Taking Back the Life You Stole

Chapter 19

 The sun was just setting behind the buildings, leaving everything cast in soft blue shadow. Although he was pretty sure it would be fine, Frank still pulled his sleeves down over his hands as he left the record shop that sat only two storefronts down from the comic store Mikey worked at. Ray was waiting out front in his car, all the windows rolled down, and was reading a book to pass the time while Frank was inside. The last beams of sunlight were shone high on the buildings across the street. These moments were the closest Frank thought he'd ever get to actually being in the sun again. Try as he might, Frank couldn't completely contain his smile as he climbed into the passenger seat.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Ray asked as he closed his book and set it aside.

Frank was full on smiling now. "They hired me on the spot, said they were impressed by my like, old band knowledge or something." He drummed his fingers on the console as his smile faded. He cleared his throat before speaking again. "They want me to start next week, and I said I'd be there, no problem, but I don't actually know how I'm gonna get to and from work in the daylight."

"We'll figure something out,I promise, it'll be okay. For now, we celebrate!" Ray turned the key and pulled away from his parking spot. "Anyway, I've got a surprise for you."

"What is-" Frank started to ask, but Ray cut him off.

"It's a surprise, I'm not gonna tell you. Just wait, like, 5 minutes." Ray rolled his eyes and kept driving.

Only 4 minutes had passed when Ray pulled up outside Mikey and Gerard's apartment building. He deduced that it had to be something involving the two of them, but as Frank followed Ray up the stairs and down the hallway, he didn't stop at their door. "Uh, Ray, you missed it. It's back here." Frank stopped in front of door 17 and gestured towards it with his thumb.

Ray turned around and rolled his eyes again. "I know where Mikey and Gee live, dumbass. We're not going there right now, we're going to this one." Ray pointed at the door right next to the one Frank was standing at. A shiny number 18 was nailed to the frame.

Frank wasn't quite sure what Ray was doing, but he followed regardless, patiently waiting as he unlocked the door and swun it open. Frank looked inside, the layout was an exact mirror of Gerard's apartment, but this one was bare, save the prefabricated kitchen that matched the one next door. "I don't get it, Ray." He said as he walked inside, scanning the walls and floor for any clues.

"Frank." Ray switched on the light. "This is our new apartment."

"What?" Frank asked as he turned back to face Ray.

"It's cheaper than our current place, it's closer to your new job, you don't have to sleep so close to that alley and that stupid bar, and Mikey and Gerard are right next door. I saw it was up for rent, and knew it was the right choice. Mikey put in a good word for us with the renter and I signed the lease yesterday." Ray couldn't hide his excitement anymore. "What do you think?"

"I-" Frank turned away, just for a moment, to take another look around the apartment through new eyes. When he turned back to face Ray, his eyes were shimmering with unshed tears. "It's perfect, really Ray, thank you. How is it possible for you to be this amazing of a friend?"

"And, since you and Mikey work so close and the stores have the same hours, you can hopefully carpool with him." Ray placed his hand on Frank's shoulder. "It's gonna be so much better this way, It'll be easier to keep everyone safe, and more convenient for when you and Mikey need to feed, and we can finally go back to actually having a bed to ourselves every night."

"Safe," Frank repeated. The real safety from being close, the safety from the nightmares, safety away from that stupid fucking bar and stupid fucking alley. And maybe, just mabe, it didn't mean having a bed to himself every night, it would actually mean sharing a bed every night, safely in Gerard's arms, and Gerard safely in his. Frank pulled Ray against him in a tight hug. "Thank you, so fucking much."