The Perfect Foundation

A few minutes later he dared to turn round and hand Ryan his coffee. They had spent the past 5 minutes talking about the fair, about stuff Mikey didn't know about and stuff he probably didn't want to know anything about. Ryan took the cup with a grateful smile, subconsciously mirroring Pete's actions as he wafted it under his nose and inhaled the vapours.
"Mikey makes great coffee." Concurred Pete, a far too big smile on his face. Ryan looked sharply at Mikey.
"You gave him coffee?"
"Well, uh, kind of-." Mikey stuttered out, mildly horrified with himself.
"I had some of his," re-defined the older boy, "It wasn't very strong, don't worry mom."
Ryan gave Pete a look that could have killed birds in mid air and then rolled his eyes at Mikey.
"Mikey doesn't know about your past. You can't take advantage of him."
"Duly noted." Pete replied, but he didn't stop grinning.
"I didn't think..." Began Mikey, guiltily.
"Don't worry about it. It's just Pete can't do drugs, he had a problem."
"I had a lotta problems," Pete smirked, then sobered up when Ryan and Mikey gave him disparaging looks.
"I get...addicted easily." Pete moved his glance to the floor and rubbed his knuckles across his head, his hair messing up in their wake. Ryan sighed and put his hand on his friends shoulder.
"I'm not reprimanding you," he assured him, "I'm just trying to have your back."
"You always did." They shared a look and Mikey felt excluded, not for the first time since he had moved in to the house. He knew what Gerard must see when he looked at Brendon and Ryan now, and probably what they saw when they watched him and Gerard together. It was brotherhood, kinship or something. Mikey stared out of the window again, sipping his rapidly cooling coffee as he took in the steadily brightening sun and flailing autumn leaves caught on the window ledge.
"Do you wanna sit outside?" He asked the boys.
They nodded.
"Sure," said Ryan, "You guys go ahead, I'll go see if Brendon wants to be towed out for some fresh air." He toasted Mikey with the coffee and ambled across the hall. Mikey looked at his watch and wondered whether he should get Gerard up. Then he thought his brother should really get some sleep. He downed most of his lukewarm coffee, swilled the dregs around for a moment pensively, then set it on the side. Pete had stood and was waiting patiently - and silently - for Mikey. He was looking up at the corner of the ceiling and Mikey had to sort of wave awkwardly in his personal face space to get his attention. Pete returned to earth with a jolt and an automatic toothy grin. As far as default expressions went, Mikey thought it was pretty good going.
"Ready?" Queried the dark-haired man, completely unphased by Mikey's closeness.
"Yep." They trooped out round to the back door and onto the lawn, which was really a mini orchard, cherry trees and apple trees and everything. Mikey couldn't help a smile passing over his face at the warmth of the sunlight and the smell of grass on the lazy wind. They walked into the middle of the vast expanse of grass and Pete threw himself down with careless abandon. Mikey sat sedately, lounging back on his elbows and smiling at the way Pete was sprawled in a starfish shape next to him, looking a hell of a lot more relaxed than he had in the kitchen.

Brendon had taken up Ryan's offer and was slowly making away step-by-step across the lawn to where Mikey and Pete were lying. He was leaning heavily on Ryan and as he got closer he yelled out:
"Hey guys, a little help over here?!"
But before they could scramble to their feet he heard running footsteps from behind and turned just in time to see Gerard's face inches away from his, and feel a skinny arm slip round his waist. The older man was smiling and looked more awake and happy than he'd seen him in days.
"You're up!" He proclaimed ecstatically.
"Just about!" Brendon grinned back shakily, his body was still getting used to all this exercise. Gerard was so close he could see his eyes were a wonderful Hazel colour, lit up by the sun. His hair was adorably haphazard in a way that only Gerard could pull off. As they piled next to Mikey and Pete he saw his saviour was wearing some sort of wife-beater that looked like it had been mauled by a bear and washed several hundred times. It also showed far too much pale skin as he man yawned spectacularly. Brendon felt a strange feeling wash over him like being doused in cold water and he looked away, focussing on the shining patch of grass to Gerard's left. It was weird to be outside and not in a campsite. There were trees all around them like an orchard. It was quiet, which it had never been at the fair. He could smell the end of summer and the tang of dry leaves and apples. It was refreshing.
"Nice to see you up." Mikey said.
"Nice to be up." Brendon smiled softly at Mikey, knowing he would be forever grateful to him for a lot of things.
"Hey, is that an apple tree?" Queried Pete from the ground, hand waving vaguely at the tree opposite.
"Yeah I think so." Replied Gerard, squinting at it.
"Dunno about getting apples from it though, the apocalypse n all."
Brendon offered, "Maybe this place wasn't hit as bad or something." Mikey got up and wandered over, stopping a few paces away with a thoughtful expression on his face. Barely five seconds passed before Pete joined him and soon the older boy was scaling the thing before Mikey could do anything to stop him.
"Pete!" He reprimanded him, fairly ineffectively. Pete grinned at him from his perch in the foliage.
"Urgh," Brendon sighed exasperatedly, "I wish my legs worked."
"They will, soon enough." Gerard smiled encouragingly from his left.
"I think I found one!" Came Pete's muffled voice from somewhere above them.
"If you die, I'm going to kill you."
Warned Mikey, who was looking quite anxious from the ground.
"Aww," Pete's head poked out from behind a branch, grinning, "Are you worried for me?"
"Who says I'm worried. A corpse would so not improve the decor."
"Oooh!" Brendon burst out laughing and didn't stop for a good five minutes. Gerard couldn't help but snigger. He'd forgotten Brendon's ability to laugh at the stupidest of things. It was both refreshing and sad at the same time. He was glad the boy was feeling at home enough to laugh out loud, so much he had wilted slightly to the side.
"Oh Mikey," he choked out, wiping tears from his eyes, "You're amazing."
"It's a gift." Said the Way brother, straight-faced, turning away from the tree and lowering himself back onto the grass.
"It's truly beautiful."
"That's what I tell it. Every night."
"Talk about stroking your ego."
"That's what she said." He collapsed into giggles again, literally facedown in the grass. Mikey looked at Gerard, eyebrows raised in a 'why is that so funny?' look. The older brother shrugged, just as in the dark about Brendon's apparently hilarious comment.
"Is he breathing?" Commented Ryan curiously.
"I'm not sure." Mikey cocked his head to the side, "Maybe we should call Jon on the dangers of...hysterics." Brendon took in several obvious lungfuls of air and splayed on the ground, wiping his eyes.
"It's so nice to be outside." He sighed, staring up at the clear blue sky with a huge smile on his face. Gerard smiled vaguely, his mind recalling 10 year old Brendon in his back garden. He suddenly wanted Mikey closer so he could rest his head on his shoulder and take comfort from him. But Mikey was on his feet again and hovering around the apple tree as Pete swung his way down with ease.
"Do you need-." Pete was on the ground before Mikey could finish his sentence, boldly staring the boy in the face, far too pleased with himself. Mikey had gone back into defence mode and was glaring back, arms folded as he turned and pointedly flumped back down on the grass, back to Pete as he stood, bouncing the apple off his bicep.
"You know you probably shouldn't eat that." Ryan squinted up at him.
"Dude, what's the worst that could happen?" Pete sat between Mikey and Ryan, rolling the apple in his hands.
"Uh, you could die?" Mikey answered, still looking pissed, but his arms were unfolded and he was fiddling with some grass, seemingly very focussed on it. Pete laughed.
"It's just a fucking apple!" He protested, but his heart didn't seem to be in it.
"Like I said. Corpses. Scenery. It's out of the question." Brendon giggled unashamedly and Gerard smirked despite himself.
"Look, if we boil it or something will that suffice?"
"I suppose..." Pete grudgingly admitted defeat and placed the fruit in the centre of the circle like a trophy. They were silent for a while, simply enjoying the fresh air and the sun. A shadow loomed over them and they looked up to see Jon standing over them with a tray of cold drinks.
"I was bored. So I made you guys all drinks. Plus: I'm nice like that." They hauled themselves into sitting positions, thanking him and taking a beverage.
"You're an angel." Proclaimed Brendon, who had gulped down half of his already.
"How did you know?!"
"It was the wings that gave you away."
"Damn. I hate it when that happens." They laughed appreciatively and then Jon saw the apple.
"Wow," He said, surprised, "I haven't seen one of those in ages."
"Mikey said we can't eat it." Pouted Pete.
"Well, he has got a point." Agreed the doctor.
"I said maybe boiling it would help?" Queried Gerard.
Jon pursed his lips as he thought.
"Apocalyptic Apple Pie. It's got a ring to it, I suppose."
"Hell yeah!" Pete grinned and Mikey looked despairing.