gerard was recalling, old and in some cases sad but fond all the same. He couldn’t see them exactly but he could tell how much they meant to his boyfriend, how much his grandmother had really helped him.
‘I’m glad she took care of you,’ Frank answered, not knowing what else to say.
Realizing that his back was still turned to Gerard and that he’d been staring into the tea swirling in the pot, he spun around. Gerard was leaning on the counter, eyes studying Frank.
‘Thank you, Gee.’
‘For what?’
‘Helping me and telling me all of this stuff. It means a lot that you’re comfortable enough to tell me because I mean I was curious but uh… I wanted to respect your boundaries ya know?’
‘God what did I do to deserve you?’ Gerard asked, eyes shining again as he watched Frank finish the last of his cup.
Gerard offered him another, which Frank gladly accepted, and they ended up sitting in the dining room across from each other.
Talking without actually talking was weird but also really fucking cool at the same time. Like, Gerard couldn’t hear everything he thought but the general mood he was in was shared. It was easy to talk though, the same sort of effort used to speak normally but in his head instead. Definitely weird but he loved it.
His anxiety was simmering down and his shaking had fucking finally stopped. Gerard seemed more at ease as well, even though he declined Frank’s offer of a sip from his cup.
‘Do you think you might have magic too?’ Frank asked randomly, after a short lull in their conversation.
Gerard paused for a moment, thinking about his answer.
‘It’s unlikely. Mikey has had nightmares nearly his whole life. We told him they weren’t real so who knows what actually was and what wasn’t a vision. I haven't had anything like that. My nightmares are always things that have already happened and I haven't noticed anything else that might point otherwise.’
He had a point but still Frank couldn’t get the idea out of his head.
‘Kinda weird though, for it to skip a generation and a half, isn’t it?’
Gerard agreed wordlessly but didn’t say anything else.
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, Frank feeling more relaxed by the second.
He took a moment to just observe Gerard.
Gerard wasn’t looking at him, attention resting outside the closest window at the moon that just barely was peeking out from the trees. It was not even midnight yet.
Unconsciously, Gerard’s arms were crossed over his chest again and he looked tired. There were still traces of the dark bags under his eyes from before. His skin was a bit more pale than normal, probably from the stress and shit they’d been through over the past few days, and Frank began to worry again.
He had a good hold on it this time and wasn’t about to panic again but he couldn’t just ignore it. Mikey’s vision, or whatever it was, showed Gerard hurt and Frank wasn’t sure what he would do if this hunt -thing?- ended badly. In just a little while they’re going to be on their way to confront the witches and the plan could go south very quickly.
Somehow Gerard was going to end up covered in blood, on the floor. According to Mikey anyway. Strangely, Frank didn’t doubt Mikey’s intuition, or whatever this was, and that made things even worse.
He wasn’t sure if he wanted to lock Gerard in the house and go without him or keep him by his side for the rest of fucking eternity if he had to. So, if Mikey demanded Gerard stay, Frank isn’t sure which side he’d be on.
“Hey guys,” Mikey mumbles, Frank not even noticing him come in, and sits down across from Gerard.
His boyfriend is trying to avoid looking directly at Mikey, keeping his eyes on the window. Mikey sighs but says nothing.
Frank can feel Gerard’s uneasiness, he’s worried about what Mikey is going to say.
“Gee, can I talk to you?”
That’s when Gerard finally looks at Mikey. For a moment there’s a flash of frustration but it’s gone quickly. Replaced by wary curiosity. He knew this conversation was coming but that doesn’t mean any of them know how it’s going to end.
“Yeah?”
Mikey glances awkwardly at Frank.
“Alone.”
The anger is back and Frank can tell Gerard is holding it at bay again. Really, if they need to be alone, he’d be more than okay with leaving them and heading upstairs again. A quick shower sounds nice right about now. Before he can excuse himself though, Gerard is already speaking.
“No. If you want to talk, Frank stays. He’s been through enough over the past few hours,” Gerard says coldly and Frank can feel the stubborn denial of his own cruelness.
“Fine,” Mikey says, slouching over a bit. “What we talked about earlier, I think I know who was the witch in our family.”
Frank stays quiet, just listening to the conversation. He sips again on his tea, still somehow perfectly warm, and waits for Gerard to answer. Vaguely he wonders if Gerard is going to be honest with Mikey. He should be anyway.
“Oh yeah?”
There’s the slightest bit of mocking in his tone and Frank feels a little bad for Mikey. Sure, Gerard is upset but he’s being a bit of a dick.
“Dad. He’s always been good at reading people and their intentions. It makes sense.”
“Nope,” Gerard says in a disinterested tone.
Frank’s had enough of the pissy attitude already and he gives him a poke with his mind, trying to get him to actually freaking listen to his brother. This is a big deal and Frank can remember his own time finding out his magic heritage. It’s hard to wrap your head around and he knows Mikey must be struggling.
One glance at Mikey shows that he didn’t actually sleep during their little nap break. He’s disheveled and a little messy with tired eyes that are boring holes into the table.
‘Stop.’
Gerard relents, Frank feeling him make an effort to push aside his anger a little further.
“It was grandma,” he says simply though there’s no touch of bitterness in the statement.
“Wait, really?”
“Yeah. She kept it a secret. There were way fewer witches who were good when she grew up.”
“Well shit,” Mikey says, looking to Frank all of a sudden. “He’s already told you everything hasn’t he?”
Frank agrees sheepishly, feeling a little bad for knowing before Mikey did. It was his grandma after all.
“So then you know about my visions. The newest one I’ve been seeing?” Mikey demands, suddenly intent in his questioning.
“Well I uh-”
“You agree then, that Gerard should stay here so we don’t risk it happening right?”
Fuck.
Frank doesn’t even know what his answer is, still can’t decide. Gerard beside him is quiet but inside Frank knows he’s waiting on Frank’s answer.
“Frank,” Mikey demands again, more force behind his words.
“I- I don’t know. I think-” Frank looks over to Gerard to see him watching him intently, “ I think it’s his decision.”
He can feel how grateful Gerard is for what he said and it makes Frank ease for a moment.
Apparently, however, that was the wrong thing to say because Mikey is standing up so fast that his seat falls backwards and hits the floor. The sound is loud and Frank jumps in spite of himself because of it.
“That’s bullshit Frank. You really expect him to make a good decision when it comes to his own health? He’s got a good hold on taking care of you… but himself, you already know what he’s going to say.”
“Mikey I-”
“Don’t. Just don’t. Both of you are self sacrificing idiots with no clue of how it affects the people around you!” Mikey focuses on Gerard now, who’d been watching and getting steadily more angry. “ You didn’t even fucking stop to think about how slicing open your own wrists and bleeding out would affect the people who love you! I was fucking 13 years old and I found you on the damn bathroom floor!”
Gerard flinches and Frank watches helplessly as he deflates completely, the fight all but gone in him but Mikey is already moving away. He storms over to the windowpane, with his back to them. Frank has had enough.
“Mikey,” he says coldly but Mikey doesn’t acknowledge him.
Gerard beside him is quiet and a he can feel how his mind is fighting against darker thoughts. He’s beating himself up and Frank can sense it.
Mikey has no reason to believe Gerard isn’t doing better. Frank freaking lives with him, can read his emotions now, and this right here is the worst he’s ever seen him.
It’s because of Mikey right now, not anything else. Does Mikey even know how badly his words are effecting Gerard?
They’d both gotten so upset when Mikey had triggered Frank’s PTSD or whatever but now when it’s Gerard getting hurt, no one is noticing. No one but him anyway.
He’s had enough, can see the ever creeping darkness on Gerard’s aura gain ground as his boyfriend struggles to overcome the words that were just thrown at him.
“Do you really not trust him enough to see that he’s not going to fucking fling himself onto the nearest sharp object?” Frank is fuming now, standing up and stalking over to where Mikey is.
He puts a hand on Mikey’s shoulder, trying to get him to turn around and face him. Instead, Mikey shrugs his hand off harshly and says nothing.
Fine.
“Fuck off Frank. This isn’t about you,” Mikey says in a low voice.
It shouldn’t hurt as much as it does. But still, Frank takes a step back.
Mikey’s right, this isn’t about Frank because he wasn’t there when…
This isn’t his fight.
Still though… Mikey’s reflection in the window looks pained and Frank can’t bring himself to just walk away.
He remembers how Mikey had been early the night before. He’d made sure Frank had eaten and slept, looked out for him when he didn’t have to.
They were all just getting upset way too quickly and saying things they didn’t mean.
“No, Mikey c’mon. Don’t be like that, please?”
Frank tries to keep his voice soft, to defuse the situation and get them all to a point where they can just talk normally.
Mikey whirls around, livid as he takes a step into Frank’s personal space.
“I’m done. You can go parade him towards his death but I’m not going to be a fucking part of it,” he rants already moving to sidestep Frank.
Now, Frank has done some dumb shit in his life. A great deal of it depending on who you asked. However, grabbing a pissed off Mikey Way’s arm when he’s trying to leave is up there with the top three Most Stupid Things Frank Iero Has Ever Done.
As soon as his hands wrap around Mikey’s wrist, Mikey jerks away. Then, Frank is on the floor.
He’s not even sure what happened.
One second he was trying to stop Mikey and the next he’s sitting on the cold floor. His shoulder hurts and his head is a little dizzy.
Then the rage hits him. But it’s not his.
He looks just in time to see Gerard speed over to Mikey and grab him by his shoulders. Frank can feel the rage inside of his boyfriend and it’s scary, watching him stare at Mikey like that. It’s a full 180 from the way Gerard had been just a few moments ago.
“Don’t you EVER touch him again!”
Mikey genuinely looks afraid for a moment but he doesn't move away. He grits out something about ‘never again’ and that he’s sorry but Gerard just pushes him back harshly.
He catches himself last second but Gerard’s already leaning down over Frank. When he reaches a hand out to Frank’s shoulder, he flinches away from the touch.
The way Gerard had just acted-
Sure Mikey had been a dick too but both of them had taken it too far. Gerard could actually fucking hurt Mikey, if he’d really tried to and Frank couldn’t get that out of his mind.
Frank already regrets that thought, knows that Gerard wouldn’t actually ever hurt them. He knows Gerard heard it however, and he can’t take it back.
Gerard’s hand stopped when Frank flinched away, paused halfway there while a look of sadness fell over his face.
Something else, lingering in the back of Gerard’s mind, comes out too. Spreading over him and through their bond.
Frank is already scrambling up and he turns away even though Gerard is calling his name.
He leaves both of the brothers where they’re standing. He runs away, like always. Frank barely makes it to the living room before he all but runs into Ray. The other witch manages to catch him and prevent both of them from falling.
“Whoa, Frank,” he chuckles a little. “You alright?”
He manages one look at Ray before the weight of everything crashes down on him. A sob escapes him and he flings himself into Ray’s arms. Startled but not questioning it, Ray holds him as he lets everything out.
It’s scary how pissed he is at Gerard for the way he’d acted. Mikey hadn’t deserved to be yelled at like that. And yet, his words rang in Frank’s ears.
‘You didn’t even fucking stop to think about how slicing open your own wrists and bleeding out would affect the people who love you!’
That’s the one that fucking stings the most. The raw pain in Mikey’s voice was haunting and Frank can’t shake it from his head. Topped off with how deep the hurt was for Gerard…
“What’s wrong?” Ray asks gently, still letting Frank cry on his shoulder.
Ray is just as comforting as the day before, holding onto Frank and waiting on him to calm down enough to talk about what’s bothering him.
When Frank feels strong enough to speak, he relinquishes his grip on Ray and pulls away.
“Their fight,” he says, unhelpfully but it’s all he can manage at the moment.
Sniffling and wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, Frank hopes Ray knows what he means because he’s not sure he can recount what just happened.
“Gerard and Mikey’s?” Ray asks, gentle and understanding. Frank nods.
“You heard the whole thing?”
“Yeah,” Frank whispers, voice small and he hates how he’s shaking again. “They’re both over reacting though. Mikey- he doesn’t want to go with us today because he’s certain Gerard is going to die and Gerard is too damn stubborn to understand his concern.”
Ray seems to understand, getting a far off look as he glances towards the entrance to the kitchen. It’s gone quiet in there, no one is talking, no one is arguing.
“So you know about Mikey’s nightmares… what they’re about?”
“Mhm. He’s having visions though now, like seeing things before they happen,” Frank explains.
Ray doesn’t question this and Frank wonders for a moment if he already had worked it out on his own.
“And he’s seen Gerard getting hurt? That’s what’s wrong?”
Frank’s mind goes back to how protective, though violent, Gerard had gotten over him. It was terrifying and he’d never seen Gerard act like that before. Other than the night he’d saved him in Ray’s shop. The two situations were oddly similar.
“Mostly.”
“Do you wanna talk about the rest?” Ray prompts, making sure Frank knows that he can say no.
It’s in times like these that Frank wonders why he hadn’t spoken to Ray more before all of this shit started to go down. He somehow always managed to understand exactly how he was feeling and the best way to help him through it.
“Gerard got mad, like more so than I’ve ever seen him get, and it was over me.”
Ray hums, tapping his foot like he’s thinking. Before he can say anything, Gerard is aimlessly walking out of the kitchen. He’s dead focused on whatever he’s thinking because he nearly misses Ray and Frank standing in the middle of the hallway.
When he does notice them, and looks up at them rather than at his feet, Frank suddenly notices how much older, more tired, he looks.
“Frank,” he whispers.
He sounds afraid.
It’s almost like Frank has barriers around his mind right now, purposefully trying to keep Gerard out. He’s still not sure whose side he’s one, if either, and he doesn’t want to give him the wrong idea. The hurt is evident on Gerard’s face though, the sadness from before.
He bows his head in a goodbye and disappears up the steps.
Frank hiccups, too many emotions swirling in his head at once.
He feels horrible for not comforting Gerard because he knows that he needs it. The memories brought up tonight were painful, harmful even, and Frank knows how he feels. His own memory of the crash is close to Mikey’s memory of Gerard. Both of them had stumbled, helpless, into a situation where someone they cared about was dying before their eyes. They’d both managed to save the person but the fear and hopelessness of the situation carried on to today.
“What am I going to do Ray?”
“I really don’t know. I’ve never seen them like this, normally they can work it out before it gets this out of hand,” Ray admits.
“They’ve has this argument before?”
“A few times…”
But this is the worst.
Frank knows that’s what Ray is continuing in his head. This is the furthest this argument has gotten. Frank misses Gerard. Even though he knows that he’s still upset with him and he knows that he’s going to go on the mission in spite of Mikey’s wishes. Frank feels it in his chest, the realization that he trusts Gerard. It’s probably not smart and it’s most likely going to backfire in his face but…
He has to.
If he can’t trust Gerard to keep himself safe then… well, what was the point?
Through their connection, he can feel Gerard breaking down upstairs. He’s got so much spinning in his head that it’s making Frank dizzy just from the bits he’s picking up on. There’s anger but it’s no longer directed at Mikey. At least not entirely.
There’s also loneliness though. He misses Frank too.
He’s angry at himself and Frank feels the anger as it turns into something much darker. It’s the same feeling as before, the one he couldn’t place. He knows what it is now but it brings him no relief.
It’s hate. Gerard hates himself, right now and in this moment, he hates himself with fucking fury.
Frank is bolting up the steps, leaving Ray confused in the hallway as he bursts into Gerard’s room.
His boyfriend is standing in the corner of the room, creepily still, and he doesn’t even turn to face him.
“Gee. I-”
“I’m sorry,” Gerard interrupts solemnly. “For everything I said and how I acted I just- I’m sorry.”
‘I never meant to hurt you. Either of you,’ Gerard adds in Frank’s mind.
Stepping further into the room and closing the door behind him, Frank hugs Gerard from behind. He doesn’t take a second to think or to doubt himself, he just acts.
They both need this and he knows it. This isn’t something they can ignore or put off.
“I forgive you,” he says honestly.
Maybe he should still be upset but he isn’t.
“Why?”
Gerard isn’t leaning into his embrace but he’s not pulling away either. The self hatred is still there, burning up in his mind and it’s terrifying for Frank.
Leaning his head on the back of Gerard’s shoulder, Frank pushes against his mind. Gerard fights back, just for a second, before allowing him in. Instantly, Frank is finding every good thing he can about his boyfriend and playing it back for him through their connection. He shows Gerard everything.
How every kiss feels for him, how every touch drives away Frank’s own demons, how every intimate moment between them feels like a gift.
Everything.
The way Gerard makes him feel so fucking safe. Even when he messes up sometimes, Frank still knows that his boyfriend will do anything to protect him. He knows that Gerard loves him with every piece of his soul. Frank does everything in his power to show Gerard that he does too.
When they’ve gone through every single memory Frank has, every feeling, Gerard stumbles forward a little.
Then his knees give out and they’re both on the floor. Gerard cries against him, letting out everything that’s been poisoning his thoughts. Frank gets glimpses of the lies that’d filled Gerard’s head.
‘No one can really love you. You’re a monster and they all know it’
‘Look what you’ve done, fucking up again.’
‘They all hate you now, can’t you see it?’Frank holds on even tighter, determined to push every bad thought as far away from Gerard as he can.
‘Frank?’Gerard’s voice speaks in his head.
He opens his eyes.
Both of them are surrounded by a shimmering green and blue glow. It’s bright but it doesn’t hurt his eyes as he looks at it.
‘What…’
The light flickers out and Frank nearly falls forward. He catches himself but has to close his eyes as his head rushes a little.
‘What was that?’ Gerard questions weakly.
Frank knows now what the light was. Still holding onto Gerard, Frank kisses him. It’s gentle and almost shy but they’re both smiling into it.
‘A protection warding. I didn’t mean to do it but…”
‘It’ll keep me safe?’ Gerard asks in his head.
They’re no longer kissing but they stay close. Everything is still too raw, too open, for them to even think about moving.
‘It’s stronger than anything I could have made on my own.’
He feels Gerard’s question against his mind, the soft curiosity. They breathe together for a few moments as Frank watches the last bits of the horrible thoughts settle to where they were before. They’re there, definitely still there, but not at the forefront of Gerard’s mind.
‘We made it together. Our strength combined to keep us both safe. Nothing can break through it.’
Gerard relaxes against him completely. He seems exhausted and Frank remembers how weak he still was just the day before. It’s a silent question, one he doesn’t even have to think for Gerard to know.
‘I’m fine. I heal faster than most,’ Gerard explains.
Frank believes him.
There’s a knock at their door.
“You boys awake?” Mrs. Way calls. “We’re leaving in an hour!”
They hear her footsteps retreat down the hall.
‘Are you ready?’ Frank asks, savoring the last moments before they have to move.
‘If you’re with me… yes.’
‘And Mikey?’
‘I don- I hope he’ll still come with us but I won’t force him,’ Gerard answers truthfully.
‘Let’s go talk to him. I think we all need to apologize a little.’
Gerard agrees and they both stand slowly. Frank’s head spins again, as does Gerard’s.
‘The warding,’ Frank says by way of explanation and leads Gerard towards his brother.
He has faith that they’re going to do this. Mikey and Gerard are going to finishing this argument, which has probably gone on a while according to Ray, and then they’re going to kick the coven’s collective ass.
It’s gonna be great.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
They find Mikey in his room.
Frank knocks, Gerard hesitant to do so.
To be honest, he was nearly expecting Mikey to tell them to leave, or at the least ignore them.
Instead, he lets them in. He just opens the door, already sitting down at his desk as Frank and Gee are stepping in. The chair creaks loudly as he sits and it’s striking in the otherwise quiet room.
The two of them just sort of stand there, somewhat awkward as Mikey goes back to whatever he was doing. Out of boredom and the risk of dying from the awkward tension in the room, Frank looks around a little. He doesn’t walk around but instead takes in the room with his eyes.
The curtains are pulled shut despite it still being night and the bed looks as neat as it was after Frank had made it earlier. Actually, the only thing that’s different is Mikey’s desk. On top of the desk are scattered sheets of paper, covering nearly the whole surface. Frank can’t really get a good look at them though to tell what they are. They’re standing a little to the side and Mikey’s shoulder hides any indication of their meaning.
However, once Mikey picks one up, Frank recognizes them.
It’s just about all of the drawings that Gerard made for him, taken off of the walls and spread out on the desk. The walls are a little bare now, only a handful of pictures still hanging on the wall. It looks like Mikey was going through them, organizing maybe. The one Mikey is holding at the moment is the graduation one, the brothers’ smiling faces feeling nearly fake as the real life versions of them remain quiet and tense.
At his side, Gerard is silent and Frank knows he’s itching for someone to say something. Their quiet moments, the three of theirs he means, are rarely this awkward. For the most part, they can sit, comfortable, for a long time without talking.
However, this moment feels long and drawn out. They’re all waiting on someone to start first. To apologize first.
Mikey is staring at the paper in his hands, somber as he takes a deep breath.
“I’m sorry Gee,” he says suddenly. It’s the first thing he’s said since the fight and it sorta shocks Frank a bit. His voice is so different than it was just a few hours ago, quiet and unsure instead of angry and cold.
Next to Frank, Gerard is a little surprised too that Mikey apologized first but happy all the same. Gerard smiles a little, which Mikey notices because Frank watches him do a double take.
If he’s honest, Mikey looks like he’s waiting on the yelling to begin again, all hunched over like he’s trying to cave in on himself. The picture in his hand is just barely shaking.
He’s nervous.
“I’m sorry too Mikey. I shouldn’t have gotten so mad at you, especially over stuff like this,” Gerard apologizes gently, his voice soft and a little afraid.
He’s trying to smile though, for Mikey.
Then, Mikey smiles too, soft and more than a little sad, but a load has visibly been taken off of his shoulders. Even with such few words Frank knows that they’ve forgiven each other. They’re weird like that.
Either they’ll go into painful detail or summarize everything in like three words; there’s no in between. It’s a little confusing but Frank is just glad that they’re on okay terms. He knows how much they mean to each other and really, something like this could drive them apart.
He’s glad that it hasn’t though. “Frank,” Mikey starts, getting his attention. “I- I can’t- I’m sorry for how I treated you. I don’t know what came over me.”
He really hadn't been expecting that one.
Sure, Mikey and Gerard were going to make up because well, they’re brothers. They’ve always been extremely close as long as Frank has known them. Even the small squabbles he’s witnessed before now were easily forgiven and forgotten, Mikey and Gee quickly getting back into their old rhythm. Frank had honestly been a little worried; this fight was much bigger than he’d ever seen between them. Now he knows though, that they will always bounce back because it’s just who they are.
However, for himself he’d assumed it’d be a different story. Simply put, he was Mikey’s brother’s boyfriend. That was it.
He’d like to think he was a friend to Mikey too but still, after the argument, he knew he just wasn’t… well, family. Mikey said it himself that it wasn’t Frank’s fight and he’d been right in saying so.
Frank wasn’t there when Gerard tried to kill himself nor was he there for the graduation or the drawing of it that Mikey held so strongly onto.
He just wasn’t there.
Gerard nudges his shoulder, pulling him from his thoughts. It’s not as strange as you’d think to have someone knowing when you’re thoughts are going a bit downhill and honestly, Frank is sorta glad that Gee is there to help. Okay, he’s a lot glad.
Offhandedly, he wonders if Gerard can see it in his aura as his mind flickers towards more… self deprecating thoughts. He can sometimes tell with Gee because when it’s bad enough, there’s like a dark smudge that takes root. Frank doesn’t have to try anymore to look at Gerard’s aura and he really doesn’t have to look at all because he can just know- their thoughts connected. It’s odd but he wonders how similar Gerard’s ties to Frank are.
Does he see Frank’s aura constantly?
‘Yeah. It’s a little hard to see but it’s always there,’ Gee answers quietly.
Is it possible to whisper when you’re talking in your head?
Still, Frank is a bit amazed that Mikey would apologize like this. At the best he thought he’d just pretend it never happened and they’d go on with whatever came next. However, it seemed like Mikey wasn’t done with his apology.
“Frank. I didn’t mean a word of those horrible things I said to you. I hope- I hope you don’t think that I did. I was just frustrated and scared and-”
As Mikey trails off, Frank tries to think clearly instead of going off on some random ass tangent like he always does.
There’s a piece of his mind is telling him that it’s a trap, that Mikey is lying and that he’s just telling him these things to shut him up. To push their argument aside and forget about it.
However, if Frank takes one look at Mikey he knows that’s not true.
Never, in the time that Frank has known him, has he looked so guilty or so close to tears. Frank is more taken back by that than anything else. Not even after his panic attack in the car, even though Mikey had been close to tears, had he looked like he did now. Almost in slow motion, Frank watches as Mikey dips his head and the first few tears fall.
He’s never seen him cry before. It’s more than a little terrifying.
Mikey takes a shuddering breath and it hitches, fucking tearing Frank’s heart to shreds. In his mind, he knows Gerard wants to reach out, to comfort his brother, but he’s waiting.
In that moment, and only for a glimpse, Frank can feel how much Gerard loves his brother.
He would truly do anything for Mikey. Anything and everything so long as Mikey was happy and safe.
Mikey was trying to control himself but it didn’t seem to be working, guilt, or anxiety maybe, weighed heavily on him. Frank tried to think of anything he could say to help Mikey. The dude was like one of his best friends, despite the earlier thoughts his brain had told him that stated otherwise.
Frank made friends fast. If he liked you enough to talk more than once, or at all, then it was a pretty good bet that he’d grown attached.
Mikey was just like that to Frank.
They were friends, good ones he’d like to think, and more so than just because he was dating Mikey’s brother. Frank knew Mikey would go out of his way for him and he would do the same. They’d both taken care of each other more than once over the short time they knew each other and Frank trusted that Mikey would be there for him whenever he needed him to be. He hoped Mikey knew that he felt the same way and would do nearly anything for him.
So it made sense then that Frank had already really forgiven Mikey. It just was who he was; he was terrible at holding grudges, especially with people he was close to. He was fully expecting to be the only one apologizing between the two of them and yet, there Mikey was.
There are still silent tears falling down Mikey’s face and he’s got his head resting on his hand with his elbow on the desk.
Frank blinks his own tears back, determined to stay strong. He’s cried enough over the past week.
“Mikey, don’t worry about it. I know you didn’t mean it.”
It sounds lame, even to himself, but he’s not good at this sort of thing. Gerard is easier because he can actually tell exactly what emotions Frank is feeling and vice versa. Mikey can’t, at least not in the same way, and-
“Fuck. Really?”
Mikey sounds surprised, like Frank was legitimately going to hate him after one fight. He tries to smile; it feels a bit fake if he’s honest.
“Really. You’re like my best friend and we were all just frustrated and taking it out on each other.”
Both of the brothers relax at his words and Frank realizes that maybe Gerard was waiting to see if Frank was actually going to forgive Mikey.
Thinking it and saying it aloud were two different things.
“I- fuck,” Mikey stutters, lifting his glasses and rubbing at his eyes.
Almost afraid, he looks up at Frank. He’s not crying anymore but Frank can see those emotions just barely contained.
The fear from earlier is back. In their fight, Mikey was so fucking scared that something was going to happen to Gerard and Frank had nearly begun to hope that it had been fixed and forgotten.
He was wrong of course; Mikey had seen Gerard dying in his dreams for who knows how long and that it’s been hard on him. Unable to imagine how watching his brother die in his dreams would feel for Mikey, it’s even worse when he’s nearly had to do it before. In real life. He knows that it is entirely different to see something that has already happened, but is still terrifying, than to see something horrible that will happen but you cannot control it.“ I want to go with you guys into this fight, I do, but I just don’t want to watch you get hurt Gee. I don’t think I could take it and-”
“Mikey,” Gerard has his hands on his brother’s shoulders now. It’s not like before, not angry and defensive, instead it's comforting and gentle. Mikey visibly leans into the touch.
“I’m not going to break that easily. I’ll have the three of you with me and we’ll keep each other safe. Plus,” he jerks his head in Frank’s direction, “Frank and I have a possible solution to your vision.”
For his part, Mikey looks skeptical at Gerard’s words. Frank feels Gee silently ask for a way to show his brother the new warding that they’d just created. With just a little concentration, Frank feeds the spell enough so it glows visibly.
The room gains a blue and green shimmering glow, strongest around he and Gerard. Mikey stares on in shock but he’s got a half smile forming on his face.
“What- what is that?”
Frank lets the warding fall back to how it was before and blinks away the dizziness as Gerard answers for him.
When was the last time he ate something?
Maybe a snack wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
“A warding spell. It’s powered by both of us and it’ll keep us safe from just about anything,” Gerard explains enthusiastically to Mikey.
“Shit. Anything?” Mikey questions, looking to Frank for an answer.
“Well, just about anything. It takes our strength to use it so it’s limit is our own. But if either of us go down, for whatever reason, the spell will break and the warding will fail.”
By the look on Mikey’s face, he knows he’s explained it poorly.
“Like, if we use it to block something big and I reach my limit before Gee does, the warding will fade out because it takes both of us to power it. But it’s protective against just about anything the coven could throw at us,” Frank tries again. He’s never really had to explain these sorts of things, most people don’t care how his magic works, so long as it does.
Mikey seems to understand now, more so than before at least, and it seems like Gerard does as well. He asks a silent question, one that only Frank can hear.
‘Can it protect us from each other?’
There’s a little red flag in his head, popping up at the implied context of that question. In no scenario Frank can think of should the warding have to protect them from each other. That’s just not a possibility, however, Gerard seems to think so.
Those thoughts from before, the horrible lies Gerard has swirling in the back of his head, come to Frank.
He genuinely believes that he’s a danger to Frank.
Grabbing Gerard’s hand so the connection is stronger, Frank concentrates and projects the feeling of how much he trusts his boyfriend. Spoiler alert: it’s a fuckton.
‘No, because it doesn’t have to.’
Gerard doesn’t ask further but Frank knows he’s still worried that he’s going to do something to hurt Frank. While Mikey studies the picture in his hands a little more, Frank squeezes Gerard’s hand.
“I’m coming,” Mikey says suddenly, looking at them with determination. “I can’t let you guys go alone.”
There are more words under the surface, that Frank is slowly learning to recognize.
Mikey would feel responsible if he stayed home and something happened because of it.
He’d blame himself.
“Wouldn’t have it any other Way,” Frank says honestly, smiling as Mikey stands and wraps them both into a hug. It’s sorta sideways and awkward but Frank doesn’t mind.
“If that was a pun I’m going to punch you,” Mikey says with a smirk that Frank can freaking hear.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about Mikeyway.”
Gerard snorts and they’re all smiling as they pull away.
“Come on, we got a lot to do before we leave,” Gerard says, reconnecting Frank’s hand in his. It’s a silent question if Frank will join him in packing.
More time alone with Gee?
Uh absolutely.
“Yeah, I should probably get my gear together,” Mikey says then looks down at his couple day old jeans and t-shirt. “And change.”
Frank laughs this time and he feels Gerard’s amusement. They separate then, leaving to pack and prepare for this mission.
_______
Back in Gerard’s room, Frank pulls the old gym bag out from under the bed. Digging through it he finds his knife and few odd and end things. He brings out another knife that he didn’t know they had. Setting both of them down on the bed, it seems like everything else is just changes of clothes.
Gerard is rummaging through the things that Frank brough from their apartment yesterday, quiet except for the shuffling of candles and books. He’s concentrating on mentally organizing their things, so much so that he doesn’t even notice Frank staring at him.
He looks better now, his hair pushed out of his eyes helping a lot in that, and Frank watches him for a moment. The way he’s got his hip stuck out a little as he holds up a book and tries to figure out what it is. That little squint as he’s reading the title; it’s in another language. It’s stupidly attractive for some reason.
Forcing himself to focus, Frank looks back down at the knives. One is short but wide, the blade a dark obsidian color while the hilt shines golden. It’s got swirling symbols carved into the hilt. Precision and luck are the ones most repeated.
The other knife is less dramatic. It’s a simple, silver blade with a black handle. There are no symbols on it but it looks sharp. Along the blade are a few serrated lines; it was designed to be painful.
“Find anything useful?” Gerard asks, suddenly over his shoulder.
Frank startles a little but soon he recovers and shows Gerard the knives that he found. Normally, he’d feel better just using his magic because it’s so much easier to control. He can just think and perform small spells and simply muttering under his breath can pass for the bigger ones. There’s nothing to lug around or keep track of.
However, they don’t know if the witches have any other enchanted knives like before and he’d rather be prepared than go in blind.
“Just these.”
“Huh, thought I packed more,” Gerard says eyes squinting a little more and his face scrunching up. Okay Frank needs to stop before he loses all self control and freaking pounces on him. His boyfriend needs to stop being so adorably attractive damn it.
Attention on the bag, he shrugs and dumps it out. Clothes and such fall out onto the bed and Gerard chuckles behind him.
‘That’s one way to do it.’
“Hush, you wanted to know what else was in it.”
They go through the clothes, pulling out a change because honestly Mikey’s not the only one in clothes that are a couple of days old. Frank picks out black jeans and a Smashing Pumpkins shirt as well as a flannel. Gerard laughs a little at his choice, saying that it’s ‘so adorably you Frankie’.
He kindly tells him to fuck off before turning around to change. He’s not sure why he turns away, it’s not like Gerard hasn’t seen him naked before. Still, Gerard makes no comment on his sudden shyness and continues picking out his own change of clothes.
Frank turns around right as Gerard is pulling a dark blue button-down shirt over his chest. He should not be as turned on as he is by just looking at Gerard’s pale skin as it disappears underneath the fabric. His mouth has gone a bit dry and he knows his boyfriend picked up on his thoughts because he can see the fucking smirk the bastard has.
‘Tease.’
‘You love it Frankie,’ Gerard teases back and he’s right.
Frank fucking loves it.
All of a sudden he can’t wait until this is over. The day on the couch sounds so freaking nice right now. It sounds peaceful and safe and he wants it so badly it hurts.
They have to get through the next 24 hours though.
“Ready?” Gerard asks and at Frank’s agreement, grabs the less decorative blade. Frank gets the pretty charmed one and follows him out the door. His stomach grumbles and he makes a mental reminder to get a snack before they leave. If Gerard notices, he doesn’t show it. In the living room, it seems like everyone else has beaten them down.
Mr. and Mrs. Way are presenting each of them with really nice, black backpacks the second they enter the room. Ray already has his, rummaging through it and probably memorizing its contents.
Unzipping his own, Frank finds that there’s medical supplies, snacks, along with some chalk and a bottle of blessed water. There’s even a normal water bottle. It’s a bit much for such a, hopefully, quick mission but it’s greatly appreciated. Clearly, Mr. and Mrs. Way took a lot of time preparing these. Had they slept at all?
Before he can ask, Mikey pulled out his sharpies and handed one to Frank and Ray.
“We should draw the protection sigils and stuff on our bodies. That way they won’t come off as easily as charmed things would,” he explains calmly.
So, Frank and Ray get to work.
Ray goes to Mikey, immediately drawing on his arms while muttering under his breath to activate the symbols’ protection. Frank follows his lead.
‘Can I?’ Frank asks, holding his hand out a little. If Gerard doesn’t want him drawing on his arms then he could probably make do with his hands and maybe neck. So long as it’s on his skin. He doesn’t have to worry though, Gerard agrees instantly. Despite a little hesitation, he’s letting Frank hold his arm.
Getting to work, Frank draws every protective or semi-helpful symbol he can think of because he knows Ray is doing the same. He’s whispering the words as he goes, asking the Goddess to bless the symbols and to allow him to use his energy to protect Gerard. They glow a little as he finishes each one.
There’s one spot untouched on Gerard’s arm, right where the vertical line is the widest. It hadn’t been intentionally left out but he still asks gently if Gerard’s okay with him drawing there too.
‘Trust you Frankie’
Frank’s heart doesn’t flutter, nope not at all.
So, get gets to work and draws a new symbol. Not one that you can find in any book because he’s making it up as he goes. He draws a thick, swirling line with a slash up through the middle that runs from left to right. It’s spur of the moment but he already knows what it’s purpose is.
He says the blessing both under his breath but also clearly in his mind so Gerard can hear him.
The rune is not so much for protection but for reassurance. Well, it’s kinda complicated, even in Frank’s mind, but his intention is for it to be a sort of extra connecting piece for them. Hopefully, it’ll work as a booster for their mental connection.
They’ve already noticed how their ability to share thoughts and things weakens with distance. So, with this symbol hopefully they’ll be able to have full conversations even when they’re not in the same room. While Gerard had been able to comfort Frank on the side of the road even though he was home, the connection had felt stretched and he wasn’t sure how far their reach really was.
Gerard is beaming, listening in a little to Frank’s train of thought as he draws.
As he finishes the symbol and goes to work on Gerard’s other arm, he watches as Mr. Way leaves the room. He pays no mind really, just focusing on the task at hand and Gerard’s fascination at it. You’d think the artist wouldn’t be as interested in Frank’s shitty scribbling on his arm but he is.
‘You’re amazing Frankie.’
Frank is totally not blushing, nope not at all.
When he finishes Gerard’s other arm, Mr. Way walks back into the room. He’s got a big plate of sandwiches balancing on one arm and a pitcher of what looks like tea on the other.
“Figured you guys might be hungry,” he explains, going around so they all can grab some.
Now, Frank is starving and he unashamedly takes two sandwiches. Meanwhile, someone is pouring the tea into cups and passing those around. Frank’s not big on iced tea but he takes it anyway, grateful all the same.
‘Gee?’
He doesn’t even have to form the question for Gerard to know what he’s asking. In moments like these, he’s so grateful for their bond.
‘Don’t need it. I’m a little hungry but not enough to feed.’
Gerard does take a sandwich though, despite it not really doing anything for him. It’s probably a bit like eating greasy food, Frank wonders absently while chewing on his sandwich; it fills him up but doesn’t actually give his body any nutrients or anything. Maybe regular food is like junk food for vampires?
He looks over to his right, Ray moving catching his attention. Ray is sitting on the couch now, drawing runes on his arms and occasionally biting into his sandwich. When he’s done, he looks over to Frank and waves his sharpie in a silent question. Frank shakes his head, pointing at his tattoos.
Most of them actually have the runes hidden in the design so it takes only a couple of minutes to reactivate them. Not everything he does is for the punk aesthetic, some things are actually smart choices with practical uses. But also, the tattoos are rad and anyone who says otherwise can fight him.
With everyone all covered, Frank has to do a double take on Gerard. He hadn’t noticed before but with all of the drawing on his arms, he looks like he’s covered in as many tattoos as Frank is. Again, it is stupidly attractive and Frank knows Gerard can see him struggling to contain himself.
‘You good Frankie?’ Gerard teases, earning a middle finger in his direction.
“Do I even wanna know you two?” Mrs. Way asks but she’s smiling fondly at them.
It occurs to Frank that he hasn’t told them about the mind reading/thought sharing thing. Had they already known? Was this normal for bonds or were they special?
“You know we can like talk in our heads to each other?”
Wow, nice sentence Frank. Could you make it any more confusing?
Gerard laughs a little at his internal bitching towards himself and it’s freaking adorable.
“Yeah. It’s rare but we picked up on the fact that the two of you could do it pretty fast.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well you both just randomly go quiet or start laughing to yourselves without ever saying anything. Also, sometimes you finish thoughts out loud,” she answers, still grinning at them.
As Frank awkwardly finishes his food, ignoring Gerard’s amusement at him, he watches Mikey who’s standing in the middle of the room. He looks about as awkward as Frank feels and so watching him open his mouth a couple times like he’s thinking about talking is pretty funny.
He suddenly remembers the things he brought from home. Without turning to Gerard he asks,
‘Did you grab the bottle out of my bag from home?’
‘Little one with the blue shit in it?’ Gerard asks, Frank seeing an image of the bottle from his memory.
‘Yeah that one. Where is it?’
‘Got it right here.’
Gerard pulls it out of his backpack and hands it to Frank.
He’d thought he’d had more of them in stock, however he’d only been able to find the one. Still, one healing brew would do better than none. This was the strong stuff too, brewed potent and fully capable of bringing someone back from the brink. It was a pain to make
as it required a lot of supplies as well as a great deal of energy, but he always tried to keep one already made.
He’s only had to use it like twice but he has a sinking feeling that if Mikey’s vision comes true, they’ll need it.
“Mom?” Mikey gets out finally, drawing Frank’s attention back.
She turns to face him and he actually looks like he’s about to combust. Frank isn’t sure what he’s trying to ask her though.
“Um…”
‘He’s trying to ask her about grandma,’ Gerard supplies helpfully, somehow knowing what Mikey was trying to do. Okay, that made it sound like it was some miracle that Gerard knew what his brother was thinking. As far as Frank could tell, Gee had like a 99 percent success rate with that sort of thing.
Mrs. Way looks concerned now, walking closer to Mikey but patiently waiting on him to speak.
“Do you remember those nightmares that I used to have when I was little?” he starts, hands finding their way to his pockets like they always did when he was nervous. She nods but says nothing, waiting on Mikey to continue.
“Well um, I think- we think- that they’re not just dreams. When I see things, most of the time they end up happening.”
“Good or bad things?” Mrs. Way asks, that controlled parent voice slipping out a little. She’s obviously affected by this but she’s doing a good job of keeping it in check.
“Both? It’s just random really. Sometimes it’s like broken mugs and other times it’s…”
Frank watches the concern grown on her face as she realizes Mikey’s seen something that’s much worse than a broken mug.
“I think I’ve seen something that’s gonna happen tonight,” he continues quietly. “Gee he um- he’s going to get hurt. That’s all I really know and I-”
He’s trailing off, Frank visibly seeing the anxiety of the situation eating away at him. Then, Mikey looks over his mother’s shoulder to Frank, trying to get him to join in the conversation.
Of course, Mrs. Way noticies and turns towards them.
“And I’m assuming both of you knew about this before now?” she asked, earning quick nods from both he and Gerard. “Is that what all the yelling was about last night?”
The question had been directed towards Gerard and Frank felt him get a little distant as he probably tried to find an explanation for his mother. If she was anything like his mom, and she was a lot, Mrs. Way would probably get super overprotective mom on them the second they told her.
“Yeah.”
“And the same stuff from before?” she adds, a bit of the parent facade falling and betraying her pain.
Mr. Way was sort of awkwardly helping Lill, who’d been oddly quiet this whole time. So much so that Frank hadn’t even known she was in the room with them.
“Yeah,” Gerard mumbled, eyes trained on his hands in his lap.
“Oh boys,” Mrs. Way said sadly. She motioned for them to come over and they did.
She was soon pulling Mikey and Gee in for a strong embrace, one arm around each of them as something was whispered to them. Frank couldn’t hear it and didn’t want to. This was about them and their mother; they needed this.
When they pulled away, a few long moments later, the three of them looked watery eyed but they were smiling easily.
Ray and Mr. Way were smiling too now, the soft moment chasing away some of the darkness of the coven situation.
As Gerard came back over to Frank’s side and sat down, Mikey scooted them over so he could sit on Frank’s other side. Squished between the brothers it should have been uncomfortable but actually it was nice.
“So, I’m assuming then that you’ve taken precautions to at least lower the possibility of Mikey’s vision coming true?” Mr. Way said gently, handing Lill a cup.
She looked… depressed. That was the only way Frank could think to describe the empty/sad expression she wore. She took the offered drink but made no move to actually drink it, instead stared at the floor. He wondered if it was the mission they were about to go on?
Was she worried for them?
Or was she worried about her pack leader?
Another part of Frank wondered if she was feeling poorly. She had nearly died the other day.
He risked it, the room paused in conversation anyway, and used his magic to check her over.
She was fine. Nothing but the faintest traces of her near death experience were left and Frank was left all the more confused as to what was bothering her.
“You boys did do something right?” Mr. Way continued.
No one had answered, which struck Frank as odd because everyone but Ray knew about their protection warding.
Making a decision, Frank tried to find the best way to word this as to avoid the confusion that had sparked up when telling Mikey. Gerard held his hand, offering unspoken support.
“We sort of accidentally made a protection warding around the both of us,”
Ray’s shocked gasp is the first reaction. Frank winces a little; he was hoping to keep the rarity of this feat a secret. He wasn’t sure why but it just didn’t feel right to be like ‘this thing is damn near impossible to cast and we did it by accident.’
“How?” Ray questions, walking over to them.
He reaches out his hand, pushing against the invisible barrier with his aura until it sparks up.
Blue/green surrounds the two of them, glowing faintly until Ray pulls his hand away.
“I was um- talking to Gee after the thing in the dining room and when we opened our eyes it had already formed,” Frank explained carefully.
‘This is not normal I’m guessing?’ Gerard asks, confusion evident.
‘No. Not in the slightest. At the least it should have taken hours to make it but for whatever reason we’re the exception yet again.’
“Holy shit,” Ray says in awe, retracting his hand.
“That’s quite the achievement,” Mrs. Way says once Ray has gone back over and sat down.
Lill joined him this time, opting to sit on his lap and curl up against him. She looks so young and Frank realizes he still has no clue how old she actually is.
“Yeah. I have no idea how we did it though,” Frank says honestly, a little exasperation in his voice. I’d be useful to know how to do this in the future.
“It doesn’t last forever?” Mikey questions, catching on to Frank’s implied meaning.
“No. A few days at the longest. It gets exhausting to keep up pretty quickly.”
“Are you okay right now?” Mr. Way asks.
Frank nods, explaining that they only just made it and that they won’t begin to feel it’s effects until it actually protects them from something.
“Frank,” Mrs. Way says, pulling his attention. “Take care of him, will you?”
She looks sad but hopeful, she is letting both of her children go on a hunt that’s freaking destined to end badly. So, Frank promises.
“I will do everything I can to keep both of them safe.”
Relief washes over her and she smiles thankfully to Frank.
After that, no one brings it up anymore and they continue to get ready. Soon, bags are slung over their shoulders and they’re being herded out towards the car by Mikey and Gee’s parents.
Ray drives again, which Frank is sorta glad for, and they’re barreling down the road in seconds.
Unconsciously, Frank is squeezing Gerard’s hand. He knows they have to be fast, that they’ve wasted too much time already. He knows that Ray is a safe driver, that he’s not distracted and that they’re not going to wreck.
However, each sharp turn sends ice down his spine and causes his stomach to roll painfully. He’s fighting hard but the anxiety is building anyway. That is, until Gerard pulls him close so that their sides are touching. He can feel it as Gerard’s energy covers him in a blanket sort of thing, blocking out the anxiety and allowing him to take a deep breath.
Leaning against the embrace, Frank sighs. His eyes slip closed and Gerard’s fingers file through his hair.
‘Better?’ Gerard asks after a few moments.
He actually really is.
They’re close to Brian’s now and Frank has a sinking feeling that the coven has already beaten them there. Still, with Gerard, Mikey, and Ray in the car with him, Frank knows that they can do this. As long as they keep each other safe and don’t do anything stupid, they’ll be fine. So, here is a link to a crappy sketch I did of the symbol Frank drew on Gerard. I'm not an artist so, sorry.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1?ui=2&ik=186b1f4b6b&attid=0.1.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1634884833707553663&th=16b0471821cff37f&view=fimg&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ_8jLgbwtRjRpeOftFKK4DBlSC3vXaIxEJksoVqJDv1hVSNZckv0mERg-rHxY-axQZajx7dcH5Y2dmvLdF7ZvDgudbx7GHaCvhRDOakW7bu5OqDvu2JUWUpsMA&disp=emb
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Frank is reluctant to get out once Ray pulls up to the curb beside Brian’s house.The neighborhood around them is quiet, everyone still sleeping, as well as dark but he knows that they’ll be lucky to get this over with before dawn.Hell, they’ll be lucky to get out of this alive.No cars drive by, no noise from the houses surrounding them. It’s not peaceful though. It feels ominous and fucking foreboding like Frank is in a shitty horror movie or something.Still, in a form of procrastination mixed with genuine concern, Frank catches Ray before he gets out of the car. Mikey and Gee are already out, talking quietly on the sidewalk about something Frank can’t hear. Mikey looks more scared than anything, no frustration crossing his face as they talk. Gerard seems to be trying to calm him down, to assure him that things will be fine.Frank wishes that he could know for certain that they would.“Hey, Ray?” Frank asks as Ray goes for his door handle, having just turned the car off and getting ready to go join the others.Ray turns around a little in his seat, probably hearing the tone in Frank’s voice. It wasn’t like he was trying to sound freaked out or anything but he just couldn’t help it. There was a lot of shit on his mind and Ray was just some of it.“Um- your magic, is it ya know… under control again? Like- shit- uh- are you able to use it normally now?” Instead of laughing at Frank’s concern, which a piece of Frank was telling him would happen, Ray just smiles knowingly. He twists a little and throws his hand over the back of his car seat, palm facing up. Frank watches his unmoving hand.Then, after maybe two seconds, a small little ball of light rises from his palm, burning a bright red and looking like fire. It dances on Ray’s palm for a few seconds and then fades back down.Smiling up at Frank, Ray retracts his arm and shrugges.“Think I’m good. You don’t gotta worry about me Frank.”He has a point. There’d been no sign of any real effort on Ray’s part for making the projection of his aura, meaning his control was back to normal. It’s more of a relief that Frank thought it would be. And yet, he still didn't want to leave the back seat. He’s fine in there, safe and calm and no one he cares about can get hurt. Ray gets out of the car but Frank stays.He watches Mikey and Gerard, they’re not talking out loud now but he knows they’re saying something. It’s that weird sibling thing again where they just look at eachother and make facial expressions. Unlike before, this conversation isn’t heated.Frank can feel the slight uneasiness coming off of Gerard along with the little bit of guilt that comes every time Mikey gets protective. It’s not bad though, just traces of what it could be. What it has been.That’s what this is, Mikey warning his brother to be safe before they go in. The way Mikey is standing makes it look like he’s either one step away from attacking Gerard in a hug or dragging him back into the car.This time though, he’s not acting on it. He’s just warning Gerard and trusting that he’ll look out for himself.All too soon, the brothers’ conversation is over and Gerard is glancing inside the car for him. Frank curses when he knows his absence has been noticed.They share an awkward look, Frank knowing he’s being ridiculous by not getting out. He makes no move to leave though.Gerard brushes against his mind, soft and comforting as always.‘Frank? What’s wrong?’Even just thinking all of the shit in his head right now is too much but it seems like Gerard gets the main idea of the anxiety troubling him anyway.‘We’re gonna be okay. We can do this… we can do this Frankie.’God he wants to believe him.He wants with every piece of himself for Gerard’s words to be true. And yet, Mikey’s vision is still there, looming over his mind, a dark cloud blocking out most of Gerard’s shining rays of comfort.Okay, that analogy made no sense but still, Frank can’t bring himself to shake the feeling that something is going to go horribly wrong.He can’t feel like they’ve done enough to prevent, or at least diminish, the damage because they just don’t know how much damage there really will be.They won’t know until they’re in the moment.He doesn’t really get a chance to protest going in, to drag his feet like a child and demand that they come back later. He wants to though, so badly, as Gerard lovingly guides him out of the car and onto the sidewalk. They’re already moving, walking up the steps and into the house before Frank can even process that the door was already unlocked. Moving as a group, he tries to keep his breathing steady and focus on the steady hum of Gerard’s aura against his own.It’s hard but Frank manages to clear his head a bit, to focus on staying alert and ready. Once inside of the house, he’s instantly suspicious because it’s too quiet, too calm and it’s unnerving to say the least. Instinctively, he draws his magic up to the surface, every spell he knows just on his tongue and ready for him to activate. He’s prepared; terrified but ready all the same.As an extra precaution, Frank pulls his knife as well. Toying with it in his hands, he thinks about the chances of him having to use it. He wonders if they’re going to have to kill the coven in order for them all to make it out.He’s never really seen someone die before and even though he knows that the coven are evil, he isn’t sure if he’ll be able to kill them. Should it come to that.The Ways are different.Both Gee and Mikey were raised hunters and they’ve both taken out supernatural people who’ve done enough damage for their death to be considered a community service. Fuck. Gerard was a vampire, not to mention he and Mikey had killed the other vamp who’d attacked Frank. Frank knows they’ve killed before, just like he knows Ray won’t hesitate either.So, it’s just him.The only one who will hesitate.He’d like to think of himself as strong enough to do what was necessary. If it’s between Gerard and the coven, Frank would like to think that he could do it. That he could save his boyfriend, or his friends, but he just doesn’t know.All while Frank is debating his own inner strength, the house remains quiet as they make their way through room after room. Each one is normal, no broken things or blood or anything really to show them that the coven were here. But everything is also too quiet. There was a car parked outside, most likely Brian’s, which would lead them to believe he was home but yet there was no sign that anyone was inside with them.There’s no sign of a struggle or of anything really.‘He even in here?’ Gee questions, his back to Frank as they walk in a line down the quiet hallway.Frank focuses and tries to sense the auras around him. Of course Gerard’s is first, he’s right in front of him, and then is Ray’s and finally Mikey’s at the front. Expanding his view a little, he tries to see if anyone else is in the house. Just to be thorough Frank also checks the places they’ve already been. The previous areas of the house they’ve been through, the living room and kitchen, are clear, no sign of anyone for a good amount of time. So, Frank expands his search to the rest of the house. Looking outwards in the direction they’re walking, he finds more than one aura.There’s six people in total, in a room two doors down the halway they’re walking down. He can definitely sense Brian, his aura unique since he’s pure wolfkind, and then the coven in there as well.Something is wrong, Brian’s aura is shaking and flickering harshly while the covens’ grows brighter even as he’s watching.Flicking back to himself, Frank stops dead in his tracks. This is bad. Really fucking bad.‘Gee.’Gerard turns around, realizing that Frank is back to himself and pulls Ray’s jacket to get him to stop. Ray grunts at the sudden action, causing Mikey to turn around as well. Everyone is looking at Frank expectantly.‘They’re already here,’ Frank tells Gee, knowing that the coven will hear them if they speak out loud.They are so fucked. Sure, they’ve got almost even numbers and they’re not, ya know, the least qualified for this job but Frank feels like they’re outnumbered and that they are the least qualified to handle this. Nodding solemnly, Gerard turns to Mikey and mouths Frank’s information to him. Ray seems to catch on quickly as they all grow a little anxious and no one moves for a few moments. Gerard pulls his own knife and his eyes flick down to Frank’s in his hand. It’s a silent asking if he’s ready and knows how to use the knife.Which Frank does, Mikey showed him a little one night when the three of them decided Frank needed a mini hunting training course. It’d felt stupid at the time, Frank has his magic and knows how to use it, but now he’s grateful for it. They have no idea what the coven are capable of, not in the slightestMikey’s got his gun out now, shutting the safety off with a soft click that seems too loud. He can’t help but nervously watch the doorway into the room where the coven are, terrified they heard and are going to attack. Gerard’s mind pushes against Frank’s and he can feel the vampire’s own worries and doubts even as he tries to comfort Frank’s. It’s okay though; the simple interaction helps him a ton and he knows that it helps Gerard as well.Somewhat to Frank’s surprise, Ray doesn’t have a weapon. He just squints a little, the only sign to Frank that he’s calling up his powers. Just in case.They walk slowly to the door he saw them behind with Frank leading the way and pause for just a moment before Ray uses his shoulder to break it down. The door hits the floor loudly and bits of splintered wood fly through the air.Frank could care less about the goddamned door though; the scene inside is intense.It looks like Brian’s bedroom, a four-poster bed in the middle of the floor and dressers giving it away. However, the normality of it is shaken by what Frank sees on the bed. Brian is tied, each limb bound to a corresponding wooden post like some kinky shit. Frank would nearly think that was the case, except for the coven surrounding him with their hands outstretched. They’re casting, what Frank doesn’t know, but they stop as they hear the door as it hits the floor.Five cold eyes flick to Frank and the others, Brian sagging against his restraints and breathing heavily. The spell has stopped, not broken just paused. The faces of the coven are blank, lifeless and they stand there hunched over, with what looks like old timey fucking cloaks of all things. It’s freaky but Frank doesn’t dwell on it, the coven’s anger is tangible in the air despite their lack of emotion on their faces. The dark cloaks that drown their forms flow smoothly as the members turn to face them completely.‘How dare you?!’ The coven’s voice is in his head again, making Frank wince and bring his hands up to press against his temple in some form of comfort. He can feel the coven’s energy pounding against the protection warding around him and Gee. Around him, the others seem to have heard the speaking as well and are in varying stages of pain.Mikey has staggered against the wall where the door used to be, hands pressing against the side of his head in an attempt to fight off the pain. The coven isn’t speaking anymore but the intrusion is still there, pressing against their minds forcefully and unrelenting.Even Ray looks affected. He’s standing still, hands in the same position as Mikey’s but his eyes are open and glaring daggers at the coven.Thankfully, Gerard seems to be okay. He’s got pain written all over his face and one hand pressed against his temple, but he looks able to function. The knife in his hand is still being held with the skill of a hunter, the grip and position unchanged from the coven’s attack.This time isn’t as bad as before though for Frank either. He assumes that the protection drawn on all of their arms, as well as Gerard and his extra protection, is helping them fight it off. Still, it’s painful as hell.Then, Ray mutters something, his hand moving away from his head and stretching out as a red shield-thing expands out from where he stands. It goes up like a weird forcefield in a syfy movie, the edges expanding from Ray’s palm until they reach a point that they cover Mikey, Gee, and Frank. As Ray does so, the pain fades instantly and Frank sags a little in relief. Thinking quickly, Frank comes up with his first move and, with Ray still holding the shield to give them a break, begins speaking aloud. He wouldn’t normally have to be so loud with his casting, however he doesn’t want to take any changes.As he finishes the last line, a small glowing ball of blue is resting a few inches above his hand. It almost looks like fire, flickering and rising up towards the ceiling. The same spell Ray did to show him that he was in control, now about to be used to hopefully incapacitate the coven. Frank pulls his elbow back and twists his arm, muttering the final bit he lets go of his hold on the ball and it flies forward while he does a pushing motion. The ball of his energy travels fast, a streak in the dim room as it hits the closest coven member unexpectedly. They fall, unconscious instantly by the electric shock to their system and with a smoldering spot on their shoulder.He’s already moving do shoot another one, Ray catching on and keeping the shield up. Gerard and Mikey aren't moving but Frank knows they’re ready behind him. They’re catching their breaths and Frank’s prepared to give them all the time they need.The next shot misses, the coven member side stepping his blast at the last second. He curses under his breath but tries again.All the while, the four coven members are casting their own spells towards them. Curses and aura projections dissipate in Ray’s aura nearly constantly. The coven is putting up a good fight to say the least.It takes three more shots before the next one falls, the coven shooting their own spells towards Ray’s shield and making it near impossible for Frank to get a clear shot. He’s got to be conservative with his blasts, they’re draining and he’s beginning to feel the effects. There’s no use exhausting himself on an attack that isn’t working.That’s why when the next blast misses, Frank lowers his arm completely. Stopping for a moment as Mikey gets the hint and aims his gun at the coven. They’re still attacking Ray’s shield and Frank knows he won’t be able to keep it up for much longer. It doesn’t matter though, Mikey fires a shot and hits one of the women. Three down and two more to go.It’d be good news if the remaining two didn’t seem to be the strongest. They’re sneering at Frank and the others, rage fueled hate buring into their spells.Everything seems to happen at once after the third witch goes down. Ray lets out a small warning before one of the women shoot a curse that is the tipping point for his hold on on the shield. The shield sputters out and Gerard has to catch Ray as he stumbles, moving inhumanly fast.Frank’s got his attention on the coven, as does Mikey, and they walk forward together. Their steps are in sync as they close the distance between them and the remaining coven members and begin fighting back.Frank slashes with his knife, missing completely and having to quickly dodge the witch’s punch directed his way. So two beings with magic decide to have a fucking fist fight? Perfect. Great.Good logic.He can see Mikey try and get a good aim on the other witch with his gun as she dodges and shoots her own blasts at him. The hunter shoots once that Frank sees, missing and hitting a wall.As always, Frank’s brain flows to Gerard. Even as he’s struggling in a hand to hand fight Frank thinks of his boyfriend. He finds him easily. Gerard has Ray sitting down against the wall to rest for a second and soon he’s sneaking over to the bed and trying to untie Brian. The guy looks unconscious now as Gerard struggles with the knots.Their connection wavers, Frank’s image flickering.He blinks, everything begins to feel… off.The witch manages to slice his arm, a shallow cut on the upper part that Frank isn’t even paying attention to.He can’t feel the pain because right then, his and Gerard’s connection just fucking shatters. It’s like someone pushes him out of the connection and slams the door in his face. He feels like he’s being ripped away, his mind and aura stripped of a vital piece of himself. In a panic, he jerks away from the witch and scans the room for his boyfriend. He’s fucking terrified now. All he can think about is Mikey’s vision and how he’s about to find Gerard laying dead on the floor. His eyes finally land on Gerard, who’s still by the bed, he tries to call out to him through his head but it doesn’t work.There’s nothing. Just an empty and aching spot where Gerard’s energy rested against his own.He’s about one second from freaking out, the only thing keeping him from doing so is Gerard.The vampire is paused, hands half finished with a knot and face full of confusion. Then it changes, all softness gone and replaced by something Frank can’t place.Gerard turns his head, making eye contact with him as he stands frozen. He grins and Frank gets a full view of his sharp fangs as they slide out.Taking a step back, Frank hits something solid and hands are suddenly holding him still. He can still see his friends around him, Mikey struggling against the other witch’s grasp and Ray looking on dazed. Another witch, the first one he hit, is mumbeling from the floor. Gerard takes a step closer, eyes now fully dilated and predatory. Oh god.Frank tries to reach him, to push against his mind and make him break the spell but he can’t. The coven are so much stronger than he’d anticipated and he just physically can’t do anything about it. It’s infuriating as he watches Gerard get even closer.Now he’s fighting with everything in him to get to Gerard, to break out of the coven’s spell, and literal grasp, and just fucking get to his boyfriend. Gerard needs him. The Gerard in front of him is calm, still, but in an alarming way. It’s terrifying, seeing his boyfriend so devoid of emotion. The normal easiness that Frank feels around Gerard is gone because Gerard isn’t even in control of himself anymore. All of that fear…. All of the fear that he would hurt Frank on accident. In his head, Frank can’t feel Gerard anymore. He doesn’t know if there is any part of him that knows what he’s about to do to Frank.He prays that Gerard won’t remember.That he won’t know what the coven are about to force him to do. Frank knows that Gerard loves him, that he will always protect him, but in this moment, Gerard isn’t in control. It’s the coven’s choice…. Whatever is going to happen-He’s breathing heavily, eyes hyper-fixed on Frank.“Gerard?” Mikey all but screams as he continues to struggle against the witch who’s holding him. The gun he had is laying somewhere on the ground, out of reach and of no use to them. Frank looks over to Ray, cold fear running through him as he finds his friend after a long moment. Ray’s still against the wall but he’s no longer resting, the coven member holding Mikey begins to weave a spell to keep him in place. Frank can only watch as Ray stiffens and straightens up against the wall, still trying to recover from holding the shield as long as he did. He can’t fight back.The growling of his boyfriend brings Frank’s attention forward again.Gerard is only a few steps away now. There’s no hint of the soft hazel/green eyes that Frank loves, no hint of the shy smile or nervous laugh. It’s just dark hunger, bloodlust and primal instinct, running through Gerard’s mind.Frank pauses on that, even as Gerard is now right in front of him. He can still sorta make out what he’s thinking he realizes. It’s more of an iching of a sensation, he knows something is there but can’t really tell what or where it is. He doesn’t allow himself to hope for a miracle though. He knows the odds are not looking good. They’re going to be lucky if any of them make it out. Let alone Frank and Gerard.Scrambling to think, Frank tries to focus on the fleeting bit of their bond that the coven haven't blocked. It’s so faint, barely there but he fucking clings to it. In the back of his mind, he knows that the only reason they haven't been completely torn apart is because of the special rune on Gerard’s arm. From Frank’s position, he can see it burning against Gerard’s skin. The vampire isn’t even paying attention to it though, his mind probably fucking erased or something from the coven’s spell. But Frank is strong too, his rune is doing its job. It’s fighting hard against the coven’s strength, keeping them connected but just barely.‘Gee.’ he pleads, projecting everything he can towards that little, flickering spot of their bond. ‘Fuck - please- Gerard you gotta snap out of this.’It doesn’t work. Gerard moves quickly, jerking Frank’s head to the side and tearing into his neck in one fluid movement. The coven member holds him still, upright, as his knees buckle from the burning, sharp pain that shoots through him. It’s like his neck is on fire, white hot pain tearing though his body.Gerard is ripping his skin to shreds and drinking hard, right where he’d bitten Frank just the other night. His thoughts are screaming more than he is. Flashing, stinging images flash through his mind and all he process is pain and that it’s Gerard who’s doing this. He’d never known being fed from could hurt this much, even being torn apart before had hurt, but this was on a new level. Maybe Gerard is doing it on purpose, the coven pushing him to make it as painful as possible.Frank thinks he’s going to black out as Gerard’s hands wrap in a vice like grip around his shoulders to keep him in place.Like he could fucking move beforehand.He can feel each time Gerard sucks more blood, each time his mouth is full and he pauses to swallow. When he returns again, not really having pulled away, it’s excruciating. He bites right where he just was, not stopping this time as he greedily drains Frank.Frank fights hard against the black that’s taking over his vision, keeping his eyes pried open forcefully. Unable to see Gerard’s face, only the outlying strands of his red hair, Frank searches frantically around the room. Everything is blurry and spinning, but somehow he ends up making eye contact with Mikey. Frank watches as he continues to fight hard against the witch holding him and he’s screaming something that Frank’s ears just aren’t picking up. The pain isn’t letting up, his entire body burning all at once. “Ge-Ger-”Speaking won’t come, the words getting replaced by screams and then just whimpers when he can’t anymore. Gerard is taking too much, way too much and if Frank doesn’t stop him soon….‘Gee… please….’Frank pushes with the last of his strength, his aura nearly not cooperating as he does so.Fate must fucking hate him because this time it works.Gerard suddenly just stops, fangs still embedded deep in Frank’s vein as the connection snaps into place once more. He swallows one last time against his skin. It’s dizzying as he suddenly can feel Gerard’s confusion. A piece of him is thankful that Gerard doesn’t remember…. That he won’t reme-‘WHAT IS THIS?’ The coven’s voice behind him is weird and faded; he’s unsure if it’s in his head or aloud. They let go of him though and he just fucking drops. Gerard goes with him, fangs ripping out in the process as they both land in a heap on the floor.Frank doesn’t really feel the fall, just is sort of on the floor with no memory of hitting it. Gerard is shaking, their bodies close enough to touch.The pain isn’t letting up; all Frank can feel is numb and cold. His vision is swimming as he sees flashes. He wonders if it’s the fight continuing on around them as Gerard is leaning over him.He’s panicking, hands flying to Frank’s neck and pressing hard. It hurts, bad, and he whimpers. It’s enough though for Frank to clear his head a bit, for his mind to try and wrap around what just happened. All he can see is Gerard.He’s freaking out in front of Frank, making him wish that he could do something. Anything. To help.“Ohgod ohgod ohgod.”Through their connection, Frank can feel the moment Gerard remembers. The moment it clicks that he did this.The realization passes over him like a tidal wave, right in front of Frank’s eyes.Gerard’s hands yank suddenly from Frank’s neck, absolutely covered in blood and, in an instant, he is just fucking gone from Frank’s vision. He doesn’t know what’s going on but he can’t move to find out. His limbs aren’t responding and he can’t even manage to raise his head enough to look in the direction Gerard went.Maybe he’s dying?Maybe it was him that Mikey saw laying on the floor dead instead of Gee?Someone lifts him up, the world spinning horribly around him. He’s too weak to fight it though, more concerned as to Gerard’s health than his own. He’ll be fine, they have magic, and his brew is probably somewhere, but he knows what’s going through Gerard’s mind. Even without looking, he just knows.“Frank? Oh god- Just stay awake. Don’t fall asleep, okay?” Ray says through gritted teeth and terrified eyes, his face coming into Frank’s view as he puts his hands over his neck.That feels like a lot to ask of him… to stay awake. Everything is blurry… and slow… and- He snaps his eyes open, Ray instantly flooding his field of view. The other witch is speaking quietly under his breath, hands still on Frank’s neck, as another pair of hands fumble with a bottle just at the edges of his view. He assumes it’s Mikey behind him, still supporting him into a weird sitting position so that Ray can work.As Ray speaks, Frank begins to come back to himself.It’s slow, his mind trying to move at a snail’s pace to understand what just happened.He knows that they used the healing brew in his bag because he knows his recipe by heart, and by taste. It’s working, pulling him from the brink.He feels a little proud of himself, that the brew worked perfectly. He’s only used it on others before, never himself. He only knows the taste because he wanted to see what it tasted like. He’s a curious dude. Maybe he could sell that shit. In the moment though, the brew, along with Ray’s rushed healing, Frank feels grounded enough that he can take a legitimate look around.A loud bang resonates from his right and he jerks his head, bad fucking idea, towards the sound. Pain explodes down his neck and shoulder, the intensity blinding him, and he hears Ray curse and begin mumbling again.“Damn it. Mikey. Keep him still.”His voice sounds strained and Frank manages to pry his eyes open again to look at him. There’s sweat beading down his face, nearly running into his eyes, but he doesn’t wipe it away. Ray’s hands are still pressed to Frank’s neck, healing the damage that… that Gerard did.Oh god. Gerard.Searching with only his eyes, Frank finds Gerard against the wall directly in front of him. Mikey must have his upper half propped up, allowing Ray to work and him to see Gerard. But fuck… Gerard.His hands are pulling at his hair and his eyes are staring in horror at Frank, his whole body shaking in his panic. There’s fucking blood all over him, his hands, clothes, face, hair… everything.If that much is on his body and he drank for as long as he did then how the hell is Frank even alive right now?He assumes it’s his healing brew, along with Ray’s strength, keeping him alive but he still feels disconnected. Like he’s watching everything from the sidelines but still feeling everything.In other words, this fucking hurts.“I’m trying,” Mikey says, voice breaking as he tightens his grip on Frank’s shoulders and another loud bang assaults his ears.Frank doesn’t jerk this time, instead his eyes leave Gerard’s panicking form to see one of the witches fall. He slowly realizes that Mikey’s using the gun to take the witches out.However, it looks like all of them but the one he just downed are standing again. “Damn it. Gee… I know- I know this is fucked up but you gotta- fuck you have to snap out of it,” Mikey tries, his voice fragile and begging.The only reaction from Gerard is him sliding down the wall, hands still pulling harshly at his hair still. There’s nail marks down his arms, red lines going through the sharpie Frank put on him earlier. He’s shaking harshly, even from Frank’s perspective, and doesn’t even look at them.“Fuck,” Ray mutters between the next part of whichever spell he’s doing.Frank feels noticeably different now. He’s not… well he’s not okay, but the pain is fading and he’s almost positive he’s not about to pass out. Or die. Hopefully.Ray looks exhausted as he starts the spell over again, Frank recognizing it now as one to boost his system into healing itself while the caster heals the worst of the damages. He’s attempting multiple layers, one run through not enough apparently. It’s a feat in and of itself and Frank is eternally grateful for Ray. The dude is a fucking saint and Frank makes a mental note to pay him back for everything. Does he like those fancy chocolate covered fruit things? Or maybe a gift card to a nice restaurant?Realizing that he’s daydreaming, he’s gonna blame it on blood loss; so fight him, Frank looks around again for Ray. He’s still struggling with the last layer of the spell, clearly at his limits but pushing on for Frank..“Fuck,” Ray whispers again, the spell finally flickering out and he nearly falls on top of Frank.For a moment, Frank is afraid that Ray’s drained himself. That he’s done too much and- and-“Ray?” Damn. Frank’s voice sounds terrible, even to himself, and he knows he’s surprised Ray because the other witch jerks up to look at him. He’s glad though; it means that Ray’s okay and he hasn’t killed himself trying to save Frank. Then Ray’s hands are on his head, feeling his forehead, and then one hand goes to his wrist as he checks Frank’s pulse. He lets out a shaky laugh, borderline hesteric. Yeah that can’t be good.“God. Frank, just hang on okay?”He can’t answer. Speaking was hard…. Harder than it should have been and he’s exhausted from it.“Ray?” Mikey asks suddenly, voice urgent. “Can you shield him?”Frank watches through half open eyes as Ray gives Mikey a ‘ you fucking serious?’ look. He’d laugh in any other situation. However, all around them the coven continue to fight back.While Frank was distracted, it seems like Mikey had taken out two more witches. There’s only two now, one by Brian and the other is between them and Gerard. Gerard’s against the far wall, the one where Brian’s bed is, still unmoving and definitely still freaking out. But seriously, Frank can’t blame him. Like really, he doesn't even have to think about it. Everything Gerard did was out of his control and honestly, Frank just wants to go over and comfort him.He knows, without even hearing it, the horrible things he’s thinking about himself. Frank wants to push those lies out again, to replace them with love and understanding and all that other cheesy romantic shit that he secretly loves.But he can’t. He’s still being held by Mikey and, really, he doesn’t think he’ll get too far if he decides to try and get up.“Just for like 30 seconds at the most. What I’m gonna do will fucking kill him right now if-” Mikey continues, keeping his gun aimed at the witch between them and Gerard. He sounds two seconds away from freaking out as Ray interrupts him.“Okay. Okay. But make it quick; I’m not sure-”It was Ray’s turn to be interrupted.“Ah ah ah,” one coven member tisked, everyone’s eyes following the sound over to the wall where Gerard was. The witch between them had dragged him away from the wall, pulling him up until he was facing Frank and the others again. Gerard had the most defeated look on his face, not even trying to get out of her grasp. He’s still, slouched, and compliant as the witch stands there with him, his right arm twisted sharply behind his back.Frank just barely feels his magic stur, too weak to call on it but it giving a valiant effort all the same.Gerard tenses up suddenly, blank face turning into fear as the witch moves a little behind him. Then Frank sees the gleam of a knife as she turns them a little towards Frank. The knife Gerard had earlier is now pressed into his back, already through the thin material of his shirt. Right behind his heart.Frank stops breathing.“Now Ray.”The walls go up over Frank in slow motion.It’s too late for whatever Mikey was planning, the witch holding Gerard grins bitter-sweetly and all Frank can see is her arm move slightly from the angle he’s at. Slowly, the end of the blade comes out the front of Gerard’s shirt.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As the knife goes completely through Gerard’s chest, Mikey’s vision comes true.
Frank can only watch in horror as the first drops of blood hit the floor in front of Gerard. He’s not sure who screams, if it’s him or Ray or Mikey…
But screaming fills his ears all the same.
Gerard gasps quietly, eyes flickering down to where the knife sticks out of his chest and then finally, slowly, to Frank.
Their eyes meet.
Their bond is… distant, hard to focus on, but Frank feels the complete horror coursing through Gerard at what he’s done. Despite the fucking knife in his chest, Gerard is worried about Frank.
He knows Gerard can feel the understanding and forgiveness he has for him, but it’s muted and distant.
When the witch pulls the knife out harshly, and not without a fucking twist, Gerard just falls.
There’s no fight, no staggering step as he tries to keep upright like in the movies.
No.
He simply collapses.
Mikey sobbs harshly behind Frank, the words he was saying stuttering but not stopping.
He’s unable to look away. Gerard’s eyes are on him again and all Frank can do is watch as his blue energy flickers and fades at an alarming rate. He’s curled protectively around himself, breathing heavily as he fights to breathe against the gaping hole that’s now in his chest.
And fuck, Frank can feel it.
It feels like he’s gotten stabbed too, a deep ache that he knows isn’t his own burns through his chest and back. He can feel the way each breath sends sharp pain through Gerard because it’s doing the same to Frank.
He can feel the spreading numbness, the gradual cold feeling from blood loss and lack of oxygen.
This can’t be happening; it’s a dream or a nightmare or just fucking anything other than reality.It clicks with Frank a moment later that Mikey’s speaking the witch curses and then only when he watches the witch who stabbed Gerard fall, screaming and writhing.
There’s no effect on Frank, he’s safely protected by Ray, but he gets a front row view of the coven as they die.
He pays no mind to them.
Gerard is still on the floor, groaning and whimpering quietly as a dark pool of red stains the carpet around him. The pool grows, staining Gerard in a sick form of a halo as he manages to twist himself onto his back. It causes Gerard to cry out as he does so and he’s breathing rapidly as Frank feels the same pain. While Frank watches, Gerard pulls a shaking hand to press against his chest in an attempt to stem the heavy flow.
He feels that too.
The shield around Frank drops, both Ray and Mikey clearly exhausted. Mikey nearly falls backwards but Frank is already moving, pulling himself out of the weakening hold and towards Gerard.
With strength he didn’t know he had, shouldn’t fucking have, he’s by Gerard’s side in an instant.
Placing his own shaking hand on Gerard’s shoulder, it takes way too long for him to react to Frank calling his name.
“Please Gee. Please just look at me. You’re gonna be okay. You’re gonna be okay. You- oh fuck- no. Please. No.”
A sob shakes through his body, sending him shuttering and leaving him dizzy as he tries to pull Gerard into his lap. At the movement, his boyfriend finally looks at him.
So much pain, filled with guilt, is flooding Gerard’s eyes. He’s not saying it out loud but Frank can hear him telling him to leave.
To let him die.
Like fucking hell he will.
“Fr-”
“Shhh,” he’s crying hard now, his own hands going to the hole in Gerard’s chest.
He presses as hard as he can, earning a horrible whimper from Gerard and a ghost of the pain in his own chest. Frank sways, the action of going to his boyfriend hitting him like an adrenaline crash. Which is probably what is happening.
He fights his own exhaustion. Like he's gonna be able to stop the bleeding.
The pool of it around them is bigger, soaking into his pants at the knees.
“Please.”
He’s not sure what he’s begging for. Just something…. Anything.
“I- I-”
Gerard is trying to say something but blood begins to drip from the corner of his mouth from the effort. He pulls a horrible breath, Frank feeling the struggle of the action underneath his hands.
A distant part of him hopes that the blade missed Gerard’s heart. That it hit a- a lung or- or- fuck just- anything other than….
Anything other than him dying. Than him bleeding out in Frank’s arms, thinking himself a monster.
Frank can hear it clearly now; they’re touching and the connection of their bond is regaining strength even as Gerard’s is failing.
He knows that Gerard’s mind has two things running through it.
Frank.
Monster.
He coughs wetly, painfully, and blood is soaking through Frank’s hands now.
‘... Frank…’
The sound of Gerard’s voice in his head is unexpected, shocking him. He thought that the connection was too broken, still piecing itself back together after getting shattered, but it was clear in his head. Gerard’s voice.
‘Shh. Please, just hold on for me okay? Okay? Fuck…’
Frank takes a shuddering breath, trying to think of anything that he could do to-
‘Are… you……. Okay?’
Torn between laughing and punching his boyfriend for the insane question, Frank decides to not answer. Frank’s not the one who just had a knife shoved through his chest; he’s fine.
‘Gee just hold on. I- I-’.
‘I love you,’ he says first, then begs, ‘please don’t leave me. Please…’
‘Why?’ Gerard asks, honestly not understanding. Frank’s chest is so fucking tight, like he’s the one who just got stabbed. He can’t breathe.
‘Becuase you’re… fuck- you’re you. The coven is at fault for this... Not you.’
Gerard doesn’t answer but Frank knows he heard him.
They don’t have time for this, Gerard’s strength is failing with every breath he takes. Each movement of his chest sending fresh blood cascading down Frank’s hands and arms. His aura is practically non-existent, just a dim and faded glow instead of the bright green Frank is so used to.
“Frank, lemme help,” Ray mumbles.
Turning just a little, he sees his friend drop down beside him and place his hands over Frank’s.
Ray’s energy sort of flows through Frank’s hands. It’s strange how strong Ray is, after everything. He doesn’t question it, too grateful for the help to let his mind second guess.
He tells himself that Gerard isn’t going to bleed out in some random guy’s bedroom floor.
He repeats in his head over and over that they’re going to make it out.
That they’re going to fix this.
Even as his neck begins to throb again and his body sags in exhaustion, Frank keeps himself upright. He does his best to lend some of his strength to Ray but he’s so weak, flagging, and he’s not sure if he’s actually helping any.
The only thing on his mind is Gerard.
How he doesn’t deserve to die like this.
How Frank can’t let him die like this.
“Ray?” he hears Mikey’s voice distantly as Gerard’s brother gets closer.
“Can I- can I-”
If Frank could think clearly, instead of this weird half in focus half out thing he’s got going on, he’d hear the devastation in Mikey’s voice. Frank might recognize that this is Mikey’s vision, playing out exactly like he saw it. He doesn’t though, too occupied with Gerard to notice Mikey as his worst nightmares fight to become real.
“Hands over mine,” Ray instructs, voice layered in his own exhaustion. “Push your energy out and focus it down into Gerard.”
It takes a moment, Mikey never really having used his aura before, but then he feels Mikey’s energy join his and Ray’s. With the three of them, the healing gets stronger. Frank can almost feel the muscles and arteries being knit back together inside of Gerard’s chest.
It feels pointless though.
They’ve worked for a long time now, or at least what feels like it, and Gerard has remained unchanged.
Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the spell wears on.
He’s not in control at all. Not even sure if he’s contributing his strength anymore.
No clue if they’re actually brining Gerard back. If they’re saving him or just wasting their strength.
With a snap, the spell ends abruptly.
“Frank. Frank, move your hands,” Ray says, taking his own off so Frank can retract his from underneath.
“Wha- no. No, I’m fine. He nee- he needs it-“ Frank mumbles despite the swaying of his body and his pure exhaustion.
“Frank. He needs you alive. You do any more and you’re gonna be in the same shape as Gee. Let us.”
The same shape.
Fuck.
He doesn’t protest, instead he removes his hands and lets Mikey hold him up.
Gerard is still laying there, Ray’s hands back over the wound now, unmoving. His eyes are barely open but unseeing as Frank watches his energies fight to keep him alive. He can’t tell if they’re winning that fight. They’re still so dim. Still flickering.
Even with Frank leaning against Mikey for support, Gerard’s brother puts his hands over Ray’s again. The two of them work on Gerard for a few more minutes. It feels like an eternity before Mikey falls backwards a little as his hands leave Ray’s.
Mikey manages to keep himself and Frank sitting though and Ray looks to be in a similar shape when he removes his hands.
Both Ray and Mikey are talking, something about Brian, and Ray gets up. He’s a little unsteady as he leaves his view but all Frank can focus on is Gerard.
He’s no longer got his eyes open and Frank’s unable to see his aura or anything really to tell if he’s alive or-
“Frank,” Mikey says hoarsely from behind him.
Frank can’t move, or answer him. It takes him a moment to realize that he’s fading as well.
Still struggling to keep his eyes on Gerard, Ray comes back over.
“Brian’s still out of it but I think he’s okay. We need to get these two stable before we even try to move them.”
Ray sounds distant, underwater almost, but Frank can hear the despair.
They’d failed and Gerard was-
Oh god.
Is he even breathing?
Frank struggles against Mikey, needing to get to Gerard. To know-
“Frank no. Come on- calm down, please,” Mikey tries, holding on to him desperately.
“Gee,” Frank mumbles, still struggling weakly. “ I nee-“
“Frank. Seriously dude you need to stay still.”
Ray’s voice sounds sad, pained, and he wants to listen but-
“Gee-“
He can’t say anything else, his body protesting even that small feat.
It must do something because Ray is looking at Gerard where he still lays in front of them.
They say something, Ray and Mikey, that Frank can’t pick up. Then he’s being moved and is suddenly laying down beside Gerard.
Someone connects their hands and Frank fights to turn his head to Gerard.
He manages, somehow, and watches with his vision failing, as Gerard’s chest moves minutely in a shallow breath.
Frank falls under just a moment later, Gerard’s hand still in his.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Something brushes against him.
A strange sensation that leaves him recoiling and jerking harshly as he’s pulled suddenly from whatever level of unconsciousness he was just in.
The touch was weird and he doesn’t know what it was other than that the feeling was on his neck.
There’s a burning, aching pain now blooming against where the touch was. It’s hot and Frank pulls away when the touch returns.
He can’t think straight.
Something is telling him that there’s something wrong. A very bad something wrong, but he can’t remember what it is or why it matters.
The feeling on his neck persists, almost like someone is rubbing on the area with freaking acid. He groans, surprised that he can make the sound, let alone hear it.
“Frank?”
He knows that voice.
“Ra-” his own voice breaks and he can’t finish the name.
However, he knows that it’s Ray now. He relaxes a little, the pain still sharp and burning but he trusts that maybe Ray knows what he’s doing.
“Can you open your eyes?” Ray says, his voice sounding tired and strained.
Frank tries to remember what happened.
Nothing but a blank comes to mind.
He opens his eyes slowly, a monumental effort on his part. The room around him is dark and cool, comfortable but foreign.
The panic from before, that something is terribly wrong, rises up again. He can’t breathe, his mind screaming that he needs to remember. That he needs to do something-
“Hey. Hey c’mon take it easy. Jesus Frank just relax.”
Ray is in front of him…. Oh right, yeah he’d heard his voice before.
Forcing himself to take a deep breath, Frank feels Ray do something on his neck and then the touch is gone.
He looks around again, tiredly. The exhaustion is too strong for his anxiety to actually form into a panic attack but the feeling remains present. A constant reminder that something is wrong.
There’s someone missing.
He can’t place who or why but… there just is.
Ray runs his hand through his hair, Frank noticing how it shakes. The action seems so fucking familiar. Like Frank knows someone who does that everytime they get nervous.
There’s deep, dark bags under his eyes like he hasn’t slept in days. He sighs, unable to meet Frank’s eyes.
Not being able to stand not knowing what’s up with his neck, Frank brings his hand up to feel at whatever Ray was messing with.
There’s soft… bandages -maybe?- tapped to the skin and the simple touch is painful enough for Frank to resist doing another.
He feels heavy, his head foggy and magic numb.
“Frank?”
There’s that pain in his voice again.
Ray is practically slumped in on himself, sitting on the edge of the bed Frank is in, medical tape in his hands and a bottle of peroxide laying on the sheets.
“Frank.”
He looks at Ray, still so fucking confused. It looks like Ray comes to a conclusion because he saggs even further and doesn’t even look to Frank anymore.
“Ray?” Frank tries.
Whatever’s wrong, Frank needs to know damn it.
“Do you-” his voice breaks, “Frank do you remember what happened?”
Well no. That was the whole point of all of his confusion.
“No,” he rasps and watches Ray’s face fall.
“Fuck…”
Suddenly, Ray looks back up to Frank. He’s got something between sadness and relief in his eyes.
“We did it. The coven I mean; they’re taken care of.”
And now things are filling in for Frank.
The coven. Lillian. Brian, the pack leader.
Oh god.
Gerard. Mikey’s vision.
Everything falls into place at once.
How quickly everything went to shit and the coven turned Gerard fucking feral. The moment Gerard tore into Frank’s neck is a vivid memory. He can still feel the ghosting of the pain. It’s still there but way more muted than before.
The next part physically hurts as Frank remembers but he’s unable to stop the memories flooding back into his mind.
The way Gerard looked as he realized what he’d done. When the coven witch had put that blade to his back and-
“Oh my god,” Frank breathes, head spinning and he can’t fucking breathe.
“Hey. Fuck. Hey, no don’t please,” Ray’s pleading but Frank is already fumbling with the sheets covering him.
He manages to push them off and swings his legs over the side of the bed. Ray’s sorta frozen in place as Frank slides off the bed to stand.
The second his feet hit the floor, his legs don’t hold his weight at all and he’s on the ground before Ray can even move. Hitting the ground hurts, big surprise, and it seems to have drained what little energy he’d had before.
As he’s carefully helped back onto the bed, Frank can’t help but notice the tears brimming in Ray’s eyes. Does that mean that…
Oh god. He’s - he’s - Gerard is-
“Easy Frank. Please, just calm down and I’ll- I’ll explain everything,” Ray says weakly as he tucks him back in and tries to get him to actually breathe.
His head is swimming but Frank doesn’t care. He forces himself to lay still, to wait for Ray to start talking.
“So,” Ray lets out a shaky breath after Frank manages to open his eyes again and look at him expectantly. “So you remember what happened then?”
Frank nods, though he tries to keep those memories pushed as far back as they’ll go.
“You can’t feel him can you?”
This isn’t an explanation, if anything it’s making Frank all the more confused. He answers though, telling Ray that no, he can’t feel Gerard at all.
“He’s- he’s- He pulled through but it’s…”
Frank’s head is spinning for a different reason now. Gerard survived; he’s alive.
“It’s bad Frank. We- the three of us healed him for the most part. He’s still- he’s still healing,” Ray continued.
Well, if Gerard was healing and alive then why the hell was Ray so depressed looking. Frank didn’t want to think on it too much. He couldn’t let his mind run wild before Ray got the chance to tell him what was actually wrong.
“Mikey’s with him right now because we don’t- we can’t leave him alone…”
The words sink in slowly for Frank.
He’s confused at first but as he realizes why they can’t leave him alone… all the pieces fall.
“Has he…” Frank whispers, still struggling to get his body to cooperate after the exhausting task of trying to stand and now keeping up a conversation.
He’s not thinking about that. No.
All Frank can think of is Gerard, hands in his own hair and nails scratching his arms as the word monster consumes every thought he has.
He’d known that Gerard was going to beat himself up over this but to think about…
“No. No but the way he was talking… We don’t want him be alone right now. He’s still too weak to do anything really but I can’t risk-” Ray’s voice breaks again and he lets his head fall down into his hands.
Frank doesn’t know what to say.
What is there to say?
“Does he know I’m okay?” Frank asks, the only thing he can think of.
“Yeah. He- he knows you’ve been getting better over the past couple of days but-”
“Wait,” Frank interrupts, head trying to wrap around what Ray just said. “Wait. A couple of days?”
Ray looks up at him tiredly. A silent telling of how little sleep he and Mikey must have been getting.
“Yeah. The fight was a week ago tonight. Gee- he woke up three days after. Like I said, he’s still really weak and we’re still worried about infections and stuff. But Frank, you’ve been out the whole time.”
“I wanna see him,” Frank says the moment Ray finishes talking.
Gerard needs him and fuck he needs Gerard too.
The thought of his boyfriend sitting there for a week, worrying about Frank and hating himself, makes Frank want to be sick. He can’t believe that Mikey and Ray didn’t put them in the same room.
“No,” Ray says firmly. “No. You need to take it easy Frank.”
He laughs, unable to not find it humorous that they’re babying him when Gerard is- is the way he is right now.
“I’m fucking serious. Frank you’ve been in a damn coma for a week! You nearly died and I’m not gonna let you walk around the house not ten minutes after you wake up!”
Ray sounds pissed off, frustrated but not at Frank. He deflates after a moment, guilt on his face as he looks back to Frank.
“I’m sorry. It’s just… we don’t know how he’s gonna react when you walk in. It may be a cure all kinda thing or it may be worst case scenario. He’s- he’s in a fragile state of mind and I don’t wanna risk anything.”
“I need him,” Frank whispers dejectedly. “He needs me too. Please. Please just let me see him.”
It nearly works, Ray’s face falling as Frank speaks but the walls are back up in moments. If Gerard is really that bad… that he won’t want to see Frank.
“Please.”
Ray sighs and messes with the bandages still in his hands.
“One day. If you can stay in that bed for one day, I’ll let you see him.”
“What? Come on!”
“No. You were drained to the point of death Frank. You died. The only reason you are still breathing is because of your healing brew and my magic. Then, your dumbass decided to help us heal Gee. So forgive me if I don’t let you out of bed the moment you wake up.”
He’d… died?
Fuck.
Oh god- Gerard. He must have felt him die.
Suddenly Frank needed to get to Gerard so much more than before.
“One look at him and you’ll probably try and heal him. I know you dude. Just please take one day to rest. That’s all I’m asking,” Ray continues quietly.
“Is he okay?” Frank asks, “like the stab wound is he-”
He can’t finish the sentence, dizzy from the exertion he’s already done since waking up. Maybe Ray is right; he shouldn’t be up yet.
“The knife just barely missed his heart. It hit a lot of the arteries around his heart though, that’s why he bled so much. He’s not really awake yet, sort of an inbetween thing. Sometimes he’ll seem coherent and others he’s begging for us to-”
Ray doesn’t finish but Frank knows.
Gerard begged him to just let him die after the fight, the guilt so strong in him that he thought he deserved to-
Just the thought made Frank sick to his stomach and a horrible ache come to his chest.
He’s not sure if the ache is from his anxiety a the moment or from his connection with Gerard.
Honestly, he’s hoping for the latter. Some form of proof that their bond is still there.
It’s so odd, not being able to hear Gerard’s thoughts or emotions. To not be able to feel his presence.
They’d only been bonded for a short amount of time, fully connected for even less, and yet, Frank had gotten used to it. He misses Gerard so much in that moment.
“We just barely have been able to get anything in him. He’s so weak and whenever he is fully awake he refuses everything we give him.”
Really, Frank is now even more thankful for Ray. He’s saved their lives apparently, and he’ll never be able to thank him enough, but the information he’s telling him is making Frank want to run as fast as he can to Gerard.
“And Mikey?” Frank asks, just trying to take his mind off of the desire to be with his boyfriend.
For a moment, Ray doesn’t answer. This gives Frank time to try and relax back against the pillows propping him up.
He’s got a dull ache in his head and his neck still is sore and raw feeling. Keeping his eyes open and his thoughts on track are a challenge. He abstently rubs a hand over his chest, the ache still present and annoying.
“He’s -he’s okay I guess. Seeing Gerard like that- it was his worst nightmare. Again. Mikey won’t leave Gerard’s room. Like at all. He slept for about a day after the fight, lending his energy really took a toll on him, and ever since he’s been by Gerard’s side.”
“And you?” Frank questions quietly.
Ray sighs again, looking at Frank tiredly.
“I’ve been trying to juggle the three of you. It’s a long story but Gee and Mikey’s parents can’t get here because of some emergency hunters meeting about the coven’s crimes. You and Gerard, we couldn’t move you so we’re still in Brian’s house.”
That made Frank stop.
Was Brian seriously letting them stay in his house? After everything?
Ray must have seen Frank’s confusion because he continues explaining. His voice is monotone now and Frank feels sorta bad for asking so many questions. He’s obviously tired but he answers Frank without any annoyance in his tone or anything.
“He’s nearly recovered from whatever the coven were doing to him. He allowed us to stay here as a way to say thanks I guess. Actually, Brian lended some of his strength the night you…”
Once again Ray trailed off.
“I died?” Frank supplied.
It's a strange statement. To say that he died.
Honestly he figured it would have been Gerard.
“Yeah. We uh,” he takes a breath that seems more shaky than relieving, “we lost you and Gee in the same hour. You fucking flatlined not ten minutes after we brought him back.”
That statement alone makes the ache in Frank’s chest worse. There’s so much spinning in his head and trying to forget about going to Gerard’s room hasn’t worked.
Now he wants to even more than before.
“Does he know that I died?”
Again the words are strange, foreign. But it’s masked by the fear of Gerard’s reaction to the knowledge that Frank had very nearly died. Even if it wasn’t his fault, Frank knew that Gerard would endlessly blame himself.
He takes a deep breath, trying to will his tired body to just stay up for a little while longer.
“Yeah. When he asked… I couldn't lie to him.”
“Fuck. Ray I don’t- I don’t know what to say.”
Ray smiles at him, the tired being overshadowed by genuine kindness.
“You don’t have to say anything. Look, the three of you are my closest friends and I don’t mind helping you. I just wish it wasn’t under these circumstances. Even so,” his face had fallen a little at first but now Ray is looking at Frank with that same overwhelming kindness. “I’m just glad you’re awake Frank. I think everything’s gonna start getting better now ya know? This was one of the last hurdles.”
“And Gee?” Frank mumbles, trying and failing to keep his eyes open.
Frank hears Ray laugh a little and he helps him lay back down on the bed. He groans at the dizzy feeling that resurfaces, trying to push the lightheadedness away.
“You still awake Frankie?”
“Mhm.”
“When you wake up again, and after you eat something, then we’ll go visit Gerard okay?”
Frank doesn’t answer. His body is a traitor and pulls him under before he can agree.
_______________
Ray watches Frank fall asleep.
He listens as the small man’s breathing evens out and his face relaxes.
Honestly, he hadn’t planned on telling Frank everything. At least not this soon.
Still, he’d taken everything surprisingly well.
Despite the failed escape attempt.
Distantly, Ray could hear Mikey talking in Gerard’s room. They’d moved him and Frank into the two rooms on either side of Brian’s since they were relatively close. With how quiet the house was, Mikey’s voice came through rather easily.
Even with the slight hindrance of the multiple walls between them, Ray can hear Mikey as he talks to Gerard.
The vampire isn’t awake, probably won’t be for a little while longer, but Mikey still talks to him. Mostly it’s just random stuff.
How much Mikey misses him. How much he loves him and wishes he’d wake up. For real.
Each time Gerard has woken so far, he’s been in a sort of half-awake state. He’s always panicking and sometimes, when he’s lucid enough, he asks about Frank.
When they inevitably tell Gerard that Frank is still unconscious, which was the truth until 15 minutes ago, he freaks out.
Now, Ray knew Gerard in college. He’s seen some of his darker moments and has helped him through them.
He might not have been there, not like Mikey was, when Gerard had attempted suicide at 17. When they were in college though, most of his and Gerard's conversations were eerily similar to how he’d spoken to Mikey at 17. That was terrifying for Ray.
They’d gone to the same highschool but had never actually talked to Gerard until college but he’d known what had happened. Not the vampire part, he hadn’t learned that until he met him for real later on, but the other bit…well it was a small school and people talk.
So this counts as the third time that Ray has known Gerard where he’s been this low. Every time over the past week when Gerard weakly begs him to just let him die, that he’s a monster who doesn’t deserve everything they’re doing for him, Ray gets a hole in his chest. It’s metaphorical, not the same as the real on in Gerard’s chest, but it hurts just the same.
He’s heard that begin before. Sitting on their dorm floor, Gerard having entirely too much alcohol in his system and nowhere near enough blood, as he begs Ray to just kill him. To rid the world of one other monster.
Ray has to force himself to stop his own train of thought. He’s just been staring at Frank’s sleeping form for entirely too long and he needs to go and check on Gerard.
Pulling on his best professional face and pushing his fears and memories down, Ray gets up. He gives one last look to Frank, ensuring that he’s resting properly, and goes to the door.
Maybe Frank will be able to pull Gerard out of his own head?
He can’t sense him yet but Ray allows himself to hope that that is only temporary. The two of them are not in the strongest state right now, it makes sense that their bond will be shaky.
He can only hope.
Their bond is strong, at least it was, so if there’s anyone who can save Gerard, it’s Frank.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Ray opens the door to Gerard’s room.
To his surprise, Mikey is currently helping his brother sit up.
He just sorta watches for a while as Mikey helps Gerard shift enough so that he can pile up some pillows behind him. Mikey stacks about five of them behind Gerard’s head, holding him up the whole time, and then gently lays him back down against them.
Gerard groans, face twisting in discomfort, panting a little from pain and exertion. Ray wants to scold Mikey for moving Gerard around so much, his wounds could still tear open and he doesn’t want to test their luck twice.
However, as Gerard hesitantly looks up at Ray, he can see more clarity in his eyes than there has been since the fight. The pain and regret are still there, just barely hidden by the soft smile Gerard sends him when their eyes meet, but he’s himself at the moment.
Mikey’s looking at Ray too, waiting on him to start yelling about letting Gerard sit up so soon. He knows what Ray’s gonna say.
He doesn’t yell.
Instead, Ray goes over to Gerard’s bed because he’s awake; now is a good time to check him over.
As he does so, extending his energy out and letting it take in Gerard’s condition, he starts talking.
“So Frank woke up today,” he starts but he knows to stop as soon as he says it.
He can feel Gerard’s face light up because his energies do the same. They’re still very dim, faint, but they spark up at the simple mention of his boyfriend.
“Is he okay?” Gerard whispers hoarsely.
He’s still got a grey tone to his skin and he’s nearly the same color as the pale sheets he’s laying on. Ray can see the dark that’s smothering his energies, both from the wounds and from the terrible thoughts that take up so much space inside his head right now.
“Yeah. He was sitting up on his own for a bit and,” Ray pauses, somewhat afraid of what his next words might cause. “And he wants to see you.”
Gerard sucks in a breath, painfully because he winces as he does so. Knowing that he’s probably thinking, Ray continues with his work, giving him space to think.He focuses his attention on the wounds, one hand resting over them as he begins healing. The damage is too great for him to heal all at once but he is able to boost Gerard’s healing by doing small increments of healing. Ray works until he begins to feel tired, lending energy and guiding his body to repair itself, and then pulls away.
Mikey must have stepped out because he’s handing Ray a plate with a sandwich on it as he sits down on the chair beside Gerard’s bed.
The vampire is looking down at his hands, lost in thought but not looking overly upset or anything. Still, the guilt remains in his eyes and Ray knows that it’s not that easy to fix what has happened.
As he munches on the sandwich, Mikey sits down on the end of Gerard’s bed.
This is the most awake he’s been so far, as well as the calmest and Ray would be lying if he said he wasn’t trying to prepare himself for the worst. Mikey is watching Gerard too, also waiting on something to snap. For the peaceful moment to end and his brother to start the begging again.
“How is he?” Gerard whispers.
He looks at them now, eyes searching both Ray and Mikey. There’s the slightest bit of hope in there, fighting through everything else his mind is throwing at him.
Smiling for real, it feels strange to feel so relaxed right now, Ray tells him the truth.
“He’s still um… recovering and it took him awhile to uh- to remember what- “
“What I did to him?” Gerard finishes for him, tone tight like his voice is moments away from breaking.
“Gee,” Mikey says at last, pulling his brother’s attention. “You didn’t do it. The coven forced you to; they fucked with your mind.”
Gerard didn’t look convinced. It didn’t take being bonded for Ray to know what was running through his best friend's head.
“He is gonna be okay. Give him another week and you probably won’t even be able to tell in the first place,” Ray tries, taking another bite of his sandwich.
“I did this.”
He’s not arguing, not really, rather just making a statement. Gerard’s voice is final, damning, and full of pain.
Ray tries a different method, not liking where this is going.
“I told him the next time he wakes that I’ll let you two visit. He sounded so excited for that, like he actually listened to me for once and everything,” Ray said, now finished with his meal and setting the empty plate down.
He walks back over to Gerard, gently moving the sheets down to inspect the bandages hidden under his shirt. They’d found a soft, cotton shirt that was like five sizes too large for him to wear because it was not only comfortable, but easy to move out of the way when Ray needed to change his bandages.
The fabric comes up easily, resting bunched up on Gerard’s shoulders as Ray decides that it is time to change the bandages. He reaches over to the small bedside table and grabs what he needs as he waits on Gerard to respond.
On closer inspection, the bandages, at least on his front, are not as stained as before. They’d been near soaked the first few nights. He’s thankful for that since it means that Gerard isn’t bleeding as much. The wound on his chest is still sorta open, only barely closed over the hole that runs through him. It has little, pink scarring along the outermost areas though, a sign that he is healing. Just slowly.
“He wants to see me?” Gerard asks finally.
The disbelief is clear in his words, making Ray wish that he could see how much Frank loves him.
The kid literally jumped out of bed two minutes after waking up to try and see him. Even after everything, Frank still cares about Gerard. A whole hell of a lot.Mikey has his hand in Gerard’s, comforting him as Ray gets to work.
He flinches when Ray puts the first dabs of antiseptic on the wound, a small hiss escaping him as his eyes slip closed. Tense now, Gerard is the the one waiting on a reply.
“Yes. Of course he does Gee. He doesn’t blame you at all,” Ray says as he pours a little more antiseptic on the cloth and cleans the skin around the wound a some more.
With both his magic and the first aid, Gerard is well out of the danger zone. He still has a long way to go for sure but Ray is no longer worried he’s going to slip away in his sleep.
Fuck.
He should not have thought of that because now he’s remembering when his heart did stop in his sleep.
It’d been that first night after the fight.
Ray was still on edge that night; who wouldn’t be after that whole… situation.
After he’d brought Frank back when he’d been drained dry, Ray had been terrified that Gerard was going to go as well. He was just barely breathing, blood still running sluggishly from the gaping wound in his chest and back despite the medical care. The wounds were life threatening to say the least.
However, Ray had been exhausted. He’d fought it for a long while but after Mikey, literally, passed out in Gerard’s room, Ray had fallen asleep as well.
He’d only woken up, hours later, to a hysteric Mikey telling him that Gerard wasn’t breathing at all and he couldn’t find a pulse. Apparently, he’d had a vision that it was going to happen and had woken up just as his brother’s heart had stuttered to a stop.
They’d gotten lucky, had been able to restart his heart and Ray had given his strength to him to keep it beating. However, of course their bad luck wasn’t over.Sometime later, Mikey had woken up in a cold sweat insisting that Frank was in danger. Ray had sprinted into Frank’s room to find him lying there, heart stopped in his sleep just like Gerard’s had.
That one had been a near thing.
It had taken two hours to bring Frank back that time.
Ray had very nearly given up, exhausted and terrified at the same time because Frank’s body just wasn’t taking to the healing magic or to anything else.
In the end, it’d taken both Mikey and Ray working together for Frank to come back. Ray snaps back into the present, hands paused in his cleaning as his mind had wondered. Gerard is looking at him now, silently asking him if he’s alright.
Gerard remembers the first time Frank died, had felt it through their bond most likely, but he only knows what Ray told him about the second. Which was the truth with nothing left out but he hadn’t been there to see it.
“Sorry,” Ray mumbles, going back to cleaning the wound around the awkward silence encompassing the room now.
Gerard winces at the returning of the stinging sensation, groaning a little under his breath as Ray works.
“You’re healing well.”
It sounds lame but Ray can’t think of anything else to say. Small talk sounds useless right now with Gerard’s open wound under his fingertips.
“When,” Gerard’s voice breaks, “ when will Frank wake up?”
“ Probably sometime tomorrow.”
Ray is waiting for the refusal he knows is coming.
Gerard has been his friend for a while know and he knows where his mind has gone in this moment. He’s so guilty about hurting Frank, about, how he thinks, he’s the cause of him technically dying twice. It’s obvious he’s going to want to keep his distance.
He might not know it, but Ray does, that seeing Frank is exactly what he needs. The two of them are still healing and their bond is as well, meaning their connection is going to be a little iffy at the moment.
In person though, with them in the same room, Ray has a feeling that it’ll allow them both to get some closure on the whole situation. Hopefully anyway.“I don’t- I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Gerard says, his voice is more quiet now as he reaches the end of his body’s current abilities.
He’s been sitting up the entire time Ray has worked, even propped up on the pillows doesn’t take all the effort of sitting away. It’s a big deal, him upright and awake after everything that’s happened.
They don’t say anything about that though.
“Gee,” Mikey interrupts before he can finish, “ you need to talk to him.”
Ray agrees as he tapes a new bandage to Gerard’s front, getting Mikey to help prop him up further. With Gerard now leaning over, back off of the mountain of pillows and his head on Mikey’s shoulder, Ray begins working on the wound on his back.
This one is much the same as the one on his front, still open and raw but healing nicely with all things considered.
They don’t speak while he cleans this one, Mikey content in holding his brother and Gerard simply resting against him.
By the time he’s done, he works slowly and carefully as always, Gerard is asleep again. He’s snoring slightly, face relaxed and peaceful.
____________________________________________
Someone knocking on the door is what woke Frank.
He’s still blinking, trying to get his senses to fucking work, by the time the door is opened and closed again. Ray sits down beside him, a chair he hadn’t noticed before sitting on his right side.
The bed he’s in is against a wall, a small window with grey curtains close enough to touch.
Ray has a plate in his hands, filled with something that looks like spinach and maybe fish. Frank can’t really tell, the stiffness in his neck and the raging headache he has prevents him from turning to get a better look.
“Evening Frankie,” Ray says, smiling gently.
He looks like he actually got some sleep now, eyes bright and smile genuine. Frank notices that he’s changed out of what he was wearing for the fight but can’t remember what he was wearing the last time he woke up. So he’s not sure if Ray has changed since then.
Point is though, he looks better. Well rested and more relaxed.
Frank tries to answer him but his mouth is dry and his throat is sore; he only manages a croak. Thankfully, Ray doesn’t make fun of him. Instead, he produces a glass from somewhere Frank can’t see and sets the plate down on an end table beside his bed.
He helps Frank to sit up and then passes him the glass.
Sitting is harder than he’d thought, his head rushing a bit as he does so. The water is cool and crisp though, and he feels better once the glass is finished.
Ray puts some pillows behind him, keeping him propped up so he can eat, and hands him the plate.
“Eat up dude. You need it.”
Frank does not argue with that. He tries to go slowly, to not make himself sick by eating too quickly, but it’s hard. He was practically starving; it had been a week since he’d eaten last, and he knew he couldn’t afford to throw this back up.
Without really tasting it, Frank had devoured most of the plate. He still isn’t sure what it was exactly but his headache has retreated to a more tolerable level now.
Ray sat and watched him the whole time, something Frank might think was weird in any other situation. However, he can see the worry lines on Ray’s face and he knows that his friend is concerned for his health.
“Evening,” Frank answers at last.
It might be like thirty minutes later but oh well. It’s the thought that counts right?
Ray chuckles though, taking the plate for him and setting it next to the empty cup. Beside them on the end table he notices two white medicine bottles, sitting unopened. Ray follows his view and grabs the bottles, handing them to Frank to look at.
“It’s just your anxiety medicine and some painkillers. You don’t have to take either but I figured I’d offer,” Ray explains as Frank hands them back.
He would sort of like some pain medicine right about now. Even with the decrease in the headache’s intensity, it’s still there and it’s freaking annoying. Not to mention the low throb of his neck.
Also, it’s been like two weeks since he’s had his anxiety meds. He should probably be a nervous wreck right about now, and he can definitely tell the difference in himself without them.
So, he agrees to both.
Ray nods and pours out two pills into Frank’s waiting hand.
He stares, confused, as Ray puts the lids back on and gets up to grab some more water for him to take them with.
“Wait,” Frank says before he can go. Ray turns around, halfway to the door and looks at him, slightly confused. “ Wait um, how-how come the small dose?”
“You’re body is still trying to replenish the blood you lost so the smaller dose will have the same effect on you as a normal sized one. If I give you any more I’d be risking an overdose.”
Frank has no response to that so he lets Ray go and get the water.
Alone, and awake, for the first time in a while, Frank is surprised to say his mind isn’t going a billion miles an hour.
It’s strange but he’s mostly just calm.
He remembers, in vivid detail, what happened to him and to Gerard. It’s still painful to think about, how close they both came to dying, and he doesn’t want to dwell on it. However, now that he’s thought about it, his mind runs with it.
The way Ray had told him that Gerard blamed himself, how much he hated what he’d done to Frank.
And that pulls Frank into thinking about Gerard and their bond.
He wonders when it’ll be fully… healed. Maybe that’s not the right word but that’s what comes to mind. The bond was broken, shattered forcefully, and now it has to piece itself back together.
Plus, it’s not like Frank and Gerard are actively trying to help it heal.
Frank’s been unconscious and like half dead for a week, so he’s not been contributing all too much. While Gerard has been fighting for his life as well, there’s also the immense guilt he’s struggling with.
So, yeah it makes sense that he can’t feel Gerard at the moment.
That doesn’t make it any easier though.
He still feels a sort of hole, or a phantom ache, where Gerard’s presence used to be so strong. It’s still there, not completely gone, but definitely more quiet, fragile, than before.
As Ray comes back in, glass of water in hand, something flashes against Frank’s mind. It takes him a moment to remember what the feeling means. A soft light being flashed across his mind as if his eyes were closed, but they’re not closed.
Gerard.
He’s awake.
Ray must assume the worst because he’s by Frank’s side in an instant, cup forgotten on the table.
“Frank? Hey are you okay?”
“Gee’s awake. I felt it,” Frank informs him happily.
Remembering Ray’s promise the other evening, he twists and grabs the glass from where the other witch sat it. He downs the water with the meds, ignoring the slight pain in his neck.
“Ah. So you think you’re ready to go see him?”
Ray’s question is unreadable, Frank unable to tell if he’s telling him no or not.
“Yeah. I feel better and it has been a day right?” Frank questions, looking out the window beside him to see the moon hidden by clouds.
Still, it’s nighttime and he just sorta feels like it’s been a whole day. Maybe not though.
Maybe he slept for like three hours and Ray is going to make him wait longer.
“Let me heal you one last time and then we can go okay?” Ray offers, hands already going to his neck.
The bandages come off easily and Frank closes his eyes as Ray does his thing.
His own magic is still sorta dormant, sleeping under the surface until he’s strong enough to use it again.
Who knows how long that will be.
While working, his hands literally on the wounds on Frank’s neck, Ray speaks under his breath.
“Good. I can tell that you’re not lying; you’re already a good deal stronger than last night. However, you lost a fuck ton of blood Frank and you’re gonna feel faint for a while.”
“Like even after you heal me?” he asks quietly, trying to focus on the feeling of Ray’s magic working on his neck.
It’s not painful, more relaxing than anything. The tension and soreness is fading and muted, but he knows it’ll return once Ray finishes.
Even so, he’s feeling so much better than before.
He can think clearly and simply talking isn’t as exhausting as it was before. Sitting is not easy but not horrible either.
He’s excited to get this healing over and go see Gerard.
Truthfully, he’s been putting off those thoughts a little.
If he thinks about how much he misses his boyfriend or how much his boyfriend is beating himself up over what happened, then Frank isn’t sure he won’t sprint from the bed right now. He knows he can’t do that; Ray is right anyway.
With the injuries he’s gotten, he’s definitely going to need help with the short walk to Gerard’s room. But he can’t help but to worry about Gerard while he waits.
The way Ray was talking the night before, about some of the things Gerard has said, he isn’t sure what to expect when he gets there.
“You alright?” Ray asks, apparently picking up on his stressful thoughts cause he’s a good friend and shit. And also cause he’s healing Frank and their energies are like right next to each other.
“Just thinkin’ bout Gee.”
“He woke up yesterday, right after you fell asleep again. He was more awake than I’ve seen him all week and he seemed more… himself I guess. Like he’s still not really okay, and I mean I can’t blame him, but he let us heal him some and actually talked to me for a bit.”
The news makes Frank’s heart swell a little, relieved that Gerard was doing at least somewhat better.
He feels it then, a soft nudge against his mind.
Gerard.
He opens his mind entirely, waiting on the soft words to filter through their bond and his boyfriend’s voice to fill his head. It doesn’t happen, the nudge never returning and no words coming.
However, he can feel his presence. His energy is pressed against Frank’s mind again.
It’s a more than a little faded, enough to make Frank worried, but definitely there and definitely meaning that Gerard reached out to him on purpose.
The feeling is comfortable, reminding him of the way the bond felt at first. Soft, barely there, but hinting at so much more.
He needs to be close to Gerard.
“Okay,” Ray says, pulling his hands away from the wounds on Frank’s neck. “Okay, if you’re feeling up to it we can make the trip.”
Frank has never been more ready in his life.
Still, he lets Ray push the blankets aside for him and then swings his legs over the side of the bed. Staring at his dangling feet, a few inches from the carpet, Frank takes a deep breath.
Simply doing this has made his head spin a little, the room tilting in his vision. He feels nearly ready to pass out, lightheaded and weak as he waits for the feelling to fade.
“Easy. Like I said, you’re gonna be faint for a while so just take it slow.”
He tries to listen to Ray’s advice as his friend puts strong hands on his shoulders to keep him steady.
Taking another breath, Frank waits until his head doesn’t spin anymore before leaning off of the bed. His feet hit the floor and his knees give out yet again.
This time though Ray is ready, he keeps a good grip on him while Frank leans all of his weight onto him. He’s got his arms around Frank’s waist, steadying him if needed but literally holding him up at the moment.
“Are you okay?”
Frank doesn’t answer and instead straightens up, his legs seeming to be able to hold him now. Still, they feel unsteady and he’s sure he’d have fallen if Ray wasn’t holding him up.
He takes a step, just a small one, and Ray lets out a nervous breath he’d been holding in.
“Just take it easy okay,” he says, allowing Frank to take another shaky step.
Its fucking hard work but somehow they make it to the door.
Ray lets Frank rest a moment against the wall as he goes over and opens the door for them. He’s exhausted just from the short distance he’s already walked and he knows Ray can tell.
Still, they set off down the hallway.
Each step requires a lot of concentration, Frank forcing his legs to fucking work and not drop him on the floor again. Not that he doesn’t trust Ray to hold him up but still. He’d like to do this himself damn it.
They pass the room between his and Gerard’s.
It’s Brian’s bedroom, the door still missing and the frame busted.
Frank doesn’t peer inside, too afraid of what he might see or the memories it might bring up. So they keep walking, each step feeling like a mile.
He has to stop often, resting against a wall or Ray while he wills himself to stay upright. The whole time, Ray encourages him gently. He tells Frank that he’s doing a good job and to take it slow, things that should feel patronizing but don’t.
He appreciates it really, the support and his thoughts of Gerard are what lead him to the next door.
Ray knocks for him while he leans a little more against his friend. His eyes are trying to fall shut but he fights it.
The door opens, Mikey standing there.
He looks tired like Ray and more than a little sad. The clothes he’s wearing are crumpled and he’s got serious bedhead.
“Got a visiter,” Ray says and Frank can hear the smile in his voice.
Mikey relaxes a bit and ushers them inside.
Gerard’s room is about the same as Frank’s, except the window’s curtains are pulled firmly shut and the bed isn’t against that wall.
The small bed is actually against the wall to their right, the foot of it nearly touching the left wall. It’s slightly cramped but Frank isn’t paying attention to that.Gerard is sitting up in his bed.
He’s got a fuck ton of pillows propping him up, Frank’s beginning to wonder where they’re getting all of them from cause seriously he has at least eight back in his room, and his eyes are on Frank.
As expected, Gerard is ghostly. His body looks too small under the blankets that swallow him and it makes Frank’s heart hurt a little as he takes him in.
He takes in all of the pain in his eyes too.
This close, he can feel everything flowing through Gerard’s mind.
It’s honestly scary.
Everything, from excitement that Frank is here to pure terror that he’s gonna snap again, is running through Gerard’s head.
“Help me,” Frank says to Ray, trying to guide them closer to Gerard.
Mikey gets the message too and scoots his chair over to Gerard’s side while Ray guides Frank over. On the last few feet, Frank’s legs finally give out and he slumps completely against Ray. He nearly hits the floor but Ray just holds him up and carries him to the chair.He’s set down gently, Ray already pressing something that looks like a smoothie into his hands.
“Drink first, talk in a minute,” he tells Frank.
With his head spinning the way that it is, he’s not really one to argue at the moment so he takes a tentative sip of the beverage.
First taste lets him know that it is not in fact a smoothie but a brew. Most likely a healing one or something to replenish his strength.
Grateful, Frank downs it quickly.
He’s aware of Gerard’s gaze on him, watching carefully from the bed. His boyfriend is weak yes but that’s not the reason for his silence.When he finally chances a look at his boyfriend, Gerard looks down quickly. It hurts a little but Frank knows that it’s not because Gerard thinks he’s mad at him.
No. It’s honestly so much more worse.Gerard blames himself. He thinks that it is entirely his fault that Frank got hurt. He’s replaying what he remembers from the fight over and over in his head, so loudly that Frank can feel it in spite of their bond being a little more thin than normal.
Frank can see, through Gerard’s memories, as he suddenly blinks and his fangs are imbedded in Frank’s neck. Can see, can feel as Gerad realizes what has happened and his mind just shuts down.
He can hear the part of his boyfriend that is fucking screaming at him.
Calling him a monster. Reminding him of what he’s done. Even worse though, nearly as bad as Gerard believing these lies, is when his mind tells him he doesn’t deserve to be alive.
He doesn’t deserve to keep breathing because Frank very nearly didn’t get to. All because of what Gerard did to him.
“Gee,” Frank whispers, tears threatening to fall in his eyes. “Gerard no.”
He has no idea what to say.
How does he convince Gerard that it’s not his fault?
Not knowing what else to do, Frank leans over and puts his hand on Gerard’s arm. He flinches away harshly at the touch, eyes going wild and scared for a moment.
Pulling his hand back onto his lap, Frank forces himself to stay calm.
‘Monster.
Danger to Frank.
You fucking KILLED him.’Frank can hear the thoughts in Gerard's mind and it breaks his heart because it’s just not fucking true. Still, he doesn’t know what to say, if there even is anything to say, that will fix this or at least help Gerard see that he really does love him.
A hundred percent, with every piece of his heart, Frank loves him. He loves him so fucking much and yet there’s nothing he can do.“Frank?”
Gerard’s words shock Frank and he finds him looking up at him in awe. Apparently Gerard had heard Frank’s thoughts, his fucking declaration of love.
There’s so much doubt in his eyes, so much fear and guilt that it makes Frank sick.
All of those moments of when Gerard babied him or asked why he loved him, they all made sense now. It wasn’t just a joke or him simply being overprotective, no Gerard was convinced that he would hurt Frank. From the beginning he was convinced and that’s one of the most painful things about this.
That Gerard would think for even a second that Frank would one day see him as a monster or as something to fear.
That day would never come because it just wasn’t possible for Gerard to be a danger.
The only reason this situation had happened was because of extraneous situations and Frank knows for a fact that not a single action he did voluntarily that night was against Frank or the others. In fact, the only time anything was done that could, or well did, hurt them was after the coven meddled with Gerard’s mind.
The fact that Gerard was so horrified with what they’d forced him to do shows Frank that Gerard would never hurt him.
Ever.
“Why?” Gerard says, so quiet that Frank barely even hears it.
He had been saying those things out loud? Or maybe even in his head but Gerard had heard him.
“Because it’s true. I love you with every piece of me Gee and I don’t blame you at all for what happened.”
He means every word. Everything he says is coming through, unfiltered and unedited by his mind, directly to Gerard. Because he means this.
Forever.
He will love Gerard forever, without a doubt.
Gerard gasps a little, his face twisted between relief and disbelief just like his mind.
Frank can feel how his mind is fighting itself, the darker parts of him twisting his words and trying to find flaws in them.
But there aren’t any.
Gerard is failing to find any falsity or lying in what Frank is telling him because there isn’t any to find.
He means every goddamned word.
With every breath he takes he means every word.He feels it when the defence shatters inside Gerard’s mind, one memory being the darkness’ downfall.
The night at Gerard’s parents when Frank had laid on top of Gerard. Just to be close, just to feel his warmth and love with absolutely no space between them because he couldn’t bare to be apart. The few hours they’d been apart had been a few too many and all Frank had wanted was to be connected to Gerard. To be chest to chest and let Gerard hold him.
It was a simple display of his love, there were hundreds others that proved the same thing, but this is the one Gerard goes to in this moment.
Frank can feel him replaying it over and over in his mind. Gerard is clinging to it, even as the room around them sits in silence while the other two inside simply watch.
Frank can only watch as well. Can only watch as Gerard’s mind finds absolutely no ulterior motive for Frank’s fucking- clinginess that night.
The only thing in Frank’s mind was how much he loved his boyfriend and the worry he’d felt because he had still been recovering.
Frank feels as Gerard’s mind richoches into the present as he begins to pour everything in his head to him.
The connection is still sorta feeble and it takes more concentration than normal but Frank fixes that quickly.Frank stands in one fluid motion, closing the distance between Gerard and him and laying down on the bed beside him.
Against him, Gerard tenses up but he soon relaxes as Frank just lets go.
He lets everything in him, everything he feels and remembers, cascade down into Gerard.
Time no longer feels like it’s flowing.
Just him and Gerard at the forefront of his mind.
He can’t tell if they’re awake or asleep, just that it’s him and Gerard.
They go through everything.
Every moment, every memory, every feeling that they’ve ever had for each other.
Frank’s love, the word doesn’t even do justice for how much he feels for Gerard, is strong and steady. It pulls Gerard out of the darkness he’s gotten so embedded in.
Frank can feel his fear, that he’s going to hurt Frank again, but he pushes it away as best he can. He knows he won’t be able to completely get rid of this, knows that Gerard is scared of what he could do, but he doesn’t stop.
Gerard’s own love filters through slowly.
How much Frank helps when he does things like this. Helps pull Gerard out of his own mind.
How much Gerard loves Frank soon becomes his only thought. The way he feels pressed up against him, their breaths mingling and bodies close as they are content with just that. Just being together.They lay there for who knows how long.
Just him and Gerard.
Just their love and their memories and nothing else.
.
.
.
.
.
Frank must have fallen asleep, curled up beside Gerard and the ghosts of memories still drifting in his mind as he wakes. Gerard’s hands are holding him close, keeping them touching and Frank swears their hearts are beating in synch.
“Gerard,” Mikey says as Frank wakes fully.
He’s too tired to move though, exhausted and sore but perfectly okay with never moving from this spot ever again. So long as Gerard stays with him.
“Gerard,” Mikey repeats.
Gerard shifts a little under Frank. He groans and Frank can tell when he wakes up. The soft light is comforting but he can feel the exhaustion clinging to Gerard’s body.
“You need to eat,” Mikey continues, voice quiet but slightly begging.
Frank opens his eyes.
Mikey is sitting in the chair, sleeve rolled up and arm stretched out to Gerard.
Ah.
He feels the realization pass through Geard. How his first reaction is a blatant no. He refuses to drink from Mikey, Frank can feel the way he’s terrified just by the thought of it.
What if he hurts Mikey too.
‘Gee. It’s okay.’
Frank feels something close to pure fucking joy when his words actually reach Gerard with no extra effort and he feels him try and convince himself. He struggles for a moment with the idea, his thoughts flashing fear and possibilities against Frank’s.
‘It’ll be okay.’
“Promise?” Gerard says out loud, the word rough with sleep and exhaustion.
Frank can feel him breathing against him, can feel the bandages on his chest from their position. His mind won’t let him forget the sight of that blade coming out of Gerard’s chest. The way the blood just poured from it the moment the knife was twisted and jerked out of him.
That phantom pain of the wound still sets in Frank’s chest. He can still feel the ache every time Gerard breathes.
“I promise. Please, just eat something.”
And Gerard does.
Mikey moves a little so his wrist is over Gerard’s mouth, understanding that he won’t be able to move, and lets him drink. Only the faintest flash of discomfort passes over his face as Gerard’s teeth nick his skin.
They both know that Gerard is still too weak to actually hurt Mikey, his body would reject more than just a couple of mouthfuls of blood. Still, Frank holds onto Gerard tight as he drinks.
He watches tiredly as Gerard’s body reacts to the nutrients flowing into his system. It’s relieving to say the least.
All too soon, Gerard turns his head and Mikey moves away. Frank watches through half opened eyes as he ties a small bandage over the two, tiny puncture wounds.
Gerard is warm beside him, soft and a little dazed. The blood is helping him already but Frank can tell he’ll need more soon.
He doesn’t dwell on that though, he just snuggles closer to Gerard. There’s a part of Gerard that’s panicking over what he’s just done, drinking from Mikey also being a big thing he’s afraid of, but Frank helps him push it away as soon as he can.
“Both of you, get some rest.”
Frank’s snuggling even closer to Gerard, the warmth and normalcy of it lulling him back to sleep. So what if he still has two holes in his neck from his boyfriend’s fangs. So what if Gerard had a literal blade pushed through his chest.
They’re here right now. They’re safe and maybe, fuck just maybe, Frank will be able to push those self hating thoughts Gerard has away for good.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The next few days are sort of a blur for Frank.
He sleeps nearly constantly, as does Gerard, the first couple of days after he visits Gee, deciding to not go back to his own room. They share a bed, pressed close to each other and safe.
They both have nightmares.
That much was a given though. They’d both fucking died and it’d put a serious strain on not only their minds but their bond as well.
Frank can still feel it of course. It’s right there, growing stronger every day but still not as strong as it was.
The overwhelming guilt that Gerard has remains, persists through everything Frank tries. During the night, when they’re both awake, it’s not so bad. They can talk, laugh even, and simply hold each other close. They can forget for a while.
But during the day, when they’re both asleep as their bodies recover, their minds wonder. Frank dreams of sharp fangs and hungry eyes while Gerard sees the person he loves bleeding out because of him.
It’s a vicious cycle.
Frank will wake up, sweating and with a scream on the tip of his tongue. It takes forever for him to calm down, to assure himself that he’s not dying. He’s not dying while Gerard tears himself to shreds with guilt.
Gerard does scream.
In his sleep, he screams and cries out for Frank. His nails, filed down to nearly nothing now, scratch and tear at his arms when he’s unconscious. There are several places where bandages had to be used because Ray was exhausted from healing them and couldn’t spare the energy.
It’s hard.
Waking up to his boyfriend’s arms covered in blood and him crying out in his sleep.
They manage though.
Each night, Frank holds him close, does his best to keep him safe from anything his mind may throw at him.
He can feel it, slowly, as Gerard’s nightmares become a little more in control. As Gerard can pull himself out of it, can wake up to pull Frank from his own.
Mikey stays close by, always in the room or right outside. He helps Frank keep Gerard grounded, keep him in the present.Four days later, Ray confronts them.
He and Gerard had been sitting in bed, big surprise, on the phone with Frank’s parents. They’d called unexpectedly, worried because their son hadn’t called in like two weeks. After he’d assured them that he was okay, they had wanted to talk. While they’d caught up, Gerard had held Frank gently against him, playing with his hair while he spoke.
It was nice, the moonlight filtering in through the small window and the house quiet around them. The conversation had lasted a while, over two hours, and Frank felt a little guilty when he lied to them.
It wasn’t like he’d wanted to but he just couldn’t bring himself to tell them what happened. They already sounded worried at his excuse of being sick and losing his voice. How would they react to the truth?
After he’d hung up though, he was more relaxed.
Leaning back against Gerard, they stayed like that for some time. The nightmares had begun to get less intense, more manageable, and they were able to just enjoy the moment. Able to softly doze without fear of terrifying memories tormenting them.
Gerard was soft, strong against his mind.
Everything was peaceful, quiet even.
Then, of course, Ray had to barge in.
“Alright guys. I love you both but you need to fucking shower. I can smell you from down the hall,” Ray says, tone joking as he throws towels at them.
Frank laughs, genuine and soft as he misses completely in trying to catch the towels. Gerard’s aura flashes with his amusement, soft light filtering through it as he watches on in adoration at Frank’s pouting.
Ray already has fresh bed sheets and everything in his arms.
“I don’t stink,” Frank protests, now gripping a towel and glaring half-heatedly at Ray.
“Yes you do. Shower. Now. Please.”
With both he and Gerard laughing, they pry themselves out of bed. Okay so yeah, the sheets are a little rank and there’s a more than a few stains on them.
Splotches of blood, sweat, and lord knows what else cover the pale sheets. A shower is probably a good idea. Especially since neither he nor Gee have really left that bed over the past four days. Gerard for nearly a week and a half.
Frank stands first, with only a little more effort than normal, and helps Gerard.
He’s been doing better, able to sit on his own now and he’s walking around a little as well. Still, he’s rather unsteady and Frank doesn’t want to chance it.
Plus, he gets to wrap his hands around Gerard’s waist as they follow Ray’s directions to the bathroom. The contact is nice and Gerard leans into him more than Frank knows he needs to.In the bathroom he strips quickly, his dirty clothes in a pool at his feet. Stepping aside, Frank helps Gerard pull the oversized shirt over his head. His chest is still hurting him, making it a little difficult to pull the shirt off, so Frank is honestly glad to help. He’s had enough pain for a lifetime.
In the shity light, Gerard looks even more pale. He’s always been pale but recently, it’s been more so than normal for obvious reasons. Frank knows it’s just the lighting but the way the pink, healing wound on his chest, right beside his heart, looks in the light makes him sick. It looks raw and open again, even though he knows it’s nearly closed.
Even worse are the bandages still on Gerard’s arms, mainly adorning his forearms where his nails tore through too many layers of skin in the midst of heated nightmares.
Gerard catches his staring, face falling as he turns his arms towards himself and looks at them.
Frank takes the three steps needed, now directly in front of Gerard.
He pulls him in for a hug, letting his arms sorta get squished between them. It’s okay though; he can feel Gerard relaxing against him. He’s scared, a little ashamed even at the state of his arms and Frank just can’t stand that.
Pulling back, he takes Gerard’s arms in his hands, carefully removing the small bandages one by one. When he’s done, he’s pleased to find that most of them are well on their way to being healed. They contrast horribly though with the faded, white scars covering Gerard’s arms.
They’re vertical, the nail marks, and the soft pink of healing skin stands against the silver of old scar tissue running in the same direction.
The mark, the symbol Frank drew on him before the fight, has burned into his skin. It’s like a tattoo now, forever etched into his arm.
Frank wants to heal him, to extend his energy out and get rid of all of the pink and as much of the silver as he can. He doesn’t, knows that he shouldn’t.
Instead he brings Gerard’s wrists up to his lips, placing soft kisses to each of them before looking back into his eyes.
There’s tears there when he looks but not sad ones. The water is gloriously warm against his skin, washing away the remnants of the fight so that all of the bad is swirling down the shower drain.
He washes Gerard’s hair for him, having him turn around so he can do so. As he gently works the suds through Gerard’s hair, Frank lets himself stare.
Not in the sexual way, they are nowhere ready for that for multiple reasons, but in the… caring sort of way.
The wound on Gerard’s back is healing at the same rate as the on on his front, closed and pink, hiding the damage inside. The damage that’s slowly being repaired.
Gerard is feather-light against his mind, easy and content as Frank goes on to conditioner. They don’t need to speak, not aloud, or even form sentences in their heads to know how each other are feeling.
His boyfriend is happy, happier than he’s been in a while, and has a sort of Disney love story feel to his thoughts. Everything is warm and bright in his mind, the darkness pushed away for now. Banished to the back of his mind.
Frank feels much the same.
So in love. So freaking unbelievably in love and so lucky to be able to share this small, quiet moment with Gerard.
They keep their minds pressed gently to each other as Gerard leans a little on the wall. He’s getting tired, Frank knows this, but they’re nearly done anyway. He doesn’t need to worry.
Frank quickly does his own hair as Gerard finds some body wash.
By the time they’re both standing on the shower mat, drying off, they’re exhausted and looking forward to climbing back into bed.
__________
Ray works quickly to strip and change the bed.
It was disgusting, a week or so’s worth of filth clinging to the sheets. He even has to light a damn candle to get the stale sweat smell to go away.
Everything is okay though.
With just a little concentration, he can sense Gerard and Frank. They’re both happy and calm in the shower, and knows that they’re doing better. In fact, neither had woken from a nightmare last night.
Normally, he stays close to their room, keeping an ear out for distress, but last night had been uneventful.
He is more than thankful; he knows they need this. To get better mentally as well as physically.
They were doing a pretty good job so far on both parts, all things considered.
However, even with the fresh sheets and the quiet sound of the shower through the walls, Ray couldn’t let go of all of his worry.
Mikey had taken up Frank’s previous room, only sleeping when he had to or when Ray forced him. It seemed like Gerard hadn’t caught on yet but Ray knew.
He knew exactly what the events of the fight had done to Mikey.
The kid wasn’t sleeping, not really, because his dreams were hell just as much as Frank and Gerard’s were. But Mikey doesn’t have anyone to confide in, not like they do.
Ray knows this and has tried to get Mikey to at least fucking talk to him, but he won’t. He refuses and just burrows even more into himself.
But Ray knows exactly what he sees.
The first night Gerard started thrashing and begging in his sleep as his nails tore through the soft skin of his arms, Ray knew. He knew exactly what Mikey was remembering.
Still, he hadn’t been able to get him to talk to him. It was sort of frustrating but he couldn’t blame the kid. After all, Ray didn’t know what it was like. Not really. He’d decided this morning though, that as soon as he got Gerard and Frank alone and away, he and Mikey were going to talk. If he had to force him, they were going to talk.
So, finishing up with his quick clean, Ray throws the soiled sheets into the hamper in the laundry room and searches for Mikey.
Brian is in the kitchen as he passes by, making lunch for them all. It was at his insistence, the least he could do apparently. The dude didn’t talk much and he kept his distance from them. Ray didn’t mind though, just smiled fondly as he caught a flash of Lill’s hair as she ran through the kitchen. He hears Brian scold her gently and her little whine.
He doesn’t linger though, doesn’t even make his presence known, because he has much more important things to do.
Entering the living room, Ray finds Mikey.
He’s curled up on the couch, a book in his hands but he’s not reading it. His eyes are just staring blankly at the page, completely lost in thought.
“Mikey?”
Ray watches him jump, more surprised than he’d thought he would be.
“Hey, dude,” Ray continues plopping down beside him.
It’s kinda expected that he doesn’t answer, having not really said much since everything happened.
“Look, how are you doing?” Ray says, his worry overlaying any awkwardness that may come.
Mikey just shrugs and doesn’t look up from his book. Getting a little frustrated and determined to get Mikey to fucking talk to him, Ray puts his hand over the page. With his view blocked, Mikey finally looks at him.
“I’m fine.”
Then he pries Ray’s hand off of the page and looks back down.
“No. Seriously Mikey, cut the bulshit,” Ray says forcefully, pulling the book from Mikey’s hands.
Setting it down behind him on the couch, he waits for him to answer. Waits for Mikey to just talk to him, for once just actually talk to him about this. Everything he’s learned has been either through Gerard’s drunken ramblings in college or Mikey’s little half- hidden facts that he lets Ray hear.
“I’m fine,” Mikey says through gritted teeth but his shoulders are shaking, and Ray knows he’s trying to keep himself together.
“Please just talk to me Mikey. I’m worried.”
To his surprise, Mikey scoffs, shooting him an incredulous look.
“Really? What’s there to say? Instead of the normal image of my brother laying on the bathroom tiles with his wrists slashed I get to see that blade coming through his chest every time I close my eyes. I get to watch you try and bring him back after his heart fucking goes out. What can you, or anyone else for that matter, say to fix that?”
They sit in shocked silence for a moment, Ray growing more concerned by the second and Mikey slowly realizing what he’s just admitted.
“Mikey-”
“No. Just don’t. You have no idea how it feels! Every night in his room this week, waking up to him with bloody wrists and screaming. He did that, those first few nights after he tried to kill himself. He’d wake up the same way, nails tearing open half-healed slashes. Why do you think they scared?”
Ray really has nothing to say. He’d always wondered why Gerard’s arms had scared, why his healing factor just didn’t work. It made sense now but god he wished it didn’t.
“I saw this coming Ray. I saw him dying and I fucking let him go anyway. I let Frank convince me, let both of them tell me that it was going to be okay. That their fucking love would be enough! I should have- I should have known it wasn’t. Mine wasn’t enough. Despite how much I love Gerard, he still took that damn razor to his skin! He did it for years and I knew about it. I knew and I dreamed of what he was going to do, of how deep he was going to cut, but I didn’t stop him I- didn’t-”
Mikey doubles over on himself, breathing fast as the panic sets in. In an instant, Ray is moving. He holds him close, just like he did for Frank, as Mikey sobs harshly against him.
The crying is somehow so much worse than the silence. Each whimper as Mikey cries harder against Ray’s shoulder sends blades into his own chest.
He had no idea… no idea about the scratching or how long Mikey had known he’d been doing those things to himself.
Gerard wasn’t the only one with guilt it seems.
Still, Mikey had been a kid, a fucking 13 year old kid, and he’d been scared.
“Shhh,” Ray coos, rocking them a little as Mikey’s cries only continue.
He’s borderline panic attack, Ray can feel his energy as is rages wildly in his distress. Using his own strength, he comforts Mikey the best he can. He lets his own energy set the pace, gently calming Mikey’s. It’s odd, something he’s never really done, but he just does what feels natural.With them together, he begins to feel Mikey relax.
It’s not sexual, not like it sounds. They’re connected in a way, the strength of their friendship is strong despite everything. Ray knows that this is what Mikey needed and scolds himself for not realizing it sooner.
Mikey just needed someone else, someone to listen to him and to understand.
He can most definitely understand.
Gerard is one of his best friends; he would do anything for him. Hell, Ray would do anything for Mikey. Anything for Frank. They stay like that a long while, until Mikey’s sobs turn into hiccups and he’s lying boneless against Ray. Instead of moving him, Ray just positions them so his head is on his lap and lets him drift to sleep.
Mikey needs it, to rest while someone watches over him. Then, Mikey and Gerard need to talk.
______________________________Frank and Gerard emerge from the bathroom in a puff of steam. It fills the hallway as they make their way back to their room.
Gerard’s legs are more than a little jelly-like after standing for so long and Frank knows this. He wishes he was strong enough to carry him, like Gerard had done for him so many times before, back into their room.
Still, he keeps a close eye on Gee, the image of him laying there in a pool of his own blood is very vivid in Frank’s mind. He knows that Gerard is better now, that he’s well on his way to being completely better, but he can’t help but glare at every sharp edge that they pass. As if the edge of the small table against the wall in the hallway will jump out and stab Gerard too. It sounds ridiculous, he knows it does, but at the same time he simply has to look ahead to be reminded why.
He’d thought they were safe before, that the warding around them and Frank’s symbol would be enough to protect them. It hadn’t been enough, both of the spells had just fucking disappeared. The only proof that the sigil was even there is the small burn in Gerard’s arm where it burned out thanks to the coven.
There’s no trace left of the warding, it shattered probably around the same time as their bond. It hurts, thinking that even both of them combined weren’t strong enough to fight the coven off.Gerard walking in front of him, the towel around his waist while he can see, just below his hair, the reason for all of this. The place the witch dug that knife through him.
But then Gerard starts humming a little. It’s quiet and tuneless, but it makes Frank realize how far he’s already come. It helps pull Frank back, away from the dark edge he’d been balancing in a few moments ago.
This was also proof, proof that their bond was growing stronger every day. That Gerard knew Frank was running all that shit through his head. As always, he was taking care of Frank. Not directly this time but it’s there all the same.
Still, being the one to actually take care of Gerard, instead of the other way around, is really nice. Stressful and scary as hell, but he loves it. Loves being able to just help, to help him wash or to help him put his hair in a hair tie. It’s just…. It’s just nice to be able to be there for him. To show him that Frank really does care about him and loves being able to help him like this.They make it back in one piece, shivering a little and exhausted, but one piece all the same. Gerard sits on the edge of the bed, towel wrapped around his hips while Frank digs through their bag. Apparently, Mr. and Mrs. Way had stopped by why Frank was still unconscious last week. They’d dropped off Lillian and some clothes for her sons and Frank as well. Frank assumed they’d taken the bodies of the coven as well, that that was the reason for their super important meeting with the other hunters.
Really, he didn’t care.
He was just happy that the coven were no longer a danger to them. Sure, he felt… something for them. Not exactly guilt or grief but he still wasn’t happy they were dead or anything.
Trying not to think of those things and ruin the good mood he and Gerard seemed to be in, Frank rummages through the bag some more. Pulling out a hoodie and sweats for Gerard, he passes them to his boyfriend and tries to find something for himself.
In the end he just picks two things at random, not really caring what he looks like so long as it’s comfy. They’re about to take one hell of a nap and he can’t freaking wait. It’s only been a few minutes but he already misses being snuggled close to Gerard.
Turning around, clothes in hand, Frank watches as his boyfriend gets dressed.
He can’t help staring. The way the soft muscles in Gerard’s shoulders move as he leans over to pull on the pants. Frank is sorta sad he missed him putting the underwear on but watching Gerard now makes it worth it. He has his damn tongue stuck out a little and everything, completely concentrating on pulling the pants up. There’s small bits of pain flashing through his aura, more so than the normal soreness, and Frank kinda wants to help him. But then Gerard has them on completely and is tying the string so they stay.
Frank simply watches, until Gerard gets to the hoodie. He tries to lift his left arm enough to run his hand through the sleeve but the movement pulls the muscles around the wounds.The pain this time is a little more sharp and Gerard winces. But tries again anyway, despite the clear discomfort it’s bringing him.
“Here,” Frank says, already stepping forward to help him.
Together they get the soft fabric over his head and his arm through the hole. They’re extremely close now, faces mere inches apart. He can feel Gerard’s hesitation; he’s waiting on Frank to make the decision.
Frank wastes no time pressing their lips together. It’s closed mouthed, soft and innocent, but thrilling all the same. Gerard sighs happily against his lips as they slowly deepen the kiss.
His hands move to Gerard’s side, resting on his waist as they lazily make out. It’s not really making out, their movements too slow and relaxed to count as that. Frank pulls away first, pulling a hand up to cup Gerard’s face so he can open his eyes. They’d fallen shut sometime during their kiss and Frank wanted to make sure he was okay. A soft press of Gerard’s mind tells him that he’s more than okay.
‘I love you,’ Gerard admits honestly, his eyes opening to find Frank smiling up at him.
‘And I love you, with all of my heart Gee.’
Gerard sighs again and Frank rests his forehead on the right side of his chest. He’s still naked save for the towel but he doesn’t care.
_____________________________
They come through for lunch soon after, empty stomachs stronger motivation than lazy desires to stay in bed all day. The nap they had was nice, though it only lasted about a half hour.
Frank follows Gerard out, simply to keep an eye on him. He watches as Gerard makes his way down the hallway, hands shoved in his hoodie pocket. The way he’s walking, no longer hunched over, relieves some of Frank’s anxiety. He’s a little… clumsy, or maybe unsteady is the right word, but Frank never has to actually help him. Gerard does the trip all on his own and honestly it makes him more than a little proud. Progress is progress damn it.
Sitting down at the small table, Frank takes in the room around him.
The kitchen is small, cozy in comparison to the large size of the rest of the house, with the table setting in the middle of the room. Brian is cooking, his back turned to them and his attention on whatever is on the stove. Lillian is at his side, peaking around his arms and trying to taste the food. He swats her away gently, telling her that it’s hot.
It’s domestic and sweet.
Only Gerard and Frank are in the room with them, Ray and Mikey nowhere to be found. Frank had honestly assumed that they’d beat them there, seeing as their little… detour in getting dressed had happened.
But no. It was just the four of them.
Gerard sat beside him, their legs touching under the table while their hands were connected as well. They watched Lillian as she darted from place to place, sometimes going to the fridge to simply open and then close the door, other times she just sort of pace as she waited. It was good to see her, she seemed happy. Not that she was unhappy before but Frank could tell she was very comfortable with Brian.
Of course, it only took a few minutes for her to become bored enough to annoy Frank and Gerard. For the most part, she’d been kept away from them. They’d needed rest and she was a little too hyper for them to really hang out until now.
“Frank!” she squeals, launching herself beside Frank in the empty chair. “Hi!”
He chuckles, squeezing Gerard’s hand as he felt the nervousness though their connection.
“Heya. How’re you doing?”
“I’m good! Dadda let me help with lunch!”
It takes Frank a moment to process the words but when he does-
Snapping his head to Brian, he can see how he’s paused and waiting on Frank’s reaction.
“I washed the potatoes!” she informs them, a wide grin on her face. “Didn’t I Dadda?”
She beams at Brian, who Frank watches take a deep breath. When he turns around though, skillet in hand, he’s smiling too.
“You sure did kiddo! Lunch is almost ready so why don’t you go wash your hands okay?”
She nods and skips off down the hallway, oblivious to Frank’s shock.
‘Did you know?’
‘Nope. Not a clue.’
“Surprise I guess,” Brian shrugs, turning the stove off and setting the skillet down on a hot pad.
Frank can see the resemblance now, the way their hair is kinda the same. Both have brown hair, longer features, and strangely soft eyes. It’s kinda weird how he didn’t notice before.
“She’s a good kid,” Frank says, trying to ensure Brian that he thinks his daughter is like the greatest kid ever.
Even though she’s the only one Frank knows.
Brian sighs, looking over to the doorway from where she skipped out.
“Yeah she really is. She told me how you guys saved her, more than once, and I just- I can’t do enough to repay you for that.”
Frank shrugs him off, feeling as if he’s already done more than enough. The dude has let them stay in his home for over a week while they sorted out their own shit. He’s fed them and let them use his bathroom, even when he and Gee were honestly pretty disgusting earlier this evening before the shower.
He tells him this, explains how he really didn’t mind helping Lill. She’d needed help and he could give it.
They’d grown sorta close though. She’d played hide and seek with him and Mikey for hours and gotten upset when she’d noticed his scars on his neck. The shirt he had on now hid them, mostly, and he wondered how she would react to the new ones.
“I just wish I could do more…” Brian trails off, hands mindlessly passing him a plate.
Gerard doesn’t get one, despite Brian’s offer, and it instantly sparks worry for Frank. He’s refused to eat before, worried over hurting Mikey, but Gerard quickly explains once he feels Frank begin to grow concerned.
‘Mikey told me that I’m gonna drink from him today. I didn’t get a choice in the matter,’ Gerard tells him, amused a little at his brother’s insistence.
Which of course prompts both of them to wonder where Mikey is.
He should have been in the kitchen already, Brian had told them early that evening that lunch would be ready at this time. Maybe he’d decided to take a nap?
Gerard had a bad feeling, one that Frank could sense the second it crossed his mind, that Mikey wasn’t okay. That he was hurt or something and that that was the reason he was late.
Dispelling his fears, Frank let Gerard sorta tag along as he searched the house for Mikey. It was hard, his magic taking a larger toll on him as he continues to recover, but not too bad. He finds Mikey relatively quickly.
Both he and Ray are in the next room, connected to the kitchen by a door across from the one that Frank and Gee entered from. They’re both on the couch, halfway curled up.
Ray is… there’s something off, some form of worry coating his aura, and Mikey- he’s a fucking mess. That’s the only way Frank can describe it.
His energies are all jumbled and there’s a leftover sort of anxiety feeling to his normal calm, orange glow. He’s sleeping deeply now, the way Frank is seeing him only a fraction of how he was before.
There’s something wrong, something Frank can’t pick up because he can’t fucking read Mikey’s mind. But he doesn’t have to. He knows that it has at least something to do with this week’s events and he knows Gerard has picked up on it as well.
Brian notices their attention on the other room, or more specifically the wall separating them, but says nothing.
‘Mikey,’ Gerard says to himself but Frank can hear it.
Gerard stands quickly, already in the other room before Frank can even set his damn fork down. Shooting Brian an apologetic look, he joins Gerard right as he catches Ray’s attention. They’re whispering, a little too loudly, as Gerard tries to figure out what is wrong.
“I saw him through Frank, the hell is wrong with him? Is he- is he okay?”
Instead of shushing Gerard, Ray just looks down at the curled up form in his lap. There are tear marks still on his cheek and as Ray wipes them off with his hand gently, they’re replaced nearly instantly. He’s still crying in his sleep.
“What happened?” Gerard’s voice is fragile, scared as he takes in his brother’s sleeping body.
“You and him need to talk.”
Gerard pulls in a sharp breath, a little bit of anger sparking up at Ray’s cold tone. He pushes it back though, fear for Mikey overshadowing everything else.
“Please Ray. What’s wrong… did I do-”
“Gee?” Mikey’s sleep-filled voice shuts Gerard up instantly.
Soon, Gerard is crushing his brother in a hug, pulling him close like it’s the last damn chance they’ll ever get to see each other. Frank can only watch as Gerard keeps Mikey’s head against his chest, a hand holding the back of his head as another presses against his back.
Mikey shakes in his arms and Frank thinks for a moment that he’s trying to pry himself from Gerard’s arms. But no, he’s sinking further against Gerard, crying once again as his own hands snake around his brother. He’s barely squeezing, careful in his hold, but Frank has a feeling that he wants to trap him in a vice-like grip and never let go.
“Shhh. Mikey I’m right here,” Gerard says, his hold never wavering on his brother.
His crying only gets worse, dissolving into sobs that shake his entire body even as he’s pressed even closer to his brother.
It’s to the point that Frank doesn’t know what to do, stuck staring at the scene in front of him and unable to move. He can feel Gerard’s worry because they still don’t know what’s wrong, not really and-
“Come on,” Ray says suddenly by Frank’s side and all but shoving him back into the kitchen. He tries to protest but Ray won’t relent, simply keeps walking forward and taking Frank with him.
Inside the kitchen once again, it seems like Brian and Lill aren’t there anymore, Ray forces him to sit down.
“Eat,” he commands, handing Frank the fork and everything,
Okay, he’s had enough.
“What the hell is going on? What’s wrong with Mikey? I’ve- I’ve never- he’s never been- like that-”
At first Ray doesn’t answer, frustrating Frank a little. Mikey is his friend too damn it.
“This whole situation, with Gerard, don’t you see how similar it is to how he found him?”
Oh.
“It’s taken a lot out of Mikey and he’s struggling okay. He and Gee just need to talk and work this all out.”
“But,” Frank argues, fork suspended in midair with veggies falling back down on his plate. “Fuck. Is he okay though? Like the way he was back there I just-”
Ray seems to catch on, suddenly looking at Frank sadly.
“It just reminds him of some bad memories ya know. He’s struggling and stubborn but right now he needs Gerard most of all. They need to talk, to get all this shit off of their chests so that this fight, this breakdown, doesn’t happen again.”
Ray sits down beside Frank, in the chair that Gerard had been in, and sighs. He looks older now, worn down and tired and it makes Frank wonder how he’s doing. He’s been so worried about Frank and them that he’s not really told them how he is.
“Ray?” Frank asks shyly, finally taking a bite of is food, “you alright?”
Thankfully, Ray seems to appreciate his concern because he flashes him something that might be close to a smile.
“Yeah,” he breathes, “Yeah I just learned some things that I didn’t know before and it… it just is hard to think about. Ya know?”
_________________________________________
Alone with Mikey, Gerard has no idea what to do.
His brother is shaking in his arms, trembling horribly as he clings to him.They’re rocking, some attempt at comfort that’s not really doing anything.
Mikey is falling apart, babbling something that Gerard can’t pick up on. It’s honestly terrifying and he doesn’t know what to do. All he can do is hold his brother close, to try and get him to calm down, to get him to fucking breathe.
“Come on Mikes, you gotta take a breath. Just relax, it’s okay. It’s okay.”
He’s not really sure what he’s saying but he doesn’t know what to do. He’s never seen Mikey like this before.
“Ge-Ge-” Mikey stutters between sobs, his body shaking even more.
It feels like Gerard is getting stabbed again, sharp pain in his chest as he listens to his brother call his name like he’s not even there.
“Shh,” Gerard tries, “I’m right here Mikey. I’m right here. Please-”
“Gee-”
Mikey squeezes tighter, honestly hurting him a little but he lets him. Whatever it takes to pull him out of this.
“Come back to me Mikey- please- please…” Gerard begs.
By some goddamn miracle it works.
Slowly Mikey begins to calm. His sobs become further apart than the last and he actually takes a real breath after a moment. Mikey is slowly deflating in Gerard’s hold, still crying softly but nowhere near as aggressively.
“Gee?”
His voice is wrecked, broken. Gerard feels like he’s bleeding again, fresh blood pouring out of his chest with each little gasp his brother takes.
“Shh. It’s okay. It’s okay,” Gerard soothes, still rocking them on the couch.
“I see- I see it-”
He’s waiting, waiting on Mikey to continue. He won’t hurry him, knows whatever is wrong is something- something bad.
“You on the floor- I see it- then and now and I-” Mikey gasps another shuddering sob tearing through him.
And god.
It’s so much worse than he’d thought.
“You,” Mikey seems to be trying to get it all out, say it all before he can stop himself. “I saw you trying to kill yourself for- for months before you actu- I saw it but I didn’t- I didn’t- and then I saw you get stabbed and I didn’t- I didn’t do ANYTHING- again- I didn’t do anything and then you died- oh god- Gee you died and I-”
Gerard can’t see through the tears streaming down his face, can’t feel anything other than his heart shattering in his rib cage at each stuttered syllable falling out of his brother’s mouth.
“Oh. Mikey you couldn’t ha-”
“But I did! I did- and you- and you died and left me here and I-”
He is getting worked up again, breathing too ragged for any more words to come out.
Gerard pulls away a little, difficult with Mikey clinging to him so harshly, and looks into his brother’s red, overflowing eyes.
He’s still crying, tears falling as stuttering breaths fall from his mouth.
“Mikey. You saved my life; if you hadn’t have found me that night I wouldn’t be here right now. The coven hurt me yes, but you and Ray and Frank, you saved me. The three of you healed me and refused to let me give up even- even when I wanted to. Mikey,” he pulls Mikey close again, his own tears falling freely now.
“Mikey I owe you my life but you should have never had to be the one to save me. I should have been stronger,” He takes his own shallow breath. “I am so sorry, more than you can ever know, that I forced you to do that. That I made you have to save me. But I can promise you, with every part of me, that I will never put you through that again.”
Mikey shakes, softer, relieved tension tears begin to fall. He’s crumpling in on Gerard, burrowing himself against his chest even as Gerard winces. The soreness is nothing compared to how he feels right now.
“I’m sorry too,” Mikey whispers against his chest, so quiet he can barely hear it. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you after-”
He doesn’t have to finish, Gerard knows what he means. All of the times Mikey took care of him, kept him safe, were like their own little apologie. The way he’d been so scared before this fight, had begged Gerard to just not go, makes so much more sense now.
Guilt… guilt he can understand.
But he has to fight it off right now, the guilt in himself trying to rise after the realization that he and Frank had just left Mikey. They’d went off and focused on each other, their own bond and Gerard’s terror for hurting him, and left Mikey to deal with everything on his own.
Gerard means his words though. He will never do this again, he will never force Mikey like this again.
“Please forgive me,” Gerard says at last.
The silence is harsh, Mikey’s slowly relaxing breathing is the only sound.
“I-I-”
He pulls away a little from Gerard, making him worry that he’s not going to forgive him. Really, he doesn’t blame Mikey if he can-
“Gee, that’s the whole point. I already forgive you,” Mikey says gently and catching Gerard by surprise.
“But-”
“I’m terrified that something like this is going to happen again but I- I just needed you to see. I needed you to know that just because you survived doesn’t mean that my-”
My guilt isn’t still here.
Gerard knows exactly what his brother can’t say. It hurts, to know how much he blames himself.
“But,” Mikey continues, falling back against Gerard’s chest and sending them onto the back of the couch.
He nearly groans, the death grip his brother has on him is painful and his chest and back are throbbing, but he keeps it in. This is not about him, not really.
“But, maybe I can learn to control the visions. To be able to see more and then maybe- fuck I don’t know- prevent it from happening.”
“I’ll help you. We can do it together.”
“Please just promise me something,” Mikey says in that quiet voice again.
“Anything.”
“Stay alive. Please Gee, just stay alive for me.”
A gasp fights through Gerard but it’s- it’s okay because that’s one thing he can do. One promise that he can keep.
“I will. I promise Mikey, I will never leave you.”
______________________________________________
Just like before, Frank can feel the emotions in Gerard as he and Mikey talk.
They’re terrifying, full of fear and worry, as Frank listens to the harsh crying sounds that come from the other room. It sounds painful, the way Mikey is crying, and Frank wants to go in there. To help Gerard but he knows that this time, it’s not about them.
He’s sorta hogged Gerard this whole time, too busy being worried himself, to think about Mikey or anything. He feels terrible now for it, can’t believe he didn’t think of Gerard’s brother. The dude who fucking SAW Gerard die in his damn dreams.
Then had to watch it happen anyway.
So Frank gives them their space, trusts that Gerard and Mikey will get through this.
“How are you feeling?” Ray asks, looking over at Frank as he waits on a response.
“I- um I’m pretty good. The shower was fucking amazing by the way.”
He decides to play along, to use this conversation to forget about the sobs coming through the walls.
“That’s good. No trouble in getting to and from then?”
“No. I mean, we were both a little tired but nothing really serious.”
Ray nods, his eyes flickering to the doorway to the living room even as he continues their conversation.
“And Gerard, how was he? That’s a big feat, to stand and take a shower and then walk back.”
“Yeah, he was pretty wiped after, but we took a nap before we came here. After that he’s been fine.”
“Good-”
Frank doesn’t hear the rest of Ray’s words, the soft touch of Gerard’s mind pressing against his distracts him.
‘Can you or Ray bring us some water and maybe a painkiller?’
It’s so simple, calm, that Frank has to process it for a moment.
‘Yeah sure. How’s- how’s Mikey?’
He can feel the flash of sadness that follows his question but it’s quickly replaced with the… with the weight of his caring for his brother. How much he loves him.
‘He’s okay now, or better at least. We needed to get this shit out though and I think we’re gonna be okay.’
‘We?’
‘Yeah, me and Mikey both sorta have some things we’re not proud of.’
Frank just gives Gerard a press of his mind and gets up to get the water. He knows better than to pry. This is something that’s not his business, not in a bad way, more in a trusting sort of way.
“-So bandages may no- hey where are you-”
“Sorry, Gee asked for some water and painkillers for Mikey,” Frank explains, already filling a glass up.
“Oh. Oh okay, I’ll go grab the meds.”
As Ray goes back towards the bedrooms, Frank takes a deep breath and goes into the living room. It’s quiet in there, the only sound being Mikey’s somewhat uneven breathing and the small sound of Gerard humming.
He looks up when Frank rounds the couch, gratefully accepting the glass of water. Gerard shifts a bit, Mikey clinging to him still.
“Here Mikey, you need it,” he says in a quiet voice, aware of the headache his brother probably has.
Oh yeah, Frank can see the tension in his head as he pries tear- sticky eyes open and accepts the glass. If he wanted to, Frank could probably heal him, drive away the headache. He doesn’t though.
He doubts Mikey, or anyone in this house, would let him.
Mikey doesn’t say anything as he downs the glass, some of the tension leaving him as he does so. He leaves a little in the bottom, offering it to Gerard wordlessly.
To his surprise, Gerard doesn’t argue and finishes the water.
“Gee?”
“Hmm?” Gerard answers, looking down at his brother, still in his lap basically.
“Did I- did I hurt you?”
“What do yo- oh. Oh, no Mikey you didn't hurt me. Not really.”
Gerard pulls Mikey a little closer and motions for Frank to join them on the couch. He does so gladly, resting his arm on Gerard’s knee. Ray comes in a few moments later, painkillers in hand. After a refill of water and the painkillers taken, Mikey drifts off in Gerard’s arms. He’s still shaking a little, the after affects of his breakdown, but he’s peaceful when Frank reads his aura. Exhausted emotionally and physically, but okay.
Ray takes the spot on the other side of them, snuggling up to Gerard shamelessly. It’s nice, quiet and warm, and Frank thinks that maybe they’re going to be okay.
____________________________________
When Mikey wakes up again, he’s still a little quiet, more so than normal.
It’s okay though, Frank watches fondly as Gerard and Mikey have one of their silent conversations. They’re not like his and Gee’s, fueled by the bond, they’re simply able to do so because they know each other so damn well.
All Frank can pick up is something about a song, only because Gerard sings the tune for a couple of seconds. It’s funny though, watching the two of them debate whatever it is on the couch.
Frank and Ray are on the floor beside them, flipping through Frank’s books.
It was bothering him, the fact that Gerard was hurt so badly by the blade despite the multiple layers of protection he had.
In the end, it was Ray who’d suggested that they search through Frank’s mini library for answers. So far, nothing really was coming up.
Bits about how to make the protection spells and stuff, but nothing on how they can be broken or completely bypassed.
Frank sighs, shutting the book in his hand a little more harshly than is needed. The sound catches Gerard’s attention and soon there’s a small poke in his head.
‘You okay Frankie?’
‘Yeah,’ he lets out a, hopefully, calming breath. ‘I just can’t find anything on how the coven broke my protection on you. It was like it wasn’t even there and if I can figure out how they did it, then maybe I can make it stronger next time.’
‘What does Ray say?’ Gerard prompts, Mikey catching on to their conversation and giving Frank a small smile. It’s strange how fast he’s coming back to them.
He hadn’t noticed before, but Mikey was getting distant from them for a while. Conversations were nonexistent and even single word sentences were rare. Smiles, well he hasn’t seen Mikey smile for real in over a week.
But right here, right here is a smile. It’s small but it means the world to Frank. It means that he’s doing better, that whatever was troubling him and Gee is being mended.
‘He has no clue,’ Frank answers, aware that he’d sorta forgotten to reply.
‘Weird.’
‘Definitely.’
“Earth to the star crossed lovers,” Ray says a little too loudly, making Gerard snort a little as he tries to hold back a laugh.
“Yeah?” Frank answers, looking at the book Ray is pushing into his hands.
“This is why.”
The page in front of him has a picture of a small, plain knife. It looks eerily familiar and it takes a moment for Frank to draw the connections.
“Is that-”
Gerard is leaning over on the couch a bit, trying to get a better look at the book in Frank’s hands.
“Yep. Turns out that’s one of the knives people, mainly hunters, use to take down vamps. It’s made,” Ray points to a paragraph on the middle of the right page, “with warding etched into the material. It’s the only thing that can kill a vampire other than ya know, spikes and head chopping.”
Looking at the page, Frank reads the lines. Just holding the blade decreases a vampire’s strength and Frank can’t really read anymore.
“Fuck, Gee I let you carry that damn thing in here. I should have felt-”
“Is that why our protection failed? The blade blocked my energy or whatever?” Gerard asks calmly, looking down at Frank but speaking to Ray.
Gerard untangles himself from Mikey and sits down beside Frank. He pulls him close, driving away the horror that’s coming from this revelation.
“Most likely. But we couldn’t have known, it’s made to be hard to detect.”
“But wait,” Mikey speaks up, “ how the hell did we get it in the first place?”
They all think for a moment but no answer comes.
“I just sorta found it in our bag when we were at your parents. I assumed you’d packed it Gee.”
“No,” Gerard says, shaking his head. “Wasn’t me.”
“That’s freaky,” Mikey says, speaking for all of them.After two hours of trying to figure out how the hell the knife ended up in their bad, they’re no closer to an answer.
Gerard is currently dozing off against Frank, the days event catching up to him.
“I say we call it here for the day. You two need to sleep and I’m sure Mikey would like a nap too,” Ray says, noticing the three of theirs half-asleep mumbles.
They all get up, a mess of sleepy and stiff and make their way down the hall.
“Mikey, do you?” Gerard mumbles, leaning on Frank a little.
“No. No Gee it’s okay.”
Frank has no idea what they’re talking about, just keeps Gerard steady as he sways a little. They really need to get him to bed.
“Are you sure?” Gerard preses and Mikey sighs.
“Yes. I’m sure. If I need you, I’ll come in okay?”
Oh.
Mikey’s dreams, or well his nightmares. Gerard was worried about him sleeping alone.
“Promise?” Gerard asks quietly, fighting his own exhaustion to make sure Mikey knew he was okay with him sharing a room with them.
“Yes. Trust me?”
Gerard nods and they part ways.
Frank has to nearly carry him, it seems like he’s been hiding how much all of this has taken out of him. They make it back in one piece though, plopping down onto their bed.
Frank instantly curls up beside him, laying his head on Gerard’s uninjured side, and listens to his heart beat. It’s still a little fast from the trip but it’s steady and strong.
“I love you,” Frank says, just because he can.
“Frankie…”
He snuggles closer, listening as Gerard falls asleep. Everything is peaceful, quiet.
Maybe they can go home soon.
_________________________________________
The next night Gerard sleeps in but Frank and Mikey walk into the kitchen at the same time. Mikey flashes him a smile as they pass each other. Frank’s already gotten his coffee and is sitting at the table, drinking slowly and savoring it, while Mikey goes for his cup.
The house is quiet, it’s early, everyone is still asleep.
“Hey, I um- I just wanted to say thank you,” Mikey says, sitting down beside Frank.
“For what?”
“Taking care of Gee.”
Frank smiles into his coffee, the soft press of a sleeping Gerard against his mind.
“Always.”
“You. You died because you healed him,” Mikey starts, pulling Frank’s attention completely now. “You were okay after the healing brew and Ray’s magic but then you healed Gee after- and that’s why you slipped away that night. I just-”
He waits for him to finish, the weight of his truth a little heavy on Frank. He’s oddly okay with it.
“I just wanted to thank you. I couldn’t protect him, I didn’t know how, and you did.”
“Mikey, you did protect him. You made sure we at least tried to use protection spells and it would have been much worse if we’d gone in blind. Give yourself some credit.”
Mikey smiles and then leans over. He rests his head on Frank’s shoulder, startling him a little. Sure, Mikey and Gee were close and they were both really touchy people. But Mikey only really was like that with Gerard.
Right now though, his head is a soft weight on Frank’s shoulder. It’s comforting.
“Thank you. For everything Frank.”
He doesn’t know what to say.
_________________________________________
“Okay,” Ray says, clapping his hands together. “Ready?”
Mikey is standing in the middle of the living room, arms crossed over his chest awkwardly. On the couch, Gerard is watching with an amused smile as his brother is given lessons in magic.
People don’t just have one gift, magic comes in a bundle of sorts and so Mikey definitely has more than he’s already seen.
Ray is trying to show him that.
Watching from his spot beside Gerard, Frank laughs a little as Mikey mumbles something under his breath. It was definitely not a family friendly thing to say.
Mikey was struggling a little, trying to find what worked for him. Magic was solely based on the caster, the way their mind works is the way their powers form.
Frank, for instance, thinks with his heart and so his magic manifests with his emotions. Is fueled by them. Ray is a bit more methodical, using written spells and recipes to perform what he needs.
Finding Mikey’s method was a little difficult, especially because he was much older than normal first time users. Magic normally manifests around 13, sometimes a little earlier, but never after 14. Mikey is nearly twice that age and so his magic is a little… wild to say the least.
Ray opened it for him, his hold on his magic, so that he can practice controlling it and then they can move on to actually calling it, focusing it.
A bright flash burns through the room as Mikey loses his hold on the magic for just a second. Desperately trying not to laugh, because Mikey is starting to get frustrated, Frank just watches them work.
‘He’s getting better?’
‘A little. We haven't been deep-fried yet so that’s a plus.’
Gerard’s snort at his comment earns them a glare from Ray as he tries to guide Mikey through the process again.
“Just focus on the feeling of the energy, it’s right below your skin, waiting on you to guide it.”
Mikey nods once and closes his eyes. He takes a deep breath and extends his arm. Sparks dance on his fingers, bright orange and burning as he takes another breath.
Shifting his hand until his palm is facing Ray, Mikey pushes out.
This time it works, his ball of bright orange energy flies right towards Ray.
It’s shaky and not really moving fast, Ray easily blocking it with a shield. Mikey grins widely as Frank and Gerard clap from the couch.
“That’s it Mikey!” Ray cheers, smiling brightly.
Mikey giggles a little in response and Frank knows what’s coming next.
He sways for a moment and then drops. Gerard tenses beside him, ready to jump up.
Mikey giggles again, more than a little loopy sounding.
“I don’t like this part,” he mumbles from the floor.
Ray helps him up and guides him to the couch.
“Yeah. It gets easier with practice,” Ray says, pulling a blanket from somewhere and covering the three of them.
Mikey is snuggling close to Gerard, already half asleep and more than a little dopey with exhaustion. As he falls asleep, Gee looks to Ray, concern strong in his eyes.
“He’s fine,” Ray tells him, already knowing what Gerard is thinking. “Magic is hard at first. It’s like working out or lifting weights, you have to get used to using those muscles.”
Mikey snores a little in his sleep, already out cold and drooling.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Alright Frank, you ready?” Ray asks, smiling gently to Frank from where they stand beside each other.
He nods once and Ray gets started.
Pointing to the stove in front of them, he goes down the list of ingredients that are neatly organized on top. They have everything from herbs to other brews lined up and ready to go, a large saucepan sitting on an unlit burner.
“Okay, first you add this,” Ray demonstrates, picking up a small, glass bottle with a red, cloudy liquid in it. “It’s basically a nutrient supplement but for vampires. It’s super gross though on it’s own and only is worth like a snack.”
They go down the list, adding this and that into the pan. Frank memorizes every word, determined to be able to do this later.
It’ll save them a lot of time and hassle if he can figure it out and always have some ready on standby. In case Frank is sick or can’t be fed from for some reason. Not that he thinks Gerard will be wanting to feed from him any time soon.
“After everything is in, you turn the stove on like this.”
Ray turns the knob on the stove to a medium heat and puts a lid on top.
“How long does it cook?” Frank asks as Ray takes a step back to get a sip of his coffee.
“About twenty minuets. After that, all I do is enrich it with my own energy and then it’s done.”
As Frank begins to answer, the brush over his mind telling him that Gerard is awake stops his sentence. He smiles as he feels his boyfriend reach out to him, trying to figure out why he’s not in bed with him.
The surprise and worry when he finds Mikey there instead.
‘Um Frankie, why is Mikey in my bed?’
Laughing to himself and earning a weird look from Ray, Frank answers.
‘Came in around 3pm, had a nightmare and didn’t wanna sleep alone. He’s okay though, we stayed up and talked for a bit,’ Frank explains.
‘Why didn’t you wake me?’
‘You need your rest.’
This was true, and Gerard knew it. According to the section in Frank’s book about the knife that stabbed Gerard, the warding on the blade also made wounds caused by it heal very slowly. In turn, he was still rather weak and needed plenty of rest to get his strength back.
‘I know but still,’ Gerard continues playfully.
The truth was that both of them sorta like how Frank gets to baby Gerard a little. Between chaperoned trips to the bathroom or kitchen and all of the cuddling while he naps, Frank is able to take care of Gerard just as much as he’s done for him. It’s nice, now that he’s basically at full strength, being able to be there for his boyfriend.
Mentally and physically.
Gerard still has swings where he’s afraid of hurting one of them, hence them making the substitute even though both Ray and Mikey are willing to donate. Frank is willing too but he’s pretty sure Ray nearly had a heart attack when he offered the other day. Good for him, Gerard had been asleep at the time and hadn’t heard his suggestion. Ray still chewed Frank out though, insisting that he refrain from any blood donations for at least another month.
‘He still asleep?’ Frank asks, knowing Mikey needs to catch up on the sleep he’s lost over the past week or so.
He’s better too, getting a full eight hours for the past couple of days. Yesterday had been the first nightmare since Gerard and his talk, but thankfully it hadn’t been anything too major. Frank had been able to calm him down pretty easily and as soon as Mikey had snuggled up to Gerard, he’d fallen right back to sleep.
‘Yeah, gonna let him sleep a little while longer. You in the kitchen?’
Frank sends a yes in reply but then has second thoughts the moment he does.
‘Wait, Gee are you good with coming in on your own?’
‘Yep, I’ll take it slow and if I’ll call if I need to.’
‘Be safe. Please.’
He feels Gerard tell him that he will and Frank has to force himself to not go down the hall. It’d be easy to help Gerrad with this but his own experience with this sort of thing tells him that constant hovering isn’t a fun thing.
The caring is nice when it’s needed but if he went to help Gerard right now, when they both know that he can do it on his own, it’d be like he didn’t trust him.
Which is the polar opposite of the truth. So, he waits it out.
He and Ray stand there, both sipping on coffee as they wait for Gerard. Ray had apparently picked up on their conversation and allowed he and Gee to speak without interrupting.
“On his way?” Ray prompts, flashing Frank a knowing smile.
Naturally, Ray knows that Frank is worried. By this point it’s nearly his default state.
“Yeah.”
“Wanna meet him halfway?”
“Or carry him here myself,” Frank mumbles, still fighting to not do just that.
“He can do it Frankie. Letting him walk around on his own is what’s gonna help build his strength back.”
With Frank’s fears, Ray’s logic and reasoning don’t comfort him as much as they should. He can feel Gerard as he gets closer, making his way slowly down the hallway, and Frank knows he’s having difficulty. Still, he hasn’t asked for help and Frank forces himself to stay put.
Frank is rewarded for his efforts by a tight hug from behind the moment his boyfriend enters the room. He’s a little shaky and Frank can feel it through their contact but he’s more proud than anything else.
‘Evening,’ Gerard says gently, mind full of the sort of calm that comes so early in the morning. Or well, evening but you get the idea.
‘Evening Gee.’
After a moment, Frank twists around, wrapping his arms around Gerard in a proper hug. He pays special mind to his chest and back but keeps the grip tight. He sighs against Frank, content.
Frank takes the opportunity to press a soft kiss to his forehead, the off moment when he is actually taller than Gerard. This makes Gerard melt into Frank’s hold, a lazy smile pulling on his lips.
“Evening Gee,” Ray calls cheerfully, apparently oblivious to the moment they were just having.
They separate, Gerard shuffling to the table while Frank rummages around for a coffee mug.
“Evening,” Gerard answers as he takes the first sip of coffee.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Mmh, like a baby.”
Ray smiles, happy with the knowledge that Gerard hadn’t have any nightmares that night. The dreams were becoming less common as time went on, something that they all were relieved by.
“Brew’s about done, you can have a fresh cup if you’d like,” Ray offers kindly.
With an enthusiastic shake of his head, Gerard downs his coffee in record time even for him.
“Alright, it’s ready. So, Frank, all I do is focus my aura into my hand. I like to do a decent amount to make the stuff really potent, and then let it sink in.”
As he speaks, Ray’s right hand glows bright red with his aura. He holds it over the brew and once it gets to a certain point, he lets it go. The energy mixes with the unfinished brew, tinting the room in a red glow. Frank nearly offers to help but knows better, both Ray and Gee would freak if he did.
It’s over in a second and Ray quickly turns off the heat, pulling the pan off of the stove. He goes over to Gerard and fills his coffee cup with the steaming liquid.
“Thanks Ray,” Gerard replies gently.
They share a knowing smile, one that hints of Ray’s insistence that Gerard drink it. He’s denied blood before but he’s not getting a choice in the matter at the moment.
“Drink up dude.”
Frank helps Ray put the rest of the brew into some glass bottles they had setting out but his main attention is on Gerard. This will be the most he’s drank since the fight, the fear he had of hurting one of them preventing him from getting anything more than a snack. The mug is downed quickly, any hesitation forgotten as his body gains the food it desperately needed. Even as Gerard sets the empty mug on the table, Ray is already beside him with the saucepan in hand. There’s still a little left in the bottom, enough for one more cupful.
“Another?” he asks, more telling Gerard to than asking.
He watches Gee nod sheepishly and then Ray fills his cup once again. This one is not finished so quickly, his boyfriend savors it, only taking small sips as he and Ray clean up.
With everything put away and the bottles filled, Frank takes a spot beside Gerard, Ray insisting that he can do the dishes.
“You eaten already?”
Frank laughs a little, something about the question feeling ironic, but the concerned expression on Gerard’s face makes him answer quickly.
“Yeah. Me and Ray had breakfast early, wanted to watch him make yours.”
“Why?” Gerard asks, pulling the mug up to his lips for another sip.
His fangs are out a little now, not fully because they’re not needed but responding to the meal all the same.
“So I can start making it for you.”
That leaves Gerard staring at him in shock. He can feel the fear pass over Gerard the moment he says it but waits for him to tell him what’s wrong, not wanting to pressure him.
“But isn’t it really draining?” Gee questions, eyes wide and mug no longer in his hands.
Their hands are touching, Gerard’s pressed gently on top of his own from where they set on the table.
“Wow. Thanks for the care Gee,” Ray teases, back still to them as he cleans up.
“No- you- you’re at like full strength but Frank,” Gee turns to him quickly, “Frank you shouldn’t be doing magic yet!”
“Gee, I’m fine. Besides, we made enough today to last for at least another week. By then, I’ll be more than able to make more.”
Gerard doesn’t look convinced and Frank watches him as he tries to find an argument, several broken ones started but never finished. It’s kinda adorable watching him fish for reasons, on more levels than one.
If he can’t find a reason for Frank not to be able to do the brew it means that either he understands that he is nearly fully recovered, will be by the time they need to make it again, or that he knows that Frank is more than willing to help him with this. Be it by his own blood or by making the fake kind.
‘No. I-I can’t- I can’t drink from you Frank I-’
‘Hey,’ he soothes, seeing how fast Gerard was beginning to panic and attempting to stop it before it got bad. ‘That’s not what I was suggesting. I would let you drink from me right now if you asked, any time you ask Gee, but that’s not the point. I want to take care of you, if you’ll let me.’
‘That shouldn’t be your job,’ Gerard protests weakly, his argument deflating quickly.
‘It won’t be a job silly. It’s just like how you take care of me.’
‘You’d really want to make the substitute for me every time I need it?’
Frank ignores the implication that Gerard won’t ever drink from him again; that is his choice and he knows that he’ll be okay with whatever his boyfriend decides.
‘I care about you so much Gee, more than you’ll ever know. Of course I would be more than happy to fix you food. It’s not like I’m offering you my first born or something, it’s just food.’
Gerard laughs a little out loud, probably letting Ray know that they’re in the middle of a silent conversation at the moment.
‘Okay. Okay but only when you want to.’
‘I’ll always take care of you silly,’ Frank tells him, punctuating his words with small kisses to his boyfriend’s soft lips. Talking in their minds means more time for kissing, something Frank hadn’t noticed before but fully plans on using to his advantage later. Or right now.
He whispers I love yous to Gerard as they continue to kiss. Their seats end up scooting to the side as they maneuver for a better angle, too caught up in the feeling to hear Mikey walk in.
“Ugh gross.”
Breaking apart at last, Frank laughs a little into Gerard’s mouth.
“Do I even wanna know what you two are laughing at?” Ray asks, amused, from the sink.
“Mikey’s reaction.”
Mikey stuttering behind them prompts Frank to turn around. Instead of a blush or look of grossed out, he looks shocked more than anything.
“What reaction? Both of your eyes were closed; you didn’t see him walk in.”
“You said ‘ugh gross’,” Gerard tries, looking over Frank’s shoulder to his brother.
At this, Ray turns around, a dish towel thrown over his shoulder.
“No one said anything out loud Gee.”
“Yeah,” Mikey adds, “I thought it but I didn’t say it.”
Pulling away completely from Gee, Frank turns around to fully face Mikey. Both he and Ray are looking at them with shock.
“Yes you did; I heard you Mikey.”
“No. I thought it but didn’t say it.”
What the fuck?
Frank had heard it, most definitely heard Mikey’s grumpy acknowledgement of their kissing at the breakfast table. It’d been out loud and Gerard had heard it too. Right?
“Gee?”
“Yeah, Mikes I heard you say it. Don’t fuck with me dude,” Gerard says, words joking but tone serious.
“No fucking way.”
Frank turns to Ray as he wipes his hands on the dish rag on his shoulder, grinning wildly. Was this some kind of prank or something?
Raising his brows to try and get Ray to tell them what he was thinking only led to Ray laughing to himself for a long moment.
“Dude. The hell is so funny?” Frank jabs, a little frustrated.
“Gee, concentrate on me for a sec.”
Even though Ray didn’t answer Frank’s question, Gerard still does what he asks, albeit somewhat confused as he does so. Frank feels him concentrate on Ray, his brows knit together a little.
‘If you can hear this say hi.’
That was so not Frank talking in Gerard’s head. Actually, it sounded suspiciously like Ray and oh my god-
Fucking mind reading.
Gerard looks stunned, eyes wide as he stares at Ray in disbelief.
“Hi?”
‘No idiot. In your head,’ comes Ray’s teasing reply.
‘Hi?’ Gerard repeats, flashing a glance to Frank after realizing he too could hear this exchange.
He then crumples a little, going a bit pale from the obvious strain.
‘I knew it. Don’t answer back, it takes more effort to answer than to simply listen.’
“Okay. Yep, suspicions confirmed,” Ray finishes aloud with a nod.
Frank’s busy worrying over Gerard as the small conversation in their heads seemed to have drained him. He’s got ghosting of dark under his eyes, like he hasn’t slept in a few days, and Frank sorts wants to give him some more of the fake blood.
Food is the answer to everything right?
“What suspicions?” Mikey asks sharply.
Oh- right- he hadn’t heard the whole exchange in Gerard’s head. It was probably their bond that’d allowed Frank to listen in. “Well, it makes sense. You have magic and it seems, so does Gee,” Ray says as he steps closer to the table.
“But-”Gerard stutters, “but I've never done- that before.”
“You and Frank picked up each other’s minds more quickly than normal. That was probably our first sign and then, even when your bond was still shaky after the fight you still had a sense of each other’s thoughts,” Ray explains as Frank presses a hand against Gerard’s forehead.
He doesn’t know why he’s expecting a fever but it might be the paleness of Gee’s face and the way he’s blinking so slowly. There’s no fever, just a sleepy nudge against his mind to let him know that Gerard’s okay. Tired but fine.
“Magic doesn’t skip a generation and a half Gee,” Ray finishes, leaving the rest of them in a stunned silence.
“But wait. Why now? Why after all this time is this manifesting?”
“They could have been delayed after he was turned,” Ray says by explanation to Mikey, “ the other abilities that came with that might have overshadowed this.”
“Are you alright?” Frank asks, his hand sliding down to rest on Gerard’s cheek.
The vampire’s eyes are closed and he leans into the touch, but a smile is breaking on his face all the same.
“Yeah, more than alright.”
___________________________
Curled up on the couch, body completely intertwined with Gerard, so much so that he’s not sure who’s on top of who, Frank never wants to leave this moment.
The first traces of dawn are peaking through the opened curtains of the living room; the black of the night time sky is fading into a softer blue as the sunrise gets near. It’s nearly the color of Gerard’s energy, which is sleepy and calm against Frank.
Ray and Mikey’s light snoring comes from the floor in front of them, the tv displaying the title card for whichever horror movie they stopped on. They’d all fallen asleep hours ago, sleeping schedule weird with all of the naps and odd wake up times over the past week.
It was nice though, to be able to simply lay there, lost in the moment. To trace the patterns of Gerard’s face with his eyes because his hands were pinned beneath some part of his boyfriend’s body. He didn’t want to move. Not now, or ever really.
Still, the slowly rising sun meant that he needed to close the curtains.
With great effort, Frank detangled himself from Gerard’s hold and padded over to the window. The sky was burning red now, the tops of the houses on their street looking like they were on fire as the morning light gleams off of their roofs. It’s pretty, something Gerard would probably like to paint, but Frank would rather keep staring at his boyfriend.
He goes back to the couch as quickly and quietly as possible, careful when he snuggles close again to not hit Gerard’s chest or back. The wounds are nearly healed but still sore, and he’d really not want to hurt Gee.
Gerard mumbles in his sleep, arms instantly snaking around Frank protectively. The light from the window is just strong enough for him to see the varying shades of red in Gerard’s hair. There’s bits of the dark brown at the roots, giving it an intentional look even though he knows he just hasn’t gotten around to dying it again.
The strands seem to be glowing, Frank’s breath making the closest ones move a little each time he exhales. Gerard shifts, snuggling ever closer against Frank’s chest, his ear against his heart.
He never wants to leave.
________________________________________________
Exactly two weeks after the fight, Ray gives them permission to go home.
Mikey has been practicing his control over his magic for nearly a week. According to Ray, the more he works with the broader aspects of his abilities, the easier interpreting and actively controlling his dreams/visions will be.
He’s still a long ways off, his grasp on the concepts still new, but he’s made damn good progress by the time they’re all packing up to go home.
They know Brian would never kick them out but Frank has a feeling that they’re beginning to overstay their welcome. Besides, he can’t wait to get back into the normal track of things.
He misses his dogs, his appartment, fuck even his bed.
Most of all though, Frank misses the peaceful normalcy of waking up, having breakfast with Gee, and doing work.
All of the excitement of the past three weeks has been more than enough for Frank, at least for a while. He knows it’s not going to end though, this excitement, and that they’re not just going to go home and forget everything that happened.
Not that he wants to or thinks that he ever could forget the fight or anything else.
Especially not with the feeling of Gerard under him on their borrowed bed right now. He’s got his mouth firmly attached to Frank’s and their naked chests pressed together.
It’d started off as a quick peck on the lips as they passed each other while packing but soon Gerard was leaning back onto the sheets. Frank followed, leaning overtop of him and devouring him with his mouth.
They’re both out of breath but each time they come up for air, they gasp for just a moment before diving back down. The feel of Gerard’s body under him, his hands firmly on Frank’s hips as he guides them into a rocking motion.
Frank is already hard, having gone entirely too long without touching Gerard like this, but he’s wary. He doesn’t want to hurt him.
Still, the way Gerard is moaning into his mouth with each roll of his hips keeps Frank going. They still have their boxers on, as far as they’d made it with getting dressed.
This time, rather than letting Gerard get him off first, Frank is determined to make him finish first. He can’t remember the last time he actually got to watch Gerard as he fell apart, the way his mouth parted in silent gasps as his legs shake.
God. Frank needs to see that, needs to feel the tremble as Gerard cums.
So he rocks against him, a steady rhythm that benefits Gerard more so than himself. But that’s fine, Gerard’s expressions, his sounds make it so worth it.
Frank finally breaks their kiss, mouth going down to nibble on Gerard’s jaw a little to accompany a particularly merciless roll of his clothed cock against Gerard’s.
“Ah. Frankie-”
“Shhh.”
He rocks again, feeling Gerard shiver at the sensation. Bringing one hand up from its position on his boyfriend’s shoulders, Frank tangles his fingers in Gerard’s hair. He doesn’t pull, wanting this to be gentle and loving rather than harsh. Still, just the gentle tug makes Gerard’s mouth open into one of those soft little gasps.
Frank is captivated by Gerard’s mouth, his lips stretched thin by the next gasp that accompanies another thrust from Frank.
“Ah. Ah-”
Frank swallows the next one, the need to taste Gerard’s mouth overshadowing his want to watch.
‘Close-’ Gerard stutters in his mind, a wave of pleasure coursing through Frank as well.
He’s close too but wants Gerard to cum first, needs to watch him as he does so.
‘Cum for me.’
Gerard shutters once and with one final roll of Frank’s hips, comes undone beneath him. With his eyes squeezed his gasps raise in pitch until he’s simply letting out a long whine against Frank’s mouth.
He’s still coming when Frank’s own release sneaks up on him, leaving him shouting the broken syllables of Gerard’s name against his mind.
____________________________
Gerard has been more than a little interested in his new found magic.
It was more than a bit of a shock but Frank was happy to teach him the ends and outs of it, just like Ray has been doing for Mikey.
They’re sitting in their apartment, or well Frank is sitting on a bar stool while Gerard stands across the room, finishing up with the day’s practice.
‘Ready?’
He feels Gerard’s hesitation at first but then his stubbornness over rules it and he gives Frank a mental thumbs up.
‘Go for it.’
They’re trying something simple, just a small flare of Gerard’s aura. It’s something that’ll help him gain a better hold on his magic but also be relatively easy to start with.
Truthfully, they can’t practice the mind reading thing because they can do that already. They would go to Mikey but he’s currently with their parents, still sorting out all of the coven bulshit. Gerard and he had been invited but had chosen to not go, their business with the whole ordeal finished. And besides, Mikey knew the whole story rather than the bits and pieces that Frank and Gee remembered.
‘How’s this?’ Gerard asks, gaze flickering over to Frank for approval.
He’s got a dim glow around him, visible even without their bond and Frank’s magic, both of which he blocked a bit to be able to judge Gerard’s progress. The blue/green around Gerard is sorta faint, like it was when he was hurt, but Frank knows it’s not from that.
This is as much as Gerard is able to project right now but it’s slightly more than the last time they tried. A sense of pride fills Frank as Gerard hears his thoughts and smiles to himself at the feat.
The light glow of his aura flickers out as he ends the spell, Frank also ending his block on his own, and sits down dramatically on the couch.
“Fuck I’m tired,” he groans, laying a hand over his eyes like he’s a swooning maid or something.
“Oh, do you want me to kiss it better?”
Frank is already moving, their mouths clashing together instantly.
Let’s just say no more practicing happens that evening.
_____________________________
‘You gonna eat that?’
Mikey looks up at Gerard, his brother’s fork hanging hazardously above his plate. Gerard’s own plate is empty, as is his fifth (or maybe sixth) cup of coffee. The tired waitress ended up giving them the whole pot, telling them to yell if they needed another.
That was three pots ago.
Looking down at his own plate, and fourth cup of coffee that sits half finished, Mikey sighs and pushes the plate to Gerard. He doesn’t mind, not really, so long as it means Gerard is happy.
Discreetly, his brother pulls a small bottle from his jacket pocket and dribbles a generous amount onto the burger before hurriedly replacing it.
Really the whole thing is suspicious but Mikey knows no one in the diner is watching them. There’s just a big family three tables down, with way too many screaming kids, and an old man at the bar, no one cares about the vampire pouring fake blood on his burger. In truth, the blood sorta looks like hot sauce so they could easily explain it away should anyone ask.
‘Thank’s Mikey!’ Gerard says, digging in and taking a bite out of his half-finished burger.
Gerard’s been getting better with the whole mind reading thing.
It’d been a weird concept at first, that both he and his brother had magic but never knew until last month. It took Gerard nearly dying for them to figure it out but still, a good surprise all the same. Maybe that was why they’d always been able to have such complex interactions without saying a word, a little bit of both of their magics fuling their already close relationship.
Over the past month though, things have been hectic for the both of them.
Mikey has dealt with all of the loose ends regarding the coven, who they were, why they were so pissed, cleaning up the mess. It was exhausting to say the least and he was glad that it was finally behind them.
Between that and discovering his own magic, Mikey was more than ready for this night out with his brother.
They’d been planning it for weeks, both of them wanting some quality time.
Mikey had been busy also in learning how to control his aura and even how to do small spells. He’s pretty good with healing stuff and Frank’s been giving him impromptu lessons whenever he has time.
Ray on the other hand, is teaching him to control his strongest ability: his visions.
Those are harder but easier at the same time.
They’re not as draining as other magic he’s learning to do but they’re more difficult to hone in on, to be in control of. Mostly they just come in his sleep, the dreams turning into visions that have been getting more frequent with the amount of practice he’s been doing.
He’s only activated a vision once while awake, seeing Gerard and him at this very lunch. Okay, it’s four am but it’s lunch for them.
Gerard seems to be his focal point, most visions center around him just like his dreams, or nightmares, do.
He still occasionally gets the nightmares but they’re nowhere near as bad as before. At Gerard’s instance, he’s taken to calling his brother whenever he has a bad one and they talk until Mikey falls back to sleep.
It’s nice, knowing that Gerard was only a phone call away and that he didn’t have to lie about the dreams he was having.
‘You still with me dude?’ Gerard asks gently, noticing his mind begin to wonder.
‘Yeah. Sorry, lost in thought I guess.’
Gerard gave him a small smile, picking up on what was going through his head. His ability to read minds was also a new, weird thing.
For the most part, unless it was Frank, he could only really listen in if he was physically close to someone. Mikey currently is two feet away so their connection is strong, less of a strain on Gerard. They could talk like this for hours.
‘Everything okay?’
Mikey smiles, the knowledge that he really could tell Gerard if anything was bothering him a strange, but welcome, comfort. It wasn’t like he couldn’t before but if anything was about Gerard or his past, it used to be shaken off and the topic changed.
Now, Mikey knows he can ask or tell his brother anything that’s troubling him, whether it be about Gerard or not.
‘Absolutely,’ Mikey says, showing Gerard a glimpse of his easy feeling. ‘How’s training with Frank? Any different than Ray’s?’
Gerard laughs, high pitched and easy.
Mikey has missed this, missed Gerard being this open, this happy.
‘He’s still so protective of me, which I so love by the way, but he’s also really good at guiding me to do the right thing.’
‘That’s awesome Gee.’
‘Like I was able to do one of those aura projection things the other day and everything!’
As Gerard talks, he’s waving his fork. It looks odd, his face pulling expressions and his fork moving even though his mouth is closed.
They probably both look nuts but Mikey doesn’t care.
‘Oh. Shit Gee that’s so cool. I’m still struggling with getting it to keep straight once I let go.’
‘I have never been straight a day in my life so I can’t help you with that one,’ Gerard deadpans.
They both laugh aloud, earning weird looks from the waitress but they don’t care. Even the fading scars on Gerard’s chest and back, along with the older ones on his arms, are at the very back of Mikey’s mind.
Sure they’re there, will always be there, but he just sort of knows that it’s okay now. That they survived everything the coven threw at them.
______________________________________________
It takes nearly a month and a half before Frank and Gerard both have a day off.
Between Gerard working for Ray to try and scrounge up enough for their upcoming rent and Frank also working like crazy, they haven't had much time.
Sure, they've had quick little moments alone. Most of those were spent either cuddling or with Frank pinned beneath Gerard. Neither of those were bad things but Frank had something else in mind for today.
So, when they both manage to have the same day off Frank takes full advantage of it.
He heads out long before Gerard wakes that evening, grabbing take out and snacks along with lube and some flowers. He’s a romantic guy.
Gerard is still asleep when he gets back so Frank quickly gets to work setting everything up. He pulls all of their favorite movies and sets them on the coffee table in the living room along with the snacks. The takeout is also set down, still steaming a smelling absolutely delicious.
Frank puts the lube down behind a couch cushion, a surprise for later, and goes to find his boyfriend.
Opening the door to their bedroom, the wood creaking loudly, Frank sneaks up to Gerard’s side of the bed. He’s sleeping hard, mouth wide open and face relaxed. Even with his serious case of bedhead, Gerard looks stunning and all Frank can do is stare for a few moments.
Then the familiar flash tells him that Gerard is awake just seconds before his eyes flutter open. Unable to resist, Frank kisses his nose as he sturs into consciousness. A soft sigh escapes Gerard’s mouth, more of a breath than anything.
“Evening baby.”
“Mmhm. Hey Frankie,” Gerard says, yawning adorably and stretching.
The covers surrounding him fall from his shoulders as his arms raise up, the joints popping as he does so. Gerard’s eyes open yet again, now wide awake and smiling brightly up at him. He notices the flowers in Frank’s hand, face lighting up instantly.
“Wha- Frankie?”
“Thought they were pretty. They reminded me of you.”
It was the truth, the flowers were blue and green and they’d caught his eye instantly. They looked like his and Gerard’s auras and they were beautiful.
“Frankie,” he whispers, a deep blush forming on his cheeks.
“Got a surprise. Follow me.”
He leads an only slightly groggy Gerard to the kitchen, putting on a pot of coffee as his boyfriend finds a vase to put the flowers in.
Coffee acquired, they head back into the living room, Gerard finally noticing the things Frank has set up.
“Food?”
Of course that’s what Gerard sees first.
“Yep,” Frank says, smiling. They both sit down on the couch, coffee cradled in their hands. “From that little breakfast place down the street.”
“Aww. Frankie…”
They dig in, the food still warm and delicious as they eat. Frank ends up cuddling against Gee, his head laid on the other’s shoulder as they finish their coffees, the food long gone.
“Day on the couch,” Gerard reminds him, repeating his own words back to him.
“Mmhm. Still up for it?”
“Oh definitely. Which movie do you wanna watch first?”
They end up settling on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the familiar scenes turning into background noise rather quickly.
Sometime around Bilbo’s birthday party, Gerard leans over to kiss him. It’s hard and passionate, teeth and tongue instantly clashing.
The peaceful atmosphere is gone rather quickly, Gerard all but pinning Frank against the couch as he kisses the breath out of him.
It’s honestly the best day he’s had in a long time, maybe ever. Each time he wakes Gerard is staring at him, face so full of love that it brings butterflies to the sides of his stomach line.
____________________The End__________________