Status: one-shot contest entry.
Let Me Back Into Your Arms.
1 - 1
Mikey Way stared out of the small, dirty window, watching the raindrops hit the cracked pavement outside.
"Gee, is it going to rain for forty days and forty nights like in the bible?”
“No, Mikey.” Gerard said absentmindedly, looking out the window.
“Oh.” Mikey said quietly, drawing pictures on the window with his breath. “But how do you know? I bet they didn’t know then either. I don’t know how to swim, Gee! I don’t wanna drown!” Mikey’s little voice grew louder and more hysteric as he worked himself up like he always did. Gee smiled at his small, younger brother as he wrapped his arm around Mikey’s shoulders pulling him closer to him. “You don’t have to worry Mikes, you have me and I’ll never let you drown.”
* * *
Mikey leaned over the edge of the bridge staring into the dark water; that memory seemed so long ago. Mikey still felt the hurt, the tears on his cheek. Gee had lied that day. He’d left and he’d let Mikey drown. He let Mikey get hurt. He wasn’t there to protect him. Mikey’s hands shook as he tousled his hair and blinked back a tear. He sniffed as he lifted his cigarette to his lips, inhaling the smoke. His nerves steadied themselves just a small bit. He hadn’t seen Gee since he was eight, when their parents had divorced and Gee had chosen to go with their mom. Mikey angrily stubbed out his cigarette, that was the day Gee chose to leave him. He wasn’t even Gee anymore, just Gerard. Mikey didn’t know him now. This wasn’t his brother anymore. Mikey sighed, pulling his jacket tighter around him. He didn’t know why he was here. He was here because he missed Gee. When Gerard had called him he’d been more than a little surprised; he wished he had hung the phone up, pushed Gerard away like he’d done him. He wished he had left him alone and confused like he’d been.
But the second Mikey heard his voice he couldn’t help but smile. He sounded so much different but he could still hear Gee in there. There was something about the way he talked that was so unique and it made Mikey feel safe to know it was still there. Gee was still there. He wanted his brother back but now that he was here, now that the memories were coming back, he just wanted to leave. He threw his cigarette into the water and as he started to walk away he suddenly heard an all-too-familiar voice call out to him. He just couldn’t help but stop in his tracks. His heart was pounding in his chest; this was it. Finally. Everything Mikey had been waiting for since he was eight years old.
“Mikes.”
Mikey turned to face his older brother, a smile hiding in the shadows of his face. “Gerard,” his brother looked so different, yet so much the same, “you came back.” Gerard smiled crookedly, “Yupp.” Silence lay like a blanket over the two men, awkwardly set. “Mikey…” Gerard’s voice cracked as he studied his younger brother. “I’m sorry.”
The hurt was instantly gone from Mikey's eyes. Gee was back. And after eighteen years, Mikey was back in his brother’s arms.
"Gee, is it going to rain for forty days and forty nights like in the bible?”
“No, Mikey.” Gerard said absentmindedly, looking out the window.
“Oh.” Mikey said quietly, drawing pictures on the window with his breath. “But how do you know? I bet they didn’t know then either. I don’t know how to swim, Gee! I don’t wanna drown!” Mikey’s little voice grew louder and more hysteric as he worked himself up like he always did. Gee smiled at his small, younger brother as he wrapped his arm around Mikey’s shoulders pulling him closer to him. “You don’t have to worry Mikes, you have me and I’ll never let you drown.”
* * *
Mikey leaned over the edge of the bridge staring into the dark water; that memory seemed so long ago. Mikey still felt the hurt, the tears on his cheek. Gee had lied that day. He’d left and he’d let Mikey drown. He let Mikey get hurt. He wasn’t there to protect him. Mikey’s hands shook as he tousled his hair and blinked back a tear. He sniffed as he lifted his cigarette to his lips, inhaling the smoke. His nerves steadied themselves just a small bit. He hadn’t seen Gee since he was eight, when their parents had divorced and Gee had chosen to go with their mom. Mikey angrily stubbed out his cigarette, that was the day Gee chose to leave him. He wasn’t even Gee anymore, just Gerard. Mikey didn’t know him now. This wasn’t his brother anymore. Mikey sighed, pulling his jacket tighter around him. He didn’t know why he was here. He was here because he missed Gee. When Gerard had called him he’d been more than a little surprised; he wished he had hung the phone up, pushed Gerard away like he’d done him. He wished he had left him alone and confused like he’d been.
But the second Mikey heard his voice he couldn’t help but smile. He sounded so much different but he could still hear Gee in there. There was something about the way he talked that was so unique and it made Mikey feel safe to know it was still there. Gee was still there. He wanted his brother back but now that he was here, now that the memories were coming back, he just wanted to leave. He threw his cigarette into the water and as he started to walk away he suddenly heard an all-too-familiar voice call out to him. He just couldn’t help but stop in his tracks. His heart was pounding in his chest; this was it. Finally. Everything Mikey had been waiting for since he was eight years old.
“Mikes.”
Mikey turned to face his older brother, a smile hiding in the shadows of his face. “Gerard,” his brother looked so different, yet so much the same, “you came back.” Gerard smiled crookedly, “Yupp.” Silence lay like a blanket over the two men, awkwardly set. “Mikey…” Gerard’s voice cracked as he studied his younger brother. “I’m sorry.”
The hurt was instantly gone from Mikey's eyes. Gee was back. And after eighteen years, Mikey was back in his brother’s arms.