This Still Belongs to You and Always Will
Chapter 24
Gerard’s P.O.V:
“What the hell did you do that for?” I questioned, holding a wet flannel to Frankie’s swollen lip “Stay still for crying out loud.”
“It’s stinging.” He complained through folds of wet material.
“Well it wouldn’t be stinging if you hadn’t got into a fight in the middle of a freaking fair!”
“He had it coming to him,” He protested “I’ll be damned if I’m letting him talk about you like that!”
“I know,” I breathed, wiping the blood oozing from his split lip “But you should’ve just ignored him! I know it’s not true, you know it’s not true! It’s ‘cause he wanted to get a reaction from you. Don’t give him that satisfaction!”
“Still; what right does he have to talk about us like that? If I’m scum and you’re worthless, what the hell is he?”
“I dunno’.” I replied, stepping back and looking at the damage done.
As soon as we got indoors, I made him sit on the kitchen table for me. He hadn’t bothered to tidy himself up so his hair was ruffled slightly and he still had dirt across one cheek. His lip had been split quite badly and was slowly but surely oozing blood out. It’s a miracle Bert missed his lip ring. He’s unbelievably lucky! He chose not to put his nose ring in today. If he had it probably would’ve been torn right out. The bridge of his nose was starting to bruise and he had two deep red scratches down the side of his face. There was also a purple bruise flaring up under his right eye. I sighed to myself and turned his head to look at the scratches.
“What am I gonna’ do with you, Frankie?” I asked rhetorically, running a finger over the deep red lines.
“Anything you like.” He teased.
I rolled my eyes fondly and turned to make some coffee. Katie and Elena drifted into the room, searching for something to do. They both looked at Frankie in awe. He grinned sheepishly, gladly accepting the coffee I handed him. I leant against the counter a sipped from my favourite mug. Frank gave it to me for my birthday. He decorated it himself. It has ‘Gerard’s coffee’ painted on it and a little steaming mug with a crazy little cartoon guy with long black hair drooling over it.
“Sorry you had to see that, Katie.” Frank said, setting his mug aside.
“I don’t mind,” She replied “It was kinda’ cool. I wish my Dad did stuff like that!”
He laughed and took another gulp of coffee, sighing contently and smacking his lips and mumbling ‘Oh God that’s good’. I gave Elena her coffee and satisfied Katie with a hot chocolate, seating myself on the side counter. Elena tried to sit up too but I told her to get down.
“How come you get to sit up there?” She demanded.
“Because I’m the man of the house, now get down.”
“You’re the man of the house?” Frankie exclaimed, gesturing to his scratched cheek.
“I’m the oldest here,” I replied “You can be man of the house with me if it means that much to you.”
“Aw, thanks.”
“Frank, did you know you’re bleeding?” Elena questioned.
“Uh…yeah. I kinda’ guessed that as soon as he hit me!” He said, wiping his lip.
“No. Your chest!” She explained, pointing.
I followed her finger and saw the little patches of blood on his shirt. He looked down himself and attempted to wipe them off, muttering something about his favourite shirt. I sighed and got down.
“Take it off.”
“Nah, it’s fine.”
“Don’t start with me, Mister,” I commanded as if I were a parent “Now take it off.”
“But Daddy-“ He whined, catching on.
“No buts,” I said sternly “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”
Elena and Katie left the room respectfully. He sighed and took hold of the hem of his shirt, lifting his arms and pulling it up over his head. Several little cuts littered his torso. Some were a familiar half-moon shape and others were just normal cuts. Blood seeped from them and rolled sluggishly down his chest.
“Jesus,” I exclaimed “What the hell were you doing?”
“That’s not the question! The question is: What the hell was he doing?”
“Whatever.” I muttered, snatching up the flannel and wiping at the tiny cuts on his chest with it.
“That guy has really long nails,” He said “And it really hurts when he digs them in.”
“You think I don’t know that?” I questioned, resting a hand briefly on my hip.
“They hurt,” He whined as I threw the flannel aside and looked at them “They didn’t hurt until Elena pointed them out!”
“That happened to some English dude once. He cut his thumb off and didn’t notice until he took his glove off and it started hurting as soon as he saw it.”
“It hurts.” He cried theatrically, playing up to the ‘Wounded soldier’ act.
“Oh dear,” I mocked “No, they do look nasty.” I sympathised, being serious.
“Maybe you can make ‘em better later!” He winked suggestively.
I rolled my eyes at his lack of seriousness. He yanked his shirt back on and got up, putting an arm round my shoulders.
“What’s up?”
“Why did you have to hit him?”
“Gee,” He sighed “Can we talk about this later? C’mon, babe, it’s Elena’s birthday! I don’t wanna’ wreck it anymore than I already have.”
He pecked my cheek briefly, encouraging me to smile and left the room.
“What the hell did you do that for?” I questioned, holding a wet flannel to Frankie’s swollen lip “Stay still for crying out loud.”
“It’s stinging.” He complained through folds of wet material.
“Well it wouldn’t be stinging if you hadn’t got into a fight in the middle of a freaking fair!”
“He had it coming to him,” He protested “I’ll be damned if I’m letting him talk about you like that!”
“I know,” I breathed, wiping the blood oozing from his split lip “But you should’ve just ignored him! I know it’s not true, you know it’s not true! It’s ‘cause he wanted to get a reaction from you. Don’t give him that satisfaction!”
“Still; what right does he have to talk about us like that? If I’m scum and you’re worthless, what the hell is he?”
“I dunno’.” I replied, stepping back and looking at the damage done.
As soon as we got indoors, I made him sit on the kitchen table for me. He hadn’t bothered to tidy himself up so his hair was ruffled slightly and he still had dirt across one cheek. His lip had been split quite badly and was slowly but surely oozing blood out. It’s a miracle Bert missed his lip ring. He’s unbelievably lucky! He chose not to put his nose ring in today. If he had it probably would’ve been torn right out. The bridge of his nose was starting to bruise and he had two deep red scratches down the side of his face. There was also a purple bruise flaring up under his right eye. I sighed to myself and turned his head to look at the scratches.
“What am I gonna’ do with you, Frankie?” I asked rhetorically, running a finger over the deep red lines.
“Anything you like.” He teased.
I rolled my eyes fondly and turned to make some coffee. Katie and Elena drifted into the room, searching for something to do. They both looked at Frankie in awe. He grinned sheepishly, gladly accepting the coffee I handed him. I leant against the counter a sipped from my favourite mug. Frank gave it to me for my birthday. He decorated it himself. It has ‘Gerard’s coffee’ painted on it and a little steaming mug with a crazy little cartoon guy with long black hair drooling over it.
“Sorry you had to see that, Katie.” Frank said, setting his mug aside.
“I don’t mind,” She replied “It was kinda’ cool. I wish my Dad did stuff like that!”
He laughed and took another gulp of coffee, sighing contently and smacking his lips and mumbling ‘Oh God that’s good’. I gave Elena her coffee and satisfied Katie with a hot chocolate, seating myself on the side counter. Elena tried to sit up too but I told her to get down.
“How come you get to sit up there?” She demanded.
“Because I’m the man of the house, now get down.”
“You’re the man of the house?” Frankie exclaimed, gesturing to his scratched cheek.
“I’m the oldest here,” I replied “You can be man of the house with me if it means that much to you.”
“Aw, thanks.”
“Frank, did you know you’re bleeding?” Elena questioned.
“Uh…yeah. I kinda’ guessed that as soon as he hit me!” He said, wiping his lip.
“No. Your chest!” She explained, pointing.
I followed her finger and saw the little patches of blood on his shirt. He looked down himself and attempted to wipe them off, muttering something about his favourite shirt. I sighed and got down.
“Take it off.”
“Nah, it’s fine.”
“Don’t start with me, Mister,” I commanded as if I were a parent “Now take it off.”
“But Daddy-“ He whined, catching on.
“No buts,” I said sternly “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”
Elena and Katie left the room respectfully. He sighed and took hold of the hem of his shirt, lifting his arms and pulling it up over his head. Several little cuts littered his torso. Some were a familiar half-moon shape and others were just normal cuts. Blood seeped from them and rolled sluggishly down his chest.
“Jesus,” I exclaimed “What the hell were you doing?”
“That’s not the question! The question is: What the hell was he doing?”
“Whatever.” I muttered, snatching up the flannel and wiping at the tiny cuts on his chest with it.
“That guy has really long nails,” He said “And it really hurts when he digs them in.”
“You think I don’t know that?” I questioned, resting a hand briefly on my hip.
“They hurt,” He whined as I threw the flannel aside and looked at them “They didn’t hurt until Elena pointed them out!”
“That happened to some English dude once. He cut his thumb off and didn’t notice until he took his glove off and it started hurting as soon as he saw it.”
“It hurts.” He cried theatrically, playing up to the ‘Wounded soldier’ act.
“Oh dear,” I mocked “No, they do look nasty.” I sympathised, being serious.
“Maybe you can make ‘em better later!” He winked suggestively.
I rolled my eyes at his lack of seriousness. He yanked his shirt back on and got up, putting an arm round my shoulders.
“What’s up?”
“Why did you have to hit him?”
“Gee,” He sighed “Can we talk about this later? C’mon, babe, it’s Elena’s birthday! I don’t wanna’ wreck it anymore than I already have.”
He pecked my cheek briefly, encouraging me to smile and left the room.