Dude... Are You Stalking Me? [+Gerard Way+] Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I own My Chemical Romance about as much as I own the Statue of Liberty. Don't sue.
Chapter Fifteen
Gerard sighed disconsolately and caught the hack-e-sack he tossed toward the ceiling. He studied it for a moment, then tossed it up again. It was now February, going on Valentine's; a fact Gerard couldn't forget if he tried. And try he did, almost as often as he tried not to think about Rita.
Just thinking her name brought the pale man mental discomfort. He was suddenly brought back to New Years, and his eyes narrowed.
"This," Rita smiled hugely and ran a finger from her companion's throat to his chin. "Is an old-ass friend of mine, Jason. We just happened to run into each other while I was on my walk-- since no one deigned to wait for me." She raised an eyebrow at the group, who had the grace to look embarrassed.
Jason smiled at the group.
"Hey."
Frank, Ray and Mikey each offered greetings. Bre smiled. Gerard remained silent.
Jason stayed with the group for the rest of the night. They sat in the coffee shop talking, joking and sharing old stories from their childhood with Gerard and the rest, who mostly enjoyed his company. Gerard, for his part, tried to seem interested and cheerful, but couldn't get past the instant dislike he felt when Rita opted to sit in Jason's lap rather than a chair. All night long they touched, kissed and flirted while drinking from the same coffee cup. Gerard's remained untouched.
Finally he could take it no more. With the excuse of needing a smoke Gerard escaped out the door of the quaint shop and breathed of the fresh air. A few deep breaths helped calm his mind, but the urge to look back through the window tugged at him. He fought it, but after a mere few seconds gave in to the temptation.
Jasons arm had snaked itself around Rita's waist and he held her firmly against him. She had her arm around his shoulders and had lowered her face to within inches of his. As Gerard watched she leaned down and her lips parted. She licked his nose.
"Fuck." Gerard caught the sack and clenched his fist around it at the memory. They saw Rita less and less from that night on, she spent most of her time with Jason and the rest of her time at school or work. Though she insisted they weren't dating, that she didn't see him "that way" he veritably monopolized her time. Her 20th birthday had come and gone, with Jason having crashed the surprise party. He whisked her off soon after their arrival, and they hadn't see her again since.
Gerard stopped tossing the hack-e-sack and turned his head toward the wall. His hair fell into his eyes as usual, but he made no move to brush it out of the way. His eyes fell upon the painting of Rita he'd shown her three months prior and his expression became unreadable.
"Where do we go from here?" he whispered in the semi-darkness, and desperately wished she could answer.
***
Rita yawned. It had been yet another long day, and still it wasn't over. She had exactly twenty eight minutes to get and drink her coffee before she had to hop on the train and head to work. With a sigh she prepared to cross to Starbucks when she spotted Gerard. A happy smile spread across her lips and she prepared to call his name. Then, she saw who he was with and the shout died in her throat.
She was about an inch shorter than Rita, with shoulder-length blond hair and was thin as a rail. What little shape she had was mostly concentrated on her chest, which she flaunted generously even in February's cold. Her jeans were tight and ripped in various places and her red chucks were covered in stains. She wore a baby-tee which read 'Misfits' in red and a worn army-print jacket.
As Rita watched, the girl pressed herself against Gerard and kissed him hungrily. Rita expected him to pull away, but quite oppositely he wrapped his arms around the frail-looking girl and lifted her off her feet. The kiss lasted for at least two minutes before he set the girl down again, and exhaled the lung-full of smoke he'd been holding. Rita was stunned. She watched them talk for a few moments, then they linked arms and walked away from the storefront and toward the train station.
Rita was mentally staggered. Of all the ways to run into her friend, this was not one she had considered possible. Although they hadn't seen each other in a while, she had begun to truly believe that Gerard had at least some romantic feelings for her. But now...
She sighed.
Well, she thought with a small, self-deprecating smile. At least now I know I'm not his type.
That girl was everything Rita was not. She had short blond hair, while Rita's was a rich ebony and insanely long. She was fair-skinned and pale, while Rita was naturally bronzed. She was stick-thin and slender, while Rita's build was curvy and solid. The last straw was the girls obvious femininity. Pit against Rita's tomboyish attitude and appearance, there was no contest. The vote was tallied: Rita lost.
Rita felt as though the ground had been pulled out from beneath her. Despite everything that had gone on between them, she had begun to develop feelings for the man who had fallen into her life so unexpectedly. And now, just when things might have been coming to a head, he'd been ripped away from her. And she hadn't even realized it. What made it worse was seeing them like that, contrasted and compared like night and day. Just looking at them, anyone could tell they were perfect for each other.
As if on auto-pilot Rita walked slowly away from the school and down toward the subway, coffee forgotten. Suddenly she felt much, much more tired than when she stepped out the door. Wearily she passed a hand over her eyes.
"I'm calling in sick."
***
"'Lito," Rita murmured as she studied herself in the mirror with a small, critical frown. "What would you think of me as a red-head?"
Mikey looked up from his book with a smile.
"I think you're crazy enough as it is."
She threw him a look and he subsided.
"I need a change. But since I like the way I look," Mostly, she amended silently and her expression darkened. "It's hard to decide what to change."
Mikey studied her carefully, for the first time seeing her not as a friend, but as a man. For several long moments he circled her, eyes intent, and finally he came to his decision.
"You're perfect the way you are."
Rita plopped down beside Mikey on his bed and sighed.
"You're just saying that--"
"Because it's true." Mikey cut in firmly. "You're gorgeous, Rita! I mean, look at you. What's there not to like?" Before she could break in with an example, Mikey continued. "Everything about you says 'Rita.' The way your hair's too long, but never gets in the way. How you wear sneakers everywhere, but no one ever complains. And every time I see an Aerosmith logo, I think of you." She smiled at this, and Mikey could have sworn he saw just the faintest blush on her cheeks. "I've never met anyone like you, Rita. You're awesome. I mean, fuck," he laughed and gestured to his glasses. "I'm practically fuckin blind and I cant help but see it."
Rita shook her head, smile still firmly in place. It was hard to believe anyone could feel that way about her, especially considering everything Mikey knew about her past. But then, he was her friend. And this was the way friends were.
Without warning Rita fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Once again she sighed and brushed the silken fall of her hair aside to tuck an arm under her head. Irony really was a bitch, she mused as she allowed her eyes to close briefly. Here she was spending her free day with Mikey, when Gerard was the one she'd come to see. Her eyes opened slowly to be greeted by her own reflection in Mikey's glasses. She smiled.
Mikey brushed some of the hair from Rita's face, and suddenly found himself caught in her gaze. The way Gerard had once described her eyes came to him, and he realized just how true it was. Mikey realized that he was cupping Rita's cheek, but also that she didn't seem to mind. She smiled gently up at him, those dark eyes half-lidded and unreadable as usual. On a sudden impulse Mikey lowered his lips to hers, and kissed her.
Rita was surprised at first, but returned the kiss after a scant two seconds. Although unexpected, she was surprised to find that this action from the diminutive Way brother was more than welcome. The kiss lasted several minutes before Mikey pulled away. He looked down at Rita, a bit apprehensive but was calmed when he was answered with a smile. Rita brushed a hand over his cheek and into his hair with unexpected tenderness. She studied his face for a moment, and suddenly removed his glasses to gaze into his unexpectedly soulful eyes. Her expression softened. Her eyes never left his as she stroked every inch of his handsome face and ran her fingers through his soft hair.
Mikey sighed. It wasn't something he'd planned, but he couldn't deny that it felt... right.
Donna knocked on the door and invited Rita to stay for dinner. She smiled and offered to assist the older woman, who accepted gratefully. Rita smiled at Mikey and tipped him a wink before closing the door behind her.
Michael Way lit a cigarette and lay back in his bed with a small smile on his lips. He took a deep drag, comforted by the way the smoke burned his lungs and as he exhaled and watched the blue smoke drift to the ceiling, he settled on a word for the feeling that permeated his being after the events of the unexpectedly full afternoon.
Content.
***
"I have to go inside now, Trina," Gerard sighed and tried to keep at least six inches between himself and the overzealous blond without being too obvious. Needless to say, he wasn't doing so hot.
"Aww, can't I come in? Just for a minute." she pouted and batted her heavily-coated eyelashes in an attempt to look coy, and just wound up looking like a spoiled child. Gerard frowned. He knew perfectly well what she would want to do if he did allow her to come inside, and he wasn't in the mood for her at the moment.
"Look, I have to go in to dinner, okay?" He sounded more exasperated than he'd planned to, but somehow couldn't find it in himself to care.
Trina whimpered and made her heavily made-up eyes as large as she could.
"Please Gerri? I just wanna say hi to your mom--" Gerard narrowed his eyes, his patience stretched thin.
"Don't call me that. And you don't even know my mother--" he cut in, and that's when the door opened.
Donna was smiling as the door swung inward. Her eyes were at first solely on Gerard, but then found the clingy blond who had attached herself to his arm.
"I heard you pull up, what are you doing out here?" She smiled at Trina, who gave her the most fake, syrupy smile Gerard had ever seen. "Why don't you two come inside."
Gerard looked at his mother, stricken. But it was too late. Donna was already walking back toward the kitchen and Trina had taken hold of Gerard's arm again and was tugging him toward the livingroom. He allowed himself to be led with a resigned sigh, but stopped her when they reached the door to the basement.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Trina grinned, seemingly in an attempt to look seductive and failed miserably. She batted her clumpy lashes and ran a finger over Gerard's hand in a figure-eight pattern.
"Oh, you know... just downstairs for a minute. To... talk." She winked, and Gerard's stomach turned.
Oh fuck no.
He pulled his hand away from his girlfriend and turned in the direction of the kitchen.
"I'm going to dinner. You can walk home from here, it isn't too far." Without even a goodbye, he walked into the kitchen. Of course, what greeted him wasn't at all what he was expecting.
***
Frank took a last drag of his cigarette and snubbed it out in the overflowing ashtray on the bedside table. A moment later he lit a fresh one, tucked an arm behind his head and admired the flavor of the week.
A fair-skinned brunette sat at the edge of the bed, brushing her shining mid-length hair. Her skin still shone with a thin film of perspiration, testament to the day's activity. She hummed quietly as she worked, a sweetly melodic sound that added a carefree air to the early evening. The light that filtered through the red curtains flowed over her form, caressed her perfect curves and hilighted the light peppering of freckles on her bare back.
Frank watched a few smoke rings drift toward the dingy ceiling. He glanced up as the mattress shifted in weight. The girl smiled saucily and walked, still nude, toward the bedroom door. The ring in the man's lip caught the light as he smirked.
I do love to watch her walk away, he thought and the ember at the end of his cigarette flared a bright orange as he took another drag.
***
Ray and Breanna sat staring at each other across the coffee table. The lacquered surface was littered with playing cards, and each of the table's occupants held a hand. They eyed each other carefully, neither giving ground nor gaining it. Bre bit her lip as her eyes narrowed. She waited.
Ray pursed his lips. The clock on the wall ticked loudly as the hands counted down the remaining hours of the day for all to hear.
Tick... tock. Tick... tock. Tick...
Bres eyelid twitched as she strived to block out the irritating sound.
Tock.
She was fighting a losing battle.
Ray raised an eyebrow at Bre's reaction and smirked inwardly. The waiting was getting to her; victory was his.
The failing sun ducked behind the clouds and the room was bathed in darkness. The pair's stare was never broken. A moment later the clouds moved on. A drop of sweat rolled down the end of Ray's nose and landed on the coffee table with a plop. Breanna blinked. The spell was broken.
Finally after what seemed like years, Ray spoke.
"Go fish."
Breanna's eyes closed in defeat.
***
Rita looked around with a pleasant smile when she heard the kitchen door swing inward. She was expecting Mikey to walk through the door, cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth as he had been twenty minutes before. The sight that greeted her was a very different one.
Gerard's eyes locked onto hers and the knife she'd been chopping celery with slipped. The sharpened steel bit into her left index finger and Rita broke the gaze gratefully. She took care not to get any blood on the vegetables and sighed as she appraised the damage.
"Shit, are you okay?"
A jolt went through her as Gerard took Rita's bleeding hand in both of his. It took all the self-control she possessed not to look into his shifting hazel eyes. Still, she felt her steel grip falter and that irresistible gaze tugged at her own.
"My dear, you're bleeding!"
When Donna gently pulled Rita's wounded hand from her son's grasp the girl breathed a silent sigh of relief and said a prayer of thanks. She didn't dare look at Gerard for a reaction and thus missed his expression of deep regret, however brief. In stead she smiled gently at the woman who had taken it upon herself to tend to the heavily bleeding digit.
"I'm okay, Donna. I've been hurt a lot worse than this, believe me."
Donna stuck Rita's finger under the tap and frowned when the water turned pink as it ran down the drain.
"But it's such a deep cut..."
Rita sighed, smile still in place and pulled her hand from the water.
"Just stick a band-aid on it and I'll be fine." she assured.
"I'll get the first aid kit." Gerard offered. Rita glanced around at him with a small, obviously forced smile then looked quickly away.
He wasn't quite sure why, but Gerard was hurt. He tried to write it off as a result of her being in pain, but it did nothing to make him feel better. He shrugged it off. With a sigh he turned to get the first aid kit from the downstairs bathroom when the kitchen door swung inward.
Trina stood in the doorway in all her anorexic glory. She was smiling greasily and looking Gerard up and down with hunger in her glassy blue eyes. He felt his stomach lurch. Trina seemed about to say something but her attention was drawn by the sight of the blood dripping down Rita's arm and into the sink. Her thin lip curled in disgust.
"Oh my gawd. What, did you like try to kill yourself again or something?"
Rita's eyes darkened dangerously and her hand clenched over the knife's handle. Warning bells sounded in Gerard's mind and he quickly stepped into the space between the two. His eyes were flat and dull as he addressed the blond.
"Go. Home." It was not a request.
Trina once again tried to win him over with that sick-fish face and failed miserably.
"Now."
Defeated, she huffed unattractively and stamped one foot on the linoleum.
"Gerard!" Donna scolded from her place beside Rita. "Don't be so rude! Aren't you at least going to ask if she'd like to stay for dinner?"
Gerard looked around at his mother, mortified. His expression screamed "What are you doing?!" but Donna's look of disapproval was unfaltering.
"Thank you Mrs. Way, I'd love to stay for dinner." Trina's smug tone tore at Gerard's temper but resigned, he pushed through the door and disappeared down the hall.
Rita watched the exchange silently, expression neutral. She looked down at her bleeding finger and frowned slightly, almost as if from the taste of her sour thoughts. After a moment she sighed and stuck the offending digit in her mouth. She grimaced.
"Does it still hurt?" Donna asked with concern.
"No," Rita mumbled around the obstruction. "It tastes like celery!"
They laughed and Donna swatted Rita playfully on the arm while Trina seethed in the doorway.
***
After Rita was patched up she went right back to helping Donna prepare dinner. She was quiet for the most part, but occasionally volunteered a joke or two if for no other reason than to retain the day's carefree atmosphere. Every so often she would address Gerard directly and would look him in the eye for a few seconds before turning away.
Gerard lit a cigarette and watched Rita from behind the thin veil of smoke. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail that swung past the hem of her black t-shirt. A smile touched the man's lips as he watched Rita stir a pot in one of his mother's aprons.
She's adorable.
The door swung inward and Mikey walked into the kitchen. He had a cigarette tucked into the smile on his mouth and slapped his brother companionably on the back.
"Ladies," he greeted the room. Gerard laughed. Then the bespectacled boy saw the blond attached to his brother's arm and some of his humor faded. "Trina." he amended and Rita snickered.
After ignoring Trina's glare Mikey moved on to greet his mother with a kiss on the cheek. What caught Gerard's attention however was the diminutive Way brothers greeting for their mutual friend.
With a completely casual air Mikey slipped an arm around Rita's waist and kissed her neck. Far from surprised, she tilted her head to accommodate him and smiled faintly. Gerard stared, shocked and confused but he knew he couldn't ask for an explanation now. With an internal sigh he lit another cigarette and waited.
Donald Way called home to tell his wife he would be home late, so start dinner without him. With a sigh Donna relayed the message and she and Rita began to serve. Rita volunteered to serve while Donna sliced bread, and went around the table ladling fresh soup into everyone's bowls. When she reached Trina she had to restrain herself from purposely spilling the steaming liquid on the blond girl, who curled her lip when the fragrant steam reached her nose.
"What kind of soup is this, anyway?"
"Minestrone." Rita answered absently as she moved on to Gerard and tried not to meet his eyes; he was making it harder for her every time. Trina made a gagging noise and made to push the bowl away when Gerard sent a piercing glare her way.
"Just eat it." he snapped, and the waif subsided.
Donna set the basket of warm bread in the center of the table and they ate in silence for a while. The quiet was deafening, suffocating and Rita couldn't take it. After all the days she'd spent in this house, she knew from experience that dinner was never like this. She nudged Gerard's leg under the table and he looked up at her, questioning.
"So you're finally graduating this summer. Bet you feel like going apeshit, huh?"
It was small talk, but it was better than nothing. Gerard raised an eyebrow in question and Rita widened her eyes in the faintest gesture, 'work with me.' A smile tugged at his pale lips and he cleared his throat.
"Oh, yeah. Apeshit. Climbing buildings, eating bugs. Really going crazy."
Gerard laughed, amused at Rita's expression... until her foot connected with his shin under the table. He coughed to cover the pain and Trina took the opportunity to try and latch onto him again. He pushed her away and reached for his glass.
The remainder of the meal was more or less uneventful. At the end Rita told Donna she would take care of the dishes, who accepted and disappeared through the kitchen doors. Mikey assisted and dried while Rita washed. Gerard sat at the table smoking and once again watching Rita out of the corner of his eye. Every so often she would turn her head and catch his eye. The gaze would hold for a moment, then she would drop her head and the spell was broken.
Gerard once again allowed the thin haze of smoke to cover the twin tracks of his half-lidded hazel eyes as they followed the sway of Rita's long hair. Mikey stood close beside her, their hips nearly touching and whispering into her ear so that his lips brushed the flesh like the beat of a butterfly's wing. For a long time, Gerard only watched. Trina seemed to realize what he was looking at suddenly and latched onto his arm, effectively breaking his gaze and his train of thought as well as reminding him just whom he belonged to. Gerard sighed. It always was his way, gazing after what he couldn't have.
***
"Yeah, just call me later and we can work out a time. You already know my schedule."
"Okay, yeah. I'll call you."
Mikey kissed Rita goodnight and she winked at the slightly younger boy before walking down the stairs toward the front door. Halfway down she heard voices, and her eyes widened in interest when she realized what they were talking about.
"...'t like that girl, Gee." Donna's voice, and none-too-happy, at that.
"I tried to get her to leave, but you insisted--" Gerard. Tired, plaintive.
"I was being polite. A mistake I won't make again... as long as you do not bring that girl into my house again. Are we understood?"
Rita heard Gerard chuckle and couldn't help a small smile as it curled its way onto her lips.
"You got a deal, Ma." The sound of a kiss was heard, and Rita's smile grew. "I'm just gonna take this garbage out, I'll be right in."
Well, Rita thought with her content little smile still in place, today turned out to be a pretty good day.
Upon descending the stairs once more, Rita didn't realize one of her laces had come undone. Irony however, had.
"Wha!"
She tripped.
***

And-a-click!