Frank stood against the wall in his Master's office, looking down at the clipboard in his arms. He glanced at the still-red marks on his wrists from Monday's punishment and he swallowed nervously, remembering his pain. He was still riding on a cold from the day before as well as the exhaustion from yesterday's training. Frank glanced up at his boss for a second, blushing as he caught sight of Gerard looking back at him with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his lips.
"Can I help you with something, boy?" Gerard asked idly as he went back to typing on his laptop. Frank smiled coyly in response as he looked at the clipboard again.
"No, sir. Just looking."
It was just then when there was a knock on Gerard's door before it opened and tangerine-haired Hayley poked her head in, her bright locks in a messy updo, her face flustered. Gerard looked up with a raised eyebrow, "Yes, Hayley?"
"Y-Your brother is here." She whispered and looked down at her datebook, "He didn't schedule anything."
Gerard sighed frustratedly, "He never does."
"So, what do I do, sir?" Hayley asked timidly, swallowing as she looked at Gerard with wide eyes.
"Send him in, it's fine." Gerard waved a hand at the poor receptionist who then ran off to the front desk. Frank felt his heart beating in his chest as he pressed himself against the wall, clutching his clipboard of Gerard's notes against his chest, realizing how tightly he was squeezing the plywood with his fingers to the point that it hurt, "Relax, boy."
"Yes, sir," Frank whispered softly, looking down at the realization that he was about to meet his Dominant's brother. Frank swallowed against the dry lump in his throat and looked at his scuffed shoes. Frank looked down at the clipboard and at the dog-eared pages of Gerard's speech that he had been busy with that morning, sucking in a shaky breath as he withheld the urge to vomit. He heard the light, but urgent, slap of shoes on the wooden floor growing louder and he pressed himself against the wall, wishing he could become miraculously invisible.
The door opened and Frank looked even further down, staring at a fiber in the carpet as caramel suede boots came into view and the ankles of black skinny jeans hit his periphery. Frank raised an eyebrow as he glanced up, his eyes widening as he took in Gerard's younger brother. He wasn't at all what Frank was expecting in the slightest. Mikey was dressed in his caramel suede boots and his black skinny jeans and if that color combo wasn't enough to spark Frank's intrigue, it would have definitely been that faux fur coat that Mikey was donning, the color matching the shoes all the way down to his mid-thigh. Beneath the coat was what looked like a grey long-sleeve t-shirt hoodie. He had on a pair of reflective brown aviator sunglasses, the sun glinting off both the frame and the thin nose ring that sat snug in his right nostril. Frank took in the tall and skinny man standing expectantly in the office with them, his pompous manner akin to Gerard's but a lot less business-like and a lot more douchebag. Including the oddly fluffy middle-mohawk that was cut into his mousy hair.
"Dear brother." Gerard sighed, standing up slowly, hands still on the desk as he leaned over, eyeing Mikey.
"Gerard." Mikey gave his older sibling a fake smile as he sauntered in and closed the door, sliding gracefully into one of the chairs that sat across from Gerard.
"To what, or whom, do I owe this courteous pleasure?" Gerard asked as he leaned back in his own leather chair.
"We had an appointment for lunch today." Mikey quirked an eyebrow, "Did your receptionist not mention?"
"It wasn't in the book," Gerard then turned and looked at Frank pointedly, "Did he phone you?"
"N-No, sir." Frank choked out, "Not in your diary either."
"Let me see." Gerard held out his hand and Frank jumped, whimpering as he opened the door to his and Derek's office, scrambling for the diary. His heart was hammering as he opened the diary to the right date, hoping that Mikey's name wasn't written in and that he had missed it by mistake. But the page was empty of a name, merely written appointments for the morning and nothing about Mikey. Frank sighed out in relief as he scurried back into Gerard's office and handed him the diary. Gerard took it sharply, scanning the page with pursed lips until he was satisfied, "Thank you, Frank."
"Yes, sir," Frank whispered, taking the diary back before he stood back against the wall whilst Gerard turned to his brother.
"It matters not, you're here now."
Mikey didn't reply, however, as he stared at Frank openly, lowering his glasses as he took in the suddenly shy assistant who was hoping to blend into the beige wall behind him.
"You're his new pet?" Mikey asked curiously and Frank swallowed, remaining silent, "Oy, little boy, speak when spoken to."
"You can answer him, Frank," Gerard stated simply and Frank looked between them, nodding.
"Not just his assistant, are you?" Mikey sneered, "You're the new toy."
"Michael, keep quiet," Gerard spoke in a firm tone but the younger brother didn't listen, ignoring his sibling as he zeroed his focus in on Frank, who had begun to blush.
"You can't tell me what to do." Mikey scoffed as he turned completely in the chair before getting up and walking right up to Frank, "Look at you... Fresh meat."
"Michael..."
Frank looked down and out of Mikey's gaze, knowing not to reply to anything said to him unless Gerard said so. Frank was staring at the fibers of fur on Mikey's coat near his shoulder as Mikey looked him over. Mikey then turned to his brother, his hand on Frank's blazer, "This isn't mine."
"I'm aware, brother," Gerard stated simply as Mikey scoffed.
"You're an idiot, you could have gotten it for a discount or even free if you bought from my line." Mikey countered, eyeing the stitching of Frank's lapel.
"You see, Michael, that's the difference between you and I..." Gerard turned, taking a sip of coffee as Mikey turned to look at him, "I got to where I am without coasting on someone else and relying on everything for free. I actually worked hard to make something of myself and I can afford to buy my staff and my... Partners, things they want and need."
"Fuck off," Mikey muttered just loud enough for Gerard to hear, the latter's lips pursing sourly as he scowled at his younger sibling with abject disdain. He turned back to Frank, "And you..."
"Leave him alone, Michael. He has no business of yours."
"Bit of a let down after Adam, isn't he?" Mikey asked outright, sneering Frank right in the face. Frank knew his face fell then, his heart dropping onto his stomach and both plummeting into his size nines.
"Michael!" Gerard snapped as Frank looked down, biting and tugging with his teeth on his lip ring. Frank pushed the comment aside, knowing that Mikey was most likely trying to get a rise out of him or see him mess up and step out of line.
"I'm serious." Mikey started again, "After the others... This one is just a disappointment. I mean Billie was gorgeous, Bert was just sweet and Adam had those rugged good looks. This is just a sad excuse for a greasy punk with daddy issues just looking for a solid lay and someone to rough him up. He'll never be good enough. I bet he's already fucked up."
Frank stared passed Mikey's shoulder, feeling his mouth start to salivate under his tongue as he pushed back tears, keeping his gaze from anyone's line of sight. He swallowed his spit, noting Gerard stand up in his periphery but he knew that if he looked directly at his Dom that he'd start tearing up.
"Michael, I said leave him alone." Gerard's voice was venomous as Mikey took a step back from Frank, still eyeing him.
"So short and skinny. What does he see in you? You wouldn't be able to hold your own with the things he does." Mikey scoffed, "Bet you're still new, aren't you?"
"I-I-"
"Frank, be quiet," Gerard whispered in command and the submissive remained silent, closing his mouth as his legs shook uncontrollably.
"That's right. Do as your Master says or else. Can't even hold his tongue. If Billie were here he'd be on his knees as my footrest by now. Adam would have taken my coat and Bert would have done anything I asked. What'll you do, huh?"
"Michael, I'm warning you..." Gerard walked out from around his desk, taking his brother by the shoulder in a squeeze that almost crippled him, an iron grip that made him wince for a second before he turned to Gerard.
"Y'know what?" He shook Gerard's hand off, "I don't think I want to have lunch with you and, honestly... I don't think I want to be around that ugly and disobedient thing."
It was the sound that hit Frank's ears before he registered the action. The loud singing whack of skin on skin as Gerard all but forcibly slapped his brother across the face. Mikey's face shot to the side with the sheer force of the slap, sunglasses flying to the ground with a light skitter of metal on wood.
"How fucking dare you come in here, so fucking sure of yourself, and insult not only my staff," Gerard grabbed his brother by the hair and spun him around to the door and opened it with more force than necessary, "But my submissive as well."
"Let go of me!"
"Gladly." Was all Gerard replied as he threw his brother out of his office, muttering in French under his breath. But Frank wasn't paying attention, no. He was way past that. He was trying to be as silent as possible as he sobbed against the wall. Everything that Mikey had said to him had hit the worst nerves in his body, had triggered his very insecurities within five minutes of meeting him. Frank was silently crying to himself, wiping his tears on his sleeve as he tried to stop, tried not to let the words affect him the way they had already done. Frank heard Gerard close the door again with a sigh, turning when he took a step closer, "Frank?"
"Y-Yes, s-sir?" Frank sniffed, looking up at his Master as his heart continued to pound like a hammer in his stomach, his face hot and his hands gripping the clipboard so hard he was convinced it was about to snap in half.
"My dearest boy." Gerard muttered softly as he took a step closer and tried to pry the clipboard from Frank, "Give it here, come now." Frank let go of the clipboard as he latched his arms around Gerard, sobbing loudly against his Dominant's chest as the latter stroked his submissive's hair in a soothing pattern.
"Don't take him to heart, boy," Gerard whispered, his lips pressed against Frank's head as he backed them both up slowly step by step until he lowered them both into his chair, pulling Frank into his lap, sitting the sniffling boy across his legs.
"I-I- And- And he... He said- And I could- And-" Frank let out a gut-wrenching sob as more tears spilled from his eyes, warm and salty down his cheeks and into his lips.
"Don't listen to that uncouth misfortune." Gerard continued, "He knows nothing but fabric samples and espresso."
"B-But he was r-right." Frank sniffed as he clutched Gerard's free hand in his despite how clammy his hand was, he held it in his own as tight as he could with their fingers interlocked.
"He most certainly wasn't, Frank. If he were, then I wouldn't be with you."
"You shouldn't." Frank looked down as his heart sank and his brain came to the stark realization.
"Pardon?"
"I..." Frank frowned as he readjusted, "Pineapples."
"Frank?" Gerard asked out in surprise at the sudden call of the word neither of them wanted to hear or say. Frank avoided Gerard's gaze as he slowly and carefully climbed from his Master's lap. Frank said nothing as he reached up and under the back of his collar, unfastening it from around his neck as he felt Gerard's eyes on him in an unwavering gaze, "Are... Are you sure?"
"Pineapples." Frank repeated more to himself than to Gerard, feeling like it was all he could say, like if he said anything else that it would undo what he was trying to accomplish, that any other word would pull himself back into Gerard's tight hold.
"Can I ask why?" Gerard's voice was unreadable, his face devoid of emotion as he steepled his fingers over his lap cautiously.
"You deserve better and... And Mikey was right. I can't be what you want. Sure, I-I can do this to an extent and I could probably do it well but... I'm not who you want, or what you want, and you deserve someone with more experience."
"I don't want someone like that." Gerard countered calmly as more tears threatened to spill up in Frank's already blurred eyes.
"But you deserve it and- and... " Frank took Gerard's hand and put the black collar in his pale palm, "I just..."
"Frank."
"Please just- just let me go." Frank withheld the sob that was in the back of his throat when he looked up to see Gerard's solemn eyes on him in a thoughtful gaze that seemed to be teeming with any and so many other emotions that didn't even crack to his perfect surface.
"Okay." Gerard stated simply, "I won't hold you back if this is what you feel you need to do. Where are you planning to go?"
"I-" Frank stopped dead in the realization that he had nowhere to go, that Gerard was his saving grace and his home, "I don't know."
"Here." Gerard sat up and opened his desk cabinet, pulling out his briefcase. Frank watched, sniffing, as Gerard pulled out a white card and a small book, writing something in it before he tore it out and handed them to the shaky and unstable Frank in front of him.
"What's this?"
"The card is for my suite at the Hotel Plaza. You can stay there for as long as you need. To decide what you want, and the second is a cheque for your salary thus far. You need something to tide you over and you can cash it when you see fit. I take it that you leaving means that you will be absent, but I, luckily, have Josh so it's okay. He'll fill in for you in the meantime."
"I..."
"You can take my car to get your things, you can just tell the driver where to go if you need." Gerard began shuffling papers on his desk, sorting it out when he cleared his throat and looked up Frank before he looked down again, frowning.
"You don't need to do any of this."
"I said I'd look after you, didn't I?" Gerard said softly before he put Frank's collar in his briefcase and out of sight from it laying on the desk.
"You- I safeworded..." Frank frowned, "I ended this, you don't need to do anything for me if I'm not yours anymore."
"You think a piece of paper defines my feelings for you within its confines?" Gerard seemed almost insulted as he looked at Frank. The latter looked down in shame at the glance he was getting, tears welling up in his eyes as he tried to bite down an apology, "I didn't mean for that to be too harsh."
"Wh-" Frank looked up, "Since when do you care about harsh?"
"I resent that." Gerard narrowed his eyes and Frank looked away again, realizing that he was right.
"I'm sorry, I-I guess I'm just trying to find any and all reasons to leave because if I don't, I..." Frank swallowed again, "I should go."
"This is the last time I'm going to ask," Gerard began as he stood up, keeping his distance a foot or so away from Frank, "Is this what you want?"
"It's best..." Frank nodded, "For us both."
"If you wish." Gerard looked Frank over for a second, "You should go."
"Do- Do I get a goodbye?"
"Do you want one?" Gerard then raised an eyebrow and Frank mulled the idea over in his head as he ran the ball of his tongue piercing over his teeth, stepping closer. Gerard looked down at Frank for a minuscule second, reaching up to wipe away one of Frank's stray tears before he held himself back, frowning at the indecision of his actions. Frank wiped away the one lonely tear and slipped into Gerard's arms for one last hug, a short one, he promised himself as he took in the soft musk smell of his cologne that mingled with the scent that was so strongly 'Gerard'. Frank closed his eyes, sighing out before he realized he was far too comfortable in the tight vice of Gerard's strong arms. Frank shook his head, muttering to himself as Gerard's arms dropped down to his sides, looking almost as lost as Frank did, although he covered it up easier and quicker than Frank ever could.
"Don't hesitate to call if you need anything, please." Gerard stated in a sudden business-like voice, the tone was somewhat reminiscent to Frank of their first meeting at the cafe and he was ashamed to admit just how much it hurt to be spoken to that way.
"Yeah." Frank lied, "Will do."
"Go on." Gerard gestured to the door, "Collect your things and be on your way, boy. I have things to do." Frank knew it was a lie, he knew Gerard's schedule and his workload and he knew that Gerard barely had anything to do that day. He also knew that Gerard was taking the mature high road, trying to make it easier for them both, being the strong one as usual as Frank crumbled inside.
"Thanks," Frank said as he slid the card and cheque into his pocket and walked to the door to his and Derek's office.
"Anything for you, boy." Gerard whispered just loud enough for Frank to hear as he sat himself back down in his chair and reshuffled his papers, opening his laptop back up. Frank looked down at the discarded pair of aviator sunglasses on the floor and he felt bile rise up in his throat. He lifted his foot, bringing it down hard on the expensive pair of sunglasses, hearing them crunch and shatter under his shoe as the taste of hatred filled his mouth and mingled its way into his veins.
"I'd have preferred his face but that'll do," Frank commented, looking at the glass that speckled in shards on the wooden floor.
"I'll bet." Gerard replied curtly, looking at Frank, who gave his boss one more short glance before exiting the office, exiting their relationship, their agreement... Their life together.