Wounds That Won't Heal
Chapter three
*TIME ELAPSE*
That night, after the show, the boys all sat together having pizza. The girls had gone to bed already. Mikey was hunched in a corner with his eyes on the video game on his knee. Gerard watched him and saw the fact his brother kept stealing glances at Ray. Honestly Gerard’s heart was breaking at the sight but he knew there was nothing he could do. The solution had to come from the two men. Somehow Gerard had to get them to talk through it all but quite how to set that up was beyond him right now.
His gaze turned to Ray who was sitting in the opposite corner to Mikey in conversation with Bob. Gerard watched for a while and he thought he saw the eyes flicker to Mikey once or twice but he couldn’t be sure. He picked up the last slice of pizza and went to offer it to his brother. “You OK sugar?” he asked as his brother shook his head at the pizza.
Mikey sighed heavily and set down the game, “I… I don’t know,” he replied honestly. Mikey leaned against his brother before moving to nibble at the slice in Gerard’s hand, “funny how things become so tempting when they are close at hand,” he said of the pizza but with his focus fixed on Ray.
“Mikey, look at me,” Gerard said twisting his brother face so their eyes met, “if this is a case of wanting what you can’t have then maybe we can get past this.”
“Well, it is and it isn’t,” Mikey replied, “I love Alicia, I know I do. I can’t lose her Gee and so I don’t want more than the want. Do you understand me at all?” Gerard’s blank stare said ‘no’ so the shake of his head was not necessary. Mikey sighed, “I want Ray but I won’t do anything because I love Alicia too much. So that will stay a want and nothing more. That is wanting what I can’t have and since I won’t have it we are safe.”
“There is a ‘but’ here somewhere, right?”
“Right and here it is… but I want the friendship back and that isn’t wanting something I can’t have. Why can’t we be that close?”
“I see no reason as long as he is over you Mikey,” Gerard warned; realising the situation could get very messy very quickly, “the two of you have set up this distance thing between you and it will take time to wear that down. You won’t do it from either ends of the bus though so how about I call him over here and then leave the two of you. You can test the water that way.”
“I-I’m not…”
“Ray! Come here a sec would you?” Ray turned and raised his hand in acknowledgement. Gerard turned to his brother, “see, that was easy and… Ow!”
Mikey had punched his brother’s arm and now he just glared, “very good genius, now what the fuck are you going to say to him?”
Gerard snatched up the video game as Ray sat the other side of him to Mikey, “you played this one Ray? Only Mikey here won’t give me any tips.”
“That’s because if I do you will always be playing it and its mine!” Mikey squawked in reply, “he always steals my things,” he told Ray as he shot his brother another glare.
Ray laughed, “sorry Gee-man, I can’t help you as I haven’t played that one yet.”
Gerard put the game in Ray’s hands, “oh, here you go then and I bet you still beat Mikey’s score!”
“Oi!”
Gerard made an excuse and left the two alone, watching from a distance to see what happened.
That night, after the show, the boys all sat together having pizza. The girls had gone to bed already. Mikey was hunched in a corner with his eyes on the video game on his knee. Gerard watched him and saw the fact his brother kept stealing glances at Ray. Honestly Gerard’s heart was breaking at the sight but he knew there was nothing he could do. The solution had to come from the two men. Somehow Gerard had to get them to talk through it all but quite how to set that up was beyond him right now.
His gaze turned to Ray who was sitting in the opposite corner to Mikey in conversation with Bob. Gerard watched for a while and he thought he saw the eyes flicker to Mikey once or twice but he couldn’t be sure. He picked up the last slice of pizza and went to offer it to his brother. “You OK sugar?” he asked as his brother shook his head at the pizza.
Mikey sighed heavily and set down the game, “I… I don’t know,” he replied honestly. Mikey leaned against his brother before moving to nibble at the slice in Gerard’s hand, “funny how things become so tempting when they are close at hand,” he said of the pizza but with his focus fixed on Ray.
“Mikey, look at me,” Gerard said twisting his brother face so their eyes met, “if this is a case of wanting what you can’t have then maybe we can get past this.”
“Well, it is and it isn’t,” Mikey replied, “I love Alicia, I know I do. I can’t lose her Gee and so I don’t want more than the want. Do you understand me at all?” Gerard’s blank stare said ‘no’ so the shake of his head was not necessary. Mikey sighed, “I want Ray but I won’t do anything because I love Alicia too much. So that will stay a want and nothing more. That is wanting what I can’t have and since I won’t have it we are safe.”
“There is a ‘but’ here somewhere, right?”
“Right and here it is… but I want the friendship back and that isn’t wanting something I can’t have. Why can’t we be that close?”
“I see no reason as long as he is over you Mikey,” Gerard warned; realising the situation could get very messy very quickly, “the two of you have set up this distance thing between you and it will take time to wear that down. You won’t do it from either ends of the bus though so how about I call him over here and then leave the two of you. You can test the water that way.”
“I-I’m not…”
“Ray! Come here a sec would you?” Ray turned and raised his hand in acknowledgement. Gerard turned to his brother, “see, that was easy and… Ow!”
Mikey had punched his brother’s arm and now he just glared, “very good genius, now what the fuck are you going to say to him?”
Gerard snatched up the video game as Ray sat the other side of him to Mikey, “you played this one Ray? Only Mikey here won’t give me any tips.”
“That’s because if I do you will always be playing it and its mine!” Mikey squawked in reply, “he always steals my things,” he told Ray as he shot his brother another glare.
Ray laughed, “sorry Gee-man, I can’t help you as I haven’t played that one yet.”
Gerard put the game in Ray’s hands, “oh, here you go then and I bet you still beat Mikey’s score!”
“Oi!”
Gerard made an excuse and left the two alone, watching from a distance to see what happened.