Fever Dream || Frank Iero

.20.

FRANK

Leaving Melissa behind in my hotel room, I did my best to exit as calmly as possible until I was able to explode in the hallway. All I could see was red as I stormed down the narrow halls. All of the bet bullshit aside, seeing the purple bite marks running down her neck made something in me snap. I forgot about everything else around me.

The room numbers seemed to mesh into one as I tore down the hall and down the stairs to the second floor. My hands vibrated with anger, and I knew that whatever was about to happen was out of my control. I would have buried Sam six feet underground if I could.

I arrived at Sam's hotel door and immediately began pounding my fist against it. I could hear him on the other side asking who it was but I ignored him and continued knocking.

A few seconds later the door finally opened, and I gave myself no time to even look at his smug face before pushing him back and slamming his body into the wall.

"Dude, what the fuck!" Sam started yelling, attempting to push back. I could hear voices behind me but they were drowned out by pure rage. I held his body against the wall, pushing back hard every time there was even a centimeter of space behind him.

"Frank get the fuck off!"

"You think it's fucking cool to try and rape a girl you piece of shit?" I yelled in his face, our noses nearly touching. "Tried to butter her up beforehand, huh? You sick fuck."

"Fuck you, she wanted it," Sam sputtered, which only made me angrier.

"Oh yeah? You think she ran into my room shaking with bruises all over her wrists because she wanted it?" I shoved him into the wall again, every inch of my skin burning.

"Calm down man, what is wrong with you?" I could hear Pete's voice behind me. As much as I wanted to ask him what he was even doing in Sam's room, I didn't have time to care.

"This doesn't fucking involve you Pete," I said, staring deep into Sam's eyes. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't throw your worthless body out of that window right now."

Sam had the audacity to chuckle even with my hand at his throat.

"You won't do shit Iero- and you know what else?" He grinned, and I could feel his pulse on my palm. "Your girl tastes like heaven."

My fist collided into Sam's face by the time he finished his sentence. I heard a crack in his nose and I knew it was broken before he collapsed to the ground, blood dripping off of my knuckles. I got one more punch in before Pete began tearing me off of him, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

"What in the ever loving fuck, Frank?" Pete yelled.

I pushed Pete back as I turned around to face him, knowing if he pressed enough that I might hit him too.

"You hang out with pieces of shit like him now, huh?"

"Dude who the fuck are you anymore? So he tried to fuck her, big-"

"Fuck you, you know what he did," I cut him off, shaking my head in disgust.

I turned toward the door before Pete had the chance to say anything else, stopping in my tracks when I looked back down at a writhing Sam on the floor. Kneeling down, I hovered just above his head as he held his nose.

"You even think about looking in her direction, or even getting back on one of those buses tomorrow, it's not just your nose that's going to be broken. Your fucking tour is over."

I spit on the ground next to Sam and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind me.

.

MELISSA

An hour passed, and I couldn't sleep. The room grew completely dark, and all I could do was stare at the faint gleam of the bathroom nightlight peaking through the crack of the door. The more my mind raced, the more tired I grew. I wouldn't admit it, but I wanted Frank to come back just so I knew everything was okay. I wondered if Jessica was looking for me.

More time passed and my eyes became heavy. I was near sleep when finally the door creaked open and shut again, shuffling coming from shoes being kicked off in the corner. I felt a hand lay on my shoulder and I opened my eyes to see Frank knelt down at the bed. The light from the window behind me made his eyes glow- it felt like they were all I could see in the darkness of his hotel room. I suddenly felt better.

"Did I wake you up?"

"No," I muttered, not sounding very convincing.

Frank smiled a different smile at me- not the typical devious smirk he usually gave. It was soft, almost doting. The bitter fire from his eyes was now gone and replaced with warmth.

"Well, i'll just get the cot ready for me, you can go back to-"

"No," I cut Frank off. My own words surprised me, but I didn't care. The thought of being alone a minute longer terrified me.

Frank paused and nodded, standing up and coming around to the other end of the bed. Sliding in behind me, I felt a rush of comfort as he slipped an arm under my head and another around my waist slowly. I could smell the mixture of his cologne and cigarettes as my head fit into the crook of his neck under his. He pulled me tight against his body, the warmth melting into mine.

"Are you okay?" Frank whispered.

"I think so."

My hand was grazed against his and I felt something wet, my eyes adjusting in the dark to see blood on his knuckles. I ran my finger down his, too tired to protest what he may have done.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm okay if you're okay."

I struggled to keep my eyes open as Frank wrapped the loose hand around me, enveloping me completely. I had never felt the kind of safety I did in that moment with anyone else, and I didn't want it to end. Frank's heartbeat was steady against my back as I drifted asleep.

"Goodnight Bambi."