{{ FRANK POV }}

Frank gazed at the older man's sleeping form on the couch, chest rising and falling gently.

He hadn't seen Gerard in years... And now, suddenly, he showed up in an alley which happened to be only a few miles from Frank's flat. Beat up and bleeding. Sobbing and scared. What happened to the young boy who had stood up to bullies? The one who had beat up a fifth grader to protect his brother? What had happened to the beautiful boy Gerard had been?

Why had he let Gerard stay away for so long without even looking for him? It didn't seem fair, now that Gerard was here, that all those years away from him were so empty. Long days of work, long nights of exhausted sleep, fancy parties...

Frank looked around his flat. His eyes narrowed at the silk and velvet drapes, he felt a pang at his heart when he saw the dirtied bloody fabric of Gerard's jeans against his leather shiny couch.

Something was wrong with this picture, so wrong he felt sick.

He should be in a shabby little apartment in New Jersey, or even a small house with a dog. He should be asleep right now, Frank thought. He shouldn't be on my couch. I left him. He left me. Frank walked over to stand beside the couch. He didn't want Gerard gone, he just wanted him whole and safe. Not beat up and bloody on a half stranger's upholstered couch.

Vaguely Frank heard the doorknob turning as his room-mate William came in, and he heard shuffling steps...

They stopped right beside the living room door. Frank could feel Will's eyes on his back.

"What the..." Will muttered, stepping into the room, shoes clicking on the wood floor. "Frank, who is this?" Will asked, voice strained. "And what in Manson's name happened to him?"

Frank put a finger to his lips, and gently led Will into the next room. "He's gonna be staying here for a while. His name is Gerard and I found him in an alley." Frank said. Will raised an eyebrow, eyes filled with unbelieving amusement.

"You really can't make a habit of picking up cute hobos and bringing them home with you." Will said, with a smile.

"No Will. This is THE Gerard." Frank said. Will's eyes filled with understanding.

"Oh!" he said, almost exhaling the word. "THE Gerard..." he glanced through the door way at the sleeping man. "Aw, he's cute..." he winked at Frank. "You've got good taste Frankie."

Frank blinked at him. "He's my friend." he said bluntly. Inside, he knew it was a lie, Gerard was so much more. But why should Will know that?

Will winked again. "Mmhm. Right. And I'm your room-mate." he gave a sloppy smile, and then walked back out the front door, closing it softly behind him.

"Fucking Will..." Frank muttered, watching the sleeping man for a few more seconds before he turned around and walked into the bedroom to go to sleep.

"Frank..." Gerard muttered. Frank turned around. Gerard's beautiful eyes were open, foggy with sleep and squinting at the light.

"Mhm?" Frank stepped back into the living room, to stand beside Gerard. He looked down at the older man, whose green-brown eyes were shiny now, despite their sleepy mist.

"Stay here with me..." Gerard murmured, grabbing Frank's hand and pulling him down on the couch. Frank curled up beside Gerard. His body fit perfectly with the older man's, like a puzzle.

"I thought you would never ask." Frank said, nuzzling into Gerard's blood scented bruise spattered neck. Nothing had ever felt more like home than this right here, laying with Gerard.

Gerard's breaths quickly became sleepy and slow, quiet and regular. Frank listened to his heartbeat, and let himself begin to dream of days to come. He started to wonder if this was too good to be true. Could Gerard really be here? Could he really be laying with Gerard?

Suddenly Gerard stirred again, and his eyes opened. Frank smiled at him, wishing his scars could just disappear. "You're pretty." Gerard said softly, voice gravelly from sleep.

Frank laughed softly. "What?" He asked, amused. His fingers, of their own accord, danced up and down Gerard's bare and blood-gritty arm.

"Youre so pretty, Frankie." Gerard muttered, rubbing his eyes with his grubby fists. It brought to Frank's mind a young boy, sleepy and small, as helpless as a kitten. Frank gently brushed a bit of gravel from Gerard's cheek, looking down away from the older boy's eyes. Suddenly he felt quite shy, and he was sure a reddish fever color was taking over his cheeks. At least Gerard couldnt see it in the dim light. No one had ever called him pretty before.

"You need a bath, Gee." Frank said distractedly, pulling away uncomfortably. He hugged himself gently, avoiding Gerard's direct gaze. "Go take a bath." He scooted away, to the edge of the couch.

Gerard shifted and sat up. "I'll go find the bathroom" He whispered, voice shaking. He sounded hurt, and Frank couldnt believe that he had been so rude and cold. He took a deep breath, and then he ran a hand through his hair. A tear had escaped the corner of his eye. He got up fromt the couch, and walked down the hall, following Gerard.

{{ GERARD POV }}

Gerard found himself being pulled rudley into conciousness by the lack of tiredness he felt. He shifted to look at Frank again, and his eyes opened. Frank smiled at him, eyes darkening as they always did when he was relaxed and happy. "You're pretty." Gerard said softly, voice gravelly from sleep. And indeed Frank was, prettier than any girl who Gerard had sold himself to, Prettier even then Ceri.

Frank's eyes especially, and his adorable smile. Yes, pretty was the word. Perfectly pretty, like a pale white flower. Gerard liked flowers. Flowers were sweet, and they smelled good. So did Frank.

Frank laughed softly. "What?" He asked, amused. Frank's long, delicate fingers danced up and down Gerard's bare and blood-gritty arm. It sent shivers up Gerard's spine. Why was Frank so irrisistable?

"Youre so pretty, Frankie." Gerard muttered, rubbing his eyes with his grubby fists. Frank gently brushed a bit of gravel from Gerard's cheek, looking down away from the older boy's eyes. Gerard didnt understand his sudden change in attitude. He felt Frank's body stiffen as he became uncomfortable.

"You need a bath, Gee." Frank said distractedly, pulling away. Gerard immediately felt lonely and cold, and he missed the comfort of Frank's arms. He missed the feeling of Frank breathing against him. Frank hugged himself gently, avoiding Gerard's direct gaze. "Go take a bath." He scooted away, to the edge of the couch. Gerard felt a pang at his heart. Take a bath? Frank was disgusted by him? That couldnt be!

Gerard shifted and sat up. "I'll go find the bathroom" He whispered, voice shaking. He stood up and walked down the hall, listening to his footsteps echo drearily on the tile floor. He opened the last door on the right, and stepped in. Shockingly, it was the bathroom. He stepped inside without another word.

Gerard started to undress, and he looked at himself in the mirror. He was a mess. All cut up and bloody, it was sort of revolting. How could Frank even recognize him?

As he turned the shower on, and waited for it to heat up, he heard footsteps approaching from the hall. Surely Frank was going to bed.

But then the door opened behind him, and the bathroom filled with cold air. "Im sorry Gee." Frank said softly, stepping up behind Gerard and nestling his chin in the crook of the older boy's neck. Gerard smiled, despite how awkward this probably should have been, what with him standing here completely naked and all. However he wasnt ashamed in front of Frank. He felt comfortable, like this was meant to be.

"Forgiven." Gerard replied, turning around and pulling Frank's face to his gently, pressing their lips together and wrapping his arms around Frank's neck.

Whatever was about to come, he was ready.