With Dripping Wings
reread part two.
*
A part of Gerard wasn’t sure if anything had changed.
He hadn’t seen Frank in a few days but he hadn’t gone looking either. In all reality, he had no idea where he would go looking for Frank if he wanted to. Where did demons hang out when they were on the surface? Maybe he was back in the underworld.
Ray didn’t mention anything about the way Gerard moped around the new releases, plucking out comics and spending all his days reading instead of doing anything else.
Gerard didn’t know what to do.
Frank had been right, he hated to admit it, but he was. Gerard missed him despite everything he told himself. Frank was a demon and couldn’t be trusted. Gerard still had no idea why Frank was even interested in him or on the surface. For all Frank’s questions about Gerard, he never answered those about himself.
But Gerard still missed his company even if it just meant someone to talk to.
Instead of looking for Frank, though, he stayed in the comic store, ignoring Ray’s questioning looks, and burying himself in a world of superheroes.
Mikey, for his part, didn’t say anything to Gerard, just handed him new comics when he ran out. Gerard didn’t really know what it meant.
He didn’t care, though, and he wondered with a jolt when he’d become so apathetic to the rest of the world.
The bell rang as the door opened and Gerard hardly looked up from where he was reading an old edition of Spiderman. Mikey was at the counter, fiddling with a pen and messing around on the internet.
It wasn’t until Gerard felt a tingle down his spine that he looked up, surprised to see Bob standing in the doorway to the shop. His body blocked the weak sunshine trying to push in and he glanced around. Gerard expected him to go talk to Mikey but was confused when he turned his direction instead.
“Gerard,” Bob greeted him as he strode over and picked at a row of comics. Gerard looked up from his place on an overturned crate, confused.
“Uh, hi,” he replied awkwardly, comic still open.
Bob riffled through the comics slowly, casting a singular sideways glance at Gerard until he sighed and turned to face him completely. Gerard peered around to make sure Mikey wasn’t watching them. He wasn’t - absorbed in the computer.
“Look, Gerard, I had a visit the other day - well, not a visit, but a conversation.” He looked displeased as though he didn’t want to be having those kinds of conversations. Gerard frowned slightly. Who would talk to Bob? Frank? His stomach twisted at the thought. Bob sighed. “I was minding my own business when this extremely hyper and talkative angel popped into my head like he’d been waiting for an invitation.”
“An angel?” Gerard stared. Who would do that? “What did they say?”
Maybe they knew. Gerard’s stomach dropped.
“He was mostly concerned with you and how you were doing. He said he wasn’t allowed to come talk to you himself. He seemed a little nervous that he’d get caught.” Bob rolled his eyes and sighed at Gerard. “You should tell your angel friends that I’m not a messenger.”
“I can’t,” Gerard said helplessly. “I can’t talk to them. It’s forbidden.”
Bob paused, eyeing him carefully and Gerard shifted nervously under his stare. He liked Bob but he was a little intimidating.
“The angel, Brendon, he said I should tell you to be careful.”
“Careful?” Gerard asked nervously. “What do you mean?”
“He didn’t say it explicitly - I think he was afraid of being overheard - but I think he meant Frank. He just said you should be more careful who you talk to because he’s not the only one watching.”
Gerard was screwed. He was never getting back into Heaven. The damage was already done, and now he didn’t have Frank or his old life. He sunk onto the crate, comic falling from his hands. It landed with a smack and Mikey looked up from the computer.
Gerard wasn’t looking at him, though, staring at the dirty tiles. He was done for. It was too late to fix anything.
“Are you okay?” Bob asked slowly, and Gerard shook his head.
“No,” he muttered, dropping his head into his hands. Bob gave him a confused look.
“Is this about Frank?”
“It’s about everything,” Gerard replied, voice muffled by his hands. “And it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m never gonna be redeemed.”
“You could be,” Bob offered but it didn’t mean anything, and Gerard shook his head.
He didn’t speak again and he heard Bob leaving after a few moments, heading up to the counter to talk to Mikey, who was peering over curiously, glasses falling down to the end of his nose.
Gerard ignored them both, though. What was he going to do now?
*
Frank was pissed. And he was bored - not a great combination.
He sat under the eaves of the abandoned house, watching the mist gather and drip off the gutters. There was no one outside, and there never was in this stupid town. Frank was starting to go crazy without anything to do. Going to the bars was boring and the sins were just not as fun when he had nothing to do with them.
Instead, he picked at the wet grass, watching it crumple and die in his hands. He was fucking bored.
Gerard had sent him away and it wasn’t as though Frank intended to stay away, but he had to give Gerard time enough to realize his mistake. Angels could be just as stubborn as demons. The only problem was the waiting. Frank was an impatient demon, like most others, especially when it came to getting something he wanted.
The problem now was that Frank didn’t know what he wanted. He wanted Gerard, of course, but was that all?
Frank needed Gerard. He needed him as leverage to get his place back in hell. He needed Gerard as a symbol of Frank’s worth. No other demon had ever gotten an angel to give up his place in Heaven for one in Hell. It would be legendary, and Bert would have no other choice but to let Frank back in.
On the other hand, Gerard was the most interesting person Frank had talked to in a long time. His mind wasn’t completely focused on bending people to his will. He had secrets that Frank couldn’t figure out and it made him intriguing.
Frank liked the way Gerard shied away from him sometimes, how he clung to him other times, needing something to anchor him in the uncertain human world. He liked that Gerard fought back and wasn’t some sissy angel on earth to “love everyone”.
And of course, Frank didn’t deny that he loved touching Gerard. He liked watching the red marks streak over his body, marked like he was only Frank’s. He liked the way Gerard moaned, trying to suppress his obvious pleasure at something he wasn’t supposed to enjoy.
He smirked to himself as he sat under the dripping eaves, turning the blade of grass over in his hands. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could wait until he had to find Gerard and test his boundaries once more.
He was distracted by his thoughts, though, as a small black bird fluttered down on the crumbling porch railing. It fixed Frank with a disapproving stare, its beady black eyes set on him, feathers ruffling ominously.
Frank sighed, tossing away the grass. “What the fuck do you want, Vicky?”
The bird soared down, twisting into a human form, and Vicky sat primly next to him on the step next to him, fixing her hair.
Frank waited impatiently as she smoothed back her hair and raised an eyebrow at him.
“Where’s your master plan, Frank? I’m getting sick of this little game you and Bert are playing.”
“I’m not playing a game,” Frank said loftily and Vicky scoffed.
“You’re always playing a game. And now Bert’s in it which is bad for the rest of us. He’s about two seconds from locking Quinn up. Quinn and Jepha have been fucking like rabbits and you know how Bert feels about that.”
“Bert needs to get some,” Frank replied flippantly and Vicky’s expression darkened.
“Bert can’t fix this, Frankie, and I know you know that. What I don’t understand is how you affected a first hierarchy demon like this. Your powers don’t extend that far.”
Frank smirked. “People surprise you.”
“You don’t surprise me,” Vicky replied, “you annoy me. If Bert locks up Quinn, he gets Jepha back to himself, as it should be.”
“So why are you telling me this?” Frank asked, bored, and flicking at the grass again.
“Because you did something to them and Bert can’t take it back. He needs you back but he won’t take you back unless you offer something better. So where is that something, Frank?”
“I’m working on it,” he said, thinking of Gerard.
Vicky watched him closely, then reached for his chin, turning him to face her. Her fingers burned into his skin and he flinched. It wasn’t anything like when he touched Gerard. This was pure malice leaking from her. Vicky had more power than she let on too.
“If you don’t get it, I will, and I won’t be nearly as nice as you might be.”
Frank glared at Vicky for a second as she arched an eyebrow challengingly.
“What’s in it for you anyway?” he asked, and she jerked his head up.
“Peace of mind, and I’ll be able to stop making these little runs to the surface. They ruin my hair.”
“You’re working for Bert?”
Vicky sneered, shaking his head slowly with her hand and patting his cheek. “We’re all working for Bert, Frankie. Some of us are just more loyal than others. If you don’t hurry up, I’ll bring Gabe up here and we’ll see what we can do about your little ‘plan’.”
She released him slowly and Frank glared. If Gabe came up, they’d find out all about Gerard. Gabe had his own little power that Bert liked to exploit quite often, sending him to get information out of the quietest people. Gabe didn’t even have to open his mouth, although he certainly liked to, to see into other people’s minds. Unfortunately, Gabe’s power worked on all hierarchies which Frank knew Bert appreciated and also feared.
“You can tell Gabe to stay where he is,” he told Vicky, standing up and brushing off his jeans. “I’ll get what I need and you’ll get your spot back. And if everything goes according to plan, I’ll get more than just my spot.”
Vicky eyed him suspiciously. “Don’t tell me what you’re planning. I think I’d prefer to be in the dark about this one.”
“Oh, you will be,” Frank assured her with a smirk. He twisted into a beetle and buzzed out into the mist, leaving Vicky behind.
*
Gerard didn’t like the nighttime, he’d decided. He’d never particularly understood humans’ fear of it before, but now that he spent day and night on earth, he could see where they would fear it.
As he lay awake in his bed, staring at the dark ceiling, listening the light pitter-pat of rain against the window, he sighed to himself. His life wasn’t getting any better. Now he didn’t have any of his friends, he didn’t have Frank, he didn’t have anything. All he had were his drawings and those hadn’t been any help so far. In fact, if it weren’t for them, none of this ever would have happened.
He could hear the distant rush of cars on the street below, mingled with the rain, and his wings rustled restlessly. He hated having to sit there all night with nothing to do.
A tinny buzzing reached his ears as he laid there, probably a fly that got in somehow, and he sighed, turning over on the bed, blinking across the room at the arm chair. His sketchbook had been sitting on top but it was now gone.
Frowning, Gerard pushed himself up slowly.
“These aren’t half-bad.”
Gerard jerked up at Frank’s voice, searching wildly for him. His eyes slid over all the dark corners until he found Frank leaned up against the wall by the door, flipping through his sketchbook casually.
“What are you doing?” Gerard asked, heart pounding in his chest with each page Frank flipped.
Frank didn’t pause, chewing on his lip ring and crossing his ankles as he stood there.
“Getting to the bottom of this.”
He flipped the sketchbook closed and glanced up at Gerard. Gerard’s eyes were glued to the notebook which Frank tossed away carelessly. It landed with a slap on the armchair. Frank came over as Gerard sat up carefully.
“Zombies, vampires, horrific deaths,” Frank commented slowly and Gerard felt his heart sinking like a stone into his stomach. “I can see why they wouldn’t like that.”
Gerard shook his head. “It’s not a sin.”
Frank took a second before plopping down on the bed beside Gerard and scooting to lean back against the wall. Gerard looked uneasy, licking his lips and watching Frank. Frank glanced at him sideways, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.
“Did you expect them to jump for joy? Maybe give you a new halo?”
Gerard frowned, sliding down onto the bed and sighing. He picked at the comforter.
“No. They weren’t supposed to know. I don’t do it a lot, but sometimes I just see things and I have to put them down or I’ll forget. Sometimes I have to remember that world isn’t as perfect as we’re supposed to make it. They didn’t understand.”
“Why the fuck did you let them kick you out then?” Frank asked, watching Gerard flinch at his language.
“It’s not something you can stop. I deserve my punishment.”
“You don’t deserve to be treated like a disobedient pet. You’re not a pet.”
“No, but I’m part of something bigger and I did something wrong.” Gerard glanced over. “What do you care anyway? You’re just a demon. Your only goal is to make people sinners, to corrupt them in some way.”
“Have I corrupted you?” Frank asked and Gerard hesitated, not meeting Frank’s eyes. Frank paused for a second before pushing off the wall and crawling the few feet that separated them. Gerard looked down at the bed as Frank appeared in front of him. Frank licked his lip ring, tongue sliding over the shiny metal before he reached for Gerard, fingers sliding under his chin much as Vicky had done, but far gentler. “Have I?”
Gerard could already feel the warmth spreading through him at Frank’s touch as his chin was lifted and he was forced to meet Frank’s eyes.
Frank was waiting, fingers sliding against his skin lightly, eyes scraping over his face.
“Yes,” Gerard whispered finally, dropping his gaze. “You know that. It was your plan all along, wasn’t it?”
“You don’t know anything about my plans,” Frank replied softly, and Gerard looked up. “But I could let you in one.”
Gerard looked skeptical and didn’t lean back as Frank moved forward, his hand sliding down to the back of his neck as he kissed him.
One thing Frank liked about Gerard was that he didn’t fight too hard. He was willing to let Frank take control and push closer, sliding his tongue in his mouth and kissing him like he’d never kissed anyone before.
Gerard wasn’t sure why Frank was doing this, but it still felt good. It sparked something in him that he’d never felt before, something he probably wasn’t supposed to have felt.
He let Frank push against him, fingers tight in his hair, tilting his head back, tongue licking into his mouth until Gerard whimpered. He let Frank slide his free hand under his shirt, brushing up his spine, grazing against invisible feathers as he shuddered underneath him.
Frank nudged Gerard back, biting his bottom lip, climbing on top of him and wriggling down against his hips.
Gerard fell back against the bed, liking the way Frank’s weight sank down on top of him, warm and comforting in a way he’d never felt before. Even if Frank was a demon, he did have some creature comforts that Gerard appreciated.
“Gee,” Frank muttered as he pushed his hips down and Gerard’s followed. Gerard’s eyes fluttered open as his nickname, one he hadn’t heard in months. “I want you to come down with me.”
Gerard froze, pushing at Frank’s arms, but Frank was heavier than he looked and he just pulled away to arch an eyebrow at Gerard.
“What?” Gerard asked dimly, staring up at Frank, his mouth red and swollen, tongue darting out to his lip ring.
“I want you to come down with me.” He jerked his head at the floor as if Gerard didn’t know perfectly well what ‘down’ meant.
“Are you insane?” Gerard spluttered. “Why would I ever do that?”
“Because you’re not up there anymore,” Frank replied, dragging a hand up Gerard’s arm and watching the red streak follow. “You’re not an angel, but you’re not a human either. You don’t belong on earth.”
Gerard grasped for words that didn’t come as he stared at Frank. It was ludicrous and he’d never. Frank was evil. He couldn’t do that. Frank didn’t look evil, though, not as he stared down at Gerard.
“Why do you want me to come?” Gerard asked slowly and Frank shrugged.
“I’ll get bored without you.”
Gerard tried to push himself out from under Frank and only succeeded in scooting back a little. “And eventually you’ll get bored of me and then what? I’ll be stuck down there with no chance of ever getting out.”
“No,” Frank replied simply, pulling Gerard back and pressing a kiss to his jaw. “If you were to say yes, because as much as I’d like to, I can’t force you - some stupid power balance thing - you wouldn’t be asking me that question.”
“What’s the rest of your plan?” Gerard asked uneasily, but Frank sighed, breath fluttering over his skin, and he could feel his resolve slipping.
“You know Bert is the biggest, baddest wolf of the underworld, right?” Frank asked and Gerard nodded slowly, eyes fluttering shut as Frank dipped down, pressing kisses down his neck and over his collar bone. He shook himself, though. He couldn’t let Frank talk him into anything. “Well, he’s not the baddest. He has weaknesses, just like everyone else. There’s only one perfect person in the world, and even we know he’s not perfect. He kicked you out after all.”
“What does Bert have to do with anything?” Gerard asked breathlessly, but he pulled himself out of it, gazing at Frank. “Didn’t he send you here?”
“Bert has no idea I’m here,” Frank replied simply. “And unless you say yes, he’ll never know.”
“So if I said no, you’d leave me alone?” Gerard asked carefully and Frank smirked, shaking his head.
“No. Haven’t you learned anything about demons yet? We don’t give up what we want.”
“Frank,” Gerard started softly, but Frank silenced him with a kiss.
He pushed down against Gerard, kissing him until Gerard was panting for breath and arching up into him.
“Frank,” he whispered again, a rush of air over Frank’s chin, and Frank smirked slowly.
“I’ll let you think about, but just remember that even if I have plans, they might not be bad for you. They might be pretty fucking good if you consider it.”
Gerard didn’t know what that meant, but Frank was doing that thing with his tongue that turned his brain to jelly and he just gasped and closed his eyes. He’d think about it later.
*
He could clip his wings. He could opt out of whatever holy purpose he had been created for and take the long, dark fall to something he’d never considered. It scared Gerard, the thought of what might happen if he were to take Frank at his word and go with him.
If he did, he’d never be allowed anywhere near Heaven. He’d be stuck as one of Bert’s minions forever with only Frank’s word that he had a plan. Gerard had learned long ago never to trust the word of a demon.
The thing was that he did kind of trust Frank even though he was a demon and even though he was being so secretive about everything. Maybe it wasn’t trust. Maybe it was just… desire, but Gerard couldn’t tell anymore. There was something about Frank that was different and he just couldn’t pinpoint it.
He still hadn’t given Frank an answer even though Frank had shown up every night that week, usually flipping through his sketchbook, occasionally lying next to him and listening to Gerard talk. Gerard didn’t even know what they talked about really except that Frank always listened and occasionally stroked a hand through his hair. It felt comfortable, something Gerard had lacked since coming down to earth. It felt like how it used to be.
Gerard didn’t talk to anyone while he worked, lost in his own thoughts as he organized the comics wrong and ignored the strange looks Ray gave him when he had to fix it. This had all been a bad idea. He should have left as soon as he met Frank.
“Do you believe in unicorns?”
Gerard nearly dropped the comic he was holding as Mikey’s voice sounded beside him.
The shop was empty on the dreary Wednesday afternoon and Ray had gone to a dentist’s appointment. It was just he and Mikey left, and Gerard tried to calm his pounding heart as he set down the comic and glanced at Mikey.
“What?”
“Unicorns,” Mikey replied blithely. “Do you believe in them?”
“I-I don’t know,” Gerard stuttered, confused. “Why?”
Mikey shrugged. “They’re not mentioned in the Bible. Does that mean they’re not real?”
Gerard didn’t know what to say. “The Bible doesn’t talk about everything.”
Mikey shrugged again, pushing his glasses up. “Does that mean you don’t believe in them?”
Gerard had been around long enough to know what had and hadn’t existed but he honestly didn’t find it that important and wondered why Mikey did.
“What does it matter?”
“I just thought you might know, since, you know, you’re an Angel.”
Gerard stared for a second. “W-what?”
Mikey wasn’t even fazed, reorganizing the comics and not glancing up.
“You’re an Angel. I thought it was weird at first but I guess it’s really not.”
Gerard couldn’t believe this was happening. How did Mikey know?
“What-what are you talking about?” he stuttered nervously, and Mikey blinked at him slowly from behind his lenses. His expression gave away nothing and Gerard could feel his heart pounding more and more nervously as the seconds ticked by.
“Frank’s not an Angel,” he said after a second, and Gerard could only stare. “I’m not sure what he is except that he likes you. But you don’t like him. Well, no, you’re scared of him.”
Gerard could feel the panic rising as Mikey paused, almost thoughtfully, but he was still looking at the comics and Gerard didn’t know what to do or say. How did Mikey know?!
Mikey glanced at him finally.
“What color are your wings?”
This was not happening, Gerard told himself firmly.
“I-I don’t have wings.”
“Of course you do,” Mikey replied simply. “Does Frank?”
Gerard glanced around quickly but the store was still as empty now as it had been when Mikey first started talking.
“How do you know?”
Mikey just shrugged. “So what’s wrong with Frank?”
“He’s…” Gerard hesitated, trying to find the right word to describe. He couldn’t come up with anything other than ‘evil’ and that just didn’t quite fit. There was something more to Frank. “Complicated.”
“Bad complicated?”
“I don’t know anymore,” Gerard admitted with a sigh, flopping back against the stack of comics. “Maybe I should just do what he wants. What more could happen to me? I’m screwed either way.”
Mikey was silent for a moment, picking through the comics, and Gerard was sure he didn’t understand any of this. Finally, Mikey pushed up his glasses again.
“At least one way you’re with Frank,” he said finally, casting Gerard a brief glance before he plucked out a comic and headed back for the register.
Gerard watched him go, a frown marring his face, but he had to admit that Mikey had a point.
*
Frank needed an answer, and as content he was to let Gerard think about things, he was growing impatient. It wasn’t so much the impatience as the creeping nervousness he felt whenever he thought about Bert and how his plan needed to go. He needed Gerard to say yes first, though. Without Gerard he was screwed, and even with him, he might be.
Glancing sideways as he walked, shoes brushing over the wet grass, Frank watched Gerard beside him. It was after dark and Frank had somehow managed to convince Gerard to take a walk with him rather than sitting in his depressing little apartment above the comic shop.
Gerard hadn’t spoken much since they’d left and Frank could feel the prickle of unease hanging in the air. He honestly didn’t know what to say, which was strange for him. He always knew what to say to get what he wanted. It was one of his talents, but something about Gerard stole all that away from him.
His eyes lingered on the dim white glow surrounding Gerard, somehow dimmer than he remembered. He watched the way Gerard kept his eyes on the grass, passing by park benches without even a second glance.
As they passed under a pool of yellow light from one of the lamps lining the path, Frank stopped and Gerard glanced at him slowly.
“What are we doing?” Frank asked suddenly, voice too loud in the empty park.
“Walking?” Gerard guessed uncertainly watching Frank huff and reach for his wrist.
“Fuck that. I mean have you decided? Or are you just going to string me along forever until I have to revert to a plan B? Who knew Angels could be so cruel.”
Gerard stared for a second as Frank dropped his wrist and kicked the ground. The few wet leaves scattered there blackened and crumpled. Gerard licked his lips nervously.
“You still haven’t said why you want me to come with you,” he said finally and Frank huffed. “Why haven’t you just tricked me into it? Demons are good at that.”
“Because not all demons trick,” Frank replied. “Listen, Gee, this is different than anything I’ve done before. And I need you to say yes. I need you to come with me.”
“You need me,” Gerard repeated slowly, and Frank’s eyebrows furrowed as he watched Gerard. Something else was going on that he couldn’t pinpoint.
He took a step forward, a hand brushing softly over Gerard’s jaw as he tilted his head to look at him. Gerard looked nervous and Frank could practically feel the way his heart was beating. It did strange things to him as they stood there, encapsulated in the moment, in the rushing of the wind through the dark trees, of the leaves rustling on the ground, the light flickering overhead.
Then he felt it, the jolt somewhere in his heart as he stared at Gerard, watching his hair flop in his eyes in the wind, the way he licked his lips slowly. Oh fuck. This was not happening, but it was too late.
He said it before he even stopped to consider the real meaning, said it before he could stop himself and take it back.
“I want you to come with me.”
He knew instantly it was the right thing to say as Gerard’s eyes lifted to his and he almost smiled.
“You’re not lying?” he asked after a minute and Frank sighed, brushing his fingers up Gerard’s jaw.
“You’re an Angel. You tell me.”
“It’s hard to tell sometimes,” Gerard admitted quietly and Frank sighed, shuffling forward.
It was too quiet in the park as they stood there, bathed in yellow light, and Frank pulled Gerard in closer. “I need - want - you to come with me. And not just because of my plan. But if you tell anyone that, I swear to all Hell and back you’ll regret it.”
Gerard smiled despite his warning, wondering how he could be happy that a demon just told him that. Instead, he just shook his head.
“You do have a heart.”
“Told you,” Frank muttered, leaning in to kiss Gerard slowly.
Frank was screwed, he thought as he stood there with Gerard, kissing him deeply and thinking about what the fuck he was going to do about Bert. He still had his plan to go through, his plan that he hadn’t told Gerard about.
“So is this a yes?” he asked quietly, pulling back, and he saw Gerard hesitate.
“But I don’t even know why you want me to go,” he replied, swallowing and glancing around at a soft rustle of leaves. Frank wasn’t bothered, though, waiting impatiently. “What would happen if I did? Bert won’t like me.”
“Bert doesn’t like anyone,” Frank corrected. Except one, he added silently. “You’d just have to trust me.”
“And why would I do that?” Gerard asked logically. “It seems a little crazy, don’t you think, for me to trust a demon.”
“You angels are all about feelings,” Frank replied. “Maybe you should trust those.”
Gerard paused. He hadn’t decided one way or the other yet, but Frank was still waiting. He didn’t answer, though, as he heard the rustle again. Frowning, he glanced behind him, squinting into the dark bushes. He thought for a second he saw a flash of a black cat’s tail winding away but he couldn’t be sure.
“Frank, what’s really going on?”
Frank rolled his eyes. “You’re always so suspicious.”
Gerard gave him a look and Frank sighed.
“Alright, fine, I’ll give you that I am a demon but still. Not all of our plots are backhanded.”
Gerard still frowned and Frank shook his head, pushing his hair back.
“Okay, fine, most of them are, but what does it matter? You’re not gonna get hurt.”
Gerard somehow didn’t believe that even if Frank gave him a small smile and patted his cheek lightly. Sighing, he felt his wings rustle uneasily and he glanced around.
“Frank, I think there’s something-”
Before he even finished the sentence, a woman appeared behind Frank, grabbing his arms and pinning them behind his back, one arm around his neck.
Frank stiffened at the tight grip while the woman leaned in around him.
“Time’s up, Frank,” she told him simply, and Gerard stumbled back slightly as her eyes fell on him, glittering darkly in the dim light. She paused, eyes scanning down him, and he knew immediately that she was another demon. “So this is your plan.”
Frank struggled uselessly against Vicky’s grip, but she had him clamped tightly and her malice was leaking into him, making him weak.
“I’m not done yet, Vicky,” he snapped, twisting, and she just tightened her grip. Gerard looked fearful as Frank tossed him a look, trying to communicate wordlessly.
Vicky jerked him painfully back and he winced. “You are done. Bert’s tired and impatient. He wants things fixed and he’s not willing for you to bring back some sacrifice even if it is a pure little angel. How’d you manage that?”
Frank glared and Gerard just stared. He knew he should get out of there before more demons showed up to carry Frank off to the underworld. He couldn’t, though, as he heard Vicky’s words and watched Frank struggle against what was obviously a steel-tight hold.
“I thought you said Bert didn’t know,” he said, words rushing out before he could stop.
Frank tossed him a look, telling him firmly to shut up.
Vicky laughed, cold and sharp in the darkness and jerked Frank as he tried to wriggle free.
“What have you told him, Frankie? Does he know about your punishment? Does he know you fucked over the boss and now you need help? Poor, little angel.” Her tone was sympathetic but she was smirking darkly as Frank glared back at her.
Gerard was confused more than ever now, watching Frank struggle uselessly.
“Fuck off, Vicky,” Frank growled. “You have no idea what I’m planning.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore,” she replied sharply. “I’m taking you back and your little angel gets lucky.” She looked at Gerard, who stumbled back a step. “So run along back to wherever it is you go. You’re not needed here.”
She turned, jerking Frank along with her, who growled at the rough treatment.
“Watch it.” He glanced back at Gerard, who just looked bewildered and lost, staring after. Frank wanted to say something to him but he couldn’t find any words as Vicky shoved him forward. “What’s Bert planning?”
“Well, since you’re coming back empty-handed, I doubt he’ll be pleased. I’m thinking chains, lots and lots of chains.”
Frank’s eyes widened. “Wait, fuck, Vicky! Just let me-”
She yanked on him viciously and he cringed. “No, Frank. You’ve had your time. You’ve had plenty of time away to figure what to do, how to get back on his good side, but you’ve failed and I am sick of doing your job.”
“He’s the one who sent me here,” Frank argued as she forced him further and further away from Gerard. Frank’s heart sunk as he thought that there was no saving him now. He was at Bert’s mercy without any sort of leverage. Gerard wouldn’t help. Gerard was being given an out and if he was smart, he’d take it and leave Frank to his fate, the fate he’d created for himself.
Vicky scoffed. “You did nothing short of asking for it. Someday you’ll learn why there are hierarchies, but in the meantime, you’ll never get out of yours.”
Gerard watched helplessly as Vicky dragged Frank away, and he caught the last look Frank tossed to him before the darkness swallowed them both.
He was floored.
He had no idea what to do. Should he go after Frank and trust that he really did have a plan that didn’t involve Bert chaining him up for the rest of eternity? Or should he pretend none of this ever happened and try for redemption in a few hundred years?
As he stood there in the rustling wind, darkness pressing in on all sides, Frank’s voice came back to him, whispering through the trees.
I want you…
Gerard had never been wanted by anyone before. He’d been needed by the humans he’d helped, but he’d never been wanted.
As he stood there, he didn’t know what to do. Frank was gone to somewhere Gerard had never dared to even think about before.
He needed advice or help or something. He couldn’t just rush off. Turning, he glanced around to make sure he was truly alone, and uncloaked his wings. He felt so much freer as they stretched behind him, free for the first time in months. He cast one last glance around him before he took off, gliding silently into the night.
*
The shop was dark as Gerard peered in the window. He wondered if anyone was there or if this had all been in vain. He was about ready to revert to some sort of plan B when a light clicked on in the back and he perked up, craning to see.
Bob lumbered out from the back looking tired and not even surprised when he caught sight of Gerard, face pressed to the front window. Instead, he just sighed and headed for the door.
“Knew you’d be here sooner or later,” he grumbled as he opened the door and Gerard stumbled in, fidgeting nervously.
“They took Frank,” he burst out and Bob merely yawned and turned to go make some tea or coffee or something. Gerard trailed after him helplessly. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Be thankful the demon’s gone?” Bob responded tiredly, but Gerard didn’t like that answer.
“But this girl, she just dragged him off and was talking about chains and punishment and… Bert.”
Bob didn’t seem phased as he sighed and turned to Gerard. “What do you want me to say? You shouldn’t go after him? He’s evil? He’s planning something and this could all be a part of it? What?”
Gerard stared, searching for words he didn’t have, and Bob scrubbed at his hair.
“We both know why you’re here.”
“Why?” Gerard asked, confused, mind flitting to Frank again. They could be torturing him as they spoke and Bob was not being helpful at all.
“You want someone to tell you it’s the right thing to do.”
“What? No, I-”
“You want a pat on the head like all the other angels get when they do the right thing and lead someone the right way. Well, I’m not God and I can’t do that for you. All I can do is ask why you even care.”
Gerard stared but Bob shrugged and waited.
He didn’t know why, but he had to help Frank. He had to do something even if it wasn’t his fault, even if Frank had been plotting this all along. He couldn’t leave him to some wretched fate.
“Because Frank’s not all evil and-and everyone deserves a second chance.”
Bob arched an eyebrow. “Frank is a demon and has been for thousands of years. A leopard can’t change its spots.”
“Fine, then, I just, I just have to help him because he’s helped me and I don’t care if it’s some game he’s playing. It doesn’t feel like a game and I can’t let Bert chain him up for eternity.”
Bob reached for the kettle as it whistled. “Then why are you here? Waking me up in the middle of the night.”
Gerard paused. “I don’t know. I have to go.”
Bob just nodded, pouring himself a cup of sleep-inducing tea and sighing as Gerard left through the front door.
“Neurotic angels,” he muttered as he turned and headed back upstairs to bed.
*
Frank was not scared… he was fucking terrified, but he didn’t let it show as Vicky led the way down the torch-lit hallway towards the Office.
Vicky paused as they reached the door and turned back to Frank, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him a calculating look.
“What were you going to do if you’re plan had worked?” she asked after a minute and Frank straightened up.
“What makes you think it hasn’t?” he replied and she scoffed, giving him a push towards the door.
“Your Angel’s not here and Bert’s about to give you the punishment of a lifetime.”
Reaching up, she knocked twice with the large knocker and stepped back as the doors swung open slowly. She gave Frank a hard nudge and he stumbled in before her, shooting her a glare as he did so.
The Office was just the same as always and Frank ignored the lesser demons scurrying around. He kept his eyes on the ground as they approached Bert’s throne and Vicky cleared her throat, bowing her head.
“I’ve brought him,” she said calmly, and Frank chanced a glance up at Bert, who was perched in his throne, dark and brooding as he glared down at Frank.
“Leave,” Bert commanded and Vicky stepped back quickly, shooting Frank a knowing smirk as she left and Bert dropped down from his throne.
Frank reminded himself to be calm. He could fix this, Gerard or no.
He didn’t speak as Bert circled him like a hyena circling its prey, sniffing for signs of weakness.
Finally, Bert paused in front of him, eyes narrowed. “You have sway over lust, Frank,” he said finally, voice low and foreboding, and Frank just took a breath, staring straight ahead and waiting. “You’re a second hierarchy demon but somehow your power extends further than that. You’re special, you know?”
Frank didn’t respond, knowing Bert didn’t want one. He had a point somewhere and he’d get to it when Frank was good and terrified.
“I sent you to the surface to get a little perspective. Have you?”
Frank nodded slowly. “Yes.”
Bert paused, eyeing him distastefully. “And I suppose you’ve heard what your mischief has got up to down here.”
Frank didn’t smirk but nodded again.
“Quinn’s in chains,” Bert said and Frank winced at the thought. Bert smirked, satisfied. “Good to know something scares you.”
Frank swallowed slowly. “I’m not the only one.”
Bert glanced at him sharply, suspiciously. He ignored it for the moment, though.
“I’ve only had you brought back to fix your mess,” he said harshly. “You are in no way forgiven and your future isn’t looking much better than some shiny chains yourself.”
Frank’s heart stumbled over a beat as he stood there, fists curling in as he waited for the rest of it. He needed Gerard.
*
Gerard was lost, which was not completely unexpected given that it was Hell and he’d never been there before.
Everything was dark except for burning torches on walls, and Gerard cringed every time a yell of pain or anguish came wailing up the hallway. He was sure he stood out, what with the white glow, but he’d cloaked his wings again and he needed find Frank. Heaven knew what they were doing to him.
As a pair of demons came striding up the hall, Gerard pressed himself into a corner, holding his breath and squeezing his eyes shut.
“Frank’s gonna get it good,” one was saying, thoroughly enjoying it it seemed. “Bert is super pissed.”
“Frank’s always got some shit up his sleeve. You know that, Pete,” the other said, and Gerard cracked open his eyes, peering out at the two demons, one towering over the other as they walked. “But what I wouldn’t give to watch Frank talking his way out of this one. He’s almost got me beat.”
“Did I just hear you, Gabe, demon of coercion, actually admit that someone was better than him?”
“Fuck you, Pete,” the demon replied, giving him a shove as they walked. “Let’s go to the Office and see if we can slip in and watch the show.”
Their voices faded down the corridor and Gerard poked his head out, watching as they left. Slipping out, he kept close to the walls and began to follow them, hoping Frank was on the other end of this.
*
Bert reached out for Frank, jerking his chin up, a little too painful, and Frank winced.
“You will fix Jepha,” he said calmly, “and if anything goes wrong, you’ll be in chains for the rest of eternity.”
Frank nodded slowly. His plan was falling apart with no leverage, and he’d give anything for Gerard to be there right now, even just to see him one last time. The way things were going, he wouldn’t be allowed up in the human world or any other world any time soon.
At the sound of the large door opening, Bert looked up sharply.
“Pete, Gabe!” he snapped sharply. “Get out!”
“I told you,” Pete muttered, and Frank didn’t look over, focusing on the ground and trying to think how he was going to get out of this one. He was pretty much out of options the way he saw it.
The door creaked shut again but Bert’s attention was already back on Frank.
“As I was saying, you will fix Jepha and then you’ll go into chains yourself.”
“What about my spot?” Frank asked finally. “And Quinn’s. What will you do about that?”
“That’s not your concern,” Bert replied sharply, but Frank knew Bert had no real answer for that. Chaining up higher level demons wasn’t just something he could do on a regular basis, and the lower levels weren’t fit for promotions.
This was Frank’s only chance and he had to take it as Bert paused.
“What if I had a solution?”
Bert scoffed, turning back to him and reaching for his hair, giving it a painful tug. “You are in the doghouse, Frankie. Unless you’ve got God himself hidden in your pants, there’s no solution.”
Frank hesitated, but there was no other option.
“What if I said I had an Angel?” he said finally and he saw the way Bert paused.
“An Angel?” he scoffed after a minute. “And what would that do?”
Frank bit his lip, raising his chin. “I give you the Angel in exchange for Quinn’s spot.”
Bert’s eyes narrowed. “What makes you think you could get an Angel to even set foot down here? You may be a demon but you’re not that charming. Lust only lasts for so long before it runs out.”
“I could get him,” Frank assured him, heart pounding furiously. “If I get him, I get Quinn’s place and he gets mine.”
Bert actually laughed, cold and sharp, the sound bouncing off the walls. The lesser demons cast frightened looks in their direction and scurried away quickly. Frank waited uneasily as Bert shook his head at him, a dark smirk twisting his lips.
“What is your little plan, Frankie? You give me a present and I forgive you?”
Frank shrugged. It had always worked in the past. Bert paused and then his eyes narrowed.
“You’re a liar, Frank, and liars go to Hell.”
“I’m already here,” Frank replied, and he only had a second to brace himself before the blinding pain scorched through his body.
He fell with a thump to the floor, curling in himself as knives pricked at his skin and Bert just stared down on top of him, watching him thrash around, panting and gritting his teeth against the pain, the stabbing, the feeling of fire licking at his skin. He’d only been punished like this from Bert before but it felt worse now as he groaned in pain.
“Stop!”
A voice interrupted Frank’s inner monologue of, “Fuck, fuck, kill me now,” and he squeezed his eyes shut as the pain finally ended and he lay on the ground, panting into the stone floor and clutching at his stomach.
His arms felt like lead as he tried to push himself up and look around for who had spoken. They shook violently as he climbed onto his knees and caught sight of Bert.
Bert was staring unabashed at someone running across the room. Frank could hear the clatter of footsteps.
“Frank, are you okay?”
A steadier arm was hauling Frank up and Frank’s eyes widened as he caught sight of Gerard.
“How the fuck did you get down here?” he asked as he brushed Gerard away once he was on his feet.
Gerard shrugged, eying Bert cautiously. “You guys should really up your security.”
Frank glanced at Bert, whose eyes were quickly narrowing.
“What is this?” he hissed, and Frank grimaced but looked him in the eye.
“It’s my deal,” he said, pushing Gerard behind him, which Gerard was all too willing to do as Bert glared at him. “My trade.”
Gerard glanced at Frank, but he knew that Frank had a plan. It was obvious now, especially from the way Bert paused, glancing between them, a sour look on his face.
“He’s not clipped,” Bert sneered and Gerard frowned as Frank straightened up.
“He will be, but only if this is the deal.” He paused, thinking exactly how to word it so there were no loopholes involved. “In exchange for Gerard’s wings, he takes up my place in the second hierarchy. And in exchange for Gerard, I take Quinn’s place in the first hierarchy. You know my powers already extend that far.”
Bert eyed them both, clearly angry at the way Frank had set it all up. Gerard hovered behind Frank, unsure if this was really what he wanted, but when Frank’s hand reached back and closed around his wrist, he knew there was no turning back.
Frank waited for Bert, waited to find out if it had been a good enough plan. Vicky was going to kill him later if it worked. He’d be ahead of her and everyone else.
“He’s going to be a distraction for you,” Bert said finally. “I can see it.”
“Please,” Frank scoffed. “I take my job seriously. And besides, if I’ve got one then Jepha is safe.”
Bert’s eyes narrowed and he advanced on Frank. Frank didn’t step back but took a nervous breath. “You are in my control, Frankie. You’d do well to remember that. One snap of my fingers and no one ever sees you again.”
“And you’re left with two unfilled spots,” Frank pointed out, “that lesser demons can’t fill.”
He knew he’d won when Bert glared and a twitch of pain stole through his leg, just a reminder. Bert turned his dark eyes to Gerard, whose eyes widened.
“Clip them,” he ordered him, and Frank turned to Gerard.
“Now?” Gerard asked nervously, and Frank bit his lip ring, lowering his voice.
“Do you want to live through this? We won, now just do what he says.”
Gerard nodded slowly, and his wings rustled in protest at the pain that was to come. He hated to think about it, but Frank was giving him a pleading look, and he knew it had to happen. It had to happen if either of them had any chance of survival.
“What are you waiting for?” Bert snapped. “Unless you’ve changed your mind.”
“No, no,” Frank assured him, grabbing Gerard and pushing him over to the wall. He whispered in his ear as they went. “Okay, it didn’t go quite as planned, but you’re here and I’m here, and if you do this, you’ll belong somewhere again. Don’t you want that? It’s not exactly Heaven but it’s got its perks. And you’ll be second hierarchy which means no heavy lifting, no dealing with messy stuff. You just get to collect souls and as long as you do that, Bert’s happy. And we want to keep Bert happy.”
Gerard nodded slowly as they stopped and Frank turned him around to face the wall.
“You know,” Gerard said slowly as Frank pulled off his shirt, reaching for his wings and feeling them shiver under his touch. “I never thought I’d fall… especially for a demon.”
Frank caught his small smile and bit his lip again. “Uncloak your wings. This is gonna hurt.”
Bert was watching and Frank didn’t look back at him as Gerard did as he was told and braced his hands against the wall. He glanced sideways at Frank.
“Will I feel the same… afterwards?”
Frank paused, pushing up his sleeves. “It might tingle… but yeah, you’ll feel the same.” He almost smiled and Gerard caught the twitch of his mouth as he nodded and turned back, squeezing his eyes shut.
Somewhere in the depths of the halls, Pete and Gabe looked up at the wrenched cry echoing down the corridor. Gabe smirked at Pete.
“Looks like someone lost his last appeal.”
*
“I feel naked.”
“That’s because you are,” Frank replied, kissing his way up Gerard’s torso and smirking at him when Gerard sighed.
“I meant without my wings,” he said and Frank sighed, teeth scraping along his jaw.
“You’ll get used to it. So how is it? Everything okay?”
“What if it wasn’t?” Gerard asked, pushing his fingers into Frank’s hair. “What would you do?”
Frank shrugged. “Not much to do anymore.” He pushed Gerard up against the wall in the dark little room as Gerard sighed. “You’re not having second thoughts now, are you? We got off incredibly easy considering how bad I fucked up everything down here before I left.”
“You didn’t give Bert much of a choice,” Gerard pointed out, and Frank smirked, kissing him deeply.
“That’s the point,” he murmured as he pulled away. “Don’t give them a choice and they can’t make one. So was it worth it?”
Gerard looked at him for a moment and Frank waited, pushing his hair from his eyes. He didn’t know what made him want to do this with Gerard, but he did. He was like some stupid love-sick human but he honestly didn’t care because Gerard was still there and things had turned out alright.
Gerard’s wings were gone and where they’d been cut was still healing. Frank knew it might take a few decades for Gerard to get over the pain and really move on, but he was doing pretty well as things went.
Gerard considered Frank’s question for a moment, thinking of his new life and how hard it was adjusting to not thinking about people’s feelings anymore. He supposed not having his wings was helping, but there was still one thing he wanted to do before he lost all sympathy.
He smiled slowly at Frank.
“Maybe. Ask me again in a few centuries.”
“I’ll do that,” Frank promised, leaning in and kissing Gerard.
*
The bedroom was dark as Gerard crept in, feeling more and more like a demon already.
The two figures were asleep in the bed, one with an arm thrown over the other. Gerard had to do this before he lost all sense of humanity and before Bert caught him.
“Mikey,” he whispered as he reached the bed, pushing the figure’s shoulder. Mikey snuffled in his sleep, curling into Ray, but Gerard sighed and nudged again. “Mikey.”
Mikey stirred slowly, blinking up at Gerard.
“Gerard?” he asked, and Gerard quickly shushed him.
“Shh, come here.”
“How did you-where did you go?” Mikey asked as he stumbled out of bed and Gerard ushered him over to the window. Mikey was staring at Gerard, though, instead of looking out. “You’re not an Angel anymore.”
Gerard didn’t know what to say to that.
“Just look out the window,” he said as Mikey looked at him.
It took a second before Mikey turned and glanced out the window.
There on his front lawn stood a gleaming white unicorn, glowing in the dark and nibbling at his hydrangea bushes. Mikey stared for a second then turned but Gerard was gone and there was nothing but darkness.
Frowning, he looked back out the window at the unicorn pawing the ground slowly. After a minute, the creature tossed its head and turned, walking away from the lawn until it was just a speck of light in the distance.
Gerard watched from outside as Mikey lingered in the window for a moment, then finally smiled the tiniest smile before turning and heading back to bed.
Letting out a breath, Gerard glanced up at the sky, taking in the twinkling stars.
“Sorry,” he said quietly. “But I finally found where I really belong.”
The stars only sparkled back at him and he looked away, turning and heading down the long road until the darkness swallowed him and he was home.
*
FIN.
*
A part of Gerard wasn’t sure if anything had changed.
He hadn’t seen Frank in a few days but he hadn’t gone looking either. In all reality, he had no idea where he would go looking for Frank if he wanted to. Where did demons hang out when they were on the surface? Maybe he was back in the underworld.
Ray didn’t mention anything about the way Gerard moped around the new releases, plucking out comics and spending all his days reading instead of doing anything else.
Gerard didn’t know what to do.
Frank had been right, he hated to admit it, but he was. Gerard missed him despite everything he told himself. Frank was a demon and couldn’t be trusted. Gerard still had no idea why Frank was even interested in him or on the surface. For all Frank’s questions about Gerard, he never answered those about himself.
But Gerard still missed his company even if it just meant someone to talk to.
Instead of looking for Frank, though, he stayed in the comic store, ignoring Ray’s questioning looks, and burying himself in a world of superheroes.
Mikey, for his part, didn’t say anything to Gerard, just handed him new comics when he ran out. Gerard didn’t really know what it meant.
He didn’t care, though, and he wondered with a jolt when he’d become so apathetic to the rest of the world.
The bell rang as the door opened and Gerard hardly looked up from where he was reading an old edition of Spiderman. Mikey was at the counter, fiddling with a pen and messing around on the internet.
It wasn’t until Gerard felt a tingle down his spine that he looked up, surprised to see Bob standing in the doorway to the shop. His body blocked the weak sunshine trying to push in and he glanced around. Gerard expected him to go talk to Mikey but was confused when he turned his direction instead.
“Gerard,” Bob greeted him as he strode over and picked at a row of comics. Gerard looked up from his place on an overturned crate, confused.
“Uh, hi,” he replied awkwardly, comic still open.
Bob riffled through the comics slowly, casting a singular sideways glance at Gerard until he sighed and turned to face him completely. Gerard peered around to make sure Mikey wasn’t watching them. He wasn’t - absorbed in the computer.
“Look, Gerard, I had a visit the other day - well, not a visit, but a conversation.” He looked displeased as though he didn’t want to be having those kinds of conversations. Gerard frowned slightly. Who would talk to Bob? Frank? His stomach twisted at the thought. Bob sighed. “I was minding my own business when this extremely hyper and talkative angel popped into my head like he’d been waiting for an invitation.”
“An angel?” Gerard stared. Who would do that? “What did they say?”
Maybe they knew. Gerard’s stomach dropped.
“He was mostly concerned with you and how you were doing. He said he wasn’t allowed to come talk to you himself. He seemed a little nervous that he’d get caught.” Bob rolled his eyes and sighed at Gerard. “You should tell your angel friends that I’m not a messenger.”
“I can’t,” Gerard said helplessly. “I can’t talk to them. It’s forbidden.”
Bob paused, eyeing him carefully and Gerard shifted nervously under his stare. He liked Bob but he was a little intimidating.
“The angel, Brendon, he said I should tell you to be careful.”
“Careful?” Gerard asked nervously. “What do you mean?”
“He didn’t say it explicitly - I think he was afraid of being overheard - but I think he meant Frank. He just said you should be more careful who you talk to because he’s not the only one watching.”
Gerard was screwed. He was never getting back into Heaven. The damage was already done, and now he didn’t have Frank or his old life. He sunk onto the crate, comic falling from his hands. It landed with a smack and Mikey looked up from the computer.
Gerard wasn’t looking at him, though, staring at the dirty tiles. He was done for. It was too late to fix anything.
“Are you okay?” Bob asked slowly, and Gerard shook his head.
“No,” he muttered, dropping his head into his hands. Bob gave him a confused look.
“Is this about Frank?”
“It’s about everything,” Gerard replied, voice muffled by his hands. “And it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m never gonna be redeemed.”
“You could be,” Bob offered but it didn’t mean anything, and Gerard shook his head.
He didn’t speak again and he heard Bob leaving after a few moments, heading up to the counter to talk to Mikey, who was peering over curiously, glasses falling down to the end of his nose.
Gerard ignored them both, though. What was he going to do now?
*
Frank was pissed. And he was bored - not a great combination.
He sat under the eaves of the abandoned house, watching the mist gather and drip off the gutters. There was no one outside, and there never was in this stupid town. Frank was starting to go crazy without anything to do. Going to the bars was boring and the sins were just not as fun when he had nothing to do with them.
Instead, he picked at the wet grass, watching it crumple and die in his hands. He was fucking bored.
Gerard had sent him away and it wasn’t as though Frank intended to stay away, but he had to give Gerard time enough to realize his mistake. Angels could be just as stubborn as demons. The only problem was the waiting. Frank was an impatient demon, like most others, especially when it came to getting something he wanted.
The problem now was that Frank didn’t know what he wanted. He wanted Gerard, of course, but was that all?
Frank needed Gerard. He needed him as leverage to get his place back in hell. He needed Gerard as a symbol of Frank’s worth. No other demon had ever gotten an angel to give up his place in Heaven for one in Hell. It would be legendary, and Bert would have no other choice but to let Frank back in.
On the other hand, Gerard was the most interesting person Frank had talked to in a long time. His mind wasn’t completely focused on bending people to his will. He had secrets that Frank couldn’t figure out and it made him intriguing.
Frank liked the way Gerard shied away from him sometimes, how he clung to him other times, needing something to anchor him in the uncertain human world. He liked that Gerard fought back and wasn’t some sissy angel on earth to “love everyone”.
And of course, Frank didn’t deny that he loved touching Gerard. He liked watching the red marks streak over his body, marked like he was only Frank’s. He liked the way Gerard moaned, trying to suppress his obvious pleasure at something he wasn’t supposed to enjoy.
He smirked to himself as he sat under the dripping eaves, turning the blade of grass over in his hands. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could wait until he had to find Gerard and test his boundaries once more.
He was distracted by his thoughts, though, as a small black bird fluttered down on the crumbling porch railing. It fixed Frank with a disapproving stare, its beady black eyes set on him, feathers ruffling ominously.
Frank sighed, tossing away the grass. “What the fuck do you want, Vicky?”
The bird soared down, twisting into a human form, and Vicky sat primly next to him on the step next to him, fixing her hair.
Frank waited impatiently as she smoothed back her hair and raised an eyebrow at him.
“Where’s your master plan, Frank? I’m getting sick of this little game you and Bert are playing.”
“I’m not playing a game,” Frank said loftily and Vicky scoffed.
“You’re always playing a game. And now Bert’s in it which is bad for the rest of us. He’s about two seconds from locking Quinn up. Quinn and Jepha have been fucking like rabbits and you know how Bert feels about that.”
“Bert needs to get some,” Frank replied flippantly and Vicky’s expression darkened.
“Bert can’t fix this, Frankie, and I know you know that. What I don’t understand is how you affected a first hierarchy demon like this. Your powers don’t extend that far.”
Frank smirked. “People surprise you.”
“You don’t surprise me,” Vicky replied, “you annoy me. If Bert locks up Quinn, he gets Jepha back to himself, as it should be.”
“So why are you telling me this?” Frank asked, bored, and flicking at the grass again.
“Because you did something to them and Bert can’t take it back. He needs you back but he won’t take you back unless you offer something better. So where is that something, Frank?”
“I’m working on it,” he said, thinking of Gerard.
Vicky watched him closely, then reached for his chin, turning him to face her. Her fingers burned into his skin and he flinched. It wasn’t anything like when he touched Gerard. This was pure malice leaking from her. Vicky had more power than she let on too.
“If you don’t get it, I will, and I won’t be nearly as nice as you might be.”
Frank glared at Vicky for a second as she arched an eyebrow challengingly.
“What’s in it for you anyway?” he asked, and she jerked his head up.
“Peace of mind, and I’ll be able to stop making these little runs to the surface. They ruin my hair.”
“You’re working for Bert?”
Vicky sneered, shaking his head slowly with her hand and patting his cheek. “We’re all working for Bert, Frankie. Some of us are just more loyal than others. If you don’t hurry up, I’ll bring Gabe up here and we’ll see what we can do about your little ‘plan’.”
She released him slowly and Frank glared. If Gabe came up, they’d find out all about Gerard. Gabe had his own little power that Bert liked to exploit quite often, sending him to get information out of the quietest people. Gabe didn’t even have to open his mouth, although he certainly liked to, to see into other people’s minds. Unfortunately, Gabe’s power worked on all hierarchies which Frank knew Bert appreciated and also feared.
“You can tell Gabe to stay where he is,” he told Vicky, standing up and brushing off his jeans. “I’ll get what I need and you’ll get your spot back. And if everything goes according to plan, I’ll get more than just my spot.”
Vicky eyed him suspiciously. “Don’t tell me what you’re planning. I think I’d prefer to be in the dark about this one.”
“Oh, you will be,” Frank assured her with a smirk. He twisted into a beetle and buzzed out into the mist, leaving Vicky behind.
*
Gerard didn’t like the nighttime, he’d decided. He’d never particularly understood humans’ fear of it before, but now that he spent day and night on earth, he could see where they would fear it.
As he lay awake in his bed, staring at the dark ceiling, listening the light pitter-pat of rain against the window, he sighed to himself. His life wasn’t getting any better. Now he didn’t have any of his friends, he didn’t have Frank, he didn’t have anything. All he had were his drawings and those hadn’t been any help so far. In fact, if it weren’t for them, none of this ever would have happened.
He could hear the distant rush of cars on the street below, mingled with the rain, and his wings rustled restlessly. He hated having to sit there all night with nothing to do.
A tinny buzzing reached his ears as he laid there, probably a fly that got in somehow, and he sighed, turning over on the bed, blinking across the room at the arm chair. His sketchbook had been sitting on top but it was now gone.
Frowning, Gerard pushed himself up slowly.
“These aren’t half-bad.”
Gerard jerked up at Frank’s voice, searching wildly for him. His eyes slid over all the dark corners until he found Frank leaned up against the wall by the door, flipping through his sketchbook casually.
“What are you doing?” Gerard asked, heart pounding in his chest with each page Frank flipped.
Frank didn’t pause, chewing on his lip ring and crossing his ankles as he stood there.
“Getting to the bottom of this.”
He flipped the sketchbook closed and glanced up at Gerard. Gerard’s eyes were glued to the notebook which Frank tossed away carelessly. It landed with a slap on the armchair. Frank came over as Gerard sat up carefully.
“Zombies, vampires, horrific deaths,” Frank commented slowly and Gerard felt his heart sinking like a stone into his stomach. “I can see why they wouldn’t like that.”
Gerard shook his head. “It’s not a sin.”
Frank took a second before plopping down on the bed beside Gerard and scooting to lean back against the wall. Gerard looked uneasy, licking his lips and watching Frank. Frank glanced at him sideways, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.
“Did you expect them to jump for joy? Maybe give you a new halo?”
Gerard frowned, sliding down onto the bed and sighing. He picked at the comforter.
“No. They weren’t supposed to know. I don’t do it a lot, but sometimes I just see things and I have to put them down or I’ll forget. Sometimes I have to remember that world isn’t as perfect as we’re supposed to make it. They didn’t understand.”
“Why the fuck did you let them kick you out then?” Frank asked, watching Gerard flinch at his language.
“It’s not something you can stop. I deserve my punishment.”
“You don’t deserve to be treated like a disobedient pet. You’re not a pet.”
“No, but I’m part of something bigger and I did something wrong.” Gerard glanced over. “What do you care anyway? You’re just a demon. Your only goal is to make people sinners, to corrupt them in some way.”
“Have I corrupted you?” Frank asked and Gerard hesitated, not meeting Frank’s eyes. Frank paused for a second before pushing off the wall and crawling the few feet that separated them. Gerard looked down at the bed as Frank appeared in front of him. Frank licked his lip ring, tongue sliding over the shiny metal before he reached for Gerard, fingers sliding under his chin much as Vicky had done, but far gentler. “Have I?”
Gerard could already feel the warmth spreading through him at Frank’s touch as his chin was lifted and he was forced to meet Frank’s eyes.
Frank was waiting, fingers sliding against his skin lightly, eyes scraping over his face.
“Yes,” Gerard whispered finally, dropping his gaze. “You know that. It was your plan all along, wasn’t it?”
“You don’t know anything about my plans,” Frank replied softly, and Gerard looked up. “But I could let you in one.”
Gerard looked skeptical and didn’t lean back as Frank moved forward, his hand sliding down to the back of his neck as he kissed him.
One thing Frank liked about Gerard was that he didn’t fight too hard. He was willing to let Frank take control and push closer, sliding his tongue in his mouth and kissing him like he’d never kissed anyone before.
Gerard wasn’t sure why Frank was doing this, but it still felt good. It sparked something in him that he’d never felt before, something he probably wasn’t supposed to have felt.
He let Frank push against him, fingers tight in his hair, tilting his head back, tongue licking into his mouth until Gerard whimpered. He let Frank slide his free hand under his shirt, brushing up his spine, grazing against invisible feathers as he shuddered underneath him.
Frank nudged Gerard back, biting his bottom lip, climbing on top of him and wriggling down against his hips.
Gerard fell back against the bed, liking the way Frank’s weight sank down on top of him, warm and comforting in a way he’d never felt before. Even if Frank was a demon, he did have some creature comforts that Gerard appreciated.
“Gee,” Frank muttered as he pushed his hips down and Gerard’s followed. Gerard’s eyes fluttered open as his nickname, one he hadn’t heard in months. “I want you to come down with me.”
Gerard froze, pushing at Frank’s arms, but Frank was heavier than he looked and he just pulled away to arch an eyebrow at Gerard.
“What?” Gerard asked dimly, staring up at Frank, his mouth red and swollen, tongue darting out to his lip ring.
“I want you to come down with me.” He jerked his head at the floor as if Gerard didn’t know perfectly well what ‘down’ meant.
“Are you insane?” Gerard spluttered. “Why would I ever do that?”
“Because you’re not up there anymore,” Frank replied, dragging a hand up Gerard’s arm and watching the red streak follow. “You’re not an angel, but you’re not a human either. You don’t belong on earth.”
Gerard grasped for words that didn’t come as he stared at Frank. It was ludicrous and he’d never. Frank was evil. He couldn’t do that. Frank didn’t look evil, though, not as he stared down at Gerard.
“Why do you want me to come?” Gerard asked slowly and Frank shrugged.
“I’ll get bored without you.”
Gerard tried to push himself out from under Frank and only succeeded in scooting back a little. “And eventually you’ll get bored of me and then what? I’ll be stuck down there with no chance of ever getting out.”
“No,” Frank replied simply, pulling Gerard back and pressing a kiss to his jaw. “If you were to say yes, because as much as I’d like to, I can’t force you - some stupid power balance thing - you wouldn’t be asking me that question.”
“What’s the rest of your plan?” Gerard asked uneasily, but Frank sighed, breath fluttering over his skin, and he could feel his resolve slipping.
“You know Bert is the biggest, baddest wolf of the underworld, right?” Frank asked and Gerard nodded slowly, eyes fluttering shut as Frank dipped down, pressing kisses down his neck and over his collar bone. He shook himself, though. He couldn’t let Frank talk him into anything. “Well, he’s not the baddest. He has weaknesses, just like everyone else. There’s only one perfect person in the world, and even we know he’s not perfect. He kicked you out after all.”
“What does Bert have to do with anything?” Gerard asked breathlessly, but he pulled himself out of it, gazing at Frank. “Didn’t he send you here?”
“Bert has no idea I’m here,” Frank replied simply. “And unless you say yes, he’ll never know.”
“So if I said no, you’d leave me alone?” Gerard asked carefully and Frank smirked, shaking his head.
“No. Haven’t you learned anything about demons yet? We don’t give up what we want.”
“Frank,” Gerard started softly, but Frank silenced him with a kiss.
He pushed down against Gerard, kissing him until Gerard was panting for breath and arching up into him.
“Frank,” he whispered again, a rush of air over Frank’s chin, and Frank smirked slowly.
“I’ll let you think about, but just remember that even if I have plans, they might not be bad for you. They might be pretty fucking good if you consider it.”
Gerard didn’t know what that meant, but Frank was doing that thing with his tongue that turned his brain to jelly and he just gasped and closed his eyes. He’d think about it later.
*
He could clip his wings. He could opt out of whatever holy purpose he had been created for and take the long, dark fall to something he’d never considered. It scared Gerard, the thought of what might happen if he were to take Frank at his word and go with him.
If he did, he’d never be allowed anywhere near Heaven. He’d be stuck as one of Bert’s minions forever with only Frank’s word that he had a plan. Gerard had learned long ago never to trust the word of a demon.
The thing was that he did kind of trust Frank even though he was a demon and even though he was being so secretive about everything. Maybe it wasn’t trust. Maybe it was just… desire, but Gerard couldn’t tell anymore. There was something about Frank that was different and he just couldn’t pinpoint it.
He still hadn’t given Frank an answer even though Frank had shown up every night that week, usually flipping through his sketchbook, occasionally lying next to him and listening to Gerard talk. Gerard didn’t even know what they talked about really except that Frank always listened and occasionally stroked a hand through his hair. It felt comfortable, something Gerard had lacked since coming down to earth. It felt like how it used to be.
Gerard didn’t talk to anyone while he worked, lost in his own thoughts as he organized the comics wrong and ignored the strange looks Ray gave him when he had to fix it. This had all been a bad idea. He should have left as soon as he met Frank.
“Do you believe in unicorns?”
Gerard nearly dropped the comic he was holding as Mikey’s voice sounded beside him.
The shop was empty on the dreary Wednesday afternoon and Ray had gone to a dentist’s appointment. It was just he and Mikey left, and Gerard tried to calm his pounding heart as he set down the comic and glanced at Mikey.
“What?”
“Unicorns,” Mikey replied blithely. “Do you believe in them?”
“I-I don’t know,” Gerard stuttered, confused. “Why?”
Mikey shrugged. “They’re not mentioned in the Bible. Does that mean they’re not real?”
Gerard didn’t know what to say. “The Bible doesn’t talk about everything.”
Mikey shrugged again, pushing his glasses up. “Does that mean you don’t believe in them?”
Gerard had been around long enough to know what had and hadn’t existed but he honestly didn’t find it that important and wondered why Mikey did.
“What does it matter?”
“I just thought you might know, since, you know, you’re an Angel.”
Gerard stared for a second. “W-what?”
Mikey wasn’t even fazed, reorganizing the comics and not glancing up.
“You’re an Angel. I thought it was weird at first but I guess it’s really not.”
Gerard couldn’t believe this was happening. How did Mikey know?
“What-what are you talking about?” he stuttered nervously, and Mikey blinked at him slowly from behind his lenses. His expression gave away nothing and Gerard could feel his heart pounding more and more nervously as the seconds ticked by.
“Frank’s not an Angel,” he said after a second, and Gerard could only stare. “I’m not sure what he is except that he likes you. But you don’t like him. Well, no, you’re scared of him.”
Gerard could feel the panic rising as Mikey paused, almost thoughtfully, but he was still looking at the comics and Gerard didn’t know what to do or say. How did Mikey know?!
Mikey glanced at him finally.
“What color are your wings?”
This was not happening, Gerard told himself firmly.
“I-I don’t have wings.”
“Of course you do,” Mikey replied simply. “Does Frank?”
Gerard glanced around quickly but the store was still as empty now as it had been when Mikey first started talking.
“How do you know?”
Mikey just shrugged. “So what’s wrong with Frank?”
“He’s…” Gerard hesitated, trying to find the right word to describe. He couldn’t come up with anything other than ‘evil’ and that just didn’t quite fit. There was something more to Frank. “Complicated.”
“Bad complicated?”
“I don’t know anymore,” Gerard admitted with a sigh, flopping back against the stack of comics. “Maybe I should just do what he wants. What more could happen to me? I’m screwed either way.”
Mikey was silent for a moment, picking through the comics, and Gerard was sure he didn’t understand any of this. Finally, Mikey pushed up his glasses again.
“At least one way you’re with Frank,” he said finally, casting Gerard a brief glance before he plucked out a comic and headed back for the register.
Gerard watched him go, a frown marring his face, but he had to admit that Mikey had a point.
*
Frank needed an answer, and as content he was to let Gerard think about things, he was growing impatient. It wasn’t so much the impatience as the creeping nervousness he felt whenever he thought about Bert and how his plan needed to go. He needed Gerard to say yes first, though. Without Gerard he was screwed, and even with him, he might be.
Glancing sideways as he walked, shoes brushing over the wet grass, Frank watched Gerard beside him. It was after dark and Frank had somehow managed to convince Gerard to take a walk with him rather than sitting in his depressing little apartment above the comic shop.
Gerard hadn’t spoken much since they’d left and Frank could feel the prickle of unease hanging in the air. He honestly didn’t know what to say, which was strange for him. He always knew what to say to get what he wanted. It was one of his talents, but something about Gerard stole all that away from him.
His eyes lingered on the dim white glow surrounding Gerard, somehow dimmer than he remembered. He watched the way Gerard kept his eyes on the grass, passing by park benches without even a second glance.
As they passed under a pool of yellow light from one of the lamps lining the path, Frank stopped and Gerard glanced at him slowly.
“What are we doing?” Frank asked suddenly, voice too loud in the empty park.
“Walking?” Gerard guessed uncertainly watching Frank huff and reach for his wrist.
“Fuck that. I mean have you decided? Or are you just going to string me along forever until I have to revert to a plan B? Who knew Angels could be so cruel.”
Gerard stared for a second as Frank dropped his wrist and kicked the ground. The few wet leaves scattered there blackened and crumpled. Gerard licked his lips nervously.
“You still haven’t said why you want me to come with you,” he said finally and Frank huffed. “Why haven’t you just tricked me into it? Demons are good at that.”
“Because not all demons trick,” Frank replied. “Listen, Gee, this is different than anything I’ve done before. And I need you to say yes. I need you to come with me.”
“You need me,” Gerard repeated slowly, and Frank’s eyebrows furrowed as he watched Gerard. Something else was going on that he couldn’t pinpoint.
He took a step forward, a hand brushing softly over Gerard’s jaw as he tilted his head to look at him. Gerard looked nervous and Frank could practically feel the way his heart was beating. It did strange things to him as they stood there, encapsulated in the moment, in the rushing of the wind through the dark trees, of the leaves rustling on the ground, the light flickering overhead.
Then he felt it, the jolt somewhere in his heart as he stared at Gerard, watching his hair flop in his eyes in the wind, the way he licked his lips slowly. Oh fuck. This was not happening, but it was too late.
He said it before he even stopped to consider the real meaning, said it before he could stop himself and take it back.
“I want you to come with me.”
He knew instantly it was the right thing to say as Gerard’s eyes lifted to his and he almost smiled.
“You’re not lying?” he asked after a minute and Frank sighed, brushing his fingers up Gerard’s jaw.
“You’re an Angel. You tell me.”
“It’s hard to tell sometimes,” Gerard admitted quietly and Frank sighed, shuffling forward.
It was too quiet in the park as they stood there, bathed in yellow light, and Frank pulled Gerard in closer. “I need - want - you to come with me. And not just because of my plan. But if you tell anyone that, I swear to all Hell and back you’ll regret it.”
Gerard smiled despite his warning, wondering how he could be happy that a demon just told him that. Instead, he just shook his head.
“You do have a heart.”
“Told you,” Frank muttered, leaning in to kiss Gerard slowly.
Frank was screwed, he thought as he stood there with Gerard, kissing him deeply and thinking about what the fuck he was going to do about Bert. He still had his plan to go through, his plan that he hadn’t told Gerard about.
“So is this a yes?” he asked quietly, pulling back, and he saw Gerard hesitate.
“But I don’t even know why you want me to go,” he replied, swallowing and glancing around at a soft rustle of leaves. Frank wasn’t bothered, though, waiting impatiently. “What would happen if I did? Bert won’t like me.”
“Bert doesn’t like anyone,” Frank corrected. Except one, he added silently. “You’d just have to trust me.”
“And why would I do that?” Gerard asked logically. “It seems a little crazy, don’t you think, for me to trust a demon.”
“You angels are all about feelings,” Frank replied. “Maybe you should trust those.”
Gerard paused. He hadn’t decided one way or the other yet, but Frank was still waiting. He didn’t answer, though, as he heard the rustle again. Frowning, he glanced behind him, squinting into the dark bushes. He thought for a second he saw a flash of a black cat’s tail winding away but he couldn’t be sure.
“Frank, what’s really going on?”
Frank rolled his eyes. “You’re always so suspicious.”
Gerard gave him a look and Frank sighed.
“Alright, fine, I’ll give you that I am a demon but still. Not all of our plots are backhanded.”
Gerard still frowned and Frank shook his head, pushing his hair back.
“Okay, fine, most of them are, but what does it matter? You’re not gonna get hurt.”
Gerard somehow didn’t believe that even if Frank gave him a small smile and patted his cheek lightly. Sighing, he felt his wings rustle uneasily and he glanced around.
“Frank, I think there’s something-”
Before he even finished the sentence, a woman appeared behind Frank, grabbing his arms and pinning them behind his back, one arm around his neck.
Frank stiffened at the tight grip while the woman leaned in around him.
“Time’s up, Frank,” she told him simply, and Gerard stumbled back slightly as her eyes fell on him, glittering darkly in the dim light. She paused, eyes scanning down him, and he knew immediately that she was another demon. “So this is your plan.”
Frank struggled uselessly against Vicky’s grip, but she had him clamped tightly and her malice was leaking into him, making him weak.
“I’m not done yet, Vicky,” he snapped, twisting, and she just tightened her grip. Gerard looked fearful as Frank tossed him a look, trying to communicate wordlessly.
Vicky jerked him painfully back and he winced. “You are done. Bert’s tired and impatient. He wants things fixed and he’s not willing for you to bring back some sacrifice even if it is a pure little angel. How’d you manage that?”
Frank glared and Gerard just stared. He knew he should get out of there before more demons showed up to carry Frank off to the underworld. He couldn’t, though, as he heard Vicky’s words and watched Frank struggle against what was obviously a steel-tight hold.
“I thought you said Bert didn’t know,” he said, words rushing out before he could stop.
Frank tossed him a look, telling him firmly to shut up.
Vicky laughed, cold and sharp in the darkness and jerked Frank as he tried to wriggle free.
“What have you told him, Frankie? Does he know about your punishment? Does he know you fucked over the boss and now you need help? Poor, little angel.” Her tone was sympathetic but she was smirking darkly as Frank glared back at her.
Gerard was confused more than ever now, watching Frank struggle uselessly.
“Fuck off, Vicky,” Frank growled. “You have no idea what I’m planning.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore,” she replied sharply. “I’m taking you back and your little angel gets lucky.” She looked at Gerard, who stumbled back a step. “So run along back to wherever it is you go. You’re not needed here.”
She turned, jerking Frank along with her, who growled at the rough treatment.
“Watch it.” He glanced back at Gerard, who just looked bewildered and lost, staring after. Frank wanted to say something to him but he couldn’t find any words as Vicky shoved him forward. “What’s Bert planning?”
“Well, since you’re coming back empty-handed, I doubt he’ll be pleased. I’m thinking chains, lots and lots of chains.”
Frank’s eyes widened. “Wait, fuck, Vicky! Just let me-”
She yanked on him viciously and he cringed. “No, Frank. You’ve had your time. You’ve had plenty of time away to figure what to do, how to get back on his good side, but you’ve failed and I am sick of doing your job.”
“He’s the one who sent me here,” Frank argued as she forced him further and further away from Gerard. Frank’s heart sunk as he thought that there was no saving him now. He was at Bert’s mercy without any sort of leverage. Gerard wouldn’t help. Gerard was being given an out and if he was smart, he’d take it and leave Frank to his fate, the fate he’d created for himself.
Vicky scoffed. “You did nothing short of asking for it. Someday you’ll learn why there are hierarchies, but in the meantime, you’ll never get out of yours.”
Gerard watched helplessly as Vicky dragged Frank away, and he caught the last look Frank tossed to him before the darkness swallowed them both.
He was floored.
He had no idea what to do. Should he go after Frank and trust that he really did have a plan that didn’t involve Bert chaining him up for the rest of eternity? Or should he pretend none of this ever happened and try for redemption in a few hundred years?
As he stood there in the rustling wind, darkness pressing in on all sides, Frank’s voice came back to him, whispering through the trees.
I want you…
Gerard had never been wanted by anyone before. He’d been needed by the humans he’d helped, but he’d never been wanted.
As he stood there, he didn’t know what to do. Frank was gone to somewhere Gerard had never dared to even think about before.
He needed advice or help or something. He couldn’t just rush off. Turning, he glanced around to make sure he was truly alone, and uncloaked his wings. He felt so much freer as they stretched behind him, free for the first time in months. He cast one last glance around him before he took off, gliding silently into the night.
*
The shop was dark as Gerard peered in the window. He wondered if anyone was there or if this had all been in vain. He was about ready to revert to some sort of plan B when a light clicked on in the back and he perked up, craning to see.
Bob lumbered out from the back looking tired and not even surprised when he caught sight of Gerard, face pressed to the front window. Instead, he just sighed and headed for the door.
“Knew you’d be here sooner or later,” he grumbled as he opened the door and Gerard stumbled in, fidgeting nervously.
“They took Frank,” he burst out and Bob merely yawned and turned to go make some tea or coffee or something. Gerard trailed after him helplessly. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Be thankful the demon’s gone?” Bob responded tiredly, but Gerard didn’t like that answer.
“But this girl, she just dragged him off and was talking about chains and punishment and… Bert.”
Bob didn’t seem phased as he sighed and turned to Gerard. “What do you want me to say? You shouldn’t go after him? He’s evil? He’s planning something and this could all be a part of it? What?”
Gerard stared, searching for words he didn’t have, and Bob scrubbed at his hair.
“We both know why you’re here.”
“Why?” Gerard asked, confused, mind flitting to Frank again. They could be torturing him as they spoke and Bob was not being helpful at all.
“You want someone to tell you it’s the right thing to do.”
“What? No, I-”
“You want a pat on the head like all the other angels get when they do the right thing and lead someone the right way. Well, I’m not God and I can’t do that for you. All I can do is ask why you even care.”
Gerard stared but Bob shrugged and waited.
He didn’t know why, but he had to help Frank. He had to do something even if it wasn’t his fault, even if Frank had been plotting this all along. He couldn’t leave him to some wretched fate.
“Because Frank’s not all evil and-and everyone deserves a second chance.”
Bob arched an eyebrow. “Frank is a demon and has been for thousands of years. A leopard can’t change its spots.”
“Fine, then, I just, I just have to help him because he’s helped me and I don’t care if it’s some game he’s playing. It doesn’t feel like a game and I can’t let Bert chain him up for eternity.”
Bob reached for the kettle as it whistled. “Then why are you here? Waking me up in the middle of the night.”
Gerard paused. “I don’t know. I have to go.”
Bob just nodded, pouring himself a cup of sleep-inducing tea and sighing as Gerard left through the front door.
“Neurotic angels,” he muttered as he turned and headed back upstairs to bed.
*
Frank was not scared… he was fucking terrified, but he didn’t let it show as Vicky led the way down the torch-lit hallway towards the Office.
Vicky paused as they reached the door and turned back to Frank, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him a calculating look.
“What were you going to do if you’re plan had worked?” she asked after a minute and Frank straightened up.
“What makes you think it hasn’t?” he replied and she scoffed, giving him a push towards the door.
“Your Angel’s not here and Bert’s about to give you the punishment of a lifetime.”
Reaching up, she knocked twice with the large knocker and stepped back as the doors swung open slowly. She gave Frank a hard nudge and he stumbled in before her, shooting her a glare as he did so.
The Office was just the same as always and Frank ignored the lesser demons scurrying around. He kept his eyes on the ground as they approached Bert’s throne and Vicky cleared her throat, bowing her head.
“I’ve brought him,” she said calmly, and Frank chanced a glance up at Bert, who was perched in his throne, dark and brooding as he glared down at Frank.
“Leave,” Bert commanded and Vicky stepped back quickly, shooting Frank a knowing smirk as she left and Bert dropped down from his throne.
Frank reminded himself to be calm. He could fix this, Gerard or no.
He didn’t speak as Bert circled him like a hyena circling its prey, sniffing for signs of weakness.
Finally, Bert paused in front of him, eyes narrowed. “You have sway over lust, Frank,” he said finally, voice low and foreboding, and Frank just took a breath, staring straight ahead and waiting. “You’re a second hierarchy demon but somehow your power extends further than that. You’re special, you know?”
Frank didn’t respond, knowing Bert didn’t want one. He had a point somewhere and he’d get to it when Frank was good and terrified.
“I sent you to the surface to get a little perspective. Have you?”
Frank nodded slowly. “Yes.”
Bert paused, eyeing him distastefully. “And I suppose you’ve heard what your mischief has got up to down here.”
Frank didn’t smirk but nodded again.
“Quinn’s in chains,” Bert said and Frank winced at the thought. Bert smirked, satisfied. “Good to know something scares you.”
Frank swallowed slowly. “I’m not the only one.”
Bert glanced at him sharply, suspiciously. He ignored it for the moment, though.
“I’ve only had you brought back to fix your mess,” he said harshly. “You are in no way forgiven and your future isn’t looking much better than some shiny chains yourself.”
Frank’s heart stumbled over a beat as he stood there, fists curling in as he waited for the rest of it. He needed Gerard.
*
Gerard was lost, which was not completely unexpected given that it was Hell and he’d never been there before.
Everything was dark except for burning torches on walls, and Gerard cringed every time a yell of pain or anguish came wailing up the hallway. He was sure he stood out, what with the white glow, but he’d cloaked his wings again and he needed find Frank. Heaven knew what they were doing to him.
As a pair of demons came striding up the hall, Gerard pressed himself into a corner, holding his breath and squeezing his eyes shut.
“Frank’s gonna get it good,” one was saying, thoroughly enjoying it it seemed. “Bert is super pissed.”
“Frank’s always got some shit up his sleeve. You know that, Pete,” the other said, and Gerard cracked open his eyes, peering out at the two demons, one towering over the other as they walked. “But what I wouldn’t give to watch Frank talking his way out of this one. He’s almost got me beat.”
“Did I just hear you, Gabe, demon of coercion, actually admit that someone was better than him?”
“Fuck you, Pete,” the demon replied, giving him a shove as they walked. “Let’s go to the Office and see if we can slip in and watch the show.”
Their voices faded down the corridor and Gerard poked his head out, watching as they left. Slipping out, he kept close to the walls and began to follow them, hoping Frank was on the other end of this.
*
Bert reached out for Frank, jerking his chin up, a little too painful, and Frank winced.
“You will fix Jepha,” he said calmly, “and if anything goes wrong, you’ll be in chains for the rest of eternity.”
Frank nodded slowly. His plan was falling apart with no leverage, and he’d give anything for Gerard to be there right now, even just to see him one last time. The way things were going, he wouldn’t be allowed up in the human world or any other world any time soon.
At the sound of the large door opening, Bert looked up sharply.
“Pete, Gabe!” he snapped sharply. “Get out!”
“I told you,” Pete muttered, and Frank didn’t look over, focusing on the ground and trying to think how he was going to get out of this one. He was pretty much out of options the way he saw it.
The door creaked shut again but Bert’s attention was already back on Frank.
“As I was saying, you will fix Jepha and then you’ll go into chains yourself.”
“What about my spot?” Frank asked finally. “And Quinn’s. What will you do about that?”
“That’s not your concern,” Bert replied sharply, but Frank knew Bert had no real answer for that. Chaining up higher level demons wasn’t just something he could do on a regular basis, and the lower levels weren’t fit for promotions.
This was Frank’s only chance and he had to take it as Bert paused.
“What if I had a solution?”
Bert scoffed, turning back to him and reaching for his hair, giving it a painful tug. “You are in the doghouse, Frankie. Unless you’ve got God himself hidden in your pants, there’s no solution.”
Frank hesitated, but there was no other option.
“What if I said I had an Angel?” he said finally and he saw the way Bert paused.
“An Angel?” he scoffed after a minute. “And what would that do?”
Frank bit his lip, raising his chin. “I give you the Angel in exchange for Quinn’s spot.”
Bert’s eyes narrowed. “What makes you think you could get an Angel to even set foot down here? You may be a demon but you’re not that charming. Lust only lasts for so long before it runs out.”
“I could get him,” Frank assured him, heart pounding furiously. “If I get him, I get Quinn’s place and he gets mine.”
Bert actually laughed, cold and sharp, the sound bouncing off the walls. The lesser demons cast frightened looks in their direction and scurried away quickly. Frank waited uneasily as Bert shook his head at him, a dark smirk twisting his lips.
“What is your little plan, Frankie? You give me a present and I forgive you?”
Frank shrugged. It had always worked in the past. Bert paused and then his eyes narrowed.
“You’re a liar, Frank, and liars go to Hell.”
“I’m already here,” Frank replied, and he only had a second to brace himself before the blinding pain scorched through his body.
He fell with a thump to the floor, curling in himself as knives pricked at his skin and Bert just stared down on top of him, watching him thrash around, panting and gritting his teeth against the pain, the stabbing, the feeling of fire licking at his skin. He’d only been punished like this from Bert before but it felt worse now as he groaned in pain.
“Stop!”
A voice interrupted Frank’s inner monologue of, “Fuck, fuck, kill me now,” and he squeezed his eyes shut as the pain finally ended and he lay on the ground, panting into the stone floor and clutching at his stomach.
His arms felt like lead as he tried to push himself up and look around for who had spoken. They shook violently as he climbed onto his knees and caught sight of Bert.
Bert was staring unabashed at someone running across the room. Frank could hear the clatter of footsteps.
“Frank, are you okay?”
A steadier arm was hauling Frank up and Frank’s eyes widened as he caught sight of Gerard.
“How the fuck did you get down here?” he asked as he brushed Gerard away once he was on his feet.
Gerard shrugged, eying Bert cautiously. “You guys should really up your security.”
Frank glanced at Bert, whose eyes were quickly narrowing.
“What is this?” he hissed, and Frank grimaced but looked him in the eye.
“It’s my deal,” he said, pushing Gerard behind him, which Gerard was all too willing to do as Bert glared at him. “My trade.”
Gerard glanced at Frank, but he knew that Frank had a plan. It was obvious now, especially from the way Bert paused, glancing between them, a sour look on his face.
“He’s not clipped,” Bert sneered and Gerard frowned as Frank straightened up.
“He will be, but only if this is the deal.” He paused, thinking exactly how to word it so there were no loopholes involved. “In exchange for Gerard’s wings, he takes up my place in the second hierarchy. And in exchange for Gerard, I take Quinn’s place in the first hierarchy. You know my powers already extend that far.”
Bert eyed them both, clearly angry at the way Frank had set it all up. Gerard hovered behind Frank, unsure if this was really what he wanted, but when Frank’s hand reached back and closed around his wrist, he knew there was no turning back.
Frank waited for Bert, waited to find out if it had been a good enough plan. Vicky was going to kill him later if it worked. He’d be ahead of her and everyone else.
“He’s going to be a distraction for you,” Bert said finally. “I can see it.”
“Please,” Frank scoffed. “I take my job seriously. And besides, if I’ve got one then Jepha is safe.”
Bert’s eyes narrowed and he advanced on Frank. Frank didn’t step back but took a nervous breath. “You are in my control, Frankie. You’d do well to remember that. One snap of my fingers and no one ever sees you again.”
“And you’re left with two unfilled spots,” Frank pointed out, “that lesser demons can’t fill.”
He knew he’d won when Bert glared and a twitch of pain stole through his leg, just a reminder. Bert turned his dark eyes to Gerard, whose eyes widened.
“Clip them,” he ordered him, and Frank turned to Gerard.
“Now?” Gerard asked nervously, and Frank bit his lip ring, lowering his voice.
“Do you want to live through this? We won, now just do what he says.”
Gerard nodded slowly, and his wings rustled in protest at the pain that was to come. He hated to think about it, but Frank was giving him a pleading look, and he knew it had to happen. It had to happen if either of them had any chance of survival.
“What are you waiting for?” Bert snapped. “Unless you’ve changed your mind.”
“No, no,” Frank assured him, grabbing Gerard and pushing him over to the wall. He whispered in his ear as they went. “Okay, it didn’t go quite as planned, but you’re here and I’m here, and if you do this, you’ll belong somewhere again. Don’t you want that? It’s not exactly Heaven but it’s got its perks. And you’ll be second hierarchy which means no heavy lifting, no dealing with messy stuff. You just get to collect souls and as long as you do that, Bert’s happy. And we want to keep Bert happy.”
Gerard nodded slowly as they stopped and Frank turned him around to face the wall.
“You know,” Gerard said slowly as Frank pulled off his shirt, reaching for his wings and feeling them shiver under his touch. “I never thought I’d fall… especially for a demon.”
Frank caught his small smile and bit his lip again. “Uncloak your wings. This is gonna hurt.”
Bert was watching and Frank didn’t look back at him as Gerard did as he was told and braced his hands against the wall. He glanced sideways at Frank.
“Will I feel the same… afterwards?”
Frank paused, pushing up his sleeves. “It might tingle… but yeah, you’ll feel the same.” He almost smiled and Gerard caught the twitch of his mouth as he nodded and turned back, squeezing his eyes shut.
Somewhere in the depths of the halls, Pete and Gabe looked up at the wrenched cry echoing down the corridor. Gabe smirked at Pete.
“Looks like someone lost his last appeal.”
*
“I feel naked.”
“That’s because you are,” Frank replied, kissing his way up Gerard’s torso and smirking at him when Gerard sighed.
“I meant without my wings,” he said and Frank sighed, teeth scraping along his jaw.
“You’ll get used to it. So how is it? Everything okay?”
“What if it wasn’t?” Gerard asked, pushing his fingers into Frank’s hair. “What would you do?”
Frank shrugged. “Not much to do anymore.” He pushed Gerard up against the wall in the dark little room as Gerard sighed. “You’re not having second thoughts now, are you? We got off incredibly easy considering how bad I fucked up everything down here before I left.”
“You didn’t give Bert much of a choice,” Gerard pointed out, and Frank smirked, kissing him deeply.
“That’s the point,” he murmured as he pulled away. “Don’t give them a choice and they can’t make one. So was it worth it?”
Gerard looked at him for a moment and Frank waited, pushing his hair from his eyes. He didn’t know what made him want to do this with Gerard, but he did. He was like some stupid love-sick human but he honestly didn’t care because Gerard was still there and things had turned out alright.
Gerard’s wings were gone and where they’d been cut was still healing. Frank knew it might take a few decades for Gerard to get over the pain and really move on, but he was doing pretty well as things went.
Gerard considered Frank’s question for a moment, thinking of his new life and how hard it was adjusting to not thinking about people’s feelings anymore. He supposed not having his wings was helping, but there was still one thing he wanted to do before he lost all sympathy.
He smiled slowly at Frank.
“Maybe. Ask me again in a few centuries.”
“I’ll do that,” Frank promised, leaning in and kissing Gerard.
*
The bedroom was dark as Gerard crept in, feeling more and more like a demon already.
The two figures were asleep in the bed, one with an arm thrown over the other. Gerard had to do this before he lost all sense of humanity and before Bert caught him.
“Mikey,” he whispered as he reached the bed, pushing the figure’s shoulder. Mikey snuffled in his sleep, curling into Ray, but Gerard sighed and nudged again. “Mikey.”
Mikey stirred slowly, blinking up at Gerard.
“Gerard?” he asked, and Gerard quickly shushed him.
“Shh, come here.”
“How did you-where did you go?” Mikey asked as he stumbled out of bed and Gerard ushered him over to the window. Mikey was staring at Gerard, though, instead of looking out. “You’re not an Angel anymore.”
Gerard didn’t know what to say to that.
“Just look out the window,” he said as Mikey looked at him.
It took a second before Mikey turned and glanced out the window.
There on his front lawn stood a gleaming white unicorn, glowing in the dark and nibbling at his hydrangea bushes. Mikey stared for a second then turned but Gerard was gone and there was nothing but darkness.
Frowning, he looked back out the window at the unicorn pawing the ground slowly. After a minute, the creature tossed its head and turned, walking away from the lawn until it was just a speck of light in the distance.
Gerard watched from outside as Mikey lingered in the window for a moment, then finally smiled the tiniest smile before turning and heading back to bed.
Letting out a breath, Gerard glanced up at the sky, taking in the twinkling stars.
“Sorry,” he said quietly. “But I finally found where I really belong.”
The stars only sparkled back at him and he looked away, turning and heading down the long road until the darkness swallowed him and he was home.
*
FIN.