Thank You For The Venom (Frerard)

18 - You're Not In This Alone

Frank looked at him with wide eyes, knowing this was the first time Gerard had ever admitted this aloud. 

"Just please, please don't leave me Frankie. I know it's selfish to ask, but I can't fucking do this without you. I can get better, I can-" 

Frank kissed him roughly, hands on either side of his face, fingers in his tangled hair. 

"Don't be an idiot, I'm not going anywhere" he breathed against his lips as they broke apart "I'm in love with you. I want to help, but you've got to let me Gee. We all want to help you through this." 

"Okay" Gerard mumbled "I'll get proper help, I'll do anything."

A smile spread across Frank's face, and Gerard had never been so relieved to see one. 

"Why don't we start by getting you out of here and in the shower, yeah?" Frank tried to smooth down his hair, but quickly gave up "I'll make you some food, and you can brush your teeth, and then we'll figure out what to do about this, yeah?" 

"Please" he nodded, and let Frank pull him to his feet. His legs were shaky, but he could stand okay. "I don't know if I can climb over this bar again." 

"Wait a sec" Frank climbed on top of it and turned around "give me your hands, come on, I'll help you over." 

Sure enough, Frank helped haul him over the bar, and as soon as he was over grabbed him by the hand and lead him out of the venue. 

"Come on, we better find the others too. Me and Mikey wanted to phone the police, but Ray said it's better we search everywhere round here properly before we do so they'd take us more seriously." Fresh guilt stabbed through Gerard at his words. 

"How long has it been?" 

"You left the bar at like 1am, I got back here at 2 and found out you were nowhere to be seen, then by the time I'd woken everyone up and started searching it was probably 3, now it's... he glanced down at his phone screen "6am. So yeah, you've been out for a while. I searched the venue first as well, but I didn't think to look behind that damn bar..."

"Shit..." he trailed off as they stepped outside and saw that, sure enough, the sun was beginning to rise. 

"Come on" Frank pulled him towards the bus "let's let them know you're okay so they can get some sleep, and then we'll get you sorted out." 

When he climbed onto the bus Mikey was pacing the living area. The second he saw Gerard he flung himself across the room and clung to his brother in a death-grip hug, long arms wrapping around him. 

"I thought..." he trailed off, unable to voice his thoughts. 

"I know" Gerard just mumbled back "I'm so so sorry Mikey. I fucked up, big time." 

"Yeah you did" he turned, Mikey still clinging onto him, to see Bob in the doorway, looking tired "but we're just glad you're safe man. Don't scare us like that again." 

"Thanks Bob."

"Is he here?" Ray came running onto the bus then, Brian following behind him "oh shit, thank fuck for that" he sighed as soon as he took in the scene in front of him, and immediately crossed the room to hug Gerard. Mikey reluctantly let him go so he could hug him back. 

"I'm so sorry Ray" Gerard sighed as he pulled away. Frank and Mikey were lingering either side of him like they were worried he was going to collapse or disappear if they so much as took their eyes off him, whilst Ray and Brian sat down, looking exhausted. 

"What happened?" Brian frowned "these guys woke me up saying you were missing, and now you turn up looking like shit and smelling like a liquor store. I'm all for you having fun on the last night of tour Gerard, but this is a bit extreme..."