The Ghost Of You

Stay

Gerard watched in horror as Mikey's body fell into the sand, his mouth agape and gasping for air. Everything was moving slower than real time, Ray's knees dropping into the sand beside his body as he tried to resuscitate him. He couldn't hear the gunshots any more, nor the yell of his fellow soldiers behind him. Gerard began to stand, only to be resitricted by two sets of hands yanking him back to safety from the bullets flying past him. He was strained as he watched Ray pump his brother's chest, trying to get his breathing back. Slowly, delicately, Mikey's chest stopped its erratic rising and falling, becoming perfectly still. His eyes were glazed and he seemed to stare at Gerard, boring into him.
"MIKEY!"
"Gerard!"
A small voice came from behind him, and he blinked his eyes.
Frank was cowered over Gerard's bed, shaking him desparately and repeating his name. When he sat up from the bed, Frank wrapped his arms around him and tugged him close as Gerard began to cry into his shoulder. The men had just returned home after a long amd strenuous war, and Gerard moved in with Frank. He had to. The apartment he'd shared with his brother pained him to look at, and he wasn't safe by himself. Frank was the one person who managed to keep him grounded, keep him alive. When Ray used to comfort him, Gerard would shiver and jerk away, unable to unsee the image of Ray's hands on Mikey's chest.
Though it had been months since Mikey's untimely, death, the night terrors were consistent.
Ever since that first night he spent without his brother, the scene would replay in his head on a nonstop loop. He would cry, moan, and shout in his sleep, so it was Frank who would have to wake him in the dead of the night in the barracks. Other soldiers eyes them oddly at first, but they felt guilty for Gerard, and it became routine. Every night, Gerard would scream with tears running down his face and Frank would wake him, save him.
Gerard's hands clutched the back of Frank's shirt, trembling and sobbing. The smaller man rubbed his back and held him until he calmed.
"It's alright, Gerard...it's okay..." He whispered in a soothing tone as he pulled back to look him in the eyes.
Gerard lifted his head hesitantly, eyes red and puffy from crying.
"Try and go back to sleep now, okay?" Frank pulled away and stood to return to his own room, only for Gerard to grip his wrist. He looked down at him, and he tugged him back down.
"...stay..." He whispered, pleadingly looking at Frank. He nodded in response and laid down beside him, allowing Gerard to lay his head on his chest. He twirled his fingers through his hair until Gerard fell asleep, his arms tight around Frank's small waist. He wiped the remaining trails of tears away from Gerard's sleeping face and began to drift off.