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It only takes a second for everything to change. Gerard Way walked toward his younger brother onstage. As a crowd teaser, he began to unzip his younger brother's jacket. However, Mikey seemed thrown off, and tried to walk away. Gerard turned away, and when he did, he knew Mikey was hurting. He turned around and found his brother on the ground, and from the looks of it, he had landed on his shoulder. Gerard started to panic. He was fine until I went over there. If I didn't try to do something that would make him uncomfortable, he wouldn't be on the ground right now. Gerard turned back into reality as he remembered that he was onstage. He watched as Ray ran around the stage with his guitar, desperately trying to distract the crowd from Mikey. The world spun around for a second, and he saw Frank sliding over to Mikey. What are you doing? Go and see if he's okay! Gerard screamed mentally at himself. He walked over. Mikey looked up at him helplessly, his eyes a mix of pain and confusion. Gerard knelt down and touched Mikey's chest. Gerard's eyes spoke for him at that moment, and Mikey got up. Gerard returned to the front of the stage and continued to sing. As the song ended, he began to walk over to Mikey, and then remembered that the crowd was still there. He turned around and faced them once again.

"Ray Toro's going to treat you guys to an amazing improvised solo, Frank and Bob are going to join in!" He exclaimed, getting the crowd excited. He immediately turned around and made his way to Mikey as he was taken off stage for the paramedics to look him over. Mikey looked up and noticed Gerard approaching him. He scrunched his eyebrows together as he observed his older brother.

"Gerard, you're shaking like a leaf."

"Oh, am I?" Gerard asked, seeming terrified. He had thought that he was just imagining things when he thought that his body was shaking.

"Yeah...Is everything alright?" Mikey asked.

"Oh, yeah. Of course! Why would anything be wrong?" Gerard asked.

Mikey looked at Gerard strangely as he got up, taking his bass guitar back. Mikey and Gerard walked back onto the stage. Gerard walked up to the microphone stand.

"Before we start this next song, I have some bad news...We aren't going to be able to do the meet and greet tonight. However, you're all going home with signed posters!" Gerard said to the crowd.

Ray walked over to Mikey.

"What's wrong?" Ray asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Your facial expression looks weird."

"There's something wrong with Gerard." Mikey said.

"What do you mean?"

"He's acting really weird." Mikey said. Ray just nodded before going back to his normal spot on stage.
***
After the show, the band was gathered backstage. The whole arena was now empty except for employees.

"I really think that you should get your shoulder checked out. You landed pretty hard on it." Frank said.

"It's really not that bad." Mikey said.

"I have to go with Frank, you really should get your shoulder checked out." Ray threw in.

"Guys, I'm fine." Mikey said.

"Mikey, you really should-" Bob started.

"I'm fine!" Mikey insisted.

"Michael James, you're getting your shoulder checked out whether you like it or not and that's final!" Gerard screamed.

Everything was silent. All of the band members seemed stunned, including Gerard himself. He continuously opened and closed his mouth, attempting to make sound come out.

"Mikey...I-I'm so sorry." he stuttered. He ran off.

"Gerard!" Mikey called, starting to run after his brother.

"Mikey!" Frank called, running after him.

Ray and Bob exchanged glances, and ran off after their bandmates.

Gerard ran through the arena, tears brimming his eyes. Just when Mikey started to catch up with him, Gerard burst out with more speed.

"When did you learn to run so fast?" Mikey asked as he attempted to catch up with Gerard. Gerard responded by picking up speed even more.

Gerard continued running, and then Worm grabbed his arm.

"Gerard, what are you doing?"

"Let go of me!" Gerard screamed.

Mikey heard Gerard's screams and finally found him, trying to get out of Worm's grip.

"Good, now that you're all here, we can leave." Worm said.

"Let me go!" Gerard growled.

"Are you going to run off again?" Worm asked.

"No."

"Fine." Worm said, releasing Gerard's arm. Gerard darted out the back doors immediately.

"I'll get him." Bob said. He ran out after Gerard, and caught up to him.

Bob grabbed Gerard and held him against the wall.

"What's going on, man?" Bob asked, worriedly.

"I hurt him!" Gerard cried.

"Who?"

"Oh God, Bob. I hurt him!"

"Who did you hurt, Gerard?"

"My baby brother! Oh God, Bob, I hurt him! I hurt my baby brother, my baby-" Gerard continued to wail.

"You didn't hurt him, Gerard. He tripped!" Bob tried to calm Gerard down.

"He wouldn't have tripped if I wasn't so stupid! God, I hurt him, Bob! I hurt him so bad, I hurt my baby brother! I'm supposed to protect him, but I'm the one hurting him!" Gerard cried.

"Gerard, it was a mistake! We all make mistakes!"

"He would be so much better off without me!"
"Don't say that!" Bob exclaimed.

"I can't do this, Bob!"

"Yes, you can. If there's one thing that I learned from you, it's that if you really want to, you can!" Bob said. "Now come on, you're scaring him right now-" Bob started.

"See! I'm still hurting him!" Gerard screamed.

"No, Gerard! You need to go in there, and let him see that you're okay. Gerard, calm down. You made a mistake. Everyone makes them!"

Gerard got up and looked at Bob.

"Thanks."

"Anytime. Now let's go." Bob said, putting an arm around Gerard's shoulder, leading him to the bus.
***
Gerard walked into the bus, his head down, his body still shaking.

"Gerard." Mikey said softly. He got up from the couch and embraced his brother as tightly as he could, seeing as his shoulder was still hurting.

"Dude, you're shaking like a dog." Frank said to Gerard.

"Oh...That's weird." He said softly.

"Gee, what are you scared of?"

"What?" Gerard asked, a bit confused by the question.

"You're scared of something. You have been since I fell. What are you scared of?"

"I...It's nothing." Gerard said quietly. He gently shrugged Mikey's arms off of him and walked into the washroom.

Mikey looked at Bob.

"What's wrong with him?" Mikey asked.

"I don't know if I can tell you." Bob answered.

"He's my older brother, I think I have a right to know!"

"Look, Mikey. I don't know if he wants me to tell you."

"Bob, please. Something is tearing him apart, and I can't help him if I don't know what it is." Mikey said.

Bob looked between the washroom and Mikey. Bob knocked on the door.

"Gee, can I come in?" Bob asked.

The door opened, showing Gerard's tear streaked face. Bob asked Gerard if he could tell Mikey what was wrong. Gerard's eyes widened, and then he shook his head. Then, he closed the door in Bob's face.

"There's your answer." Bob said quietly.

"What does he think he's doing? Does he think he's protecting me from something?" Mikey asked.

Bob nodded.

"What is he protecting me from?"

Bob just bit his lip and shook his head.

"Bob, please!" Mikey begged.

"I can't tell you, Mikey."

"Please, Bob!" Mikey begged again, his voice thick with tears.

The washroom door opened. Mikey ran over to Gerard and put his good arm around him.

"Gee, please. What are you scared of, what are you protecting me from?"

"Mikey, some topics are better left untouched."

"This isn't one of them! Gerard, please! I feel like I'm being left in the dark..I can't handle being isolated from you!"

"You aren't." Gerard answered.

"Yes, I am! Please, Gerard. Please!" Mikey said, before starting to cry.

Gerard looked up at Bob.

"See, I can't."

"Yes, you can. Just talk to him." Bob said. He gestured to Frank and Ray to follow him into the bunks so Gerard and Mikey could have some privacy.
***
"Mikey, you asked what I'm afraid of." Gerard started. Mikey nodded. "I'm afraid of losing you. I'm even more afraid of being the one that hurts you enough that I will lose you."

"But you won't, Gee."

"You really need to think, Mikey. Do you really want me in your future? I'm only going to cause you more harm than good."

"Gerard, that's a lie. You're the only reason I've even made it this far. Of course I want you in my future." Mikey said, tears still falling down his cheeks.

"Really, really think, Mikey." Gerard said, getting up to leave.

"Don't walk away from me! I have thought about it, and I know what I want in my future. I want you in my future, and if you walk away from this now, it you walk away from me now, you're doing it for yourself, because I want you in my future." Mikey said.

Gerard turned around to look at Mikey, tears brimming his eyes.

"How can you say that? I'm a monster."

"No, Gerard, you're not. You never have been, and you never will be." Mikey said. He walked closer to Gerard, holding him close with both arms, ignoring the pain in his arm.

Gerard tried to leave, but he felt like he couldn't.

"I love you, Gerard. Please, don't hide yourself from me!" Mikey cried.

Gerard wrapped his arms around Mikey, and cried as well.

"Never, Mikey. I'll never leave you. I have to much to lose if I ever walked away from you..."

"Gerard, if you ever think that I wouldn't want you in my future..." Mikey trailed off. Gerard knew what Mikey meant, and tightened his grip on his brother.

He pressed his lips against Mikey's cheek, and felt Mikey bury his head in the crook of his neck.

It only takes a second for everything in your life to change. In one second, you can feel so empty, like a monster. It only takes a second to realize that you have a big part in life, and that the ones who love you most have the power to save your life. All in one second.