Let Us Sing A Golden Afternoon
Title: Let Us Sing A Golden Afternoon ( or The one where Frank is a sexually frustrated closet bookworm)
Pairings: Frank X Gerard (The others shall be surprises because I can.)
Rating: R
Music:
All in a golden afternoon- Alice in wonderland track
The virgin Suicides CD,
Pride and Prejudice soundtrack.
Oceania CD.
Sophomore slump By Fall Out Boy.
New perspective by patd.
Earth by Imogen Heap.
Navagate me by Cute Is What We Aim For
Moondance by Van Morrison
>Based off The Green man fairytale
> Frank is a sexually frustrated closet bookworm. He goes to parties sometimes and tries to hook up just to get rid of the fucking choked feeling in the back of his throat that he needs to kiss someone or hes going to just..... explode or choke. He tries but no one seems willing to get to first base with a tiny, shy, slightly chubby kid like him.
Frank really despised days like this. Days like these were especially hard. hes stuck in high school (a fucking junior ) sitting in class day after day doing his work paying attention in school being respectful of the nuns etc.
He Just really wants to go out this weekend to see a show or go to a party. Hes walking down a back hallway planning his weekend and sort of daydreaming about kissing someone ( just anyone really) and minding his own business. Then somebody grabs him by the back of his blazer. He kind of gets it. Hes short and chubby and he keeps to himself (its like he painted a target on his ass. ) He really just doens't get why it has to be today of all days.
Then these fucking assholes have to jump him during free period. He was heading to library. He just wanted get a extension on a book for goodness sake. They shred the library book (of fucking course) an oldish copy of fables and original fairy tales frank had found in a dusty corner of the library. Frank had really liked it too.
They knock him around a bit pushing him and throwing him into walls. The dulcet tones of a nuns tapping footsteps ring through the forgotten corridor they dragged Frank into. Of course his attackers take off running leaving frank in a heap on the floor of the hallway. The nun sighs and hauls him up by his arm.
"Again Frank? How did you manage your injuries this time? A fall from the rafters? A pack of mysterious wild animals?"
Frank sighed heavily but kept firm in his mindset of 'snitches get stitches'
"I was ....uh running to the library and I tripped. On my face. Yeah...."
The nun stared at him for a click, her rather wrinkly claw grasping his wrist tightly. She sighed heavily. All right Frank. That's fine. Try not to trip again on your way to the library.
She turns and toddles away in her sensible old lady shoes.
Frank sighs and picks up his poor abused book from the ground. The librarian is going to be peeved when he brings it into her like this. He'll have to take it home and fix it in the hope that she'll just let him pay the late fee.
He's skipping advisory period then. Its not much use if he can't get any work done anyway. Maybe his doctor would write him a note?
Frank wanders outside past the gabbing hall monitors and a pair of rather dubious looking nuns that looked a lot like Pete and Patrick.
Whatever. Frank needs to go home and take a nap if hes hallucinating that badly.
Then frank remembers that His moms stitch n' bitch circle is meeting there tonight and Frank was asked/told to stay out until 9. Normally that would be an awesome time to catch the bus and go to the public library downtown but today frank doesn't have it in him.
Hanging around the front of the school isn't a good idea bullies or ancient flying nuns might catch him off guard and twice in one day seems like the limit on franks Bullshitometer.
He sidles down to the side of the building picking his way down the rocky path until he's standing in the cool shade of a large pine that hung over a pair of ancient decrepit vending machines. He fishes for quarters in the bottom of his messenger bag and feeds them into one of the machines praying to the refreshment gods for mercy.
To his relief a Big Red comes clunking from places unknown and into his waiting hand. He pops the top and drinks it in large gulps fingers stretching upwards to tangle with a low hanging bough of the pine.
He finishes his drink and throws the can into the trash in defiance of all the other cans laying like dead fish around the base of the pine.
He frowns and carefully picks them up as well muttering to himself almost jovially about how assholes and litterbugs.
He sighs when hes done knowing that he did his 'good deed' for the day and how those never seem to go unpunished. He kind of hates this place but not enough to leave it looking like the mess he found it in. Its time to get a move on wherever hes going staying in one place probably won't bring him any favors. Frank shoulders his bag and ambles toward the back of school remembering that no one really went back there often. With any luck he could find a shortcut out of school property without having to walk a million miles or wait for the bus.
At the very least he might gain a cool hangout.....or fall into a creek and die. He needed to work on his inner optimism.
Frank treks on shrugging out of his uniform jacket and stuffing it into his bag cursing its stupid regulation cuffs and the fact that his mom had to alter the back and shoulders to make it fit him properly.
The place was pretty deserted except for an old sagging sign almost choked completely by weeds proclaiming the land to be private property. Judging by the look of the landlines Frank didn't think they enforced that very often. Now all he had to do was find a break in the tree/bush/ green things sprouting from the ground line that seemed to surround this "Private Property".
Eventually he does wiping the sweat from his face using his shirttails and grimacing at the not quite grey color it left behind.
A shower, possibly a full on bubble bath was in order when he got home.
He ducked a little to avoid branches that seemed to be prevalent on the short path to the other side of the property line. He squinted up at the sun trying to gauge time without having to dig his cellphone out of the bottom of his bag where he hid it from previously mentioned nuns and bullies.
Still hot and bright as fuck. Yep. Hes got time.
Frank carefully observes the makeshift road hes come upon. Faint tire tracks suggest at least some recent activity but they could have been left over from the rain the area got last month. grass grew unimpeded all over the soft chalky road that might have once been gravel. Frank wanders over to the other side to investigate. Listening for any signs of activity and/or people who would shoot him for being on their land.
Nothing. And there was a steep drop and a rather wide trench like thing on the other side of the road. It was possible for Frank to get down there. Just not in his school clothes. His mom would murder him if he ruined any of the uniforms she so painstakingly tailored to fit him. So with that he wandered down the road, keeping close to the side he'd come from in case someone came around and he had to make a getaway. You could never be too careful.....though to be fair trespassing on private property wasn't exactly 'being careful"
Frank ambled listening to nature sounds and the sound of his own footsteps on the road, almost but not quite soundless.
His mind wandered aimlessly he wished he'd had someone to come out here with but Dewes and Jamia both went to the same public school on the other sign of town. He hated being stuck here. All frank wanted in life was to go to public school, go out to shows on the weekend, and maybe finally find someone to kiss him jfc was it too hard to ask. He absently rubbed his throat where that almost choking feeling seemed to bloom from whenever he was this ticked off and 'frustrated'.
He was annoyed with himself already and this wasn't helping. He tried to clear his thoughts. He glanced at his surroundings. noting the trees and how green and health they seemed to be ....especially this time of year. Though the path looked disused there was quite a lot of trash and other junk lying in and on the side of the road. piles of wood interspersed with what appeared to be fabric of some kind lay under low lying bushes and plants. it looked like some of the junk had been there for decades. Frank frowned and grumbled to himself. Why did people have to be such assholes when it came to cleaning up after themselves.
Frank walked for what seemed like a while counting power line poles for some sort of directional focus. on number 8. His shirt was sticking to his back and chest. Now might be a good time to try and find some shade. He stopped, glancing around for some kind of slope or a way to get down into the trees. but the sound of his footsteps didn't . Or rather some one else s.
This was obviously franks queue to quietly freak the fuck out and duck into the nearest stand of bushes for cover.
unfortunately in franks mental wanderings between power lines his feet had wandered too. to the other side of the road closer to the woods and the drop off of fucking course. frank cringes as he hears the footsteps grow louder around the bend. He swivels toward a promising stand of thick tall unnameable plants that bear a close resemblance to poison ivy. He pushes his way into the plants chucks skidding on old wood and random debris. he crouch's low and try's to stay quiet and keep his feet from slipping.
The Sound of footsteps comes nearer but frank can't see anything he nudges backward just a little farther ...just in case. The wood shifts and slides making the scrub above him tremble. Still no sign of another person and frank starts to sweat a little more. This was totally a bad idea. They're probably going to call the cops on him. He cringes just thinking about his mothers reaction and edges even further back but oh theres that good deed punishment because something is stuck in his foot and it feels like a rusty nail. Frank yells with the sudden pain gasping for breath and of fucking course loosing his footing and fallingslippingsliding backward into the miniature ravine behind him.
Three things happen at once the nail comes out of franks foot and less importantly his shoe. His rapid decent backward is halted by a grouping of branches from a tree frank was pretty sure was nowhere near him and a strand of ivy, previously crawling its way across the ground suddenly wraps ..no twines its way around his ankle and foot.
Frank is beyond freaked out now. Something must have been very wrong with that can of Big red from earlier. He tries not to scream anymore. Its hard though when plants seem to come alive tugging off his shoe and wrapping their seemingly sentient leaves around your injured foot.
Though its not very manly to admit it....he might have whimpered a little. The plants almost seem to caress his abused foot twining gently around him the leaves press against his injury and come away stained with blood. Frank groans helplessly.
The tree that stopped his fall moved AGAIN . Branches twining about him almost like a hug. Shusshing sounds echoing off the inside of his brain and ricocheting out of his ears.
The two branches become suddenly pliant kind of like human arms and not as big his back melts into a warm …chest ...or it feels like it. Franks eyes are closed. mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:
EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Frank really hopes he gets out of this alive. He hopes what/whoever is holding him isn’t going to kill him.
Something brushes his neck warm and soft and if it were different circumstances frank would totally really like that. Strong pale arms pick him up gently almost chidingly looping the ivy away from his foot and gliding through the brush s if it just swept itself aside.
The pale arms that carried him had long tapered fingers and shapely wrists (almost like a woman's but too squarish to be anything but a mans.....or something that was going to take frank back to its lair to eat him.
Frank began to struggle knowing that it was probably hopeless he'd never get out of here alive with the giant fucking hole that currently burned on the sole of his foot. He was placed on the ground one the edge of the road almost reverently.
The very air around him seemed charged. The wind rushed pulling another shushing sound from the trees. Frank edged up oh his elbows trying to catch sight of whateverwhoever- Then he was just there Shaggy messy black hair with roots tinged a greenish grey blue color.Crouching on the ground in front of frank. Long tapered hands peeling off franks now holy and very bloody sock. ' Hes going to eat me' frank thought and hoped like hell the dude/thing would have mercy because he obviously wasn't completely human.
Dark eyes flickered up at franks face from behind shaggy hair and oh yeah definitely a dude. He was still handling franks foot delicately like he wasn't about to eat Frank. " Oh god he was going to start at the foot and work his way u-
" Please!....please if your going to eat me kill me fir-
The guy licked his foot. Licked it. Then licked it again. Right where pain seemed to stab frank all the way from his toes to his thigh. He laved at the wound like a cat. Frank quickly decided was he was dead and this was the afterlife. He dropped his elbows and tried to stay still lest the guy decided that he tasted good enough to eat.
"I promise i don't taste good. Gross yucky teenage boy like me wouldn't you prefer a nice salad or lettuce wrap?" The guy looked up at him and stopped licking and laughed. A high honking laugh that was simultaneously creepy as hell and ...endearing.
" I assure you that you are the most delicious person I've ever had the right to be Verheiratet to.......well the only but still. I'm not going to eat you silly human. " He punctuated this with a smile flashing tiny white teeth and dimples.
Frank gulped. Okay. This guy was crazy and/or supernatural. He hoped only one or the other and not both. Today seemed to be a running track record for shitty stuff to happen so frank wasn't going to hold his breath.
At least his foot didn't hurt as much now. The pain was almost completely gone. The shaggy head bent again and oh geez this was awkward and it kind of felt good now. Really good. Like better than before.
I .......uh you can s-stop now ...okay. The guy/creature/supernatural being stopped again flicking hair out of his eyes to stare at frank.
" I'm almost done healing you. Just be quiet and sit still. You came close to scraping the bone." He sighed breath ghosting across franks foot and began licking franks foot yet again. The warm tingling makingitallbetter feeling traveled all the way up to franks gut where it sank into his skin and-
There I'm done now. He slid franks now holy bloody sock back on and produced his shoe from the depths of the brush here it had landed. or rather ivy slithered out onto the path and brought it to him.
The man made a thank you gesture to the ivy as it sulked back to the undergrowth.
Frank stared as the guy put his shoe back on and .....glanced at the other shoe as if to observe how to tie it. frank edged up slowly so as not to startle him.
" I got it dude ....."
The guy stared intently as franks shaking fingers tied his laces frank watched him for any sign of movement.
He finished watching the guy stare at his shoe and then at his bruised knuckles.
"Uh ........uhm .......whats your name?"
The guy colored a little. "Oh.....you mean you don't.....wh- Gerard. My name is Gerard. I am the forest and the trees, the river and the stream."
The trees shifted around him in what frank guessed was acquiescence.
You humans might call us-well me a "Green-man"
Frank stared and stared some more. He'd just read that legend in the now battered book of tales sitting at the bottom of his bag.
" You don't-"
" I do..I know"
" Oh well that makes this a little easier."
Frank looked at him dubiously.
"How so?"
" Well at least you no longer think I'm going to eat you."
'The jury is still out on that one frank thought to himself the same time
" Sure." came spilling out of his mouth.
Gerard popped a questioning eyebrow at him.
" You don't believe me do you?"
Frank slowly shook his head.
Gerard sighed heavily and rubbed a hand over his face.
"Look this is probably going to sound really strange judging from your reaction and circumstances being what they are I might as well explain things to you. "
He had bags under his eyes giving him a hollow aged and endlessly tired look. His nose was rather feminine and slightly upturned. Frank thought he was kind of ..ok..really a lot 'pretty' when he wasn't trying to devour him from the feet up.
" I'm a forest spirit. I speak for the trees and everything that lives around here. A long time ago, probably a few decades by the looks of your clothing a big part of my forest got cut down and mangled into whatever is over there."
Gerard eyed the general direction of franks school with a thoroughly pissed off gaze.
" I was fine being by myself and having such a large healthy forest to protect but humans came in and started....started ruining everything. I got weak. Too weak to try and hold them off or even discourage them from doing it. So I went dormant for a while. It seems you and your blood were enough to wake me up."
"Thanks for that by the way. I haven't felt this alive in years. Your name is Frank right?"
" How did you-"
" Your blood told me. Thrummed up through your bones and all that."
Frank was beyond just staring and trying to take it all in. At this point he was trying to freak the fuck out or ask too many questions.
"You said ....something about 'Verheiratet' "the word tasted funny in Franks mouth but he knew it was probably important.
" Oh well um.......yes. That. Its- It means I'm bound to you ...and your bound to me. Once your blood hit the ground....its kind of like sealing a contract. ......well a contract that pulled me out of the dormancy and allowed me to heal you."
"Speaking of which what the hell is all of this junk doing in my woods? Did you put it there? Of course not you've never even been here before have you?"
Frank slowly shook his head.
" No! I woulden-no I wouldn't do shit like this its bad for the-" Frank coughed and colored a little.
Gerard was smiling shyly and tilting his head.
" You'll do. This won't be so bad after all."
" What won't-wha?
" Well your bound to me as i to you. You are essentially my human."
" What is that supposed to mean I don't belong to any-"
" It means that i am charged with protecting you from anything or anyone that tries to harm you and you ....you are charged with ....well helping me fix and get rid of all the junk the other humans around here."
Gerard went on heedlessly.
" Normally the Verheiratet is with a human woman or if your really lucky a nymph. Apparently a human boy will do just as well. You are a virgin right?
Frank colored heavily and looked away.
Gerards voice laughed at him as he spoke
"Humans. I'll never get why you all get so shy about something so natural."
Frank narrowed his eyes at Gerard and crossed his arms.
" Oh don't be such a seedling ." He stage whispered the next part. "I haven't seeded in almost a hundred and thirty years. But don't tell the trees that. They tend to gossip when they think I can't hear them."
Frank smiled a little. For a crazy weird 'Green Man" this guy wasn't so bad. But still he didn't know if he like the idea of this bond-thing. This spelled trouble with a capital 'T' and that was something Frank really didn't need in his junior year of high school. It would also be a pain if someone found out about it.
Apparently Gerard is also a mind reader because the next words out of his mouth are:
" I'm sorry you don't like it but we don't really have a choice. Once I have you blood we're stuck. I'll try to be a good host and everything. Its not like I'd try to trap you here forever......."
" I promise to take good care of you." He almost muttered.
Frank sighed and scrubbed at his eyes. Seriously why was this his life?
So your saying I can go home tonight as long as I promise to come back tomorrow -or however long it takes to clean up?
Of all the things frank was expecting Gerard to say." As long as i can come with you." was not one of them.
" You know that's kind of going into the creepy stalker area right?" Frank eyed him with a little annoyance.
Gerard looked taken aback and then a little sad. "I suppose it is.......then ...yes as long as you come back tomorrow."
Frank huffed. He didn't have to look so downtrodden and sad.
Frank tried to turn around and just go. Possibly without ever coming back if he could swing it. Though comic book lore told him that trying anything of that sort was always a bad idea.
He couldn't get Gerard's sad face out of his head. He turned to risk another look. Gerard was still there making that same face. Frank must be a sucker because he almost couldn't help the next words out of his mouth:
"Oh my god just stop making that face. Geez just follow me or whatever."
Frank was all ready making plans as to how he was going to sneak Gerard past his mother when Gerard simply vanished.
Footsteps imprinted in the road as he seemed to walk ahead. The wind whispered in his ear surprisingly sounding like gerard.
"Is this ok?"
" Uh its kind of creepy......."
"Oh...." Gerard faded into view looking a little sheepish.
Frank looked at his clothes. Shadowy greenish black nothing was really defined or solid echos of human clothing flickered and then simply ceased to be. It was strange but sort of captivating.....like a lava lamp.
" Just uh.......stay visible or whatever but uh......could you change your ...clothes......and some shoes. Shoes would be nice.
" Gerard grumbled and shifted his shoulders muttering something that suspiciously sounded like. " I hate shoes."
Color bleached the shadows and settled on white. Black dress pants wrapped themselves around slightly curving thighs. Chucks resembling franks laced themselves around his feet. There seemed to be a faint shadowy outline of ivy pattered in Gerard's pants and shirt but Frank was almost positive no one would notice much.
Gerard looked slightly put upon.
" Good?"
"Its fine." Frank muttered brushing past him and snagging him by the elbow.
" Okay if we go out of the forest there are some rules."
Number one: Do not under any circumstances tell anyone what you are."
" Well of course....why would anyone need to know except for you?"
Frank sighed and slapped his forehead.
" Number two: stick with me. Don't go anywhere without telling me. I've got to keep track of you at all times so no one gets......lost or hurt."
Number three when you see my mom you tell her that your a new kid at school from Europe.....or something.
Number four: "None of that licking stuff in public. I don't care what the circumstances are. Don't do it."
"You humans and your issues."
Number five: " Don't refer to me or any other person as 'human' while we're in public."
"Got it?"
" Yes......Frank. "
Frank sighed and continued walking, silently counting power lines until he reached the gap in the treeline. He cautiously dragged Gerard behind him checking to see if the coast was clear.
Not a soul in sight. Frank sighed for the ten millionth time that day and began the trek to the bus stop dragging Gerard by the elbow up the path he'd come.
They stopped at the vending machines for a soda for the ride home. Frank let Gerard choose since A-he'd never had one B- he was curious as to what Gerard would think of the machine.
He watched as Gerard's face as he fed quarters into the machine and felt him jump when the machinery began to crank and rattle.
while Gerard was still stunned into a sort of frozen trance frank grabbed the can out of the dispenser and touched the low hanging bough in his customary manner.The rough bark soothing and familiar to his fingers.
Gerard whirled around and stared at him.
" Wha-oh is that like-"
"- Its like....kind of like ....... your pinching my rear end as I pass by."
"Oh ......well. Alright then....I'll try not to do it anymore." Frank is kind of embarrassed now.....considering how often he fiddles with the greenery surrounding the school and his house.
" No-don't...its fine......just surprising is all. " Gerard murmured turning the soda can around in his hands curiously before drinking it. He wrinkled his nose at the taste. Frank secretly thought it was kind of adorable.
"So ....this tree is part of you....?" Frank asked curiously.
" Yes... it is. I go for miles around this human city. What you were in today was the heart... the center of me"
Gerard seemed to have a thousand yard stare. Frank could swear he saw flickers of leaves and branches in them before Gerard blinked.
Frank just stared and shook his head. This guy.
He tugged Gerard along up the path and onto the quad. It was deserted. School had all ready been out for a while judging by the lack of cars in the faculty parking lot.
The clock above the main entrance proclaimed it to be 5:47
They had to make it to the bus stop in 6 minutes if they wanted to not wait another 30 minutes.
Gerard was taller than frank and of course had longer strides. Frank had to jog to keep up with him until Gerard noticed and slowed a little.
" You are kind of small for a human man hmm?"
" Shut up. Not everyone can be jolly green giants like yourself.." Frank growled.
Gerard laughed and rubbed his thumb on the inside of Franks arm.
"Don't get your branches in a tangle Frank I was just wondering." Gerard looked at him from over huge girly sunglasses slumped on his nose. They seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
"I'm seventeen and yes I'm shorter than a lot of people. I was sick as a kid and being small kind of runs in my family. Also rule number 6 None of that weird treespeak..its weird. "
Gerard nodded absently eyes staring wide at the buildings, paved roads and signs as they passed.
They made it to the bus stop in time and climbed on. Frank flashed his pass and paid for Gerard. Gerard was kind of distracted and looked kind of pissy if frank was being honest with himself.
Frank dragged him by his elbow to the back of the bus where they sat silently and not speaking. Until the bus came to franks stop. He dragged Gerard off the bus and thanked the driver.
They trekked into franks neighborhood following the familiar path frank could and probably had walked in his sleep. He grazed his hands across a sickly looking magnolia tree on the path Gerard shuddered and continued walking. Eventually they arrived outside of Franks home. The sewing circle session seemed to still be in full swing. Frank could probably sneak in through the back door and drag Gerard up the stairs without being noticed at all.
They managed to do just that. The only hiccup being Gerard's infernal curiosity. The idiot wanted to stop and look at every little thing. Frank had ended up just draging him upstairs and only letting go when they got to the second floor landing.
Frank sighed gratefully as he walked into his room dropping his bag in its customary place by his computer desk. He yanked off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. He threw them both in the laundry hamper and fell face first into bed.
"It's so good to be home. I'm never leaving again. Home school is the only way to go."
The bed dipped as gerard sat on the edge of it. Frank was a little startled when Gerard started rubbing his legs but not exactly surprised.
"Mgggmmhh Feels good." Frank groaned.
" I'm glad." Murmured Gerard. Frank could almost feel the smile in his voice.
After a while when frank was almost asleep Gerard rolled him over and gently took off his shoes for him. The good healing feeling from before had returned and sat in Franks skin humming pleasantly.
"So good." Frank mumbled and shifted sleepily.
Gerard's cool tapered fingers wrapped around his own and pulled gently at his hand. Frank was so loose and pliant he just smiled up a little hazily in Gerard's general direction.
Soft pressure made Franks bruised knuckles tingle oddly but at least the pain had lessened. but Gerard was kissing his fingers softly, individually on every joint. Frank would be lying to himself if he said it wasn't a nice feeling but staying awake was no longer an option. He let himself sink into the dark.
__
The next morning Frank woke up face down on his pillow. Thank goodness it was a Friday. Frank groaned a little and felt Gerard shift beside him.
Shit. Gerard. Binding contract. The licking thing. how did he even begin to sleep with this guy in his room last night.
Frank rolled his head to look over at his ......whatever Gerard was. He was awake and peeping out at Frank from a case of truly spectacular bedhead.
"Morning...." frank mumbled. Hoping his morning breath wasn't too bad.
"Yes Frank, it is indeed morning." Gerard's voice was gravely and sleepy.
Frank rolled his eyes and turned over on his stomach and groaned softly into his pillow. Why couldn't all of that been a dream?
Franks alarm clock chose that moment to go off. Frank nearly threw it across the room out of sheer pique.
He rolled out of bed and unbuckled his belt and dropping his pants rubbing distractedly at the lines where it had dug in in his sleep. He tugged off his shirt and wandered into the adjoined bathroom door before remembering that Gerard was there and had probably seen more of frank than he'd intended.
'Oh well maybe my pudgy ass will make him change his mind about the whole weird 'bound by blood' thing.
He grabbed a towel and stripped out of his boxers stepping into the tub carefully to avoid slipping like he seemed to every other morning.
Frank really attempted to continue his regularly scheduled programing. Washing behind his ears and scrubbing his hair. Normal things. Routine things. Things that did not include any magical persons whatsoever. His life felt kind of like a bad si-fi movie.
He'd finished everything else and it seemed his morning wood just wasn't going to go down by itself today.
Welp......he had time. he leaned an arm against the shower wall and slowly began to stroke himself from base to crown he shivered and his jaw dropped involuntarily. His imagination only fueled the need to get off. Shadowy outlines of someone pressed against his back lacing their fingers with his and mouthing at his neck and shoulder. The idea is so vivid he could almost feel it against his skin. His hips twitch and jerk toward his hand almost reflexively. It felt soso good he was so close he could taste it in the back of this throat. A sound behind him made him freeze. He really hoped it wasn't Gerard. Frank had had quite enough with the virgin and 'how small and bite sized you are' talk yesterday he didn't need any comments about his dick. He almost snorts aloud.
Frank turned. Through the shower curtain frank could see the outline of Gerard leaning against the wall.
"You called me. " Gerard murmurs almost indistinctly over the noise of the water.
" Get out." Frank hisses lowly suddenly kind of frustrated.
The shadow of Gerard disappears from its position without a sound.
Frank groans and finishes himself off with brutal efficiency that he kind of really hates.
Frank finishes getting ready and trundles downstairs with his bag. His mom is already gone for work. He eats his oatmeal in silence and rinses the dishes in the sink.
He thinks absently of skipping but dismisses the idea almost immediately. Frank heads out the door and on the way to school fingertips grazing trunks of trees as hes passing just like every other morning before it since Frank started at Queen of Peace three years ago. Sometimes frank hated the monotony the routine of everything. But he wants to make his mom proud and maybe get into a good college.
Hes standing under the shade of a particularly large spruce when arms twine around him from behind and pull him backward.A mouth rests on his neck. Frank manfully resists the urge to shiver.
"I'm sorry Frank." Gerard murmurs lips brushing the sensitive side of franks neck and making his skin start to buzz.
" Its fine Ge-gerard. Just don-try not to do it again." Frank mentally gives himself a wedgie for stuttering but its hard considering how close and warm Gerard is. No ones hugged him like this in a long time. Now that he has it he almost wishes they could stay like this for a while. Not doing anything......just hugging.
Gerard murmurs unintelligibly on his neck and Frank twitches a little and mentally curses himself. Gerard slowly lets go so they can look at one another face to face.
" Is this ok?" Gerard asks sporting a blazer that looks like the one Franks wearing and a black tie imprinted with faint flower patterns. His pants are kind of tighter around the thighs than is strictly regulation.
" Uh ....well you might want to loose the pattern in the tie .....that might cause some attention especially if your seen with me."
Gerard tilts his head to the side "Why?"
" You'll see." Frank says as he pulls out a cigarette from the battered pack at the bottom of his bag. He sticks it in his mouth and lights it. Breathing in the smoke and exhaling gratefully.
Gerard makes an annoyed noise next to him but doesn't say anything as they walk to the corner. Frank finishes his cigarette and stubs it out in the ashtray someone glued to the trashcan ages ago.
They make it to school. Frank does his homework on the bus and muses that telling everyone Gerard is a foreign exchange student is a plausible excuse. Now was probably a good time to test that theory.
Frank is surprised to see Gerard split off from him once they enter the school grounds. Frank followed him glancing around for anyone that might follow him.
"Gerard dude class starts in ten minutes we gotta-"
"I can't go in there Frank."
Frowning at Frank as if it was obvious.
"I have to go back into my woods Frank. If I stay away from them too long I'll get even weaker."
He jammed his hands in his pockets as he said it, almost sulky.
"I get it dude. Go do your nature thing and I'll meet you back there as soon as I can get out of school."
Gerard smiles and walks away fading into the morning sunlight like a phantom.
Speaking of phantoms he probably needs to brush up on his Green-man lore. The thought interrupted by the five minute warning bell. If hes not late to frigging Mass or some horrible shit that's likely to get him detention.
He gets through the day. Avoiding assholes and getting all of his homework done during free period. He turns it in at the front office and heads straight for Gerard.
--
Frank was almost jogging by the time he got to the break in the trees. He was relieved to finally be out of that place. So far he'd made it through the day without incident and now he had someone to hang out with after school. Even if said person happened to be what most people considered an old folk tale.
Gerard met him at the break in the treeline all dimples and little nudges on Franks shoulder. He'd almost made rank piss his pants appearing in front of him so suddenly that Frank made a high noise in the back of his throat.
Gerard too that as his cue to rib Frank endlessly about looking where he was going.
Frank fired back while stuffing his blazer in his satchel that maybe Gerard should practice his 'landings' or appearing and disappearing whatever forest spirits did
"So how was your day In human school?" Gerard asked looking slightly curious.
Frank was a little taken aback but rolled with it on principle.
" Fine I guess. How was your day playing Smoky Bear?"
Gerard looked at him a little oddly.
" You do realize I get that reference right? Same old, same old I suppose getting smaller and trashier just like ever other day."
There was a pregnant silence. Even the birds seemd to stop chirping for a few minutes.
' So much for that.' thought Frank as he loosened his tie while he walked. He pulled it over his head irritably finally glad to be rid of the thing. He began to unbutton his dress shirt when he felt the pricking sensation of Gerard's stare.
" What?"
" Are you planning to get completly naked in my forest?"
Gerard's eyes bored into him all at once smiling and curious with a layer of something darker underneath.
"No... Just trying to get out of my school clothes so I don't mess them up." Frank tried to looks nonchalant and ignore the looks Gerard seemed to be giving him. It probably wasn't working.
Frank striped out of his dress shirt and stuffed it into his bag leaving him in a white undershirt and his black school issue pants.
It was cooler at least without all of those goodness forsaken layers.
Frank looked around as they walked mostly to avoid Gerard's eyes as well as trying to get some idea of what he was up against as far as how much stuff there was and how he was going to haul it out.
"So we need a plan as to how were going to do this .....thing. Any ideas here?" He asked Gerard as they rounded the bend in the road.
" I've told you all I can Frank." Gerard answered distractedly glancing around at the different plants and trees.
" So is there some kid of curse of the Green Man that i have to help you break where you aren't allowed to tell me or ....something?" Frank asked curious at Gerard's apparent nonchalance.
" More like there are rules and guidelines about how the Verheiratet works. Tricks of the trade we wouldn't want just any human knowing. Also every human is different. They each deal with it in a different way......or so the stories I heard have said.
" Can I ask for your help?" Frank asked curiously.
Gerard stopped walking and stared at Frank like he was the biggest idiot on the face of the planet. He grabbed Frank by his arms fingers tight and constricting and jerked frank tward him.
" Do you honestly fucking think that I would allow this-This shit in my forest If I could touch it? Are you seriously that inept? His voice low and angry. His eyes sparking and staring straight into Frank's.
Frank wrenched away and shuffled out of reach.
"Fuck you ass face I was just asking a question!"
" Well it wasen't a very good one. Gerard sneered. Hands on his hips.
Frank curled his lip a little in response.
" I don't have to do this! Helping you and your pathetic excuse for a forest from the litter bugs and assholes! This whole thing is weird and I don't fucking like it!
"Well I'm sorry but once you 'offered' blood the agreement was sealed. I colden't do anything about it even if I wanted to!" Gerards eyes flashed in anger. He looked ready to grab Frank and shake him.
Hell if Frank was going to let him get the chance .
" I didn't 'offer' anything! I stepped on that friggin nail by accdent because I heard you walking an thought I was going to get Caught!"
"Even if you tried to you coulden't yoiu would be drawn back here no matter how hard you tried to fight it. I'd be charged with trying to find you if you tried!"
"How the fuck does that even work!" Frank growled.
" It doesn't matter I don't know why but thats just how it works!" Gerard yelled edging toward Frank.
Frank slid back another few steps getting ready to run, even though Gerard could probably catch him before he could so much as yell for help.
" Fuck man I was just trying to figure some shit out! Quit crawling down my throat!" Frank shifted from foot to foot, clenching his hands into fists untill it hurt.
" Use your common sense!" Gerard yelled, the trees shaking angrly and rainging leaves on both of them.
" What sense?" Frank sneered
"They don't exactly teach Rules and Regulations for Forest Spirits In Catholic school." He snarked glancing back from his trajectory to get the fuck out before something bad happend.
Gerard snorted and looked down. The anger seemed to leave him he sagged like a popped ballon the furious anger replaced with his usual placid expression.
Frank was still on guard though. That grabbing shit was not ok.
"I suppose .....I'll try to be a little more open to questions." Gerard said looking a little sheepish.
Frank nodded mutely tugging his fingers through his fauxhawk to try and stay cool even though it felt like sweat was pouring down his face. He wondered again at how this was his life. He must have some really bad karmic mojo for weird comic book Si-fi shit to be happening to him. He absently wondered how may other poor fuckers were stuck like this. Did they ever get out. He was kind of afraid to ask anymore questions at the moment.
> German is the language of trees.
> gee goes into the scool-think ponyo or bad 90s movie
>to protect frank
> bodily fluids give Gerard power or gerard is a cumslut
> Catholic school vs ancient green man
>little does frank know he will be the one to clean it up in a white undershirt and saggy jeans while Gerard watches
Pairings: Frank X Gerard (The others shall be surprises because I can.)
Rating: R
Music:
All in a golden afternoon- Alice in wonderland track
The virgin Suicides CD,
Pride and Prejudice soundtrack.
Oceania CD.
Sophomore slump By Fall Out Boy.
New perspective by patd.
Earth by Imogen Heap.
Navagate me by Cute Is What We Aim For
Moondance by Van Morrison
>Based off The Green man fairytale
> Frank is a sexually frustrated closet bookworm. He goes to parties sometimes and tries to hook up just to get rid of the fucking choked feeling in the back of his throat that he needs to kiss someone or hes going to just..... explode or choke. He tries but no one seems willing to get to first base with a tiny, shy, slightly chubby kid like him.
Frank really despised days like this. Days like these were especially hard. hes stuck in high school (a fucking junior ) sitting in class day after day doing his work paying attention in school being respectful of the nuns etc.
He Just really wants to go out this weekend to see a show or go to a party. Hes walking down a back hallway planning his weekend and sort of daydreaming about kissing someone ( just anyone really) and minding his own business. Then somebody grabs him by the back of his blazer. He kind of gets it. Hes short and chubby and he keeps to himself (its like he painted a target on his ass. ) He really just doens't get why it has to be today of all days.
Then these fucking assholes have to jump him during free period. He was heading to library. He just wanted get a extension on a book for goodness sake. They shred the library book (of fucking course) an oldish copy of fables and original fairy tales frank had found in a dusty corner of the library. Frank had really liked it too.
They knock him around a bit pushing him and throwing him into walls. The dulcet tones of a nuns tapping footsteps ring through the forgotten corridor they dragged Frank into. Of course his attackers take off running leaving frank in a heap on the floor of the hallway. The nun sighs and hauls him up by his arm.
"Again Frank? How did you manage your injuries this time? A fall from the rafters? A pack of mysterious wild animals?"
Frank sighed heavily but kept firm in his mindset of 'snitches get stitches'
"I was ....uh running to the library and I tripped. On my face. Yeah...."
The nun stared at him for a click, her rather wrinkly claw grasping his wrist tightly. She sighed heavily. All right Frank. That's fine. Try not to trip again on your way to the library.
She turns and toddles away in her sensible old lady shoes.
Frank sighs and picks up his poor abused book from the ground. The librarian is going to be peeved when he brings it into her like this. He'll have to take it home and fix it in the hope that she'll just let him pay the late fee.
He's skipping advisory period then. Its not much use if he can't get any work done anyway. Maybe his doctor would write him a note?
Frank wanders outside past the gabbing hall monitors and a pair of rather dubious looking nuns that looked a lot like Pete and Patrick.
Whatever. Frank needs to go home and take a nap if hes hallucinating that badly.
Then frank remembers that His moms stitch n' bitch circle is meeting there tonight and Frank was asked/told to stay out until 9. Normally that would be an awesome time to catch the bus and go to the public library downtown but today frank doesn't have it in him.
Hanging around the front of the school isn't a good idea bullies or ancient flying nuns might catch him off guard and twice in one day seems like the limit on franks Bullshitometer.
He sidles down to the side of the building picking his way down the rocky path until he's standing in the cool shade of a large pine that hung over a pair of ancient decrepit vending machines. He fishes for quarters in the bottom of his messenger bag and feeds them into one of the machines praying to the refreshment gods for mercy.
To his relief a Big Red comes clunking from places unknown and into his waiting hand. He pops the top and drinks it in large gulps fingers stretching upwards to tangle with a low hanging bough of the pine.
He finishes his drink and throws the can into the trash in defiance of all the other cans laying like dead fish around the base of the pine.
He frowns and carefully picks them up as well muttering to himself almost jovially about how assholes and litterbugs.
He sighs when hes done knowing that he did his 'good deed' for the day and how those never seem to go unpunished. He kind of hates this place but not enough to leave it looking like the mess he found it in. Its time to get a move on wherever hes going staying in one place probably won't bring him any favors. Frank shoulders his bag and ambles toward the back of school remembering that no one really went back there often. With any luck he could find a shortcut out of school property without having to walk a million miles or wait for the bus.
At the very least he might gain a cool hangout.....or fall into a creek and die. He needed to work on his inner optimism.
Frank treks on shrugging out of his uniform jacket and stuffing it into his bag cursing its stupid regulation cuffs and the fact that his mom had to alter the back and shoulders to make it fit him properly.
The place was pretty deserted except for an old sagging sign almost choked completely by weeds proclaiming the land to be private property. Judging by the look of the landlines Frank didn't think they enforced that very often. Now all he had to do was find a break in the tree/bush/ green things sprouting from the ground line that seemed to surround this "Private Property".
Eventually he does wiping the sweat from his face using his shirttails and grimacing at the not quite grey color it left behind.
A shower, possibly a full on bubble bath was in order when he got home.
He ducked a little to avoid branches that seemed to be prevalent on the short path to the other side of the property line. He squinted up at the sun trying to gauge time without having to dig his cellphone out of the bottom of his bag where he hid it from previously mentioned nuns and bullies.
Still hot and bright as fuck. Yep. Hes got time.
Frank carefully observes the makeshift road hes come upon. Faint tire tracks suggest at least some recent activity but they could have been left over from the rain the area got last month. grass grew unimpeded all over the soft chalky road that might have once been gravel. Frank wanders over to the other side to investigate. Listening for any signs of activity and/or people who would shoot him for being on their land.
Nothing. And there was a steep drop and a rather wide trench like thing on the other side of the road. It was possible for Frank to get down there. Just not in his school clothes. His mom would murder him if he ruined any of the uniforms she so painstakingly tailored to fit him. So with that he wandered down the road, keeping close to the side he'd come from in case someone came around and he had to make a getaway. You could never be too careful.....though to be fair trespassing on private property wasn't exactly 'being careful"
Frank ambled listening to nature sounds and the sound of his own footsteps on the road, almost but not quite soundless.
His mind wandered aimlessly he wished he'd had someone to come out here with but Dewes and Jamia both went to the same public school on the other sign of town. He hated being stuck here. All frank wanted in life was to go to public school, go out to shows on the weekend, and maybe finally find someone to kiss him jfc was it too hard to ask. He absently rubbed his throat where that almost choking feeling seemed to bloom from whenever he was this ticked off and 'frustrated'.
He was annoyed with himself already and this wasn't helping. He tried to clear his thoughts. He glanced at his surroundings. noting the trees and how green and health they seemed to be ....especially this time of year. Though the path looked disused there was quite a lot of trash and other junk lying in and on the side of the road. piles of wood interspersed with what appeared to be fabric of some kind lay under low lying bushes and plants. it looked like some of the junk had been there for decades. Frank frowned and grumbled to himself. Why did people have to be such assholes when it came to cleaning up after themselves.
Frank walked for what seemed like a while counting power line poles for some sort of directional focus. on number 8. His shirt was sticking to his back and chest. Now might be a good time to try and find some shade. He stopped, glancing around for some kind of slope or a way to get down into the trees. but the sound of his footsteps didn't . Or rather some one else s.
This was obviously franks queue to quietly freak the fuck out and duck into the nearest stand of bushes for cover.
unfortunately in franks mental wanderings between power lines his feet had wandered too. to the other side of the road closer to the woods and the drop off of fucking course. frank cringes as he hears the footsteps grow louder around the bend. He swivels toward a promising stand of thick tall unnameable plants that bear a close resemblance to poison ivy. He pushes his way into the plants chucks skidding on old wood and random debris. he crouch's low and try's to stay quiet and keep his feet from slipping.
The Sound of footsteps comes nearer but frank can't see anything he nudges backward just a little farther ...just in case. The wood shifts and slides making the scrub above him tremble. Still no sign of another person and frank starts to sweat a little more. This was totally a bad idea. They're probably going to call the cops on him. He cringes just thinking about his mothers reaction and edges even further back but oh theres that good deed punishment because something is stuck in his foot and it feels like a rusty nail. Frank yells with the sudden pain gasping for breath and of fucking course loosing his footing and fallingslippingsliding backward into the miniature ravine behind him.
Three things happen at once the nail comes out of franks foot and less importantly his shoe. His rapid decent backward is halted by a grouping of branches from a tree frank was pretty sure was nowhere near him and a strand of ivy, previously crawling its way across the ground suddenly wraps ..no twines its way around his ankle and foot.
Frank is beyond freaked out now. Something must have been very wrong with that can of Big red from earlier. He tries not to scream anymore. Its hard though when plants seem to come alive tugging off his shoe and wrapping their seemingly sentient leaves around your injured foot.
Though its not very manly to admit it....he might have whimpered a little. The plants almost seem to caress his abused foot twining gently around him the leaves press against his injury and come away stained with blood. Frank groans helplessly.
The tree that stopped his fall moved AGAIN . Branches twining about him almost like a hug. Shusshing sounds echoing off the inside of his brain and ricocheting out of his ears.
The two branches become suddenly pliant kind of like human arms and not as big his back melts into a warm …chest ...or it feels like it. Franks eyes are closed. mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:
EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Frank really hopes he gets out of this alive. He hopes what/whoever is holding him isn’t going to kill him.
Something brushes his neck warm and soft and if it were different circumstances frank would totally really like that. Strong pale arms pick him up gently almost chidingly looping the ivy away from his foot and gliding through the brush s if it just swept itself aside.
The pale arms that carried him had long tapered fingers and shapely wrists (almost like a woman's but too squarish to be anything but a mans.....or something that was going to take frank back to its lair to eat him.
Frank began to struggle knowing that it was probably hopeless he'd never get out of here alive with the giant fucking hole that currently burned on the sole of his foot. He was placed on the ground one the edge of the road almost reverently.
The very air around him seemed charged. The wind rushed pulling another shushing sound from the trees. Frank edged up oh his elbows trying to catch sight of whateverwhoever- Then he was just there Shaggy messy black hair with roots tinged a greenish grey blue color.Crouching on the ground in front of frank. Long tapered hands peeling off franks now holy and very bloody sock. ' Hes going to eat me' frank thought and hoped like hell the dude/thing would have mercy because he obviously wasn't completely human.
Dark eyes flickered up at franks face from behind shaggy hair and oh yeah definitely a dude. He was still handling franks foot delicately like he wasn't about to eat Frank. " Oh god he was going to start at the foot and work his way u-
" Please!....please if your going to eat me kill me fir-
The guy licked his foot. Licked it. Then licked it again. Right where pain seemed to stab frank all the way from his toes to his thigh. He laved at the wound like a cat. Frank quickly decided was he was dead and this was the afterlife. He dropped his elbows and tried to stay still lest the guy decided that he tasted good enough to eat.
"I promise i don't taste good. Gross yucky teenage boy like me wouldn't you prefer a nice salad or lettuce wrap?" The guy looked up at him and stopped licking and laughed. A high honking laugh that was simultaneously creepy as hell and ...endearing.
" I assure you that you are the most delicious person I've ever had the right to be Verheiratet to.......well the only but still. I'm not going to eat you silly human. " He punctuated this with a smile flashing tiny white teeth and dimples.
Frank gulped. Okay. This guy was crazy and/or supernatural. He hoped only one or the other and not both. Today seemed to be a running track record for shitty stuff to happen so frank wasn't going to hold his breath.
At least his foot didn't hurt as much now. The pain was almost completely gone. The shaggy head bent again and oh geez this was awkward and it kind of felt good now. Really good. Like better than before.
I .......uh you can s-stop now ...okay. The guy/creature/supernatural being stopped again flicking hair out of his eyes to stare at frank.
" I'm almost done healing you. Just be quiet and sit still. You came close to scraping the bone." He sighed breath ghosting across franks foot and began licking franks foot yet again. The warm tingling makingitallbetter feeling traveled all the way up to franks gut where it sank into his skin and-
There I'm done now. He slid franks now holy bloody sock back on and produced his shoe from the depths of the brush here it had landed. or rather ivy slithered out onto the path and brought it to him.
The man made a thank you gesture to the ivy as it sulked back to the undergrowth.
Frank stared as the guy put his shoe back on and .....glanced at the other shoe as if to observe how to tie it. frank edged up slowly so as not to startle him.
" I got it dude ....."
The guy stared intently as franks shaking fingers tied his laces frank watched him for any sign of movement.
He finished watching the guy stare at his shoe and then at his bruised knuckles.
"Uh ........uhm .......whats your name?"
The guy colored a little. "Oh.....you mean you don't.....wh- Gerard. My name is Gerard. I am the forest and the trees, the river and the stream."
The trees shifted around him in what frank guessed was acquiescence.
You humans might call us-well me a "Green-man"
Frank stared and stared some more. He'd just read that legend in the now battered book of tales sitting at the bottom of his bag.
" You don't-"
" I do..I know"
" Oh well that makes this a little easier."
Frank looked at him dubiously.
"How so?"
" Well at least you no longer think I'm going to eat you."
'The jury is still out on that one frank thought to himself the same time
" Sure." came spilling out of his mouth.
Gerard popped a questioning eyebrow at him.
" You don't believe me do you?"
Frank slowly shook his head.
Gerard sighed heavily and rubbed a hand over his face.
"Look this is probably going to sound really strange judging from your reaction and circumstances being what they are I might as well explain things to you. "
He had bags under his eyes giving him a hollow aged and endlessly tired look. His nose was rather feminine and slightly upturned. Frank thought he was kind of ..ok..really a lot 'pretty' when he wasn't trying to devour him from the feet up.
" I'm a forest spirit. I speak for the trees and everything that lives around here. A long time ago, probably a few decades by the looks of your clothing a big part of my forest got cut down and mangled into whatever is over there."
Gerard eyed the general direction of franks school with a thoroughly pissed off gaze.
" I was fine being by myself and having such a large healthy forest to protect but humans came in and started....started ruining everything. I got weak. Too weak to try and hold them off or even discourage them from doing it. So I went dormant for a while. It seems you and your blood were enough to wake me up."
"Thanks for that by the way. I haven't felt this alive in years. Your name is Frank right?"
" How did you-"
" Your blood told me. Thrummed up through your bones and all that."
Frank was beyond just staring and trying to take it all in. At this point he was trying to freak the fuck out or ask too many questions.
"You said ....something about 'Verheiratet' "the word tasted funny in Franks mouth but he knew it was probably important.
" Oh well um.......yes. That. Its- It means I'm bound to you ...and your bound to me. Once your blood hit the ground....its kind of like sealing a contract. ......well a contract that pulled me out of the dormancy and allowed me to heal you."
"Speaking of which what the hell is all of this junk doing in my woods? Did you put it there? Of course not you've never even been here before have you?"
Frank slowly shook his head.
" No! I woulden-no I wouldn't do shit like this its bad for the-" Frank coughed and colored a little.
Gerard was smiling shyly and tilting his head.
" You'll do. This won't be so bad after all."
" What won't-wha?
" Well your bound to me as i to you. You are essentially my human."
" What is that supposed to mean I don't belong to any-"
" It means that i am charged with protecting you from anything or anyone that tries to harm you and you ....you are charged with ....well helping me fix and get rid of all the junk the other humans around here."
Gerard went on heedlessly.
" Normally the Verheiratet is with a human woman or if your really lucky a nymph. Apparently a human boy will do just as well. You are a virgin right?
Frank colored heavily and looked away.
Gerards voice laughed at him as he spoke
"Humans. I'll never get why you all get so shy about something so natural."
Frank narrowed his eyes at Gerard and crossed his arms.
" Oh don't be such a seedling ." He stage whispered the next part. "I haven't seeded in almost a hundred and thirty years. But don't tell the trees that. They tend to gossip when they think I can't hear them."
Frank smiled a little. For a crazy weird 'Green Man" this guy wasn't so bad. But still he didn't know if he like the idea of this bond-thing. This spelled trouble with a capital 'T' and that was something Frank really didn't need in his junior year of high school. It would also be a pain if someone found out about it.
Apparently Gerard is also a mind reader because the next words out of his mouth are:
" I'm sorry you don't like it but we don't really have a choice. Once I have you blood we're stuck. I'll try to be a good host and everything. Its not like I'd try to trap you here forever......."
" I promise to take good care of you." He almost muttered.
Frank sighed and scrubbed at his eyes. Seriously why was this his life?
So your saying I can go home tonight as long as I promise to come back tomorrow -or however long it takes to clean up?
Of all the things frank was expecting Gerard to say." As long as i can come with you." was not one of them.
" You know that's kind of going into the creepy stalker area right?" Frank eyed him with a little annoyance.
Gerard looked taken aback and then a little sad. "I suppose it is.......then ...yes as long as you come back tomorrow."
Frank huffed. He didn't have to look so downtrodden and sad.
Frank tried to turn around and just go. Possibly without ever coming back if he could swing it. Though comic book lore told him that trying anything of that sort was always a bad idea.
He couldn't get Gerard's sad face out of his head. He turned to risk another look. Gerard was still there making that same face. Frank must be a sucker because he almost couldn't help the next words out of his mouth:
"Oh my god just stop making that face. Geez just follow me or whatever."
Frank was all ready making plans as to how he was going to sneak Gerard past his mother when Gerard simply vanished.
Footsteps imprinted in the road as he seemed to walk ahead. The wind whispered in his ear surprisingly sounding like gerard.
"Is this ok?"
" Uh its kind of creepy......."
"Oh...." Gerard faded into view looking a little sheepish.
Frank looked at his clothes. Shadowy greenish black nothing was really defined or solid echos of human clothing flickered and then simply ceased to be. It was strange but sort of captivating.....like a lava lamp.
" Just uh.......stay visible or whatever but uh......could you change your ...clothes......and some shoes. Shoes would be nice.
" Gerard grumbled and shifted his shoulders muttering something that suspiciously sounded like. " I hate shoes."
Color bleached the shadows and settled on white. Black dress pants wrapped themselves around slightly curving thighs. Chucks resembling franks laced themselves around his feet. There seemed to be a faint shadowy outline of ivy pattered in Gerard's pants and shirt but Frank was almost positive no one would notice much.
Gerard looked slightly put upon.
" Good?"
"Its fine." Frank muttered brushing past him and snagging him by the elbow.
" Okay if we go out of the forest there are some rules."
Number one: Do not under any circumstances tell anyone what you are."
" Well of course....why would anyone need to know except for you?"
Frank sighed and slapped his forehead.
" Number two: stick with me. Don't go anywhere without telling me. I've got to keep track of you at all times so no one gets......lost or hurt."
Number three when you see my mom you tell her that your a new kid at school from Europe.....or something.
Number four: "None of that licking stuff in public. I don't care what the circumstances are. Don't do it."
"You humans and your issues."
Number five: " Don't refer to me or any other person as 'human' while we're in public."
"Got it?"
" Yes......Frank. "
Frank sighed and continued walking, silently counting power lines until he reached the gap in the treeline. He cautiously dragged Gerard behind him checking to see if the coast was clear.
Not a soul in sight. Frank sighed for the ten millionth time that day and began the trek to the bus stop dragging Gerard by the elbow up the path he'd come.
They stopped at the vending machines for a soda for the ride home. Frank let Gerard choose since A-he'd never had one B- he was curious as to what Gerard would think of the machine.
He watched as Gerard's face as he fed quarters into the machine and felt him jump when the machinery began to crank and rattle.
while Gerard was still stunned into a sort of frozen trance frank grabbed the can out of the dispenser and touched the low hanging bough in his customary manner.The rough bark soothing and familiar to his fingers.
Gerard whirled around and stared at him.
" Wha-oh is that like-"
"- Its like....kind of like ....... your pinching my rear end as I pass by."
"Oh ......well. Alright then....I'll try not to do it anymore." Frank is kind of embarrassed now.....considering how often he fiddles with the greenery surrounding the school and his house.
" No-don't...its fine......just surprising is all. " Gerard murmured turning the soda can around in his hands curiously before drinking it. He wrinkled his nose at the taste. Frank secretly thought it was kind of adorable.
"So ....this tree is part of you....?" Frank asked curiously.
" Yes... it is. I go for miles around this human city. What you were in today was the heart... the center of me"
Gerard seemed to have a thousand yard stare. Frank could swear he saw flickers of leaves and branches in them before Gerard blinked.
Frank just stared and shook his head. This guy.
He tugged Gerard along up the path and onto the quad. It was deserted. School had all ready been out for a while judging by the lack of cars in the faculty parking lot.
The clock above the main entrance proclaimed it to be 5:47
They had to make it to the bus stop in 6 minutes if they wanted to not wait another 30 minutes.
Gerard was taller than frank and of course had longer strides. Frank had to jog to keep up with him until Gerard noticed and slowed a little.
" You are kind of small for a human man hmm?"
" Shut up. Not everyone can be jolly green giants like yourself.." Frank growled.
Gerard laughed and rubbed his thumb on the inside of Franks arm.
"Don't get your branches in a tangle Frank I was just wondering." Gerard looked at him from over huge girly sunglasses slumped on his nose. They seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
"I'm seventeen and yes I'm shorter than a lot of people. I was sick as a kid and being small kind of runs in my family. Also rule number 6 None of that weird treespeak..its weird. "
Gerard nodded absently eyes staring wide at the buildings, paved roads and signs as they passed.
They made it to the bus stop in time and climbed on. Frank flashed his pass and paid for Gerard. Gerard was kind of distracted and looked kind of pissy if frank was being honest with himself.
Frank dragged him by his elbow to the back of the bus where they sat silently and not speaking. Until the bus came to franks stop. He dragged Gerard off the bus and thanked the driver.
They trekked into franks neighborhood following the familiar path frank could and probably had walked in his sleep. He grazed his hands across a sickly looking magnolia tree on the path Gerard shuddered and continued walking. Eventually they arrived outside of Franks home. The sewing circle session seemed to still be in full swing. Frank could probably sneak in through the back door and drag Gerard up the stairs without being noticed at all.
They managed to do just that. The only hiccup being Gerard's infernal curiosity. The idiot wanted to stop and look at every little thing. Frank had ended up just draging him upstairs and only letting go when they got to the second floor landing.
Frank sighed gratefully as he walked into his room dropping his bag in its customary place by his computer desk. He yanked off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. He threw them both in the laundry hamper and fell face first into bed.
"It's so good to be home. I'm never leaving again. Home school is the only way to go."
The bed dipped as gerard sat on the edge of it. Frank was a little startled when Gerard started rubbing his legs but not exactly surprised.
"Mgggmmhh Feels good." Frank groaned.
" I'm glad." Murmured Gerard. Frank could almost feel the smile in his voice.
After a while when frank was almost asleep Gerard rolled him over and gently took off his shoes for him. The good healing feeling from before had returned and sat in Franks skin humming pleasantly.
"So good." Frank mumbled and shifted sleepily.
Gerard's cool tapered fingers wrapped around his own and pulled gently at his hand. Frank was so loose and pliant he just smiled up a little hazily in Gerard's general direction.
Soft pressure made Franks bruised knuckles tingle oddly but at least the pain had lessened. but Gerard was kissing his fingers softly, individually on every joint. Frank would be lying to himself if he said it wasn't a nice feeling but staying awake was no longer an option. He let himself sink into the dark.
__
The next morning Frank woke up face down on his pillow. Thank goodness it was a Friday. Frank groaned a little and felt Gerard shift beside him.
Shit. Gerard. Binding contract. The licking thing. how did he even begin to sleep with this guy in his room last night.
Frank rolled his head to look over at his ......whatever Gerard was. He was awake and peeping out at Frank from a case of truly spectacular bedhead.
"Morning...." frank mumbled. Hoping his morning breath wasn't too bad.
"Yes Frank, it is indeed morning." Gerard's voice was gravely and sleepy.
Frank rolled his eyes and turned over on his stomach and groaned softly into his pillow. Why couldn't all of that been a dream?
Franks alarm clock chose that moment to go off. Frank nearly threw it across the room out of sheer pique.
He rolled out of bed and unbuckled his belt and dropping his pants rubbing distractedly at the lines where it had dug in in his sleep. He tugged off his shirt and wandered into the adjoined bathroom door before remembering that Gerard was there and had probably seen more of frank than he'd intended.
'Oh well maybe my pudgy ass will make him change his mind about the whole weird 'bound by blood' thing.
He grabbed a towel and stripped out of his boxers stepping into the tub carefully to avoid slipping like he seemed to every other morning.
Frank really attempted to continue his regularly scheduled programing. Washing behind his ears and scrubbing his hair. Normal things. Routine things. Things that did not include any magical persons whatsoever. His life felt kind of like a bad si-fi movie.
He'd finished everything else and it seemed his morning wood just wasn't going to go down by itself today.
Welp......he had time. he leaned an arm against the shower wall and slowly began to stroke himself from base to crown he shivered and his jaw dropped involuntarily. His imagination only fueled the need to get off. Shadowy outlines of someone pressed against his back lacing their fingers with his and mouthing at his neck and shoulder. The idea is so vivid he could almost feel it against his skin. His hips twitch and jerk toward his hand almost reflexively. It felt soso good he was so close he could taste it in the back of this throat. A sound behind him made him freeze. He really hoped it wasn't Gerard. Frank had had quite enough with the virgin and 'how small and bite sized you are' talk yesterday he didn't need any comments about his dick. He almost snorts aloud.
Frank turned. Through the shower curtain frank could see the outline of Gerard leaning against the wall.
"You called me. " Gerard murmurs almost indistinctly over the noise of the water.
" Get out." Frank hisses lowly suddenly kind of frustrated.
The shadow of Gerard disappears from its position without a sound.
Frank groans and finishes himself off with brutal efficiency that he kind of really hates.
Frank finishes getting ready and trundles downstairs with his bag. His mom is already gone for work. He eats his oatmeal in silence and rinses the dishes in the sink.
He thinks absently of skipping but dismisses the idea almost immediately. Frank heads out the door and on the way to school fingertips grazing trunks of trees as hes passing just like every other morning before it since Frank started at Queen of Peace three years ago. Sometimes frank hated the monotony the routine of everything. But he wants to make his mom proud and maybe get into a good college.
Hes standing under the shade of a particularly large spruce when arms twine around him from behind and pull him backward.A mouth rests on his neck. Frank manfully resists the urge to shiver.
"I'm sorry Frank." Gerard murmurs lips brushing the sensitive side of franks neck and making his skin start to buzz.
" Its fine Ge-gerard. Just don-try not to do it again." Frank mentally gives himself a wedgie for stuttering but its hard considering how close and warm Gerard is. No ones hugged him like this in a long time. Now that he has it he almost wishes they could stay like this for a while. Not doing anything......just hugging.
Gerard murmurs unintelligibly on his neck and Frank twitches a little and mentally curses himself. Gerard slowly lets go so they can look at one another face to face.
" Is this ok?" Gerard asks sporting a blazer that looks like the one Franks wearing and a black tie imprinted with faint flower patterns. His pants are kind of tighter around the thighs than is strictly regulation.
" Uh ....well you might want to loose the pattern in the tie .....that might cause some attention especially if your seen with me."
Gerard tilts his head to the side "Why?"
" You'll see." Frank says as he pulls out a cigarette from the battered pack at the bottom of his bag. He sticks it in his mouth and lights it. Breathing in the smoke and exhaling gratefully.
Gerard makes an annoyed noise next to him but doesn't say anything as they walk to the corner. Frank finishes his cigarette and stubs it out in the ashtray someone glued to the trashcan ages ago.
They make it to school. Frank does his homework on the bus and muses that telling everyone Gerard is a foreign exchange student is a plausible excuse. Now was probably a good time to test that theory.
Frank is surprised to see Gerard split off from him once they enter the school grounds. Frank followed him glancing around for anyone that might follow him.
"Gerard dude class starts in ten minutes we gotta-"
"I can't go in there Frank."
Frowning at Frank as if it was obvious.
"I have to go back into my woods Frank. If I stay away from them too long I'll get even weaker."
He jammed his hands in his pockets as he said it, almost sulky.
"I get it dude. Go do your nature thing and I'll meet you back there as soon as I can get out of school."
Gerard smiles and walks away fading into the morning sunlight like a phantom.
Speaking of phantoms he probably needs to brush up on his Green-man lore. The thought interrupted by the five minute warning bell. If hes not late to frigging Mass or some horrible shit that's likely to get him detention.
He gets through the day. Avoiding assholes and getting all of his homework done during free period. He turns it in at the front office and heads straight for Gerard.
--
Frank was almost jogging by the time he got to the break in the trees. He was relieved to finally be out of that place. So far he'd made it through the day without incident and now he had someone to hang out with after school. Even if said person happened to be what most people considered an old folk tale.
Gerard met him at the break in the treeline all dimples and little nudges on Franks shoulder. He'd almost made rank piss his pants appearing in front of him so suddenly that Frank made a high noise in the back of his throat.
Gerard too that as his cue to rib Frank endlessly about looking where he was going.
Frank fired back while stuffing his blazer in his satchel that maybe Gerard should practice his 'landings' or appearing and disappearing whatever forest spirits did
"So how was your day In human school?" Gerard asked looking slightly curious.
Frank was a little taken aback but rolled with it on principle.
" Fine I guess. How was your day playing Smoky Bear?"
Gerard looked at him a little oddly.
" You do realize I get that reference right? Same old, same old I suppose getting smaller and trashier just like ever other day."
There was a pregnant silence. Even the birds seemd to stop chirping for a few minutes.
' So much for that.' thought Frank as he loosened his tie while he walked. He pulled it over his head irritably finally glad to be rid of the thing. He began to unbutton his dress shirt when he felt the pricking sensation of Gerard's stare.
" What?"
" Are you planning to get completly naked in my forest?"
Gerard's eyes bored into him all at once smiling and curious with a layer of something darker underneath.
"No... Just trying to get out of my school clothes so I don't mess them up." Frank tried to looks nonchalant and ignore the looks Gerard seemed to be giving him. It probably wasn't working.
Frank striped out of his dress shirt and stuffed it into his bag leaving him in a white undershirt and his black school issue pants.
It was cooler at least without all of those goodness forsaken layers.
Frank looked around as they walked mostly to avoid Gerard's eyes as well as trying to get some idea of what he was up against as far as how much stuff there was and how he was going to haul it out.
"So we need a plan as to how were going to do this .....thing. Any ideas here?" He asked Gerard as they rounded the bend in the road.
" I've told you all I can Frank." Gerard answered distractedly glancing around at the different plants and trees.
" So is there some kid of curse of the Green Man that i have to help you break where you aren't allowed to tell me or ....something?" Frank asked curious at Gerard's apparent nonchalance.
" More like there are rules and guidelines about how the Verheiratet works. Tricks of the trade we wouldn't want just any human knowing. Also every human is different. They each deal with it in a different way......or so the stories I heard have said.
" Can I ask for your help?" Frank asked curiously.
Gerard stopped walking and stared at Frank like he was the biggest idiot on the face of the planet. He grabbed Frank by his arms fingers tight and constricting and jerked frank tward him.
" Do you honestly fucking think that I would allow this-This shit in my forest If I could touch it? Are you seriously that inept? His voice low and angry. His eyes sparking and staring straight into Frank's.
Frank wrenched away and shuffled out of reach.
"Fuck you ass face I was just asking a question!"
" Well it wasen't a very good one. Gerard sneered. Hands on his hips.
Frank curled his lip a little in response.
" I don't have to do this! Helping you and your pathetic excuse for a forest from the litter bugs and assholes! This whole thing is weird and I don't fucking like it!
"Well I'm sorry but once you 'offered' blood the agreement was sealed. I colden't do anything about it even if I wanted to!" Gerards eyes flashed in anger. He looked ready to grab Frank and shake him.
Hell if Frank was going to let him get the chance .
" I didn't 'offer' anything! I stepped on that friggin nail by accdent because I heard you walking an thought I was going to get Caught!"
"Even if you tried to you coulden't yoiu would be drawn back here no matter how hard you tried to fight it. I'd be charged with trying to find you if you tried!"
"How the fuck does that even work!" Frank growled.
" It doesn't matter I don't know why but thats just how it works!" Gerard yelled edging toward Frank.
Frank slid back another few steps getting ready to run, even though Gerard could probably catch him before he could so much as yell for help.
" Fuck man I was just trying to figure some shit out! Quit crawling down my throat!" Frank shifted from foot to foot, clenching his hands into fists untill it hurt.
" Use your common sense!" Gerard yelled, the trees shaking angrly and rainging leaves on both of them.
" What sense?" Frank sneered
"They don't exactly teach Rules and Regulations for Forest Spirits In Catholic school." He snarked glancing back from his trajectory to get the fuck out before something bad happend.
Gerard snorted and looked down. The anger seemed to leave him he sagged like a popped ballon the furious anger replaced with his usual placid expression.
Frank was still on guard though. That grabbing shit was not ok.
"I suppose .....I'll try to be a little more open to questions." Gerard said looking a little sheepish.
Frank nodded mutely tugging his fingers through his fauxhawk to try and stay cool even though it felt like sweat was pouring down his face. He wondered again at how this was his life. He must have some really bad karmic mojo for weird comic book Si-fi shit to be happening to him. He absently wondered how may other poor fuckers were stuck like this. Did they ever get out. He was kind of afraid to ask anymore questions at the moment.
> German is the language of trees.
> gee goes into the scool-think ponyo or bad 90s movie
>to protect frank
> bodily fluids give Gerard power or gerard is a cumslut
> Catholic school vs ancient green man
>little does frank know he will be the one to clean it up in a white undershirt and saggy jeans while Gerard watches