I'm the Last One That You'll Ever Remember

Chapter 119: A Trap?

“Oh! I had no idea you were down here.” Frank murmured as he entered the living room in the middle of the night to find Gerard scrawling once again in his sketchbook. It was late and there was storm brewing nearby that would soon enter their neighborhood and probably terrorize his little ones to death. Dressed in his pajamas, Frank further tread into the room to lean himself against the wall, observing Gerard be completely engrossed in his own world for a lengthy time. “Gerard?”

“It's alright.” Gerard finally responded, sketching intensely to complete the drawing he fantasized up before his time was up. His brother, Kobra, the leader of the Killjoys had messaged him pursuing his location. Gerard didn't give it to him for he was unclear of how he would even begin to explain this to Frank. “I couldn't sleep.”

“Right. Couldn't sleep.” Viewing the black denim, shirt, and leather jacket with his signature combat boots, Frank was confident there was more to it than that. Crossing his arms over his chest, Frank arched a single brow in his former lover's direction. “So, where do you plan on going tonight since you can't sleep?”

“Huh?” Gerard answered back, his light brown eyes still latched onto his sketchbook.

“Gerard, can you please stop drawing and look at me!” Frank requested, gesturing restlessly to that infernal book of his that he hadn't recalled Gerard ever arriving with in the first place. “Where did you even get that thing anyway?”

Gerard inhaled sharply through his nose from getting hindered before closing the book and setting his pencil aside. Tucking the book back in it's exclusive place that so far none of his kids had been able to unearth, he lifted his eyes up to his the mother of his babies. “What do you want, Frank?”

Frank was taken aback by Gerard's remote tone and demeanor. Earlier he'd been supportive and courteous but all of a sudden he was withdrawn. Had something happened? “Okay....what's with the attitude? Did you have a bad dream or something?”

“No, I...” Gerard let out another loud sigh through his nose and ran both hands through his long red hair. His eyes dropped to the area of the rug that dissipated beneath the couch. There was a lot going on with him right now and he wasn't sure if sharing it with Frank was a positive idea...but then again keeping this knowledge from him was definitely a dreadful idea. “I just have some stuff I got to tend to, you know?”

“No, I don't know.” Frank frowned as he came around to take a seat on the end of the couch by his arm chair. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Well, that depends.” Gerard faltered, clasping his hands in front of him, his arms braced on his knees as he leans forward in his seat.

“On what?” Frank lingered, propping his chin in his hand as he inclined into the arm rest. He was genuinely interested as to what was going through Gerard's mind, and if he could benefit him.

“On whether you'll get mad or not.” Gerard implied, turning his eyes to him momentarily to consider him over in his pajamas before glancing away. How did Frank make adult Looney Tunes pajamas pants and a navy blue t-shirt look so damn sexy? There wasn't a single thing sexy about it!

“I can't promise I won't since I have no idea what's going on, but I can at least promise to try to not lose my shit.” Frank swore with a small smile. “Now c'mon, tell me what's on your mind.”

“My brother texted me.” Gerard blurted out, cutting straight to the chase. It wasn't going to take much probing from his beloved to get him talking anyway. Frank expected honesty from him from the very beginning and that's what he's gonna get. “He wanted to know where I've been and to provide my location so he can see me.”

Frank was shocked that his eyes didn't pop right out of his skull and roll across the floor from that announcement. Kobra, the leader of the Killjoys, was demanding to know their current location which was Frank's house in a gated community in Washington?! “HE WHAT!?”

Gerard's eyes snap to Frank's filled with dread as he placed a finger to his lips in silence and then pointed up to the ceiling where the room above slept his son, Lorenzo.

Taking several heavy breaths, Frank tried to appease his rising alarm as his hazel eyes darted everywhere around his lavish living room. The image of the Killjoys busting up into his house like a SWAT team made his heart pound wildly in his chest. Frank cursed as his hands came up over his face. “Jesus Christ, wha-!”

“Calm down, love. I didn't give him the information he asked for.” Gerard hastily explained. “I knew that was something you wouldn't want in their hands.”

“Oh thank god!” Frank exulted as softly as he could, his panic escaping down the toilet to be replaced with alleviation.

“But I have to go meet him up elsewhere or else he'll track me down.” Gerard concluded as he got up to straighten his leather jacket.

“WAIT, WHAT?!” Frank nearly hollered again, earning yet another finger to Gerard's lip again. Reducing his voice, he shot out of his chair to stand before him. “You're going to go and see him?!”

Gerard nodded, not the least bit apprehensive at the prospect of seeing his brother again after running away from home. “Yes, I am.”

“B-But why!?” Frank demanded to know, his eyes wide with uncertainty for Gerard. How could he be so placid at meeting another fellow serial killer? What if something were to go wrong? What if Gerard didn't come back home?

“Because he's my brother.” Gerard reminded him. “And if I don't, he'll come find me here despite my threats...and trust me, neither of us want him here.”

“But...but what if he tries to...” Frank struggled to get out the many diverse plots where Kobra could be waiting to kill his brother off for forsaking them. “What if it's a trap?”

“A trap?” Gerard echoed incredulously, his brows rising.

“Yes! What if he's planning to meet with you so he could finish you off for leaving them behind?” Frank rushed to explain, his hands flailing everywhere dramatically. “What if it's an ambush and they're all there to kill you!?”

“My brother? Kill me?” Gerard shook his head and chuckled in delight. The idea of Michael trying to kill him or vice versa was truly comical. “He'd never do something like that to me. I'll admit he can be a lot of things, but my murderer? No way in hell.”

Gerard!” Frank nearly clamored again, tears of irritation springing to his eyes from not being taken seriously. “Stop laughing about something so serious as your own life! I don't want this moment to be the last time I see you, you need to come back home to us!”

Stillness enveloped the both of them at Frank's statement. Light brown eyes searched hazel eyes to find what he was reading for, and upon seeing it stashed away in the background again, Gerard smiled and leaned forward to press his lips tenderly against Frank's. He heard the young boy gasp lightly before thoroughly meeting his lips. Reaching out with both hands, Gerard wrapped his arms around Frank's waist and tugged him forward against his greater, solid frame. He felt Frank's body soften against his and then his arms come loosely around his neck. Repressing back his tongue from plundering his mouth, Gerard terminated the kiss but abstained from removing his lips completely away from his lover's. “Nothing is going to happen to me, baby, okay? I'm gonna come back home to you and our family. Don't you worry.”

Like a vision, Frank felt Gerard let him go before he opened his eyes to find him gone from sight. “Gee?” Spinning around to catch a glimpse of him, Frank soon grasped that Gerard had already left , taking his heart with him.