We're All Just Victims of a Crime

Have you ever been camping? You know in an actual tent, not some ‘luxury’ camper with a TV and actual beds? You know that humid feeling that seems to stay when you first go to bed at night? Where your pillow or your sleeping bag feels damp? That’s how my chest was feeling right now, and it took me forever to figure out what it was.

I feel like I should have known immediately seeing as I was warm and the blankets were still laying beneath me. Or maybe the fact that a hand that wasn’t mine was slowly running through my hair. But those things never registered in my mind, not at all. Not even when I opened my eyes and picked up my head, seeing his face pressed into my shirt. His lips parted just enough for the air to pass through in his shallows breaths. I stayed there looking at him, confused, happy.

“How long have you been awake?” my voice cracked from being dry.

He only shrugged against my body, my eyes landing on the darker patch of my shirt from where the moister of his breath had been hitting it. Pulling his hand away I looked back to his face, his eyes still closed.

“You could have woken me up.” I muttered reaching out to touch his warm cheek.

“I did try,” he giggled grabbing my hand and sighed.

“I’m sorry.” I mumbled, propping myself up on my elbow.

“Don’t be, make me pancakes and we’ll call it square.”

“Pancakes?” I yawned as he sat up and crawled onto my lap.

“Do you have something against pancakes?” I only laughed muttering a ‘no’.

“Is it seriously midnight?” I asked while I looked over at my clock, stretching.

“Bob said something about going to bed a while ago, so I guess.” Frank stated draping his arms over my shoulders.

“Mmm,” I sighed wrapping my arms around his waist and rested my head against his chest.

“Is this real?” he only laughed.

“What do you mean is this real?”

“I feel like I could wake up any moment.... and you’ll still be mad at me.” I whispered.

“Well if anyone should be dreaming right now, it should be me. I mean you did change like... instantly.” I frowned.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” I tightened my grip on his waist, content with staying like this.

“Gee?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I have those pancakes now?” he laughed and I pulled away. Leave it to Frankie to interrupt a good moment because he’s hungry.

“Yes you may, now come on.” he slid off of my lap and stumbled off my bed.

“You okay?” I asked grabbing his arm to keep him from falling off my bed. When he nodded I let go to get out of bed and then reached out to grab his hand.

“I know the way,” he stated ripping his hand from mine.

“Oh... uh, okay then.” I mumbled and started to walk away.

“Wait,” I stopped mid step and looked over my shoulder.

“What?” I turned to face him and watched as he fidgeted in his spot.

“I’m sorry, I just don’t like the idea of needing help. I didn’t mean to sound mad, its just really frustrating for me. I mean I can’t even walk ten feet by myself anymore without someone grabbing me to lead me.” I walked back over to him and grabbed his hand.

“Its fine to be frustrated. You lead the way, how’s that?”

His pace was slow and his fingertips never left the wall as they traced their way from my room to the kitchen. I didn’t grow impatient, I only felt bad. When we made it to the kitchen he expressed his victory with a little dance and a squeal that made me laugh.

“Ok, you wait here while I try not to burn this place down. Deal?” I placed his hand on the stool and waited till he was up on it before going to the cabinet.

“You’ve never made pancakes before?”

“Uh no, after attempting to bake a cake with Mikey and my Mom, she never allowed me to use anything other than the microwave.”

“What did you do?” he laughed.

“I might have set the temperature way too high causing the cake to catch on fire.” it was quiet for a brief moment like he was picturing it before he busted up with laughter.

“Oh shut up, I should burn these just for you.” I grumbled tossing the mixing bowl onto the counter.

“I’m sorry, I’ve just never actually heard of anyone actually doing that.”

“Yep, I’m totally burning them for you now.”

“No! Please don’t burn them!” he tried to whine but failed when he could only laugh. Thank God Bob is such a heavy sleeper.

“Too late.” I stated getting out everything else that I thought I needed and placed them next to the bowl.

“Can I help?” I looked back over at him.

“Sure, do you know your way around the kitchen yet?” he shook his head and I walked over to him grabbing his hand and led him back to the counter next to the stove.

“I have no idea what I’m doing,” I whispered placing my hands on his shoulders.

“Uh... pancake mix?”

“Good question, I don’t think we have any.”

“How do you expect to make pancakes without any pancake mix?” he laughed.

“How was I supposed to know it was important?” I defended.

“The word pancake is in it Gee, its pretty important.” he giggled.

“We have flour, can’t we use that?” I asked reaching over him and picked it up, looking onto the back wondering if there were directions for it, but there was none.

“I don’t know how to make it with that.” he continued to giggle and fall back into my chest.

“So we need to go to the store then?” he nodded.

“Wait here then,” I patted his shoulder and headed back to my bedroom grabbing both of our jackets and my things before walking back into the kitchen.

“Lets go then,” I mused handing him his jacket and waited as he pulled his on before heading downstairs.

“Holy shit!” he choked, jumping up and down in place.

“What?” I laughed looking at him while I zipped up my jacket.

“Its fucking freezing!” his teeth already chattering.

“Come on, the cars close,” I took his hand and lead him towards the car. Opening the door for him I shut it once he was in and got in the drivers seat.

“Heater, now!” he whined, I only laughed and started the engine turning the heater all the way up before pulling out.

The heater was pretty much useless, because by the time we were finally at the store, it was just getting warm enough for his liking.

“Are we here already?”

“Yep, lets go. If you get out be careful of the curb.” I stated getting out of my seat.

Walking around the car I took his waiting hand and led him into the small store, it was pretty much empty expect for the guy working at the counter.

“Wow, there are stores open?” Frankie asked as we went down an aisle.

Finally finding it I couldn’t believe how many different types of pancake mixes there were.

“Uh, is there any one in particular?” he shook his head so I randomly grabbed one and almost fell forward into the shelf when he hopped onto my back.

“Are you trying to kill me?” I choked, still startled.

“Carry me?” he asked with a pout and I shook my head.

“I don’t think you’ve given me much of a choice. So, do we need anything else?”

“Do you have syrup?”

“Probably not. Jesus, and I thought there were a lot of choices for the mix.”

“Don’t get country style!” he yelled in my ear, well I don’ think he meant to yell but it still hurt.

“Ok, for the sake of hearing no country style.” I grabbed a bottle and headed to the front with Frankie still clinging to my back.

We got weird looks from the guy checking us out, but I didn’t really care, I was more worried about Frank choking me to death when I carried him back outside. Collecting my bag and change I stepped out and he squealed burying his face in my neck.

“Have I ever told you that you remind me of a toddler?”

“No,” he muttered not removing his face.

I had to pry him off of me in order to get him in the car, the entire time he whined about me being his source of heat and how he would freeze to death within seconds. It was an odd scene I had to admit, and when I finally got in the car he just laid there in his seat, and whenever I would ask him a question he would just say that he was the dead body that froze to death. Pretty mature right? Well that’s just Frankie, and that’s why I love him.

When we made it back to the apartment he had ‘miraculously come back to life’ and was waiting for me at the counter to make his pancakes.

“So, pancake mix first right?” I asked opening the box and followed all of his instructions as he stood between me and counter.

“How high should I turn up the stove?” I looked over at it laying the pan on one of the burners.

“Eh.... half maybe?” the fact that he didn’t know scared me, because I had no idea what I was doing. But I did what he said anyways and then went back to mixing.

When it came to actually cooking them, I was a lost cause, especially when it came to flipping them. Either it wouldn’t flip completely or half of it would fall onto the stove and Frank found it hilarious. But I got them done, and I was proud to say that I didn’t burn any of them, though they did look pretty fucking deformed.

“Where’s the syrup?” he asked reaching out onto the counter, I picked it up and unscrewed the lid ripping off the plastic piece and then put it back together handing it to him. Turning off the stove I walked over to him and held onto his waist as he put his food together. What I wasn’t expecting was the syrup bottle that was pushed up into my face and getting covered in it.

“Frankie!?” I shouted stepping back causing him to giggle.

“What was that for?” he simply shrugged. It was in my hair, my eyes, pretty much everywhere.

“Jesus,” I laughed trying to smear it away so I could see properly.

“What the hell is this stuff?” I whined going over to the sink and wet a paper towel.

“You okay Gee?” I looked over at him and froze as white powder hit me in the face.

“You’re a bitch did you know that?” he just giggled nodding.

“And I’m totally getting you back for that.” I lunged at him and he squeaked as he fell into the counter. I picked up the syrup bottle and started to squirt it on him.

“No!” he yelled giggling and managed to get out of my hold, he didn’t get far though before falling to the ground from tripping over my feet. He fell to the ground with a loud thud and I crawled on top of him.

“You okay?” he only laughed nodding, reaching up onto the counter I grabbed the syrup bottle and started to squirt it on him again.

“No! I give! Stop!” he giggled reaching up with his hands to grab my arms. I let go and leaned down to kiss him.

“I always get people back Frankie,” I stated as his arms wrapped around my neck.

“Really now?” he mused, I smeared his hair back from his face and smiled.

“Yep.” he pulled me down closer pressing his lips to my cheek, trailing them to my lips.

“Found you,” he giggled making me laugh.

“Hey Gee?” he whispered, his fingers running through my hair.

“Yeah?” I replied as he pulled me closer to him again.

“Guess what?”

“What?” my answer was the feeling of syrup on the top of my head.

“I get people back too,” he giggled pushing me off of him and scrambled to his feet.

I watched as he stumbled through the livingroom which only made me laugh.

“Frankie! You’re going to hurt yourself so stop running!” I laughed getting to my feet.

“No! You’ll get me back!” there was a loud thud and I ran to the hall.

“Ow, what the hell did I land on?”

“Me!” Bob groaned rolling him off of him.

“Jesus Christ why the hell am I all sticky now?” he grumbled sitting up causing me to laugh.

“We had a syrup fight,” Frankie giggled trying to get up, I walked over grabbing his hands and pulled him up.

“I do not want to know then.” Bob muttered rubbing his eyes.

“Not like that, he wanted pancakes so we went to the store to get pancake mix and syrup, and this idiot decided to pour syrup on me and then pancake mix. So yeah, that kind of stuff.”

“But we could do some kinky stuff, if you would want to be my eyes on that one Bob you’re welcomed to join. We could use a commentator.” the look of sheer horror on his face was priceless.

“I think he needs therapy now babe.” I whispered kissing the side of his head.

“Oh well then, come on, my pancakes are getting cold. Sorry we woke you Bobert.” he stated grabbing my hand and pulled me back into the kitchen.

I laid in the corner of the couch with Frank sat between my legs eating his pancakes, both of us still sticky and smelling like syrup. I think I fell asleep before he was done, I don’t really remember, but I do know that we didn’t see Bob again that night.