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

Chapter 124: You Can Stay

Over a month. It's been over a month since Gerard reappeared in Frank's life on a one week probation and yet that probation has been long gone and still no word from his lover. At first, he was fine with not knowing, but the longer he spent around his kids who he began to instruct to call him 'daddy', and his baby mama who was beginning to display the teeniest little bump that he wasn't allowed to touch and kept him at arms reach at all time, it was becoming more vital for him to know. Did Frank want him around or not?

“Daddy.” Venetia murmured in his ear from where she settled against his left on the recliner with her slumbering twin on the opposite side while Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse played on the TV screen. “I tie-tie.”

Communicating gingerly because Jasiah was knocked out on his stomach, Gerard reported back. “It's alright, Princess, go to sleep. I'll wake you up when mommy gets back from the store.”

Lazily, he felt Venetia give up on thwarting sleep and go limb against him. Finally, all three kids were asleep, leaving their dad unattended with his thoughts. Frank had left him at home with the kids, refusing to allow Gerard to come along to support him. He abhorred that, not being able to be there for his baby mother in case he required him. Who was gonna help him if he needed something on the top shelf? A another man!? Growling to himself with jealousy, Gerard refocused back on the movie by himself and stared it until his eyes grew heavy and he fell asleep too.

When he finally came too, Frank was standing before him, his eyes engaged on his. He nearly jerked up before recalling the children were still with him only to glance down to see them all missing. “Wha-”

“They're upstairs taking their afternoon nap.” Frank swiftly resolved, seeing the natural paternal panic that came when a child was missing. It imitated his own back then when he'd lose sight of the twins for even a second at his parent's house. He'd nearly hyperventilated himself to death too many times that his parents had to intercede. “They're okay.”

“Right.” Gerard responded, taking deep breaths to steady his pounding heart. It'd been a long time since his heart shot due to panic. The last time doubtlessly had something to do with Frank when he kidnapped him the first time. Gerard shook his head and bent the footrest back down in the couch as he parked himself at the edge of his seat. “Frankie, we need to talk.”

Revolving around, Frank signified towards the front door. “But there's groceries in the car.”

He had a point. Gerard welcomed him over to the couch as he stood up. “Fine, let me take of those while you relax. You did the shopping, I'll put the food away.”

“But you don't know wher-” Frank began only to get caught off by the redhead passing him by.

“I've been living here over a month, love.” Gerard prodded him as he started to the front door. “Trust me, I already know the ins and out of this place.”

Frank watched him go, not challenging his words. Gerard was a proficient murderer, kidnapper, and trespasser. If he could waltz into his own parent's house with them in the next room talking to police officers without getting arrested then why wouldn't he know this home like the back of his hand by now? With a shrug, Frank removed his coat, hung it onto the couch and took a seat. He listened to Gerard depart and enter the house a few times, then put the food away. As he awaited for him, he began to speculate as to why the older man wanted to chat with him and what it was about. As he pondered it over privately, nothing came to mind, but still he strove on to figure it out. When Gerard finally took a seat next to him on the couch, he targeted his hazel eyes on him and impatiently asked. “Okay, so...what do you wanna talk about?”

“Like I sad before, I've been living here for over a month.” Gerard echoed, assuming he'd get where he was going with that.

But it totally went over Frank's head as he pouted at that point. “And?”

Gerard fought not to chuckle at his lover's poor memory. “You gave me a one week trial when I first came here to prove to you that I've changed my ways, and it's been over a month. I haven't left once without you knowing about it beforehand. I haven't harmed a single living soul nor involved myself with my...other Family.”

Frank raised an eyebrow at the comment of the Killjoy family. “Actually, your brot-”

“Don't!” Gerard snapped at him before regrettably closing his eyes and turning his face away from him. He exhaled aloud through his nose before reconnecting their eyes again. “Please, Frankie...don't count Michael against me. He's my baby brother. He's different.”

Parting his lips, Frank wanted to disagree the point by claiming that his brother was still a Killjoy and therefore a danger to their family, but with the way Gerard was staring at him, he couldn't bring himself to do. He instead changed the subject. “Did you want to know what my final decision is? Is that your reason for wanting to talk?”

“Yes.” Gerard nodded shakily, now beginning to loathe ever asking. Phobia started to snake into his system at the probability of Frank dismissing him. But if that's what he plotted to do than why now and not earlier after the week was over?

“I thought my decision was pretty obvious.” Frank disclosed with a shrug as he clamped his hands together and stared at the coffee table in front of him. “My decision is...you can stay, if that is still something that you want.”

“IT IS!” Gerard shouted as he launched off the couch to crouch before Frank's feet. His light brown eyes twinkled with anticipation and delight as he reached out to capture Frank's hands and hold onto them.

“Shh!” Frank hushed him sharply, scanning between him and the stairs with wide eyes. “The kids are sleeping!”

“Sorry!” Gerard atoned with a grin as he reduced his voice. “What changed your mind about me? Tell me, please.”

Frank didn't see the gravity of recounting what was the prevailing influence in all this. “I don't see why that matters now.”

“It matters to me.” Gerard recommended him, not being able to obliterate the grin off of his face. “Please, Frankie.”

Sighing, Frank gave himself a moment to pause and consider it. “Well, for starters, an entire family of Killjoys hasn't broken into my house and murdered me yet.” He giggled when Gerard reacted with a playful eye roll. “And also because how you are with kids. You love them, I can see it. Hell, anyone could simply feel it if they passed by the park and saw you with them. I don't know if you've realized it yourself yet but those kids upstairs are your life. You'd do anything for them, I'd bet my own life on that.”

“That's because...you see me in you.” Gerard interpreted through Frank's eyes. “The same emotions in my eyes that you see are the exact same ones you feel for our kids.”

Frank nodded in confirmation. “Exactly. As insane and unsafe this situation is to put our children in, they need you and you need them. I'm glad I never went ahead and called the cops on you the many times I thought about it purely for their safety.”

Gerard couldn't be resentful at Frank's confession. Hell, nothing could break his ecstatic mood thought there was something that could make it even better. “What about you?”

“What about me?” Frank queried with a frown, not getting where he was going with this.

“Do you need me as much as I need you?” Gerard grilled him, his smile wavering until it was completely gone from his face, his eyes locked on his lover's. “Well? Do you?”

“One day...” Frank began before hesitating, his eyes veering away from him. “One day I'll let you know. Until then, you'll have to stick around to find out.”