I'm the Last One That You'll Ever Remember
Chapter 204: Not Bad Company
The following day, Frank dropped his youngest Jovani, Milo, Ophelia and Marcella at his parent’s house before driving down to the bookstore where Gerard worked. The location was on a road of stores sharing one long structure. From the outside, the bookstore appeared to be a small picturesque little place until you stepped inside. It was an immense two story space that embodied a historical style to it as well with a welcoming cozy atmosphere that made you want to stay longer than promised. It touched the child in Frank’s soul that truly believed that he’d be able to jump into any book he opened into a magical world just like in the “Page Master’ movie. Naturally, when the clock struck midnight, he’d come gliding out from between the open pages and back to his own reality.
Smiling to himself at his eccentric imagination, Frank glanced to his left and right, taking in the last bit of the bookstore he hadn’t gotten to visit in his freetime. He had completely forgotten why the hell he was here in the first place, that was until he was almost run over by an employee steering a rolling cart compiled with books past him. Torn from his reverie, Frank refocused himself and veered to the left of the bookstore where the scent of coffee beans resided in the cafe region of the building. The scent reminded him of his husband, and made his heart leapt in his chest with excitement as he hurried along.
The cafe was as small as a Starbucks, and had a much more comfortable ambiance. The temptation to sit back and relax was robust, even Frank had to combat it as he made his way to the cash register to ask the employees running the cafe if they’d seen his husband. He never made it there, however, when a voice called out to him from over his shoulder.
“Iero.” A male voice hailed from one of the round coffee tables closest to the counters.
Frowning at the unrecognizable voice, Frank whirled on his heels in the person’s direction. His hazel eyes expanded in horror, his jaw dropped to his feet as he faced the person who’s voice he should have never forgotten.
Cocked back in one of the two chairs at his table, Michael Way smirked at the tiny little man he hadn’t seen in ages. Two cups of coffee were on his table, one for him and the other for his guest. “Gerard’s a little tied up right now with books and everything to receive guests, so I’ve been told. Would you care to sit and have coffee with me in the meantime?”
“Hell no!” Frank growled at the man garbed all in black, his hands curling into fists at his side as he began to stomp past the younger Way’s table to exit the bookstore. There was no way on earth he was gonna sit down with this murderous psychopath now, or ever!
Michael observed Frank closely as he picked up his coffee. As soon as the young man was past his chair, he forewarned him in a casual tone. “Pity. Gerard did have his heart set on the two of us meeting up one day. It would be a shame if you walked away now on this vital opportunity that fate granted us today.”
Coming to a full stop as if he just bumped into an invisible wall, Frank kept his back to Michael, not wanting to think he was reconsidering his offer because he wasn’t. Turning his head to his left, he snapped to his husband’s younger brother in outrage, not regarding the words that were coming out of his mouth. “And what makes you think I give a fuck about what Gerard wants?!”
Having to roll his eyes at that disingenuous comeback, Michael sipped his coffee and lowered it to the table. “Because you love him, Iero. I’m a lot of things, but I ain’t stupid. Anyone looking at you two could see it as clear as day that you’re infatuated with one another.”
Goddamnit, he’s right, Frank thought to himself. Sighing at his own dumb response, he rubbed his hands over his face, mentally cursing himself for being a moron. Of course he gave a damn about his husband’s feelings when it came to him and his brother, but…this whole situation was entirely different from the typical family drama people undergo. Gerard’s brother had him kidnapped! That's not exactly something people can overlook so easily. It’s not something that can easily be forgiven!
“Please, have a seat with me. I’m not bad company, I promise.” Michael assured him in such a placid voice one would think he had an evil identical twin that did all the kidnapping while he was living an orderly life back in town, none the wiser.
Not falling for his ploy, Frank reiterated quite skeptically. “YOU’RE not bad company?!”
Finally glancing over his shoulder at his brother’s irate husband, Michael softly defended his case. “Well, yeah. Believe it or not, I’m not as bad as my brother. He could even tell you that. If you can stomach being married to that idiot then you can easily have coffee with me, don’t you think?”
“Don’t I think?!” Frank echoed again, about ready to pull his hair at the audacity of this Michael Way. At the mention of his husband, he felt the need to champion the father of his children. Turning around to stride back to Michael’s table, Frank couldn’t restrain himself from going off on him as low-keyed as he could considering their location. “Oh, you’re a piece of fucking work, let me tell you that! Nothing that you’ve just told me in the last five minutes about my husband is true! Need I remind you you are the leader of a group of people that are murderers and have also taken lives your damn self! And you sit here and tell me you’re not bad company?!”
“Gerard is a murderer too, Iero. He has quite the extensive records of victims that’ll make the Green River Killer look like an adolescent shoplifter.” Michael pointed out to him as he took another sip of his coffee. “Bastard is the whole reason I became what I am in the first place. Has he told you that yet?”
“I don’t give a damn about Gerard’s past! He’s changed since then!” Frank protested, fighting hard to keep from making a scene when his frustration kept mounting up the longer he was around Michael. “YOU have not!”
“Don’t go and discredit me just yet, Iero. Perhaps I too have come across my own reason for giving up this volatile lifestyle too.” Michael divulged with that smirk again, noticing the look of utter contempt in Frank’s eyes. “Of course, you’d already know that if you had befriended me earlier instead of criticizing my life choices all this time.”
Frank could not believe this! He couldn’t believe that Michael was spinning him lies upon lies and expecting him to swallow it all with a forgiving handshake. To keep from imploding publicly, Frank opted to humor his deception instead. Crossing his arms over his chest, he laughed at him. “You? Change? Oh, that’s just laughable! What reason could YOU possibly have to want to give up on this reckless life of yours and become a decent human being for once, hmm?”
Michael wasn’t the least bit offended that Frank was being a total jerk to him. It was warranted considering their past together. Still, if he wasn’t gonna budge and let the guy into his life and family, Michael would just have to let him into his instead. “My fiancee is pregnant.”
Going rigid where he stood beside Michael’s table, Frank gaped down at the young Way as he faintly repeated incredulously. “Your…fiancee is pregnant?”
“Yeah, she is.” Michael confirmed with a nod, his mind going back to the last time he saw Masika this morning. She’d been sleeping comfortably, the wound on her arm from Pastel having healed properly though it hadn’t healed the rage that filled him whenever he caught a glimpse of it. Wanting to distract himself from that scar, Michael returned his eyes to a bewildered Frank. “You remember my fiance, don’t you? She went by the name of Sable, has a mane of curly ebony hair and wore a silver and gold mask.”
“I remember her.” Frank answered softly, not realizing he had lowered himself to the chair across from Michael. His mind was grasping tightly over the fact that his fiance was pregnant. Perhaps Frank still had some lingering pregnancy hormones left, but…he felt for the woman. A fellow pregnant person. Frank had to go through his pregnancy all by himself because there was no one out there like him. Women wouldn’t have accepted a pregnant man in their circles either so his family kept him shielded and protected from the outside world. His state job was the only one outside of his family and the hospital that knew of his condition and worked remarkably around his pregnancy by making him work from home when he could. But none of that mattered right now. Shaking himself out of memory lane, Frank lifted his hazel eyes to Michael, surprised to find himself sitting across from him now. “S-She’s pregnant?”
“Yup. As pregnant as a woman can get, I’d say.” Michael confirmed again, tilting his head to study his big brother’s greatest obsession and possession. That was the second time he had to confirm to Frank that his fiance was pregnant. The topic evidently affected the young man, Michael could tell by the look on his face when he informed him. He wondered what that was all about.
“I…I suppose congratulations are in order.” Frank murmured, dropping his eyes to the untouched coffee in front of him. It was easier to look at because the longer he was around this Michael Way, the more he was beginning to see some similarities between him and his husband.
And it was weakening Frank’s resolve.
Smiling to himself at his eccentric imagination, Frank glanced to his left and right, taking in the last bit of the bookstore he hadn’t gotten to visit in his freetime. He had completely forgotten why the hell he was here in the first place, that was until he was almost run over by an employee steering a rolling cart compiled with books past him. Torn from his reverie, Frank refocused himself and veered to the left of the bookstore where the scent of coffee beans resided in the cafe region of the building. The scent reminded him of his husband, and made his heart leapt in his chest with excitement as he hurried along.
The cafe was as small as a Starbucks, and had a much more comfortable ambiance. The temptation to sit back and relax was robust, even Frank had to combat it as he made his way to the cash register to ask the employees running the cafe if they’d seen his husband. He never made it there, however, when a voice called out to him from over his shoulder.
“Iero.” A male voice hailed from one of the round coffee tables closest to the counters.
Frowning at the unrecognizable voice, Frank whirled on his heels in the person’s direction. His hazel eyes expanded in horror, his jaw dropped to his feet as he faced the person who’s voice he should have never forgotten.
Cocked back in one of the two chairs at his table, Michael Way smirked at the tiny little man he hadn’t seen in ages. Two cups of coffee were on his table, one for him and the other for his guest. “Gerard’s a little tied up right now with books and everything to receive guests, so I’ve been told. Would you care to sit and have coffee with me in the meantime?”
“Hell no!” Frank growled at the man garbed all in black, his hands curling into fists at his side as he began to stomp past the younger Way’s table to exit the bookstore. There was no way on earth he was gonna sit down with this murderous psychopath now, or ever!
Michael observed Frank closely as he picked up his coffee. As soon as the young man was past his chair, he forewarned him in a casual tone. “Pity. Gerard did have his heart set on the two of us meeting up one day. It would be a shame if you walked away now on this vital opportunity that fate granted us today.”
Coming to a full stop as if he just bumped into an invisible wall, Frank kept his back to Michael, not wanting to think he was reconsidering his offer because he wasn’t. Turning his head to his left, he snapped to his husband’s younger brother in outrage, not regarding the words that were coming out of his mouth. “And what makes you think I give a fuck about what Gerard wants?!”
Having to roll his eyes at that disingenuous comeback, Michael sipped his coffee and lowered it to the table. “Because you love him, Iero. I’m a lot of things, but I ain’t stupid. Anyone looking at you two could see it as clear as day that you’re infatuated with one another.”
Goddamnit, he’s right, Frank thought to himself. Sighing at his own dumb response, he rubbed his hands over his face, mentally cursing himself for being a moron. Of course he gave a damn about his husband’s feelings when it came to him and his brother, but…this whole situation was entirely different from the typical family drama people undergo. Gerard’s brother had him kidnapped! That's not exactly something people can overlook so easily. It’s not something that can easily be forgiven!
“Please, have a seat with me. I’m not bad company, I promise.” Michael assured him in such a placid voice one would think he had an evil identical twin that did all the kidnapping while he was living an orderly life back in town, none the wiser.
Not falling for his ploy, Frank reiterated quite skeptically. “YOU’RE not bad company?!”
Finally glancing over his shoulder at his brother’s irate husband, Michael softly defended his case. “Well, yeah. Believe it or not, I’m not as bad as my brother. He could even tell you that. If you can stomach being married to that idiot then you can easily have coffee with me, don’t you think?”
“Don’t I think?!” Frank echoed again, about ready to pull his hair at the audacity of this Michael Way. At the mention of his husband, he felt the need to champion the father of his children. Turning around to stride back to Michael’s table, Frank couldn’t restrain himself from going off on him as low-keyed as he could considering their location. “Oh, you’re a piece of fucking work, let me tell you that! Nothing that you’ve just told me in the last five minutes about my husband is true! Need I remind you you are the leader of a group of people that are murderers and have also taken lives your damn self! And you sit here and tell me you’re not bad company?!”
“Gerard is a murderer too, Iero. He has quite the extensive records of victims that’ll make the Green River Killer look like an adolescent shoplifter.” Michael pointed out to him as he took another sip of his coffee. “Bastard is the whole reason I became what I am in the first place. Has he told you that yet?”
“I don’t give a damn about Gerard’s past! He’s changed since then!” Frank protested, fighting hard to keep from making a scene when his frustration kept mounting up the longer he was around Michael. “YOU have not!”
“Don’t go and discredit me just yet, Iero. Perhaps I too have come across my own reason for giving up this volatile lifestyle too.” Michael divulged with that smirk again, noticing the look of utter contempt in Frank’s eyes. “Of course, you’d already know that if you had befriended me earlier instead of criticizing my life choices all this time.”
Frank could not believe this! He couldn’t believe that Michael was spinning him lies upon lies and expecting him to swallow it all with a forgiving handshake. To keep from imploding publicly, Frank opted to humor his deception instead. Crossing his arms over his chest, he laughed at him. “You? Change? Oh, that’s just laughable! What reason could YOU possibly have to want to give up on this reckless life of yours and become a decent human being for once, hmm?”
Michael wasn’t the least bit offended that Frank was being a total jerk to him. It was warranted considering their past together. Still, if he wasn’t gonna budge and let the guy into his life and family, Michael would just have to let him into his instead. “My fiancee is pregnant.”
Going rigid where he stood beside Michael’s table, Frank gaped down at the young Way as he faintly repeated incredulously. “Your…fiancee is pregnant?”
“Yeah, she is.” Michael confirmed with a nod, his mind going back to the last time he saw Masika this morning. She’d been sleeping comfortably, the wound on her arm from Pastel having healed properly though it hadn’t healed the rage that filled him whenever he caught a glimpse of it. Wanting to distract himself from that scar, Michael returned his eyes to a bewildered Frank. “You remember my fiance, don’t you? She went by the name of Sable, has a mane of curly ebony hair and wore a silver and gold mask.”
“I remember her.” Frank answered softly, not realizing he had lowered himself to the chair across from Michael. His mind was grasping tightly over the fact that his fiance was pregnant. Perhaps Frank still had some lingering pregnancy hormones left, but…he felt for the woman. A fellow pregnant person. Frank had to go through his pregnancy all by himself because there was no one out there like him. Women wouldn’t have accepted a pregnant man in their circles either so his family kept him shielded and protected from the outside world. His state job was the only one outside of his family and the hospital that knew of his condition and worked remarkably around his pregnancy by making him work from home when he could. But none of that mattered right now. Shaking himself out of memory lane, Frank lifted his hazel eyes to Michael, surprised to find himself sitting across from him now. “S-She’s pregnant?”
“Yup. As pregnant as a woman can get, I’d say.” Michael confirmed again, tilting his head to study his big brother’s greatest obsession and possession. That was the second time he had to confirm to Frank that his fiance was pregnant. The topic evidently affected the young man, Michael could tell by the look on his face when he informed him. He wondered what that was all about.
“I…I suppose congratulations are in order.” Frank murmured, dropping his eyes to the untouched coffee in front of him. It was easier to look at because the longer he was around this Michael Way, the more he was beginning to see some similarities between him and his husband.
And it was weakening Frank’s resolve.