Everyone Learns Faster On Fire

The sound of violent rainfall thrashed against the window like an untamed beast and wind whistled tauntingly throughout the silent house. If you closed your eyes and imagined, this could have easily been the soundtrack to a horror movie. But it didn’t feel like a horror movie to the two people relaxing on the second floor, to them it was more of a romantic tale that only girls went to the cinema to watch.
They lay there without saying a word, both enjoying the simple pleasure of the other’s company as the storm raged outside. Gerard’s bed was insanely warm and comfortable, and Frank wished he could take it home with him.
Gerard sat up with his back against the headboard, smoking the last cigarette in Frank’s pack of twenty. He didn’t mind him having it. Frank thought he looked so sexy when he smoked, especially in his tight underwear with his hair all ruffled up.

Frank hoisted himself up into a seated position next to him and rested his head on his bare shoulder. “Want me to go and make coffee?”

The older man exhaled the smoke and smiled tiredly. “Just stay here for a minute longer, hun.”

They listened to the sound of the heavy rain lashing on the glass and drumming on the roof a little longer. Frank took a deep breath and inhaled the sweet scent of the room. This was the scent of Gerard, his favourite aroma in the world. ‘Eau Du Gerard’ he liked to call it. It was the mixture of his expensive aftershave, cigarettes, Starbucks coffee and that fruity girly shampoo he used.
Gerard took one final drag on his cigarette and offered the rest to his lover. Frank took a few short draws before returning it back to him. He was trying to quit, or cut down at least. Gerard wasn’t really helping, but he didn’t really care. The active buzz of nicotine coursing through his veins once again instantly bought him out of his post-intercourse daze.

“I’ll be in the kitchen.” Frank said eventually, swivelling around so his legs were dangling out of bed and began slipping his pants and t-shirt back on.

Gerard aimed the butt of the finished cigarette at the bin at the side of the room. He casually flicked it, but missed. The cigarette landed on the floor just inches away from where it was poorly aimed.

Frank crept down the stairs and into the kitchen at the front of the roomy house. He stared out of the window as he was waiting for the kettle to boil. It was getting late, and even though the sky was black with sinister storm clouds, he knew that it wouldn’t be too long before the day’s light was over. It must have been about 9 o’clock. He grabbed two mugs from the cupboard above the stove and poured out two generous cups of black coffee. He put them on the tray that was lying forgotten on the table and took them back upstairs to the bedroom.
But when he turned the corner into the thin hallway that led down to the room, a strange feeling washed over him, telling him that something wasn’t right. Something bad was going to happen, he could sense it. His skin broke out in goose pimples and shivers were sent buzzing around his nervous system. He walked past the closed bathroom door and could hear Gerard humming a pleasant tune from inside, so he was okay. But why did he suddenly feel like this?

He stepped into the bedroom and this question was answered. He screamed at the top of his lungs and sent the tray of coffees crashing to the ground. He yelled for Gerard, tried to move, but his legs wouldn’t take him anywhere.
The fire was spreading quickly and Frank couldn’t do anything about it. It burned through the carpet, and the flames crept up the side of the wicker wastepaper basket. He was paralysed with terror from remembering what happened a couple of years ago, being trapped in that house, burning alive, and fearing that he would never see his best friend again. And now the same thing was happening again, all because of one carelessly thrown cigarette. They really do kill.

Gerard came running into the room and vigorously stamped on the fire with his boots. He grabbed a miniature fire extinguisher from inside his closet and sprayed the foam at the bin, putting the fire out once and for all. The only trace the flames left behind was a small brown burn mark on the cream carpet and a few torched splinters from the wastepaper basket.

Frank was shaking when Gerard came over to him and wrapped him safely in his protective arms. “Oh Frankie, it’s all gone now.”

Frank whimpered and buried his face in Gerard’s hoodie. Gerard rocked him slowly like a mother cradling her distressed child. “Shhhh, it’s okay baby. I’ve put it out. There’s going to be no more fires for us.”

Frank wished he could believe what he was saying was true. He had almost forgotten about that terrible night almost two years ago, and that was the night that had bought them together. Everything about fire scared him. How could Gerard be so calm about it? Frank had never been so scared in his entire life, and the possibility of something like that happening again traumatized him and made him feel incredibly mortal.

“I just keep remembering…I just can’t forget it…” He mumbled into the comforting material of Gerard’s black hoodie. “How can you not be scared? I almost lost you that night…I almost lost you for good…lost you.”

Gerard couldn’t really remember much. The details were sketchy, but he can still remember the way Frank looked at him and bravely said ‘We’re going to be okay’ and then ‘I love you’. He remembered the look of adoration and panic in his hazel eyes. He could recall that part as if it were yesterday, but the toxic fumes and the high alcohol level in his bloodstream messed with is head and prevented him from remembering much else.
But Frank was sober that night. Maybe not completely sober, but sober enough to be haunted by every dreadful detail each time he set his eyes upon a flame.

“It hurts…It fucking hurts and burns.” Frank continued as Gerard pulled him down gently to sit on the bed. “It destroys people’s lives…it kills people Gerard! It could kill you, or I, or Mikey, or Ray, or Bob, or anyone!”

Gerard nodded and squeezed his hand comfortingly. “I know Frankie. I know it does. But we cannot live our lives in fear of it…I made a stupid mistake then and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have thrown that damn cigarette over there and left it, I should’ve put it out properly.”

Frank shivered at the sudden coldness of the room and Gerard wrapped his hoodie around his shoulders. He had calmed down a bit now, but the coffee was now soaked into the carpet at his own expense. He craved caffeine once more.

“I’m sorry I dropped the coffee on the floor.” Frank finally sniffed and wiped the tears from his eyes. “There’s a big stain now. I’ll pay for you to get it cleaned.”

“Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t not your fault.”

“But that won’t come out now! The carpet’s ruined.” Frank said dimly.

“I never really liked it anyway.” Gerard smiled and kissed him on the cheek. He got up and held out his hand. “Come on, lets go downstairs and get some caffeine in us. I could do with a large cup of coffee and a biscuit. You get first choice.”