ONE: Vanilla on My Hands

23: I Have Far Better Things to Do with You Right Now

I made a Spotify profile for Vanilla and I've uploaded playlists for some of the characters if you're interested. Follow the link I posted on my profile or search for 'Vanilla is for Ice Cream'. It will be updated semi-regularly with new stuff as I go :)

Frank was sobbing uncontrollably, his face buried in his hands, the tears streaming down to puddle in his palms and make his cheeks sting. His shoulders shook with every hiccup, his chest ached and his throat burned with each hot sob that tore through it like a hot knife. He hadn't even noticed that Gerard had come back into the room until he felt hands on his arms, pulling him up from the bed. He let himself he pried from the mattress, pliantly and blindly following when he was wrapped up in Gerard's strong grip yet again. He quietly sobbed against Gerard's chest once more for a long second, an excruciatingly lengthy period of time existed between them as Frank continued to weep brokenly.

"S-Sorry," Frank apologized quietly when he calmed down enough to say something, trying to wipe his nose on the back of his hand instead of on Gerard's shirt, "I need to st-stop doing this."

"Nonsense," Gerard soothed him, "Clearly, you need to let it out so isn't it better to have someone with you while you go through this?"

"Probably right," Frank spoke against Gerard's chest, still crying but somehow feeling calmer. Was Gerard really having such a calming effect on him? Being soothed just because he was there and holding him, reassuring him. An overwhelming sense of security and comfort took over Frank. The way Gerard was holding him so close, one hand on his back, the other in his hair, holding his head in a gentle cradle against his sodden shirt. Gerard was calming and Frank was grateful, sniffing occasionally, attempting to compose himself before he moved on from this moment. But, Frank didn't want to separate from this moment, he was truly grateful for how he felt so secure in Gerard's arms. Something about it clouded his mind with inept clarity like everything made sense for a fleeting second. Everything slotted into place like it was supposed to be this way. It wasn't, but with how Frank felt and how he wanted to feel absolutely nothing, and how his feelings for the man embracing him. It made sense. This was an 'in the moment' circumstance and as much as Frank knew he really should have thought about this a bit more, he decided not to think too much about it. It was an opportunity he shouldn't have taken, but he stopped caring at that moment.

Frank stared at the exposed skin from where Gerard had loosened off his tie and unbuttoned his top two buttons. It was so tempting when Frank was this close to him. Pale skin Frank remembered from countless dreams, and he knew that he wasn't drunk enough to be stupid. Maybe drunk on attraction, but that was harmless. How could it be wrong when all that Frank had felt for the past month seemed right?

Frank moved tentatively, still holding onto him Gerard, who was patiently comforting him. Frank just couldn't help himself when there was definitely something that was pushing him closer, holding his own breath for a second, only inhaling because Gerard did smell incredible. Like an intoxicating leathery peppermint scent that drew him in even more. He knew there was a substantial height difference between them and when he stood up straight, he looked directly at Gerard's throat, and that's exactly where he lay his lips.

"Frank..." Gerard's voice was barely above a whisper, the sound vibrating against Frank's lips. He swore that he heard Gerard hum softly in response to the touch and lean into it more than Frank had anticipated. Frank felt fingers on his chin, tilting him to look at his boss in the dim light. He knew every move he made was risky at best and any action could have been a step too far. He was completely dumbstruck when Gerard's lips were on his, a hand still tucked under his jaw to keep him close. He knew Gerard was leaning down to meet him, head bent to accommodate for their height difference. Frank went up on his toes, meeting Gerard halfway as he deepened the kiss. Frank never in a million years would have expected Gerard to kiss him after he made a move. That was why Frank kept everything so secret; his itsy-bitsy huge crush on Gerard. But this was totally unexpected, Gerard was reciprocating and had instigated the kiss.