Frankie Fever

I sighed to myself, clutching tighter onto my pillow, clamping it down over my ears. Mom and Dad were still fighting and screaming at each other. Why? Just when I think I've got everything balanced out, someone gives their side a violent shove so that everything's off-balance again. It's not fair.

You can't just sit there and act like it's nothing!

It is nothing!

I jumped as a small finger shyly tapped at my shoulder. The shouting got louder as I removed my pillow to roll over and see Mikey standing in front of me shyly, clutching anxiously at his PJ pants. He looked terrified. I sighed and opened my arms, indicating that he could get in bed with me. He wasted no time in clambering in beside me and cuddling up to me. I wrapped one arm around him and covered his ear with the other so he couldn't hear properly.

How did Mom find out? I hadn't said anything and I doubt Dad would've had the balls to confess. So how did she find out?

I stroked Mikey's hair as he drifted in and out of uneasy sleep, restlessly twitching every so often. All the while, Mom and Dad continued to shout at each other. All we needed was the thunder and rain outside to perfect this whole scene. I found myself wondering what would happen now. Would our family be torn into pieces?

Finally, I threw my covers aside and wandered downstairs to listen in. Mikey, watched me with eyes like a hawk as I left my room. Dad was sitting on the sofa in the living room with a cigarette while Mom stood opposite him. She looked almost pleading when she spoke.

"Don," She began "You are the only person I have slept with in seventeen years. Please, tell me. Is there someone else?"

Dad avoided Mom's eyes, taking a lazy drag of his cigarette. He exhaled his smoke slowly, guiltily. His eyes lifted to look at me. Mom followed his gaze to see me. She looked taken aback to see me standing in the doorway; the picture of innocence in my boxers and oversized t-shirt with my dopey long black hair. I didn't break my stare. My eyes bored straight into Dad. He'd been caught out. He might as well admit it now. My eyes did the nodding for me.

"Gerard, honey," Mom spoke with a false sugar-sweet yet crippled voice "I didn't realise you were still up."

I didn't speak. I didn't stop looking at Dad. Dad didn't speak. Dad didn't stop looking at me. I nodded discreetly towards him. My expression said it all. Either he confessed now or I told Mom for him. I couldn't do this anymore, I couldn't lie for him anymore and I couldn't keep covering up for him. I was tired. He looked terrified. Slowly, he turned to Mom.

His voice was tiny, guilty and terrified.

"Donna, I. . . I've been seeing - sleeping with someone else," He began, barely daring to make eye-contact.

In that moment, I saw my mother's world fly apart. Her face crumpled and her shoulders sagged. Her eyes glazed over as she looked at Dad.

"Serena."

"S-Se. . . Serena?" Mom stammered slowly "My t-trainee?"

Dad slowly nodded, not once looking up at her. Mom looked devastated. I'd never seen her look like that. And I never wanted to see her look like that again. She was heartbroken.

"Not her," Mom murmered "Please. Not her."

I couldn't take it anymore. Her heart was breaking right in front of me. I rushed up the stair, shoved on some clothes and ran. Mikey looked heartbroken as I did so; he'd heard everything. Everything he and I had ever known was all about to change forever. I couldn't take it anymore.

I ran.

And I ran.

And I ran.

I ran until my feet hurt and my chest felt like the stretched rubber of a balloon about to burst.

I ran until I thought I would fall down and die from exhaustion.

I climbed those stairs in record time.

I was down that corridor in seconds and doubled over with a stitch.

Knock knock. It was barely audible. He heard though. He came to the door wearing a pair of pyjama pants, can in hand and a confused look on his face; the look he always had when he wasn't expecting company. My lip trembled as I saw him. I was going to try and fix everything. That included him; even if it meant staying away from him. But then my life changed. Forever.

I didn't need to say anything. He reached out with his arms immediately and wrapped them around me as I burst into tears. Neither of us said anything. The silence was broken by my sobs as I clutched tightly onto him. He hugged hard, shushing in my ear but not asking what was wrong or promising everything would be okay; he knew better than that.

Slowly, I was led inside and down the corridor until I was sat on Frank's bed. He sat beside me, resting my head on his chest and stroking my hair. I must have cried for a good ten minutes or so before my sobs started to subside. Frank even encouraged my crying, saying that it was healthy to have a good cry every now and then. As I came to a stop, Frank lifted my head to brush the remaining tears from my cheek with his thumb with a gentle smile. He then disappeared into the kitchen, accompanied by a shouting from his dad about taking yet another can of tango.

Frank ignored his dad's shouts and hobbled slowly and awkwardly back into the room with a can in his hand, smiling. He cracked it open and poured in a good slug of vodka from a bottle concealed under his bed. He then handed this to me along with a small capsule.

"Tango, vodka and pro plus," He explained with a smile "It'll help fix you up."

I smiled weakly and swallowed the capsule with a long gulp from the can in my hand. Frank sat sensitively beside me, holding carefully onto his back. He watched me quietly for a couple of moments before slowly standing up and reaching into his bedside drawer, pulling out a roll of pills. He popped two and swallowed them with a swig from the can he held. He stood still for a moment, his eyes closed. He took a deep breath and shook his head; the way you do when you've had a long hard gulp of some sort of spirit.

"What are those?" I asked quietly.

"Painkillers," He replied "For my back."

He slowly and carefully sat back down beside me, his eyes screwed up in discomfort. I reached out and put a hand on his shoulder awkwardly. He breathed out slowly, his eyes closed. Then he turned to me with a cheeky smile.

"Of course, they don't do anything," He continued "So Frankie takes them with his bottle," He finished proudly, taking a swig from his can as if to prove his point.

I smiled and shook my head knowingly. So like Frank Iero. I loved him for it. He was everything I wanted in a person. He made me laugh when I was upset, he was there for me, he was supportive, he was wild, he was unpredictable, he made me feel out of my depth yet like I was treading calm water. My eyes wandered around the room until they landed on a little teddy, sitting on Frank's drum stool. It was light brown, fluffy and clutching onto a red satin heart.

"What's with the teddy?" I questioned, letting out a small giggle.

He groaned as if to say 'Don't remind me'. He crawled over to me, lying down on his back and leaning off the bed upside down, pointing to it.

"Colette came to see me about half an hour before you showed up. Her way of saying sorry, apparantly. Among other things. . ." I shivered at the thought of Frank panting and sweating at my touch "I was hoping for another bot bot but I'll settle for her idea of an apology. Teddy probably cost her five bucks, stingy cow. She'll do better next time or there won't be a next time."

I smiled and shook my head. Once a Frank Iero, always a Frank Iero. I grunted as sitting up with my good boy posture started to kill. I laid back next to Frank, rubbing a hand on my back. He lifted his head to watch me.

"You okay?" He questioned.

"Mhm," I nodded.

"Backache?"

"No, I'm fine," I promised "Really."

"I have just the thing!" He insisted excitedly "Works wonders for me!"

He managed to get up and retrieved a bottle from his drawer. He began inspecting the label on it, smiling to himself. I sat awkwardly, wondering what tricks he had up his sleeve now. He turned to look at me.

"Come on," He said matter-of-factly "Kit off."

"W-what?!" I choked.

"C'mon," He ordered "Everything except your boxers!"

I blinked. He looked at me as if I were stupid.

"Do I have to come over there and do it for you?" He questioned "Off. Now."

Slowly, I reached for the hem of my t-shirt, peeling it up and off. Frank nodded as I tossed it aside. A small smirk played my lips as I saw it land on the teddy, covering its stupid smile. Then my belt. I unlooped it quickly and my jeans followed. Frank smiled and nodded approvingly.

I crossed my arms over my stomach awkwardly.

"I see dragging you down to the gym has started to have an effect," He smirked "Nice guns," He added.

Okay, I admit it. I was secretly very pleased with what effect all the weightlifting beside Frank had done for me. When I looked back at the pictures from around that time, I had definitely toned up more. I had abs instead of a fleshless body and you could just make out the muscles in my arms when I flexed or lifted something heavy.

"You look good," Frank smiled "C'mon now, on your front!" He ordered, making a turning gesture with his hand.

Obediently, I turned over onto my front, propping myself up on my elbows to watch him squirt a good handful of liquid from the bottle onto his hands. He smiled encouragingly at me as he rubbed his hands together.

"What is that, Frank?" I questioned.

"A real treat," He smiled proudly.

My breath hitched.

"It's really good stuff. It's like that deep heat spray stuff but it's like an oil/lotion thing instead," He continued "It's sooooo good!" He groaned out.

I was then ordered to relax and enjoy. Frank clambered up onto the bed, straddling the back of my legs awkwardly. I gasped as his hands touched the small of my back. I hadn't expected him to touch me there and -I admit it- I got slightly excited. I thought he'd start at my shoulders or around my shoulderblades rather than in the small of my back. Frank sounded pleased with himself when he spoke.

"It's good isn't it?" He murmered from behind me "You can do me when I'm finished!"

I nodded slowly but enthusiastically. It was good stuff. It heated up slowly the moment it touched my back, helping the ache go away. But that wasn't all that was good. It was the hands working it into my back that made it good.

"Are my hands too cold?" Frank questioned.

"No," I replied "T-they're fine. Could you go a bit further down my back?"

I heard the smile in his voice.

"There?"

"A little bit further down."

The smile grew.

"There?"

I giggled.