"I'd better go." I told Brendon, who nodded, and I signed off and shut the laptop down.

My eyes fell on Mikey, who shrugged, rolling his eyes. "I've never liked Bert." He admitted quietly, and my eyebrows shot up.

"You what?"

"There aren't many people I don't like, because I'm a well-mannered person - unlike a certain brother I could mention - but Bert has always been one of them. He's a difficult guy to get along with. It probably didn't help that I was cold with him from the start, and I suggested to Gerard that he break up with him. I mean...I'm sure he's a very nice guy -" I scoffed, and he grinned. "You've never given him a chance."

"I never want to, after the way he's treated me." When his eyebrows rose in curiosity, I told him what Bert had said to me a few days ago, recounting how he'd pushed me against the wall and told me how much of a slut I was. I finished, and he frowned.

"Frank..." He took a deep breath. "You've got to understand that Bert is completely and utterly dependent on Gerard. And Gerard, well, he's letting it happen. He's always had a soft spot for Bert. From the day they met, I thought it was going to last between them. I actually thought they'd marry. And then you came along..." His eyebrows rose as he glanced at me, and I smirked.

"I couldn't help it. I didn't even know he had a boyfriend when I first met him. I wasn't intending anything to happen. It just...did."

"I knew you were trouble from the start, Frank Iero."

"Excuse you?" I feigned hurt. "I like to believe I've improved his life."

Mikey was silent for several seconds, and then he smiled. "Yeah, you probably have." There was the sound of something smashing upstairs, and both of us looked upwards. "Fucking hell." He muttered.

"Do you know why Bert's here?" I asked, and he looked at me before sighing.

"As far as I know...he's suicidal." The words shocked me, and for once I was silent. "Though after what Gerard's been through, he should be getting proper help, not unloading it all on his ex-boyfriend." He paused, licking his lips, his eyes on the window to his left. "I don't know the ins and outs of it, just that he phoned Gerard from the edge of a bridge about a month after he moved to New York,and then he went to collect the guy and bring him here. He's been here since. It doesn't look like he's ever going to leave."

My jaw clenched. "What, so no matter what Gerard and I are doing - even if it's baking a cake or fucking each other through the mattress - he's just going to be in the next room?"

He nodded. "Looks like it." He leaned his elbow on the arm of the couch and rested the side of his head in his hand. "Don't forget, Frank, Bert's very manipulative. He knows just how to get what he wants. I'm not saying that he's not really feeling that way - even if he is attention-seeking, I'm not gonna accuse him of it - but I think he's using the way he feels to wrap Gerard around his finger."

"Are you trying to plant doubts into my mind?" I said, and an edge I couldn't help rose to my voice. "Because Mr Manipulative has already done that."

"No, I'm not. Not at all. You know I prefer you to him. I taught you music for a few months, dude - I definitely think you're better for Gerard than Mr Manipulative." He licked his lips. "I'm just saying that Bert needs to go to a proper clinic. He needs proper help. He can't keep latching onto Gerard."

"Because Gerard might start to feel that way too?" He nodded, and I chewed at my lower lip. "I can't suggest something like that. Gerard will just think I'm being stupid. He'll think I want Bert out of here - which I do."

"He did say just now that Bert should go back home."

"Oh yeah, like that's gonna happen - did you see how fast he shot up when that asshole walked in?" Mikey's lips curved in a faint smirk. "I sound like a whiny jealous boyfriend, don't I?"

"Just a little."

I groaned. "Fuck." I ran a hand through my hair. "What should I do?"

"The only thing you can do; wait it out, and intervene if you have to."

~

I glanced up as the bedroom door opened, and Gerard stepped in. I hadn't seen him for the rest of the afternoon, not since Bert came along, and it was making me uneasy. Really uneasy.

It was nearing midnight, Mikey had left several hours ago, and I was tired. I just wanted to sleep beside my boyfriend, and have his warm and squishy (in the best way) body beside me. But from the look on his face, I knew it wasn't to be.

"Listen, Frank..." He said slowly, rubbing the side of his nose. "I...I need to stay in Bert's room tonight. He needs me. He's really upset and -"

"I'm sorry, what?" I blurted, hurt and angry and jealous.

"Frankie," he began, in his reasoning voice, but I cut him off.

"So you want me to sleep on my own? You want me, your boyfriend, to sleep on my own in your bed?"

"It's just for one night -"

"I had to sleep on my own for six months, that was bad enough."

He sighed. "Frankie -"

"Fine." I looked down at the duvet, defeated within seconds. "Do whatever. I'll see you in the morning."

I heard him come closer, and he placed a kiss on my forehead. "I love you." He said quietly, and when I didn't say it back, he exhaled and left the room.

"I love you too." I mumbled to myself, closing my eyes.

They watered, and I heard the slow plip of tears falling onto the duvet. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. Sleep had been so difficult to hold onto for the past few days, and it was making me restless and grumpy.

I wasn't wrong to be jealous and upset, was I? My boyfriend was ditching me to lie with his ex, and it hurt. I'd barely seen Gerard since early this afternoon; it wasn't fair.

Knowing that sleep would be near-enough impossible, I climbed off the bed and wandered downstairs, into the kitchen. I didn't bother turning the light on. I just grabbed a glass, filled it with water, and sat at the table.

If there was an emotion I hated most, it would have to be loneliness. Depression, I could cope with. Anger, well, I knew how to deal with that. Even sadness was something I could live with. But loneliness hurt, loneliness ached, loneliness was crushing. To me it was, anyway.

My father once said that you don't have to be alone to be lonely, and you don't have to be lonely when you're alone. Something like that, anyway. And it was true.

I was both.

There was a scrap of paper and a pen on the table, in front of the seat beside mine, discarded as if the owner had left the table in a hurry. I picked both up and turned the paper over, my eyes widening at what I saw.

A perfect drawing of me was there, and in it I was wearing the suit I wore to the winter dance, with a rose in my hand. I wasn't even looking towards the drawer; my eyes were fixed off into the distance. I was standing - at least I think I was; only the top half of my body had been drawn - with my free hand in my pocket, a faint smile at my lips. There was even a scorpion tattoo on the right-hand side of my neck.

I raised a hand and touched the real tattoo, my eyes falling on the signature and the words scrawled beneath the drawing. It was signed 'xoxoG', which clearly indicated that Gerard had drawn it - and who else? I didn't know many others that could draw so well. Underneath that, was:

'You are my moon, my stars, and my sun. Everything I do is for you. No matter what happens between us, you are the reason my heart beats. I love you so much, Frank Iero.'

I closed my eyes and put my face in my hands, feeling tears pooling on my palms. Gerard was so sweet sometimes, and it always hurt my heart when he was - Bert was right. Gerard deserved better than me.

~

"Frankie?"

My eyes slowly opened, and I raised my head, hissing at the cramp in my neck. Gerard was stood beside me, holding a mug in his hands. His hair was messy, showing that he'd just woken up, and it was light outside, which meant that I'd been asleep for -

Oh no. I'd actually fallen asleep.

"What are you doing down here?" He asked softly, placing a hand on the back of my neck and massaging the skin. "I thought you were in bed."

I leaned into him as he rubbed my neck, smelling old cigarettes and his washing powder. "Couldn't sleep."

"You were asleep down here, though."

"Apparently so." I rubbed my eyes with one hand, feeling dried tears and sleep dust. "What time is it?"

"Just after six." He kissed the top of my head and I smiled sleepily. "I was gonna make a coffee and get into our bed." Instead of heading over to the kettle, he sat beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "I see you found my drawing."

I felt myself blush, leaning my head against his shoulder. "It's amazing. It made me cry a little - but I'm not sure whether that was because I was already upset or not."

He paused, exhaling heavily. "Listen, babe -"

"It's okay." I shrugged. "He needed you."

There was silence for a few minutes, and then I raised my head, rubbing my eyes with both hands. He took the opportunity to bury his face in my neck, and seconds later, he was biting and sucking at my skin. I let out a soft moan, especially when his hand drifted towards my thigh, squeezing it gently.

I was too tired to protest, and even then I probably wouldn't have, because it was Gerard. My eyes closed, and I leaned against him as he kissed my neck, suddenly reminded of that time when he gave me a handjob while the principal was stood metres away. I had to admit, that was amazing.

"Oh - sorry guys." Bert's voice said, and I sighed as Gerard's lips left my neck. But his hand didn't leave my thigh - in fact, it moved higher, palming me through my pajama pants.

"It's okay." Gerard yawned. "Make yourself a coffee if you want."

He nodded slowly, wandering over to the kettle and switching it on. "Want one, Gee?" He spoke his back to us, and for that I was glad.

"Yeah, please." My boyfriend pushed the coffee mug across the table, and Bert grabbed it, not looking properly.

"Frank?"

"No, thanks." I replied, trying - and failing - to bat Gerard's hand away as it slipped beneath my pants. "Stop it." I hissed to him, and he just batted his eyelashes innocently.

His hand curled around me and my eyes closed once more, my teeth sinking into my lower lip. And then, just as I was about to moan, he removed his hand, taking the coffee that Bert offered him.

I shot him a death glare, now successfully hard and determined to kill him. Or at least prevent him from having any sort of sexual activity for the next month.

Bert sat opposite Gerard, and I stared straight ahead, breathing heavily through my nose. "Frank, are you okay?" He asked, and I blinked, glancing over at him.

For the first time I noticed how worn he seemed. His hair was lank and greasy, and there were bags under his eyes. His skin was pale and his lips were chapped. He looked, well...depressed.

I felt almost sorry for him.

"Yeah." I scratched my chin, and then paused. "Do you have any idea how to write a best man's speech? I tried asking this asshole -" I jerked a thumb towards Gerard. "- but all he does is drool over my handwriting and distract me."

Bert slowly lowered his mug, clasping it in both his hands. "Oh yeah, your friends are getting married next week, aren't they?" I nodded, and he licked his lips. "Well...I haven't written one before, but I can help, if - if you want."

"Yeah. Just a sec." I went upstairs, grabbed the sheet of paper I was using for my speech, and made my way back downstairs. Bert and Gerard were sharing confused glances, which grew even more so when I sat beside Bert. "That's what I have so far."

I handed him the paper, not entirely sure why I was being civil and actually okay with him, especially after what he'd said. But if it was going to reduce the chance of arguments happening between Gerard and I, I guessed it would have to happen. How long it would last for, I didn't know - but whatever.

That, and the more people that could help me with this damned speech, the better.

"Oh, Gerard?" I said, and he looked up from whatever he'd been sketching.

"Yes, babe?"

"Are you busy tonight?"

He tapped the pen against his chin, thinking. "No, why?"

I smiled. "Do you wanna go out tonight?"

His mouth formed a smile of its own, and he nodded. "Sure! Any ideas?"

I simply winked and turned to Bert, who'd finished reading what I had so far. "It's good." He said, and he sounded genuine. "Take the piss a bit more, though."

"More than I already have?" He nodded, and I pulled a 'do I have to?' face. "But it's Ryan - I can't take the piss out of Ryan."

"Yes, you can. I'm sure Brendon would help you." Gerard grinned, going back to his drawing.

"Brendon's not meant to know what I'm writing, idiot."

"Well if I'm not needed, I'm going to shower." He stood up, and with a flourish, he left the room.

I just blinked, momentarily stunned, before shaking my head a little. Being alone in a room with a man whose guts I hate wasn't part of the plan, but whatever. I could deal with it.

"Listen, Frank, about the other day -" Bert began, but I cut him off with a wave of my hand.

"Don't worry about it. Seriously." I faced him and smiled. "Who knows? You might even be right."

He scoffed. "I was an asshole, and we both know it. I was wrong. And I'm sorry. You and Gerard are, well, perfect for each other." He looked down at the speech, handing me a pen. "So yeah, like, sentimental stuff, then take the piss - out of both of them - and then be sentimental again."

"For someone who's never written one of these before, you sure know a lot about them."

He shrugged. "I've watched too many rom-coms. And too much daytime TV. In the unlikely event that I become someone's best man, I like to think I'm prepared."

He smiled, and I found myself laughing. I wasn't about to give him a chance - not in the slightest - but maybe I could live with him around...at least for a little while.

I wrote a few more sentences, and heard my phone ringing upstairs. "I'll be back." I said to Bert, standing up and practically running up the stairs.

On my way to the bedroom, the bathroom door opened and out stepped Gerard. The bastard was boldly naked, water dripping down his body, his hair pushed back from his face. I stared at him in shocked silence, barely able to breathe and completely unable to speak. It was impossible to keep my eyes on his face, and he grinned, knowing I was enjoying the view.

Suddenly I came to my senses, pushing him back into the bathroom with one hand and closing the door behind us with the other. "You're an asshole." I hissed, as he pushed me against the closed door. "You're a teasing asshole."

He pressed his body against mine, his mouth against my neck. "And you love me."

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Hey folks! Sorry the update is kinda late, I've just been struggling with random shit these past couple of days, but I think I'm okay now :) it's shit, but whatever xD I'll try not to leave so long between updates again, but I can't promise - especially next week, I actually have shit to do next week xD

I posted the synopsis of the Ryden fic I'm gonna attempt, so check that out if you haven't already :)

If I were to organise some sort of Q&A, would you guys ask me stuff? Like, anything?

I don't think there's anything else...

Thanks Pete,

-xocharr <3