Because the van is so small, anyone who wants to sleep has to get the permission of whoever they're sharing a seat with. It's only fair that before someone puts their smelly feet in your lap they have to ask or at least let someone know. This is why Gerard tries always to sit on the same bench as Frankie.

Something about the van, the movement or the heat or the sheer boredom or something, makes Frankie sleepy and about forty-five minutes or an hour into every drive, his head will start nodding and five minutes after that he'll tip his head back and gaze at Gerard like he's drunk or something and Gerard will sigh and lift his arm and Frankie will throw his pillow onto Gerard's lap and fall asleep there and stay asleep until they stop for food.

Frankie's a kid, really, younger even than Mikey, and he looks much younger asleep than he does when he's awake and moving around and mouthing off. Gerard thinks he's pretty much a total pervert because he thinks that Frankie asleep is maybe the hottest thing he's ever seen. Once, Frankie rolled over, turning his body to face the back of the bench seat, and ended up with his face pressed against Gerard's stomach for twenty-five minutes, his breath hot and moist through Gerard's t-shirt. Gerard wondered if Frankie could feel his erection poking up through the soft foam pillow, but figured probably not.

Sometimes, Gerard touches his hair, lightly. From time to time, when everybody else who's not driving has also dozed off, or the van is dark so no one else can see, Gerard will stroke Frankie's neck, slide his fingers down into the streched out collar of Frankie's t-shirt. If he does it right, Frankie will lift a hand unconsciously and close it over Gerard's, sealing Gerard to his skin and Gerard will doze off himself, sitting upright in in the seat, Frankie's heartbeat cupped in the palm of his hand.