Chapter Text
It was a cool summer night in New Jersey, contrasting with the last few days, which had been intensely hot. All the children were in the streets, laughing, playing and having fun with that innocent joy that only a young person has, enjoying the holidays that, unfortunately, were almost already over. At the time, what was most successful were the arcades, full of the most varied video games so that everyone had the chance to enjoy a little of that world of magic. It was the law for everyone, especially the boys, to get together whenever they could and spend hours playing all possible games and eating junk food.
Among these children, there was a group of four friends, known for being the "nerds" of the neighborhood. They were those students who were made into punching bags by school bullies and who lived with their heads stuck in disgusting bathroom toilets. They couldn't escape it even on vacation, since Belleville was a small town and everyone knew everyone there. Many of their attackers were also their neighbors, so the beatings ended up becoming much more frequent.
Even with the bullying, the four remained firm, supporting each other to become stronger together. They were different, but each one completed each other in that strange little group. Ray Toro, for example, was the heart, the feelings, the love. He was the glue that held everyone together, the "mother" who ended fights and gave advice; Mikey Way was the brain, the one who looked from the rational side and left everyone’s feet on the ground; Frank Iero was the heart, the impulsive one, the one who acted on instincts, the one who made the group take risks and live life to the fullest; and Gerard Way was the leader, the one who pulled everyone's ear when he needed to, but encouraged the group, dictated the direction they should follow and listened to everyone's opinion. He was the creative brain, that child who lived with his head in the clouds and wanted to make everyone around him fly too.
That summer, the four were more united than ever, and it was no wonder. When a child turns eleven they feel much older, and Gerard and Ray believed they were more mature. Mikey and Frank were younger, both ten years old, but they felt just as adults. However, of course, the fun would not end there. And so, the four of them were on their bikes that early evening, pedaling their way back from the arcade where they spent the entire afternoon.
“We should throw eggs at the Smith brothers' house,” Frank commented, raising his voice so that the others could hear even with the wind in their ears, caused by the fast pedaling of the bicycles.
“And why would we do that?” Mikey asked, slowing down to stand next to his friend.
“Because those idiots tried to hit us yesterday! Don't act stupid, Mikey, you remember it very well!”
“That's no reason to vandalize their house, Frank.”
“I have to agree with Mikey,” Ray stated, stopping the bike at the same time as the others to speak better.” You can’t fight fire with fire.”
“Even more so when the ‘fire’ of those guys is much bigger than ours,” Mikey added with a grimace.
“You’re so not funny,” Frank rolled his eyes and looked at Gerard, who was absently watching the sky while the others argued. “Gee, can you help me here?”
“Yes, yes,” Gerard said, not really paying attention to his friend’s words. “Have you noticed how starry the sky is today? It would be a great day to hunt aliens.”
Gerard was the strangest of the four, in Frank's opinion. He was addicted to astronomy, space and the conspiracy theories surrounding it. For Iero, that obsession only existed because the boy was a fan of Star Wars, but whatever the motivation was, he was passionate about the subject. He tried to build devices to detect UFOs and read several books about distant planets that could support life. And no matter how much he was teased by his own friends, no matter how much they doubted him and his theories, Gerard still believed that all of this was real. Deep down, Frank really appreciated that faith.
“I have to go home, actually,” said Ray, letting out a sigh. “My mother will kill me if I stay out late again.”
“I'm going with Ray. I want to go home, too. Better than being arrested for depredation orthunting non-existent aliens out there,” Mikey said, looking at the other two, who hadn't yet decided what they were going to do. “What about you guys?”
“I'm feeling in my veins that I'm going to see an alien today. I won't miss this opportunity!” Gerard exclaimed, firm.
“And you, Frank?” Ray asked, attracting everyone's attention to his friend.
The decision wasn't difficult to make: either he would go home and do nothing, or he would have the perfect opportunity to be alone with Gerard. His heart tightened in his chest just thinking about it, and he couldn't deny that it was because of his crush on the eldest. It was his chance to have his first kiss, and it would be with the person he was in love with! What other opportunity would he have, if not that?!
“I'm going with Gee,” he finally replied, trying to contain the silly smile that was forming on his face. “If there really are any aliens, I better be there to protect the princess here.”
“Don’t call me princess!” Gerard exclaimed, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment. Turning his gaze to his younger brother, Mikey, he started talking again, “Mikey, tell mom that I'll be home later today, okay?
“Leave it to me. And be careful, you two. This forest has some dangerous animals!” Mikey gave his brother and Frank a hug, saying goodbye to them both as he pedaled away with Ray.
“Try not to get lost, Hansel and Gretel!” Ray shouted at them and laughed, followed by Mikey.
“For the record, I would be Hansel,” Frank said after a few seconds of silence, receiving a slap on the shoulder in response. “Ouch! Jerk!”
“Whoever arrives last will marry a nun!” Gerard exclaimed, pedaling as fast as he could and being followed by Frank, who spoke a series of curses about how unfair it was and how he was at a disadvantage.
Their laughter echoed through the calm neighborhood, leaving a childish joy in the air. Night had already fallen, but for these energetic young boys, it was just beginning.
★
It only took five minutes to arrive at the entrance to the Belleville forest. Frank and Gerard got off their bikes and leaned against one of the first trees in the place, both of them panting from the ride they had made there, but still laughing with extreme joy.
“Gerard is going to marry a nun! Gerard is going to marry a nun!” Frank hummed, laughing at his friend's eye roll and tantrum.
“Shut up! That was luck! On the way home I'll beat you,” Gerard grumbled, sighing and turning towards the dark forest in front of him. “We better go now.”
“You brought a flashlight, didn’t you?”
“Oh, not only did I bring a flashlight, as I also brought this!" Gerard smiled and took what Frank realized was a damaged walkie-talkie from his backpack, showing the object proudly to his friend.
“A broken walkie-talkie?” Frank asked, raising his eyebrows.
“It's not a walkie-talkie!” exclaimed the oldest, irritated. “It’s an alien finder!”
Frank grunted thoughtfully and approached the device, shaking his head as he concluded something. He turned to his friend and said, “Yep. It's definitely a broken walkie-talkie.”
“Oh, come on!”
Realizing he was upsetting the other, Frank smiled as a way of comforting him. He took his arm affectionately and patted it in a silent apology.
“Hey, it's just a joke, Gee. I know it's not a walkie-talkie.”
“Okay, okay…” Gerard sighed in response, turning on both the improvised alien locator and the flashlight and turning towards the woods again. “Let's go now. I don't want to waste any more time here.”
The two friends entered the forest carefully, looking at the ground so as not to trip over something and hurt themselves. As they followed the trail, the darkness grew, swallowing them almost entirely, save for the light of the flashlight Gerard carried. It was then that Frank thought that maybe it would have been better if he had stayed at home, because he was very afraid of the dark, and it wouldn't be romantic at all to pee his pants in front of the person he liked.
“Everything okay there?” Gerard asked, stopping for a moment to look at his friend, who was following right behind him.
Unable to speak because of fear, Frank nodded silently, hoping that Gerard would believe his lie. However, he knew the younger one well enough to know when he was lying, and more: what he was afraid of. Soon, he let out a sigh, scolding himself for having forgotten how terrified his friend was of the dark.
“Hey, Frankie, if you want, we can go back... I know you don't like the dark…”
“N-no!” Frank exclaimed in despair. He didn't want to look like a wimp around Gerard. He wanted to impress him and give the impression that he would protect him, and giving up was no way to show that. “I'm okay, I promise. We can continue.”
“I know when you're lying, Frank. And I also know that you are scared to death of the dark.” Gerard approached his friend and stroked his cheek affectionately, feeling his skin heat up under his hand, as the younger man blushed at the unexpected contact. “Look, there’s nothing here, okay? Just a few insects, rabbits... At most fruit bats! Nothing will happen to you. I won't let it happen.”
“Don’t treat me like I need someone to protect me. I can defend myself very well,” Frank muttered in a bad mood, a grumpy pout forming in his mouth in the middle of the process.
“You're the one who thinks you're Superman. Everyone needs help sometimes. Our friendship is like this, Frank: I protect you, and you protect me too. I thought you knew that!”
“And I know…” Frank remained silent for a few seconds, until he sighed heavily and looked back at his friend. “Okay, I'm fine. No problem, really. We can continue.”
“Okay, but if you want to stop, just tell me and we’ll be right back.”
Frank nodded and felt Gerard remove his hand from his cheek, leaving the spot cold, and he missed his warm touch. He wanted to complain, but he knew it would be weird to ask his friend to put his hand there again, so he kept quiet. And what was his surprise when he felt the older boy’s hand intertwine with his, as he began to pull him through the woods?!
This was like heaven. Such a simple contact, which could be considered silly by others, was the greatest ecstasy Frank had felt in his ten years of life. Gee’s hand was warm, soft and at the same time full of calluses, probably from the time he spent drawing around. It fit perfectly into his, as if it were made to his mold, or vice versa. Frank wanted to stop right there and kiss the older boy, or at least comment on the contact, but nothing came out of his mouth. The kid was so scared and amazed that he couldn't say anything. So he just kept walking, feeling the comfort of their intertwined hands.
Some time passed until the two arrived at the base of a mountain, which they would climb to a higher place so they could get a good look at the night sky. They began to follow the trail, already so well known from all the times they had camped there, but a comfortable silence still reigned between them. There was a non-verbal agreement that it was better that way, and that each other's company was enough.
Finally, they arrived at a treeless place, high enough for them to see the entire forest below them, but not yet at the top of the mountain. They sat on the ground and looked up at the sky, expecting to see something they didn't quite know what it was. Then, Frank's attention was diverted to Gerard, who was looking up at the stars in pure awe. His eyes shone, his face was illuminated by the natural light of the moon, and the smile that framed his face was the most beautiful the younger had seen in his life. Unable to contain himself, he sighed loudly, attracting the gaze of his friend, who looked at him in confusion.
“What is it?”
“Nothing. It's just… You're very beautiful.” Frank didn't know where that had come from, but now that he had spoken, he felt a huge weight lifting off his back.
Gerard blushed at the compliment, looking up at the sky for a few seconds before returning it to Frank, watching him with care and affection.
“You are also very beautiful.”
“You think so?”
“I don’t think so. I am sure.”
After that, everything happened very quickly. Frank's instincts spoke louder than anything else, and, when he realized it, he had his lips pressed against Gerard's, in a simple kiss that lasted just a few seconds, but for both of them it seemed like hours. As quickly as he approached, the youngest moved away from his friend, his cheeks flushed and the realization of what he had done suddenly making him fear the worst.
“I-I'm sorry, I…”
Gerard interrupted his friend by intertwining their hands again and looking at him with the same tenderness he always did. Then, to Frank's surprise, he approached him and joined his lips to his again, in a longer kiss that carried the same innocence as the other. A little peck, just a kiss that awakened in them something they had never experienced before: love.
“There’s no need to apologize,” Gerard whispered as he leaned away from the younger, a light smile forming on his lips. “I’ve waited a long time for this. I don't want you to regret it.”
“Y-you…” Frank was surprised by that confession. He stuttered a few times before he managed to form a decent sentence. “I-I would never regret it. I've been waiting for this for a long time too. You know, I... I think I really like you, Gee.”
“You think?”
“Actually, no... I don't think so.” Frank smiled at the other, and added. “I’m sure I do.”
That was the happiest day of both of their lives. It was as if, suddenly, there was nothing but them there, in that peaceful and beautiful place, and a vast sky before them. The silence that ensued was comfortable, and there was no need to break it. One look was enough and they would understand what the other meant.
Suddenly, this silence was interrupted by a loud beep from Gerard's locator, which began to flash red, as if signaling something. The older boy widened his eyes and stood up, looking at the sky in search of something that Frank didn't know what it was.
“What is it?”
“The tracker is saying there's something nearby,” Gerard muttered, as if he didn't believe his own words. “This never happened before.”
“Isn’t it broken?” Frank asked, looking at the sky and seeing that there was nothing different there. “I don't see anything out of the ordinary.”
“Yeah... Maybe you're right…”
As soon as Gerard said that, an intense light illuminated the place. A wind strong enough to throw them both back took over the mountain, accompanied by white lighting that seemed to intensify with each second passed.
“What the hell is this?!” Frank exclaimed, trying to speak louder than the wind to be heard by his friend, who was a few meters in front of him.
“I don't know!” Gerard said back, just as loud, trying to get up with difficulty because of the wind. I'll go and see!”
“Wait, no!”
It was too late. Gerard didn't hear his friend and approached the light, which was right in front of their eyes. However, when he tried to touch it, everything went out, at the same time that the wind stopped completely. Silence returned for a few seconds, and the two friends were more confused than they were. And suddenly, everything came back with even more intensity, causing the oldest to be thrown to the ground with surprising force.
“Gerard!” Frank exclaimed, getting up and running as fast as he could to his friend, who was already trying to get up, confused by what had happened. “My God, are you okay?”
“Frank, get out of here,” Gerard said, strangely serious. “It's dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt.”
“Then come with me! It's dangerous for you too!”
“I'll be right there, but you need to go right now!”
“But…”
“Hurry up, Frank! Run!”
Even though he was hesitant, Frank did as he was asked, and hid behind the trees in the mountains. He saw Gerard stand up completely and look at the luminous thing, which now formed silhouettes inside it. And what couldn't get worse, it did: there were two things right there, and they were definitely not human.
Frank held back the horrified scream that wanted to come out of his throat as he looked at the creatures. They looked like some kind of monkey, with a white face and hair all around, like a lion's mane. They were wearing completely white clothes and had colorful weapons in their hands, which, despite looking like a toy, were very likely real.
The two beings looked at Gerard, but did nothing. They talked to each other in a strange language, ignoring the boy, who out of pure fear was unable to move. Frank thought that maybe, just maybe, they would leave without hurting anyone, and that maybe Gerard wasn't in danger. Then, one of them took a few steps forward and grabbed the boy by the wrist, lifting him with superhuman strength, as if the kid were as heavy as a bag of sugar.
Gerard screamed hysterically as he was dragged by the thing, until he was between them, with no chance of getting away. He looked at the place where he knew his friend was with a plea in his eyes that made Frank come back to reality and realize what was happening: if he didn't do anything, they would take the older boy away.
The light surrounded the animals again, this time with Gerard in the middle, who was now shouting Frank's name desperately. The youngest came out from where he was hiding and ran to his friend, seeing him floating in the air with the creatures, as if he were being pulled by a giant magnet.
“Gerard!” Frank shouted, grabbing his friend's hand as he tried to pull him out of the circle of light.
“Don’t let go of me, Frank!” Gerard pleaded in pure desperation. “Don’t let me go, please!”
Frank had never seen so much terror in someone's eyes as he had seen that night, in the eyes of the person he loved most in the world. At that moment, he knew that, no matter how much time passed, that image would be engraved in his memory forever, in a traumatic memory impossible to forget.
“I won't let you go, Gerard! I promise! Stay here with me! Please, stay!”
Without Frank noticing, one of the strange things took out the gun from its holster and pointed it in his direction, firing before he could move away. The impact was strong enough to take him to the edge of the viewpoint, close to a ravine that ended at the foot of the mountain. Strangely, he didn't feel a bullet, but rather a shock fill his body with too much intensity. However, that wasn't enough to black him out completely, and that's why he could hear Gerard's screams of despair as he called out to him, and then silence. The light was gone, and his friend had evaporated into thin air.
It was then that Frank lost consciousness, and his body tilted until he rolled down the embankment, only stopping when he collided with a tree. Then everything went black. But even though he passed out, the boy already knew that he had lost Gerard, perhaps forever.
★
Frank woke up confused, feeling intense pain throughout his body. He felt like he was moving and could hear people talking around him, but it took a while for him to fully regain consciousness and understand what was happening. He looked around and saw himself on a stretcher, being carried by four men, who stopped walking when they arrived at an ambulance, preparing to place him inside it.
“Gee…” Frank muttered, still groggy from having recently woken up. “Gerard…”
“He woke up!”
Soon, his mother, Linda, came into his view, her eyes swollen from a recent cry and a relieved smile on her face, and she hugged him tightly. As he was caught in his mother's grip, Frank remembered how he got there and what had happened, feeling his heart skip a beat as he remembered Gerard.
The horror in the eyes of his best friend and crush was a fresh memory, which left a feeling of longing taking over his body and despair hitting him.
Gerard had been taken.
“Gerard!” Frank shouted, breaking out of his mother's grip and looking around, looking for what he knew he wouldn't see. “Gerard! Where's Gerard?!”
“Calm down, sweetie! Calm Please!” Linda tried, in vain, to contain her son.
“They took Gerard! They took Gerard!”
“Who, Frankie?! Who took Gerard?”
Frank was shaking like a puppy, struggling to form a coherent sentence in the midst of his panic attack. His mind seemed to have combusted, and thoughts accumulated to the point that the boy no longer knew how to distinguish them correctly.
“Frank!” Linda exclaimed as she shook her son hard, extremely worried. “Who took Gerard?!”
“T-the aliens!” Frank shouted, becoming even more agitated for saying it out loud. “The aliens! They caught him, right in front of me! H-he disappeared, he evaporated! T-they shot me with a strange gun and… They took Gerard! The aliens took Gerard, I have to go get him! I have to save him!”
“Frank, calm down!”
“No! I need to get Gerard, I said I wouldn't leave him and I won't! Let me go, let me go!”
Frank struggled in the arms of the nurses, who shouted for one of them to get a sedative, which only served to make the boy even more desperate. He screamed and screamed, trying to free himself, but in vain. Soon, a needle entered his neck and sleep invaded him in a matter of seconds, making him feel heavy and his movements gradually decrease.
“Gerard…” Frank panted, feeling his eyes get heavy as sleep took over him. “I will find you… I won’t give up on you… I-I promise…”
And once again, Frank fell into unconsciousness. However, his promise remained: he would find Gerard, and bring him home. Even if it cost him dearly.
Between the person he loved most and his own life, the answer was obvious. And nothing in the world would make him think differently.