Frank was sleeping soundly, or at least, he was trying to, but the pesky sunshine that was peeking through the curtains he had failed to close all the way last night was doing its best to prevent him from returning to his dreams.
Frank was way too lazy to actually get up and shut them though, because he knew once he moved, he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, and he was in no way ready to wake up and face the day just yet.
So instead, he snuggled into his husband's side, blocking out the harsh light by burying his face against Gerard's chest and listening to his steady heartbeat. Gerard didn't stir at all - not that Frank expected him too, his husband could probably sleep through an earthquake without noticing the phenomenon, and that wasn't an exaggeration.
Gerard always slept in late, even though Frank usually didn't; on a typical day, Frank would already be up and headed to work by this time, but his week vacation had started today, so he actually got the luxury of sleeping in for once.
Frank enjoyed his job, even though being a pilot wasn't what Frank had originally planned on doing, but when his band LeATHERMOUTH hadn't worked out, Frank had to think of something else. He had always wanted to make music, but as he grew older, he realized that it wasn't exactly practical, and Frank didn't really like being a front man anyway, with his social anxiety - not to mention his shitty immune system, it was almost more trouble than it was worth.
Then one day, when Frank and Gerard had flown to California to visit some family, Frank had discovered his love of flight. Before then, Frank had never been on an airplane, so he had no idea what he had been missing out on. As soon as the wheels left the runway, Frank's heart had soared even higher than the plane. It was as if Frank had been born to fly, and he felt more at home in the air than he ever had on the ground. As soon as they had returned from their trip, Frank enrolled in flight school, ecstatic over the fact that he had finally found his calling.
Frank had started out as a commercial airline pilot, but he hated being away from Gerard for such extended periods of time, so when he procured a position as a pilot for a nearby skydiving center, it had been a dream come true. Now he got to come home to his loving husband every night and still fly for a living - it didn't get much better than that.
Still, Frank had been looking forward to his vacation, and even though he knew he would miss the exhilaration of being in the air soon enough, a whole week of nothing but him and Gerard was a welcome change.
Gerard worked from home, selling his paintings online and doing a few shows in the local art gallery, and between the two of them, they made a decent income. Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter though, because they were both doing something they loved for a living, and happiness was more important than money.
Frank was pretty sure he would be content cleaning toilets though as long as he was with Gerard. Everything about him was perfect - in Frank's eyes at least, and he made the world a thousand times better by just existing.
Ever since that random encounter in the library almost fifteen years ago, Gerard and Frank had been inseparable; it wasn't long after that before they started dating, and they had finally tied the knot three years ago, which had been the best day of Frank's life.
Frank had never been a believer in true love until he had met Gerard, but now all those things he had read about in story books made sense. Gerard was his soul mate - he knew that for a fact, and every day he woke up next to his husband made Frank fall for him just a little bit more.
It was the only way to explain the strange connection they shared, which Gerard had admitted to feeling as well not long after they had met. It was like their hearts had recognized their other halves, even though they had never met before, and that feeling hadn't faded away - if anything, it grew stronger over time.
Of course their relationship wasn't perfect; they fought and got irritated with each other just like every other couple, but they had never once stopped loving each other, and their friends and family had informed them that they were oddly clingy, even after being together for fifteen years.
Frank didn't care though; Gerard was his entire world, and he would do anything for him, and he knew Gerard felt the same way. So what if everyone thought it was weird that they didn't want to spend much time apart, and Frank had long ago stopped being bothered by his colleagues teasing over how often he called Gerard when he was at work - he just hated being separated from the man he loved.
Frank couldn't explain why he had this deep-seated need to always be around his husband, and he realized that most couples were much less dependent on each other, but Frank got a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach when he was away from Gerard, like he might disappear while he was gone, and Gerard seemed to share his slight paranoia.
Frank was terrified that one day he was going to wake up and he would be that angry sixteen year old again, and he had just dreamed up his perfect man, because Gerard really seemed too good to be real sometimes, and if that made him act a little bit strange, he couldn't help it, and as long as Gerard didn't mind, then he wasn't going to worry about it.
It wasn't a dream though, this was Frank's life, and he was so happy that he got to share it with Gerard.
But even though Frank had everything he could ever want and then some, he still wasn't one hundred percent satisfied, and he wasn't sure why. Sometimes, Frank felt like he wasn't doing the correct thing, or that he wasn't on the right path - something like that, it was hard to explain.
He couldn't put the emotions he felt into words; if he had to try, he would say it was like a forgotten memory was plaguing him, or that he wasn't supposed to be the person he had ended up as, and even though his life was amazing - it seemed so unimportant at times.
That wasn't the strangest thing though - not by a long shot. It was the unexplained bouts of desolation that plagued Frank that really confused him. Ever since he had met Gerard, Frank was hit with a wave of sorrow once a year. They usually lasted for a day or two, and during them, Frank couldn't shake the sensation of being crushed and heartbroken for absolutely no reason.
They always occurred right around the same time - the first week of April to be exact, and Frank wasn't able to function during them, all he wanted to do was mope around the house, and he usually ended up calling into work for a few days to do just that.
Gerard had no idea where these fits came from either, but he did his best to support Frank through them, never leaving his side and constantly reassuring him that everything was okay. Frank had only been through one of these episodes without Gerard - who had been out of town for an art show at the time, and that had been the worst instance by far. Frank had become absolutely hysterical without Gerard's familiar presence, and he had spent the entire day waiting for him to come back home sobbing brokenly into his pillow.
Gerard had convinced him to see a therapist a few years back, but that had been pointless. None of the professionals he visited had been able to pinpoint what was causing Frank to feel this way. They had analyzed every aspect of Frank's life, which wasn't very interesting or dramatic. He had two loving parents who were both still alive, an amazing husband, and he had never been through any traumatic event that could have scarred him emotionally. After a few months, Frank had stopped going, because it was just a waste of money, and if he couldn't figure out what the fuck was wrong with his head, a stranger wasn't going to be able to either.
Besides that one setback, Frank's life was pretty much perfect, and even though he wished he understood the oddities his brain tortured him with, Frank didn't want to worry about them right now, not when he had an entire week of alone time with his husband to look forward to.
Frank peered at Gerard with tired eyes, trying to ascertain if he was close to waking up yet, but he was still snoring slightly, so Frank took the time to admire the gorgeous man that he loved with all of his heart. His black hair hung haphazardly around his face, the ends rising and falling as Gerard breathed in and out.
Frank brushed the errant strands out of the way gently so he could get a better look at Gerard's features. Frank loved watching Gerard when he slept - as creepy as that sounds, because that was the only time Gerard was truly relaxed. When he was awake, he was always thinking about something, his brows drawn together slightly and his forehead furrowed as he contemplated his next painting, or what he wanted for dinner, or anything in between, and it was only in rare moments like these when Gerard's brain shut down completely that his expression was entirely unlined and carefree.
Soothed by the sight of his peacefully slumbering husband, Frank snuggled back into Gerard's side, allowing his muscles to loosen up as he listened to the gentle cadence of his lover's breathing, a half smile tugging at his lips as his lids grew heavy, Gerard's warmth heating his skin as he dozed in and out of consciousness.
So this is super short, but it's just the prologue, and I promise the rest of the chapters will be much longer.
I am really excited to write this story. It is the first sequel I have ever done, and hopefully it will do TMIAA justice.
This is dedicated to Frozenheartedkiller because she is my husband, and her comments and support helped me finished TMIAA, and I hope she loves this book as well.
I am super sleepy and I need to kick my brother out of my bed so I can get some rest - don't ask because I don't even know what he is doing in my room...lol.
<3 starr