You Give Love a Bad Name

I sighed and closed my eyes, thankful that the pain in my head was starting to slowly evaporate. "Okay, I'll be right there."

Gerard didn't say anything else, and his light humming becoming fainter with every second was the only sign that gave away that fact that he was he was walking away.

The iciness of the marble wall against my head was soothing on the scalp, making it easier for me to concentrate and for my regular heartbeat to slow down and become relatively normal. I focused the direction of my thoughts on one thing.

Frank.

Would I be able to look at him the same now that I knew how he felt? Would I be able to prevent the hurt from seeping into my features when we talked? Could I still play along and act like I only thought of him as my friend?

"Lena!" Gerard sounded irritated. "Get your ass out of that bathroom, already."

My eyes opened. I didn't even hear my brother's footsteps, that's how occupied I was with my musings. But I guess this was it - the answers to my questions were mere short minutes away.

I ran my hand through my hair stressfully, feeling my heart race in my chest once again, and took a step towards the door. It was no use prolonging the invertible.

"It's just little ol' Frankie," Mikey's voice carried after me as I stepped into the corridor. "Nothing to be scared of."

I knew that he was trying to make me feel better, but his words only made my fear stronger. It wasn't Frank I was scared of, oh no, not at all, it was the thought of losing our friendship that made the blood run cold in my veins.

When I got downstairs, the nausea came back, and every breath became a struggle as I began to feel like I was suffocating. It was like all air was gone from the room, and I was a fish out of the water, my mouth opening and closing, opening and closing wordlessly, my silent cries for help emitted but never heard.

The first thing that I saw was Valerie and Frank, surrounded by the sea of her luggage. Both of them were talking animatedly, big grins on their faces. It looked like the two wasted no time getting back the atmosphere of their last encounter.

It was Gerard's voice that stopped me from turning around and running to the safety of my room, something that looked like a pretty good idea with every passing second.

"Finally. What did you do in there? Free Willy in the bathtub?"

"No," my sarcastic remark fell flat as my eyes connected with Frank's. "I used all of your shaving cream to make miniature snow piles in the bathtub."

Ignoring Gerard thundering up the stairs and Valerie's laughter, I continued to study Frank, who now had a small smile tugging on the corners of his mouth. It was the first time I had contact with him since that night in Gerard's room, if you don't count the our short phone call on Christmas, when we wished each other a merry Christmas, and he told me that he had an additional present to give me.

I was still looking at Frank, or at his taunting half-smile, if you want to get technical, when he broke the silence.

"Hi." His voice was cheerful, the exact opposite of what I was feeling.

"Hey," I nodded at him, relaxing my fingers as I realized that the nails were digging into the palms of my hands, leaving eight little crimson crescents on my pale flesh.

"What? No hug?"

Frank's smile grew with every word, and the amusement in his hazel eyes made a grin of my own fall into place.

Everything was okay, everything was alright, everything was like it always was before this year and recent events.

I practically sprinted up to him, the end of my long, white scarf almost slapping Valerie in the face as I wrapped my arms around his torso. Something in his eyes triggered the happy, carefree Lena that - I realized as I hugged him - I missed more than I ever thought possible.

"Okay, why did Gerard just burst into the bathroom like his pants were on fire to grab a can of shaving cream? While I was taking a piss?"

Mikey was leaning over the railing, his eyes wide, his face pasty, and his lips trembling.

I buried my face in Frank's jacket, laughter shaking my body as I imagined the picture that would give Mikey nightmares for days to come.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

I nodded, watching the turning water below me with fascination, something that I've been doing for the past three or four minutes, my black hair swaying in the constant wind.

Almost like he was reading my mind, Frank took me to Branch Brook Park, which was not even ten minutes away from my house. Even though the place was mostly famous for its gorgeous sea of cherry blossoms in the spring, as well as Cherry Blossom Festival in April, the whole 360 acres that made up the park were still beautiful, even as the prized cherry trees stood bare, their earth-colored trunks making a picturistic contrast against the white of the snow.

The last rays of the early sunset still lingered in the sky, illuminating the clouds in a vibrantly orange glow, highlighting the beauty around us. The stone railing of the bridge felt icy against my bare hands, but I didn't move them, standing mesmerized by the dark water beneath me.

"I haven't been here in a while," Frank continued softly, his gloved fingers drawing shapes on the snowy railing. "I kinda missed this place."

Finally, I looked away, taking a moment to smile at my best friend and the only guy in the world who could make my heart race faster than the speed of light. "Me too. I'm glad we're here."

Frank shrugged. "I've remembered you liked that place, so here we are."

I didn't say anything and leaned my back against the railing, grinning like a complete idiot, realizing that I haven't been this happy for a long time.

There was a strong gust of wind, and the flaps of Frank's checkered Cossack flared upwards, exposing his red cheeks and making me laugh.

"What?" he grinned at me, his chin snuggled in the folds of his knitted, black scarf.

I sighed and shook my head, still smiling. "It's nothing. I've just been very stressed for the past couple of weeks, that's all. It's nice to be here, free from the world, even if it's only for an hour."

Frank looked away from me, his eyes focusing on his still moving fingers. "We can make it two, if you like."

I was about to agree, but then, with a sight, I remembered my obligations. "I can't. Gerard wants to throw Valerie a small 'welcome' get-together, and I said I would be there."

Frank's fingers stopped tracing the snowy patterns. "He didn't say anything to me about that. I guess I'm not invited?"

"Gerard probably figured that I'd invite you, so he didn't say anything," I reasoned. "But do you want to come?"

"Sure."

I bit my lip. "I know Valerie would like that."

Frank's shoulders started shaking in silent laughter, and I was surprised to see a smirk on his face when he looked up. "She would, wouldn't she?"

"Making moves on my cousin, are we?" I tried to make my voice light and joking, but instead it came out small and strained.

"Nah," the smirk on Frank's face became teasing as he looked at me. "She looks too much like you. It'd be weird."

"Does not," I huffed, furrowing my eyebrows and feeling disgusted by the comparison. "We're nothing alike."

"I didn't say you were," Franked defended, sensing an edge in my tone. "I don't think you act alike, no, but she does look like a distorted red-headed version of yourself."

"Oh," my lips toyed with my lip ring as I thought of what he said, not liking his conclusion at all.

"By the way, I wanted to say how much I love your jacket for a while now, but I keep forgetting," Frank changed the subject quickly, obviously sensing my frustration. "Is it new?"

I looked down at my mint-green plaid jacket with faux-fur trim at the hood, that looked more like an overcoat because it came up to my mid-thigh. "Thanks! Logan gave it to me for Christmas."

"Oh," Frank looked somewhat baffled, but then his lips formed a thin line. "It must be nice. Having a rich boyfriend and all."

I sighed, shooting him a 'look'. "Yeah, and it's even nicer to have a moody best friend. Speaking of, don't you have something to give me?"

"I dunno, after Logan's present, this will look like something you get from those vending machines," Frank said, his voice teasing but slightly hurt.

"Gah," I raised my hands in the air, making sure that he saw my annoyed look, and took a step foreward. "If you won't give it to me, I'll take it myself. Is it in one of your pockets, Iero? Fess up."

"Yeah," the playfulness returned on Frank's face. "It's in the back pocket of my jeans."

I rolled my eyes, smiling never less, and reached into the left pocket of his jacket instead, my fingers automatically closing around a small box.

"I know it's silly," Frank started to explain nervously as I took it out and tore the wrapping, opening it. "But I thought that it would be cool. Best friends, you know? You'd have one and I'd have one, and -"

"Frank," I said softly, looking up from a smooth sliver ring that was nestled in velvety, navy material, making him stop his rambling. "Thank you. It's perfect."

And then, despite my raging inner protest, I leaned in and kissed him on his flushed cheek, smiling as I felt his arms wrap around me.

"I'm glad you like it," his breath was warm against my face. "Bob thought that it was tacky."

I wanted nothing more than to stay in Frank's smoldering embrace, but I knew I was pushing my own invisible boundaries, so I pulled back, letting go of him and slipping the ring onto my ring finger. It was a perfect fit. "That's why you don't listen to Bob. No, Frank, really, I love it. Thank you."

"Seriously?" He was practically glowing.

"Yeah," I nodded, smiling. "Let me see yours."

He took of the glove of his left hand, obediently, extending it to me. I took his hand, looking at the shiny ring that was identical to mine on his ring finger. "Your hand is hot."

Frank's fingers wrapped around mine. "No, yours is cold."

I laughed and looked up, instantly mesmerized by his smile. I didn't know how long I stood there, but it was the sound of my ringtone, Jingle Bells, that took me out of my daze.

With a sigh, I pulled away from Frank and reached into my jacket for my phone, flipping it open. "Yeah?"

"When are you coming home?"

I sniggered. Gerard certainly didn't waist time on pleasantries. "Why? Missed me?"

I didn't need to see him to know that he rolled his eyes. "No, but Valerie misses Frank. Tell him to get both of your asses over here."

"Yeah, okay, bye," I snapped my phone shut, my mood instantly ruined.

"We need to go?" Frank asked with a small grimace.

I sighed and looked up at him, nodding. "Yeah. Valerie needs to see her boy toy."