The Perfect Foundation

Mikey was so tired and hungover the next morning that he didn't have the energy to be pissed off that he had volunteered to make breakfast. He zombie-walked all the way down to the kitchen and made a beeline for he coffee pot, suddenly finding it a lot harder than normal to work the damn thing and get his much needed dose of caffeine. It wasn't the first time he wished he could inject it straight into his bloodstream and not bother with all this hassle. He was concentrating very hard on trying to boil the water without burning himself and knocking the machine off the counter in the process. It was too early, his limbs were so not responding normally. He knew he should just go back to bed and hope someone - maybe Brendon - would cook breakfast, but he wasn't that much of a dick. He was up now, so he might as well soldier on...Mikey stared blankly at the appliance, not noticing that it wasn't working.

This was how Pete found him, half asleep on the kitchen counter, coffee machine ready but lacking electricity as it was not actually plugged in. It was barely 9 am but the older boy had slept badly, alcohol lacing his blood. As he drew nearer to the Way brother, the blonde jerked his head up blearily and a sleepy smile spread across his lips.

"Hey," Pete didn't even have to start the conversation this time, "'S'not workin'." He waved a spindly hand at the coffee machine. As he leaned past him to flick the switch, he turned and found himself inches away from Mikeyway's adorable lop-sided smile, which wasn't guarded or cautious or even small and cute; it was sleepy - Pete was pretty sure he had no idea what he was doing to him - but it was open and genuine affection was in his eyes. His hair was messy on one side, streaky and kind of greasy, and his glasses were nowhere to be found but that fucking smile. Pete's heart did several flops in his chest and then that was it. He just stepped right up into the boy's personal space and dragged his mouth down to his, trampling the barriers like an escaping metaphorical elephant. Mikey didn't respond very smoothly but then Pete was only there for a few seconds before he suddenly thought better of it, turned tail and walked calmly back out of the kitchen as though nothing had happened.

Brendon entered the room a few minutes later. Mikey thought he might still be drunk, but then he was never sure with Brendon Urie. His moods changed like the traffic lights, although at the moment he seemed somewhere between Amber and green. He leant heavily on the counter, taking his time ingesting the coffee so the blurry world refocused. He grabbed his glasses from the side and slid them on so he could view his companion in more detail. If he didn't know better he would have said Brendon was high. He was grinning, hands wrapped around his cup, eyes close. Mikey wondered what he was visualising, then the dark-haired boy bit his lip and Mikey decided he didn't want to know.

Wait a second. Pete had kissed him. Pete had KISSED him. Holy shit.

"Shit..." He swore quietly, laid the mug on the ledge and put a hand over his face.

"What?" said Brendon, suddenly concerned, "What's wrong Mikey?"

"Pete kissed me." Murmured the blonde, figuring Brendon, if anyone, would be a good person to tell.

"He did?!" Brendon looked surprised, but not horrified, so that was good.

"About 20 minutes ago, yeah."

"That's...sweet." Replied Brendon curiously.

"Great."

"No, no, don't take it the wrong way. I just. He must really like you a lot."

"Okay?"

"Did he say anything?"

"I don't think so...he switched the machine on, kissed me, then left."

"Right..."

"I didn't do anything."

"I didn't say you did. It's just been so long since I've thought about kissing without the rest."

Mikey didn't know what to say to that. He took a huge mouthful of his coffee and tried not to think about Pete and sex. Because he felt guilty, because he didn't know what to do about this...attraction. Eventually Brendon stood up and put his hand on Mikey's arm and the blonde met his gaze awkwardly.

"I didn't mean to - I didn't encourage Pete to-."

"I know, I know Mikey. Shut up."

Brendon's grip suddenly became tighter and Mikey was confused until the dark-haired man suddenly threw his arms around his neck, almost strangling him, and he was forced to slouch and reciprocate the hug to remain standing - Brendon was a good few inches shorter than him. He pressed his skinny body flush to his and Mikey felt suffocated for a moment before he relaxed into it and absently stroked his hair. He smelt of beer and sweat which should have been disgusting but somehow it anchored him, and made him feel human more so than the coffee. Plus he sort of smelled nice beyond the drunk night. familiar. Homely.

"You're fine, Mikey." He smiled into his ear, loosening his grip slightly on his friend's windpipe. He took a breath.

"I think I like your brother. I know how Pete feels. I want to kiss Gerard too."

"Have you?" Brendon detached himself and smiled anxiously at Mikey, lip between his teeth again. He was close that Mikey could see how much healthier he looked and happier too.

"Not yet. I don't know how to go about it, what to do when it's not about sex. Pete probably doesn't either, that's why he left, I can imagine."

"Well I don't know anything. My relationships were either at high school or in my head."

"Are you...?" Mikey knew he didn't have to say anything, his response of blushing and avoiding Brendon's gaze was enough of an answer.

"I didn't meet many people before the damn apocalypse, let alone afterwards, when fucking 50% of the population was killed off."

"I never thought of it that way." Said the dark haired boy quietly after a time, "I just presumed that if I was doing it, everyone was."

"It was your...job?" Attempted the Way brother lamely.

"Yeah, it was. But thanks to you I don't have to do it anymore!" He grinned a spectacularly dazzling smile and then it was extinguished as he looked concerned.

"Except that's what people do when they love each other, right?"

"Well, I guess. I'm not the best person to ask. Maybe talk to Jon or Spencer or something. I doubt it's...compulsory."

"It's strange...I've never thought of it as 'fun.'"

"I don't - I dunno." Mikey couldn't help feeling uncomfortable about the whole thing. Sex scared him as much as it appealed to him. It was a confusing place to be. A polar opposite to Brendon's view, he was sure.

"Ditto. But can I ask you a question?"

"Okay."

"How do you see sex? Is it recreational or sacred?" Mikey flushed heavily and fiddled with his nails.

"Uh...um. Both?"

"How can it be both?!"

"Well men can't...have kids, y'know, so...if you loved someone I suppose it would be for pleasure...which is...sort of...mennabe...fun." He said the last word very quietly, absolutely mortified at himself, but obliged to choke out his beliefs under Brendon's intensely curious but objective gaze.

"I'm not saying your job was fun. Or that it should be. Or that you should have sex-."

He was desperately trying to take his words back and he could feel some sort of emotional response pricking the backs of his eyes as he willed his innocence across. Brendon grabbed Mikey's shoulders and locked their gazes solemnly.

"I'm not saying that. I just wanted another perspective. I'm so sorry Mikey."

Brendon wrapped him in another tight hug, close to tears himself at Mikey's innocence, his obvious guilt at Pete's kiss and Brendon's own views of sex. Mikey let himself be held, closing his eyes and resting his chin on the smaller man's shoulder.

He didn't know whether it was okay to hug them, but then he hadn't initiated it. If it wasn't okay to hug then it definitely wasn't okay to kiss, even if he hadn't initiated that either! Brendon wanted to kiss Gerard. He thought probably Gerard wouldn't mind kissing Brendon either. Apparently Pete wanted to kiss him, and he had responded without thinking. Did he want to kiss Pete? Was he losing his mind? Oh god, why everything suddenly so complicated!? He liked hugs though. Gerard was always affectionate with him. He liked people initiating stuff, because he felt too gangly and awkward to start something himself.

"Pete..." He began, then couldn't even formulate a coherent sentence. Brendon slowly let him go, smiling, slightly bright-eyed but fine.

"You talk to Gerard, I'll talk to Pete. Neither of us will mention each other in a sexual context...deal?"

Mikey nodded as Brendon stroked his hair with one hand calmly.
"I can tell Gee about Pete though?"

"Yeah, 'fcourse. And I'll tell Ryan about Gerard."

At this point, Ryan appeared in the doorway, looking bleary-eyed, his hair sticking out at random angles.

"You'll tell me," He yawned hugely, stretching his skinny arms to the ceiling, "What?"

"I want to kiss Gerard."

Brendon admitted casually, but his eyes betrayed his concern at Ryan's reaction. Ryan blinked several times and his expression lost much of its sleepiness.

"Okay..."

"But I don't want to...him. Or anyone. Yet."

Ryan took advantage of the vacant seat at the butcher's block and flopped onto it. He took a moment to digest this then said:

"Well you don't have to. You know that."

"I know I don't. And I'm not going to."

"But you want to kiss Gerard."

"Yes. But I don't know what to do about it."

"Do you think you can kiss him without...?"

Brendon bit his lip as he thought about it.

"I don't know. I don't even know whether I could kiss him."

"Um-."

Mikey interrupted carefully, after all it was his brother they were talking about like he was a science experiment or a piece of meat.

"I'm sorry Mikey," said Ryan, as though he had just realised he was there, "I didn't think..."

"It's okay but...I know my brother. He wouldn't...force himself on you if you kissed him. He didn't save you to use you for sex, or to be used. I'm sorry, I'm just making sure you know what he will do. He would never do anything that you wouldn't want. You would probably scare him if you kissed him. I mean, I'm not sure what I'm going to do about Pete but it certainly doesn't include sleeping with him. Or kissing. I think talking is a good place to start...Gerard cares a lot about you Brendon. You must know that. I think he is attracted to you too, but he would never, never act on it."

"I care about him too," said Brendon sincerely, "And I would never consciously do anything to hurt him. This thing is huge. Neither of us can get our head around it."

"I hope I haven't offended you."

"You haven't. I'm glad you're being honest. We've been avoiding this for a while now, it's great to hear the other side."

"You're just defending Gerard. It's understandable. We would do the same." Ryan chimed in. Mikey nodded, unconvinced.

"So Pete...?"

"He...kind of kissed me. Well he did kiss me. I was hardly awake. He came and turned the coffee machine on, then...yeah. But it was only for a minute. Then he just walked out."

"Did you kiss him back?"

"I think so?" Mikey scratched his head, self consciously. Ryan and Brendon looked at each other for a moment.

"Pete definitely likes you," Ryan confirmed finally, "And you like him?"

Mikey blushed. The two survivors looked at eachother again.

"Don't ignore him-."

"I wasn't planning on it."

"But don't confront him either. Just...if you can, act normal around him. And sit or stand a little closer. That should tempt him into bringing it up, or kissing you again."

The blonde wanted to hide his face from their gazes but he just nodded silently.

"You could try kissing Gee. But be careful and make it obvious that you're not doing it to please him, or for any of the reasons he wouldn't want you to think you had to do it...or something."

Brendon nodded decisively and Ryan copycatted the action, but slowly.

"Oh, and I'm not trying to tell you what to do. Well I am. But as long as you don't hurt Gee I don't mind what you do."

"I think I need to revise that list."

"Morning guys!" The next one to arrive was Gerard, complete with bird nest hair and stripy boxers.

"I love your boxers." Brendon's accompanying grin could have split his face in half he looked that happy. Mikey half considered grabbing an arm to stop him jumping his brother right there and then, but Ryan seemed to have it in hand as he pulled the smaller man onto his lap and wrapped his arms around his waist.
Gerard snorted.

"Thanks!" Then he turned his attention to Mikey and wandered over to him, stretching on the way.

"Hey bro," the red-haired man fist-bumped his bicep lightly then leant on the counter next to him and put his cheek on Mikey's shoulder.

"Hey." Mikey replied, smiling.

"So where's breakfast?"

"Oh shit!"