FicWad

Chapter 8: Attention Whore

My eyes fluttered open to the sound of quiet, broken humming and the warmth of light from a near by window. I tensed up, about to stretch before I noticed it. The vice grip around my upper body. I jumped slightly in response to realizing the sensation. My ears were ringing and my eyes still hadn't adjusted to becoming conscious. None of my body had adjusted just yet. Disoriented and drained, I didn't have the energy to run away or try to struggle out of whatever was holding me. I realized it was someone's arms that were locked around me; still not sure if that's good or bad. Their embrace was warm and tight, though. Like someone was trying to keep me safe.

"Frankie?" Gerard croaked as his hands traveled up to stroke my hair. I instantly recognized his voice and felt a shot of relief run through me. "Frankie you're okay?" He continued, his voice weak and his breathing appearing to be somewhat labored.

"I-Iunno." I coughed, also noticing the ripping pain that tore through every inch of my body. "Define okay."

"Alive." He responded quickly, pulling me closer and pressing his lips to my forehead. I winced at the pain this caused me and let out a powerless whine. "Sorry, Frankie." He kept stroking my hair and kept me pressed close against him. Upon looking at him, I noticed his face was drained of any color and his eyes were bloodshot with a red ring around them.

"What's wrong?" I choked out, gaining the strength it took to wrap my arms around him in return.

"You were almost killed, and it's my fault." He said, voice trembling. He looked away from me, I sensed this was because he was about to cry.

"Unless you're not a human being and you tried to kill me." I said, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a long story, but the point is it's my damn fault. I should've listened to Scion and fucking kept you safe. But I'm a stupid asshole and nearly got you killed, and your friend Bob or whatever is missing. If I just would've kept you away, he wouldn't have been able to find you." He said with nothing but pure animosity toward himself.

"Listened to what?" I asked. "Are you alright?"

"Scion. That God I brought up. He remains in that heaven like place. He goes by Scion. He warned me, and I argued that you'd be safe no matter what."

I was confused. Maybe it was the trauma, maybe it was just Gerard plain old not making any sense. I'm not even fully sure what happened to me, let alone what he's talking about. I furrowed my eyebrows slightly, conceding to the thought that him thinking I died probably sent him through a loop and his emotions were probably clouding his ability to form an explanation that made any sense. That doesn't mean I don't want a coherent explanation.

"Okay, you're going to have to start over. My head is swimming, and you're not making any sense." I said, resting my head against his chest once again. "I also think you should take a few deep breaths and calm down a little."

He nodded slowly, closing his eyes. His face became slightly pained for a split second before he inhaled deeply. I listened to his heartbeat and felt it slow to a regular pace beneath my ear. I tightened my grip around his waist as I gained more strength.

"This morning when I woke up. I probably looked scared, right?" He said finally, still stroking my hair.

"Absolutely petrified was more like it."

"Well Scion warned me something would get you. Then, the things he showed me next, I'm pretty sure a whole bunch of those things were things that would happen to you. Maybe things you would feel. Either way it was bad and I let something like that happen to you." He said quickly.

"I'm assuming you didn't want anything to happen to me. It's okay Gee." I said, and rubbed his upper arm. I wasn't sure how to comfort him. Gerard being emotional was fairly foreign to me. My back continued to sting and the goose-egg I'm pretty sure I had on my head pounded. My body was plain old pissed off with me right about now.

"Let me see your back." He said, pushing my body off his gently and trying to turn me around. I groaned, loud and in the whiniest way humanly possible to make my detest known. "I know, I know." He cooed. He finally got my back facing him after what seemed like an eternity. "Can you sit up babe?" His voice remained gentle as he held me up by my upper arms.

I nodded lazily and tried sitting up, but wound up slouching over with my shoulder against the wall. I'm still tired. I still want to sleep. I yawned and felt the chill that came with Gerard lifting the back of my shirt up to check my wounds. His hand swept over the injuries which lead to an extremely feminine yelp from me.

"I don't want to hate you forever but if you keep touching my back I am going to get angry." I huffed, feeling my face contort from discomfort.

"Calm down. I have to check." He said, only removing his hand for a second. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Big black thing with white eyes took me under his robe and scratched me and I think he punched me in the temple." I groaned.

"Seusumere." He grumbled.

"Dr. Seuss? I'm pretty sure he's not a demon. He wrote children's books." I said, chuckling weakly at my own joke.

"No, Seusumere. Seu is soul, and sumere is consumer. There are only a dozen or so in existence and they're essentially a thing that takes the souls of people, rips their energy apart, thus destroying the energy, soul and any potential of recovering it. It uses the particles of destroyed energy for sustenance. They're all commanded by Baniss." He said, tracing the open gashes in my skin.

"What is a Baniss? And I thought you couldn't destroy energy."

"Energy can be destroyed, though it's not possible for humans to do so, no matter what technology advances to. If humans are to destroy energy, it would not be under controlled conditions, and it would destroy all the energy in the world you know in an instant. The Seusumere's insides are kind of like a black hole, in the sense that what goes in is not known to come out. If they're completely finished draining anything of its soul, they use the body as back up energy.”

"Whoa. Freaky." He said, nodding slightly. "But still, what's a Baniss and why does he want those things?"

"Baniss is Scion's grumpy brother." He chuckled slightly.

"I don't think grumpy quite covers it if those are his minions." I grumbled.

"Well, Scion is the heir to the entire fucking universe. I'm talking every last corner of everything until he stumbles upon a greater power, in which case Scion still has control of a really fucking big universe. Baniss and Scion are brothers, children of those who are legitimately the creators of everything. After the creators disappeared, Baniss and Scion ruled the area their parents created harmoniously. Of course, Baniss, being the weaker of the two began to have a different vision. He saw worship, he saw all the beautiful life they created and saw slaves that should devote themselves to the gods. Scion didn't want that, he wanted what he created to grow and prosper without influence of any real gods. Baniss threw a large hissy fit, killed a large number of people, and Scion threw him into a large, dark, cavernous area and made him stay there. If you can picture where Gollum lives, you've got a rather accurate image of Baniss' cave-esque empire."

"Holy fuck." I started. "So wait, do bad people go there?"

"Bad people's souls are cleansed of negative influence and they are given another chance. After about two tries, if a person is still bad, they do go to Baniss, but only because that's the only place we can exile them."

"How did the gods come to be if it was just Scion and Baniss?"

"You see, Scion wanted assistance in ruling and decision making. He took a few souls, and gave them a specific power like weather, healing, emotion, etcetera. They became his counsel and a moral compass for him. These spirits embodied people that really lived. These people that had lived and truly experienced being human guide some of his decisions, because these are the same people he was ruling. They're like the House of Representatives, except they do actually represent people rather than just themselves and their corporate sponsors."

I chuckled slightly at his remark, and began to groan again as his fingers prodded around in my wound once more. I'm fairly sure the last thing you do with a bullet wound is stick your finger in it for a while and probe the affected area while ignoring the bullet. I murmured a few expletives and mewled as he applied more pressure. My form was still in a pile against the wall as he examined me. I would have attempted to nap if Gerard wasn't sticking his digits into my sensitive skin.

"Please just take me to the hospital for stitches and stop poking it. I don't want it to get infected." I lamented, arching my back away from his fingers.

"Stitches?"

"He cut me open didn't he?"

"No, why does it fe-" Gerard began before I could almost feel his tone changing completely. "Oh shit. Oh shit, he marked you." I don't exactly enjoy the sound of this 'marking' business. I turned toward him and looked his face over. Worry and concern had flooded his features as he continued to inspect my back. His fingers pressed into the sensitive area and I was seconds away from weeping before he removed his fingers from my back.

"Marked me?" I whimpered, and Gerard reached out toward my back again. His face became distressed, as if he knew the noises of agony would come if he even thought about poking around again.

"There are these vine-like things and shards of metal imbedded in your skin and bone so he can identify you." Gerard said. "Fuck, I can't get rid of those."

"Can't a doctor do something?" I pried, irritated that there was always something.

"It'll poison you, the Seusumere is aware of removal of them, and before removal is complete you'd be injected with toxins from the metal that will kill you in about 10 minutes. It's not normal metal, and there is no knowledge of this toxin on Earth, so there is no cure here." He spoke. That would've been helpful information when he was talking about the damn things. Those things are pretty smart for a bunch of cave dwelling fucks. I simply groaned as a reply. "Do you think you could stand, Frankie?”

"I don't know, I haven't tried."

"I'm going to try and help you up then, okay?" He said, me still lying limp like a rag doll against the wall. I honestly felt like a toddler had just picked me up and slammed me into the wall because of an intense hissy fit. Not exactly discarded, but certainly not placed carefully somewhere. I nodded, bracing myself for whatever pain was next.

Gerard shifted and I heard him stand up, my back still facing him. He tucked his hands under my arms and lifted me upright with ease. I moved one knee out from under myself and pushed myself to my feet. Gerard let out a slight chuckle at all the effort I was putting into very slight movement.

That was probably the most effort I'd ever put into moving since I had tried to lose 20 lbs. The difference is that I needed to do that and all I need right now is a nap and something to eat. My eyes were still fighting me, begging for just a little more shut eye. My body obviously wasn't fazed by almost being dead and to be completely honest, it really hasn't sunk in for me either.

"Gee, I'm tired." I whined as he wrapped his arm around me to keep me standing.

"That tends to happen when your soul is half ripped out of your body and then it has to attach itself to you again." He said, and kissed my cheek. "I'm sorry."

"You should stop saying that, there's no need for you to be sorry."

-XOX-

Home sweet friggin home.

Well, come to think about it, home is a little sweet after today's activities. Home is sweet since Gerard is here, I'm alive, and everything is hunky-dorky. With the exception of the fact that my spine and (possibly) skin have been infused and laced with a toxic metal substance of some sort and I am being tracked by some demon-esque soul sucking monster from some distant corner of the universe. No, that part is not very sweet. Gerard will figure out some way to help though, I'm sure of it. He's smart, very savvy, clever, and could find his way around anything if he was blind. If we were a team, he'd be the genius and I'd be the comic relief. Not in a ‘hey, this guy is legitimately funny’ way, but in a cosmic kind of way.

He lied me down on the couch and covered me up in a blanket. I flopped over on my side and pulled the blanket over my head. I heard him traipse upstairs after he rubbed my arm. I just wanted him to hold me and love me, not run around and do things. Maybe I could start making noises again. I groaned loudly and called for him a total of three times before he came downstairs.

"What?" He said, obviously impatient with me.

"Geegee I want cuddles." I mewled, poking my head out from under the blankets at him and sticking my lip out. A little flourish in case exaggeration is the key to getting him to pay attention to me.
"You can't have cuddles right now, I'm busy."

"But Gerard..." I whined.

I sat up slowly, half expecting my body to break from the movement. His shoulders relaxed, and his head fell to the side. I could tell if I stood up and started following him around he'd be upset, but there's no harm in trying. I placed my hands on the end of the couch cushion and pushed myself up, my biceps felt like they were going to tear right in half. Wincing and half crying I looked down to my feet. To my surprise, I was standing on my own. My legs were still thoroughly cooked noodles. I shook slightly, these stilts getting weaker the longer I stood. My head snapped to Gerard in the moments as threats of collapse grew exponentially. I took a few steps to the side.

"...I deserve affection. Standing was hard. Walking wasn't too bad but I had to stand to do it." I said, pouting and throwing my arms to my side in the most pathetic manner I could. I felt my left leg give out as soon as my palm touched my thigh, and I caught myself, leaning against the arm of the couch. Gerard let out a heavy sigh, and put one of his lovely arms around my ribcage and helped me to stand.

"I have no idea what to do with you sometimes, you butthead." He said. I saw his impatient look dissipate and turn into half a grin.

"I'm pretty sure you could give me cuddles when you don't know what to do with me." I said while biting my lip to hold back a giggle.

"I would thump you right in the middle of your cute little forehead if you weren't in such bad shape." He mumbled. I caught a glimpse of a bigger smile on his still flawless face.

I think the worst part about dying would've been leaving Gerard. He would probably move on, and that's completely understandable. I don't want to leave him, though. I want as much time as I could possibly get with him. He's the first person I've ever loved. Sometimes I'm pretty sure it's a little more than love, it feels deeper than emotion for me. I look at him and see something familiar, something I hold dear, and someone I've become extremely attached to. He's right here and sometimes I still day dream about being with him.

"What's with that look?" I heard him ask, and I perked up slightly. I guess I had a happy, dazed look on my face as I soaked in the perfection of his.

"Oh. Well. I think you're cute so I was admiring your cute face." I shrugged.

"I'm really not that cute. I'm not cuter than you, at least."

"I never took you for the lying type."

"I'm not the lying type." He echoed, his eyes drifting up to meet mine.

"You honestly are the prettiest thing I have ever had the privilege of looking at."

“Hush you.” He said, assisting me up the stairs with ease, and taking me to our room. He doesn’t look like someone who’d be very strong but he got all of my- what, about 140 pounds- up the stairs. Maybe it's the half God thing (which- might I add, I still do not understand fully.)

“So what's so important that it's keeping you from snuggling with me?" I finally asked as he approached my side of the bed. I had given him thirty seconds t

"Trying to get you help." He said, shrugging me off his shoulders and helping me lie on the bed without toppling to the floor. God knows that's exactly what would've happened. Come to think of it, he probably did.

"How?"

"Like there are gods down here, there are a few powerful spirits that work with Scion to keep things in balance. They also, well I guess, mentor the people that're going to carry a heavenly body around for their entire life. He's fond of company, so they're good for that too."

I nodded slightly as he rattled off things I wasn't fully paying attention to. I really liked watching him talk. He does this cute thing with his lips, it's kinda like his bottom lip is pulling away, but it's adorable. He waves his hands around in circles when he's trying to explain something complicated or trying to think. He's just the definition of a really cute eccentric guy that moves around a lot.

I shimmied into the bed more, nestling in his side because it smells like Gerard. He was sitting over at his desk rather than lying with me and holding me, so I guess his pillow would have to fill the void. I hummed quietly to "Good Old-Fashioned Loverboy" by Queen, which certainly caught Gerard's attention again. The one time I'm not trying to get him to look over here it's all fucking eyes on me. I stuck my tongue out at him, which lead to Gerard mimicking my action.

"I love you but I need to focus." He said, turning around a little in order to make eye contact. I opened my mouth to argue and before I even took a breath to speak, he pressed his index fingers to his lips and let out a silent 'shh'.

This elicited the same tongue-sticking-out-of-mouth-and-aiming-right-at-you reaction, which was answered by an unrelenting, unimpressed stare from the man across from me. I began to feel a little stupid and allowed my tongue to retreat back into my mouth. Gerard nodded once and turned around and I let out a huff. I don't remember being so easily beat before.

I rolled onto my side and stared at his back. He didn't do much more than put his head in his hands and breathe deeply. I assumed he would start to glow again, but he didn't do any thing even remotely like that. Right as I ruled out the possibility of anything happening, Gerard seemed to pass out on the desk. His head hit the wooden surface with a fairly loud thud. Great.

"Gerard?" I called, sitting up. I could almost feel whatever crap was lodged in my bones moving. "Gee, this better be one of those weird crazy 'I'm kinda a god this is how we communicate among each other' things or I swear to..." I paused as I hoisted myself over to the palms of my hands, ready to move if need be. "Well I'll swear to whoever's listening either way, won't I?"

I struggled to get up and walk, but that doesn't mean I didn't. Every single step was not only complicated, but extremely uncomfortable. My body wasn't handling the overuse and rough treatment so well, and it certainly let me know by tossing me to the floor. The pain that subsided made it's unwelcome return as I tried to get up. I would've shouted obscenities but if what Gerard was doing was actually going to help me I figured it was best to not interrupt him, says the guy that sat downstairs whining until his boyfriend came downstairs and agreed to hold him for a second.

I forced myself up, which would probably lead to soreness and other problems, but that doesn't exactly matter right now. Not when there could be something wrong with Gerard. Stumbling to the unconscious form, I almost lost the battle with my legs but I managed to keep myself up. To be honest I don't recall this room being so big. It seemed like I had just walked a marathon, and I still had miles to go before I reached my objective.

"Gee." I said, reaching out and placing a light hand on his shoulder. "Wake up." I rubbed his shoulder as I propped myself against the desk. Half a minute passed before I repeated myself. "Up. Awake. Get up."

Not even a twitch.

It was getting hard for me to stand but I was determined to keep myself upright until Gerard came to. Still using his desk as a crutch, I began to pet his hair in hopes this would get him to move. I knew he wasn’t dead, this was obvious. But if he’s suffering from a real health problem, that is a problem. If he’s doing some mystical god bullshit, I guess that’s okay. I’d really appreciate a warning next time he wants to pass out and go comatose on me.

I estimated five minutes had passed before Gerard’s head shot up from its puddle on the desk, and darted around the room. He finally looked my way, eyes once again wide and surprised. I let out a relieved sigh and slouched over slightly.

“Hey Sleeping Bambi.” I said.

“What’re you talking about?” He asked, his alertness turning into confusion.

“You were out for a fairly long time but when you got up you looked like a deer in the headlights.”

“You’re silly.” He chuckled and shook his head. “But you should be lying down.”

“You passed out. I was concerned about your well being.”

“I was talking to Scion about getting you up there to get you help. We can get you up there in a few hours, and get that shit out of you.” He said, placing his hand over my own. “Now please lie down.”

“Only if-” I started before I was cut off.

“I am available for cuddles now. Only if you lie down and stop arguing with me about it.” He said, standing up, and placing his hands on my hips to keep me up. He placed a soft kiss on my cheek, which immediately felt flushed and warm with the sensation of his soft lips lingering against my skin. I looked over at the taller man, and watched a smile inch onto his face. I couldn’t help but smile back.

He led me to the heavenly mattress, and helped me lie down comfortably. I turned to the left side of the bed- Gerard’s side, and waited for my lover, soul mate, and cuddle buddy to join me. As he set a light blanket on top of me and adjusted it at my feet, he made his way around to the other side of me and crawled in. He wrapped his comforting arms around me, taking special caution with my back. He kissed my forehead with the same gentle touch as the kiss on the cheek and he allowed his head to rest there. My eyes drifted shut, too heavy to force open any longer. I began to fall into the sleep I so desperately needed since I came to in the hallway and I could not imagine sleeping conditions any better than this.

A/N-
Hey you person who has read. Tell me what you think and PLEASE tell me how you felt via a review, and if you're feeling froggy a rating would be fantastic. I know it's been a while since I've updated but I have three other fan fics I am so excited to work on and I'm trying to enjoy my summer and I moved and BLAHBLAHBLAH but I think we're coming back.
If ACOMATG ends up in another hiatus, expect the first chapters of two fics. Keep an eye out, or check out my dA for updates and things of the like. Definitely not the end of this story.