Pulling on Heart Strings

The dark-haired teen sighed as he watched the vicinity. He was up in a tree and spotted a kid walking around the bush and glancing over his shoulder every few seconds. ‘Suspicious behaviour, not normal for a twelve year old boy’ Frank mused. Frank spotted the boy's puppet strings and gave off another sigh. To himself, he was a freak. Frank came from a long line of Italian Gypsy puppeteers, it skipped his father but not his grandfather. How Frank loved that man, he was a drummer but Frank chose to be a guitarist. Frank's grandfather taught him his powers, how to control it and how to cope with it. Frank remembered the old man's words.

"My boy, we are maestro burattiani. Master puppeteers. I shall show you the tricks on how to connnect your strings to people's puppet strings."

That old man was his hero. Frank managed to learn all the Gypsy Puppeteer's ways in a few years. Now he can connect to people and animals, controlling them for his entertainment. Sure he gotten a few people in jail but it was fun. Only for exposing themselves in public, not killing or anything.

The young boy who he had been keeping an eye on now was sitting under a tree, and hastily grabbing something from his jacket pocket. The boy unrolled the packet and Frank saw dozens of pills inside it. ‘Holy shit! This kid is doing drugs!!! I gotta go stop him!’ Frank thought, alarmed and concerned. He lifted his palm and silver beams of light invisible to people others than Gypsy Puppeteers shot from his fingertips and connected with the boy's puppetstrings.

The young boy froze, and his arms wouldn't respond to his commands. His hands moved on their own as he crumpled the packet into a ball and helf it tight. "Tony? Tony where are you?" A voice called from a distance. The boy now known as Tony froze, he heard a rustling and saw his older brother Darren. "Tony? Are those my pills?!" The older male asked. "Yes, I took them away because I don't want to see you hurt Darren." Tony cried. The bigger male broke down and embraced his brother. "I'll stop, I'll stop for you." Darren cried. Soon he buried the pills and the two walked home.

Frank smiled to himself from his position on the tree; it felt good when things like that happened. He helped people stop from committing suicide, proposing to their loved ones and even helping bullied kids by controlling them to defend themselves. Yes Frank was a secret hero, and he preferred the mask he's wearing rather than the show-all tell-all lifestyle

Frank hopped off the low branch and leaned back against the smooth trunk of the tree. He was lonely, and he knew it. Puppeteers are supposed to find their partners, by connecting their puppetstrings they will find their soulmate. The only problem is, Frank likes men and not women. His parents accepted the fact, and were quite encouraging.

Frank's thoughts were interrupted when he heard someone clear their throat, his head snapped to the side to meet the eyes on none other than Mikey Way.

Mikey, he was Frank's best friend. The two were like brothers. Mikey had a brother whom Frank is quite close to. But Mikey... that kid had a special place in his mind. The way he smiled was cute, and his obsession for unicorns was interesting. Frank would feel butterflies wearing hobnailed boots stomping in his stomach recently. I think I'm crushing on Mikey, God... Frank thought worriedly. But the greatest surprise didn't come from him.

Mikey lifted his hand up and silver beams slowly shot from his fingers. ‘Puppetstrings? Mikey's a maestro burattinaio?’ Frank thought stepped back and tripped over the root of the tree. The puppet strings stopped and Mikey looked down worriedly and helped his friend up. "You okay?" Mikey asked concerned. "You're a maestro burattinaio!" Frank gave a cry of disbelief, Mikey's eyebrows shot up and he gasped. "How did you know?" Mikey asked, obviously confused. Frank lifted his hand and the same silver beams sprung from his fingertips and entwined itself with Mikey's strings. Instantly, a dim glow was emitted from the strings and it tugged them both together until their palms were against one another's. Mikey soon entwined his fingers with Frank's calloused ones and drew Frank closer with his other arm. "Frankie, I love you. I knew there was something special about you." Mikey whispered to the shorter one's ear. "I'm glad I found you too, la mia anima gemella." Frank replies as he placed a soft kiss on Mikey's lips. The two in a loving embrace under the sunset.