The World Is Ugly (But You're Beautiful to Me) | Completed

Chapter 9

Frank groaned and tried to hold on harder. Gerard was moving so much that Frank wanted to slap him.

"Will you hold still?" Frank grunted out.

Despite the situation there were in, Gerard actually managed to look up and give Frank a signature Gerard Way glare. Wasn't Frank so busy thinking he might drop everything, he would have found it impressive.

Gerard went back to what he was holding and moved closer to Frank, who just moved back and then everything was on the floor.

"Ugh!" Gerard groaned and bent down to pick the canvases up.

Frank started swearing under his breath and took the pile of canvases Gerard was placing carefully in his arms again. Blank canvases that needed moving to the studio but Gerard was not having it to take two trips downstairs to move them up when Frank suggested it. Apparently, Gerard was a creep about having the delivery guys getting them up because he feared "journalists might disguise themselves as delivery workers and then take pictures of his unfinished work." Just when Frank was about to call him up on being paranoid, he actually told him it had happened before, so Frank couldn't really argue when Gerard split the pile of canvases into two, giving Frank one, well, trying to give Frank one.

Gerard let a breath as Frank managed to maneuver himself correctly toward the stairs, he just hoped he could make it to the studio like that.

By the time Frank had put the canvases securely where Gerard's instructed him, the man himself was there, Gerard put the canvases he was carrying right by where Frank put his and lent on the wall, catching his breath.

"You better sleep better at night knowing no journalist put their foot up here," Frank said, panting slightly. Man, all that desk job has killed any fitness he ever had.

Gerard rolled his eyes but Frank could see the corners of his mouth twitch up, "yup, my secrets are safe and sound up here."

Frank chuckled, he liked this mood of Gerard's, the one he's been in since they brought Diana back from the hospital. He hadn't made any mean or arrogant comments since then and Frank was wondering when it was going to drop.

"Do you also want to poison the salt of the ones who try and know them?" Frank asked before he knew it, "I mean—"

"Hey, I happen to believe Merricat had a point there," Gerard interrupted, Frank could tell he was hiding his grin, but somehow he felt some seriousness underlying his reply. Nevertheless, Frank couldn't help the smile that spread on his lips when he realized Gerard understood his reference, he should've known.

"Maybe she did," Frank agreed.

Gerard huffed and crossed his arms across his chest, looking around the room thoughtfully like he was trying to find something. He added somewhat absentmindedly, "I know she did. She knew no one would understand why she, Constance and uncle Julian needed to be left alone. Look at what happened to Constance when she let Charles in. He almost wrecked everything."

Frank was stunned for a second, was that how Gerard thought of his solitude? "The Beast let Belle in and nothing bad happened. She broke his curse."

Really, Frank? Fairytales? He had an eight year old sister; he watched more Disney movies than was normal, or even healthy, for an adult anyway.

Gerard looked at him weirdly and Frank wondered why he took what Gerard was saying to heart; the man had every right to do whatever he wanted. He liked his solitude, who was Frank to tell him not to?

"Not everyone want their curse broken." Gerard said quietly from where he's moved to some table in the corner with so many art supplies and various art materials that Frank doubted he would find anything on if he looked for hours. Gerard started moving things around over it anyway, but Frank wasn't paying attention anymore and his mind was turning Gerard's words over and over in his head.