Frank stares, feeling tired and brittle and just… weird. When Gerard finally pries himself off the other Frank he turns to gesture at Frank and say, "So Frank, this is Frank."
"Holy shit," the other Frank says, getting up in Frank's face, staring at him unabashedly. Frank gets it though, he does. It's like looking in a mirror, but not, because this other Frank isn't doing what he should be. It's more like looking at your face in those video camera displays where you can watch yourself back on a monitor, you go left and it goes right and you just can't figure out how to put yourself in frame. He can't predict this guy like he can his own reflection.
It's a shock when the other Frank hugs him. Frank stiffens up before he can stop himself, before he can reprogram his body into 'touches are good' mode. He's not on his game tonight, it's been too strange.
"Wow. Wow!" the other Frank says, pulling back and running his eyes all over Frank. "Holy shit, this is incredible. It's like having a twin." He grabs at Frank's hands, pulling off his own fingerless gloves and lining up their fingers. This other Frank has "HALLOWEEN" written across his knuckles where Frank's are bare. He's got more ink running up his arms too. His hair is longer than Frank's, but only by a little and shorn off at the sides where Frank's is all one shaggy length. The other Frank runs a hand through Frank's hair, ruffling it. It's weird, because it's not like Frank doesn't get touched pretty much every night by strangers, but the way this Frank touches him, without any expectation of more, just with a casual care like a brother would, it fucks with Frank's heartbeat a little.
He's never had so many people hug him in one night without it being part of a sexual demand. He doesn't know what to do with it. He fucking likes it, and he can't afford that. Can't afford any of this.
Mikey comes up behind the other Frank and winds his arms around him, resting his chin on the other Frank's shoulder. Gerard's clinging a little to the other Frank's hand like now he's back he doesn't want to let go. Frank doesn't want to look but can't bring himself to look away. It's so fucking obvious what this guy means to them, how relieved they are that he's back.
He wants to say he should go now. He's not needed here anymore, they've got the real deal back, he should head off. It would be the sensible move, for sure.
Frank says, "You'll stay right? I have so many questions but I'm dead on my feet, at least hang around til morning so I can ask them?"
Frank opens his mouth to say no, but the others talk over him, Brian says they're all tired and they should just fucking sleep and Gerard says they need to figure it out when they're clearer-headed. Fatigue hits Frank like a freight train and even though his Sensible Pro voice is telling him to get the fuck out, his instincts are screaming that this is okay.
In the end he doesn't say yes out loud, he just lets the other Frank drag him to the bunks and put him in one, pulling off his shoes and tossing them somewhere. Frank wriggles out of his belt so it doesn't stick him and curls onto his side, already feeling the exhaustion tug at his consciousness. He's tired enough that he doesn't even react when a warm body presses in behind him, an arm thrown across his chest. Frank squints down at the "HALLOWEEN" tattoos on the other Frank's knuckles, the shapes blurry and soft in the dark.
The other Frank falls asleep first, his breaths floating warm and steady down the back of Frank's t-shirt. Frank slides his fingers between the other Frank's and holds on, feeling the warm body behind him, the arm around him.
no subject
Frank stares, feeling tired and brittle and just… weird. When Gerard finally pries himself off the other Frank he turns to gesture at Frank and say, "So Frank, this is Frank."
"Holy shit," the other Frank says, getting up in Frank's face, staring at him unabashedly. Frank gets it though, he does. It's like looking in a mirror, but not, because this other Frank isn't doing what he should be. It's more like looking at your face in those video camera displays where you can watch yourself back on a monitor, you go left and it goes right and you just can't figure out how to put yourself in frame. He can't predict this guy like he can his own reflection.
It's a shock when the other Frank hugs him. Frank stiffens up before he can stop himself, before he can reprogram his body into 'touches are good' mode. He's not on his game tonight, it's been too strange.
"Wow. Wow!" the other Frank says, pulling back and running his eyes all over Frank. "Holy shit, this is incredible. It's like having a twin." He grabs at Frank's hands, pulling off his own fingerless gloves and lining up their fingers. This other Frank has "HALLOWEEN" written across his knuckles where Frank's are bare. He's got more ink running up his arms too. His hair is longer than Frank's, but only by a little and shorn off at the sides where Frank's is all one shaggy length. The other Frank runs a hand through Frank's hair, ruffling it. It's weird, because it's not like Frank doesn't get touched pretty much every night by strangers, but the way this Frank touches him, without any expectation of more, just with a casual care like a brother would, it fucks with Frank's heartbeat a little.
He's never had so many people hug him in one night without it being part of a sexual demand. He doesn't know what to do with it. He fucking likes it, and he can't afford that. Can't afford any of this.
Mikey comes up behind the other Frank and winds his arms around him, resting his chin on the other Frank's shoulder. Gerard's clinging a little to the other Frank's hand like now he's back he doesn't want to let go. Frank doesn't want to look but can't bring himself to look away. It's so fucking obvious what this guy means to them, how relieved they are that he's back.
He wants to say he should go now. He's not needed here anymore, they've got the real deal back, he should head off. It would be the sensible move, for sure.
Frank says, "You'll stay right? I have so many questions but I'm dead on my feet, at least hang around til morning so I can ask them?"
Frank opens his mouth to say no, but the others talk over him, Brian says they're all tired and they should just fucking sleep and Gerard says they need to figure it out when they're clearer-headed. Fatigue hits Frank like a freight train and even though his Sensible Pro voice is telling him to get the fuck out, his instincts are screaming that this is okay.
In the end he doesn't say yes out loud, he just lets the other Frank drag him to the bunks and put him in one, pulling off his shoes and tossing them somewhere. Frank wriggles out of his belt so it doesn't stick him and curls onto his side, already feeling the exhaustion tug at his consciousness. He's tired enough that he doesn't even react when a warm body presses in behind him, an arm thrown across his chest. Frank squints down at the "HALLOWEEN" tattoos on the other Frank's knuckles, the shapes blurry and soft in the dark.
The other Frank falls asleep first, his breaths floating warm and steady down the back of Frank's t-shirt. Frank slides his fingers between the other Frank's and holds on, feeling the warm body behind him, the arm around him.
He stays awake as long as he can.
*
~end