Keep the Faith

It had been months since he’d been onstage; months since he had seen his brother’s childish smile; genuine now, not forced like before. Missing him was worse than he had expected. Missing him had destroyed his short-lived happiness with his new wife. But she understood. She always understood everything about him.

The phone calls, the e-mails, the webcam chats – they hadn’t been enough to ease the pain of leaving for that – what seemed like such a large – amount of time.

As he got out of the car, his insides practically writhing with jubilation, he suddenly felt nauseas. He was nervous, that was it. He hadn’t seen his brother; his best friend; his band mate, in months; days; millions of minutes…

That was it.

This time; this place,
Misused; mistakes,
Too long; too late…
Who was I to make you wait?

He took a deep breath and stepped formally out of the vehicle, and was immediately greeted with an overly excited shriek, which was followed by an excess amount of weight meeting his midsection.

“You’re back!”

He patted the smaller and slightly younger one’s head, biting his bottom lip to stop a small chuckle from escaping his mouth.

“I’m here.”

The guitarist pulled away from the embrace he had had the skinny man in, and grinned toothily. “We missed you. But he took it worse out of all of us…”

That smile couldn’t hide the downcast look in his greenish eyes. Everyone had known that his brother took it harder than the entire band put together. Those maniacal laughs he threw out onstage, the kisses he had given the man standing in front of him, the teasing he did to make the girls scream…

It was all a fake front; a distraction to try and direct him away from the fact that his little brother wasn’t with him.

Just one chance,
Just one breath,
Just in case there’s just one left.
’Cause you know, you know, you know…

“MIKEY!” a slightly deeper voice yelled out. The blonde-haired drummer rushed up to Mikey, his bright blue eyes wide with joy as he pulled the bassist into a bone-crushing hug. “You still look fucking anorexic, dude! You need to eat!”

Mikey laughed. “I do eat, Bob. Get off my back.”

Bob smirked and gave Mikey a playful punch on the shoulder as he backed away, just as the wild-haired Ray walked over, grinning madly.

“Hey Mikey-boy!”

I love you.
I’ve loved you all along.
And I miss you…
Been far away for far too long.
I keep dreaming you’ll be with me
And you’ll never go.
Stop breathing if
I don’t see you anymore.

The same routine occurred, and by then, Mikey had glanced at Frank, Bob, and Ray with pure nausea emanating from his hazel eyes. One of the only traits that he and his brother shared; one of the only things that truly told people that they were indeed related; the very thing that made girls swoon and guys gawk.

“W-Where is he?”

“Walking around the lot somewhere,” shrugged Frank. “Go look for him, I bet he’d like a surprise.”

Mikey nodded and ran off, searching desperately, his eyes scanning in between the miniscule amount of cars for him. After three times around the parking lot, he sighed, slumping down the brick wall of the arena. Where was his brother? Where was his best friend?

“Where are you, bro?” he mumbled, his expression saddened and vulnerable as he buried his face into his kneecaps.

“I’m right here, Mikes.”

On my knees, I’ll ask,
Last chance for one last dance.
’Cause with you, I’d withstand
All of Hell to hold your hand.

He looked up, a hopeful, sincere grin spread across his thin face. Standing in front of him, with the newly dyed Black Parade jacket, the bed-head hairstyle, the small, sad smile, was his brother.

Mikey stood up slowly, brushing himself off before staring at him once more.

“I-Is that you, Gee?”

“Of course it is,” Gee smiled, opening his arms for a hug.

Mikey obliged, taking two steps to wrap his arms around his older brother’s now skinnier waist. He nuzzled his head into the crook of his neck, grinning more than anyone could ever imagine.

I’d give it all.
I’d give for us.
Give anything but I won’t give up.
’Cause you know, you know, you know…

“You have no idea how much I missed you, Mikes,” whispered Gee.

“Gerard… I think I do,” Mikey mewed.

I love you.
I’ve loved you all along.
And I miss you…
Been far away for far too long.
I keep dreaming you’ll be with me
And you’ll never go.
Stop breathing if
I don’t see you anymore.

Gerard pulled back and scrutinized his little brother; his baby brother, and smiled.

“Still the little toothpick, eh?”

Mikey rolled his eyes, but could not hide the giggle that escaped his throat.

“Still the little vampire, eh?” the younger one countered.

“Shut up.” It was Gerard’s turn to roll his hazel eyes.

Mikey only smiled.

So far away,
(So far away,)
Been far away for far too long…
So far away,
(So far away,)
Been far away for far too long…
But you know, you know, you know…

The awkward silence that followed was laced with tension, the very air between them seeming as though they were insects underneath a magnifying glass, slowly being roasted by the sun’s rays.

It hurt.

“Y-You do know that you’ve always been my hero, right?” Gerard broke the silence, finally, and Mikey inwardly thanked him whilst cocking an eyebrow.

“That was… random…”

“Seriously, though. You do know that, right? No matter what?”

“Gerard, what’s going on?”

“Nothing, nothing. I just want you to know that, okay?”

Mikey stared at his brother, and nodded, hugging him again, but this time tighter. He didn’t want to let go again, he didn’t want to leave Gerard’s side ever again.

That hurt him much more than anything else in the entire world.

All I wanted,
I wanted you to stay,
’Cause I needed,
I need to hear you say:

They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, their arms around each other’s waists, never wanting to bend again, to just stay there forever; until the end of time. The sun was slowly setting, casting shadows over everything, including the Way brothers, who didn’t seem to care about anything more than the other man in front of him.

I love you.
(I love you.)
I loved you all along.
And I forgive you,
(I forgive you,)
For being away for far too long.

“I love you, Gerard, I hope you know that.”

The wind picked up suddenly around them, blowing debris from careless visitors into a whirlwind. Still standing in the same spot, the hairs on the back of Gerard’s neck stood on end as Mikey whispered that sentence.

And it finally sunk in:

Gerard had his brother back.

So keep breathing.
’Cause I’m not leaving you anymore.
Believe it…
Hold onto me and never let me go.

“I’m not going to leave your side anymore. I’m not leaving you like that ever again. I promise.”

Gerard hoped to God that his ears weren’t deceiving him. Gerard hoped to God that his brother wasn’t lying. Gerard hoped to God that he wouldn’t have his best friend leave again.

And Gerard’s ears weren’t deceiving him. Mikey wasn’t lying. Mikey wasn’t going to leave him again. Mikey would have died if he had to leave his best friend again…

Keep breathing.
’Cause I’m not leaving you anymore.
Believe it…
Hold onto me and never let me go.

“Don’t leave me ever again, Mikey…”

Tears were falling from Gerard’s eyes by now. He couldn’t even tell whether or not they were from the happiness of Mikey being back, or the sadness that had been engulfing him for the past couple of months. All he knew was that they were tears.

And Mikey would be there this time, to let him cry on his shoulder.

(Keep breathing.)
Hold onto me and never let me go.

“I love you, Mikey. Don’t ever go again…”

Mikey stroked the top of Gerard’s head for a moment before replying.

“I love you too, Gerard. And I won’t. I promise.”

(Keep breathing.)
Hold onto me and never let me go.