Through the Glass

“Our top story tonight, famous Doctor, Dr. Denito died last night at 7:20 pm, two weeks before her 40th Birthday on February 14th. Dr. Denito is most famous for her discovery of the cure for Niveus morbus, commonly known as the White Virus in 2028. Now, we look back at some of her greatest achievements today on-” Suddenly, the old flickering TV died, cutting the woman off and plunging the room once again into silence.

A man’s face was visible in the reflection of the now black set, his gaunt cheeks, and pale hair thrown into contrast by the dying light filtering in through the grimy window. It was obvious that life had not been treating this man by his thin, pale frame, dwarfed by the baggy clothing he wore.

His face, in the moments after he had heard the announcement had quickly shifted from shock, and then to anger. However, as he stared at the blank screen, his face slowly softened until he looked more upset then mad.

The quiet stretched on, and soon the man couldn’t take it anymore, so he switched his ancient set back on.

“-Just put out a statement about his feeling on Dr. Denito’s death. ‘The day the doctor and I discovered the cure was truly important to me. You could even say that it was the best day of my life. Even since that day, the late Doctor and I continued our search to not only save people from the White Virus, but also reverse the affects it has. She will be greatly missed by myself, the science community, and the general public.’”

Back in his home, that man snorted. Who was this brainwashed fool? Under no circumstances could Dr. Denito ever be considered a good person, she was evil to the core.

On the Television, the screen had switched from a picture of the Doctor back to a blonde woman wearing far too much makeup. “We now bring you live from the studio, where we have arguably Dr. Denito’s best friend and closest ally through all the years they’ve worked together – Gerard Way.” The man’s eyes widened to the size of saucepans at the name. Gerard Way? He would rather be dead then work with Dr. Denito, the man was positive. Sure enough though, a well, dressed man with short, bleached hair walked smartly onto the screen and took a seat next to the obnoxious reporter.

“Thank you for that very kind introduction, Shelly.” Gerard’s voice had changed greatly since the last time the man had heard it. Where as it used to be rough and underused, it now sounded velvety and smooth, and not nearly as genuine as he used to be. “I was so upset to hear about the Doctor’s death. She truly meant the world to me.”

“I know,” The woman’s high nasally voice faked concern. “We read your statement, really a wonderful tribute to her, if you ask me.”

“Speaking of tributes, I would just like to thank your audience for the donations that have just been pouring in. Despite everything that’s happened, we still have a long way to go in our fight against the Virus, and all contributions are going directly to helping all those affected…”

The man couldn’t take it anymore. This was not the Gerard he had known. His Gee would never be so insincere about anything, and would never in a million years thank Dr. Denito for anything.

Thanks to her, he had been left in a containment center to rot, ripped away from the one he loved against his will. He was on his deathbed, ready to pass when the pills came. The scientists weren’t sure if it could save someone so close to death, but sadly, it had worked. He had been saved, even though he still looked like a skeleton, but the man he loved had never come back, never come looking for him, despite all the promises he had made.

Gerard Way had just left him there in the containment center.

The Television still blared in the background as he angrily stormed off. As he was leaving, however, a quiet voice from the speakers reached his ears.

“…yes the Center will be closed for a little bit, just to give everyone a little bit of a break, you know…”

Maybe I’ll go and fine him, give him a piece of my mind… He knew he could find Gerard, he used to know that man as well as he’d known himself. The man recognized the facts though, he was too cowardly to seek out Gerard, and he probably would never speak to him again, how could he?

That man had left him all alone, for what seemed like no good reason at all. But, who knows, maybe there was a reason, maybe he hadn’t been good enough.

Sometimes, it felt better just not knowing why.

---

Gerard sat back in the uncomfortable chair he’d been given, just wishing for the damn thing to be over already. He’d let the interviewer do most of the talking, and deduced that she pretty much nothing about his research.

“…and Gerard, please, just one more question?”

“But of course.”

“How were you personally affected by the Virus?” He leaned back a little, thinking about what to say. Throughout this interview, he’d just been asked the standard questions, but Gerard actually didn’t think he’d ever been asked this one before. Because it was so obvious that he’d caught the Virus, most people thought it would be rude to ask. Again, this reporter was not too bright.

“Well, as everyone can see, I caught the Virus when I was only about 22, and my younger brother died a little before I was diagnosed. Also…probably the most important person in my life I met while working in the labs. He…he caught the Virus and died less than a year after I met him. I still wish I could have been in time to save him.” He’d never told that story to anyone, because he’d never really had anyone to tell it to, and was embarrassed to find his vision blur slightly as tears obstructed his view.

Brushing then aside hurriedly, he looked down slightly, hoping that the reporter hadn’t noticed. When he realized that she had, he grimaced, muttering, “I’m sorry, I guess I never really realized what a sore subject that was for me.”

“Well, I guess the work you do must really hit home. I’m sorry about your losses, Mr. Way” Looks like I had this girl wrong…

“It does…it really does…”

---

Despite his previous thoughts, the man found his feet taking his in the direction of the local café. The café looked like every other one in The City, but the man knew better. He knew it was Gerard’s favorite and after that interview would more than likely be there.

But no! You don’t want to talk to Gerard, remember, he broke you heart!

He didn’t care. He knew this was going to end badly, how could it possibly end well? There was a reason Gerard never came looking for him. His feet rounded the corner, and he pushed open the door, and, to no surprise, Gerard was hunched over in one of the back booths sipping at a cup, frown etched upon is face.

Anyone who didn’t know him would think he was just upset, or had a bad day.

The man knew he was thinking deeply, and even at the best of times was not brave enough to bother Gerard while he was thinking. So, he took a seat a few rows behind Gerard and ordered his coffee, trying desperately to build up the nerve to talk to the man he once loved will all of his heart.

---

After the interview, Gerard, feeling quite drained, felt like just unwinding with a nice cup of coffee at his favorite café. Unfortunately for him however, there was this one man in the very back of the store who just kept looking at him.

Finally, he grew angry, what was wrong with this man anyway? He looked as if he’d been homeless for quite some time. The pants he wore were so patched that he couldn’t even see the original material and the shirt so dirty that it looked brown instead of the white it was supposed to be.

So he did the only sensible thing he could think of, and strode up to the man with a scowl on his face, growling. “What the fuck is your problem dude?” This may not have seemed like a sensible thing to anyone else, but at the time, Gerard had not slept for over 24 hours, and had been under tremendous stress. In other words, he wasn’t in his right mind.

“I-I’m sorry Gerard, I didn’t mean to disturb you or anything-”

“How could you not?! You’ve been sitting there staring at me for over an hour! I don’t even know you, who are you anyway?” He snapped, the confusion somehow fueling his anger.

“You don’t remember me?” The small man asked, dismayed. This was not how the man had meant to confront Gerard. He always expected Gerard would be horrified to see him, and sometimes in his dreams, Gerard was even happy to finally find him, his lost love. However, never had had never even given any thought to the fact that he might not even remember him.

It hurt. Really hurt, and now he was livid too. “Well,” He hissed, “Let’s see if this jogs your memory. Remember when you were stuck in a box all day, before you were best buddies with Dr. Denito? Remember the man who always used to visit you?”

“Don’t!” Gerard barked, looming over the other. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

His fury was fading, and to his repulsion, he felt thin tear trails begin to make their way down his hollow cheeks. “Remember the man who was always there at the end of everything? The one who would hold you after everything was finished?”

The thin, angry tears had made way for large round ones that leaked out of his eyes and rolled one by one down his once-beautiful face, making his look like a small, frightened child.

Gerard looked like he was about to interrupt again, but the man just plowed on. He didn’t seem able to stop, even though he knew it could only end badly from there. “You used to make me promises! You used to say to meevery day how much you loved me, and I loved you, so much. I gave you my heart and you just kicked it aside once you got what you wanted, Gerard. I r-rotted away in that horrible p-place, you didn’t even b-b-bother to look for me, and I l-loved you!”

“<b>Frank?!</b> But how… you were dead…” Dwelling in his own problems, Gerard was suddenly yanked back into reality when Frank’s sobs turned to coughing and he doubled over in pain, it was obvious the man was seriously ill. “Oh Frankie…” He whispered, heart breaking silently, and it was as if no time had passed and they had never been separated. Gerard gently pulled Frank into his lap on the booth, shushing him softly and rocking him, not caring when people stared or gave them dirty looks. “Please don’t cry…you know I always hated it when you cried.”

“You j-j-just left me th-there. You have no idea how h-hard it is trying to find a j-job when you look like a walking z-z-zombie! I’ve been l-living on the streets for nearly a fucking y-year. You wouldn’t b-believe what I’ve had to do to e-eat, I’ve been s-staving! I had to kill p-people to live, I ha n-no choice Gerard…”

“I’m sorry…baby, I’m so, so sorry…” Gerard couldn’t even believe himself. All this time he’d been living off a discovery he didn’t even make, almost turning himself into just one big publicity figure, when the man he had to thank for his freedom was wandering The City without a place to stay. Choosing to ignore the last bit of information, he said, “I wanted to go back and look for you, really, I did. But when I got there, all the doctors could tell me was that you’d been almost dead, and they’d given you the pill. I know that I could have tried to find out if you’d made it…but it was easier to just assume you were dead. Please, don’t be angry! I just…as long as I didn’t know for sure, I could still have hope, I feel terrible now, I can’t believe myself! Please…do you hate me?”

“Gerard…” He said slowly, his tears subsiding into sniffles as he looked up with his hazel eyes, magnified by the tears. “I told you once that I would always love you, no matter what, and I was being honest. I still love you, despite everything. I hate you for not trying to find me, and for being a complete fake and pretending to be best friends with Dr. Denito for the last few years. I hate you so much…but I still love you. I can’t stop loving you!” Taking in a shuddering breath, Frank continued, voice growing stronger with each phrase. “There are some days; I wish I had never met you because it hurts so bad. I wish I could kill myself just to stop loving you…but I can’t. I wish I didn’t love you! But I do, and that will never change.”

“Then will you ever forgive me?” The taller whispered, afraid for the answer.

“…of course I forgive you, you idiot.” He murmured, laughing softly and giving the taller a gentle squeeze around his middle.

“Thank you. You can stay with me, I have a house now Frankie, and we’ll never have to be separated again. I love you, Frank Iero.” Frank wanted to say okay, God, how he did. He wasn’t really mad at Gerard for leaving him. Sure, it hurt. But if he was in Gerard’s shoes, he would have done the same.

And yet…he still said no, said no to the man he loved, because Frank loved him so much.

“Gerard, I…I can’t.”

“You can’t?! Why?”

But as Frank opened his mouth to think of how to possibly answer the question, his eyes snapped to a big man who had started striding over to them with a purposeful look on his face. It was a cop. Frank knew it. The very same cop had been chasing his even since Frank had taken that job with Dewees a while back.

Frank sat shivering on a park bench, trying his hardest not to think about how hungry he was, when a shadowy man in a black hoodie strode up to him and sat down beside him.

“Need a job?” He had asked, already knowing by Frank’s appearance he didn’t have one himself.

And that was the beginning of the end. From then on, he frequently did little jobs when Dewees needed him to, but slowly, those little jobs turned into one big job. Dewees worked for an organization of drug dealers, who sometimes needed Frank to take care of anyone causing problems for them.

At first, Frank hated killing to survive, but he had no choice, and eventually, it got to the point where he was able to disattach himself and almost run on autopilot. That didn’t mean he didn’t feel afterwards though.

Frank knew he was going to hell for what he had done, and he thoroughly deserved it, and thought so too. He tried his best to block out the images, but sometimes when he slept, they would creep back into his head, filling it with a little girl’s screams and another man’s blood on his hands.

It always ended the same, with him feeling the other’s pain.

It wasn’t safe to sleep anymore, always had to watch your back and stay on top of your past.

About a year later, the police busted them up, and someone had slipped to the cops that Frank was involved with all the murders in The City. Even since then, he’d had to watch his back. Now, there was nowhere for him to run.

“Well, well, well Iero,” The large man said, standing over them with his hands on his hips. “Finally, a confession. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to hear that, the best is that I got a recording and witnesses. You don’t stand a chance in court. Now stand up, you’re coming with me.”

Gerard got up quickly, moving in between the two, not quite understanding the situation, but knowing that he had to get Frank out of it.

“Excuse me, but what are you talking about? Frank hasn’t done anything, and I’m not letting you take him anywhere!”

“Gerard, please…” Frank whispered to the taller, his eyes pleading with Gerard to not get himself in trouble. He knew he was in trouble, and he deserved it, 100 percent. But he couldn’t bring Gerard down with him, no matter what he had done to Frank.

“Oh, he never told you, Mr. Way? Frankie here’s been making himself quite famous among the police force. He’s been killing people for a drug dealership, can you believe that? You have to understand why-”

“No!” Gerard shouted. “I won’t let you take Frankie away! Stay away from him!” Frank was shell-shocked; he couldn’t believe what had just happened. Now there’s the Gerard I used to know…

“But Mr. Way-”

“I don’t care what he’s done!” The man made to move forward, but Gerard blocked him, his hands clenching into fists. Before the man even knew what was happening, Gerard had grabbed a nearby coffee cup and smashed it against his head, leaving him dazed. “Run!” He screamed to a still frozen Frank, seizing his hand and pulling him out of the café.

“Gee, what-?”

“I couldn’t just let that bastard take you! Quick, we have to keep running!”

“But Gerard,” Frank panted, trying his hardest not to fall behind. “Where will we go? They’re bound to find us if we stay inside The City…”

“So we’ll leave!”

“Leave The City?!” Frank practically yelled, attracting curious looks from passersby.

Leaving the safety of The City limits was practically unheard of, and no one who had even left had come back alive. Nevertheless, Gerard knew it was worth a shot. He understood that if they could get out of The City, then no one would ever try to find them.

“I’m sorry, Frankie, but we have to! It’s the only way!” Gerard saw him take a shaky breath, before nodding bravely. It was no secret that right now, he was more scared then he had ever been before.

The entrance to The City was guarded, but with only a few security men because of the time of day. As Gerard and Frank came barreling towards them, Gerard heard a sudden bang! and ducked. He glanced up, however, when he noticed one of the security guards fall to the ground with a heavy thud. Looking back, he was met with Frank’s angry face, his eyes cold and empty. There were several more shots fired, and someone might have screamed, but Gerard wasn’t sure.

Come on, we have to keep moving!

They know where we’re going, so we have to go fast!

Don’t stop…don’t stop… Time seemed to pass in slow motion as Frank smashed the lock on the gate with the handle of his gun, and they were out, the yells and cries of the police echoing in their ears.

They tore through the undergrowth and headed into the black wall of trees, just visible from the city limits. The two ran for as long as they could, not stopping or talking at all, just wanting to put distance between themselves and The City.

However, Frank quickly grew weak and tired, as he was not even close to being healthy, and with the exhaustion came clumsiness. After stumbling for what felt like the fifth time, Frank’s foot suddenly became entangled with a root and he crashed to the ground. Twice, he struggled to get up, before just lying on the ground, gasping slightly for air.

When he tried for a third time, he felt a pair of hands gently pulling him of the forest floor and onto Gerard’s lap.

“I-I’m sorry…” He managed, furiously admitting to himself that he couldn’t go any further.

Gerard sighed softly, resting comfortably against a tree, feeling a little bad that he’d made Frank go this far and not understanding how exhausted he was. “It’s no problem…this place looks okay, let’s stop.”

“If you’re sure Gee…” Gerard knew he really was tired when he started giving in that easily.

Now, how to make this a safe place to stay…

---

As they stared up at the stars that night, Frank secretly smiled to himself. No matter what happened to them out here, he knew he was happier than he ever was back in The City. Back when he lived on the streets, things were tough, but he’d been all alone, Dewees had never been much of a friend to him. But now…now things were different. Sure, it would be hard, but then again, when had things ever been easy for them? Plus, now they would have each other.

He just felt bad about having to drag Gerard it when he didn’t do anything.

---

Gerard slipped his cool hand into Frankie’s warm one, feeling a small smile tug at the corners of his lips. His Frankie was alive. Alive. He didn’t care what Frank had done, or what was going to happen to them. For the first time in almost two years, he felt completed, whole, and no one was ever going to take that away from him ever again.

Thinking this, he silently snuggled closer to his love and rested his head on the other’s feather soft hair. Smiling when Frank looked up, his pale face crinkled into confusion.

“…Gerard?”

“Yes, baby?” He asked, cuddling his close.

Laughing, Frank wrapped his smaller arms tightly around him. Then, his face grew a little more serious. “I’m sorry, Gee-gee.”

“Sorry? Sorry for what?”

“…Everything.”

“Darling…”

“I know, I know what you’re going to say, but it is my fault Gee, all of this is my fault, if I hadn’t gotten involved with Dewees, none of this would have happened, and you would still be back home, safe…”

“…But I wouldn’t have been me, Frankie. I would have been a cheap imitation who only cared about experiment results and media coverage. To me, that’s a million times worse than being alone outside The City with you.”

“But those poor people I hurt. They didn’t deserve that.” Gerard could tell that his love was a million miles away by now, lost in his own memories.

“Do you want to talk about it, baby?”

“No.” He said firmly, clinging a little tighter to his anchor.

“I’ll keep you safe; I promise I’ll always keep you safe.”

Frank knew that what Gerard was promising wasn’t possible, knew that before they knew it, they would be on the run again, fleeing from some new threat. Right now though, Gerard believed what he said completely, and that was all that really mattered.