I Believe We're The Enemy

Gerard’s P.O.V.

“Hey Gee, can I talk to you for a minute?” I turn around in my chair to face Mikey, who’s sitting next to me. At the other end of the table, Grace and Frank continue to chatter quietly as they eat their breakfasts.

“Yeah, Mikes. What’s up?”

He fidgets with his spoon nervously, his coffee-hazel eyes avoiding mine. “You remember when I was little, back before BL/ind took over, how you used to tell me not to go near wild animals because-”

“They could be rabid,” I finish for him. “Yeah, I remember.”

Mikey clears his throat anxiously. “Gee... I have rabies.”

“What?” I choke, gaping at him in shock. I inch my chair away from him carefully, because while he isn’t foaming at the mouth or anything, you never know how contagious he could be underneath his poker face.

“No, Gerard, not that kind of rabies. Like, Ginny and Ray rabies. I’m in love.”

All of a sudden I understand why he calls Ginny ‘beast’ and ‘animal’ under his breath. He thinks Ray caught rabies/love from her.

“With Glory GIrl?” I ask hesitantly, still slightly puzzled. He nods.

“I really like her... And Ray said she likes me too, and I swear when he said that my heart turned into a crazy attack butterfly, and then my ears got all hot. Now I feel really bad that I got mad at her yesterday, and I’m really scared that I-”

At that moment, Glory Girl opens the door to Ray’s bedroom and steps out. When she sees Mikey, they both freeze, as if captured by each other’s gaze like a rabbit in headlights. Finally, she shakes her head slightly, as if to clear her mind, and then she runs off into the other bedroom.

“-hurt her feelings,” Mikey finishes sadly.

I touch his shoulder gently. “She likes you a lot, Mikey. Don’t give up now.”

“Why the hell was she sleeping with Ray and Ginny?”

I laugh. “Who knows? I think you’d have to be insane to want to sleep anywhere near those two.” He snorts, his carnation-pink lips (enviably much more colorful than mine) finally curling into a picturesque smile.

Glory Girl doesn’t come out for the rest of the day, probably because she’s afraid to face Grace and Mikey at the same time. Ray brings her food after our meals, and he picks up the dishes after she’s done. I think about visiting her, just to make sure that she’s alright, but Ray tells me not to. Apparently she’d rather be alone, for some reason vaguely involving nightmares and Mikey.

Glory Girl’s P.O.V.

As much as I enjoy the seclusion of the unused bedroom during the day, there’s nothing creepier than being completely alone in the hotel at night, so once I’m positive that everyone else is asleep, I stand and creep across the darkened room to the door, planning to go back to my couch. Unlike Ray and Ginny’s room, this one has a small hallways separating it from the front room, and a door in the middle of this hall opens into the largest bathroom we’ve found so far. As I sneak out into the hallway, making sure that the bedroom door closes quietly behind me, I notice a small flicker of... candlelight, I guess, coming from the bathroom door, which is open, just a tiny sliver.

I stay silent as I cross the floor to the bathroom. A quick peek inside reveals that the light is, in fact, coming from a candle, which has been balanced precariously on the counter that goes through the center of the room, behind which I see a slender hand turning off the glimmering shower faucet. I know I should leave now, but something makes me stay, and I watch as Mikey steps gracefully out of the shower, pulling an ancient towel off of a nearby shelf. I know he’s naked, but I can only see him from the waist up due to the counter between us. He hasn’t noticed me yet, and I don’t plan on being seen, but somehow I can’t even make myself look away.

Mikey runs the towel along his dripping arms with a slow flourish, making the well-toned muscles in his powerful arms bulge--not disgustingly, but in a way that’s rather... sexy. Then, he brings his towel to his head and uses it to dry off his long, stringy blond hair, scrunching up his face as a few stray locks shower down from above him. After that he turns around and starts drying his legs, and as he bends over, I can see the vertebrae of his spine poking out from his smooth, creamy-caramel skin.

“Mikey,” I murmur, letting his name roll smoothly off my tongue. Panic sets in as he starts to turn around, and I jump away from the bathroom door, blushing hard. He probably thinks I’m either incredibly dirty-minded or just plain insane.

Out of the very edges of my hearing, I detect someone calling my Killjoy name, and just as my hand hits the icy doorknob separating me from the front room, a pair of solid arms wraps around my waist. The pleasant smell of warm water, hotel shampoo, and Mikey washes over me. I turn around faster than I thought possible and my lips collide with Kobra Kid’s, my hands making their way up the back of his neck and entangling themselves in his damp hair. His hands pull me closer to him, and through my tattered shirt I feel the warmth streaming off his bare chest, down to where the towel is wrapped loosely around his slender waist. We lean back for a few moments, gasping for breath, and then our faces crash together again. He starts to pull me back toward the bedroom as his lips part a bit more, unleashing his tongue to float teasingly across my skin. I let it into my mouth, emitting a slight whimper as his hands gravitate to my hips.

I finally jerk away. “No, Mikey, I-I have to s-sleep,” I mumble, pulling my body out of his arms and racing into the front room. In the rush to get to my sofa, I trip over a blanket lying on the floor and crash to the ground--or, rather, Mikey’s bed. Adrenaline fails me as I stay where I am, feeling the familiar sting of blood on my cheek, which hit the floor first as I landed.

Behind me, the door opens again, and I hear Mikey chuckle. “Couldn’t quite make it to the couch, could you?”

I shake my head, feeling the blankets next to me compress as Mikey lays down. My eyes turn toward him slightly, and I notice that he at least had the decency to put some boxers on.

“Are you going to move?” he asks teasingly.

“No.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see him grin. “Okay.” I turn on my side to see him properly, squinting at his pleased face. I seriously don’t understand this boy sometimes.

He looks at me for another moment, and then his sincere smile wilts away. “You busted your lip,” he murmurs. “And your cheek too.” I nod in agreement, and he sits up, touching my lips gently with his soft fingertips. he stops me as I try to turn away, his hand caressing my chin lovingly as he picks up the corner of a blanket and uses it to blot away the blood beading on my callused skin. Automatically, I wince away form him, but soon his soft touch relaxes me.

“There you go,” he says, dropping the blanket silently. “All better.”

I sigh. “Thanks, Mikey. B-but... Why did you kiss me?”

“I kissed you?” he asks, raising his eyebrows. “It seemed more vice versa to me.”

“You know what I mean.”

Mikey looks at me as if I’m a complete idiot. “Because I love you. Now just shut your big mouth and go to sleep, okay? You must be exhausted, and you’ve had a bit of a hard time the last couple of days.”

Complying, I turn away from him, laying my head down on the blankets. As fidgety as it makes me, I don’t protest when he presses his chest against my back and wraps his arms around my waist. Strangely enough, with Mikey’s warm body drifting off to sleep next to me, I feel loved, and even though I know that love never ends well, I have no intention of shying away from it. I lean my head back onto his shoulder, and within minutes a pleasant sleep claims me.

***

When I wake up again, I’m facing Mikey, and as I stretch my sleepy legs I realize that they’re completely tangled up in his. “Glory?” he murmurs, still fast asleep. I kiss his lips gently but then inch away from him, needing my own personal space to sort out my emotions.

Sure, I like Mikey. I probably love him too. But that doesn’t mean that I’m ready to open up to him completely, or that it’s even safe for us to be together. My loved ones/lovers have this odd habit of dying when I least expect it, and i don’t want to drag Mikey into that. Slowly, I turn on my side to face him again, and in the grayish predawn light, his snoozing face looks utterly pristine and beautiful. I reach out with one hand and touch his cheek gently. To my surprise, he wakes with a start.

“G’morning, Glory,” he mumbles, beaming at me as if the sight of my face bestows utter, complete bliss upon him.

“Morning, Mikes.”

“You sound sad. D’you need a hug?”

Longing overcomes me as Mikey opens his arms, gazing at me with gentle interest. I want to collapse in him so badly, to bury my face in his chest and never come out, to kiss him like there’s no tomorrow and never will be. I don’t.

“N-no thanks, Mikey. I was just thinking, and... I don’t think we should be together.”

His face melts into an indignant scowl. He looks almost near tears. “Why not?”

“It’s not safe,” I blurt, needing a reason just as much as he does. “I-you... We both know that love isn’t for Killjoys. It’s a made-up illusion for happy little zombies who want to make more of their own kind. We-”

“Can’t be in love?” he finishes for me. He looks incredibly depressed by now. “No matter what you say, Glory, I love you. I used to think love was a fucking disease, but it’s not. It’s happy.”

“Mikey, I can’t-

“Yes, you can. You love me too, I can tell. As if the look on your face right now isn’t enough, last night-”

“That was different,” I growl. “I was half asleep, you were half naked, you... provoked me.” Definitely the wrong word.

Mikey grins. “I turned you on?”

“No, you idiot, you-”

“Shut up and kiss me, you animal.” His fingers snake around to the back of my neck as he pulls me toward him, his soft lips molding to mine instantly. Relief flushes my entire face bright pink. I kiss him back for a few moments, feeling the desperate need drain away from my heart. Then my common sense gets the best of me, and I jump away.

“Mikey, you’re not listening to me. This is why I didn’t trust you guys in the first place!” I yelp, watching his fidgety hands closely.

He reaches out and runs one hand down the side of my face. “Glory... I’m sorry I’m being stupid about it, but I just want you to be happy. I can see it in your eyes; you’re happy that I kissed you, but at the same time, you’re afraid of me. And of yourself.” I find myself tensing automatically, because he can practically see straight through my mind. “I love you, Glory. I’m not gong to hurt you, I promise, and as long as I’m with you I’m not going to let anyone or anything else hurt you either.”

I sigh. “Okay, Mikey, I understand. Just... Give me some time, okay?”

His grin is a million miles wide. “Will do, my love.”