sometimes (vampire frerard au)

late dawns and early sunsets

After finishing all the homework set on the first day back (how cruel), I lay in bed, tunes of The Ramones filling my room from my trusty CD player. The flickering light of my bedside lamp danced on the pages of a comic Gerard had left behind during his last secretive visit.

"Frank!"

My heart leaped at the abrupt interruption, and I practically jumped out of my skin. I threw my pillow at Gerard, who had just climbed through my window, relief flooding me as I saw his familiar face.

"What the fuck? I nearly died! I nearly had a heart attack!" I half-yelled, my eyes wide with horror.

"Oops," he said with a sly, remorseless grin and a shrug.

"No! Not 'oops,'" I mocked, sitting back down and holding my hand to my heart to be extra dramatic. "Who crawls through people's windows at 10 pm?"

"I do," he stated, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Well, not anymore you don't. If you ever do something so silly again, Gerard, I'm going to shut the window on your fingertips," I threatened, watching him carefully. A moment passed. "How did you even get up?"

"I climbed," he explained, sitting beside me closely on the bed, our legs touching.

I groaned and stood up, walking to the other side of my bed and sitting to face away from him. He couldn't just ignore me for over a month and then show up in my room, acting like everything was as it was.

"C'mon Frankie," he sighed, tipping his body backward to lie flat on the bed, looking up at me. "You can't be mad forever."

"Explain yourself," I demanded as calmly as I could, crossing my arms and looking away. If I looked at him, I'd forgive him immediately.

"I was going through some stuff during the summer, Frank. I'm really sorry," he huffed, sounding genuine. "It won't ever happen again."

"Stuff?" I questioned, not satisfied with the half-assed explanation. He sat up and sighed quietly, likely hoping I didn't catch it.

"I can't say."

My face remained the same as I watched him begin to pace about my room.

"Can't or won't?" I questioned.

"Can't," he insisted.

"Says who?"

This question stumped him, and he froze for a slight moment before answering, "I'll tell you one day, Frank, I promise."

I pushed myself up so I stood directly in front of him and observed the many differences in him.

"Your skin is paler than usual," I pointed out, taking his wrist, pulling up his sleeve, and raising his arm to eye level so he could see how ashen he was.

"Didn't go out much," he explained.

"We're Italian Gerard, your disgracing our ancestor's with this chalky colour" I joke "You're taller too," I said, slightly salty at his rapid growth; he was at least two inches taller than before summer.

"Growth spurt, I guess."

"Not fair," I muttered, rolling my eyes, causing him to snort. "So, Andy Biersack, huh?"

Gerard's laughter ceased, and his face returned to its previous solemnity. "It's complicated. I kind of have to hang around with him and the rest," he admitted.

"But why?" I asked. "Does your mom think I'm a bad influence or something?"

"Of course not. She loves you," he reassured me.