Spike Me and Save Me

Gerard’s P.O.V.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. What if I hadn’t been in the way? What if I hadn’t seen him? Frank could’ve gotten hurt – maybe even be dead. The guy could’ve had a knife. He could’ve stabbed Frank – me.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, before I swung my legs out of my bunk. Is this some kind of after-shock? Like when people’ve been mugged or raped or something, and it isn’t until a few hours later they realize what happened.
I replayed the scene in my head. It was all a clutter of confusing images, but it still made my breathing heavier and faster. Shit!
When I looked around the bunk-area, I realized that I was panicking. My breathing was fast, my heart was pounding and I actually felt tears burn at the back of my eyes. My mind suddenly whined out Frank’s name. Frank?
I got to my feet and without even warning him, I crawled in next to Frank in his bunk.

“Mfh?” Frank muffled as I wrapped my arms around his waist, having them meet on his stomach. I pressed my nose to his shoulder, as I tried to stop myself from crying. Frank laid still for about a minute, before he slowly turned around. I loosened my grip around him and looked down at his feet as he did. When he lied still again, I pulled in closer to him and pressed my forehead to his cheek.
“What’s wrong?” I heard Frank’s soft, whispering voice close to my ear. I felt his breath dance across my temple and hair. I felt his one hand softly settle on my shoulder blade, and I knew he didn’t want me to let go.

“I could’ve lost you,” I whispered back. I felt and heard him sigh deeply, but not because of what I said. My lips were so close to his skin that it was all I could think of. I almost felt his scent tickle my lips. I wanted to kiss his neck, but I knew it was wrong. We don’t do that anymore.
Before I had a chance to weigh the pros and cons, I felt Frank’s soft lips press against my temple, and it seemed that every tension, fear and worry disappeared from my body – along with my grip of the world around me. I somehow forgot there was a world outside the bunk – behind my back.
My mind had stopped working. I wasn’t thinking about anything, as I lifted my head and found Frank’s lips perfectly. All that mattered – all that existed – at that moment, was the person at the end of my lips. At the end of my fingertips. Against my chest. Around my legs.
It was nothing but a kiss – a beautiful, perfect, soft, meaningful, sensitive, sensual, warm, comforting, and loving kiss – but it was enough to make me feel complete and safe, and enough to lull me to sleep.

Bob’s P.O.V.

On our way to a new city, I was able to find a moment alone to wrap Gerard’s present. I was thrilled that I had found such a perfect present, and I couldn’t wait ‘til he’d open it. Hopefully he will.
I knocked the thought out of my head and concentrated on the freakin’ tape that had gotten stuck to the wrong part of the wrapping paper.

“What’re you doing?” As soon as I heard the voice, I flinched, knocked the half-wrapped present to the side and grabbed a pillow to cover it. It wasn’t until I realized that the voice belonged to Ray that I relaxed and let my shoulders drop.

“Shit, Toro!” I said and removed the pillow from the, now, half-wrapped and a little bumped present.
“Shit,” I whispered – mainly to myself.

“For Gee?”

“Duh!” I tried to straighten out the bump, but gave up after a while. Ray sat down next to me, but didn’t say anything. I frowned at the last part, before I lifted my head and stared at him – expecting him to say something. He can’t just sit there doing nothing.
“What’s up?” I asked as I kept looking at him with a look of impatience.

“Nothing,” Ray said. He sat there – doing nothing – for a second, before he pulled out his cell phone. I knew it was just a way to get me off his back, so I just went back to wrapping Gerard’s present. I aighn’t gonna pressure anything out of anyone.
“How do you think Worm’s doing?” Ray suddenly asked. I abrupt stopped wrapping the present, let my shoulders drop with a heavy sigh and looked up at Ray – annoyance shining through. Ray wasn’t looking at me, but I kept my stare the same. I didn’t say anything. Ray still didn’t look at me. A few minutes passed by like that.
“I think he’s hiding from it all,” Ray said. Suddenly I couldn’t keep up my stare anymore. I looked down at Gerard’s present. Worm. He’s… Silent.
“Have you noticed it?” I think Ray finally looked at me at that point, but I just kept staring at the present in front of me.
“He’s… absent. Absent-minded.” I had noticed that, but I hadn’t made too much of it. He was supposed to protect us – I just guessed that was what he was doing. He didn’t hang out with us as much as he used to. He spent more time outside of the door, than inside. I thought it was just because of the Joint-incident – that he had become more worried and protective. Upped the security.

“I guess,” I said – a little absent-minded myself. Is he okay? Is he hurting – alone? Is he really hiding? Running away from it?

“We should talk to him,” Ray said in a low voice. I looked up at him, but he was staring ahead at nothing again.

“Yeah,” I said in a low voice. Is he okay? Are we okay? Am I?