When Gerard offered to show Frank around the house he agreed almost excitedly. He hated himself for acting this way but he couldn't help it. Gerard was nice to him and caring and he didn't seem like he wanted to har Frank at all. Or maybe that was just Frank's mind playing tricks on him, trying to make the situation seem less terrible.

The first room Gerard took him to was Frank's own. It was simple, a bit larger than his real room it was painted a pretty sky blue color.
The bed was queen sized and looked warm and inviting after the day Frank had.

"How do you like it? I know it's plain right now but when we eventually go shopping you can add on to it." Gerard said. He prayed that Frank liked what he had done for him. Frank being happy was all that mattered right now.

"Yeah- Yeah I like it." Frank nodded.

Gerard smiled, watching was boy wander his new room absentmindedly admiring how pretty he looked when he wasn't thinking.

Suddenly Frank looked up at nothing in particular with a curious expression before turning to Gerard.

"When we go shopping, for my stuff, I'm coming to?" He asked. Surprisingly Frank wasn't thinking about escaping right then.

"How else would I know what to buy for you?" Gerard asked.

"Oh. . . Okay." Frank felt more hope for escaping.

Gerard nodded and watched as Frank looked at his surroundings. "Do you have anything that you want off the top of your head?"

Frank shook his head, "I wasn't really expecting my captor to be so generous."

Gerard cringed at Frank's wording. The last thing he wanted to be in Frank's eyes was some kidnapper. It would be harder to manipulate the boy if he was already making him out to be the enemy.

"Don't call me "your captor," Frank, you're going to be happy here." Gerard stated firmly.

Frank looked surprised at first but soon his expression turned understanding.

"I'm sorry, Gee." He apologized.

Gerard had no idea whether Frank was actually submitting to him or just playing along at that point and honestly Frank wasn't too sure either.

•••

The rest of the house was just as nice and there was no blood-stained basement that Gerard used to torture people so Frank felt a little safer.

The house didn't seem to have any iron doors or heavy duty locks to keep him in. It's almost like Gerard just expected him not to leave on his own. Frank couldn't decipher whether Gerard was stupid or insanely smart for that.

Gerard let him roam the house getting familiar with it while he made dinner. He assured Frank that his plate would be vegetarian when he saw the worried look on the boys face. Frank couldn't stop himself from smiling at the small detail. The fact that someone other than his mother took his needs into consideration was fucking up his sense of logic.

Frank found himself in Gerard's room after a while looking through the man's closet and personal belongings that were definitely none of his business. Still he found it impossible to discover anything creepy about the man other than his delusions. Frank raked his fingers over the deep blue bed sheets, soft and untidy. He imagined Gerard sleeping peacefully between the sheets, how lovely his gorgeous features would look at rest.

As he lazily looked around the room something caught his eye. He walked over to Gerard's desk noticing the closed laptop next to the tablet. Frank knew that it was a complete invasion of privacy but he couldn't help but let his curiosity get the better of him. He swiftly picked the book up, like someone would take it from him if he moved to slowly, and ran his fingers down the cold, spiraled spine. The book seemed old and worn, the damaged edges and faded colors on the cover made it's age apparent. Frank took a look over his shoulder to the door, making sure that Gerard was still busy in the kitchen, before peeling the cover back and exposing the random page.

Frank nearly gasped at the site. Gerard was truly talented. The characters, all seemingly original were incredibly detailed and yet still cartoonish and simplistic. He smiled softly to himself as he went through page after page of the comic-like illustrations and other random figures and designs. Among all of the characters there were sketches of real people too. The skill that Gerard obtained made Frank jealous in a way. He wasn't good at anything. There was nothing special that came off the top of his head about him. . . nothing positive at least.

He had only gone though four pages before Gerard was calling, alerting him that his food was ready. He jumped at the sound of his voice and quickly sat the book down in its place.

"Frank?" Gerard called again when there was no response from the boy.

"Sorry," Frank replied this time, "I was just looking around." He hoped that the guilt he was feeling didn't seep through into his voice. He had no idea how Gerard would react to his plundering.

Gerard Grinned, turning to grab another Capri-sun from the fridge. "Thats nice, I want you to become as familiar with our house as possible as quickly as possible."

Frank felt nauseous.

"I hope you like it, i'm not a professional at vegetarian food so a stir fry was the best I could come up with." Gerard said.

Frank nodded understandingly, he knew that he was difficult and the food looked more than edible.

"If you don't like it I can go out and get you whatever you'd like, I just didn't want to leave you alone." Gerard said. He spoke with no kind of attitude or falseness, like he'd get up right then to go get Frank something else if he asked with no question.

Frank smiled a bit, not trusting himself to open his mouth and say anything without regretting it seconds later.

•••

Frank was going to die.

Not because of actual physical harm to himself or fear of Gerard doing anything, but from the lack of human contact. It hasn't been long at all but i felt like a lifetime.

He didn't have his mom there to hug him and kiss his forehead or his best friend to talk to when he was anxious.

It wasn't like he was alone in the house. Gerard was almost always home except for when he was at work and that never lasted longer than an hour or three since he worked from home. Gerard was nice and calm and respectful towards Frank at all times, never touching him or anything in his room without permission. With that said, it was obvious that Gerard wouldn't show him any signs of physical affection without being asked to either. For a normal person, that would be amazing, but not for Frank.

He thrived from the touch and care of others
because he was a needy bitch but no one needed to know that, especially not the man who kidnapped him.

A week felt a lot longer when you were forcing yourself to avoid the only person who existed in your life.

"Frank," Gerard said, turning the volume of the TV down. They were watching some low budget romance film that Frank picked out because it seemed the least stressful

"Hm?"

"I-" Gerard chuckled hopelessly, "I don't bite you know?"

Frank nodded. "I know."

"So, you can be closer. If you want to be closer." He said softly. "You can talk to me if you're sad or happy, or I don't want you to feel lonely or anything." Gerard said.

Frank didn't know how to answer him. He was lonely, terrifyingly so.

"Okay."

•••

As the days passed Frank got more and more scared But not of Gerard, never of Gerard, but himself instead. He needed his meds and his therapist. He complained when they were accessible but now here he was on the brink of tears as he stresses about the pill bottles near his bed.

He wondered if they were still there. in the same place that he left them time that he took them. he wondered if his mother had cleaned his room out of stress or whether she'd left it alone in hopes that he will be back. would he be back?

He sat on the comfortable bed that didn't belong to him and clothes that his mother didn't buy curled in a ball of self pity and fear. He needed to tell Gerard. If he didn't something bad could happen. . . something bad would happen. his paranoia was starting to keep him up at night. he was constantly waiting for something to happen for someone to try and hurt him. He knew that nothing was there to hurt him deep down, that everything he feared was all in his head but it was hard to convince yourself that you could make entire fears on your own.

when he got like this at home he would just go to his mamas room he curled up by her unconscious body because he was protected when others were around. Now he slept alone every single night. He didn't notice that he was crying until he could taste the saltiness on his lips. He wiped his face with the back of his wrist and pull the covers over his legs. The room was pitch black The only thing illuminating was the moon through his window. The thin white curtains created abstract patterns the shifted every once in a while due to his fan.

He hated when it was dark, it was basically field day for his imagination. Figures appeared and disappeared leaving him terrified every few minutes as soon as his heart slow down he would imagine something else and the cycle continued. this was nothing though, he could handle this perfectly. Being afraid was something that even children could get over.

It was the sounds that he dreaded. He couldn't handle them.

Frustrated an unbelievably tired Frank lied down, looking up at the ceiling. He wondered how Gerard would react when he told him. Would be be mad? No never, Gerard wouldn't get angry at him for something he can't control. Gerard cared about him and wanted him to be happy. He'd figure it out.

With that thought, Frank drifted off. He was too tired to be disappointed in his dependence on Gerard. The thought of the mad was too comforting.

•••

The next morning Frank didn't wake up at his usual time due to his terrible night. When he did wake up, it was to Gerard with a tray of food.

"I made you breakfast in bed so you wouldn't have to get up completely." He said setting the tray at his lap.

"Thank you." Frank replied.

Gerard nodded, "Did you not sleep well?" He asked casually as he set everything up in Frank's lap.

Frank chewed on his lip, debating on his answer.

He shook his head instead of giving Gerard a verbal answer but that wasn't rare at all. Gerard made a face of pity and brought over a glass of juice to the tray last.

"You can rest a bit more after you eat if you'd like to but I've got to go to the grocery store soon."

Before Frank could stop himself or think properly his mouth was moving,

"I want to come."

Gerard was just as surprised as he was, after Frank's mood recently he would never had thought that Frank would want to go out in public with him alone.

"Can I come please?" He asked when Gerard didn't answer right away. He didn't care if he sounded desperate, Gerard wouldn't judge him for it.

Gerard was suddenly cupping his face gently with an unreadable expression. Frank assumed he was considering thoroughly, he didn't blame him. He leaned into Gerard's touch as he awaited an answer.

So pliant that it was disgusting,

In Gerard's head, his thoughts were racing. A few weeks ago he wouldn't have even considered letting Frank out of the house this soon but now with Frank in front of him, looking as sweet and innocent as a new born, he was definitely becoming persuaded to make the obviously reckless decision.

He knew the risk. The risk of Frank running away from his screaming bloody murder about being kidnaped while the neighbors stared in horror. He could hear the blaring sirens as the police came to take him away from his love. He wouldn't survive in prison. Not without Frank around to keep him breathing and sane.

"Gerard." Frank's angel's song of a voice called to him.

Frank was no longer sitting on the bed in front of him, instead the boy was seated on the floor in front of his legs. The boy knelt with the tip of his chin just barely touching Gerard's knee. When Gerard returned back to reality from him trance of terrifying thoughts he made eye contact once again with his boy. He would never get tired of seeing his boy's eyes up close. Gorgeous and bright even after all that he went through his eyes were still bright with innocence and hope.

Hope for his escape.

Gerard's heart burned with intense feelings of anger at the thought. He'd never been a rage filled person but for Frank he was sure he could be anything.

The boy has placed his cheek at his knee now, taking advantage of his slightly parted thighs to inch his way between them discreetly. His warm cheek caused shivers to run up and down Gerard's spine and while he did his best to keep his feelings concealed the glimmer of mischief in those puppy-dog-eyes Frank was showing him told him that Frank knew exactly what effect he had on the older man.

Gerard hand slithered slowly to his boy's soft hair gently running through the chocolate colored strands and detangling the few knots as he went.

"How bad do you want to go?" The question had no reasoning behind it, he swore that his lips were moving even before his thought was complete.

Frank still seemed un-phased, "So bad, Gee." He said softly, "I'll do anything, I just need to get out of the house for a bit please?"

He begged. It should've shamed Gerard to know that a few seductive words could sway him so easily but it didn't, not at all.

"I don't need to be bribed." Gerard stated, his hand never pausing from it's simple movements on his boy's head.

Frank obviously tensed, waiting on Gerard to follow up on his statement.

This was how it should be, Gerard thought. A balance of comfort, but never the confidence to feel like he was the one in power.

"I suppose I'll bring you along, get dressed." He said. A little smile spread across Frank's lips.

He left the room so that his boy could get changed out of the oversized shirt and shorts that he seemed to wear every night.

Walking towards his room he tried his hardest not to rethink his decision. He made the right choice. He always did make the right choices, if not then how would his beloved boy be with him in the first place. Self doubt was a terribly damaging weakness.

He reminded himself over and over as he dressed that he wouldn't let anything go wrong. He couldn't bare the thought of losing his boy after just obtaining him.

•••

it's been 8 months oh god

thanks to everyone who's still reading and waiting on updates, i promise the next one has already been started and wont take nearly as long as this one did

votes and comments are greatly appreciated

-serrae ❥