Frank stayed in bed with Gerard for hours, the two of them exchanging soft kisses and hushed words as they reacquainted themselves with each other after their long separation.

They kept things chaste per Gerard's request, but even the simple act of having Gerard's lips against his own was borderline euphoric for Frank after going for months without.

They rarely moved from Gerard's room, only once getting up to grab something to eat when Mikey's arrival disrupted their privacy. They had waved off his apologizes for his absence with secret smiles tugging at their mouths, which Mikey seemed to notice although he didn't question them about their uncharacteristic giddiness.

Mikey probably already knew that they had gotten back together anyway, Frank could tell that Mikey was a very insightful person, and it didn't take an expert on body language to figure out that they were much more comfortable with each other than they had been the last time Frank had come over.

Mikey had retired to his room now though, leaving Gerard and Frank free to resume their affectionate actions without company. Frank was currently snuggled against Gerard's side at the moment, enjoying the feeling of being held as Gerard occasionally pressed soft kisses to the crown of Frank's head, the comfortable silence in the air filling Frank with peace as his eyelids began to droop slightly.

But although Frank's limbs were filled with a heady languor and his mind was fogging over with the desire to sleep, his heart was still racing at a hundred miles a minute, his closeness to Gerard feeling akin to brushing his palm against a live wire, but instead of a painful shock, Frank was filled with a surge of love and vitality every time Gerard so much as shifted, his minute movements resonating deep within Frank, keeping him awake and hyper aware while somehow still in a peaceful state all at the same time.

Frank didn't understand how their relationship was wrong, it just didn't make sense to him in this moment. How could something that brought him so much joy be labeled as illegal, how could something so wonderful and life changing potentially sentence Gerard to jail?

If Gerard wasn't his teacher, they wouldn't even have a problem, but yet the world had decided that what they were doing was unacceptable, and as much as Frank wished he could change that, he knew there was nothing he could do besides wait for his graduation date.

Frank would miss being able to go out in public with Gerard, but compared to everything he had gained, it was a small loss. He could always spend time here at Gerard's apartment, or their spot in the woods, and after the months of hardly seeing each other, being able to have the older man's arms around him was akin to Heaven, even if they had to hide behind closed doors for the time being.

"What are you thinking about?" Gerard whispered, a hot puff of air hitting the shell of Frank's ear as he spoke, releasing a small shiver down his spine as he leaned back against Gerard heavily.

"You," Frank answered honestly, a grin overtaking his face when Gerard chuckled gleefully.

"What about me?" Gerard pressed, his hold on Frank tightening by a small fraction as he scooted further down on the mattress, dragging Frank with him until he was practically lying on his chest.

"Mostly just how happy I am that we can do things like this again."

"So am I," Gerard sighed, his nose tickling the back of his neck as he burrowed against Frank suddenly.

"And you?" Frank asked, because he could tell that something was on Gerard's mind by the way his muscles had tensed up and his previous relaxed posture and grown stiff in the past few seconds, the bodily signals saying more than a thousand words ever could.

And for once, the fact that Gerard seemed nervous and on edge didn't send Frank into a fit of hysterics, because he had already been through the worst now. He no longer doubted everything Gerard said, or feared fucking up constantly, how could he when Gerard was risking everything to be with Frank?

And yes - of course he still worried slightly, but he was beginning to realize that he and Gerard could work through anything together if they tried, leaving him at ease and more self-confident than he had been in ages as he waited patiently for Gerard to answer his question.

"I - um..." Gerard stammered quietly, continuing to hide his face in the crook of Frank's shoulder, preventing Frank from picking up on any visual clues that might give him a hint as to what Gerard was currently struggling with, "it's really nothing, I'm just being silly." Gerard laughed hoarsely, but when Frank remained silent, he pushed on determinedly. "I guess I'm feeling a bit guilty, and don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic that you're here, and that you still care for me, but I can't help but wondering if I'm being selfish you know?"

"In what way?" Frank queried, keeping his voice even and calm as he tried to catch up with Gerard's rapidly shifting mind, not wanting to allow himself to jump to conclusions quite yet in case he arrived at the wrong one.

"I was just planning in my head the things I need to do, like get my prescription renewed, and probably go through my cabinets and throw away the medicine I've been abusing, maybe even my blades if I could get that far, and I don't want to do it alone, but I also don't want to burden you with this so soon."

"But you're not, at least not to me - I want to help you with this," Frank reminded Gerard, brushing his cheek lightly with his knuckles when Gerard lifted his head up slightly.

"I know, and I believe you, so I shouldn't feel bad about it, but then I started thinking about how I'm your first boyfriend, and how you practically babysit me more often than not, and don't take this wrong, I'm not retracting my earlier statement, and I do want this relationship, but I also don't want to be unfair to you, and I just want you to know that if at any point I became too much, or you get frustrated with me, that's okay...I'll understand, honestly."

"Hey...I don't like you thinking like that," Frank murmured gently, tilting Gerard's chin up with two of his fingers so he was looking directly into his eyes. "I want this okay, I want you, and I'm not going into this blind. I understand that you are going to struggle with your addictions, and that doesn't scare me off. I'm going to stand by your side through it all, and in case you haven't noticed, I'm not the most emotionally stable person either, but we can work on that together yeah?"

"I'd like that," Gerard smiled, leaning forward until his lips grazed against Frank's briefly before sitting back in his previous position. "I think I just needed to hear you say it again. I'm building up the courage to call my doctor soon and you are very good at boosting it."

"Well I'll keep repeating it as often as you need," Frank beamed, "and I know I already said this before, but I am really proud of you."

"See - right there you did it again," Gerard giggled. "It's almost crazy how good you are at dragging me out of my head."

"I consider it one of my best skills," Frank teased, an answering laugh bubbling out of his chest when Gerard continued to chuckle happily. "Seriously though, I am in this for the long run, I'm not going to take off after waiting for so long to get you back," Frank added on, knowing that the extra reassurance would be helpful although Gerard seemed sufficiently calmed already.

"You really are perfect," Gerard mumbled before dragging Frank back in for another kiss without giving him a chance to respond to the compliment that always had his stomach fluttering and his heart bursting with joy.

Frank gasped happily when Gerard slipped his tongue past Frank's lips, exploring his mouth carefully as Frank clutched at his sides to ground himself. Frank couldn't help but groan when Gerard tilted him onto his back, his larger frame hovering over Frank in a way that made him feel protected and desired all at once.

It was difficult for Frank not to push things further, especially as the kiss lengthened and drew out, leaving him progressively more needy as each minute ticked by, but Frank wanted to respect Gerard's wishes, and he didn't want to insinuate anything that the older man would regret later on, so even though his cock was beginning to swell and his body was begging for attention, Frank made himself stay still, letting Gerard set the pace no matter how much it pained him.

Just when Frank was getting completely absorbed in the slick sounds their mouths were making and the heavy pressure of Gerard's torso pushing against his waist, his phone rang, snapping them both out of the world which only involved the two of them much to Frank's disappointment.

"Fuck," Frank groaned as he pulled away, praying that it was just Pete calling him so he could ignore it and return to Gerard, but when he grabbed his phone off of the dresser it had been lying on, it was his mother's name that stared back at him. "I have to take this," Frank apologized, sitting up once Gerard rolled back onto his side of the bed with a soft pout painted across his face.

"Hey Mom," Frank spoke softly once he had pressed the answer button, his stomach churning uncomfortably when the other end of the line remained silent. Some of his unease ebbed when Gerard tangled his fingers through Frank's free hand as if he couldn't bear to not be touching him for more than a few seconds, and the physical contact helped Frank find his voice even when his throat began to dry up and his limbs started to tremble. "Are you there?"

"I am," his mother snapped coldly, causing Frank to sink down against the mattress as if he could somehow hide from her fury if he made himself small enough, "and I just got a message from your school saying that you didn't attend any of your classes today."

All of the air left Frank's lungs when he realized that he had spent so long with Gerard that he hadn't taken any time to think up a plausible excuse for his absence, which he really should have done earlier while Gerard was sleeping, but so many things had happened this morning that his mind had been otherwise occupied, leaving him defenseless against his mother's onslaught.

"I ...I was going to -"

"Don't try and lie to me Frank," his mother cut him off mid-sentence, her anger emitting through the speakers of the device pressed to Frank's ear, its palpable presence wrapping around Frank in a constricting manner that had him shaky and out of breath within seconds. "I want you home now, we can talk about it when you get here."

"Okay," Frank promised, his tone quiet and defeated as he tried not to sniffle audibly. "I'll be there soon."

"Good," was all his mother said before she hung up, leaving Frank in a daze as he slowly put his phone down, his eyes stinging with unshed tears even though he wasn't all that upset, he was more disappointed in himself than anything.

Frank hated when his mother became cross with him, although there were worse things, she was lucid today obviously, she had remembered his name and even checked the answering machine apparently, which was actually a very positive sign since Frank had to all but force her to complete simple tasks lately, but it was just his luck that she had happened to have a good day the one time that Frank almost wished she hadn't.

Still, Frank didn't regret what he had done, how could he when the end result has been him getting Gerard back? He should have planned out a viable excuse though, and he probably should have been home before his mother returned from work so he could play it off like he had been feeling ill or something like that, but it was too late to take back his actions now, and the hours spent with Gerard were more than worth the scolding Frank was sure to receive later on.

"Everything okay Frankie?" Gerard asked when Frank remained silent, tugging Frank against his side gently as he spoke, the reassuring warmth that instantly flowed into Frank following the small action loosening the bands of tensions that had been pressing down against Frank's chest, allowing him to breathe properly again for the first time in a few minutes.

"Yeah," Frank nodded, wrapping his arms around Gerard's waist when Gerard cocked one eyebrow at him in a disbelieving manner, "my mom is just pissed that I missed classes today, but she'll get over it soon."

"Shit - I'm so sorry," Gerard exhaled heavily, "I can get the absence excused, at least in my class, I don't know if that will help at all though."

"It's okay Gerard - really," Frank smiled, burrowing closer to Gerard to show that he truly was fine with it. "I think I'm going to tell her that I wasn't feeling well, so I had Pete pick me up and I ended up staying at his house. She won't like it, but it's believable at least."

"I really do feel bad Frank," Gerard murmured, "but at the same time, I wouldn't have traded today for the world, but I can talk to the attendance office and see what I can do."

"Don't worry about it." Frank waved Gerard off, because now that he was no longer on the phone with his mother, his earlier fear and guilt was already slipping away. "That might look a bit suspicious anyway since you weren't at school today either, and one unexcused absence isn't going to kill me, but I probably should get home before she works herself into a frenzy."

"I wish you didn't have to go," Gerard groaned, his facing falling slightly when Frank pushed himself vertical once more, although he made no move to get off the bed just yet. "Call me later yeah?"

"Of course," Frank giggled, leaning down to steal one more hurried kiss from Gerard that elongated a bit more than Frank had originally planned, not that he was complaining.

When Frank finally found the will to pull away, his lips were swollen and his hair was mussed up, and Gerard was in a similar state. Frank grinned widely when Gerard gazed up at him with wide pupils, a look of adoration crossing over his face when Frank slowly backed off the edge of the mattress, maintaining eye contact with Gerard the entire time.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" Gerard offered when Frank bent down to pull on his shoes, breaking the calming spell they had both been trapped in by removing his gaze from Gerard.

"I can walk, it's fine, besides, I'm pretty sure we'll end up doing that a few more times and I'll be even later than I already am."

Frank's heart swelled when Gerard laughed in agreement, because they were joking together just like they used to. All of the tension and insecurities that had been hovering between the two of them for the past few months had been completely eradicated in the space of a few hours, and fuck - Frank had missed his relationship with Gerard even more than he had realized, making each minute thing carry a special significance that it hadn't contained before, but now Frank appreciated everything from Gerard's expulsion of mirth to the way his arms felt when Gerard got up and pulled Frank into a gentle embrace.

"I'll miss you," Gerard whispered, "and thank you for giving me another chance, for being here when I needed you most, for everything really."

"Stop thanking me," Frank scoffed playfully, although Gerard's words had him much more emotional than he was willing to admit, "in fact, I should be saying that to you, so thank you for taking me back despite everything, thank you for caring enough to risk so much to be with me."

"I should have done it sooner honestly," Gerard mumbled into Frank's hair, "I've missed you so much."

"I'm here now," Frank assured him, pulling Gerard close when he shuddered softly, "and I'm not going anywhere - well, I am right now, but you get my point."

"Fuck - I'm keeping you all to myself again aren't I?" Gerard chuckled as he reluctantly released Frank from his tight hold. "Let me know how it goes with your mom."

"I will," Frank hedged, unwilling to leave Gerard's side just yet, but knowing that he had to soon or he would have to be bodily dragged out of here.

This was going to be a constant struggle for Frank, because even though Gerard was his first priority, his mother was important too, and Frank wanted to see her while she was in a decent state, even if she was simply going to yell at him for skipping class. He couldn't completely ignore his other responsibilities for Gerard, he knew that, but fuck - Frank was so tempted to pretend like the outside world didn't exist so he could spend the rest of the evening with Gerard.

He didn't though, and after a few more brief kisses, Frank finally made his way out of Gerard's apartment and in the direction of his home, and as hard as it was to say goodbye to Gerard, Frank still felt light and overjoyed, because this wasn't forever, he didn't have to worry about when he would see Gerard next, or if he would even want to speak to him tomorrow anymore.

Those worries were hopefully behind him, and yes - Frank did have plenty of other problems on his plate, but with Gerard as his boyfriend again, the mountain had shrunken down to an easily dealt with molehill that no longer weighed Frank down at all times.

~~~

"I just don't understand why you didn't call me, you didn't have to go spend the day with Pete. For all you know, your might have gotten him sick now as well."

Frank bit his lip as his mother continued to chastise him, trying to hide his growing frustration as he repeated his hastily constructed lie for the third time.

"Because you were at work mom, and I know you don't have a lot of vacation hours left. I'm fine now anyway, it was just a stomach ache, and I think it was more nerves than anything else."

Frank had concocted the story that he had thrown up right before school started, most likely because of an imaginary test that he had made up on the spot to explain why he had chosen to take the day off to supposedly study with Pete.

It wasn't the best excuse in the world, but it was all he could come up with on such short notice. Unfortunately, his mother wasn't pleased with his explanation, leaving him trapped underneath her steely gaze while she paced around the kitchen in frustration.

"I just...I'm not upset you with for being ill, you know that right honey?" Frank nodded mutely, waiting for his mother to continue her tirade. "I'm only worried about you, it's your senior year after all, and missing a test is very serious, not to mention I'm sure you didn't get much work done at Pete's, you would have been much more productive here."

"I'm sorry Mom, I won't do it again okay?" Frank apologized again, sensing his mother's anger wearing thin, which was proved by her actions when she sunk into the chair next to him a second later.

Frank exhaled in relief when his mother didn't add an anything else, although he wasn't sure what else she could say. She had been chastising him for the past half hour, and even if Frank didn't enjoy being in trouble, or seeing his mother in any sort of distress, especially when he was the cause of it, the attention from the typically distant woman had been actually enjoyable.

So instead of escaping up to his bedroom like he usually would after a scolding, Frank decided to stay in the kitchen and soak up whatever time he had with his mother while she was this coherent, looking in the cabinets for something to make for dinner which were actually filled for once since he had gone shopping recently.

"You're growing up so fast," his mother hummed under her breath after a long period of nothing except the pattering of Frank's feet, her heavy lidded eyes meeting his for a brief moment before she looked back down at her lap. "It's like you're not my little boy anymore."

"I still am Mom, I always will be," Frank assured her, pulling her into a brief one armed hug before returning to the package of pasta that he had been attempting to open. "Does spaghetti sound good?"

"See what I mean?" his mother continued, not answering his query which Frank took to mean that whatever he cooked would be fine with her. "You make the majority of our meals, you do the shopping, it's like you're the adult and I'm the child now."

Frank stiffened as he poured the hard noodles into a pan, wondering if this would be a good time to discuss his mother's mental state with her while she seemed so aware of herself. It needed to be brought up eventually before she got worse, but Frank was selfish, and he didn't want to ruin one of the few decent conversations they had partaken in lately by bringing up a topic that was sure to cause his mother to shut down instantly.

"It's fine Mom, and I'm still your kid, I'm just old enough to help you with things now," Frank shrugged, although he knew that most seventeen year olds didn't have to deal with the things he did on a daily basis, but he was getting better at handling his mother's oddities, and he was keeping them afloat - for now at least.

"Do ever wish you could turn back time?"

His mother's question had Frank starting slightly since she had once again lapsed into silence, his hand slipping as he added water to the pot, a few drops splattering across the counter before he righted the cup once more.

Frank didn't reply straight away, because he wasn't sure what to say. Two days ago he would have agreed wholeheartedly, but now he wasn't so sure. As much as he looked back fondly on the past, as much as he missed his father, as much as he'd like to return to the carefree boy he'd once been, it was the future that now held hope for him, because it held Gerard and the potential for a happy life with him at the center of it.

Once Frank graduated, if they even made it that far, Frank would be free to show the world how much Gerard meant to him, and even closer than that, Frank had tomorrow to look forward to, because he would be able to see Gerard without his heart twisting in pain, even tonight held the promise of his voice waiting for him once Frank got the chance to call him. Those little things had Frank content with his place in the world for the first time in months, and he didn't think he would trade them for anything.

"No - I wouldn't," Frank finally answered, "change scares me of course, and sometimes the idea seems appealing yeah, but overall, I'm starting to see that everything happens for a reason, and if we keep trying to live in the past, we'll never get to experience what's waiting for us if we don't look ahead every now and then."

"When did you get so wise?" his mother grinned ruefully, her slippered feet touching the floor as she got up and made her way to the fridge.

"I learned it in school, which I do attend ninety-nine percent of the time," Frank teased, earning himself a playful scoff from his mother as she poured herself a glass of juice.

"You better," his mother winked, motioning to the carton to ask if Frank wanted some as well, which he gladly accepted.

And for the first time in weeks, Frank sat down with his mother as they shared their meal, and although they had eaten together on many nights, this was different, because his mother was present, she was engaged, they were sharing stories and talking like they used to.

Of course Frank couldn't bring up the things that were truly important to him like Gerard, but that was fine given that his mother was rarely willing to participate in any sort of discussion with him lately.

And even if this wouldn't last, because it never did, Frank chose to enjoy the present, finding joy in his mother's laugh and her genuine smile for as long as he could before they were ripped away from him once more.

~~~

Frank grinned as he closed the door to his room behind him firmly, all but diving for his phone which he had left charging on his desk earlier.

As much as he had loved spending time with his mother, Frank was already desperate to speak with Gerard again, and now that his mother had gone to bed, he finally had the privacy he needed to talk to his boyfriend in peace.

Frank dialed his familiar number eagerly, crawling under his blankets as the traditional ring started to sound in his ears. Frank had only gotten himself halfway covered when the line picked up, meaning that Gerard had most likely been waiting for Frank's call, which only had Frank smiling even harder.

"Hey sugar," Gerard greeted him, leaving Frank shivering slightly at the pet name that seemed to always affect him no matter how often he heard it. "How did it go with your mom?"

"Actually not that bad. I mean - she was mad at me of course, but once she calmed down, we actually had a nice chat."

"That's good," Gerard sighed audibly, his expulsion of relief filling Frank with small bubbles of joy when he realized that Gerard had truly been worried about him. "I really do feel bad that I got you in trouble though."

"Well don't, I told you it would be fine, and it was," Frank giggled, shifting himself into a more comfortable position as he prepared himself for what he was going to say next.

Frank hadn't been planning on doing this so soon, but after giving it some serious thought while washing the dishes, Frank had decided to tell Gerard about his mother's condition, although Frank was still clueless on what it actually was.

Still - he didn't want to keep things from Gerard anymore, even personal information that he hadn't asked for, and sooner or later, Frank might need to turn to Gerard for comfort on one of her bad days, so he would rather explain his home situation now while he was in a pleasant mood and not on the verge of tears with nowhere to go if she ended up kicking him out again.

"You got quiet...everything okay?" Gerard asked, picking up on Frank's emotions just like he always did, which gave Frank the courage to expose this part of his life that he so rarely shared with anyone.

"Yeah...actually, I just wanted to tell you a bit more about my mom." Frank drew in a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever reaction he was going to receive from his boyfriend, keeping his finger crossed that it wouldn't be a negative one. "She's - well, I don't know exactly what is wrong with her, but I think she has some mental health issues. I started noticing them when my dad left, and ever since then, they've been getting progressively worse."

Gerard stayed silent, giving Frank permission to speak freely, so he did, explaining all of his mother's quirks from her moodiness, to how she rarely took care of herself anymore, much less Frank, of how she was on thin ice at work after missing so many days, of how she often mistook Frank for his father, or sometimes didn't recognize him at all - everything, and although he paused and stuttered during his recitation several times, he made it through without stopping, and much to his surprise, he felt noticeably lighter when he was done, as if another of his burdens had lifted once he had found the courage to share it.

"Frank...I - I don't know what to say, that sounds awful," Gerard gasped when Frank finally trailed off, his voice free of the pity that Frank so despised, his tone filled with caring and compassion instead.

"It's not all bad, and I'm learning to deal with it, but I just wanted you to be aware of it in case something happens again and I need a place to stay or whatever. I usually crash with Pete, but just...I guess I felt like you should know that about me - fuck, I don't know, I never talk about this really," Frank chuckled weakly, threading his fingers through his hair nervously as he spoke.

This was harder to do than Frank thought it would be, and a part of him wished he had waited to tell Gerard in person, but he probably would have talked himself out of it if he had postponed his confession another day.

"And your dad is out of the picture entirely, he doesn't know what's going on with her?"

"No, I haven't seen him since I was fifteen, no phone calls, nothing," Frank shrugged, ignoring the painful twist in his stomach that always emerged whenever he thought of his absent father.

"Well Frank, I know it isn't really my place, and there isn't much I can do while I'm your teacher, but if you ever need help, I'm here for you, and I don't mean just a place to stay, you always have that, but if she gets worse, or she loses her job, I can try and step in. I'll do some research if you want, maybe speak to my doctor and see if he has any patients with similar symptoms, whatever you need, just know that you aren't alone in this."

Gerard's words were so sincere and heartfelt that Frank found himself choking up suddenly, his eyes welling over with tears that he hadn't realized he was holding back until just now.

Gerard somehow knew exactly what to say just when Frank needed to hear it most, he hadn't told him that he needed to commit his mother, which was something he wasn't sure if he wanted to do just yet, if ever, he had just given Frank someone to turn to if things got too bad, and Frank was so fucking grateful for that pillar of support.

Gerard trusted Frank to take care of this in his own way, he wasn't telling Frank what to do or how he should do it, but he was giving him more options, he was making Frank feel in control of his life, which was a sensation that Frank so rarely experienced, and although Frank was aware that there was little Gerard could actually do to interfere without rousing suspicions, it didn't really matter, Frank probably wouldn't even ask that of him anyway, but it was the comfort he received from his sentiment that meant everything to him.

"Thank you Gerard, that - just thank you," Frank sniffled quietly, wrapping his free arm around himself in a parody of how Gerard had held him earlier.

"Of course sugar, and I'm really glad you told me all this, I know it wasn't easy for you."

"I feel better now that I did," Frank admitted, "no one really knows besides Pete, I don't want anyone at school finding out in case they try to send her away you know?"

"Yeah I understand," Gerard hummed. "It makes a lot of sense now that I think about it actually."

"What does?" Frank questioned, unsure of what Gerard meant by his vague statement.

"Well I always wondered how you were so good at dealing with me during my...uh - episodes I guess. It took Mikey ages to figure out what set me off and what didn't, but you seemed to just know, and hearing about your mother made it all click for me."

"You're not like her though," Frank protested, although he did see Gerard's point, and he probably wouldn't have reacted so well to certain aspects of Gerard's personality if he didn't live with his mother, but he didn't want to admit that aloud.

"Maybe not identical, no, but I'm not exactly mentally stable either," Gerard responded wistfully, and fuck - Frank wanted to kiss him until the sad cast from his voice was eradicated completely, but he couldn't do that while he was trapped in his room, so his words would have to do.

"It's not the same Gerard, stop thinking like that - please?" Frank begged, because he knew how Gerard's mind worked, and he was certain that Gerard was feeling like a burden to Frank once more when he was anything but.

"I'm sorry - it's just...you're dealing with so much already, and I wish I wasn't one of those things, I want to be normal, but I don't think I ever have been."

"You're perfect Gerard," Frank whispered, daring to use the compliment that he knew Gerard didn't typically receive well, but he was unable to think of any other word to describe him, sincerity bleeding from his tone and hopefully into Gerard, although it was hard to tell without visual confirmation. "I mean it, I'm not just saying it to make you feel better. I wouldn't change anything about you, so even if you don't like the way you are, I do."

"Fucking hell Frank, I - you know I don't like that word, it's not true." Gerard didn't sound distraught though, in fact, it almost sounded as if he was biting back a smile, and Frank knew he had chosen the right adjective even if Gerard was still resistant to it.

"Like I said, you don't have to believe it, but I think you are, and my conviction is strong enough for the both of us."

"One day I'm going to find out that you're someone I dreamed up, I swear to god," Gerard laughed lightly, the sound leaving Frank giddy and overjoyed at the fact that he had successfully managed to derail Gerard's unhealthy train of thought before it had spiraled out of control.

"Well if that's the case, then can you imagine me as a bit older without school or work to worry about because that would be great."

"I'll get right on that," Gerard chuckled warmly, and Frank could all but see his eyes crinkling up the way they always did when Gerard was truly happy. "Speaking of school, I'm sure you have homework that you should be doing right now."

"Oh god, don't go all teacher on me," Frank groaned, but Gerard was correct in his assumption, and with the makeup assignments that Frank would have to complete tomorrow, he really needed to get ahead while he had the chance, "but how about we make a deal, I'll start it if you stay on the line with me for a bit."

"I see no downfall to that plan," Gerard agreed, "you better not let me distract you though."

"No promises," Frank teased, reluctantly getting up to retrieve his textbooks as Gerard kept him company with his voice, his schoolwork appearing almost appealing as long as Gerard continued to ramble to him during them.

Everything seemed easier when Gerard was added into the equation, from his assignments, to dealing with his mother, basically all aspects of his life had greatly improved now that Gerard was a part of it once again.

Frank had no idea how he had survived for so long without the older man, but somehow he had done it, and he hoped he would never have to experience another separation from him ever again.

Well I was gone for another month or so but hey I am slowly figuring out how to find time to write with two jobs so I am proud of myself for getting this all down.

I am exhausted now and I need to sleep since I have to work tomorrow although I was supposed to be off so I'll keep this short and sweet.

Just letting you guys know if anyone is reading Like Ghosts In The Snow or Long Live The Car Crash Hearts I have put them on hold for now so I can focus on some of my other works. I will return to them eventually but I just don't have any motivation for them at the moment.

But I have been working on Pyre much more frequently if you want to check that out. It is getting close to being done so I am making that my main priority.

How have you guys been?

Votes and comment will make me very happy to see when I wake up.

Chapter dedicated to jilloffjack

I'm a pain in women's clothes

xo starr