FicWad

Yeah, I know the chapters are short near the beginning. It was kind of intentional. I wrote this on Fanfiction earlier this year, and now I'm reposting the fic in other places since FF deleted it. The chapters start getting longer now, don't worry.
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Frank's POV

"Hey, Iero," Alex was standing in front of me, looking like he was getting ready to beat me up.

"What?" I asked impatiently; I didn't have time for this today.

"Oh, aren't we edgy? What else do we have to do besides talk to Alex, Iero?" His hand was still on his textbook.

"Get to class, Mr. Carter," Mr. Cullen said, coming to my rescue.

"See you, Mr. C.," Alex said, leaving his book on my desk for me to pick up as he left. I didn't pick it up.

Once we were in the hall, he turned on me again. "I'll ask you again: what's the rush, Iero? I know for a fact that you don't have any friends to meet, so what is it?"

"As a matter of fact, that's exactly what I have to do," I halfway lied with a smirk. I knew Gerard probably wasn't waiting for me, but for now, I figured I could use him as an excuse.

"Oh, really! You hear that, Slam?" he said to one of his friends. "Iero's got a little girlfriend he's gotta meet! Isn't that sweet?" he said, turning back to me with anger in his eyes. Ugh, he had it all wrong. That wasn't it at all. "Well, I hope she likes blood, because you're about to be covered in it." He drew his arm back, and his fist collided with my nose. Sure enough, I felt blood running down my face from my nose, and I tried to get away.

My unsuccessful attempt to escape was punished my more punches to the face, leaving me with no defense. Just then, I heard a voice from behind Alex.

"Frank? Hey!" It was Gerard, thank God he left the classroom after I did. Wait, he was about to get the shit beaten out of him if he didn't stay away. I tried to warn him, but he didn't listen to me.

"Leave him alone, asswipe," he said, miraculously throwing Alex off me, while Slam and his other friends stared in awe, not moving.

"Look, Iero's got his own bodyguard now," Alex said, drawing back his arm again for a punch to Gerard's face.

"No!" I yelled, but I was astounded as Gerard deflected the force of the punch with ease.

"Not a bodyguard," he corrected, ready to throw his own punch. I watched him as he cocked his arm back, and with a fluent motion of his arm, nailed Alex right in the center of his face, causing his nose to crack slightly and blood to spurt from it. Alex's attention left Gerard and I, and went to his bleeding nose.

He called off his friends, threatening me and still holding his nose. "This isn't over, Iero. You're gonna pay for that. You won't have your new shield with you all the time, so watch out." With that, he spat and he and his friends walked away.

I turned to Gerard, immensely grateful and a little humiliated. "You didn't have to do that," I nearly whispered to him.

"Oh, really? What, you think you could've held him off by yourself?" he smirked back.

"No, but--"

"Okay then." He looked triumphant. Now what say you go home and get cleaned up."

"Okay-- wait, I can't," I accidentally said aloud. I mentally smacked myself in the head; Gerard doesn't need my problems on top of his. "Shit," I said.

"What do you mean, you can't? You want to stay for your other, what, two classes or something?" he asked, beginning to walk again, smirking.

"I, uh, sure," I replied, not too convincingly. He eyed me suspiciously.

"Really?"

"I, well, uh..." I began, unsure. I sighed, defeated. I noticed we'd stopped by the door near the parking lot, and no one was in the halls, since the bell had already rung. "No, I can't go home. My mom caught me trying to throw out her vodka bottle this morning."

"And you can't go home because of that?" He was trying so hard to understand.

"You don't understand," I sighed again, giving in. I took off my jacket and lifted up my shirt to reveal dark purple bruises all over my body and arms. "My parents are alcoholics, have been since I was eight. My parents divorced when I was seven. I guess they started drinking to cope with it all, but it turned into alcoholism, then addiction. Now they're alcoholics, and they're really messed up. They beat me, Gerard. Every chance my mom gets, she picks up the nearest hard object and hits me with it. See this one slash right here?" I asked, pointing to a particularly long cut near my ribcage. "My dad paid us a little visit yesterday. He had a knife."

Gerard stood in silence, taking it all in.

Gerard's POV

My eyes went from bruise, to cut, to bruise; which contrasted against his pale white skin. I couldn't believe it at all: little Frank Iero, beaten up by not only kids at school, but by alcoholic parents at home, too. There was no safe place for him to go, and to think, he'd been the one comforting me earlier today.

"My God, Frank," I started quietly. "Damn."

"Yeah," he replied, tugging his shirt back down. "That's why I can't go home."

"What are you going to do, then?"

"I don't know. I'll figure something out, just like I always do." He looked at the floor.

"Hey, I know we only met each other today, but since we have only two classes before school's over anyway, you can stay at my house for a while. You know, to get cleaned up and such," I offered.

He looked at me. "Are you sure? What would your parents say?"

"I don't live with my parents. I have my grandma, and she'd love to have you."

He smiled the most beautiful smile I'd ever seen, relieved. "Thanks so much, Gerard."

We walked out of the school to my neighborhood. I lived close enough to walk, which was good, since I wasn't old enough to have a license.

"You're sure your grandma won't mind?" he asked again, I guess making sure this wasn't some cruel dream.

"Not at all. In fact, if you ever need a place to stay, just come to my house anytime," I replied, and I could see the pure relief on his face, making my insides melt.