Ink

It was Wednesday afternoon the next time Frank entered the Way's house, Mikey and his poker face on one side and Gerard with his multiple layers of clothing on the other. Frank had yet to ask about the swooping, swirling black lines on Gerard's skin, but as the days went by and the nights drifted past, he found himself becoming enraptured by the thought of Gerard's skin. He dreamed about the thick veins of darkness, imagining his fingers tracing the dark paths, following them with his tongue. These dreams ended every time with Frank changing his pants.

Gerard seemed ignorant to Frank's knowledge, ignorant to his friend subtly trying to sneak peaks at his bare skin and yearning to touch the marked flesh. He never faltered in conversation, only cocking an eyebrow when he caught Frank staring at his covered hands Monday morning.

Mikey, on the other hand, seemed extremely suspicious and suddenly over protective of his older brother. He stuck by him more often, protecting him from the bullies he had watched mock Gerard for years. Frank could tell it angered Gerard, since his brother had walked by while Gerard earned dark bruises for his existence. But, being Gerard, he let it slide, as Frank would have thought. Gerard was such a pushover.

A warm, gloved hand in his woke Frank from his thoughts, making him grin at the owner. One thing Frank had observed over the days was that Gerard was a very physical person. Frank hypothesized that it was from a blatant lack of physical contact for so long, considering his brother would murder him "with unicorns" if Gerard even attempted a hug and he didn't seem to be on such a good page with his dad. Now that he had found someone who didn't mind being coddled into oblivion, he was taking full advantage of it.

Frank had to physically restrain himself from kissing Gerard in that moment, with his eyes bright and happy and his sharp little teeth on full display. He was as perfect as he could be in that moment, the same moment Frank would always remember and savor as the first time he had ever seen Gerard Way truly, ineffably happy.

The moment didn't last long, however, for Gerard squeezed Frank's hand once before bouncing off to the kitchen calling, for drink and/or food orders. The two remaining boys slumped into the living room, flopping rather ungracefully on the couches and chairs inside and starting idle conversation about whatever there was to converse about. They were just delving into the subject of science teacher ("She has no soul, man, I'm telling you," Mikey stressed.), a crash sounded from the kitchen, along with an agonized yelp and a frustrated grunt.

As the boys leaped from their places, Mikey tried to shove Frank down, to make him stay. Frank, whom had the mentality of a pit bull, shoved Mikey back and stormed the kitchen, rushing to Gerard's side. He was hunched over, clutching one of his hands to his chest, facing away from the doorway. He whimpered once, which was enough incitement to get Frank to spin him around by his shoulders to reveal his wound.

A thick black liquid dripped from Gerard's hand, dropping onto the floor and staining the tile. Some was already dried on his hand, and it hardened quickly on the floor. Frank snatched a yellow kitchen towel from the counter and pressed it to the gash in Gerard's palm. The source was intensely warm, seeping through the clothe and making Frank's hand sweat slightly. Looking up at his face, Frank found that Gerard's eyes were red with tears and he looked particularly pathetic, much like a dog that had been stepped on. Frank wasn't sure what to make of the way his heart stuttered sharply.

Mikey looked frustrated. "Fuck, Gee, Dad's going to be pissed," he growled, starting to pick up the glass. His glasses slid down his nose, almost falling into the broken shards.

"A-ah, yeah, he probably is," hissed Gerard, holding the clothe to his hand. He looked up at Frank, who was still staring in shock. Gerard's eyes flashed with intense sadness, but were soon filled with emptiness. "Go ahead, call me a freak. Get it out and run away from my life, just like everyone else. Go on, I want you to." His jaw clenched in preparation.

Frank blinked, snapping away from his thoughts and just gazing at Gerard for a moment, taking in his disheveled state. Without a second thought, Frank gathered his friend in his arms and whispered, "I would call you a freak, but I'm sure you've heard that enough." He smiled against the warm skin of Gerard's neck, tightening his arms.

Gerard's body loosened and he fell slack against Frank, letting out a sigh of relief that translated into a strangled sob. Frank pulled back, hands still on his shoulders, and looked at Gerard, who gave him a watery smile. "Let's get you cleaned up, okay? You can explain this to me while I patch you up."

Mikey and Gerard exchanged glances, and Mikey smirked, nodding his head and turning back to the remaining broken glass on the floor. Frank made sure to steer Gerard away from the debris and walked him down the hall. Gerard was still clutching the now blackened towel to his hand. The still damp substance seemed to glint blue in the light.

The duo entered the bathroom and Frank made Gerard hop onto the counter. He swung his legs childishly and glanced at his hand with a slightly worried expression. "I won't have to get stitches, will I?" he asked, looking pleadingly at Frank.

The elder of the two smiled and shook his head, cleaning away the excess blackness from Gerard's hand. His skin seemed so starkly contrasted to liquid, much like the comparison between his hair and his face.

"So," he started, "you want to tell me what all this," he waved around the blackening clothe, "is about?"

Gerard sighed. "It's a very long story."

Frank smiled up at Gerard reassuringly and squeezed his fingers. "We have lots of time, Gee."