Until You Met Me

After pressing the doorbell that was affixed to the hallway wall, Gerard took half a step backwards, willing the front door to swing open and reveal the one person he was interested in seeing. It was unlikely. The handful of texts that he had exchanged with Sofia had suggested that she was still inside, and he was almost certain that she, or Molly’s friend Albert would be the ones who opened the door, but still he couldn’t help but hope. He knew what was going to happen. The call that Sofia had made to him had been brief, but it had still been enough for him to know that Molly didn’t know she was making it, and he was under no illusions about how happy she would be to see him, but he still couldn’t wait to see her. As upset as he knew she would would be, he was just relieved to know where she was.

Rubbing his forehead anxiously, he rocked forwards to press the doorbell again, only to freeze as the door swung open, allowing Molly to peek around it cautiously before her stare landed on him. Watching her blink, he waited for her to push the door closed in his face, but it never came. Instead, she just stared at him, waiting for him to break the silence. Exhaling a quiet sigh, he stared down at his feet for a few moments in an attempt to gather his thoughts, before he looked back up at her. “Have you mentioned Albert before?” he asked.

For a second, Molly stared at him incredulously, amazed that that was the first thing that had fallen out of his mouth, but slowly, almost reluctantly, a smile tickled the corner of her mouth. “A lot of times” she quipped “But I don’t really blame you for not remembering. I don’t know all of your teammates’ names” she added.

Gerard’s answering laugh was soft with awe before he shook his head, his expression growing sober. “Sofia called” he said.

“I figured” Molly replied.

“You didn’t think I had just found you by magic?” Gerard prodded.

Molly smiled again. “I think if you could do that, you’d have been here last night” she mused “You suck at giving me space” she added.

“What can I say?” Gerard quipped “I like you being in my space” he added.

Molly flinched a little, the small smile that had been playing on her lips disappearing, before she stepped across the threshold, pulling the door closed after herself. “Albert and Sofia are inside” she said, answering the question she knew that Gerard would want to ask “It’s a pretty small apartment” she added.

Gerard nodded his head slowly, watching as Molly sunk down to the floor, resting against the closed front door. Swallowing slightly, he closed the distance between them before he sunk down onto the floor next to her, gently bumping his knee against hers. “How’d you sleep?” he asked softly.

Molly looked up at him, her eyes shining slightly. “It wasn’t easy” she answered “You?” she asked.

“Badly” Gerard replied “I spent a lot of the night on the phone” he added.

Molly grimaced a little. “I’m sorry I worried you” she said “I just...I needed to not be at home, and I knew if I went to my parents, or Pop, then...” she trailed off when Gerard leant over, pressing a soft kiss against her temple before he drew back, gently tucking her hair behind her ear.

“I get it” Gerard murmured.

Molly leant into his touch, allowing a moment of quiet to pass between them, before she lifted a hand, wiping at her eyes. “Do you ever miss when our biggest fight was about me using my space key without your permission?” she asked.

Gerard let out a sad laugh, catching one of the tears that had evaded her on the pad of his thumb. “You used to scare the crap out of me” he quipped “I’d come home and find you sitting there, watching my television and eating my food like you owned the place. I never told you this, but I loved seeing you so comfortable there. I guess I kind of always wanted my space to be yours, too” he added.

Molly closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath that she exhaled shakily. “She was supposed to be my best friend” she murmured.

“I am sorry, Molly” Gerard said.

“How did I not see it?” Molly asked.

“There was nothing to see” Gerard insisted “She thought that we’d had some kind of moment before Jack, and before you, but it never happened. She was your friend, and I was nice to her because of that, but it was never anything else” he added.

Molly twisted her fingers in the material of her sleeve.

Gerard caught her hand in his, drawing it to his lips so that he could kiss her palm softly. “I’ll admit I made a mistake in going to talk to her” he said “You told me to keep my nose out. You’re always telling me that I make things worse, even if I have good intentions, and I should have listened, but the kiss? It was barely that. She made a mistake. She thought that she had seen something that wasn’t there, and she did something stupid, but it was not reciprocated. I don’t like her, Molly. She might be your best friend, but I have only ever tolerated her because of you. It was stupid, but it meant nothing. How can I prove that to you?” he asked, his voice desperate.

He would have done anything if it meant that Molly believed him.

Molly’s tearful stare searched his face for a moment before she shrugged her shoulders, stuck for any other answer. “I don’t know” she murmured “I think I just...I just need some time and space. Can we do that?” she asked.

Gerard blinked a couple of times, but eventually offered her a jerky nod. “Yeah” he spluttered “Whatever...Whatever you need” he added.

Molly stared up at him, her chest tightening when she saw the mistiness in his eyes that he was trying to blink away, before she slowly pushed herself up to her feet. Gerard followed after her, watching as she turned and knocked on the door, before she turned and looked back at him, offering him a watery smile. “I’ll call you” she mused.

“I hope you mean that” Gerard replied.

Molly’s smile faltered before she stepped towards him, cupping the back of his neck so that she could tug him downwards slightly, allowing her to brush her lips over his. Gerard’s lips chased hers as she drew back, stepping away from him again. Offering him a last look, she turned towards the now open door, stepping past Sofia who flashed Gerard a sympathetic smile. “Don’t give up” she quipped before she closed the door.

Gerard stared at the closed door for a long moment before he exhaled a heavy sigh, not knowing what he was supposed to do next.