This is really great! It's a little unfair because Pete doesn't even know Gerard and why he acts the way he does, and he can always say he knows all he needs to know about Gerard, but he still doesn't know anything other than what he saw the say he came over, what Mikey told him, and things he just guessed. He doesn't understand that Gerard is so worried about not giving Mikey what he believes he needs that he is blinded to the fact that Mikey is having real problems, not just being a whiny, annoying baby. I like that Pete doesn't like Gerard, though. If he didn't, the story would turn out totally different. Now on a different note. Pete loves Mikey with such a passion, that should be enough to ward off every bad nightmare (memory) but it's not and Mikey is bleeding and thrashing and Pete can't wake him up. I'm glad to see that Pete is getting that feeling of helplessness. I think that worked really well because if he was strong it just wouldn't work. I don't know why, but it just wouldn't. I like that Pete is like "I don't know what to do!" It kind of makes him seem like he thinks he's not fit to be taking care of Mikey. Here he is saying that Gerard shouldn't be able to take care of Mikey, and when Mikey is here convulsing and trying to scratch his face off, he has no idea what to do. I actually think that Pete is sort of like Gerard because they both get so nervous about giving Mikey what he needs that they sort of just get a little... I don't know what the word is. I don't know if that made any sense, but I tried. Anyway, I really liked that Mikey is starting to open up more and more to Pete and he's telling him something he hadn't even told Gerard until too late. He trusts him, and it really shows. I liked that Mikey apologized for waking up Pete. Of course, he doesn't want anybody's anger/discomfort to be his fault, but after he practically ripped his face and arms off, he still managed to apologize for something like that. I really like this chapter. You're so good at capturing emotions. You kind of feel sad for Pete because he has to watch the person he loves suffer and hurt and he doesn't know what to do, and you're even more sad when Pete hears of Gerard's abuse, but then you're kind of like "awww" at the end. It was really sweet. It's one of those moments where you believe that they can get through anything together. Well, I loved this chapter. I thought it was really well written and you really do a great job with emotion, not just in this, but in everything you write. The reader feels everything the characters feel. This is beautiful. Wonderful, terrific, fabulous job.
Author's response
Thank you very much; I'm really glad that you think this went alright!
Pete is definitely being a little unfair to Gerard, he's just assuming that Gerard is a bad person before he's even gotten to properly know him purely because he hates the idea of anyone hurting Mikey, but he still needs to try and see the side of Gerard that Mikey and Frank obviously do. If that made any sort of sense.
I'm relieved that you like Pete's dislike of Gerard, I was worried that it seemed sorta out of place so it's good to hear that you think it adds something to the direction of the story.
I wanted to show that Pete is really just a kid too, albeit that he is two years older than Mikey, and a kid who's never had to deal with something like this before. So it scares him because he doesn't know how to make everything better for the person that he loves the most. I'm really pleased liked that whole 'what do I do' aspect of it, I wasn't sure if I did it right. I also wanted to show that Pete and Gerard maybe aren't as different as they would both like to think in the respect that they both just want to give Mikey what he needs.
I'm happy that you liked that Mikey apologized, I kinda liked writing that little part. He apologized for the exact reasons you specified; he just doesn't want to upset anyone, least of all his boyfriend.
Thank you very, very much for taking the time to leave such a lovely, detailed review; it really does mean a hell of a lot to me! :)