I find it hard to stay with the words you say (I don't love you sequel)

Chapter 8: Company

Franks P.O.V

Waking up, my eyes were blurred, so I had to blink furiously a few times, to adapt to the new lighting. Blacking out really takes it outta ya. I place one hand on my temple and rub it in circular motions, trying to sooth the pain in my head. My other hand was occupied. I look down to see someone else's hand in my hand. I move my eyes slowly from the hand, up the persons arm, picking out every single feature of the persons clothing. From the specks of blood splattered, to the rips and scrapes. As my eyes approach their face, I feel a wave of nausia coming over me. I feel a vomiting sensation as my stomach lurches and leaps and my heart jumps into my throat. Gerard, laying there, his nose bloodied and bandaged, sent me into hysterics. He had a black eye and a bruised right jaw. I gasp, covering my mouth as soon as I do with my free hand. Then, when I pull myself together, I place my hand onto his hand. Slowly, I stroke the back of it with my thumb. He was sat in the visiters chair by the bed. I was in hospital.

I decided it was best that I let him sleep, I mean, by the looks of him, he needed it. I laid there for exactly one hour fourty three minutes, taking a mental note of everything about him. His movements, the features of his face as he slept peacefully. His eyes scrunching up every now and again. His eyebrows furrowing, his lips twitching. I'd never noticed how beautiful he really was.

Like I was saying, I laid there for an hour and fourty three minutes, when a nurse stumbled in, flattening down her dress as she stood upright, pretending that entrance wasn't noiceable. Of course I noticed. I let out slight laughter that I was trying to contain to not make her uncomfortable...and failing. She blushed a slight pinkish colour, the colour I always turn when Gerard touches me, or kisses me, or mentions my height... I sighed a little laughy-sigh and said hello. She smiled politely back, taking one short glance at her notepad before addressing me with my full name.

"Hello Mr Frank Anthony Iero, and how are we feeling today?"

I laugh again, nobody's ever called me by my full name other than my mother, and that was usually when I was being told off. It sounded weird coming from a stranger.

"I'm alright, I think." I say with a reassuring smile. I sit up slowly, letting out a moan. My ribs were hurting. "Ouch." I groan.

"I'd be careful if I were you, you took a pretty nasty fall Frank, you bruised your ribs pretty bad." She gave me an empathetic look before glancing at Gerard and I holding hands.

"Are you two a...er- an item?" She asks, the blush slowly creeping it's way back onto her cheeks.

"Um. yeah, I guess you could say that." I say, flashing a bright grin her way, showing all of my teeth. I was proud to say that. I could finally say that.

She laughed an awkward laugh, and took one more look at our entwined hands before leaving slowly, turning back ever now and again to look at us.

I turn to look at Gerard once she's out of the door and see that he is wide awake, eyes open, staring at me, his grip tightening on my hand. Suddenly, he bursts into uncontrollable laughter, I give him a questioning glance. Inbetween breaths he tries to explain. In the end he gives up and sums it up once he got all of his laughter out.

"She was totally planning on hitting on you..." He stated, winking.

"With me lying in a hospital bed? A bit low, don't you think?"

He looks at me, challengingly. "I would have." He winks once again.

I was the one laughing this time. I gesture him to lay on the bed, and he does so. I move over slightly so he could fit, but not all the way, so he would have to snuggle into me to stop from falling out.

"What did they do to you?" I whisper, outlining the bruises and treated cuts along his jawline and nose. I felt sick touching them. I felt physically sick. He was just about to answer when a sudden familliar face burst through the door and gasped when she saw the state me and Gerard were in. Or was it the fact that we were snuggling in a hospital bed and I was carressing his face...

"Hey Erika." I sighed. I wasn't going to forgive her for interrupting our snuggly-moment.

"Oh my God, Frank, Gerard-"

I go to interrupt her. "Erika, me and Ge-"

"What happened to you two? I mean, you guys look like you really got pumbled!"

So she hadn't noticed us being openly 'together'. Or she had, but was choosing to ignore it? Anyways, I knew Erika wasn't homophobic in any way, so I sure as hell had nothing to hide from her. I turned back to Gerard, and carried on carressing his facial features. He winced at the pain but urged me to stroke his face more. For closure I guess?

"Yeah," I replied. "Gerard sure got it the worst. I mean, he should be in the hospital bed, not me."

"You did get knocked out for 3 days Frank..." Gerard added, looking up at me, wincing and then settling his head down into my shoulder.

"3 DAYS?" I half shout. I was shocked, I mean, 3 whole days? Wow.

Gerard placed his hand on my hand that was resting on his face now. He entwined our fingers and I gazed into his deep brown/hazel/green/black eyes. They changed all of the time.

"Oh, I um- I'm sorry guys, am I interrupting? I didn't know you were- together, I mean..." She turns to leave but this time we both laugh. I motion my hand for her to come sit next to us in the visitors chair, and so she does.

"So, what brings you here?" I ask, curiosity building up inside of me. How did she know we were here?

"I got a text off of Mikey, he sounded pretty worried." She answers, almost carefully, you could say?

"You and Mikey are still in touch?" Gerard's voice was high. I couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Um, yeah well- I kind of got his number and started talking to him a few days ago. I've uh...missed him?"

"Is that right?" Gerard raises an eyebrow in suspicion, then drops it immediately, squealing as he realises it was the eyebrow above his black eye. I shush him and stroke the side of his face soothingly. He snuggles into me more.

"Erika, where is Mikey?" I ask, sounding suspicious myself now.

"He's uh..well, I mean, I went to go see him. Like I visited him, out of the blue, y'know, to surprise him? But he was with a girl..."

"A girl? My brother? You're talking about my nerdy, awkward kneed brother...with a girl?" Gerard laughs and I laugh along with him, almost synchronised.

"Hey, he's good looking..." Argued Erika.

"Watch it, that's my baby bro." Gerard smirked.

"Anyway, back on the topic, who was this girl?" I pull us back into the conversation.

"She was uh, quite tall, skinny, blonde long hair, fringe that covered her face kind of..."

"Did you catch a name?" Gerard raises the other eyebrow now, and frowns. Why was he so suspicious?

"Uh yea, he introduced us before I left actually...it was...Harriett, I think. They'd only just met, in Starbucks I think..."

"Suspicions confirmed..." Gerard mumbled to himself.