Until You Met Me

Toeing off his shoes, Gerard stared down at the phone he clutched in his hand, frowning slightly at the blank textbox that stared back up at him, taunting him with the fact that he didn’t know what to say to Molly. He had tried to compose the message more than once. Since she had walked out of the restaurant the previous night, he had typed, and retyped a text message to her more times than he wanted to admit, but each time, he had ended up deleting it, worrying that the words that he had used weren’t quite enough or were potentially only going to make things worse. He knew that he had messed up again and he didn’t quite know that he had the words to convince Molly that forgiving him was worthwhile.

Staring at his phone for a beat longer, he let out a quiet sigh before he locked it, slipping it into his pocket as he padded into the living room.

“Hey”

Gerard’s head snapped up, his stare quickly landing on Molly who was sat in the middle of his sofa, a slightly awkward smile on her face. Opening and closing his mouth a couple of times, he blinked before he shook his head, smiling shyly down at the floor. “What have I told you about that spare key?” he asked.

Molly’s smile softened a little. “I thought I made it clear that you were never getting that back” she played along.

“Even if you’ve come here to breakup with me for being a jealous moron?” Gerard’s voice was playful, but the smile that he offered Molly was full of regret and worry, something which caused her to shake her head before she held her hand out towards him. After a moment of hesitation, Gerard placed his hand in hers, allowing Molly to tug him towards the sofa before she squeezed it gently.

“I’m not here to breakup with you” Molly said, busying herself with playing with his fingers “I just...I think we should talk, really talk, about Tiago. Can we do that?” she asked.

Gerard stared at their hands, watching her fidgeting fingers, before he slowly nodded his head. “OK” he confirmed.

Molly let out a quiet sigh of relief before she looked up at him, her eyes mirroring his. “I need to know what about him bothers you so much” she said “Because it isn’t like you didn’t know about him when we started this. You were there when I met him at Pop’s wedding, and you were the first person I came to when things ended. If anything, you knew too much about him and us, and I just...I don’t understand why he’s got you so on edge all of the time. I told you why things didn’t work out, and you know that things like that don’t just change. So what is it?” she asked.

Gerard searched her eyes for a long moment, trying to figure out what to say, before he ducked his head. “Pop’s wedding” he murmured.

“What?” Molly asked.

“Pop’s wedding” Gerard repeated, his voice a little louder “How much do you remember about that night?” he asked.

Molly frowned in confusion. “My sister got married. My mother got drunk and spent the whole night crying. I met Tiago. What am I missing?” she asked.

Gerard’s lips quirked up into a rueful smile. “You don’t remember spending an hour with me, trying to cheer me up?” he asked “My girlfriend and I had just broken up, and once you got that out of me, you sat with me, trying your hardest to make me laugh. You refused to leave the party until I did, and it took ages, but you finally did it. That was the first time I...I felt this weird feeling in my stomach” he admitted.

Molly blinked, something which made Gerard shake his head, his cheeks flushing a soft shade of pink. “I didn’t know what it was” he said “And by the time I had figured it out, you were talking about this guy that you’d met at Pop’s wedding, and everything you said about him convinced me that he was perfect for you. A history teacher with the prettiest eyes and the weirdest laugh that you just adored for some reason. I didn’t tell you what I felt. I sat and I watched you fall in love with him, and now when I think of you together, I am back sitting across from the two of you, watching you be in love with someone else and I...I act stupidly” he added.

Molly was quiet for a long moment before she shook her head. “That’s not fair” she said “I didn’t know that you were getting hurt. How was I supposed to know when you never told me?” she pressed.

“You couldn’t have known” Gerard agreed.

“Then how is it fair for you to take that out on me?” Molly asked, her voice raising a little in frustration “I am sorry that you got hurt, but I didn’t know that you were an option. Now that I do, I am so sure of this, but you won’t just take my word for it. I love you so freaking much, but I don’t know how I am supposed to prove that to you. I tell you that I love you, that I am over Tiago, and you still look at me like you’re not quite sure you believe me. What do you want me to do, Gerard?” she added, her voice softening when she reached the question.

“You don’t have to do anything” Gerard answered, gently pushing the hair out of her face.

“Then how do I stop this from happening again?” Molly asked “How do I convince you that you’re the man I want?” she added.

“You don’t have to convince me” Gerard replied.

Molly offered him a sceptical look, something which caused Gerard to sigh softly before he shifted a little closer to her, his hands gently holding onto hers. “I am an idiot” he quipped “I wasn’t brave enough to face my feelings for you when I realised I had them, and now I am pissed at myself for being angry about the fact that someone else made you happy. I am sorry for taking it out on you. It is not fair, and I don’t think I can apologise enough. I just...there is still a part of me that can’t quite believe that this is happening. I keep thinking that something is going to happen, that I am going to lose you somehow, and then I do the stupidest thing and push you away. I am so freaking sorry about that” he explained.

It was a poor excuse, and he knew it, but it was the truth. He had spent a long time hoping that they would have their chance, and now that they had it, he kept expecting it to go wrong, something which caused him to act like an idiot. He was scared of losing her, of messing up the chance that he had waited for, but instead of talking to her about it, he kept doing things to push her away.

Molly stared at him for a long moment, taking in what he had said, before she leant towards him, pressing her lips to his. Gerard let out a quiet sigh into the kiss, keeping her close for a few seconds, before Molly drew away from him, her eyes mirroring his. “I am here” she murmured “And I am not going anywhere” she added.

“Molly...”

“I am not going anywhere” Molly interrupted “But you don’t get to act like an idiot when you get scared any more. I don’t deserve that. You get scared, and you want to talk, then I am here for you, but if you’re going to say something stupid, then say it to someone else. Understand?” she asked.

Gerard’s answering nod was immediate and firm. “Yes” he said.

Molly’s lips quirked upwards into a soft smile. “Alright, then” she quipped “It’s late, and I am tired. Can I stay here?” she asked.

“Do you need to ask?” Gerard countered.

Molly leant over, pressing her lips to his again, before she stepped away, leaving Gerard marvelling at her as she walked away.