•••
"Sir?" Gerard heard as he carried an unconscious Frank down the hall.
Turning his head he saw the head cleaning maid of the house. She looked to have urgent news but knowing her Gerard had already prepared himself for a list of things she was unhappy with.
"A moment, Magdalene, I need to get Frank to bed." Gerard said as quietly as possible.
She nodded, crossing her hands in-front of her floor-length dress and waited at her spot.
Frank's room was pitch black when Gerard walked into it. He turned on the lamp sat on Frank's nightstand that projected calming shapes that rotated slowly onto the ceiling with the click of a button. Once the room was softly lit Gerard pulled back the covers carefully with one hand while still cradling Frank in the other. Once the bed was prepared he placed the kitten down gently, which was a struggle since Frank clung onto him like a desperate baby just as he started to place him down.
"Come on," Gerard whispered to the sleeping boy. He bent down a bit so that Frank's back would graze the warmth of the bed and when it did his hands unlatched from Gerard's shoulders. "There we go."
Gerard pulled up the thick blanket up to Frank's neck and brushed a tuft of curly brown hair out of the kitten's face. He looked so peaceful in that moment. His long eyelashes still against the dusted pink skin of his cheek bones. An angel, Gerard thought. Bending down, he placed a meek kiss to the corner of Frank's mouth that was dangerously close to the boy's lips.
With a sigh, he left the room and closed the door silently. When he looked up he saw Magdalene still standing where she was minutes before, the scowl still prominent on her features.
"Now what was it that you needed to tell me?" Gerard asked, walking towards her.
"I heard you talking to that neko." She stated in her usual tone. Gerard almost rolled his eyes from the simple sentence.
"Yes?" Gerard said questioningly. "Care to join me for a glass of Merlot?" He asked politely, walking past her and towards the downstairs kitchen.
"You speak to him as if he's one of us and not an animal." She pointed out turning to follow him quickly.
"An animal? He is a hybrid, half of him is just as human as you and me." Gerard said.
Magdalene gasped, standing still for a few seconds. "Sir! how dare you compare that street cat to you and I."
"Frank is not a "street cat," Magdalene. He cost me one hundred thousand dollars."
"Sir, I understand but you let him in your office while you work!" She pressed on. "It's like you're connected by the hip."
"He's a kitten. He's clingy and gets lonely easily, what he and I do is none of your concern."
Gerard walked past her once again, going towards the wine cabinet and pulling out a bottle and two glasses.
"Sir, that's the issue here, you shouldn't care! That neko is nothing but a pet and you've spoiled him rotten." Magdalene said watching as Gerard poured them both a glass of wine.
Gerard sighed and sat Magdalene's glass in front of her on the counter. "He is in no way spoiled, Magdalene, he's barely brave enough to breath without permission."
"And that's how he should stay. He prances around the house with there pretty little dresses and lace without a collar in site! No wonder why this Dallon fellow is after him so." Magdalene snapped back, adding Dallon in with hopes of making her boss possessive.
Gerard's face was calm for a moment before what she had said to him registered. "After him? What makes you think that Dallon is after Frank?"
Magdalene smirked cockily, "Haven't you heard the way your precious kitten speaks of the man?"
"They're friends."
"Yes, for now. Just wait until that man gets what he's really after. And if he's not after anything yet, he will be soon." She said taking a sip from her full glass. "A seductive little thing you've got on your hands, sir."
Gerard nearly gasped at her words. She was making Frank out to be some sort of whore while he was the exact opposite. The image of innocence and perfection if you were to ask him.
"You're mistaken." Gerard waved her off dismissively.
"Am I? She asked him with a raised eyebrow. Because it looks to me like he has you under his dirty little spell sir."
"What do you mean by that?" Gerard asked, on the brink of agitation.
"I mean that he's got you in the state that that tall fellow shall soon fall into. I'd say that he knows exactly what he's doing with these short dresses, his thighs being exposed the way that they are, the manipulative little brat." She chuckled, "Men are weak creatures don't you agree?" She concluded, tilting her glass Gerard's way.
"I-" Gerard stuttered, at a loss of words. "How dare you say such a thing about such a sweet boy? He's done nothing but exactly what I tell him since he's been here. His clothes, his food, his friends. I dictate them all. So if anyones to blame it's me and if I were you I wouldn't go there."
Magdalene's smirk dissolved quickly, and she placed her glass back down. She was obviously annoyed that she couldn't have the last word, Gerard could tell, but she wasn't stupid enough to continue after a warning like the one she just received.
"I have some laundry to tend to, sir." She said regaining her posture and clasping her hands at her front.
"Have a nice day, Magdalene." Gerard said with
a confident smile.
She turned away without another word to her boss wondering if she had taken it too far this time. Still, she strutted with her head held high as always and her mind still on much-too-privileged "street cat" roaming the house.
•••
Frank was awake.
He had just opened his eyes after what felt like a lifetime expecting to be in the warm, strong arms of his master but instead he was in his bed buried in his blankets. He sat up slowly looking up to see the shadows of blue stars on his ceiling. He smiled at the shapes, knowing that Gerard had turned them on. Before standing he stretched himself out, arching his back impossibly high and yawning like the feline that he was. After stretching he felt full of energy, like his nap didn't do him any good until he did. The kitten climbed out of bed and curiously creaked open his bedroom door. Immediately he was blinded by the light in the hallway, telling him that it was still daytime and people were still around the house. The help made Frank terribly shy if he wasn't shy enough already. He had only met a few of them but Gerard had informed him that there were many more. He wasn't too excited to meet the rest of Gerard's workers right now and especially without Gerard.
Realizing that the only way to get to his master would be to leave his bedroom, Frank walked out into the lit hall. As he creeped towards the stairs, Frank heard the distant clatter of pots, telling him that someone was cooking downstairs, probably the chef, someone Frank hadn't met yet.
Without Gerard right next to him the house seemed ten times larger and he felt alot smaller himself. He had no idea where his master was as he aimlessly walked, checking rooms as he went.
"Gee?" He called twisting the door knob to enter the office. He peaked his head in to find the room dark and empty. He let out a little whimper of hopelessness as he turned back to the hall.
Instead of the hall, Frank was met with something solid when he spun around. He squeaked out of fear and jerked himself back. Looking up, he saw a man. He was tall but no where bear Gerard's hight and he had long black hair pulled back by a hair-tie.
"You lookin' for something?" The man asked. His voice was high and soft contrasting dramatically from his appearance.
Frank nodded his head frantically, "master."
The man smiled at him, "Oh, you're looking for Gerard," Frank nodded again, "He's down in the library, I'll take you to him." He said holding out a bruised hand to Frank.
Staring for only a moment Frank decided that he trusted the rugged man and took his hand.
"What's your name?" Frank asked the man as they walked hand in hand. He didn't know why but he felt comfortable with the stranger, comfortable enough to speak out of turn. Maybe it was his age, he seemed alot younger than the rest of the help he had seem. He was definitely a good bit younger than Gerard.
"Bert. Everyone here calls me Robert though except for Gerard." He explained.
"Bert. I like that one." Frank told him.
"Me too. Robert sounds like an old guy's name." Bert said causing the younger to giggle.
When they made it to a giant brown door Bert knocked once and waited. Frank looked up at him and hesitated before knocking too, his knock sounding small and fragile like himself. The two laughed as they waited for Gerard's okay for them to come in.
"Who is it?" Gerard's asked from inside. His voice was stern and he sounded busy- more than usual. If Bert was there on his own he would have simply said "never mind" and turn to leave. But he wasn't alone, Frank was there and too excited from hearing his master's voice he didn't notice how irritable he sounded.
"Frankie!" Frank answered excitedly. Bert smirked, knowingly. Gerard would be forced to put on a smile and open the door whether he wanted to or not just because Frank was with him.
"One second, darling." Gerard sighed, still sounding somewhat uptight.
When the door opened Frank immediately rushed to Gerard's hip like a child to it's mother.
"He woke up and didn't know where to find you so I brought him down here." Bert stated.
"Thank you for that." Gerard said sounding genuine. "Did you dust in the living room like I asked you to?" He asked him, gripping at Frank's hand that was tugging at his shirt for attention.
Bert nodded. "Yeah and I actually wanted to ask you something."
Gerard raised an eyebrow at the younger boy, looking like he had already denied Bert's requests.
"Yes, alright. Frankie, go on in and i'll be right back."
Frank nodded and obediently scurried into large the library without a question. The room was so bit that Frank felt like he had left the house and entered a different building. The ceiling was higher than the rest to accommodate the tall bookshelves neatly arranged inside. He gasped out a soft, 'wow' as his eyes took everything in as he wandered.
Outside Gerard had tugged Bert around a corner for more privacy. "What is is?" He asked the man.
"There's this. . . thing that I want to go to tonight."
"What kind of thing?" Gerard asked.
"An- uh get together?" His words were awkward and unconfident as he tried to tip-toe around the few words that he knew would lead to an immediate no from Gerard.
"Okay, and where is this "get together" going to be?"
"A friends house. . . in the country."
"The country?" Gerard scoffed, "No Bert you're not going."
Bert's mouth hung open at Gerard's bluntness, but after spending this much of his life with the man it was barely a surprise.
"You can't tell me no with no explanation like that, Gerard, it's unfair."
"Bert, I don't owe you any explanation. I said no and that should be enough for you."
"Well it's not! I'm never allowed to do anything and you can't stop me from going i'm an adult."
"Bert you're not an adult and you're not going against my word! You're making this difficult for yourself." Gerard exclaimed. "I'm not letting you leave this house knowing that you're just off to get high with those friends of your's."
"Stop assuming shit! Maybe I'm just tired of being cooped in this dumb little castle."
"Bert. I gave you freedom, I tried to treat you like a normal teenager but you're just not mature enough. I'm not having a repeat of last year." Gerard said calmly while Bert was nearly steaming from his ears.
"Gerard! You cant just-"
"I can't do what, Bert? Worry about your safety?"
Bert rolled his eyes. He was so damn tired of that excuse. "You didn't care about my safety when you put me out so you could have your little neko now did you?"
"Bert," Gerard said softly. He felt a pang of guilt in his chest that stopped him from continuing.
"I could have been fucking my life up then but I wasn't. I did what I promised you and i'm still clean." Bert said. It was true and probably the only thing Bert was proud of himself for doing.
"And i'm so proud of you for that, but I'm telling you no right now. Can you respect that?"
"No."
"You're being a child."
"According to you I am one."
"Bert this conversation is over, use the rest of the day to do whatever." Gerard paused but continued when he saw the hopeful look on Bert's face, "In the house."
"Fuck you." Bert grunted stomping off.
"You don't mean that." Gerard called after him with a fond grin.
Bert flipped him off in reply.
"Jesus." Gerard muttered, turning to check on Frank.
Back in the library the boy had found a boon that interested him on a shelf that he could actually reach. A maid, Violetta wandered in, prepared to dust when she noticed Frank curled up on some of the decorative pillows, book in hand. She almost gasped at the sight. The boy was much smaller when he was curled up as he was in between the pillows and his ears and tail made him look like a stuffed animal.
"Hello." She said softly. Her british accent was a shock to Frank who had only heard people talk that on television. He had no idea that people did that in real life.
"Hi."
"Whaat are you reading?" Violetta asked walking over to the boy.
"I dunno, can't read." Frank shrugged.
"Oh?" She questioned. "You don't know how to read?" Frank shook his head, seeming unbothered by it.
"But I like the pictures." Frank told her pointing at the pretty illustrations on the page. The book was old, Violetta could tell by the paper texture. Looking over Frank's shoulder she moved his little fingers to get a look at the title printed at the top of the page.
"Den lille havfrue"
It took her only a moment to realize the language and figure out what the words were.
"Well no wonder you can't read this, love, it's written in Danish." She smiled.
"I'm sure Gerard has an English copy somewhere with the same pretty pictures." She assured him and got up.
She went to the giant log that told you exactly where certain books were located. "Ah" Violetta whispered to herself when she found the title and location. Grabbing the step stool she placed it right under the shelf where the book should be and climbed up it. The English
version was dusty and obviously neglected, like no one picked up the book since it was printed. It probably wasn't considering Gerard wasn't such a fan of books taken from their original language. Something he said about the books being more powerful and full of like in their original state, he babbled to her once.
"There we are." She said walking over the kitten with the book in her hand. Frank looked up at her with the sweetest smile that made her heart melt. "Aren't you just the cutest creatures to walk the Earth."
"This one has the pretty pictures too?" Frank asked her, hesitant about handing over his book.
"Yes, but this one just had words that you can read, love."
"But I can't read." Frank told her again.
Violetta shook her head fondly and handed Frank the new book after blowing some of the caked dust off of it.
Frank opened the book looking up to Violetta who was smiling down at him.
He tuned to the third page quickly, remembering that that one was where he saw the first picture at. He smiled down at the picture, the turned the book to Violetta showing her the image. A woman in the ocean accompanied by a large sting ray and a small collection of other fish. Her bust was exposed along with the rest of her, leaving her nude but the interesting thing about her was that the lower half of her body was mot at all human but instead fish.
"That's beautiful, Frankie." She commented.
"She's like me." Frank told Violetta with happiness laced through his words.
"How sweet."
She noticed that Frank skipped past all of the word pages only looking fore the ones with the pictures. The next image was of the same creature, this time on her stomach, on a rock it seemed, exposing her back and the fins trailing her spine. Frank admired the drawing for a bit more before turning the page a couple more times.
"This is my favorite one." Frank looked up at her to make sure she was paying attention. "They're all so beautiful." A group of the hybrids shown in the sea together from the waist up. The women all had long flowing hair and their limbs also flowed freely while they joined hands. Violetta could see why Frank like this picture the most. The creatures looked so free.
"Frankie, wouldn't you like to get a better understanding of what's happening in the pretty pictures?" She asked.
Frank modded.
"Well lets go back to the beginning,"
"No pictures on this page." Frank said confused.
"That's why we read the words instead," She explained, "It's like the pictures are in our head."
"But- But I don't know how." Frank looked down at the letters. Clumps of letters and symbols that he didn't know the meaning of. "I can't read this version either." He frowned.
"Oh, dear" Violetta cooed. All that ran through her head were the pitiful words "Poor child" over and over. "I'm so sorry I thought-" She tried to apologize. "Come on lets look at the pretty pictures." She smiled sadly and rubbed Frank's back.
When Gerard returned both of their heads shot up like deer in headlights.
Gerard raised a brow, "You two look mighty guilty."
"Me and Frankie were just looking at some books, I hope you don't mind." Violetta said.
Gerard waved a dismissive hand at her, "Oh of course not, thank you for keeping him company."
"It was no problem really, I enjoyed reading with you Frankie." She smiled and kissed the kitten on the cheek before leaving the two alone.
"Gee," Frank smiled once Violetta was gone.
"Hello sweetheart, what are you reading?" Gerard asked interested since he knew Frank couldn't read.
"Pictures." Frank replied holding up the book.
"Ah, yes." He chuckled. "I'll read this to you one day, I'm sure you'll love it."
Frank nodded excitedly and ran over to his master, abandoning the book. Gerard captured the kitten in his arms the second Frank threw himself onto him. Instead of hugging Frank like the kitten suspected Gerard lifted them off of their feet and onto his hip.
"Lunch should be ready now." Gerard said walking to the doorway with Frank held close.
"What are we having?" Frank asked him.
"Not sure, didn't ask but I made sure that there was desert for you."
Frank's smile grew impossibly wide, "Thank you, sir." He said kissing Gerard. Not on the cheek, but not directly on the mouth either. It was close enough to bring a delicate blush to both boy's cheeks though
•••
a/n: i like 3k words alot more. also i hate the fact that my writing is so fucking shitty like what the hell but thanks to the dudes who read my crap for some reason,,, sorry i suck.