The first few hours of the transition were the worst.
Frank felt like shit, his body hurt and couldn't even get up from bed. He asked for painkillers but Gerard told him they wouldn't have any effect on him.
But at least he did the best to comfort him and make it easier for him.
'You'll get hungry soon,' Gerard said. 'But sun's almost up, and it's best if you stay away from any humans, so I'll just bring you some meat from my stash in the garage.'
'But –,' Frank tried to say. His voice was raspy, and it hurt to talk. 'I'm vegetarian.'
'Well – not anymore, honey.'
Gerard made sure his mom wasn't around, and went to the garage and checked the freezer where Mikey kept the meat he got for him. It was full, and in that moment he was grateful his mom never asked why they kept an extra freezer in the garage. He grabbed one of the bags, and put it in a tray, then took it downstairs.
Frank was still in pain, and he had to drag him out of bed and to the bathroom. He helped him sit in the bathtub and handed him the piece of meat. Gerard didn't even know what animal it was before or what part, but it was meat, and it was fresh and still dripping blood, and that was the only thing that mattered.
Frank looked up at him, his eyes half opened, weak and scared. 'Do I have to?'
Gerard nodded. 'Your body needs it. It's that or you'll have to feed off humans, and we don't want to get to that point.'
'But we're vampires, we should feed off people.'
'Technically. But I don't want to kill them and make them go through this.' Frank nodded, getting the point. 'I know, it sounds cool in theory, but it's not. Also, if we do that, soon the entire population of Belleville will be turned into vampires.'
'It'll be like our own Transylvania,' Frank replied with a smile.
'Frank, no!' But he couldn't help laughing a little. 'That wouldn't be good.'
'I know.'
'I'm sorry for doing this to you.'
'I told you it was okay. I planned on being with you for the rest of my life, anyway.'
'Even after all the pain? And turning you into a meat eater?'
Frank nodded.
He then took the meat in front of him with both hands, and looked at it for the longest time, letting out a sigh, before taking a big bite.
At first, he couldn't even hide his disgust and he almost threw up. But soon, he had finished the whole thing and he felt so much better. Gerard helped him to clean all the blood off his face and body, and lent him clean clothes.
Then, they lay in bed again. 'What's gonna happen now?' Frank asked, sounding a bit scared.
'I don't know. Nothing much. It takes a while for the body to transition, even though it doesn't seem like you change. You'll get hungry again. You'll probably get hornier, though it's you, so you're horny anyway.'
Frank couldn't help laughing at that, which was good. He needed that. 'So I guess we'll be together forever, huh?'
'Yeah,' Gerard nodded, locking a strand of his boyfriend's hair behind his ear. 'And forever will be a lot better next to you.'
'Likewise,' Frank whispered.
'I promise you won't be alone in this.' And then he hugged Frank until they both fell asleep.
***
Just like Gerard had said, Frank got hungry again, so Gerard gave him more meat. And then spent the rest of the day in bed.
Gerard did what he could, and they watched all the Harry Potter movies, until he fell asleep again. They had lost all sense of time, and suddenly it was seven p.m. of the following day.
'How are you feeling?'
'Like crap,' Frank said.
'I told you, it's not fun.'
They cuddled for a bit, and Frank started kissing him, but he was too weak to go any further. Gerard only hoped he hadn't broken him.
'I think I know what might help, but it won't be pretty.'
Frank turned to him, a little scared.
They got dressed, and they drove to the same park they went to after that one date. 'I know it's awful, and I shouldn't be making you do this, but it's the only way,' Gerard said. They walked in deeper and deeper and they saw deer and bunnies.
'I don't want to,' Frank said, almost crying. 'It's not their fault.'
'I know.'
Frank loved animals above all, and it hurt him to know he had to bite them and feed off them to make it. But his instincts were calling, and his sense of smell was stronger than ever.
He fought it as much as he could, but when a deer walked by, he couldn't help it any longer, and went for it. He could feel how his body felt alive again, strong. And once he had dried it off all the blood, he had a breakdown.
'It's okay,' Gerard said, comforting him. 'This is why I don't do it.'
Frank nodded.
They sat there for the longest time, though Frank started to feel better already. 'I'll go get some towels to clean you off,' Gerard said, and walked to the car.
It didn't even take him five minutes, but as he walked back to where Frank was, he found him biting a middle aged man's neck, holding his limp body as he drank all his blood.
Shit.
