Tower Over Me (Waycest)

Chapter 23: Thank You.

Gerard's POV

I wake up slowly, wishing I had never opened my eyes the second I did.

I didn't want to face today, I know tomorrow is going to be what I've always wanted, but today is going to rip me right down the middle.

I wonder if Mikey is awake yet, and this time, I don't put myself down for thinking about Mikey while Frank was so close, because starting today, Mikey is the person I should be thinking about.

Frank is already awake, I can tell. I glance down at him, he's looking around the room and the only expression I can see crossing over his face is sadness.

He doesn't look near as full of life as he did last night when he showed up.

The moment we had both been dreading is coming at us much faster now, faster than we had cared to admit last night.

Mikey is home now, and I know I'll have to say my final goodbyes to Frank outside today, I don't want Mikey to see how much I truly will miss Frank.

I'm sure he would understand, but it would just feel wrong to let him see me and Frank be so involved right before me and Mikey start connecting for the first time.

Frank looks up at me and bites his lip, it wasn't an expression of lust or want, it was him fighting back something much greater and darker than that.

Neither of us wanted to be as vulnerable as we were. I force out a small smile, "Good morning," I state and he looks away.

"It's not exactly good," I am a little surprised by his statement but he was right. It was the darkest morning I had seen in a while. 

I sit up causing Frank to do the same, he's sitting in my lap, and he looks at me quietly for a moment.

His eyes examine my face and then he hugs me tightly.

I hug back, and I don't ever want to let go. I try and remind myself that I can always hold Frankie in my heart, but it doesn't make the painful knot in my stomach feel better at all.

I know I'm going to be okay, but that's not what I'm focused on right now, I'm worried about the man I'm letting go of.

Frank was just so familiar to me. I was so used to him, he was what home felt like to me.

He had been so much closer to me than Mikey had been in a very long time, but I just can't miss this chance that I have now.

Not when me and Frank were running out of things to say anyways. "I just want you to know that I'm not going to stop loving you, not now, not ever. I can only hope it's the same with you, I hope it's okay with you as well, because I can't help it." Frank's words break me and my eyes fill with tears.

In an attempt to blink them back I send a few  rolling down my faces.

"I'll always be right here Frank. Right here in Jersey ready to see you at any given moment, you're my home, and for the rest of my life I will feel something inside of me that won't be right, because you're not going to be around me all the time. If you ever need me I'll be here."

Frank nods and I can feel his warm tears landing on my shoulder. I run my hands along his back slowly.

"I remember meeting you. At that open house for the creative arts. I was there for district band and you were there for honor arts, I was so stunned. I had been watching you for a few weeks before then, and when I saw you there all dressed up to impress those judges, and I was in these ratty old clothes, I can't believe you even spoke to me when I approached you."