So Little Time (Frerard) *New Version*

3: All The Things You Can Fit Inside A Memory

Gerard found himself walking down a gloomy street at eight o' clock in the morning, which was much earlier than he ever left his house, much less woke up if he had a choice, but his worry over Frank's condition had prevented him from sleeping in, and the fact that he still hadn't received a message from Frank had inspired him to actually get up and go check on him instead of waiting any longer.

The rain drizzled down from the overcast sky lazily; it wasn't a true downpour, more of an irritating mist than anything else, and that, coupled with the dark skies, made for an oppressive atmosphere that had Gerard quickening his pace, eager to get inside and out of the elements. Gerard pulled his coat tighter around his shivering body, trying to keep out the seeping cold brought on by his wet state.

He wasn't going to let it bother him though, because he had decided to follow through on his plan from last night, and as long as Frank was willing, this would be the day he finally saved him from the sad excuse of a life he had been forced to endure for so long. Just the thought of taking Frank out of his father's house for the final time lightened Gerard's steps, and the rain no longer bothered him as much.

Gerard's only worry was that Frank would refuse, but Gerard was determined to stand his ground this time. He understood that Frank was scared, and that he would be nervous about his father finding him again, but Gerard was going to do everything in his power to make sure that didn't happen.

As he continued walking, Gerard reminisced back to the time when things had been so much easier; when Bob, Ray, and Mikey had still been here, and they had all worked together to make sure that Frank was safe.

Frank had been the baby of their small circle of friends, and they were very overprotective of him. Ray, Bob, and Gerard were all in the same grade, with Mikey the year below them, and Frank one year under Mikey. Mikey had been the one to introduce Frank to Gerard, and he had instantly become an integral part of their friend group, but he was even more than that to Gerard.

It hadn't exactly been love at first sight, but Gerard had felt an instant attraction for Frank. Something about Frank drew Gerard to him, and he had never been so interested in another person before. He had been friends with Ray and Bob since kindergarten, and Mikey was his brother, but besides them, he mostly avoided other people, but not Frank - never Frank.

Frank was just special for some reason, Gerard couldn't even begin to explain it, but that didn't change the fact that it was true. Gerard wanted to know everything about him; from his favorite food, to what he wanted to do when he grew up, to what he was thinking about when his eyes got that faraway look in them.

His fascination with Frank quickly evolved into adoration, but Gerard would never tell Frank that in a million years, because he had Frank's friendship, and that was more than he could ever except to gain from this beautiful boy, so he wasn't going to push his luck any farther.

And Gerard really was an idiot, or blind, probably both actually, because it took him years to notice that Frank looked at him with the same love-struck look Gerard graced him with so often, and he truly though that all of Frank's dropped hints were simply him being nice, and had nothing to do the fact that he was also harboring romantic feelings toward Gerard.

For ages, they claimed to be only best friends, albeit friends that flirted shamelessly with each other, and were a bit too handsy most of the time, but only friends - nothing more.

As time passed, they became inseparable, and if you found Gerard, it was a safe bet to assume that Frank was in the nearby vicinity. Gerard told Frank things he had never told anyone before - not even Mikey, and eventually, Frank opened up to him as well.