Poise and Rationality

Gerard laid down on his bed, back to the mattress with eyes at the ceiling, and inhaled to sigh. Instead, he ended up crinkling his nose and coughing, the room still smelled of fresh paint. Use the anger to an advantage. Use it to change at least something . Try and be...creative? He told himself four days ago. What I need to do is change this room for the better. erase everything these walls have seen. Brainwash them, for their own good.

And so, the walls were forced from a red, white, and black vertical stripe to a white canvas splattered with red and black. Gerard didn't like it, but he was far from hating it. It always seemed to be the same three colors with him. The same three people. Of course, Frankie was the white. The walls were Gerard's subconscious poetry, when deciphered correctly, they told the story. He just didn't know that yet.

There was a knock at the door, destroying the still quiet.

"Gerard?" Asked a voice from behind the door that all but shattered his heart.

Gerard said nothing, just rolled his eyes. He knew that the voice would dare to enter the den on the "Beast" without permission, it already had it. Gerard closed his eyes and tried to sigh again. There was a slow creak of the door and then the sound of two footsteps, entering.

"Babe?" The voice asked.

"Why are you here?" Gerard almost hissed, his voice sharp and eyes still closed.

"Do you want to lose?"

Gerard thought a moment as he slowly opened his eyes to gaze into the hazel ones that were locked on him, "No." He managed another sigh. "I want to win. But, that still leaves my question unanswered. Why are you here, Frankie?"

"You know, it took guts, what you did last week, the way you kicked me out like that. I was amazed, shocked even. But, for some odd reason, that only made you all the more attractive. You have back-bone, Mikey...just not as thick as yours. Your in the lead, Gerard....let's not ruin that, shall we?" Frank slightly rambled as he laid down next to Gerard.

"Answer me." Gerard's patience was running out.

"...Mikey has pink eye."

"Four eye creep..." Gerard mumbled quietly to himself. "And?" He snapped back into defense mode.

"I miss you" Frankie placed a kiss on the corner of Gerard's mouth.

Gerard rolled his eyes in vain as he turned away from Frank. Now, facing his left, the wall and away from him; the reason his life was on edge and heart torn between his brother and the love of his life, he felt it. The strong in-mistakable desire to be back in Frankie's arms. The voice in his head was telling him other-wise though, to kick him out of his house-his life- for good, maybe even a restraining order? But, just like a sober "for good" crank addict, he couldn't decide. The temptation was but inches from his face, and the desire was strong, after all, who really cared about Mikey?

Frank slid and arm around Gerard's waist, pulling him closer. But, despite the attempt to set the mood, it was still apprehensively thick. Choose Gerard told himself. Your heart or your mind?

"No." He said, sitting up, as Frankie moved in even closer. "Just...no."

"Babe..."

Gerard got up and left, leaving Frankie staring at his back almost in awe, he always got what he wanted from the brothers. What am I talking about? I lost my mind long ago. Christ, follow me. I dare you, come on. Gerard's thoughts rang out, almost masochistically as he let himself lay on the leather couch. It turned into a game now, and he was flirting with death. A cat in heat, make him follow you but deny him of even the slightest hope of it. Taunt him, he can look, but can't touch. He closed his eyes and tried not to smile, it was the most ironic and idyllic of situations, the power had been switched and suddenly, it was in his hands. And, what Gerard wanted was a sickly cynical game of cops and robbers. Frankie's foot-steps came slow down the hall-way at first, but they picked up a steady pace, until it was a run.

"Hey!" Gerard shouted playfully, smiling and opening his eyes, as Frank's weight landed on top of him. "I mean-Hey!" He remembered his game and fixed his tone and mouth.

"Way, don't deny it, you want me." Frank smiled.

"No, no, I don't think I do." Gerard smiled back though his voice was blunt.

"Too bad."

Frankie put his mouth to Gerard's and tried to force his way in. But, Gerard fought back, sucking in both his lower and upper lip, while clenching his lower jaw into his upper as hard as he could without harming himself. The chuckled he gave after Frank's tongue just couldn't find a way in could almost be classified as manic.

"Come on, Gerard." Frankie almost whined as he gave a pleading puppy-dog smile. "I'm supposed to be the Cheshire Cat, confusing and seducing you while playing a thick hazy mind game, and having fun while doing so. And, your meant to be poor innocent Alice who unknowingly plays along..."

"Well, Frankie, sometimes a taste of you own medic-"

Gerard has made the mistake of opening his mouth, Frank had played on his weakness; getting in the last word. It had taken only four seconds for Frank's mouth to fill and dominate Gerard's. Gerard wasn't trying to pry him off either, there were no muffled screams. Only the clear and unmistakable moaning, a call for more.

And, right when Gerard thought he had fallen into Wonder Land, it was killed by the shattering of glass. The pair jumped, landing on the floor with a dull thud and a loud "Ow!" from Frankie, who's head made the thud. Slowly, as Frankie cussed out the floor, Gerard stood and made his way to the front entrance room, where the sound came from.

The glass was everywhere, covering most of the floor, large and small. The culprit lay in the center of the room, cold, gray, and still, the rock sat as a contrast to all that around it. Gerard picked it up and noticed a small note strapped to it.

"Up yours, he's mine!"

It read in a curvy signature, Mikey's signature. Gerard tossed the rock up a few times, watching it, in almost slow motion, fall back into the palm of his hand before smirking and walking out the front door. The birds chirped cheerfully and he couldn't help but to smile as he strode into Mikey's front lawn and took aim. Gerard didn't throw the rock, no. No, he pitched it as a fast ball, smack-dab into the center of Mikey's bay window, that coincidently the younger took pride in.

"I love you too, 'bro! Trust me, it will be!" Gerard spat at the house, leaving for his own.

And, was it just him, or were the bird's a little happier, a little louder?