Meanwhile, outside, Frank navigated the quiet streets of Belleville, his mind racing with thoughts of Gerard and the uncertainty of their situation. Despite the fear and apprehension gnawing at his insides, he couldn't shake the feeling of hope that burned bright within him. Gerard would sort things out, right? Bert couldn't be that persistent once he realised that Gerard truly loved Frank. And if he was? Well, Gerard and Frank could move, or run away.
Frank's fingers twitched against the steering wheel; it had been a while since he'd given up smoking, but he was itching for a cigarette in that moment. He drove a little further, pulling into the parking lot outside a convenience store. He was quite impressed that they were still open at eight o'clock on Christmas night. He fished through the glovebox and centre console of Gerard's car, hoping to find some money. Even if there was only loose change, Frank could buy himself a shitty coffee or a can of soda. Much to his delight, his hands landed on a ten dollar bill. He folded it once, shutting off the car engine and stepping outside into the wintery air.
"Hey man," Frank said hopefully to the bored-looking guy behind the counter. "Can I get the cheapest pack of red cigarettes you have? And a lighter."
The cashier nodded, turning towards the cabinet behind him. Frank consulted the drinks fridge while the man rifled through the cigarette boxes, selecting a can of full-sugar Coke and putting it on the counter.
"That's all, thanks," Frank smiled, handing over Gerard's money. "How's your night been, what time do you knock off?"
"Ten," the man said in a gruff voice. He thrust the change into Frank's outstretched hand. "Merry Christmas."
"You too!" Frank smiled. He took his items and headed out the door. "Have a nice night."
Frank hurried back to the warmth of the car, hoping to find a nice place to smoke somewhere down the road. He wasn't going to do it inside Gerard's pristine, new Lexus, that was for sure. He pulled out of the parking lot and continued down the road, eventually finding himself out the front of the Baptist church again. Their car park was desolate now, the majority of the Christmas display switched off, bar the occasional, simple strand of twinkling lights. Frank pulled up haphazardly, parking across two spaces because who was going to get up him for it tonight? He pulled up the handbrake and cracked open his Coke with a hiss, sipping on it and letting the fizz swish around his teeth and tongue.
Frank left his half-empty coke can in the cupholder, tugging his sleeves over his hands and his hood over his head. He cracked open the car door and assumed a comfy position on the curb near the main entrance to the church. Using his thumbnail to split open the plastic wrap, he uncased his pack of cigs and fished out a single dart. He lit it with aching, chilly hands, taking the first few drags before ashing it over the gutter.
He was so engrossed in his cigarette that it took him a few moments to register the man that strolled in his direction.
"Hey, Frankie," Bert drawled.
Frank shot up clumsily, dropping his cigarette on the ground and stamping it out. He eyed the vampire warily, taking a step back on the footpath.
"Why are you here? Did you follow me?" He asked, trying his best to maintain a stern tone. Bert simply raked his eyes over Frank's frame, a dangerous smirk on his lips.
"Can I have one of those?" He asked, gesturing to the pack of cigarettes.
Frank raised an eyebrow, holding the pack out to Bert. He offered the lighter once Bert had selected a cigarette, and the vampire held it up to his lips before clicking the wheel down. He took an excessively long drag; Frank watched as the ash climbed further and further towards the filter of Bert's cigarette as he inhaled - all in one breath. Bert released the cigarette, exhaling a fat cloud of smoke all over Frank's face; seriously, the guy had finished the whole cigarette in one drag. Bert flicked the still-hot cancer stick onto the ground between them, and Frank's awkward feet did a funny little shuffle to dodge the burning cigarette butt.
"I like doing that," Bert chuckled. "Because I know I'm not gonna die of lung cancer."
Frank shook his head, furrowing his eyebrows in disbelief.
"You, on the other hand," Bert began, "are going to die one day no matter what you do, because you're human. I don't get how Gerard can't see that."
Frank frowned, eyeing Bert cautiously. This guy was a certified dick.
"Why are you like this," Frank said exasperatedly, unable to conceive a proper, snarky remark. Bert just smirked, taking a step closer.
"How do you suggest I get that message across to Gerard?" Bert sneered, looking down his nose at Frank. He really wasn't that much taller, but his demeanour was imposing enough to make Frank feel tiny. Frank felt his chest grow tight, his body registering the danger he was in. He took another step back, stumbling slightly as Bert's hand shot out to lock around his throat.
"Get off me, fucker!" Frank gasped, clawing at the vampire's hands and wrists. Bert snarled, glancing around the parking lot suspiciously. Without a second thought, he relinquished his grip slightly, his free hand tangling in Frank's hair. He began to drag Frank towards the church entrance.
Frank kicked and yelled; no fucking way was he going to let this sick freak kill him in a church on motherfucking Christmas night. He squirmed under Bert's iron grip as the vampire dragged him down the footpath and around the side of the shed that had been used as a barnyard for the Christmas event. The darkness loomed ominously around them, the few fairy lights and scaffolding posts casting warped shadows that threatened to swallow Frank whole.
"Fucking stop!" Frank pleaded, digging his toes into the pavement to try and slow Bert down. He considered calling out some more, but it was unlikely that anyone else would be around to hear them. Besides, if another human walked in on the scene, Bert would probably just kill them, too. Frank didn't want to drag anyone else into this. But when Bert landed his first punch against Frank's jaw, a sick snap sounding out as his solid, brick-like fist made contact with Frank's bones, he couldn't help but scream.
"Fuck!" Frank seethed, his lip puffing out from where he'd bit it. The metallic taste of blood crept into the foreground of his mouth which, when mingled with cigarette smoke and Coca-Cola, wasn't a pleasant flavour at all.
Bert chuckled grimly at the sight of Frank writhing on the concrete.
"There it is," he muttered teasingly, referring to the cries of pain being ripped from Frank's throat. He moved gracefully, straddling Frank's body and pinning his arms by his side. Frank wriggled hopelessly, kicking and bucking his legs up in an attempt to shake Bert off. He silently prayed that Gerard wasn't far behind; hopefully the other vampire might sweep in and save him.
"Fuck's your problem," Frank spat, craning his head to get away from Bert's grasp. Bert locked his fingers around Frank's chin, nails digging into his cheeks, and Frank grimaced.
"Why would he want you?" Bert groaned, sounding like a frustrated and immature child. "I'll never understand. Humans are so fragile. I bet he can't even fuck you the way he wants without worrying about hurting you."
Frank furrowed his brow in disbelief.
"I can't believe that you refuse to just fucking drop it and get over him!" He retorted. "Have you ever considered that Gerard loves me because he's kind and empathetic, and doesn't care that I'm not as strong as a vampire?"
Bert shook his head, his nails scratching against Frank's swollen cheek. He brought his thumb up to his lip, licking off some of Frank's blood. He spat it back onto Frank's face.
"What's the bet that he initially just thought you were some sweet little human pet, something to snack off?" He teased. "Then, somewhere down the line, he got feelings for you. I bet that, at least at the start of the relationship, you were disposable to him."
Frank frowned, remembering his and Gerard's initial deal when the vampire had first kidnapped him: Frank got a place to stay, and Gerard got a bite to eat. He chewed his lip, trying to shake the thoughts that Bert was implanting in his brain. Gerard loved him; he knew that. And if Frank was going to die, then that was what he wanted to have in the front of his mind.
"Fuck you," he spat. "I can't imagine a world where Gerard would love someone as psycho as you."
Bert snarled in response, dipping his head down to meet Frank's shoulder. He pinched the material of Frank's jacket between his teeth, tearing the sleeve at the shoulder seam.
"Well, he may have never loved me," Bert began, "but he had a soft spot for me, that's for sure. He certainly wouldn't have kept me around for as long as he did if that weren't the case. I'm a good fuck, after all, if I do say so myself."
Frank scoffed, jerking his less-restrained knee upwards to try and kick Bert in the balls. He should've known that his plain, human strength would have no effect on the vampire. Bert simply chuckled again, before returning his attention to Frank's arm. Frank screamed as Bert left a deep, ragged bite in the softest part of his bicep, tearing off the skin and spitting it out. The vampire's free hand swept over the gravel footpath, gathering a few tiny stones and rubbing them into Frank's wound. Tears pricked the corners of Frank's eyes as he thought of all the germs getting into his body right now, all the people who had walked on the path the night before...
Bert didn't hesitate before picking up the onslaught of bites and slashes again. He unzipped Frank's jacket, dragging his nails through the thin fabric of his sweater. He ripped into Frank's sides with his hands and teeth, peeling back Frank's skin and fiddling with the wounds with his fingers. Frank could smell his own blood now, and he couldn't tell exactly what was making him dizzy. Was it the metallic scent? Was it the knowledge that he was likely bleeding out? Or, was it the fact that so much blood was leaving his body in the first place?
Frank began to cry.
Bert scoffed at the boy's tears, slicing a small cut against Frank's cheekbone.
"I know," he said, feigning a patronisingly soothing tone. "It hurts so bad. Poor baby."
✽
Gerard barrelled down the footpath, only slowing to a jog momentarily whenever he sensed a human ahead. Bert had to be along this stretch somewhere; the vampire's scent was all over the place. Unless, of course, this was where Bert had come to feed earlier? Gerard sincerely hoped that he wasn't on the wrong track but, either way, he could always retrace his steps and take another route. It would be inconvenient, but not the end of the world.
And then, like a bolt from the blue, a piercing scream shattered the stillness of the night. It was a sound that sent shivers down Gerard's spine, a sound that he knew all too well. Without hesitation, Gerard sprinted towards the source of the scream, his undead heart aching with an unfamiliar sensation. As he rounded the corner, he found himself standing before the Baptist church, the twinkling Christmas lights shining down on the barren parking lot. Gerard's heart sank when he spotted the Lexus parked awkwardly across two spaces out the front of the church. He jumped the picket fence, careening in the direction of Frank's cries.
Even after he heard Gerard coming, Bert only shifted marginally in his position, towering over Frank's crumpled body. He cocked an eyebrow at Gerard, raising his arms defensively as the other vampire shot himself in the general direction of his throat. Bert let out a garbled yelp as Gerard's solid body collided with his own, the force of the impact sending them both tumbling to the ground in a tangle of limbs. He tried locking his arms around Gerard's shoulders in an attempt to roll with him on the ground, but Gerard was too quick. Fueled by his anger, he straddled Bert and clawed at the vampire's throat. Frank struggled to prop himself up on shaky hands, dragging himself away from the scene as far as he could manage. He collapsed back onto the ground, looking on through dazed, half-lidded eyes as the two vampires fought.
Gerard was blind with rage and anguish. He tore into Bert's throat, leaving marks all over the vampire's body. If vampires had a blood supply, Bert would've been dripping. Instead, his neck and face were littered with pale, blueish-grey divots, his broken flesh resembling that of uncooked chicken. Gerard screamed - a guttural, torn sound that erupted from deep within his throat - as he continued to rip into Bert's body.
Bert fought back tooth and nail, reaching for Gerard's jaw and scratching deep lines down his pale neck. The vampire on top recoiled, shooting backwards towards the fence by the barnyard. His right hand closed around a white, pointed fence pailing, tearing it from the structure and wielding it like a javelin. Bert could barely make it upright before Gerard drove the wooden stake deep into his chest, piercing his undead heart with a sickening thud. A strangled cry escaped Bert's lips as he felt the searing pain radiating from the wound, his body convulsing in a final, desperate attempt to fight back.
But it was too late. With a primal roar, Gerard drove the stake home with all the force he could muster, his muscles straining against the resistance of Bert's solid flesh. And then, with a final, agonised gasp, Bert went still, his body slumping lifelessly against the gravel.
For a moment, there was silence, bar the harsh rasp of Gerard's breath as he stood over his fallen adversary, his chest heaving with exertion. And then, as the adrenaline began to fade, the full weight of what he'd done crashed down upon him.
With trembling hands, Gerard released the fence paling, the stake remaining upright due to being wedged deep into Bert's chest. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him as he surveyed the scene before him, the sight of Bert's lifeless body lying at his feet filling him with a mixture of relief and horror. He stumbled backwards with wide eyes, turning around to locate Frank. His heart and brain throbbing with the pain of the scene, Gerard made his way over to the crumpled man who lay under the glittering lights.