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“I’m so sorry, Gee.”
Frank pulled Gerard into a tight hug. It took him a few seconds, but eventually he retrieved it. Frank felt him sigh deeply.
“Thank you for coming.”
Gerard pulled away slowly, still keeping his hands on Frank’s arms. His eyes were visibly red and puffy like he had been sobbing for hours, which was probably true. Frank’s heart ached at that thought.
He also noticed that Gerard’s face was leaner. He probably wasn’t eating or sleeping at all, and Frank just couldn’t find a way to blame him. Just the fact that he was standing here now, proved that he was much stronger than he would be in such a shitty situation.
“Where’s Mikey?”
Frank asked softly. He wanted to stay with Gerard and comfort him for as long as he could, but he couldn’t just forget about Mikey. It was his loss too, and they were really close friends.
“I don’t know… He said he needed to catch some air. I think this has all been… too much for him.”
Frank nodded understandingly, knowing not to insist on it. He knew that everyone had a different way of dealing with grief and that it was important to give space for them to process such a great loss, but at least he was grateful that he got to be here to support Gerard.
“I get it. Funerals sure aren’t easy on anyone.”
Frank reached out to touch Gerard’s hand, squeezing it gently. He wasn’t trying to receive any type of affection at all, he just wanted to make him feel his presence, to know that he was here. Gerard managed to smile faintly, it wasn’t joyful or anything, but it was genuine. Like a quiet “thank you.”