Not in Blood, but Through Bond
The Oneshot
Frank let out a huge yawn as he continued to stare mindlessly out of the bus window. He watched as thousands of miles of highway sped past in a blur of grey and dust. Too lethargic to hold his own head up, his face was squashed against the palm of his tattooed hand.
The bus was quiet, a long day of travelling the day before had tired out the rest of his band mates and they had surrendered to the call of sleep not long after the sun had disappeared beyond the foreign horizon; even Gerard had gone to bed, not able to do anything productive with the ideas pulsing around his tired mind.
Frank had stayed awake. He hadn't felt like going to sleep so he had stayed, sitting in unnatural stillness watching the bright lights shoot past. His iPod supplied tinny music that he sometimes bobbed his head along to as he picked at the hole in his jeans. His eyes began to burn but still he did not succumb to sleep.
Eventually the first glows of colour had begun to light the sky, soon followed by the unwelcoming fiery sun. Frank had blinked his tired eyes, trying to rid them of the heavy feeling as the dirty highway was brushed free of the night's shadows.
His iPod was still battling on, despite low battery so he jumped when a hand fell upon his shoulder, Frank's head spun around, false adrenaline making him more aware.
Gerard stood there, his hair sticking up in an amusing fashion and his cheek red with his pillow's imprint. His eyes, although covered in the film of tiredness, held concern and Frank quickly took his earphones out.
"Hey" Frank croaked, coughing slightly as he used his voice for the first time in hours.
"You sick?" Gerard asked, reaching for his friend's forehead, concern turning into full out worry.
"Nah, just couldn't sleep." he replied, his accent thick with fatigue, and shook off Gerard's hand.
"Oh. Okay." He shrugged before taking a seat beside Frank.
The guitarist stretched his legs, wincing as the feeling returned to the limbs.
Gerard scanned the man beside him and took in his appearance.
"So what's up?"
"M'not sure." And it was the truth, Frank had no idea why his mind wouldn't shut down, why his instincts screamed that something was wrong; his stomach twisted and his nerves were on edge. He focused his attention back on the view from the window; the sun was fully visible now, low in the sky. The foreign land seemed so bare and unfriendly. That's when it hit Frank.
"I miss Jersey." he whispered, playing with a loose thread on his jeans. He didn't want to seem ungrateful - he loved touring, he really did; meeting fans, playing his heart out, having a blast with his best friends... but sometimes he just wanted to sleep in his own bed. Have a lie in, watch cartoons in bed and wander around his house in his PJs before eating an unhealthy breakfast.
"I understand." And when Frank met his eyes he knew Gerard was telling the truth and didn't hold it against him in the slightest.
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Gerard stood up and offered his hand to Frank.
"C'mon, let's go back to bed"
"But..."
"You'll sleep. Promise." Gerard spoke softly.
Frank bit his lip, but seeing the pleading in his eyes, took his hand and stood up, brushing himself off with his free hand before stumbling after Gerard who was dragging him towards the bunks.
The back of the bus was stuffy, quiet snores came from Mikey, Frank found himself being pulled into Gerard's bunk.
"Gerard, I have a bed." Frank whispered and Gerard simply rolled his eyes before closing the curtain.
Frank raised an eyebrow at his friend, he was still in his jeans for God's sake, surely he wasn't expected to sleep? But Gerard's pillow did look inviting so Frank laid his head down, closing his eyes as Gerard stretched out behind him wrapping his arms around Frank.
And suddenly, in the darkness, the smell of coffee and cigarettes invaded his senses, the uncomfortable denim dug into his skin and he could hear the random shuffles and breathing of his band members... and he was back there;
Sleeping on Hambone's couch after a gig, passed out in the studio after recording non stop, snoozing in the back of the van as they trekked across NJ - Ray driving whilst having a muted debate with Matt over who picks the music, Mikey tapping away on his Gameboy and Gerard...Gerard was curled out behind him, arms wrapped around him.
Just like always.
As Frank fell away into the clutches of sleep, the last thing he heard was Gerard, whispering into his ear.
"Goodnight Frankie."
The bus was quiet, a long day of travelling the day before had tired out the rest of his band mates and they had surrendered to the call of sleep not long after the sun had disappeared beyond the foreign horizon; even Gerard had gone to bed, not able to do anything productive with the ideas pulsing around his tired mind.
Frank had stayed awake. He hadn't felt like going to sleep so he had stayed, sitting in unnatural stillness watching the bright lights shoot past. His iPod supplied tinny music that he sometimes bobbed his head along to as he picked at the hole in his jeans. His eyes began to burn but still he did not succumb to sleep.
Eventually the first glows of colour had begun to light the sky, soon followed by the unwelcoming fiery sun. Frank had blinked his tired eyes, trying to rid them of the heavy feeling as the dirty highway was brushed free of the night's shadows.
His iPod was still battling on, despite low battery so he jumped when a hand fell upon his shoulder, Frank's head spun around, false adrenaline making him more aware.
Gerard stood there, his hair sticking up in an amusing fashion and his cheek red with his pillow's imprint. His eyes, although covered in the film of tiredness, held concern and Frank quickly took his earphones out.
"Hey" Frank croaked, coughing slightly as he used his voice for the first time in hours.
"You sick?" Gerard asked, reaching for his friend's forehead, concern turning into full out worry.
"Nah, just couldn't sleep." he replied, his accent thick with fatigue, and shook off Gerard's hand.
"Oh. Okay." He shrugged before taking a seat beside Frank.
The guitarist stretched his legs, wincing as the feeling returned to the limbs.
Gerard scanned the man beside him and took in his appearance.
"So what's up?"
"M'not sure." And it was the truth, Frank had no idea why his mind wouldn't shut down, why his instincts screamed that something was wrong; his stomach twisted and his nerves were on edge. He focused his attention back on the view from the window; the sun was fully visible now, low in the sky. The foreign land seemed so bare and unfriendly. That's when it hit Frank.
"I miss Jersey." he whispered, playing with a loose thread on his jeans. He didn't want to seem ungrateful - he loved touring, he really did; meeting fans, playing his heart out, having a blast with his best friends... but sometimes he just wanted to sleep in his own bed. Have a lie in, watch cartoons in bed and wander around his house in his PJs before eating an unhealthy breakfast.
"I understand." And when Frank met his eyes he knew Gerard was telling the truth and didn't hold it against him in the slightest.
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Gerard stood up and offered his hand to Frank.
"C'mon, let's go back to bed"
"But..."
"You'll sleep. Promise." Gerard spoke softly.
Frank bit his lip, but seeing the pleading in his eyes, took his hand and stood up, brushing himself off with his free hand before stumbling after Gerard who was dragging him towards the bunks.
The back of the bus was stuffy, quiet snores came from Mikey, Frank found himself being pulled into Gerard's bunk.
"Gerard, I have a bed." Frank whispered and Gerard simply rolled his eyes before closing the curtain.
Frank raised an eyebrow at his friend, he was still in his jeans for God's sake, surely he wasn't expected to sleep? But Gerard's pillow did look inviting so Frank laid his head down, closing his eyes as Gerard stretched out behind him wrapping his arms around Frank.
And suddenly, in the darkness, the smell of coffee and cigarettes invaded his senses, the uncomfortable denim dug into his skin and he could hear the random shuffles and breathing of his band members... and he was back there;
Sleeping on Hambone's couch after a gig, passed out in the studio after recording non stop, snoozing in the back of the van as they trekked across NJ - Ray driving whilst having a muted debate with Matt over who picks the music, Mikey tapping away on his Gameboy and Gerard...Gerard was curled out behind him, arms wrapped around him.
Just like always.
As Frank fell away into the clutches of sleep, the last thing he heard was Gerard, whispering into his ear.
"Goodnight Frankie."