These Are the Dark Days

Frank slowly opened the front door to his small apartment, hoping not to wake his parents. Frank wasn't entirely sure how long he had been away, most of the nights events were a blur until he woke up in the motel room. With Gerard. Who thinks they're mates.

Frank shook the thought of Gerard from his head and crept along the short hallway only to meet his parents at then end of it. James and Eve had spent the last few hours calling the neighbors, roaming the streets, searching for their lost son.

Both Eve and James had large bags under their eyes and blank stares on their faces. Loosing a son this late at night in this part of town meant that Frank was most likely dead, kidnapped, or had run away.

When Frank cleared his voice, gaining the attention of the zombie like parents, both James and Eve's head shot up, looking at their son.

James was not normally and angry man, this was the exception. "And where, at this God damned hour, have you been? Are you on drugs?"

At any other time, Frank would have laughed at his father's extreme jump from missing to the fact that his son is a drug fiend. This however, was not a time for laughter.

Being yelled at by his father was the last straw for Frank who immediately crumpled like a paper bag. He was soon on his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. His parents gave each other worried looks, such a blatant show of emotion was not normal for their son.

Eve knelt down next to her son and held him. No body in the room said anything, Frank just continued to cry. This continued until Frank mumbled something about wanting to go to bed.

That night Frank fell asleep listening to his parents in the next room whispering quietly, examining the endless possibility of things that could have upset Frank so much.

~***~

Around seven o'clock the next morning, Frank awoke to his alarm slicing through the silence of his room. He may or may not have been kidnapped by a vampire prince last night (the happenings of the former evening were still fuzzy) but Frank still had to go to work.

I bet Gerard doesn't have to go to work, seven am on a Saturday morning.

Thoughts like this continued to haunt Frank as he made his way to the grocery store.

I bet Gerard doesn't have to take the bus.

I bet Gerard doesn't have to walk six blocks in the cold rain.

Frank was so enthused by his own thoughts that he did not notice that man who occupied these musings standing in alley by his store.

"Frank." Gerard's voice was stern, startling Frank who turned around to face his mate.

"G-Gerard? W-what are you doing here?" Gerard frowned slightly, saddened by the fact that he scared this boy so much that he stuttered. Gerard however, was angry with Frank.

He stepped forward, pushing Frank into the brick wall of the ally way. For the fist time since he had met Gerard, since he had started watching the royal palace whenever he passed by, Frank was utterly terrified by Gerard.

The vampire's eyes had turned black, he was standing a few inches away from the human, breathing heavily. The steady eye contact seemed to sear through Frank's skull. Frank wanted to run but he knew his attempts would be feeble.

Gerard closed his eyes, took a few calming breaths and began to speak. "What the hell do you think you're doing, little one?"

"I-I thought that this would be best." Frank gulped "You kept talking about all these problems that you would face because of me so I thought it would be better if I got over my feelings for you and ran away."

Gerard's thought hung on one part of Frank's statement, he knew how the human boy was feeling, it was the same as his own, he just wanted to hear Frank say it. "Your feelings?" Gerard's eyes started to turn back to their normal hazel color.

"I can't stop thinking about you. Even before we met, I'd see you in the newspaper or as I passed your house and I knew, deep down, that I needed you. But I cannot be the reason yo ruin your life. You're going to be king."

Gerard placed his cold hand on Frank's cheek, the human was a little startled by the low body temperature. "Frankie, you're not ruining my life. I don't want to be king if it means not having you by my side each and every day."

Frank said nothing. What was there he could say? Gerard leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Frank's. Slowly, he touched Frank's lips with his own.

In what felt like a zap of electricity, the warm cloud that both had experienced beforehand was back. The kiss was short, but the repercussions were great. Gerard once again touch Frank's forehead with his own and let out a deep breath he had not realized he had been holding.

"Oh, little one, we're in trouble now." He whispered with a smile.