Thank You For The Venom (Frerard)

17 - For the last night I lie

"I'm aware" Brian rolled his eyes "I was thinking more ticket tape cannons, or some cool lighting backdrops, but I'll have a word and see what I can do."

"We should have dancers" Gerard hummed "maybe some more props..."

"Let me figure out the budget, and then we can brainstorm it properly" Brian laughed "trust you to be the only rock band wanting backing dancers."

"It could work" Ray shrugged "Gerard's artistic vision hasn't failed us yet, and I doubt it ever would."

"Thanks man" Gerard grinned.

"Anyway" Brian pressed on "I need to go check on the other bands, but we're having a huge wrap party tonight. All the bands, all of the crew, all the management, it's going to be fucking awesome. You guys are all coming, right?"

"Of course" Gerard answered immediately, and Bob and Ray nodded in agreement. Mikey and Frank exchanged a quick look between them that Gerard almost missed, but he was in too good a mood to dwell on it right then.

"Yeah, we'll all be there" Frank nodded, almost reluctantly, but Brian didn't dwell on it.

"Great, that's the attitude. Break a leg out there guys" and with that he was gone, no doubt a hundred things on his to-do list.

"5 minutes guys"one of the crew members called into the dressing room.

"I'll be right back" Gerard quickly headed in the direction of the toilet.

"Be quick yeah?" Frank called after him, but at that point he was already ducking into the bathroom. It was small space, and he did genuinely need to pee, but as soon as he was done he fished the bag out of his pocket and his driver's license from the other, making a makeshift line on the side of the grimy sink. He pressed a finger against one nostril and inhaled with the other, feeling the powder shoot up into his brain in seconds, hitting like pure euphoria.

"Gerard?" Mikey called through the door "two minutes till stage."

"Coming now!" He flushed the toilet and shoved the stuff back in his pocket before he opened the door. All his bandmates looked up at him, and there was an atmosphere in the room that told him they had definitely been talking about him in the moments he'd been gone.

"You ok buddy?" Ray asked, seeming almost nervous.

"Of course" Gerard furrowed his eyebrows in confusion "are you?"

"Yeah, yeah, just checking up on you" he rushed.

"I'm fine guys. Come on, last shows always the best one" he grinned and turned to Frank, who gave him a soft smile in return.

"Let's go people!" A stage hand was yelling, and they started to file out towards the wings. Frank hung back, and grabbed him by the elbow before he could pass through the door.

"You've er, got something on your nose Gee" he sighed, and the sadness in his eyes made Gerard's heart falter, the guilt tearing through him as he feverishly wiped away the traces of coke clinging to his nostril.

"Oh" was all he managed. "Frank, I-"

"We can talk about it later" Frank bit his lip "but please, please can we talk about it Gee? I don't want to pry, you know I don't but I can't not talk about it anymore. I need, I need to know you're going to be okay."

"I promise, we'll talk" Gerard gulped shakily "please, please don't be angry Frankie. I can't-"

"Hey" Frank ran his thumb across his cheek "i'm not angry, okay? I just want us to talk about it all. We're fine, okay?"