Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > Puppet Boy, Your Strings Are Mine
A/N: If you wanna listen to the song used in this chapter at all, here's a link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smiFk6KHr_8 :)
Chapter Nineteen: The Withering Dawn
Bert looked at Gerard, worry etched on his face. Just a day after he had come to stay over, Gerard seemed to have come down with some sort of flu. Which was not that troubling on its own, as Gerard got sick quite a bit. No, what was troubling was what it might be instead.
When Mikey had found out that Bert was going to stay with Gerard, he had insisted that Bert keep him constantly updated on his brother. Bert had wanted to tell him about the flu, but Gerard insisted he did not, for fear that Mikey would come running across the country over something that could merely be... the flu.
None the less, the date of Gerard's testing was fast approaching. All they could do then was wait to see.
It was not a fun ride. Gerard's flu was severe, and Bert had to do any outdoor errands himself. One day, when Bert had come home from a grocery run, he had found Gerard crying loudly over a shattered picture of himself, Lindsey, and Bandit. It was then he realized that Gerard had more than just a flu that was ailing him.
Suddenly, Bert had to be the responsible one and try to fix his broken friend. And while he did love Gerard dearly, Bert and responsibility did not mix very well. He wanted to take care of Gerard, yes. But how could he do that when he could barely take care of himself?
None the less, he was glad he had come. He could not imagine how Gerard would have held up by himself. And knowing Gerard, he was too damn proud to ask anyone else.
Bert sighed as he sat on Gerard's bed. Gerard was running a fever again. Bert wiped his forehead with a cool towel, trying to get it to go down. He wondered if Gerard even felt it.
"Hey..." Bert greeted him as he felt him stir.
"Hi." Gerard tried to smile at him. Gerard had been trying to act like nothing was wrong. It irritated Bert. He didn't know if he was trying to stay calm, or if he was just in denial.
"How are you feeling?" Bert asked him, knowing what the answer was.
"Fine." Gerard said predictably. "What have you been up to?"
"Working on a new song."
"Oh yeah? Let me hear it." Gerard perked up. It had been a while since the guys had discussed music with all the drama, and Gerard was just craving to work out the muscles of his musical mind.
Bert nodded and got out the guitar Gerard always kept in the corner of his bedroom. He sat back on the bed, and strummed it a bit as Gerard sat up attentively. Bert did not have all the notes worked out for the song, but he had a based idea worked off of the vocal melody. He began to sing softly, playing the guitar as he went along.
"Sweet little words made for silence,
Not talk,
Young heart for love,
Not heartache.
Dark hair for catching the wind,
Not to veil the sight of a cold world.
Kiss, while your lips are still red,
While he`s still silent,
Rest while bosom is still untouched, unveiled.
Hold another hand, while the hand`s still without a tool,
Drown into eyes while they`re still blind,
Love while the night still hides the withering dawn.
First day of love never comes back,
A passionate hour`s never a wasted one.
The violin, the poet`s hand,
Every thawing heart plays your theme with care.
Kiss while your lips are still red,
While he`s still silent.
Rest while bosom is still untouched, unveiled,
Hold another hand, while the hand`s still without a tool,
Drown into eyes while they`re still blind,
Love while the night still hides the withering dawn..."
Bert trailed off. He turned to see if Gerard was still even awake, and slightly jumped when he saw Gerard staring at him wide eyed, very close to his face.
"That was amazing, Bert. I... I don't even know what to say." Gerard said breathlessly, clearly in awe.
"Thanks, Gee." Bert smiled at him, pleased to have baffled a great songwriter like Gerard.
"Is it about anyone in particular?" Gerard ventured.
"Yeah..." Bert said as he put down the guitar. "Someone very special."
Gerard's face lit up and Bert chuckled. He got up to leave but Gerard grabbed him by the shirt.
"Where are you going?" Gerard asked.
"The guest room. It's very late Gee. You need your rest."
"Well do... do you think you could stay here tonight?" Gerard asked reluctantly.
Bert stared down at him. He was hesitant. He had to admit he was slightly afraid of catching Gerard's flu. Still Bert rarely got sick, and Gerard seemed to really want this. It was not terribly unusual. Back when they were extremely close, Gerard would spend nights in The Used's tour bus when he was too fucked up to go home. There usually was not any room, and Gerard would just have to squeeze himself into Bert's bunk. And Bert never minded one bit. Plus, how could he say no to that face?
Bert sighed and got into the bed with Gerard, while Gerard squealed gleefully.
"Thanks, Bert. It's just really hard for me to fall asleep when I'm alone. I'm used to, you know, always having someone there..." Gerard sighed and Bert knew he was thinking about Lindsey again.
"Don't worry about it." Bert reassured him. "Just go to sleep babe. "
Gerard fell silent. After a while, Bert had figured that Gerard had fallen asleep. Yet around what must have been 5 or so, just when Bert had been finally drifting off to sleep, he felt something on his waist.
It was Gerard's hand. At first, Bert had thought nothing of it. And then he felt it begin to creep farther and farther down his pajama bottoms, until finally...
"Gerard what the hell are you doing?!?" Bert snapped at him suddenly, yanking Gerard's hand away from his nether regions.
"Hmmm?" Gerard played innocent. Yet Bert knew full well he had been trying to make a move. He narrowed his eyes at Gerard.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry.." Gerard frowned. "I was just trying to have a bit of fun."
"Gerard, I'm married." Bert pointed out the obvious. "Have you completely forgotten that?"
"I know, but I'm not and I...I miss her so much Bert..." Gerard began to cry. Honestly, Bert had no idea if he was really missing Lindsey, or if he was putting on the waterworks so Bert would not be too angry. Either way, he hated seeing Gerard cry.
"I know, it's alright." Bert sighed as he wrapped Gerard in a hug. "It's probably just the fever making you confused. Hopefully it'll go down soon."
Bert pressed his hand against Gerard's forehead. Still burning up. Damn. Why won't this thing cool off?
"I'm sorry..." Gerard cried against his shoulder. "Please don't leave me."
"It's okay babe. As long as you try to behave, I won't. C'mon, let's just go back to sleep. We both need it."
Bert tried setting Gerard to bed again. He frowned as he watched the boy cry himself to sleep. He knew it was not Gerard's fault. Victims of rape often gained a need to feel control over their sexual lives, which tended to result in promiscuity. If anything, Bert felt at fault. He probably set him up with the date that did it. Bert had not gotten much time to talk to Gerard about it, but he still intended to find out more.
As he watched Gerard's cries softly quell into an uneasy slumber, Bert thought that when he did find out, there would be hell to pay.
~
Next chapter: Bert and Gerard receive some surprising news.
Chapter Nineteen: The Withering Dawn
Bert looked at Gerard, worry etched on his face. Just a day after he had come to stay over, Gerard seemed to have come down with some sort of flu. Which was not that troubling on its own, as Gerard got sick quite a bit. No, what was troubling was what it might be instead.
When Mikey had found out that Bert was going to stay with Gerard, he had insisted that Bert keep him constantly updated on his brother. Bert had wanted to tell him about the flu, but Gerard insisted he did not, for fear that Mikey would come running across the country over something that could merely be... the flu.
None the less, the date of Gerard's testing was fast approaching. All they could do then was wait to see.
It was not a fun ride. Gerard's flu was severe, and Bert had to do any outdoor errands himself. One day, when Bert had come home from a grocery run, he had found Gerard crying loudly over a shattered picture of himself, Lindsey, and Bandit. It was then he realized that Gerard had more than just a flu that was ailing him.
Suddenly, Bert had to be the responsible one and try to fix his broken friend. And while he did love Gerard dearly, Bert and responsibility did not mix very well. He wanted to take care of Gerard, yes. But how could he do that when he could barely take care of himself?
None the less, he was glad he had come. He could not imagine how Gerard would have held up by himself. And knowing Gerard, he was too damn proud to ask anyone else.
Bert sighed as he sat on Gerard's bed. Gerard was running a fever again. Bert wiped his forehead with a cool towel, trying to get it to go down. He wondered if Gerard even felt it.
"Hey..." Bert greeted him as he felt him stir.
"Hi." Gerard tried to smile at him. Gerard had been trying to act like nothing was wrong. It irritated Bert. He didn't know if he was trying to stay calm, or if he was just in denial.
"How are you feeling?" Bert asked him, knowing what the answer was.
"Fine." Gerard said predictably. "What have you been up to?"
"Working on a new song."
"Oh yeah? Let me hear it." Gerard perked up. It had been a while since the guys had discussed music with all the drama, and Gerard was just craving to work out the muscles of his musical mind.
Bert nodded and got out the guitar Gerard always kept in the corner of his bedroom. He sat back on the bed, and strummed it a bit as Gerard sat up attentively. Bert did not have all the notes worked out for the song, but he had a based idea worked off of the vocal melody. He began to sing softly, playing the guitar as he went along.
"Sweet little words made for silence,
Not talk,
Young heart for love,
Not heartache.
Dark hair for catching the wind,
Not to veil the sight of a cold world.
Kiss, while your lips are still red,
While he`s still silent,
Rest while bosom is still untouched, unveiled.
Hold another hand, while the hand`s still without a tool,
Drown into eyes while they`re still blind,
Love while the night still hides the withering dawn.
First day of love never comes back,
A passionate hour`s never a wasted one.
The violin, the poet`s hand,
Every thawing heart plays your theme with care.
Kiss while your lips are still red,
While he`s still silent.
Rest while bosom is still untouched, unveiled,
Hold another hand, while the hand`s still without a tool,
Drown into eyes while they`re still blind,
Love while the night still hides the withering dawn..."
Bert trailed off. He turned to see if Gerard was still even awake, and slightly jumped when he saw Gerard staring at him wide eyed, very close to his face.
"That was amazing, Bert. I... I don't even know what to say." Gerard said breathlessly, clearly in awe.
"Thanks, Gee." Bert smiled at him, pleased to have baffled a great songwriter like Gerard.
"Is it about anyone in particular?" Gerard ventured.
"Yeah..." Bert said as he put down the guitar. "Someone very special."
Gerard's face lit up and Bert chuckled. He got up to leave but Gerard grabbed him by the shirt.
"Where are you going?" Gerard asked.
"The guest room. It's very late Gee. You need your rest."
"Well do... do you think you could stay here tonight?" Gerard asked reluctantly.
Bert stared down at him. He was hesitant. He had to admit he was slightly afraid of catching Gerard's flu. Still Bert rarely got sick, and Gerard seemed to really want this. It was not terribly unusual. Back when they were extremely close, Gerard would spend nights in The Used's tour bus when he was too fucked up to go home. There usually was not any room, and Gerard would just have to squeeze himself into Bert's bunk. And Bert never minded one bit. Plus, how could he say no to that face?
Bert sighed and got into the bed with Gerard, while Gerard squealed gleefully.
"Thanks, Bert. It's just really hard for me to fall asleep when I'm alone. I'm used to, you know, always having someone there..." Gerard sighed and Bert knew he was thinking about Lindsey again.
"Don't worry about it." Bert reassured him. "Just go to sleep babe. "
Gerard fell silent. After a while, Bert had figured that Gerard had fallen asleep. Yet around what must have been 5 or so, just when Bert had been finally drifting off to sleep, he felt something on his waist.
It was Gerard's hand. At first, Bert had thought nothing of it. And then he felt it begin to creep farther and farther down his pajama bottoms, until finally...
"Gerard what the hell are you doing?!?" Bert snapped at him suddenly, yanking Gerard's hand away from his nether regions.
"Hmmm?" Gerard played innocent. Yet Bert knew full well he had been trying to make a move. He narrowed his eyes at Gerard.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry.." Gerard frowned. "I was just trying to have a bit of fun."
"Gerard, I'm married." Bert pointed out the obvious. "Have you completely forgotten that?"
"I know, but I'm not and I...I miss her so much Bert..." Gerard began to cry. Honestly, Bert had no idea if he was really missing Lindsey, or if he was putting on the waterworks so Bert would not be too angry. Either way, he hated seeing Gerard cry.
"I know, it's alright." Bert sighed as he wrapped Gerard in a hug. "It's probably just the fever making you confused. Hopefully it'll go down soon."
Bert pressed his hand against Gerard's forehead. Still burning up. Damn. Why won't this thing cool off?
"I'm sorry..." Gerard cried against his shoulder. "Please don't leave me."
"It's okay babe. As long as you try to behave, I won't. C'mon, let's just go back to sleep. We both need it."
Bert tried setting Gerard to bed again. He frowned as he watched the boy cry himself to sleep. He knew it was not Gerard's fault. Victims of rape often gained a need to feel control over their sexual lives, which tended to result in promiscuity. If anything, Bert felt at fault. He probably set him up with the date that did it. Bert had not gotten much time to talk to Gerard about it, but he still intended to find out more.
As he watched Gerard's cries softly quell into an uneasy slumber, Bert thought that when he did find out, there would be hell to pay.
~
Next chapter: Bert and Gerard receive some surprising news.
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