Tomorrow's Money

"So we have a plan." Mikey said, breaking the terrible silence between us all. "But it involves the two of you."

"Us? How?" Gerard lowered his eyes, already almost knowing he wasn't going to want to agree to what Mikey was about to say.

"Well, we want to see if we can work things out, but we don't think that the best way to do that is to be here taking care of a baby. We want to try a short vacation away together, try to reignite this." He shrugged. I seemed like a lame excuse for a vacation, but something in their eyes said they weren't all too excited about it. They both almost looked afraid. "So we wanted to know if you two would babysit."

"How long?" I asked, before Gerard could say no.

"A week, maybe two? No longer than two." He promised.

"I'd be happy to, but I'm currently homeless and I don't think Gerard wants to watch a baby by himself." I felt bad for the answer I gave, but it was the truth. I couldn't just assume they were going to let me stay there in their mother's house with their band mates.

"Wait I thought we were going back to LA next week." Gerard said, suddenly sounding almost happy?

"I know we were supposed to, but it'd be easier you know since Lily is here to help, if she wants to be anyway." He said, looking back at me.

"I wouldn't mind staying to help at all." I smiled, looking to Gerard for approval.

"Fine. 14 days. Then we leave." He said, though I couldn't pinpoint whatever emotion he was feeling.

"Perfect. We'll get ready and leave tonight." Mikey said, almost hesitant. They went back upstairs while Mikey started packing his things.

"You don't want to do this, do you?" I said too Gerard quietly.

"Not really. I have no experience with kids at all, I don't know how to take care of a baby." He shrugged, now a little nervous looking.

"Then why did you agree? You could have said no." I mentioned.

"I know that, but then I'd have to leave Jersey next week." He paused, visibly wanting to say more, debating whether or not to say it. "Without you."

"Oh." I said, trying to hold back a smile. "So you agreed for more time here?" I asked to clarify, although he was perfectly clear. I sort of just wanted to hear him say it again.

"Yeah, I know, it's a bad excuse, but I don't have another one." He shrugged, not really looking at me.

"Why not the excuse that you just want to stay here? Why an excuse at all? What do you want Gerard?" I asked, really wondering about him. He was so indecisive and quiet, much more so than he ever had been before he left.

"I don't know. Maybe it isn't 'here' that I need to be." He said, using air quotes as he often did. "Maybe I just want you to come too." He suggested, almost with a sly tone.

"Come with you?" I asked, taken aback. Could I really just leave everyone like he did to run away with him?

"Yeah. I mean, you're homeless currently, you're switching to online schooling, you broke up with your boyfriend, which your parents are probably going to kill you for." He chuckled a little at my playful glare. "What better time than now? Or, you know, two weeks from now?"

"You're definitely onto something Gerard." I smiled, feeling happy and warm for the first time in what seemed like forever. "But I really have to think this over. It's a huge life change." I said, not really remembering that Gerard had made the decision and followed through with the same thing in a night. "Don't look at me like that." I said, gesturing toward the smirk on his face that reminded me of the past.

"Think about it. That's all I ask, you know, aside from helping me watch the baby." He chuckled awkwardly.

In the following hours Gerard and I had been left with all the things we needed for Audrey and a ,by the situation.

"So now what?" Gerard asked, staring at the child, who was laying on the floor over a blanket, half napping half struggling to stay awake.

"Well, bed time I guess." I laughed, picking her up and placing her in the portable crib Tiffany had brought over. We'd put it in the spare bedroom along with all of her other things, including a baby monitor so we could safely leave the room and shut the door.

As I tucked Audrey into bed, who quickly started dozing off, I heard Gerard walk up to the door way and lean on it, seemingly stressed out. "How the hell are we going to do this?" He asked.

"It'll be fine." I whispered, turning to face him. "I don't have a lot of experience with babies, but I think I can handle this. We'll be okay. It's only two weeks." I smiled, trying to reassure him.

He hung his head, running his fingers through his messy, soft, black hair. A courage built up within me and I walked over and wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tight. He seemed a bit taken aback, but slowly hugged back, letting out some of his worry. "Are you hungry?" He asked quietly as to not disturb the baby.

"Yeah. Is your mom coming back soon?" I asked, noticing she'd been gone for quite a while.

"No. She and dad are staying with my aunt tonight. Apparently they got too drunk to drive all the way home." He chuckled.

"Okay. Dinner for two then." I shrugged. I let him go, reluctantly, and made my way to the kitchen. "What are you hungry for?" I asked, hearing him shut the door behind him and follow me.

"Anything, just feed me." He laughed, almost begging.

"How do cheese burgers and mashed potatoes with gravy sound?" I asked.

"Odd mix. I like it." He shrugged, probably not even caring what I made, as long as I'd made it quickly.

I reheated some of the burgers we'd had at the cook out and started on mashed potatoes, although I only had the patience for instant. Once they were done I set them aside to cool and start making gravy. I looked over my shoulder at Gerard sticking his finger in the potatoes and eating them. "Get the hell out of there!" I smacked his hand with the spoon I had, somewhat involuntarily, not even realizing that I'd get gravy all over his hand. "Woops." I laughed.

"Woops?" He mocked, holding back a laugh, though little chuckles came through his fake anger. "Woops?!" He repeated, sticking his finger back in the potatoes then wiping it on my neck. "Woops." He smirked.

"Gerard!" I laughed through the accusing tone to my voice and intentionally wiped more gravy on him.

"That's it." He said, grabbing the whole spoonful of potatoes, plopping them in his hand and wiping it from my cheek all the way down my chest.

"Oh my god!" I yelled, though trying not to wake the baby. Thank goodness I'd let the potatoes cool down. I tried back away from him but he grabbed my arm and pulled me into him, holding me as close as he could to his chest so he could wipe more food on me. "Get off!" I said through laughter and yells. I managed to wipe some potatoes off of myself and smear them on him, accidentally unbuttoning the top few buttons of his shirt. "Woops..." I thought, trying to hold back the thoughts that I shouldn't have been thinking..

"Tell me you're sorry!" he threatened, laughing just as much as I was. He was bad at being intimidating.

"No! It was an accident!" I defended myself.

He smeared more potatoes on my other cheek and down that side of my neck, getting a yell from me. "Say it!" He threatened again.

"Okay okay!" I surrendered. He turned me around in his arms, though still holding tight. "I'm sorry." I said quietly, almost choking on my words. He was just too gorgeous, even dirty and covered in food. little drips of gravy fell from his hair and potatoes were smeared over his chest and face. Holy shit. Who knew anyone could look so good with their food smeared all over them?

"Do you mean it?" He smirked, centimeters from my face, just as quiet as I was, although he'd realized he'd won the little war.

"No." I smiled. I saw it coming, it had to. This whole thing was to cliche to not end in kissing. His lips softly pressed against mine and I'd suddenly seemed to have forgotten everything. My legs felt like rubber and I could barely figure out how to stand, and my stomach felt fluttery, like a thousand little butterflies, no, worse, roaring, buzzing bees were invading me, making me nervous and shaky. And the familiar kiss felt all too unreal. After he'd left I never thought I'd see him again, let alone ever kiss him again. But it was different because I was older, better at this kind of thing, more comfortable. The break up with Wil had me strung out, but when my head was this foggy and my body was this close to his, I couldn't even remember Wil's first name.

I kissed him harder, unable to hold myself back from taking advantage of the moment. I tangled my fingers in his now dirty hair, disregarding the gravy and knots, and pulled him closer, as if he could get any closer. He didn't seem to mind as he wrapped an arm comfortably around my waist and placed the other hand on my neck, pulling me in. Kisses got shorter and faster, and everything felt so much more urgent than ever and I found myself pulling his clothes and hair. I couldn't even stop myself from begging for something I felt bad about wanting. It was definitely too soon for this. I'd only just left Wil, but everything seemed so right and perfect. I wanted it, but was it the right thing to do?

"I missed you." He whispered through rushed kisses, almost moaning it.. Almost. I had the incredible urge to hear his moan, I was almost desperate for it. I started kissing his neck and running my hand down his chest while the other stayed in his knotted hair. He leaned back against the counter, pulling me with him to let me keep doing what I was doing. I ran my hand up and down his leg a few times, passing over the exact place I wanted of course, when I got exactly what I was looking for. A soft moan escaped his throat through his clenched teeth. I had him in the palm of my hands, which felt different and empowering for me as I had always been the one in his place. "Fuck." He said, a little breathless. He tightened his grip on my waist and turned me around to put my back against the counter where he'd been. He started teasing with the neck kissing and soon ran his hand down my chest, stopping at breasts. He kissed and touched softly for a little while, then picked me up and set me on the counter. He ran his hand up my leg, lightly touching exactly where I was mentally begging him to. He slid his hand down the pajama pants he'd given me for a moment, mostly just to tease me worse than I'd teased him. I took a deep breath, trying to control myself and think straight but it seemed damn near impossible.

Suddenly, a voice came from the entrance to the kitchen, shrill and somewhat awkward. "Gerard Arthur Way!" It was his mom.

"Holy fucking shit!" He said, startled by her sudden outburst. Apparently we were so into what was going on that we'd missed the sound of the front door opening. "What?" He turned his head toward her but didn't dare move his body.

"What the hell are you doing? This is a mess in here!" She complained. Is that what she was mad about?

"Wait, you're pissed about the mess?" He smiled, already almost laughing at her.

"Well look at it!" She defended, trying not to laugh herself.

"Yeah, and I'm making out with a girl sitting on your counter, but that's okay?" He couldn't help but laugh at her.

Her face reddened, apparently she hadn't really noticed what was going on, or that it was quickly becoming more than just "making out." "Well, I don't know." She laughed, realizing how odd the situation was. "I would rather her be up there than staining up the couches or bed sheets!" She tried to defend herself again, but cut Gerard off before he could make whatever smart ass comment he was about to make. "Just clean this mess up." She shook her head and started walking away.

"But wait, why are you back so early?" He asked, still not turning his body.

"Your aunt drove us back because Mikey called and told us what is going on. But we're both getting to bed, as you two should too." She half lectured. "Oh and Gerard, you're an adult, I don't care what you do, but I don't want to hear or see it, got it?" She said, probably embarrassing him.

"Yeah Ma. Got it thanks night." He said quickly, hoping to get her out of the room. She went upstairs with her drunk husband and they shut the door. "Sorry sugar." He apologized, picking me up and setting me on the ground.

"It's okay." I smiled, slightly disappointed, thought maybe it was for the best? "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He smiled, seemingly just happy in general.

"Starting all that with the food." I shrugged. "And you know, teasing." I added.

The look on his face was priceless. He looked a cross between embarrassed and still, oddly, turned on by the simple thought of what was going on just minutes ago. "Yeah, talk about a cock block." He murmured, laughing.

"Who said you were getting anywhere with me?" I asked, only joking. I think we both knew that he was going to get about whatever he wanted, because I knew damn well i wanted the same things.

He leaned in close, lips slightly grazing my ear, and whispered "I think your wet panties did baby." He backed away, smirking and winking at me. He turned his back and started cleaning up, likely feeling victorious. He had a right to. That was a pretty damn good answer.

I blushed, never feeling this way before. I felt out of breath, turned on, and a little embarrassed, not to mention I'd probably never felt so attracted to someone in my life.

Fuck you Gerard Way. Fuck you and your gorgeous face.