He’s Been Waiting for So Long

Brian took a step outside, and then another. He was on a roll. Two whole steps and not one stumble. Of course the next had him faced with the concrete floor and all he could do was giggle. People were stepping on him as they passed through the doorway, and Brian couldn’t have cared less. In his little world people were made of jelly, and he was floating up, up…

Gerard had only been passing by when he'd caught sight of the familiar face and couldn’t help but offer his hand to the tiny man below him, giggling into his hair as he laid flat on the floor.

“Brian?” Gerard couldn’t believe his eyes. The man that had been telling him how to work the stage not 2 months ago was now barely able to keep his feet about him. “Brian Molko?”

“Mmm?” Brian hiccupped, leaning on Gerard’s shoulder for support as he attempted to stand once again.

“What the hell are you doing? Why are you so drunk?” Gerard took a quick look around to make sure there were no pictures being taken. That was the last thing he needed, to be accused of drinking with the notable party boy before him. Quite unlike some, obviously, Gerard did not wish to disappoint his fans.

“Ohh well I was with all of my friends,” Brian started, waving his hands about the place. “And they all gave me drinks and–” Brian was interrupted by another hiccup. Gerard peeked his head inside the small pub. He couldn’t see a lot of people that looked to be the sort Brian would befriend. Most were just there for the dancing girls, Gerard thought, and snorted at the idea.

“Who are you?” Brian was squinting across at Gerard now, his hands stroking along his jaw line. Gerard stood dumbfounded as even after his inspection, Brian still didn’t seem to remember his face.

“I’m Gerard? Gerard Way? We met at a festival, I forget which one…a few months ag–”

“Ohh, Gerard! How have you been?”

“I’ve been o–”

“I didn’t get to see you play, but I saw you watching me.” Brian attempted a wink, but it came across more as a retarded blink. Gerard smiled politely.

“Are you gonna be okay here then? I really should be going…”

“Why not stay a while?” Gerard took a tiny step backwards. No, he wouldn’t allow himself to become even the slightest bit tempted to take up that offer.

“I don’t drink, Brian.” Brian knew this. Brian stood staring across at Gerard’s puzzled expression and he remembered he knew this.

“Ohh yeah…” He seemed to be thinking and so Gerard let him be, wondering how much longer he was going to be with that. “Well then we can go back to my place.”

“Brian, I have a hotel. I–”

“Well yours, then. I’m not picky. We can watch a movie or something.” Brian grabbed for Gerard’s arm tight and dragged him from the pub’s entrance to the side of the street, almost falling into a car. He’d never admit to it, but Brian hadn’t any friends inside that pub. He’d gone there alone, drunk alone, and was intending to leave alone until a better offer came up. Besides, he wasn’t all that sure that he could get to someplace safe to sleep by himself.

It wasn’t that long of a taxi ride back to Brian’s apartment. He’d decided he didn’t like hotels and begged for Gerard to help him get home safely, something Gerard just couldn’t refuse. He was just being kind, of course. He admired Brian’s spacious apartment as Brian stumbled inside to a dimly lit room, slightly more able on his feet than he had been earlier. He didn’t bother finding the lights. He led Gerard through the maze the mess on the floor had created on tiptoes, so sure that his friend was asleep somewhere in the lounge room they’d just passed. He giggled to himself as he was reminded of earlier days, back when things were so different. Gerard wasn’t exactly some drunk groupie, and Stefan wasn’t exactly his partner. Brian giggled all the same just as he used to when he passed Stefan asleep on the couch, the girl he had sneaking beside him completely unaware of the situation it’d cause the following morning. He wished it could be like that again, but things had changed. Brian knew it was for the better.

Gerard closed the door behind him and took a seat on Brian’s bed, not liking that it felt so soft and comfy. He couldn’t sleep there. He had to be back with the boys for a gig the following night, and they hadn’t even practiced yet.

“So what movie do you want to watch?” Brian had sobered up considerably, Gerard realised, as he managed to find something suitable and get it in the player without jamming it up. He took a seat beside Gerard and cuddled up a little. “You don’t mind, do you? The heat’s not working…” Gerard simply shook his head and concentrated on the movie before him, tying to ignore the way Brian would grasp his fingers when something jumped out at the screen. Brian screamed shortly after someone was decapitated, and Gerard wondered why he was still hanging around. The movie wasn’t even that damn scary, if he was honest. He felt his eyelids as they began to droop, but then shot wide awake at the sudden pounding on Brian’s door.

“Brian, what the fuck are you playing at!?” someone bellowed through the closed door. Gerard had a feeling it wouldn’t stay closed too much longer, and so moved away from Brian a little. “Brian!”

“What!? I’m watching a movie, Stef!”

“Ohh fuck off, you never sit at home watching movies!”

“Piss off!” Gerard felt quite uncomfortable sitting between what appeared to be a lovers’ quarrel. He listened as the door handle turned and watched as the door gently swung open to reveal a rather distressed looking man. He recognised him to be one of Brian’s friends. Perhaps he was in his band, he thought, but couldn’t remember any of the others’ faces.

“So who’s this then Brian?” He was crying, and Gerard was confused.

“This is Gerard.”

“Ohh, so you get to know their names now?” Brian threw his friend a dirty look. “Hmm?”

“I’m not like that anymore, Stef–”

“Yes you are, Brian! Yes you fucking are! You’re a goddamn heartbreaker!”

“I am not! You think I wouldn’t be fucking him right now if I was!?” Gerard frowned, not liking what Brian had just said in the slightest.

“Perhaps I should leave–”

“You’re not leaving! We’re just watching a movie, as friends do, you know?” Brian was crying now too, and Gerard was beside himself with grief. All he’d been doing was walking the short way back to his hotel when Brian had ruined his perfectly normal night. Stefan left the room with the mighty slam of a door and Brian cried for a little longer, well into the credits of the movie they'd been ignoring since.

“He just doesn’t understand me, you know?” Brian cried, clutching onto Gerard’s once dry shirt.

“Well maybe you should explain yourself a little clearer to him, Brian. Let him know what you want from him.” Brian’s eyes lit up at that.

“I do, I’m constantly asking him for sex and he always turns me down… but if you think I should just try harder…”

“What? Oh no, that’s not what I mea–”

“Thanks, Gerard.” Brian planted a kiss on Gerard’s lips before bouncing out of his tiny room and down the hall to where he knew Stefan would be sulking. Gerard sighed, collected his bag from the floor, and tried not to let his boots sound on the floorboards too hard. He didn’t need to be there any longer, he figured. He’d either have to listen to them fighting again and wait for Brian to stop crying once more, or listen to them having violent make-up sex, neither of which he felt too happy with. He heard a distinct whisper as he left, that of a lover as they apologised in a tone that only a sincere man could. He hoped for Brian’s sake that it’d been enough to save his relationship. After all, he did quite like his band, and couldn’t see it working without the singer.