Our Memories Defeat Us
Static
It was nothing more than static, an eternal wait for nothing but--
Mikey pried his heavy lids open, his eyes trying to adjust the darkness that surrounded him. The electric buzzing coming from the phone pressed to his ear reminded him that whoever was calling had just interrupted his peaceful slumber, which did nothing to ease his aggravated mood.
Just as his patience was wearing thin and while he was about to hang up, a voice replaced the white noise, beckoning and full of need.
"Mikey?"
Mikey sighed, blinking the drowsiness from his eyes as the familiarity washed over him. This had happened too many times; his brother's disregard for the difference between night and day and his habit of dialing someone's number just to have someone to choke out his problems to when he was too far away...
"Yeah, Gee?"
"If something happens, you'll carry on, won't you?"
There he goes again; talking in riddles and whispering broken philosophies no one else can understand. Mikey vaguely wondered what made this come along... a session of over-thinking, perhaps? He knew he should be more understanding; Gerard was his older brother, after all, but it was too much like a cycle. Repetitive, tedious, and he was tired of playing this mind-wearying game.
"Gerard, it's late, and not everyone should be insomniac just because you are, and... wait, are you still on that plane?"
Gerard seemed to hesitate, and a new layer of tears was added to his tone. "Yeah, yeah I am, Mikes."
Mikey rubbed his hand over his face, shaking himself awake. "Listen, Gee. When you get to New York in the morning, call me up again, okay? Whatever it is, we'll talk about it, just not now, 'cause I'm not in the right mind to have a decent conversation... maybe you're just nervous from the comic launch you're gonna do. Don't worry, Gee. The Umbrella Academy is a work of genius, and I should know. All right?"
Gerard let out what seemed like a sob, but maybe it was just a figment of his imagination. What can Gerard possibly cry about?
"All right. How was your birthday party?" Gerard mustered after a while, a bit sadly.
Mikey fought a smile, despite the exhaustion weighing on him. "Still have a hangover from it, if that's all you wanna know."
Gerard laughed, the sound too high, too cheerful, almost forced. "Sorry I missed it then." There was more than nostalgia in the statement, but genuine regret.
"You'll go to the next one, and you still owe me a present, by the way." Mikey replied, enjoying the conversation more than he wanted to admit. Gerard laughed again, soft and melodic. Mikey did too, then he realized that he was still groggy and in a hurry to get off the phone.
"Hey, Gee, I really I have to go and get some sleep... I'm kinda still a worn out and..."
"Yeah, I understand, Mikes. Sorry about calling so late."
"It's all right. Later, okay?"
"Okay." A pause, with the melancholy returning. "I love you, Mikey. Don't you ever dare fucking forget that, okay?"
Mikey nodded absently, his consciousness slowly fading. "Love you too, Gerard."
Gerard's voice sounded clipped, like he was running out of time for all the words that were threatening to spill from his mouth, everything that was left unsaid.
"Tell everyone else for me, won't you?"
"Sure." Mikey yawned as the Sandman took hold of his mind once more. "Bye, Gee," he bid farewell offhandedly.
"Bye, Mikes." Gerard broke down to a trembling murmur, nearly inaudible. "I'll miss you."
And then it was nothing more than static, an eternal wait for nothing but--
Mikey pried his heavy lids open, his eyes trying to adjust the darkness that surrounded him. The electric buzzing coming from the phone pressed to his ear reminded him that whoever was calling had just interrupted his peaceful slumber, which did nothing to ease his aggravated mood.
Just as his patience was wearing thin and while he was about to hang up, a voice replaced the white noise, beckoning and full of need.
"Mikey?"
Mikey sighed, blinking the drowsiness from his eyes as the familiarity washed over him. This had happened too many times; his brother's disregard for the difference between night and day and his habit of dialing someone's number just to have someone to choke out his problems to when he was too far away...
"Yeah, Gee?"
"If something happens, you'll carry on, won't you?"
There he goes again; talking in riddles and whispering broken philosophies no one else can understand. Mikey vaguely wondered what made this come along... a session of over-thinking, perhaps? He knew he should be more understanding; Gerard was his older brother, after all, but it was too much like a cycle. Repetitive, tedious, and he was tired of playing this mind-wearying game.
"Gerard, it's late, and not everyone should be insomniac just because you are, and... wait, are you still on that plane?"
Gerard seemed to hesitate, and a new layer of tears was added to his tone. "Yeah, yeah I am, Mikes."
Mikey rubbed his hand over his face, shaking himself awake. "Listen, Gee. When you get to New York in the morning, call me up again, okay? Whatever it is, we'll talk about it, just not now, 'cause I'm not in the right mind to have a decent conversation... maybe you're just nervous from the comic launch you're gonna do. Don't worry, Gee. The Umbrella Academy is a work of genius, and I should know. All right?"
Gerard let out what seemed like a sob, but maybe it was just a figment of his imagination. What can Gerard possibly cry about?
"All right. How was your birthday party?" Gerard mustered after a while, a bit sadly.
Mikey fought a smile, despite the exhaustion weighing on him. "Still have a hangover from it, if that's all you wanna know."
Gerard laughed, the sound too high, too cheerful, almost forced. "Sorry I missed it then." There was more than nostalgia in the statement, but genuine regret.
"You'll go to the next one, and you still owe me a present, by the way." Mikey replied, enjoying the conversation more than he wanted to admit. Gerard laughed again, soft and melodic. Mikey did too, then he realized that he was still groggy and in a hurry to get off the phone.
"Hey, Gee, I really I have to go and get some sleep... I'm kinda still a worn out and..."
"Yeah, I understand, Mikes. Sorry about calling so late."
"It's all right. Later, okay?"
"Okay." A pause, with the melancholy returning. "I love you, Mikey. Don't you ever dare fucking forget that, okay?"
Mikey nodded absently, his consciousness slowly fading. "Love you too, Gerard."
Gerard's voice sounded clipped, like he was running out of time for all the words that were threatening to spill from his mouth, everything that was left unsaid.
"Tell everyone else for me, won't you?"
"Sure." Mikey yawned as the Sandman took hold of his mind once more. "Bye, Gee," he bid farewell offhandedly.
"Bye, Mikes." Gerard broke down to a trembling murmur, nearly inaudible. "I'll miss you."
And then it was nothing more than static, an eternal wait for nothing but--