Save the Princess, Get a Kiss

Hungry eyes peer out from between the bars of each and every cell. They watch the movements of the newest arrival, running up and down his slim body.

Maybe it had to do with his curvy, feminine hips, or his long black hair that curled just above his chin, or maybe it was his dainty little artist hands. Whatever the reason, Gerard Way had always been very pretty.

Gerard can feel the stares as he walks through the gray hall, can feel the way he’s being judged. It brings back memories of going to art school in drag, and Gerard smiles grimly at the thought.
The guards lead him to his cell, a small room, gray and dull.

The only color in the room is the orange jumpsuit of his cellmate.

A smattering of tattoos peek out from below the sleeves of his jumpsuit, and his ear lobes are stretched where gauges used to be.

The man grins wide, and states simply, “I'm Jeph.”

*

Gerard takes a while to get used to the way prison works, and his insomnia is acting up, but he thinks, overall, it's not as bad as it would seem. They’re fed three meals a day, they have a place to sleep, and as long as you don’t cause too much trouble, the guards aren’t particularly cruel.

Gerard was relieved to find out that his cellmate is a decent guy, not one of those prisoners you hear about on television.

Jeph's really amazing, actually, and he quickly becomes someone that Gerard would consider a friend. He helps Gerard sleep by telling him stories of what his life was like before he got busted.

Jeph is in prison because he made his living off of stealing cars and selling them to people who couldn't afford to pay the full price. “It’s criminal, man, the way the system works. If you’re poor, you obviously can’t afford a car. And if you don’t have a car, how the fuck are you supposed to find a job? It’s like they want you to stay poor. I’m telling you, Gee, the system’s fucked,” Jeph explains one night as they’re lying in their bunks. Gerard sees the logic, but doesn’t respond.

“If the justice system were based on the greater good, and not just what benefits the people in power, I wouldn’t be here,” Jeph says from the top bunk.

Gerard never talks about his life before prison, and he never says what he's in for.

*

One day in the showers, Gerard can feel eyes boring into his back, trailing down to his ass, his legs, and back up again.

He hears the soft, wet padding of someone walking up behind him, and he tenses, just a bit, trying not to show his unease.

Warm, calloused hands grab his soft hips and turn him around, and suddenly he's looking into bright blue eyes burning with lust.

“Hey now, what's a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?” The man rests his head on Gerard's shoulder, greasy hair falling to cover his face, and his hot breath lands on Gerard’s chest. He kisses Gerard’s shoulder and he laughs when he feels Gerard start squirming away from him. The man’s laughter sends a chill down Gerard’s spine.

Gerard struggles a bit more, trying to break loose from the fingers gripping his hips. He brings up his arms and tries to push him away, but the man holds Gerard’s hips even tighter, his nails digging into the soft flesh there.

“You're not getting away that easy,” the man grunts. He kisses up Gerard's neck and stops at his ear to whisper, “Turn around.”

Gerard doesn’t move. He’s shaking and he wants to convince himself that this isn’t happening. The man grabs a fistful of Gerard’s hair and jerks his head back when he doesn’t obey. Gerard can feel the man’s breath on his face as he leans in and growls, “I said, turn around.”

A few fat tears roll down his face as he's spun around and told to place his hands against the wall. Nails are digging into Gerard’s hips, and he hears the man comment on how pretty he is.

Once the man finally starts, Gerard’s sobs echo through the tiled room and down the hall.

*

By the time Gerard's back at his cell, he’s numb to his surroundings.

He eases himself into bed and doesn't say anything when Jeph peers down at him from the top bunk, concern etched into his face.

Gerard doesn't sleep well that night, dreams haunted by blue eyes and the feeling of sharp nails on his hips.

*

The next day, when everyone is outside for recreation, Gerard catches someone staring at him from across the courtyard. The man is short and has dark brown hair that just barely falls in front of his eyes. When he notices that Gerard is returning his stare, he seems to perk up.

Gerard quickly looks away, and when he looks back he sees the short man walking towards him, hazel eyes gleaming with excitement.

He stops in front of Gerard and flashes him a grin. Gerard feels like maybe he should say something, but he doesn’t. The short man has his sleeves rolled up, revealing bright tattoos splattered along his crossed arms. The name on his jumpsuit reads F. Iero.

Gerard starts to feel a bit uncomfortable with the way this guy is just smiling at him, and he’s about to walk away when the short man finally speaks up.

“Hi, I’m new, I'm here for arson whyareyouhere?”

Near the end of the sentence, the man's excitement gets the better of him and his words string together. Gerard has to think for a second before he can open his mouth to reply. “Uh. Hi.”

The man grins when Gerard finally responds. “I’m Frank!”

“Hi, Frank.” Gerard is uncomfortable and he wants to end this conversation as soon as possible; Frank doesn’t seem to notice.

“What’s your name?” Frank asks, smiling.

“I’m Gerard,” he mumbles and looks away, breaking eye contact. He’s feeling more than a little unnerved by the amount of attention he’s getting, but Frank is oblivious to Gerard’s discomfort.

Gerard tries to shuffle away, but Frank just follows him, chattering on and on. Gerard doesn’t respond, but he doesn’t make another effort to escape, either. They walk around the courtyard like this, Frank talking while Gerard listens, until it’s finally time to return to the cell block.

Before he turns to leave, Frank smiles at Gerard again. “Maybe I’ll see you around?”

“Yeah, maybe,” Gerard says, flashing a weak smile.

*

Recreation goes like this now, Frank and Gerard walking together. After a few days, Gerard actually begins to respond to Frank’s constant chatter, beginning to feel at ease around the short man.

When Gerard starts replying, Frank uses this as an opportunity to ask as many questions as possible.

“How old are you, Gerard?” Frank asks, smiling up at Gerard.

Gerard brushes a few stray strands of hair out of his eyes before answering, “Twenty-four.”

“No kidding, Gerard, I'm twenty-one!”

“Awesome,” Gerard says, not sure why Frank seems so excited by something so mundane.

“Do you have any siblings, Gerard?” Frank strings Gerard's name on at the end of every sentence he can, and Gerard tries to not let it unnerve him.

“Yeah, one. Younger brother, named Mikey,” he answers as the bell chimes to indicate that it’s time to go inside.

Gerard is taken by surprise when Frank wraps him in a hug. The embrace is quick and Gerard doesn’t have time to return it. “So, anyway, see you later, Gerard!” Frank calls over his shoulder as he jogs over to his block to be ushered inside.

“Bye,” Gerard says after him.

*

It doesn’t take long for Gerard to develop a crush on Frank. He was always one to romanticize any attention he was paid, and Frank pays him a lot of attention. He's pretty sure that if he could, Frank would stand talking to Gerard for the entire night, instead of the forty-five minutes they're allotted.

Jeph teases him, saying that he has a new prison-boyfriend. “It’s cute, man, really. You’re so obviously smitten with the kid. Just watch out, y’know? I wouldn’t want anyone to use this as a reason to give you any trouble,” Jeph says pointedly. Gerard knows what he’s getting at, and he looks away.

*

Maybe it’s because of Jeph’s comment, or maybe it’s because Gerard notices the way eyes still linger on him more than he’s comfortable with. Maybe it’s the blue eyes he catches following Frank around the courtyard. Whatever the reason, Gerard thinks it might be a good idea for him to start utilizing his recreation time for more than just walking and talking with Frank.

*

“So, Gerard, why are you in here?” Gerard's been in prison for six months now, and no one knows exactly why he's there. Frank watches Gerard, waiting for an answer. He’s asked before, but never so directly.

Gerard ignores Frank's query, and instead does another push up.

*

“Fucking queers.”

Gerard pauses in his jog around the courtyard to look at the man who just spoke. Frank stops next to him and glances nervously between the two men. Gerard’s jaw tightens as he stares at the large man leaning against the cinder block wall.

“Gee, just leave it, it doesn’t matter,” Frank mumbles. Gerard looks at Frank and smiles briefly before continuing his jog, only to look over his shoulder at the man once more.

*

Gerard's feminine figure is nearly ruined. Where soft curves used to be, now there's muscle rippling under his pale skin. His dainty artist hands are calloused and thick veins bulge beneath the skin of his lean arms.

Gerard's certainly not ripped, but he’s lean and toned, and he no longer exudes the pretty femininity he did a year ago. Now, he walks with an air of confidence and a smirk on his face. Jeph jokes that he looks like a killer. Gerard doesn’t laugh.

*

One day, while getting dressed after showers, Gerard can see a guy approaching Frank out of the corner of his eye.

He turns and watches as the scene unfolds. The man walks up behind Frank as he zips his orange jumpsuit. The man leans down to whisper in Frank’s ear and Gerard sees him tense. The man roughly turns Frank around and places his head on Frank's shoulder, having to bend slightly to lean on the shorter man. A knot forms in Gerard’s stomach as he sees Frank fidget uncomfortably; this is all too familiar to him.

Gerard watches for a second longer, to see the man place a sloppy kiss on Frank’s neck and to see Frank's face contort into an expression of fear, disgust, shame.

A hot fury consumes Gerard and he can see exactly what he wants to do to the guy before he walks over. He stands behind the man for a moment and listens as the man mutters about how pretty Frank is.

When he feels like he’s heard enough, Gerard's hand shoots out and grabs a fistful of the man's hair. He twists it around his knuckles and pulls the man away from Frank. The man cries out and Gerard holds the hair tight in his fist. For a second he just holds the man like that, and then suddenly he shoots his arm forward and smashes the man’s head into the tile wall.

His head connects with the tile with a sickening crack, and blood begins to spill from a gash on his forehead. There's still a chunk of hair in Gerard's hand when he releases the man, who crumples to the floor.

Gerard lets the clump of hair fall to the ground and looks down at the man. He stands over him, and looks at the bloodied face, studies how the dazed man tries to scramble away from him. The man pushes himself up so that he’s sitting against the tile wall, gazing fearfully at Gerard as blood pours from his wound.

Gerard crouches down next to the man and stares into his frightened eyes. “Don't you ever, ever, touch me or Frank again, do you hear me? In fact, don't touch anyone. If you do, I will find out about it, and trust me, you don’t want to know what I’ll do to you then.”

Gerard straightens and turns to look at Frank. He expects Frank to be afraid of him, to run away and never come back, but he isn't and he doesn’t. Instead, Frank just takes a small step towards Gerard and all but falls into his arms.

Frank nuzzles his face into Gerard’s shoulder, and Gerard can feel him shaking. They walk away from the man on the floor. When they’re safely across the room, they stop and Gerard looks down at the short man in his arms.

Frank calms down quickly. He grins up at Gerard, eyes full of diamonds and glitter, and stands on tiptoe to place a small butterfly kiss on his lips. He pulls away and nuzzles his head into Gerard's neck.

“You're like my hero now, Gerard,” he mumbles, and Gerard grins and brings his hand up to rest on Frank’s head, stroking his soft hair. “Like a knight in shining armor.”

“Well you were such a lovely damsel in distress, I just had to save you,” Gerard replies, placing a soft kiss on the top of Frank’s head. The two leave the room hand in hand.

*

Gerard is taken back to his cell, and he can’t help but smile. Jeph is sitting on the floor reading a book. When he notices Gerard’s expression, he says, “Man, you are way too happy for a prisoner.”
Gerard laughs and lies down on his bunk, placing his hands behind his head. “Some people make it bearable,” he replies.

“Aw, wipe that lovesick look off your face man, I’m gonna be sick,” Jeph says, but he’s smiling and Gerard knows he’s kidding.

That night, Gerard dreams of sparkling hazel eyes and warm embraces.