Breaking Hearts Has Never Looked So Cool

One piece of incredibly important advice: Never share a bed with Frank Iero; ever. Not under any circumstances – sleep with him is not possible.

He spent the whole night fidgeting and rolling around and kicking; he stole the cover; crowded me when I was already overheating, and left me with nothing when I was starting to get chilly. Every time I was starting to manage to drift off to sleep, he did something to make me wake up. Most annoying of all, he managed to remain sound asleep the whole way through his sabotage.

There I was, at last in a comfy resting place, and I was waiting for someone; someone really important. Then I saw him, advancing over a tall green hill, and my heart started thumping and I felt elated; I knew that it was Gerard coming towards me and-

OW.

Frank had kicked me particularly hard in the shin, resulting in a rude awakening.

“That’s it,” I growled in a whisper, “I’m going to the couch,” I grabbed my watch from the nightstand and saw that it was 6am. I still had a few hours of rest in me.

I stomped as loudly as I dared into the living area, muttering under my breath about Frank and his ridiculous sleeping habits.

“Well at least he doesn’t snore,” said a surprisingly cheerful voice from the couch, and I felt as though my stomach jumped into my chest cavity. It was Gerard.

He was sitting there, cereal bowl in hand, feet up on the couch. His black hair was completely messed up, and a sleepy smile curved his mouth. His hazel eyes were as big and bewitching as ever. I had never seen someone manage to look so good so early in the morning. I knew that I, for one, looked incredibly rough, in my pjs with my bird’s nest hair, sleepy eyes and disgruntled demeanour.

“No, he does way worse than just snore,” I said, going to join Gerard on the couch, trying not to think of my unexplainable dream.

Gerard snorted, and took another spoon of cereal to his mouth.

“He kicks, and fidgets, and hogs the cover and crowds me and slaps me…” I said, feeling more tired with each word.

Gerard sniggered, “not the ideal bed companion then?” he asked sardonically, raising an eyebrow.

“I would PAY to sleep with someone else,” I said, jabbing a finger accusingly at a patch of innocent air.

“I guess we just didn’t think the sleeping arrangements through,” he said, looking me directly in the eye.
I tried not to, but there are some things you can’t control. I started to blush, and there was no concealing it in the unforgiving light of the morning. And then there were the butterflies…it was like they were having a wild house party in my stomach. They really were going to have to start keeping it down!

“Mmm,” I answered, “I guess we didn’t,” I tried not looking in his eyes but they were actual magnets for mine.

He cleared his throat a little and made a point of breaking our eye contact. My over-analytical mind wanted to know the reason for this, but I was partly grateful. At least he wouldn’t see me blushing any more.

“Do you want any breakfast?” he asked kindly, raising his bowl a little as if trying to tempt me by his soggy cereal,

“Ooh!” I said sarcastically, “do I hear the sounds of a man offering to make something, in the kitchen? I must be mistaken!”

He playfully nudged me, leaving a ripple effect of electricity from the part where he had laid hands on me, “Boys can cook,” he said.

I wasn't convinced,

“Prove it,” I said, and I could feel myself getting sleepier and sleepier by the second.

“You look really tired,” he said, his voice suddenly taking on a more sympathetic tone,

“That’s just a polite way of telling me I look like shit,” I said sleepily, allowing my eyes to start closing. I dimly became aware of a warm something being laid on my back but I was already starting to relax my whole body and give way to sleep.

“You definitely don’t look like shit…” were the last words I heard before I let my head drop onto something and practically passed out…

Wolf whistles and whoops were the first thing I heard when I woke up. I let my eyes flicker open and I saw the white cotton of a t shirt next to alabaster skin; my head was apparently lying on someone’s chest. There was a warm arm around the rest of my body, and I felt immediately irritated at being woken up. I couldn't remember a time when I felt more comfortable and snug.

“Shut up, she’s sleeping!” said Gerard’s voice, and with a huge flush of embarrassment I realised that I had fallen asleep on Gerard.

It sure was nice being curled up into him with my head on his steadily rising and falling chest, but I hated the idea that I was an inconvenience to him.

“I'm awake!” I said stiffly, and I reluctantly withdrew myself from his clutches.

Everyone else seemed to have woken up and they were all standing around the couch with little knowing grins on their faces.

“What?” I asked, as innocently as I could.

“You guys are in loooove,” said Frank like an immature child, running to sit on my lap.

“What?” I said, hoping that I sounded suitably incredulous. I didn't want anyone working out that I was starting to acquire a raging crush on Gerard, after all.

“We’re just friends,” said Gerard carefully, and I nodded quickly in corroboration; but I felt…what? A little disappointed?

All I wanted was a chance, one tiny slim chance that something more than friends was possible.