Into Your Icy Blues

After Jade had retrieved her bags from the hotel down the street, the group decided to grab a bite to eat before hitting the road again.

"Food!" Bob said giddily as they parked in front of a decent looking restaurant.

Jade snorted. "You just ate an hour ago, pig," she said. Her brother merely shrugged and pulled her towards the entrance. The others followed, watching in amusement. As they reached the front desk, Jade realized their group had shrunk. "Where are mom and dad?"

The group was silent for a moment. "They decided to head back home."

"They couldn't even stay and eat lunch with us?" Jade scoffed before turning back to the hostess. "Nine," she told her flatly. The girl looked at her hesitantly for a moment before glancing at her seating chart and grabbing the menus.

"This way, please." They all trailed behind Jade.

"Is she okay?" she heard someone whisper.

As they reached the table she whirled around and glared. "I'm fine," she snapped before sliding into the large booth. Her brother followed her, and Gerard ended up on the other side of her.

She eyed him for a moment when he slid a bit closer. He looked amused, "Bit of a close fit," he commented. "I don't bite, doll," he added, noticing her still looking at him. She smirked before turning down to her menu.

After they finished eating and the boys all split the cost of her meal (much to her displeasure), they headed back out to the bus.

"Well that wasn't so bad," Frank announced. "We only got approached twice." Jade glanced at him curiously.

"You don't like meeting fans?" A look of panic could be seen on his face for a second.

"It's not that, it's just... not when we're just out eating, you know? That's an advantage to going to fancy-shmancy places. It's usually full of stuffy old people that don't give a shit who you are," he grinned.

Gerard looked a bit offended. "I'm old. Do you think I'm stuffy, Frankie?" he widened his eyes in mock hurt.

"'Course not, Gee," Frank wrapped Gerard in a hug.

"How old are you, Gerard?" Jade smirked.

He turned to her, jaw slacking bit. "Twenty-nine," he huffed. Her smirk widened.

"Can I call you Grandpa Gee?" she question, ruffling his hair a bit.

He tried to bite her hand. "No." She bit her lip in amusement.

"And why not?"

"I'm not that old," he whined.

"Okay, okay," she sighed. "Uncle Gee?" This seemed to make him a bit happier.

"Sure thing," he wrapped his arms around her and picked her up, twirling her around before he set her back down.

"How old are the rest of you?"

"Ray's old, too," Mikey said quickly, dodging the hand of the other man.

"Same age as Gee," Ray shrugged as he said down in front of the plasma TV with several game consoles hooked up to it. "Young at heart," he added, seeing her glance at the various games.

"No kidding," she nodded.

"Mikey's twenty-six," Gerard stuck his tongue out at his brother before continuing. "I'm assuming you know how old your own brother is. And Frankie here is twenty-five. The baby," he made cooing noises at the irritated man, ruffling his hair as Eliza locked her hand into his and began pulling him towards one of the couches. "How old are you, Jade dearest?" he questioned as he reached the couch and was pulled down, still looking at her over the back of the couch.

"Twenty-four," she grinned.

Gerard gaped for a second. "Frankie, you're not the baby anymore. Congratulations!"

Jade looked a bit put out. "I'll be twenty-five soon."

Gerard waved his hand around. "Still the youngest," he sang, now turning his attention to his girlfriend.

"Lucky me," she murmured, locking eyes with Frank for a mere second before he turned back to Jamia. She settled in for whatever trip was ahead of her.

"Where are we?" Jade wondered as they pulled up to a venue a few hours later. A few grunts could be heard in response. She turned to the person closest to her, Mikey. "Want to translate that for me?"

"No idea," he shrugged.

"Where we are or what they said?" she blinked.

He looked thoughtful before replying. "Both."

She snorted before turning back to watch the video game her brother, Ray and Frank were absorbed in.

As she jumped off of the bottom step of the bus, her brother placed a hand on her shoulder signaling her to stop before handing her a laminated badge. "So nobody bugs you about being backstage." She nodded in understanding.

"So you guys have sound check and then...”

"Then the pansies go and get their makeup done and we sit around until our set."

"I heard that!" a squeal came from further behind them before Bob was tackled to the ground.

Jade rolled her eyes and continued towards the building.

"Twenty minutes?" Jade's eyebrows furrowed. "Just for Gerard?!"

The makeup artist nodded. "Not his fault, but yeah. The dead look and all," she explained.

Jade nodded in understanding. "You like your job, though?"

While the boys were waiting for their equipment to be set up, Jade was chatting with their makeup artist Michelle.

Jade bit her lip. "Have you ever put any makeup on Bob?"

Michelle laughed softly. "Nah. I just do his hair, and that doesn't take long at all. He offers to do it himself, but I don't need him burning his hair and getting me in trouble."

"You do makeup, too?!"

Michelle shrugged. "Yeah. But I don't mind. I've run a bit short on time a few times, but I usually get down in plenty of time."

"I could help," Jade offered. "I mean if you want," she added.

Michelle's eyes lit up. "Sure! I mean, if you really want to," she murmured softly in embarrassment.

"I have nothing better to do," Jade responded reassuringly. "And I can tease my brother about getting hair done by someone else," she grinned evilly.

"Brother?" Michelle glanced at her face quickly. "Wait, let me guess. Bob, right?"

"Painfully obvious, huh?”

"Just a bit," her friend grinned teasingly.

…friend? Sure, Jade needed more friends. And she could make a few over the tour. Right?

The boys walked in an hour later to find Jade and Michelle chatting away happily while they unpacked the various makeup and hair products.

"Jade?" Bob said in surprise. She spun around holding a hair straightener.

"Ah, just in time," she smirked, plugging the tool into a socket and turning it on.

"Uh... what are you doing here?" he questioned nervously, sitting himself in one of the chairs.

"Just chatting with Michelle here," she said innocently before grabbing a bottle off of the counter. "Just like in the pictures, yeah?" she grinned, pouring a bit of the goop into her hand.

He eyed her warily before responding. "Sure...” She nodded before quickly running a comb through his fringe and then the product in her hands. "You're just straightening it, right?"

She nodded, and then paused with the flattening iron in her hand. "Unless you wanted curls?" she questioned innocently. He glared. "Or not...” she muttered, before beginning to run the hot plates through his fringe.

"That’s cute," Frank said suddenly from his chair next to Bob's.

"Hm?" Jade murmured disinterestedly.

"That you're doing your brother's hair," he clarified.

"Oh," she blinked. She hadn't really considered it cute. "Well, I've always wanted to style it, so," she shrugged, before returning to Bob's hair.

"Will you do mine?" he pouted.

"Sure," she snorted. "Want me to do your makeup while I’m at it?"

He nodded a bit eagerly. She ran the plates through her brother's hair a final time, before stepping to the side of him so he could see the mirror. "Look good?"

"Yeah, actually."

"You seem surprised," she sulked.

"Aw, I knew you would do a good job," he cooed at her, before standing up and heading towards wardrobe.

"Love you, too!" she called after him before turning to Frank.

Grinning, she poured some more of the heat protector she had put in her brother's hair into her hands. Rubbing her hands together, she turned back to Frank and began applying the product to his hair.

"Tell me about yourself, Mr. Iero."

"Well what would you like to know?" he looked up at her through thick lashes. They were nice, she decided.

"Whatever you want to tell me," she shrugged, running the hot plates through his hair.

"Well... I have three dogs; they're like children to me. I'm twenty-five years old. I'm a vegetarian. I've got my own clothing line. I'm engaged."

"Jamie?"

"Jamia."

"Sorry."

"Mm."

By now she had finished his hair. "What do ya want done?"

"Hm?" he sounded a bit dazed.

"Your makeup. What do you want done?"

"Oh, um, whatever you want, I guess. No green, blue, purple or yellow, though."

"Well that's no fun," she pouted and turned around to dig through the makeup bag sitting on the counter.

Five minutes later, Jade inspected Frank's face before nodding in approval. She moved to the side so he could see himself in the mirror. Standing up, he inspected his face and hair. "I love it," he announced.

"Yeah?" she was surprised. He nodded, before stepping towards her and wrapping his arms around his in a hug. Shocked, it took her a moment before she returned the gesture. When she did, however, they were both surprised at how well she seemed to fit against him. His head fit on her shoulder perfectly. Jade would never admit it, but she loved the way his arms felt around her and the way their hipbones touched just slightly.

"Frank?" a cautious voice came from behind them. They quickly pulled away from each other and Jade walked out of the room without a word. Gerard stood at the door and quickly moved out of her way before looking at Frank with raised eyebrows.

"Don't," Frank warned him, quickly making his way out of the room as well. He needed to find Jamia.

For the remainder of the night, even after the show, Jade and Frank refused to acknowledge one another. Only Gerard knew why, and he wasn't about to go telling anyone.

Bob was worried about his sister. She was quiet sometimes, but tonight she wasn't talking at all. "Jade?" he said quietly. She turned to him.

"Hm?" she sounded distracted.

"...you okay?"

"'m fine," she muttered, turning back to the Sidekick in her hand. Bob didn't buy it for a second, but he knew better than to bug her about it.