FicWad

It's always been like that with Gerard - it's either too good to be true, or it's nothing at all, making you question whether the too-good-to-be-true moments ever actually did happen or whether it was just a dream that'd blurred the line between reality and fiction. That dream was the first in a series of mysterious yet magical moments between Gerard and Mikey. Thing is, sometimes Mikey wondered how magical it was to Gerard, how much it really meant to him. The pattern continued. Mikey became increasingly and simultaneously encouraged then disheartened, felt loved then lost, and all in the space of a few short hours. The days came one at a time.


At the end of a long and shitty Thursday, Mikey trudged up the driveway, twirling his keys around his finger. He slotted one into the lock and turned it routinely, pushing the door open with his knee and kicking it closed behind him. It was one hell of a relief to be home. Pulling his headphones down to hang around his neck, Mikey walked through to the kitchen.

"Oh hey Mikes, good day?" Gerard smiled, looking up from the stove. Mikey's chest tightened.

"Meh," he mumbled non-commitally and dropped his bag to the floor, throwing his keys onto the worktop and resting his elbows on it, head in hands. "Not overly."

"Awwh, what happened?" Gerard asked, immediately concerned - and closer than Mikey expected. He could feel Gerard's breath in his ear, his hands rubbing his back soothingly.

Mikey stood up straight and smiled wearily at Gerard, his eyes glazed with tiredness and his hair mussed up. "Nothing, it's fine. Just one of those days, y'know?" he said, wrinkling his nose and rubbing Gerard's forearm.

Gerard smiled widely and moved his hand up to ruffle Mikey's hair. "Okay. Well I made you your favourite, Mikeymouse - guess I must have known you'd have a shit day." he grinned.

"Oh yeah Gee, you're a regular psychic." Mikey smirked, rolling his eyes and walking over to the stove.

"It's that brother connection - I told you. -Hey!" Gerard rushed to his side and slapped Mikey's hand away from where it was dipping into the pan of soup. "Hands off, I don't want you dirtying it with your grubby mitts."

Mikey whined and leant back against the counter, pretending to pout at him. "A, my hands are not grubby, and B, it's only me and you eating it."

"Yeah, still." Gerard mumbled, defeated. "It's not ready yet, I want it to be perfect for you." he mumbled again, so quiet this time that it was barely audible as he turned away from Mikey and stirred at the pan.

As if on pause, Mikey stilled completely, he even stopped breathing. He figured he was probably seeing things that weren't there in what Gerard said, but it damn well sounded like there was something there.

"Mmm." Gerard said approvingly.

Mikey turned to face him questioningly.

"S'done." Gerard affirmed, turning off the gas and sucking the taste-test sample off his finger.

The sight stole Mikey's attention and he stared at Gerard sucking his own finger for longer than was really necessary, and swallowed thickly when Gerard removed his finger with a wet pop and a satisfied noise.

"Earth to Mikey, get the fucking bowls out - you away with the unicorns or something?"

Mikey blinked and focussed back on Gerard's curious frown, his eyes having been hovering on him but vacant. "Right, yes, sorry - I er, got distracted." He cleared his throat and bent down, pulling two bowls out of the cupboard and setting them down for Gerard to serve, then walking over to a draw to retrieve two clean spoons and avoid having to make eye contact.

Between them they carried the meal to the table and set it with the other necessities, sitting down opposite each other.

Blowing on the liquid, Mikey took a spoonful of his soup and then smiled contently. "Mmmm Gee, no one makes soup like you do."

Gerard laughed, swallowing his own. "I know. And no one inflates my ego like you do."

"It's not intentional." Mikey muttered.

"I heard that, cheeky fucker."

They ate in silence for a few minutes, a comfortable one, with both Mikey and Gerard relaxing and warming up after a tiring and cold day in October New Jersey.

Mikey broke the silence, clearing his throat. "So I was looking at some apartment listings today." he started, looking at his spoon.

"Oh Mikes, no." Gerard groaned. "I told you, you really don't have to. I like having you here."

"I don't wanna sponge off you forever Gerard." Mikey protested, looking up at him and raising his eyebrows matter-of-factly.

"You're not sponging, we both pay housekeeping - just 'cause it's technically my house doesn't mean you don't have every right to be here." Mikey opened his mouth to protest but Gerard talked over him. "I said you could stay with me after your last place, and I'm not letting you move into some shitty apartment just 'cause of a guilt trip. I like you here and I want you here, it's just like when we were growing up, y'know? I.. well," Gerard dropped his eyes to the table and ran his spoon around the rim of his bowl, giving a light shrug, looking embarrassed and uncomfortable. "I miss you when we don't live together." he muttered, keeping his eyes fixed on the table as he took another spoonful.

Mikey felt himself smiling, his heart doing a bar of double time as his face swelled with happiness. "I know, I miss you too G." He smiled across the table as Gerard looked up at him and smirked shyly back.

"So, tomorrow's Friday." Gerard pointed out quickly, changing the subject. "Got any plans?"

"Not really, I don't think I feel like socialising or getting drunk, I might stay in and watch some shitty sci-fi." Mikey shrugged tiredly, and he silently questioned if Gerard had finished, to which he nodded, and Mikey picked up both bowls, walking to the sink. "What about you?" he asked, pouring some hot water.

Gerard cleared the table and leant against the cupboard next to Mikey. "Might hit a couple of bars, I d'know." he shrugged happily, a carefree smile on his face.

Mikey nodded politely, whilst inside his heart dropped to his pelvis. He hated when Gerard went out drinking, he would either come back with some guy or girl, or he would come back looking for one. And what he hated most was that when Gerard had been drinking, he would always wake up the next morning with a bit of a headache and a wiped memory of the night before. He never remembered. Mikey picked up a bowl and immersed it in the hot water along with his hands, barely noticing the stinging heat of it.

"The world's my oyster." Gerard continued, grinning lazily, his head tilted backwards, eyes on Mikey.

Yes it fucking is. Mikey thought bitterly. He scrubbed the pottery clean and slammed it on the draining board.