The Past is Only the Future with the Lights On

This really wasn’t something to be so awe-stricken over. Perhaps it was just because Frank had given it to me that made them so special, but I couldn’t seem to close my mouth. That was, until, Frank’s body shook with laughter from beside me and he placed his hand under my chin, sealing my lips once more.

“Are they okay? I know you were a little touchy about the other ones,” he said warily, offering a smile.

I laughed, looking up at the mailbox in memory before going back to my lap.

“They’re great, Frank. Much more meaningful than those others,” I told him, using my fingers to pick one up and examine it, the silver slightly glowing in the moonlight, then set it back in the box.

“May I?” he asked, unsure, as he reached out his hands for the small cube resting in my lap and my wrist.

Smiling from ear to ear, I nodded, a bit too enthusiastically, and handed him the box, followed by the wrist that still wore that one, bare chain. I watched with fascinated eyes as his hand held my arm gently, his fingers gracefully linking the new charms to my bracelet - a bright green ’K’, next to a turquoise ’F’; a tiny cup of coffee; a small replica of the Superman logo; a dog?; a shiny, metallic pink guitar; and the head of Jack Skellington.

Once they were all in place, I raised my hand to examine them, and he began to explain his reasons for picking these charms in particular.

“The ’K’ and the ’F’ are pretty self-explanatory,” he exhaled a nervous, raspy laugh. “The coffee cup represents the first time I laid my eyes on your beautiful face - in a coffee shop -” I felt my cheeks flush as he spoke, and lowered my head to hide it “-The Superman logo…for the first night we, err…slept together, per say. The dog, because on your first night here, I heard you say something about getting one…? Which I found oddly amusing.” I looked up from the dangly charms to smack him in the chest, clearly recalling the incident though. It amazed me that he’d remembered that. “And then, obviously, a guitar because I thought you should have something of me to carry around with you,” he shrugged almost shyly. Which I couldn’t help but smile at. Oh, if only he knew I already carried a piece of him around with me everywhere. In my heart. “And I only got the Jack head, with the exception of it being the greatest movie ever, because I couldn’t find a piece of toast that said ‘Homeslice’,” he chuckled, and I joined in with him, thinking about that first (and last) football game me and my best friends attended.

It really did surprise me that he had done something like this. I know I wouldn’t be taking this off anytime soon.

“This is really sweet, Frank. Thank you,” I said, giving him a one-armed hug, unable to wipe the insanely goofy smile from my face. “I just can’t believe you remembered all of that. Especially the dog,” I laughed.

“I remember everything you say,” he said automatically, so sincere I found myself practically melting under his gaze.

Blushing, I looked down at my wrist, turning it so I could view all of the charms.

“Tomorrow you’ll get the second part,” he said softly.

What more could there be? He’d already given me more then I could ask for. Plus, I was perfectly content with my charms, I didn’t need anything else from him.

“Fra-ank,” I whined. “I don’t need anything else.”

Half of his mouth tugged into a smile as he tucked my hair behind my ear.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Ha, right. Like I was capable of doing that.

“It just doesn’t feel right to me. All I got for your birthday was a lousy jacket,” I said, looking down at my bare feet, suddenly realizing they were cold. I hadn’t actually thought about that because well, Frank usually made me forget about the world around me.

We were silent for the next couple of seconds, him thoughtful and me content, until his incredibly soft and smooth voice broke through that.

“And a kiss,” he reminded me with a smirk.

I could already see where he was going with this…and I liked it. A lot. More than I should have.

“Actually, if I do recall correctly, you kissed me.” I matched his smirk, watching as he bit his lip.

“Well then, I think the only way for us to be even now would be if you kissed me.” He was slowly leaning into me, his voice getting lower with each passing syllable that left those semi-parted lips.

Here he was, for what felt like the hundredth time, allowing me to kiss him. With one quick, swift movement, my lips could press against his, slightly cold from the metal piercing through it. Here he was, wanting me to kiss him. Here he was, and while he was giving me this option, I wasn’t going to pass it up like I so stupidly had in the past.

“That sounds fair to me,” I mumbled, seeing one last smirk appear on his lips before they crashed down onto mine.

My eyelids instantly flickered closed over my eyes as this pure bliss took over me. Those shock waves passed through me, as I knew and hoped they would, simply from how the atmosphere had changed the temperature of his lip ring drastically. Without thinking, I mean, how could you even expect me to be able to think at this point?, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me, his fingers already dancing teasingly across my waist. After a few perfect seconds he tore away, as usual, his eyes momentarily burning hungry holes through my flesh, before coming back. Leaving several small yet sweet kisses on my lips, each time he added progressively more pressure than the last, his kisses becoming more rough each time our lips came into contact than how they started, soft and gentle. And just when I thought he was finally going to go in for the kill, he broke away, breathless.

“Sorry,” he murmured, his blood rushing to his cheeks. “It’s not easy to pull away.”

I shook my head in agreement, immediately reattaching my lips with his once more. It took him a second to react, but once he had, he was leaving a dozen more kisses on my lips, even going to the extent where they were traveling across my neck, not once rushing to stuff his tongue down my throat. If this were any other guy here in his position, I’m sure he would have taken advantage of the moment and done such a thing. But this wasn’t any other guy we were talking about here. This was Frank.

I tried to fight it back, but I couldn’t help but let a soft moan pass through my parted lips from the back of my throat.

“Kelly,” he breathed out, finally pulling away from me.

I was having a bit of trouble getting my breath to slow down, but didn’t worry about trying to hide it, seeing as Frank’s chest was also noticeably rising and setting with short, heavy breaths.

He held my face in his hands, his stare making me feel like I was the only girl on the planet. Like the only girl that mattered. Leaving one final peck on my lips, he rose to his feet. “I’ve gotta get back to Newark before dad realizes I stole his car,” he laughed, a small smile forming on my face as I finally took notice of the small white car parked at the end of my driveway. “I’ll see you tonight, ‘kay?” he asked, waving to me as he slowly walked backwards down the pathway to his car.

I merely nodded, standing up and leaning against the railing as I watched him drive down our street.

Just before he turned the corner and out of sight, I saw him stick his head out the window and yell, “I LOVE YOU, KELLY HASTINGS!” loud enough to wake the neighborhood, as I’m sure he did.

Smiling like the biggest fool imaginable, I sighed, replaying bits and pieces of the last ten minutes in my head. “I love you, too, Frank Iero.”