Take Me By The Hand

Capitolo Venticinque

"No way, Batman would kick Superman's ass!" I can't believe this man has the audacity to say that Clark Kent could even compare to Bruce Wayne. It's blasphemy!

"Oh yeah," Gerard says, laughing. "If you took away all of Kent's powers. I mean, he is a superhero for a reason."

"Please, all Batman would have to do is Krytptonite that bitch and he's done for." I lean back in the seat, watching the smile play across Gerard's features and feeling a similar gesture of my own.

"And how exactly is Batman supposed to get Kryptonite?" Gerard wonders. "Fly his little BatMobile up to Krypton? Call up Commissioner Gordon and ask for some sent to Wayne Manor?"

I laugh at the thought of that and hold a hand up to my ear, pretending to be on a phone. "Yo, Commissioner. Bruce Wa-- Um. Batman here. I need you to send some of your people to space and find a shit ton of Kryptonite. No questions. Bring it to Wayne Manor. Alfred will know what to do."

"But Batman!" Gerard continues, picking up on Gordon's part of the conversation. "I'm only on the police force. Perhaps the Transformers are better suited for this task."

I find myself laughing again and shake my head. "Inconceivable!"

Gerard looks over at me, his face twisted into a grin. "How the hell do you go from Batman versus Superman to The Princess Bride quotes in a matter of point two seconds?"

"It's how my mind works." I shrug and shoot a wink in his direction.

Gerard's face flushes in the dim light that surrounds us from outside and he quickly turns his attention back to the road stretched out before us. Oh shit, did I just wink at him? Nice going, dumbass... 

"Umm..." I clear my throat awkwardly and think of something else to say. "So how close are we?"

"About twenty minutes outside of Belleville," Gerard guesses. I glance at the clock on the dashboard to see it's already nearly ten'o'clock. Getting stuck in rush hour back home put us even later getting back, but the entire ride was filled with conversation. At first, it started out awkward. I was still half-crying when we climbed back into the car, but when Gerard put music on the stereo, the silence fell into casual talk. It started when I asked if he had any Morrissey. He immediately got excited and pointed to a CD case stuffed in the backseat, filled with albums ranging from old school Misfits to the Fall Out Boy album that came out a few months back. I finally had picked one out and suddenly we were talking about the Smashing Pumpkins concert that we both attended a few years back. Somehow, that turned into Batman and Superman and, three hours later, here we were.

The phone in my pocket buzzes with life and I look around confused, completely forgetting there was life apart from the two of us inside the car. I pulled the cell out, putting it to my ear without checking the ID. "Hello?"

"Are you still having fun with your boy-toy?" The voice on the other end asks bitterly.

"Zacky?" My brows crease and my face falls. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that I'm bored and I want to see my boyfriend," Zacky sighs. "Are you still with Gerard?"

"Yes," I admit. "Look, we had something to do down in Atlantic City and--"

"Atlantic City?" Zacky asks, clearly surprised and somewhat upset. "Why did you go down there?"

"I had something I had to do," I repeat, keeping my answers vague. "But we're heading back. We should be home soon."

"So you'll come see me?" He asks, his voice sounding rather demanding.

I bite down on my lip and slink back in my seat. "I was thinking about just heading to bed," I admit. "It's getting late and I'm exhausted."

Zacky lets out a short laugh. "Well, what did you do to get so exhausted, Frankie?" He wonders and I can hear the accusing tone in his voice.

I grind my teeth together and glare out the window. "What the fuck are you insinuating, Zacky?"

"Come on, babe," Zacky continues in a hard voice. "You've accused me of cheating before. Now it's my turn-- Why the hell are you with Gerard?"

"Because he's my friend," I spit. "And right now, he's being a much better friend to me than you are." And with that, I hang up the phone, keeping the end button pressed in until the cell shuts off completely, and cram it back into my pocket.

I cross both of my arms and lean back in the seat, fuming. How the hell can he even accuse me of something like that? I would never cheat on him. Sure, I may be keeping a few secrets, but it's not like I'm lying to him. I'm not telling him what he wants to hear. I'm keeping some things to myself. That's not a fucking crime. It's not a good basis for accusing me of cheating.

Gerard glances over at me, all previous humor gone. "Everything okay?" He asks cautiously.

"No," I reply bluntly. "My boyfriend is being a little bitch because he doesn't like you. He doesn't like me hanging out with you. He doesn't like any of my friends. He doesn't like my Batman sheets or that red spider lip ring Mikey got me for my birthday. The way I commentate my favorite parts of movies. How I eat the ends of Kit-Kat bars first and then the middle. That I sing the guitar parts of songs or like to cuddle after sex. He even stopped holding my hand in between classes." I let my voice trail off, saddening with the realization of how much Zacky doesn't like about me. I laugh humorlessly. "Is there anything he does like about me?"

"Your smile," Gerard says and his voice, even soft, makes me jump. I forgot I was talking out loud. I forgot that I wasn't alone. I glance over at him, confused, and raise a brow, but he's not looking at me. "He likes your smile," Gerard explains. "I mean, it's impossible not to." He laughs and his lips raise up in their own smile. "It's kind of contagious. Even when you try not to smile, your mouth just kinda twists up on the one side. Or when you get really excited about something and it lights up your entire face. Your eyes get all squinty and you make the most adorable sound when you giggle."

Gerard glances over at me and smirks. "Like right now. You're trying not to smile. But your lips are are pressed together right there," He motions to my mouth with one hand, making me realize he's stopped the car in front of my house. I make no move to get out. He swallows hard and his eyes move back my lips before flickering to my eyes again, his voice lowering in the quiet atmosphere. "There's so much to like about you, Frank. If Zacky doesn't see that, then I don't think he deserves any of you."

I find myself watching his mouth, the way his lips form to say my name. Biting down on his bottom lip, rolling into an R, his tongue moving only slightly near the end. There's no piercing like Zacky's lips, seeming so pure and unscathed. So tempting...

"I should go," I say suddenly. I hadn't realized I was leaning forward and I pull away, biting down on my lip and offering a small smile. "Umm... I'll talk to you later, I guess."

"Yeah," Gerard nods quickly. "You'll tell me when you get the call right?"

I let out a laugh. It's hard to imagine not telling him after what I've been through with him today. "Of course." I clamber out of the car, all but running into the house. It takes everything I have not to slam the door, but somehow I manage to get it closed quietly, before sliding my back down the wall and taking a shaky breath.

What the hell is going on with me?

I see the image again of Gerard's lips, the glimmer of dark hazel under the streetlight. His eyes were darker than Zacky's, more amber and gold splattered against the pure emerald iris. Zacky's were a pure, crystal green, nearly reflective at times. But Gerard's held more depth, something deeper than the clear hue. Something that drew me in and mesmerized me, drowning me in the swirl of hazel.

And then I hear his words...

If Zacky doesn't see that, then I don't think he deserves any of you.

The thought scares me in so many ways. Before I had Zacky, he was this alluring guy who held all of my attention. He was mysterious and enticing. When we first started dating, he was passionate and caring. But now....

Now he was slipping away. He was pushing me away and I think I was doing the same. He was demanding and maybe I wasn't willing to give him what he wanted. And yet somehow I wasn't willing to let him go, either.

I love him.

Don't I...?