Turn Off The Dark (Frerard)

Part Twenty-Four

-Gerard's POV-

Perhaps I would have reservations about breaking into Frank's mother's house if I didn't know what she let him suffer through, or how he'd been treated there. But I was actually quite enthusiastic about the idea, in light of those things. Any fleeting doubt I had was immediately replaced by a mental snapshot of Frank walking in, bruised and bloody, sending my anger soaring and keeping me raring to go.

My blood was positively boiling as we staked out the state of things from her backyard late at night on our first day of action. The plan we had agreed on provided for our returning several times during the week to slowly take a small amount of Frank's possessions each time. First and foremost on his list were a few personal treasures, and it was my job to ensure he was reunited with them.

"Gee, did we really have to dress like this? The fabric's itchy."

To punctuate his sentence, Frank scratched his black-clothed side and tugged on his black beanie hat.

So I'd had us dress up like cat burglars. Let me have my fun.

"Lighten up, Frankie" I sighed, but hushed when the lights inside went off.

We were silent as we watched Frank's mother get in her car and drive away. The second she turned the corner, I hopped up.

"Well let's go then. Do you have the key?" I asked.

Frank dangled his house key between his fingers and stepped forward to unlock the back door.

"The attire would've been a lot more appropriate had we actually been breaking in like real burglars" he observed as he stepped inside.

"Shut up" I murmured, following him down a darkened hallway to his room.

Frank's room was more or less a never-furnished closet with a lot of shit in it. He immediately went to his guitar case and hugged it.

"Ahh, Pansy, I missed you" he sighed.

"Pansy?"

"That's her name." Frank grabbed a nearby folder stuffed with papers as well and snuck then out to Mikey's car.

I let Frank grab his favorite things while I grabbed essentials- clothes, money.

After we decided we'd taken enough for the time being, frank made sure to lock up again as if we had never been there.

"You wanna drive back?" Frank asked.

"Ah- oh, no, no, you can drive" I said hesitantly, looking away, but Frank didn't question.

Truth was, I'd never been taught to drive.

----

Back at home, I watched Frank open his guitar case on my bed, lift out a beautiful stark white Gibson Les Paul with silver sticker letters that spelled out "Pansy" on the lower end of the body.

"Nice guitar." I moved the case and laid down in front of him.

"Yeah," Frank stated. He strummed a few light chords without even thinking about them.

"Play me something?" I reached up and touched his cheek. Frank turned his head to kiss my hand.

"What should I play?"

"I don't know.. something."

So Frank obliged, strumming and softly singing something I had never heard, and I assumed he'd written it. My ears caught the line "then holding hands and life was perfect, just like up on the screen," and I smiled, the perfection of it apparent.

When he was done, I sat up and gave him a gentle kiss, which he accepted.

"Thank you. That was really pretty" I smiled. Frank couldn't help smiling himself. My heart jumped to my throat at the sight.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for band guys.