I Wasn't Asking for the World

Mikey looked around his surroundings as he walked into the grey drab and dreary room. A tall big built man stood by the door that Mikey walked though, Mikey looked up at him and swallowed hard as he found the furthest seat away from the man that was available and sat down.

His hands still sat in his pockets from where they had been since he had left the care home; his hands were in tight fists and were beginning to get sweaty. His eyes scanned the room and the other occupants nervously behind his glasses and he prayed for his attention to be adverted and quickly.

Luckily for Mikey the person he came to see was escorted to their seat on the other side of the glass to where Mikey sat and the police officer stood behind him to make sure no one was in danger. He didn't look up at first and Mikey was able to adjust to the shock of his appearance. He clearly hadn't shaved in days and it didn't look like he had washed either. His hair was greasy and longer since the last time Mikey had seen him but never the less, Mikey's heart still soured.

"Frank?" he said forgetting about the telephone they were meant to speak through. It was redundant anyway as there was only a pane of glass in between them and the person on the other side was able to hear him.

Frank's head immediately shot up at the sound of Mikey's voice and the breath that caught in his throat was noticeable. Mikey didn't say anything else or smile or show any other sign of emotion, just looked into the same eyes he was still in love with, despite himself.

Frank immediately picked up the phone and gestured Mikey to do the same. Mikey did so and cautiously held the phone against his ear, shooting a cautious glance at the policeman behind Frank.

"Mikey, I thought I'd never see you again." Frank said, his face cracking into a tiny real, soft smile.

"So did I," Mikey said, questioning his own sanity for even turning up there. Why was he there anyway? What was he expecting?

"I'm so sorry Mikey. I didn't want to break up with you, I really didn't, I still love you, I really do. I just couldn't live with the guilt any longer," Frank said his eyes welling up with tears already, the harshness and bitterness he had showed with Gerard and everyone else completely melting away.

"Guilt for what Frank? Sleeping with my brother or murdering somebody?" Mikey asked, keeping a hard face promising himself not to give in to Frank's face.

"You really did believe-? Ger- Gerard didn't tell you?" Frank asked, confusion lighting up his face.

"Tell me what?" Mikey asked curiously leaning closer to the glass, intrigued now. Frank placed his hand on the glass and looked at Mikey with the most disappointed eyes he had ever seen.

"I didn't sleep with him! I told Bob that so I didn't tell him about this whole scenario. I would never cheat on you Mikey, but I'd rather you think that than think I'm a murderer," Frank explained.

Mikey ingested this and just had to believe Frank. He knew when he was lying and when he was telling the truth. He also felt a little better knowing that Frank hadn't cheated on him.

"The fact still remains. You killed someone." Mikey said his heart breaking once again when he said it out loud.

"Your brother is a spineless bastard you know that? Not even when you thought the worst of him did he tell the truth. You were far better off not knowing him." Frank said scowling at the table beneath him.

"What are you talking about?" Mikey asked.

"Although, if he hadn't been in your life you would probably be the one six feet under right now. Saying that if he hadn't been in your life that Tony guy wouldn't have turned up in the first place," Frank rambled to himself through the phone still not looking at Mikey. Mikey was starting to become concerned for Frank's sanity as he rambled and muttered to himself. He looked up at the police officer behind him but he wasn't playing any attention.

"Frank, tell me what is going on. Please?" Mikey asked softly.

Frank looked back up at Mikey through the glass, tears now rolling down his cheeks and an overwhelming amount of sadness in his eyes. "I'm so sorry Mikey. I'm so, so sorry. I wasn't even supposed to get involved. Gerard said he was going to handle it and make sure he never came back for either of you again. I didn't think he'd ever mean to kill him! When I went out there and saw what had happened I panicked and tried to call the police but some how someway Gerard had managed to talk me out of it and put the blame on me. I owned up to it because I didn't want you to hurt and I knew you needed him more than me and I needed my own closure." Frank explained quietly. He never really said it directly but Mikey knew exactly what he was saying.

"You-you need to tell the truth," Mikey said timidly. His mind set had completely changed from only half an hour ago. Everything that hadn’t made sense finally did now.

"This is my punishment," Frank said.

"No. This is Gerard's punishment, the one he deserves. If you own up you'll get your own punishment, the one you deserve," Mikey said softly.

The pair looked at each other. Frank knew Mikey was right and Mikey knew he was right too. The problem was just putting it into action. Everything was far from perfect for Mikey and for Frank but they both knew that that was just the way it had to be with them. Nothing ever was or ever will be perfect for Mikey or for the pair as a couple but they had come to expect that.

Fin.