Poison (Frerard)

Loneliness

"Oh," Gerard said softly, something like guilt rising in his chest. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Because I didn't want to have to leave..." Frank admitted, stepping away from him and awkwardly scratching his head. "I'd hoped that if I didn't think about it, it wouldn't actually happen. It's stupid, I know..."

"You'd really much rather stay with me?" Gerard asked, vulnerability in his expression.

"Yes," Frank said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I love being with you."

"I love being with you too..." Gerard whispered, a tender smile on his lips. He hugged Frank tightly, his face buried in his shoulder. Tattooed arms wrapped snugly around his waist, Frank's embrace warm and loving.

They hugged for much longer than was considered the average amongst friends, especially amongst men. Gerard was the one to eventually pull away, clearing his throat as he looked Frank up and down. "Right, uh, you need to finish getting dressed," he said absentmindedly, unable to stop his gaze from drifting to the bulge in the tattooed man's jeans. He licked his lips before averting his eyes, looking back up into Frank's face.

"Um, I'll be out there," he awkwardly mumbled, jerking his thumb in the direction of the kitchen.

"Alright," Frank said with a small nod, hating the awkwardness that had risen between them. Even though so much had gone wrong the past few days, he wouldn't change anything about it. He and Gerard had grown so much closer, but he worried that a few days apart in their wildly different lives would drive a wedge between them.

He quickly finished getting dressed, his shirt mussing his hair. He joined Gerard in the kitchen, biting his lip when he saw the position the redhead was in. Gerard was digging through one of the lower drawers in the fridge, bent over with his ass in the air.

"God, you're really trying to convince me to stay, aren't you?" he chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets in an effort to shift the tight fabric so it was less constricting.

"Maybe..." Gerard said softly, standing back up with a beer in hand.

"Gee, you know I can't..." Frank sighed, an apologetic smile on his face.

"Yeah, I know, it's fine... Go, or you're gonna be late," Gerard said quickly, not wanting to acknowledge how much he was going to miss him.

"Alright, um, call me if you need anything," Frank murmured, heading towards the door.

"Almost forgot about my coffee," he chuckled, heading back over to the coffee table. He slipped a few hundred bucks out of his wallet, slipping it under a magazine so Gerard wouldn't see it right away.

'He'll know it was me, but hopefully he'll keep all of it,' he thought, taking a sip of the now cold coffee to hide his mischievous smile.

"Bye, Frankie," Gerard said quietly, forcing a smile onto his face as he waved goodbye.

"See you soon, Gee," Frank replied, smiling sadly back at him.

Gerard slowly closed the door, flinching at the thud it still made. He plodded back into the kitchen, digging through drawers until he found the bottle opener. He popped the cap off his beer, swinging it down by his side as he trudged over to the couch. He sagged onto the worn piece of furniture, the cushions lumpy and uneven.

"Fuck, I miss him already," he muttered, dragging a hand down his face.

"You've truly broken me, Frankie," he chuckled darkly, taking a swig of beer. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, pushing the hair out of his face. "What kind of prostitute falls for one of their clients?"

He took another swig, sprawling across the couch. He let the bottle dangle from his fingertips before letting it drop the last few millimeters to the floor, rolling onto his stomach and pressing his face into the upholstery.

"I even managed fuck up just fucking..." he groaned, rolling into his side.

He noticed what looked like a crinkled piece of paper sticking out from under one of the magazines littered across the coffee table, lifting up the corner.

"What the hell?" he breathed, shifting to a sitting position and picking up the crinkled pile of money.

"Frankie," he realized, chuckling softly and shaking his head. "Of course he did..."

"Fucking hell, there's six hundred here," he gaped, counting out the money a second time.

"God, Frank, you are way too good to me," he mumbled, tossing the money back onto the table and taking another gulp of beer.

-----

Gerard drunk himself dizzy, three beers in his system before he lurched to his feet to go to the bathroom. He stumbled and almost tripped, leaning on the wall for support. His knees wobbled when he resumed walking, his balance seriously off-kilter.

He blinked repeatedly, rubbing at his eyes in an attempt to clear his vision the slightest bit. Everything was still blurred, his already impaired physical capabilities challenged even more by his inability to see clearly.

"Fuck, I'm definitely going to have a hangover tomorrow," he grumbled, stumbling back out to the living room and flopping face down onto the couch. "Maybe I can sleep it off..."

He closed his eyes and cuddled with one of the raggedy pillows, missing Frank's protective embrace and his general warmth. Sleep soon consumed him, everything fading to black.

~~~~~~

Ayy I know this chapter is kinda short but I'll probably have the next one done later today or tomorrow so it's whatever

Thanks for reading!

-Bren xo

**there probs won't be smut for the next few chapters but idk really**