This Is Our Second Skin (Frerard)

22: A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words But Gerard Only Wants Three

It had been worth it in the end though, because Gerard was finally starting to feel competent, like he could actually pull off his side of the performance, and Frank's ecstatic grin when Gerard had eventually forced himself to mount the rickety stairs which led to the stage had pushed the internal grumbles reminding him that he could still be slumbering peacefully to the back of his mind, not to mention the emotional hardships that came along with dragging himself outside of his comfort zone in such an extreme manner.

"Have I told you how fucking amazing you are today?" Frank mumbled sleepily, his nose tickling Gerard's sensitive underarm as he burrowed deeper under the covers.

"Probably, but one more time doesn't hurt," Gerard chuckled smugly, his joints popping as he stretched his arms high above his head, wrapping himself around Frank once he had finished his lackadaisical motions.

"Well you are, and I -" Frank paused suddenly, his cheeks tinting red as he squirmed awkwardly, causing Gerard to loosen his hold so Frank could find a more comfortable position, "I'm really excited for the show."

"I think I am too, I just wish no one had to be there besides you," Gerard giggled weakly, trying to coat a gloss of humor over his one remaining fear, because yes - he was doing okay so far, but who knows how he would react when he was faced with a crowd, when he had a thousand eager eyes staring up at him - fuck - Gerard was sweating just thinking about it.

"It will be fine honey - I promise, you won't even be able to see anyone, the stage lights blind you, so everything becomes a big blur, and you can't pick out individual faces unless they are right up front."

"Oh - well that doesn't sound so bad," Gerard smiled, stopping his teeth from gnawing on his bottom lip as Frank's hands curled around his neck slowly.

"You are going to do great, I just know it," Frank whispered softly, his eyes fluttering shut as he pressed his lips against Gerard's chapped ones gently.

Gerard hummed happily into Frank's mouth, his stomach tingling slightly as Frank shifted to the right, blanketing Gerard's body with his own as their tongues began a lazy dance together, the lack of urgency to their movements somehow emphasizing every minute detail of the moment, allowing Gerard to experience the brush of Frank's hand against his cheek in what appeared to be slow motion, every sensation becoming amplified and even more intense in Gerard's pleasure filled mind.

That same overwhelming feeling of some deeper emotion underlying Frank's affectionate actions rose up in Gerard's mind once again, which had been happening much more often lately, even though Gerard still didn't have the courage to ask if Frank was detecting the same thing he was, but still - there was something special there, something more than two people swapping spit; it was heart stopping, electrifying even, and Gerard had decided to translate it as a silent 'I love you', even if that wasn't what Frank was trying to convey.

Gerard would have been more than pleased with spending the rest of his day kissing Frank, but something caught his attention on the opposite wall when his lids opened for a brief second, and even though it didn't register at first, once Gerard realized what he was viewing, his eyes snapped wide as saucers, his mouth disconnecting from Frank's with a soft pop as he sat up suddenly, startling Frank with his unexpected withdrawal.

"How long has this been here?" Gerard pointed to what had captured his interest, scooting forward on his knees until he had reached the edge of the bed so he could get a closer look at the new photos adorning Frank's walls where a band poster had once hung; Gerard couldn't remember which one exactly, but he didn't spend much time pondering what was missing - it was so unimportant in comparison to the prints that had taken its place.