FicWad

Three days later.

“They haven't reconciled yet?” Frank asked, kicking a stray stone into the pond of a local park, his sunglasses perched on the end of his nose to keep the sun from hurting his eyes.

Bob leaned back on his elbows and let the sun warm his face, “Nope.”

“But I thought you said they'd apologize in no time,” Frank stared at Bob.

“I know...”

“Well, have they had fights before?” Frank didn't mean to pry, he just wanted to know.

“Yeah, a few here and there—like five, I think.”

“How long did it take them to apologize to each other?” Frank picked up a stone from the wet edges of the pond and cast it across the surface. It skipped and went so far that it hit the tree on the other side of the lake, scaring a few birds from the branches.

“Like, a few hours.”

“And it's been three days!” Frank asked and Bob nodded, a look of worry on his face, “Shit, if say they're as close as you say they are... that argument really must have been a big deal. What were they arguing about?”

Bob paused, watching Frank skip another rock then he bit his lip. After Ray had calmed Mikey down enough and filled in on the argument he immediately went to Bob. He explained things and in a way, Bob wasn't really surprised they argued about this. He wanted to tell Frank because the poor guy looked really tore up about the two brothers not talking to each other, but he couldn't. He shouldn't. Gerard would be so embarrassed and Mikey would kill him.

Shrugging Bob looked to the right of him so he didn't have to face Frank. He was a shitty liar. “Dunno.”

Frank stared at the blond for a moment, wanting so much to push the guy for more information. He had to know more, he just had too, but he thought better of it. Bob is a nice guy and all, but he did get an attitude when he was pressured or hurried. Frank sucked on his lip a moment, then sighed, “I want to ask, but then I'll be prying and it's probably none of my business...”

If only you know, Frankie-boy, Bob chuckled lowly. “It's better if you don't.”

Frank sighed and sank down to the ground, “I know...”

Silence took over; nothing but the birds chirping and the kids yards away shrieking on the playground. Bob leaned back until he was on his back and Frank just sat cross-legged next to him. He started forming plans to maybe get the brothers to talk again, because this wasn't good and Gerard has been stuck in his room for these three days. He hadn't come down and Bob and Ray have been delivering meals to him and Mikey has been avoiding him completely.

Shit, Frank groaned softly. He was doing so well too, no telling what he's thinking now.

Maybe he would both tell them to go to a cafe(without telling them he wouldn't be showing up) and they could talk it out, get over this argument. Frank bobbed his head dreamily then he stopped. He scowled to himself, what the fuck? That's such a horrible plan, who the fuck does that shit? He sighed. Too many shitty romantic comedies and sitcoms he has watched one to many times when he was younger. God.

Meanwhile, Bob had dozed off, his mouth slack and a bee buzzing dangerously around his mouth. Frank watched it for a moment or two, thinking it would hilarious if it went in his mouth and stung the ever living shit out it, but then Bob would get pissed at Frank for not warning him. Frank waved the bee off and shook Bob's shoulders.

“Wake up, Bobbert, we gotta go get the food.”

Bob groaned, “Don't call me that.” Frank sprung to his feet and helped the blond off the ground. Bob stretched and cracked his neck, “Alright, let's go.”

They walked from the nice park over to a local Chinese restaurant and ordered to go. As they waited Bob gestured over to an empty table and they both took their seats. Bob leaned back in his seat and picked with the paper umbrellas and Frank was wringing his hands and biting his lip.

“So uh...” Frank began. Bob looked up and cocked an eyebrow. “I really, really don't want to seem like a nosy little shit, but could you at least, give me a hint on what Mikey and Gerard were arguing about? Maybe I can help if you do.”

Bob scratched under his chin, thinking he shouldn't. “I don't really know...” Not only would Ray and Mikey be on his ass, but poor Gerard would be so embarrassed; his trust was something to be treasured—poor guy.

“Please Bob?” His eyes grew twice their size and he jutted out his bottom lip for the ultimate puppy-dog face. Bob had to avert his eyes, because wow, he's not going to lie, that was really fucking cute. Mikey did it on occasions when he really wanted something from Bob, and Bob always said no, but Frank did it a million times better than Mikey. His immunity crumbled and he found himself giving in. “I want to help.”

Bob ran a hand through his hands then slid them down his face. He could always not really tell what the argument had been on and be really vague. Yeah. He'll do just that. “Well... they were arguing over religion.”

Frank stopped wringing his hands and stared at the blond before him strange. “Is that it?”

“Kind of. It's just that Mikey is a little shocked to see that Gerard is still “kissing God's ass”,” Bob curved his fingers in quotation marks, “After they've escaped from Heaven some odd years back.”

“Oh?” Frank tipped his head to the side.

Bob nodded, paused when their orders were ready, and got them. When he came back to the table he handed a bag to Frank and kept the other one for himself. Gesturing towards the door, they exited and Bob continued, “And I don't mean to seem like a gossiping kind of guy, but I would have thought that Mikey would be a little more sensitive towards Gerard's religion problems.” Bob shrugged.

“What problems is he having?” Frank pressed.

“He... well, he just... ah, let's just say he's more into guys than girls--” Bob found himself saying, he cursed himself, but still found himself being vague. At least he didn't come right and say “oh, Gerard likes you Frank, and he thinks he's going to burn in hell for it.” At least he didn't say that, he's still being vague, right? “And well, you know in the bible it says that a man can't lay with another man and all that shit, and well Mikey confronted him about it. Gerard said it was a sin, it offended Mikey because you know him and Ray are a thing, and shit just got outta hand.”

Frank let the information sink in and sucked on his lip thoughtfully. Well, the obvious thing that Frank would say would be screw religion, just go with your heart, but Gerard's more sensitive than that it seems. “So... Gerard's gay and can't admit it to himself.”

“Mhm.” Bob kicked a stray can out of the way.

“I see...”

Bob made another grunt then his eyes went wide. Shit. Did he really just say all that to Frank? Shit shit shit! Damn it he was no better than a gossiping, teenage girl; he was going to keep it to religion problems and leave it at that, but NO.

He resisted the urge to ram his palm into his face and turned a glare on the vampire. Frank stopped in his tracks, the piercing blue eyes boring into his own. “You can not let on that you know, okay? I wasn't even suppose to probably say all that. You and your damn puppy dogs eyes, damn you Iero.”

Frank giggled.

“I'm serious Frank.”

“I won't!” He held up his arms.

Bob's glare flickered over every inch of Frank's smooth face, his eyes especially—he really didn't want to get his ass kicked by Mikey. Frank appeared sincere. He backed off, “Alright.” He began walking again, making Frank jog to catch up to him. “I thought I would have to kill you.”

Frank bounced beside him, “You wouldn't do that.”

XXX

“We've brought food!” Bob announces as he kicks open the door to the living room, catching Ray and Mikey snuggling on the couch.

“Good, I'm fucking starving.” Mikey flicks his wrists and the bags are off Frank and Bob's arms and hovering over to the two of them. They land on the coffee table, all in a line, and Mikey flicks his wrist once more and the lids are flipping open. When Ray and Mikey's orders are identified they're hoovering from coffee table and too the individuals laps.

Ray grinned and pressed a kiss to Mikey's cheek, “Thank you.”

Bob settles on the couch next to Ray and takes his order, and now all that was left were Frank and Gerard's order. Frank glanced over to Mikey to he was pressed farther into Ray's side, he didn't look like he was going to move anytime soon. The food was going to get cold, and Gerard wasn't going to be coming down from his room.

“I guess I'll take this up to Gerard then?” Frank slowly closes the lids on both of the orders and stacks them on top of one another, holding them in tattooed hands. Watching Mikey to gauge his reaction; he didn't even stop eating. He does tense up though.

Ray gives him a curious look though and Bob's eyes are narrowed, watching him, like he is trying to figure out what Frank is going to do. If he's honest, Frank hasn't thought up anything yet, nor was he thinking of anything. He was just trying to be kind.

Frank nods hesitantly and says, “Alright then,” Before he is out of the living room and taking the steps two at a time. Before he even knows it he's slowing down the dimmest hallway of the whole house, eyes never leaving the black door at the end of the hallway.

The door was slightly ajar, and Frank found himself wishing that he hadn't been so quick to volunteer. Maybe he should have left the food on the table; Ray would have reheated it in the microwave and brought it up to Gerard. Probably with out saying much to him. And that wouldn't be fair to Gerard.

Frank shifts the containers to one hand, reaching out and rapping his fist against the wood lightly. He steps back and waits.

There isn't an answer. Frank tries again.

He knocks louder, and this time speaks, “Gerard?”

Still no answer.

Frank doesn't want to yell and he doesn't want to enter the room with out being given permission, but he never really liked when people didn't answer him at when he calls on them. Especially behind closed doors—it freaks him out. “Okay, well I'm coming in,” Frank feels like he needs to say and pushes the door open.

The room is bathed in the glow of the afternoon light and Frank pauses at the door. It's just like he thought Gerard's room would look like. About a dozen easels in one part of the room with paint brushes perched on them (and his room is pretty fucking huge, bigger than his and the others), paint splatters on the wall, empty and full tubes of paint scattered on a cluttered desk on and the floor. He has band posters plastered around the walls and he can see another door on the other wall, slightly ajar revealing tile and part of a sink—en suite bathroom.

Frank takes a hesitant step into the room, searching the far corners of the room for the missing demon-angel. The bed is empty with the sheets thrown everywhere and sketch books hiding in the sheets. Frank sets the containers on a small section of the cluttered desk, trying not to disturb the drawings and paint tubes, and at the same time making sure the food didn't topple to the ground. Frank turns from the desk, eyes lingering on the door to the bathroom.

For a moment he thinks of everything that could behind the door. It could be nothing, and then it could be Gerard, dead, in a puddle of his own blood. Frank's breath hitched at the thought. Shaking his head clear of those thoughts, he crossed the room with relative ease. He had his hand outstretched by the time he came with in a couple of feet of the door.

He really hoped his mind wasn't right.

Frank screwed his eyes shut and pushed it open. It swung open with a creak, revealing... nothing but the tub, a pair of dirty jeans, and the sink. He opened his eyes slowly and took in the sight, searching the bathroom, but coming up with no Gerard.

He sighed and stumbled backwards in relief. “Oh thank god.” He sat on the bed and scrubbed his fingers over his face. A new thought popped in his head. These are the only places Gerard could really hide, unless he slipped out of the room or something.

Just as Frank began to stand up a large shadow shifted along the wall in front of him. Frank jumped and spun around.

There was a glass door opposite to him that Frank hadn't noticed. He could see through the glass, he could see a figure on the other side on what looked a like a balcony, leaning against the banister. It was Gerard, he could tell by the messy hair and the pale arms.

Frank hopped over the bed and knocked on the glass, grinning like an idiot. Glad to see he wasn't hurt.

Gerard hunched his shoulders forwards and turned around.

Frank waved.

Gerard stared at him for a long moment, he stepped forward and opened the door. “Frank?”

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come in your room with out your permission. Bob and I just came back with the food, and well, I thought I would bring it up to you.” He rocked on his heels.

“Oh,” Frank could see the gratitude swirl in those green eyes, like he's been starved of attention—well, Frank is glad that he decided to come up here. “Thank you. Do you maybe want to... eat on the balcony?”

“Yeah, let me just grab the food.”

In a few minutes the two of them were sitting side by side, looking out over the garden as they ate their food. Frank finished first. He leaned back and watched Gerard eat. It was kind of cute in a way. The way he picked at the noodles and meat and the way he hunched over his food. He looked so timid by nature.

Frank sighed, “Hey Gerard?”

“Hm?” He mumbled around the fork in his mouth.

He chewed his lip, “Why aren't you and Mikey talking?”

Gerard tensed, “I'm sorry?”

“I've noticed you guys haven't been talking lately, for like three days,” He kind of sounds like a creep, but he does live in the same house so it's okay, “And you haven't really left your room I've noticed...”

Gerard's shoulders sagged, “It was just a stupid argument, I offended him and I didn't mean too.” Gerard sighed, “And I don't want to say anything else stupid, because it'll just make him angrier so staying up here is the best thing. I think.”

Frank frowned, “No, you shouldn't have to be confined in your room because you're afraid to say something. Take the risk. Talk to him. I don't think Mikey's really happy with you being in your room like this.” He guessed. “Just try talking to him, yeah?”

Gerard looks at Frank for a moment, then looks down at his food. He picks at the chicken, “Yeah. I guess.”

The short vampire bobs his head with a smile, leans back, and stares up at the sky again.

“Oh and, uh thank you for bringing my food up and you know, asking and caring.”

Frank smiled and patted Gerard's knee, “What are friends for?”

Gerard smiled and went back to eating his food with a smile. His mind working up a plan to get his brother to talk to him; it shouldn't be that hard, but Mikey is stubborn as Hell sometimes. He chewed on his noodles and sighed. He'd think of something.