Anything but Ordinary

This, in Rae’s opinion was the worst part of putting out their fourth CD. Sure it had to be done, but promoting wasn’t one of the perks of the job. That was for sure. At least in interviews she didn’t have to answer many questions. There were always the normal ones about being a female in a male dominated profession, but she always just used her standby answer for that one. She hadn’t set out to be some kind of role model for women, and even now she really didn’t want to be. She wanted to play; Nothing more, nothing less.

Some of the more gutsy interviewers would ask about her and Mikey’s relationship, at which point Gerard or Frank would jump in with a very slick subject change. They had been together for nearly four years, but Mikey and Rae both really appreciated privacy when it came to their love life.

She never really actively spoke during interviews. It wasn’t really her style. Instead she would listen to Gerard, Frank and occasionally Mikey. Her and Bob would throw in something if they saw fit and that was how it usually went.

She’d really like to say something right now though. About the mail she’d received from some asshole who called herself a fan. The only reason you’re even in the band is because you sleep with Mikey. You’re a band whore. That’s what the letter had said. That stuff happened every once in a while, and she tried really hard not to let it bother her. She knew that she was in the band because she was good and she deserved to be there. She wasn’t a band whore either. She and Mikey had been in a deeply committed relationship for nearly four years.

She hadn’t said anything about it to the guys. Gerard would just get defensive and say something publicly about equality and how Rae kept the band together. Frank would threaten ass kicking and Bob would nod quietly over his shoulder. Mikey would just get all quiet and start blaming himself. Really it wasn’t anyone’s fault. Playing in a well known band and having tits wasn’t usually something that happened, and when it did some people (assholes) just couldn’t grasp that the world had changed.

Rae could usually ignore the stuff ‘fans’ said about her, but for some reason it was bothering her today. It wasn’t even really that they had called or a whore, or that they had questioned her place in the band. It was the fact that the people that claimed the band saved their lives couldn’t see that Mikey and her were both so truly in love with each other. All they saw was a chick onstage playing beside the man she was fucking. They made their own assumptions.

So after the director said cut she got off the couch told the guys she had to pee and made her way back to the green room bathroom. Once inside she locked the door and walked to the sink. She was wearing jeans and a Metallica t-shirt. She tried not to dress too different from what the guys wore on a normal day because that only brought more attention to the fact that she was a woman. It was actually kind of laughable because to her she didn’t even look all that female. Sure she had boobs, but they weren’t huge by any means and she had too much muscle to really be considered sexy, or even pretty. She kept her hair a little longer than her chin. The only thing that was distinctly feminine was her face; a soft curve to her chin, rounded nose and pretty eyes. She was just average.

She took a deep breath, smiled at her reflection and walked back out to the guys.

Everyone was packing up to head back to Jersey. They had all driven up from Jersey together except for her and Mikey (for a reason he still hadn’t explained). Frank had to get back to Jamia who was heading in to her final month of pregnancy, and Gerard never liked to miss a moment with Bandit if he could help it. Even Bob was seeing someone that he’d met while he stayed with Gerard and Lyn in Jersey.

Everyone piled into Gerard’s SUV and Mikey leaned through the window to hug Gerard. Gerard flashed them both a smile that she hadn’t ever seen before, but before Rae had time to contemplate that Mikey was taking her hand and leading her to their own car.

She asked where they were going once they got started but he just smiled a little. She didn’t bother to ask again because she knew when to quit with Mikey. Instead they talked a little while he drove them out of the busiest part of the city. She had to smile when she saw the street he was parking on.

Getting out of the car they both reached for each others hands and walked into the diner. Bob’s Diner, you could say was kind of the place where everything had started. Hell had it really been nearly ten years ago?

Mikey even lead her to the same table. The table where Gerard, Otter, Mikey and herself had all sat and started planning. The very same table where Gerard had shakily handed her a notebook full of lyrics and asked if she could compose around them. This table was the start of My Chemical Romance.

Mikey sat across from her and smiled.

“You should have told me this was going to be a date night.” They didn’t really go out much as a couple. There was always someone asking for an autograph or trying to take a sneaky picture of them holding hands over the table. It really didn’t make for much fun. They really did prefer to just stay in their apartment and watch movies and then turn in early after some great sex.

He opened his menu and glanced at the list even though they both knew that he would order the exact same thing he always did, “Surprise!” he said with mock enthusiasm and the slightest smirk.

They ordered; her a fish sandwich and him a BLT with light mayo. They talked a little about the interview and about how much they missed Steven Smith while they ate. Mikey mentioned how hard it was to believe that in only three and a half months their fourth album would drop. She cut in about how she couldn’t wait to see what Marc Webb’s idea for their first new video would be.

It was nice, really nice. No one even bothered them. She tried not to notice that they were the only ones in the diner and that she’d only seen one waitress the entire time they’d been here and she looked to be about 60 years old. She was just ever so slightly suspicious though.

When they were standing to leave Mikey asked if she wanted to walk to Central Park and take a stroll (no really, he actually said take a stroll)! She agreed because it was just closing in on nine o’clock and it was a really nice May evening.

When they walked out the door the waitress winked at her.

Central Park was only a couple blocks away so they abandoned the car and made their way down the sidewalk. They kept quiet and held hands sidestepping other couples who were walking past them.

Mikey was fidgety and he kept letting go of her hand to wipe it on his jeans and then patting his pocket. It was weird but she ignored it as they neared the park. She had always held a special place in her heart for Central Park. Her Grandmother used to bring her and her brothers here every summer to feed the ducks even when they were teenagers and it was totally lame. It was cheesy, but Mikey had also brought her here after the kick off show for The Black Parade Tour and kissed her; their first kiss. Rae tried not to be to girly, but this was really kind of the sweetest thing ever.

She shouldn’t have been surprised, but she still was when he walked her to Bow Bridge. They passed some other couples as they crossed to the middle and stopped. It was kind of ironic, she thought, that first he had taken her to the place where the band had started and now he brought her here; where they had started.

They looked out over the water and watched the ducks float by through the cast light of streetlamps. She felt him lean in and kiss her cheek and then turn her to face him. She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face even if someone offered her a billion dollars.

“Hi.” He whispered leaning in for a real kiss. Kissing him was possibly the greatest thing she would ever get to do. The beauty of it was that she could do it whenever she wanted. When he pulled away she followed him, but just a little.

“Hi.” She whispered back with just a hint of shyness. Mikey wasn’t usually this romantic. Not that she minded, but this was really more Gerard’s style.

He took a deep breath and then everything seemed to slow down to about 1,000 frames per second. One moment he was standing in front of her and the next he was on his knee and opening his mouth to speak. Blood rushed in her ears but she still heard every word.

“Raena, I knew from the moment I kissed you at this spot nearly four years ago that you would be the woman I would love for the rest of my life.” Her heart raced while he stopped to take a short breath and reach into his pocket. She knew what was happening, but at the same time it almost didn’t seem real, “Every morning I wake up and I can’t believe how lucky I am. Raena, will you marry me?”

Time resumed normal pace as he opened the black ring box. She didn’t even glance at the ring before she was down on her knees in front of him grabbing his face and whispering her answer against his lips. It took a long time for them to pull back, but when they did she said it again, “Yes!”

He laughed and then grabbed her left hand slipping the ring on her finger. She finally looked at it. She wasn’t really a jewelry wearer, but this was perfect. Nothing big or flashy (they both knew she would have hated that). It was silver with a round diamond and smaller ones down the sides. Perfection.

They were still on their knees but she really couldn’t be bothered to get up, “I love you.” She whispered leaning in to kiss him again. This was honestly kind of a surprise. Sure they had talked about marriage in passing, but never more than that.

“I love you too.” He told her grabbing her hand and kissing the ring on her finger before pulling her up, “I hope your night was perfect, I wanted it to be.”

“It was.” She still couldn’t stop smiling! A few things made more sense now, “Is this why Gerard was smiling so much? And why the waitress winked at me? Wait…. Did you rent out the diner?!”

Mikey flashed her a sheepish smile, but she could tell he was pretty proud of himself, “Yes, yes and yes.”

She couldn’t help but lean up and kiss him again. It was a kiss with tongue and teeth and the promise of so much more. Trailing her lips over his jaw and to his ear she breathed out, “Let’s go home.”