I'm the Last One That You'll Ever Remember
Chapter 201: Out Of The Question!
After Gerard expounded a third time to Jovani, the Dragon, why it was bad for him to have shoved his brother Milo, the Squire, off the playset, the second oldest boy finally comprehended his wrong actions. He apologized profusely to his brother, nearly in tears himself at the thought of being a bad boy.
After the newborn twins were quieted down by their mother, Frank stepped outside to join them and to find out what happened. Explaining it to his husband, Gerard let him take over while he went back inside to check on the twins, his mind in a chaotic mess.
Before the interruption, Gerard was about to ask his husband if his brother could meet their kids. Michael had only got to meet Jovani and Milo due to his unannounced drop-in. This time Gerard wanted him to meet his family properly instead of seeing them through photos sent to his phone. But now that arduous conversation had to be adjourned for another time due to the kids.
Lowering himself to sit between the twin’s rocking chairs, Gerard softly cursed his luck as he ran his fingers through his hair.
___________________________________________________________________________
Later on that night, Frank waited for Gerard to return from upstairs where they had put their children to bed. Leaned back on the couch with his hazel eyes staring up at the ceiling above him, Frank thought back to earlier that day when his husband asked to speak with him.
At first, Frank feared he himself had done something wrong, but when the older man strained to spit out what he wanted to say he figured it had nothing to do with him, and that it was something else entirely. They never did get a chance to get to the bottom of it, however, when the kids had their accident in the backyard. Despite the commotion, Frank never forgot about the hardship on his husband’s face and so he planned to revisit the exchange after the kids were put to bed and they got a bit of privacy to themselves.
“Last ones down.” Gerard told his husband faintly as he returned back downstairs, weary himself. Still, no amount of fatigue was gonna stop him from hugging, kissing and reading to his kids before bed. It was an activity he looked forward to doing every night, and an activity he couldn’t remember if his own parents had done for both him and his brother, Mikey, growing up. Either way, it was a ritual he planned on keeping up with for as long as his kids will let him.
Abruptly sitting himself up on the couch, Frank got straight into their previous conversation before they ran out of time again by a crying newborn or restless toddler. “Gee, what did you want to ask me earlier before Jovani pushed Milo off the playset?”
“Huh? Oh...” Gerard said to himself as it registered to him what his husband was referring to. He was supposed to ask him about his brother meeting the kids. On top of his lethargy, a thousand tons of anxiety suddenly slammed down onto his shoulder, giving him an immediate headache. Running his hands through his hair, he attempted to spit the whole thing out to get it over it only he ended up stammering about like an idiot that never learned how to properly communicate. “I was gonna ask you if…if you can…if you’d be alright if…my…the kids need…I’d like it if…”
Watching the apprehensive older man stumble over his words and begin to become incensed by his own inadequacy of speech, Frank rushed to his feet and closed the distance between them to soothe him back down again. The last thing they both wanted was for him to explode and wake the kids. Taking both of his hands in his, Frank tenderly instructed him with hazel eyes filled with love. “Hey, stop it. No more talking. Just take a deep breath with me.” Guiding Gerard, he took a deep breath with him. “There we go, just like that. Now, clear your mind and try again. If it doesn’t work, take another deep breath.”
Closing his eyes, Gerard nodded to him blindly as he let the younger of the two navigate him to a plane of tranquility. Taking another deep breath for added measure, he made his request through the warm world of comfort within the darkness behind his eyelids. “I want you to meet with my brother.”
Taken aback, Frank stepped back to gape up at his husband, their hands still linked together. “Excuse me? Did you say you want me to meet your brother?!”
Gradually opening his eyes, Gerard gazed down at his husband and gave him a nod. “Yeah, I did.”
Offended and in disbelief of being requested of such a thing, Frank retreated back from his husband, disengaging the grasp on their hands as he strode away alone to pace the living room. “Wait, wait, wait, wait a fucking second! You can’t be asking ME to meet with the very SAME brother that is the LEADER of a murderous band of psychopaths, right!?”
Inwardly, Gerard cringed at the portrayal of his brother while also admitting to it. “Yes. The very same.”
“The very SAME brother that also had me kidnapped when I just turned 15!?” Frank demanded to know, becoming more pissed off that his husband was even bringing this man up to him again in the safety of their own home. A home they’ve created together with no help from those Killjoys or his brother!
“That’s him, but…” Gerard began, becoming frustrated that this conversation was unfolding the way he absolutely didn’t want it to, the way he needed it to. “But you and I wouldn't have met hadn’t it been for him!”
“Do NOT romanticize the situation, Gerard!” Frank snapped at him, looking about ready to turn him over his knees for a good spanking if provoked any further.
Exhaling loudly, Gerard ordered himself to cool down as he muttered an apology. “I’m sorry, Frankie. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Meeting with your brother is completely out of the question!” Frank declared, vehemently quashing his request. “End of discussion!”
Gerard watched as his tiny fiery husband spun on heels and exited the house to the patio in the backyard to probably cool down himself too. Not willing to resign to his command, the older of the two followed close behind to take their quarrel outside instead. “Why the hell not, Frankie!? I’m asking you to do this for my birthday!”
Spinning back around to face an equally irate Gerard, Frank snapped back. “I already spelled it out for you, Way! What other explanation do you need other than that?!”
“Michael is my baby brother!” Gerard stated the obvious to his husband. “And you are my husband!”
“And!?” Frank pressed, not getting the point he was trying to make here.
“You’re both my family, and I shouldn’t have to make a choice between the two of you! I won't!” Gerard explained passionately, finally laying down the line. “You need to give him a chance, Frankie, please!”
“Oh, save it, Gerard! What makes you think I ever would, or could do something like that!?” Frank dispelled the idea with a final wave of his hand. The idea was too ludicrous to consider!
“Because you were able to do it for me! You overlooked me and my demons, remember?!” Gerard pointed out to him, pointing a finger to his own chest. “I was just like him, hell I was worse than him!”
“I overlooked it all because I fucking love you, Gerard!” Frank shouted at him in frustration.
“And I love my brother! And despite what you think about him, he’s the true victim in this sad pathetic Killjoy tale!” Gerard brought up again, reliving his life’s greatest guilt. “I am the reason that he is the monster he is today. I never had any room in my life for family, friends, or lovers because of what I am. All I had room for was a partner and crime that thought like a killer like me. That’s why Michael had no choice but to become one in order to not be alone in this world. I was all he had left, and he wasn’t about to lose me too just because I was a murderer out for blood.”
Frank stared at his husband, utterly speechless of what to say. When the former Killjoy put it that way…and Frank was able to step out of his own shoes to inspect Michael from a general perspective, the younger Way didn’t seem like the same monster his own husband used to be. He almost seemed like a victim. He was at such a young age when he had to make the decision to be utterly alone, or join his brother. Frank found himself opening his mouth, unaware of what was about to come spouting out.
“No, don’t say anything now. I don’t think I’m ready to hear it tonight.” Gerard silenced his husband, waving away what words he would have uttered. “Just…think on it for me, please. Give me that at least. Time for you to think it out and for me to be ready for whatever you decide is right.”
“M-Mommy?” A small child-like voice whimpered from the sliding back doors. “D-Daddy?”
After the newborn twins were quieted down by their mother, Frank stepped outside to join them and to find out what happened. Explaining it to his husband, Gerard let him take over while he went back inside to check on the twins, his mind in a chaotic mess.
Before the interruption, Gerard was about to ask his husband if his brother could meet their kids. Michael had only got to meet Jovani and Milo due to his unannounced drop-in. This time Gerard wanted him to meet his family properly instead of seeing them through photos sent to his phone. But now that arduous conversation had to be adjourned for another time due to the kids.
Lowering himself to sit between the twin’s rocking chairs, Gerard softly cursed his luck as he ran his fingers through his hair.
___________________________________________________________________________
Later on that night, Frank waited for Gerard to return from upstairs where they had put their children to bed. Leaned back on the couch with his hazel eyes staring up at the ceiling above him, Frank thought back to earlier that day when his husband asked to speak with him.
At first, Frank feared he himself had done something wrong, but when the older man strained to spit out what he wanted to say he figured it had nothing to do with him, and that it was something else entirely. They never did get a chance to get to the bottom of it, however, when the kids had their accident in the backyard. Despite the commotion, Frank never forgot about the hardship on his husband’s face and so he planned to revisit the exchange after the kids were put to bed and they got a bit of privacy to themselves.
“Last ones down.” Gerard told his husband faintly as he returned back downstairs, weary himself. Still, no amount of fatigue was gonna stop him from hugging, kissing and reading to his kids before bed. It was an activity he looked forward to doing every night, and an activity he couldn’t remember if his own parents had done for both him and his brother, Mikey, growing up. Either way, it was a ritual he planned on keeping up with for as long as his kids will let him.
Abruptly sitting himself up on the couch, Frank got straight into their previous conversation before they ran out of time again by a crying newborn or restless toddler. “Gee, what did you want to ask me earlier before Jovani pushed Milo off the playset?”
“Huh? Oh...” Gerard said to himself as it registered to him what his husband was referring to. He was supposed to ask him about his brother meeting the kids. On top of his lethargy, a thousand tons of anxiety suddenly slammed down onto his shoulder, giving him an immediate headache. Running his hands through his hair, he attempted to spit the whole thing out to get it over it only he ended up stammering about like an idiot that never learned how to properly communicate. “I was gonna ask you if…if you can…if you’d be alright if…my…the kids need…I’d like it if…”
Watching the apprehensive older man stumble over his words and begin to become incensed by his own inadequacy of speech, Frank rushed to his feet and closed the distance between them to soothe him back down again. The last thing they both wanted was for him to explode and wake the kids. Taking both of his hands in his, Frank tenderly instructed him with hazel eyes filled with love. “Hey, stop it. No more talking. Just take a deep breath with me.” Guiding Gerard, he took a deep breath with him. “There we go, just like that. Now, clear your mind and try again. If it doesn’t work, take another deep breath.”
Closing his eyes, Gerard nodded to him blindly as he let the younger of the two navigate him to a plane of tranquility. Taking another deep breath for added measure, he made his request through the warm world of comfort within the darkness behind his eyelids. “I want you to meet with my brother.”
Taken aback, Frank stepped back to gape up at his husband, their hands still linked together. “Excuse me? Did you say you want me to meet your brother?!”
Gradually opening his eyes, Gerard gazed down at his husband and gave him a nod. “Yeah, I did.”
Offended and in disbelief of being requested of such a thing, Frank retreated back from his husband, disengaging the grasp on their hands as he strode away alone to pace the living room. “Wait, wait, wait, wait a fucking second! You can’t be asking ME to meet with the very SAME brother that is the LEADER of a murderous band of psychopaths, right!?”
Inwardly, Gerard cringed at the portrayal of his brother while also admitting to it. “Yes. The very same.”
“The very SAME brother that also had me kidnapped when I just turned 15!?” Frank demanded to know, becoming more pissed off that his husband was even bringing this man up to him again in the safety of their own home. A home they’ve created together with no help from those Killjoys or his brother!
“That’s him, but…” Gerard began, becoming frustrated that this conversation was unfolding the way he absolutely didn’t want it to, the way he needed it to. “But you and I wouldn't have met hadn’t it been for him!”
“Do NOT romanticize the situation, Gerard!” Frank snapped at him, looking about ready to turn him over his knees for a good spanking if provoked any further.
Exhaling loudly, Gerard ordered himself to cool down as he muttered an apology. “I’m sorry, Frankie. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Meeting with your brother is completely out of the question!” Frank declared, vehemently quashing his request. “End of discussion!”
Gerard watched as his tiny fiery husband spun on heels and exited the house to the patio in the backyard to probably cool down himself too. Not willing to resign to his command, the older of the two followed close behind to take their quarrel outside instead. “Why the hell not, Frankie!? I’m asking you to do this for my birthday!”
Spinning back around to face an equally irate Gerard, Frank snapped back. “I already spelled it out for you, Way! What other explanation do you need other than that?!”
“Michael is my baby brother!” Gerard stated the obvious to his husband. “And you are my husband!”
“And!?” Frank pressed, not getting the point he was trying to make here.
“You’re both my family, and I shouldn’t have to make a choice between the two of you! I won't!” Gerard explained passionately, finally laying down the line. “You need to give him a chance, Frankie, please!”
“Oh, save it, Gerard! What makes you think I ever would, or could do something like that!?” Frank dispelled the idea with a final wave of his hand. The idea was too ludicrous to consider!
“Because you were able to do it for me! You overlooked me and my demons, remember?!” Gerard pointed out to him, pointing a finger to his own chest. “I was just like him, hell I was worse than him!”
“I overlooked it all because I fucking love you, Gerard!” Frank shouted at him in frustration.
“And I love my brother! And despite what you think about him, he’s the true victim in this sad pathetic Killjoy tale!” Gerard brought up again, reliving his life’s greatest guilt. “I am the reason that he is the monster he is today. I never had any room in my life for family, friends, or lovers because of what I am. All I had room for was a partner and crime that thought like a killer like me. That’s why Michael had no choice but to become one in order to not be alone in this world. I was all he had left, and he wasn’t about to lose me too just because I was a murderer out for blood.”
Frank stared at his husband, utterly speechless of what to say. When the former Killjoy put it that way…and Frank was able to step out of his own shoes to inspect Michael from a general perspective, the younger Way didn’t seem like the same monster his own husband used to be. He almost seemed like a victim. He was at such a young age when he had to make the decision to be utterly alone, or join his brother. Frank found himself opening his mouth, unaware of what was about to come spouting out.
“No, don’t say anything now. I don’t think I’m ready to hear it tonight.” Gerard silenced his husband, waving away what words he would have uttered. “Just…think on it for me, please. Give me that at least. Time for you to think it out and for me to be ready for whatever you decide is right.”
“M-Mommy?” A small child-like voice whimpered from the sliding back doors. “D-Daddy?”