It's Not the Life It Seems

Frank and Honey were in the middle of playing tag in his hotel room when Ray knocked on the door and told them it was time to leave. Sighing they packed up their things, not before Honey tagged Frank one last time and left the room.

“Want me to carry your bags dearest?” Frank asked Honey once they were in the hall.

“I’ll do it!” a voice suddenly exclaimed from behind them. Frank and Honey spun around to see the strange man from before standing up and bounding over to them. Honey turned around to look at Frank, pulling a face that clearly read ‘what the hell’.

“No, it’s fine, not heavy at all. Thank you anyway”, Honey said politely turning back to face the man, whose name she remembered started with a H.

“Oh”, he said looking down and very sad.

Frank decided to take control of the situation and get Honey out of there. There was something about this man that seemed unstable.

“Lets go Hon”, Frank told her, putting an arm around her once more and leading her towards the elevator.

“Frank! Honey! Wait for me guys”, someone called out from behind them. Frank and Honey turned around to see Gerard dashing down the hall, a bag slung over his shoulder. Honey’s face had a small smile on it when she saw Gerard running towards them, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Frank or Harry. Gerard finally reached them, a grin appearing on his face.

“Okay, we can go now”, he told them.

Frank leaned over and pressed the button for the elevator, keeping an arm around Honey as Gerard stood next to her to wait for the elevator.

Honey looked up at Gerard with a small smile, which he looked down and returned.

“Hey”, he said to her, eyes locked with her and grins plastered on their faces.

“Hey”, she whispered back biting her lip before turning her eyes bashfully to the floor. She looked up at Gerard once more as the elevator arrived and the doors slid open, to find him looking at her still with a smile on his face. Honey was quickly pulled into the elevator by Frank, as yet again he pressed the button for the floor. The ride down was silent, with only a few sneaking glances exchanged by Gerard and Honey. The lobby was chaos as usual, with fans and photographers pressed up against the glass waiting for Honey. She gave them a wave and then put her arm around Frank, finally snuggling into his neck which caused Gerard to shoot Frank a jealous glare.

Frank of course, knowing what Gerard had done without even having to ask him, just had to tease him further by licking his lips seductively and pretending that having Honey there was giving him a lot of pleasure. Frank had guessed something had happened by their strange behavior in the elevator and Gerard’s current annoyed expression confirmed it.

Frank stopped his teasing the second the camera crew came up to them, followed by the annoying producer with Brian and Kirstin in tow.

“Hello boys and girls, were going to get lots of good footage tomorrow night. Your going to a party, some MTV thing and so I want you all looking you best. We need lots more footage, even though your bus cameras are getting fantastic stuff. Were looking for some drama now, so anything you can do to make that happen!” The producer beamed his unnaturally white teeth at them before stalking away to film them getting on the buses.

“He’s weird”, Frank said.

Honey hit him in the side. “Shh you’re not supposed to say that around the cameras”, she told him. Frank just grinned his innocent smile at her.

The MTV cameras followed them as the walked through the crowd and onto the bus, each photographer eagerly snapping Honey with Frank, knowing they could sell this as her new romance. If they were lucky, they might even be able to insinuate a love triangle. Now that would sell.

Honey flopped down on the couch, finally pulling herself out of Frank’s grasp even though he sat down next to her.

“How creepy was that dude in the hotel Honey!” Frank said to her, pulling his legs up to rest on hers so that he was most comfortable.

Honey nodded. “So creepy”, she agreed, thinking back to his piercing stare.

“What creepy dude?” Mikey asked from his place on the floor, already in front of the playstation 3.

“There was some guy in the hotel hallway who just kept staring at Honey this morning”, Frank told him.

“I saw him too”, Gerard spoke up, “He was this morning when I went…down the hallway. He was really quite rude to me too, but he said his wife had kicked him out or something”.

“What were you doing in the hallway at that hour of the morning Gee?” Frank asked him with a raised eyebrow. Of course, when Frank said that everyone turned to look at him, curious as to what his explanation was.

“I…uh couldn’t sleep?” he supplied, looking at them with his head directed at the ground.

“Did that couple in the hotel room keep you up? They kept me up half the night, going at it like animals. It was really pretty annoying and funny at the same time”, Ray innocently said, not noticing Honey’s blush or Frank’s knowledgeable grin.

Gerard looked up at Ray with a large smirk plastered on his face. “Yeah, it was that keeping me awake”, he said, earning a sharp look from Mikey who knew the truth behind those words. It really had kept him awake, just not like it did to Ray.

“Hey Frank, what did that guy in the hallway say his name was?” Honey asked him, distracting everyone from thinking too much of Gerard’s smirk and continuing this conversation further.

Frank looked up at the bus ceiling in thought before saying, “Harry”.

Honey shot up from her seat, knocking Frank’s legs from her lap, and dashed to the bunk section of the bus. She returned a few moments later with a piece of white paper clutched in her hand and resumed her place on the couch.

“Look, the guy who wrote me this letter name’s Harry too”, Honey said, worry clearly evident in her shaking voice.

“I’m sure it’s just a coincidence Honey”, Gerard said, looking away from the game he was playing with Mikey and attempting to reassure her.

“What if it’s not Gee?” Honey virtually shrieked before turning to face Frank, “Frankie, you saw how creepy he was around me. He was seething when you put your arm around me, I saw that! Did you? Did you?” Honey bit her lip, bouncing up and down in her seat being unable to keep still.

Mikey and Gerard exchanged a glance before Gerard pulled himself off the floor and crouched in front of the worried girl.

“Honey”, he said placing his hands on her knees, “I don’t think it’s the same man, but even if it was, you are on a tour bus with five men who are never going to let anyone touch you. There is no way he could even get to you because you’re always with one of us anyway, okay?”

Honey nodded, feeling slightly better but none the less still paranoid. She leaned down to hug Gerard but he quickly jumped up before she had the chance. He didn’t want any more contact with Honey, not until he figured out what the hell was going on with his head. Honey looked disappointed, but he couldn’t help that and Frank leaned over and wrapped his arms around her anyway.

“Want me to teach you how to play guitar?” Frank asked her, trying to distract her away from her worries. He succeeded because Honey jumped up quickly and ran to the back of the bus, dragging Frank behind her.

The four men left behind turned to each other.

“You think it was the same man?” Bob said first, looking incredibly concerned for Honey.
Gerard shrugged, “could be. I just think one of us should probably be with her at all times”.

“Well that shouldn’t be a problem, should it?” Ray said. Gerard nodded in agreement, thinking Ray was referring to all the time Honey and him spent together.

“Frankie and her have been practically tied at the hip lately”, Ray continued.

Gerard couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy that he wasn’t the one they were saying was tied to Honey. It was almost like he wanted his band mates to notice something because he was proud of Honey. He wanted to be able to brag to them ‘look guys, this amazing, hot, super famous woman actually likes me and thinks’ I’m attractive’. It was a male ego thing. It was like being in high school and having the head cheerleader like you. The fact you were worthy of her attention was one thing, but to have her interested in you was something completely different. It made him feel good. Really good.

“Yeah I’ve noticed that too, they do everything together. At least he can watch out for the creepy dude…but what about if the dude does something to Frank because he’s with Honey all the time?” Mikey said voicing his thoughts. Gerard suddenly had a thought.

“I hope he didn’t hear us last night”, he gasped, thinking out loud, much to the surprise of everyone left in the room who all turned to look at him.

“Us, Gerard?” Ray asked with a raised eyebrow.

Shit.