ghosts and cigarettes ; frerard

your twisted shell

it had been a week since mikey's death. frank worked tiredly every day at the coffee shop, smiling less at customers and having more unexplained sick days. brian was worried, yeah- he knew what had happened, and having spoken to mikey before all of this he understood in the slightest bit what frank was going through, but maybe frank needed some sort of
help.

brian knew what frank needed- he needed gerard.

"frank?" he heard his name called from the back room. he looked over from where he was leaning on the counter, taking an order from a customer.

"one second," he said, fatigue evident in his voice. he forced a wax smile at the customer and walked to the back room, pulling his apron up over his head and hanging it on the hook next to the door frame.

patrick walked by and frank grabbed him by the sleeve, startling the younger boy.

"huh?- oh, frank. what's up?" he asked, a hesitant smile on his face.

frank's lips twitched a bit. "cover for me for a bit?"

"of course." patrick's smile was comforting and frank nodded gratefully, turning into the back room where brian was waiting.

"yeah?" frank's voice was muted, eyes half shut and drooping in mourning and fatigue.

brian pressed his lips together and leaned back against the table. "you need to talk to gerard, frank."

frank's eyes widened a bit and he opened his mouth in protest, but was cut of by the older man's stern tone.

"frank!" brian glared a bit at frank, who now had his arms crossed over his chest and his chin hanging onto his neck. "gerard is in a lot of grief right now and he needs support through it. his baby brother is dead, frank. and you and i both know how much of an amazing person mikey was. we're both suffering from it, so imagine what gerard is going through."

"brian," frank bit his lip. "gerard won't let me in his house, okay? his mom is always in her room and the door is always locked and he won't let me in-"

"be fucking chivalrous!" brian flung his arms wide. "gerard needs you, whether he knows it or not, so break a fucking window, i don't care! but he needs you, frank." frank sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, nodding. "okay, good." brian's voice was soft. he stepped closer to frank and his his hands on frank's shoulders. "you're a good man, frank. be good for gerard."

frank nodded again, smiling a bit. "thanks, brian."

"anytime." brian smiled a warm grin that made the skin around his eyes wrinkle. he squeezed frank's shoulder and stepped past him. "you have the rest of the day off, frank. go talk to him." brain shot a pointed look over his shoulder and turned away to talk to a customer.

frank sagged against the table and let out a stream of air he didn't know he was holding in his lungs.

--

i started this chpater and now i'm ending it even thouhg. it's so short i'm sorry i just cant have this in my rafts anymore i don't hvae motivation to write right now but i anted to get something out for you guys uh

listen it'd be much. appreciated if you guysd coudl go to death-spells 's profiole and just. tell him not to. die because he psted something erlier and deletd it and it was realy scaryand i'm really worried about him so that would be. great thanks

-xomiky