Arrangements

Gerard pulled away a few seconds later, and Danny looked up at him. I felt like my heart would explode, I bit at my lip, my cheeks grew warm. Gerard smiled back, god, how I missed it.

"I love you." He said softly, his hand brushed against my cheek.

I tried to say something, but my mind was mush. I swallowed thickly, "I...I..."

"You don't have to say it," he murmured, leaning down again to kiss me, "hearing you turn to putty is enough."

He pressed his lips to mine, his turned up, and I swear I was gonna float away. He pulled away again, and Danny began to whine; Gerard pecked his head, "Chill, little man."

"I don't know what to say..." I mumbled, bouncing Danny again.

"Well, how about you tell me how much you've probably missed me," he spoke cockily, but it sounded sweet and jested.

I smirked, "Yeah...I missed you."

"What're you doing tonight? I have this thing, but we can--"

I stopped him, "I'm busy, sorry. I'm going to this party and then tomorrow I'm watching Danny for Astrid and Frank."

"I can help." He smiled, "But, what about after the party?"

I tugged at my lip, "I...I guess I have to be honest with you..." I mumbled slightly, "I'm gonna be with Alex..."

He nodded, rebuffing a bit, "So, tomorrow, I can have you?"

I shrugged, "I'm going to be at my parent's place..."

"I'll come over; I'll bring pizza and dessert." He gave me a sly grin.

My heart thumped rapidly; it's like the past, almost, 8 months never happened, "Um...I'll call you."

"Alright," he smiled, "What're you doing now?"

"Nothing."

He leaned down again, "Can I keep kissing you?"

Danny whined, and I giggled, "Danny doesn't like it."

"Tough tits, Danny boy." Gerard kissed me again.

I truly didn't know what to expect when I would see Gerard again. I was sure that he would be upset with me, if he knew that Alex and I were lovers. But...he didn't even care. It wasn't a factor to him, he kept kissing me like everything was simply normal between us, even though they weren't. We didn't talk about it, when we sat on the floor of Danny's room, we only spoke about what I had been doing, and the places I've been.

"I was in Barcelona for a week and I hated it." I told him.

"You do a lot of fashion ads." He murmured.

"They like my soft abstract art."

"I bought your book the other day...it doesn't do you justice."

I smiled, "Did you really?" 

"Yeah, you think you could sign it for me?"

I rolled my eyes playfully, "Funny."

"I'm being serious," he sat with his legs crossed, and leaned forward to kiss me again, "I'll sign Three Cheers for you."

I laughed, "What about Bullets?"

"If that's what you want," he grinned lazily.

I smirked and leaned forward, "Yeah, that's what I want." He met me half way and kissed me.

Danny didn't fuss, he was playing with his fake telephone, making imaginary calls to Oscar the Grouch. 

Gerard ran his hand up my arm and to my neck, my heart rate picked up, but dropped when my cell began to ring. I pulled away reluctantly and groaned. "Ignore it." Gerard said.

I looked at the ID, seeing it was Alex again. I had nearly forgotten about him; "Shit, I have to go."

Gerard frowned, "Why?"

"The party. I'm sorry," I stood and picked Danny up, "I'll see you tomorrow." I hurried to the living room, I heard Gerard behind me, and I went over to Astrid, "Hey, I gotta go."

She frowned, as did Frank, "I forgot."

I nodded, "Me too." I handed Danny over, "I'll call you, alright? I changed him and he should be alright. Um..." I tried to remember if I forgot anything else, "He's teething, remember."

She nodded, "I got peaches in the freezer." Danny cradled up to her.

"I'll see you guys," I kissed my sister's cheek and waved to Frank.

"I'll walk you out." Gerard said quickly.

"Um, okay." I didn't have time to refuse, so I let him follow me out.

We got to my rental car and I opened the driver side door, "Thanks, Gerard."

He nodded, "Yeah. Tomorrow, you won't forget?"

I shook my head, "No."

That child-like grin popped up, "Great," he kissed my forehead, "I love you, Stormy."

Again, my stomach knotted violently, "I...love you, Gerard."

He kept that grin, he pecked me quickly and let me into the car. I waved goodbye to him and drove off. I never felt so damn conflicted in my life.


This party was an industry party. I hate industry parties, because I didn't really know musicians like Alex does. I knew of them, but never had I had a conversation with them. It was an actual album release party for Mark Ronson...I knew Mark, because he was big on music and fashion in London, he's very funny.

There was a red carpet, cat walk. Photographers snapping pictures as Alex and I walked hand in hand. People sort of knew me, because of the Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Dior ads and fashion shows. I could hear people calling my name, shouting random things, and I just smiled, until someone said I should answer a few questions. Alex grinned and pulled me over towards an interview for a celebrity gossip show.

"Hello Stormy," it was a woman with a sweet smile wearing a designer dress, "did you help with any of the designing tonight? No one has said a thing!"

I shook my head, "No, no. I'm just a plus one." I joked, nudging my head over to Alex.

"Is Alex Greenwald your new love interest?" She fluxed her eyebrows, wanting some gossip.

"No, we're close friends."

"Is your husband, Gerard stopping by?"

I felt a bit surprised, "Oh, no...I don't believe so."

"Anything new happening with your art? I've heard of talk about you and Richard Price."

"I just bought a couple of pieces from his recent show, but we haven't talked about anything."

The woman asked a few pop-music-esq questions and then let me go. We continued the walk, and Alex kept making jokes about how undesigner dressed we were. I wore a scarlet colored frayed dress and black heels, with my hair down, and Alex wore a button down, a tan suit jacket and black dress shoes. We didn't look out of place, but if people knew we had bought this stuff at a thrift store, we'd probably be escorted out for being so cheap.

As soon as we got inside, we said hello to Mark, who engulfed me in a tight hug, and then got drinks. Mark and I always seemed to hit it off as soon as we had met and see each other. We go on and on about Pablo Picasso and Frida Kahlo and soon we'd be at each other's throats, but it was harmless. We sat down with him, near the DJ booth and laughed and joked. A few hired photographers took our pictures and then went on. I didn't really think nothing of it.

Throughout the night, besides my childish bickering with Mark, Alex sat me in his lap, nudging his lips against my neck. I kept playfully pushing him away and then another freaking photographer took our picture. We got more drinks, not caring about a thing, and we talked with people about how cool the party was. 

At the end of the night, I exchanged numbers with a lot of models and Mark, and then Alex and I caught a cab back to his hotel room. We weren't too drunk, so we spoke coherently, and I could see Alex wanted to say something to me as we rode the elevator to the room. He held my hand, squeezing it gently; "Did you have fun?"

"I always have fun when I meet up with Mark Ronson," I joked, "But I did have a great time..."

"What?" He asked after I trailed.

"Did you have fun? I didn't really see you mingle too much."

He shrugged as we got to his floor, "I always have a good time when I'm with you." He kept my hand in his as we walked down the hall.

I felt a bit back when Gerard entered my mind, "Alex, we need to talk."

He ran a hand through his short, messy brown hair, "Hmm?" He pulled his key card out and opened the door to his room.

I closed the door, letting go of his hand, "Um...I saw Gerard earlier."

Alex sighed, "Oh."

I tugged at my bottom lip with my teeth, "He...he's better, y'know, he's sober."

He looked at me, taking his jacket off, "And, you two are working on things?"

I shrugged sheepishly, "We just started talking, and...I love Gerard, and all those feelings for him rushed back..."

He nodded, "I had the feeling...but, you know what? I'm okay with it."

I raises my brow, "You're okay with me--"

He stopped me, "I knew from the beginning, the way you shot me down, that you are in love with him," he sat on the edge of the bed and lent his hand out, I took it and let him sit me on his lap, "I had hoped, when you split with him, that I could make you forget about him, but..." He trailed, looking away from me.

"Alex, I have love for you, too. You are my shoulder, one of my best friends I've had in a while. You and me click, we're friends, deeper than anything." I told him quickly.

"I know..." he smiled, "I love you, in a romantic way, and I have to get over it. I could see it, these past few months, that you never looked at me the way you looked at him."

"How do I look at him?" I asked softly.

He chuckled lowly, "The way I look at you...with passion and love..desire. Not sexual desire, like...you can't wait to hug him or somethin'."

I swallowed thickly, "Alex, thank you, y'know, for understanding."

"I only want what makes you happy...I don't make you happy the way you want to be. You need him, and I'm really glad that he's sober."

I kissed his cheek, "Thank you...really, Alex, for understanding. You'll always be in my life."

He kissed my forehead, "That doesn't sound too bad."