So Little Time (Frerard) *New Version*

Epilogue

At first, it was only to get out of this dreaded place that much sooner, and also to please Frank, but over time, his therapist's words began to sink in, and Gerard found other ways to deal with his internal pain besides the harmful habits he had picked up in his youth, channeling everything into the activities he once enjoyed, like writing and drawing, and actually seeking other's company when the urge to hurt became too strong.

Gerard opened up about everything, and despite his hatred of talking to strangers, he discovered that spilling the story of Frank brought him some relief, alleviating the painful pressure on his heart with every word that passed his lips. Gerard found himself explaining why he felt this way, why he needed to hurt, only leaving out the way he still saw Frank on rare occasions, not wanting to be labeled any more mentally unstable than he already was.

Eight months later, Gerard was officially released, and much to Gerard's surprise, he actually felt better, ready to face the world, and even though he still felt the urge to self-harm every now and then, resisting it was much easier than it had been before, and he instantly turned to Mikey whenever his mind began to turn toward such thoughts.

"I wanted to come visit you as soon as I got out, but Mikey was worried that it might set my progress back, and then - well, I got into art school Frank, the one I always wanted to go to. I started in September, and it's been keeping me really busy, but that's not a good excuse, and I am going to come see you more often now that I have my feet back under me again."

Gerard shifted into a more comfortable position against the now cooling stone, the setting sun failing to provide it with as much warmth as before, but it always felt slightly heated to Gerard, and he liked to imagine he was leaning up against Frank instead of a piece of marble, he could even imagine his small arms wrapped around his waist if he tried.

"School is great Frank, I really love it, everyone is so nice and welcoming, especially this one guy - Bert, he is in a lot of my classes, and he's become a really good friend." Gerard worried his lower lip in-between his teeth before continuing, his stomach twisting uncomfortably with nerves, not that Frank would ever be mad at him for this, but Gerard still felt slightly guilty for what he was about to tell him.

"He - he likes me Frank, a lot apparently. We have been hanging out quite a bit lately, but the other day, we were painting outside, just messing around with a giant canvas and stuff, and...he kissed me," Gerard sighed out, conflicting feelings running through his body as he remembered the kiss, because as nice as it had felt to have another pair of lips pressed against his, it had also seemed so wrong, as if Gerard was betraying Frank's memory, even though he hadn't been the one to initiate contact.

"I freaked out on him, I literally broke down sobbing right there...it was so fucking embarrassing. I expected him to just take off, because honestly, why would anyone want to deal with a mess like me, but he didn't Frank. He stayed there, he held me until I calmed down - fuck, he wouldn't stop apologizing, and I actually ending up telling him all about you. I had mentioned you to him before, but I never told him you were dead...it still hurts a lot to say," Gerard sniffled softly, a few tears pouring down his face as he toyed with the stem of one of the marigolds, trying to calm himself down so he could continue.

"Bert was really understanding, he - he was so fucking sweet about it Frank. He explained that he didn't mean to force himself on me, and that he would never do anything like that again unless I wanted it. He promised that he would always care about me, but he wouldn't push me into anything, he said it was really special how I still loved you, and he swore he would always be my friend, no matter what."

Gerard had honestly been shocked at Bert's reaction, because he had no reason to put up with Gerard's unstable emotions, but his compassionate nature and kind words had shown Gerard just how much of an amazing person Bert was, and he almost wished he could return his affection, but it was just too soon, and Gerard knew he would simply be trying to replace Frank with Bert, which was something neither of them wanted or deserved.

"I know you wanted me to fall in love again Frank, but I can't - not yet anyway, but yeah...I just wanted you to know that."

Gerard stayed silent for a few more minutes, knowing that he had to wrap this up soon, the sun was setting rapidly, and Pete and Mikey were waiting for him in the car, they knew he needed this alone time with Frank, but they hadn't been willing to let him drive himself just yet.

"Oh - I forgot to tell you that I'm starting a new comic, it is about a lonely boy who lost someone very close to him, but he doesn't know that he is being watched by that person's ghost - sounds familiar huh?" Gerard chuckled softly to himself, running his hands over the grass absentmindedly.

"I really believe you are here with me Frank, even though most people think I'm crazy for it. Mikey keeps trying to tell me that I was just hallucinating because of the pills the first time, and everything else has just been wishful thinking, but I know you are real, and I hope you can see me now. I'm finally getting better Frank, and I'm happy, as happy as I can be without you. I still miss you like hell, but I don't think that will ever change. My heart will always ache until I see you again, but I can wait, I'll wait forever for you."

Gerard shifted forward onto his knees, pressing his lips against the engraving of Frank's name quickly before standing up, his fingers trailing over the marble edge reluctantly as he backed away, brushing the grass from his jeans as he headed in the direction of the parking lot.

When Gerard reached the gates of the graveyard, he gazed toward Frank's final resting place one last time, the white tombstone only barely visible against the brilliant orange sky, and Gerard swore he could see a small figure perched atop the marker, and even though it was much too far for him to make out properly, he knew without a doubt that those lips he had kissed a thousand times before were mouthing a silent "I love you."

So this is the end, this fic is officially over, and it feels so fucking good to have finally produced a decent version of this story.

I usually don't ask this, but if you guys happened to like this fic, can you share it, or recommend it? I am actually pretty proud of how this turned out, and I hope it gets a few more views in the future.

So now starts the editing process, because I am sure there is a bunch of mistakes I missed in this the first time through, and if any of you noticed some spelling errors or whatever, please feel free to point them out to me, I promise I won't get mad, and it really helps a lot.

I want to thank everyone who has read this fic, especially the people who took the time to comment and vote. Those little things mean the world to me, and I love seeing people enjoying my works.

I want to give a special thank you to 2Human4Nature, because they have stuck with this story since day one, and all of their support and comments really meant the world to me.

So this is goodbye for this story, but the good news is that now that this is finished, I will hopefully have more time to work on my other stories. I'm going to try and come off my mini hiatus soon, so if you liked this book, maybe check out my other works?

Okay, I swear I am shutting up now. Thank you all again, and I hope to see you around on my other fics.

((((satisfied vibes))))

<3 starr