Say Days Ago - Reboot (1995)

eleven

"Hey yo..." Mikey walks in, taking his beanie off and scratching his head. He had begun to spend every Wednesday afternoon with Gerard, since that's when his UV treatment happened. Donna of course would not prefer it this way but they didn't have much of a choice and Elena was around so that at least put Donna more at ease.

Gerard was at the coffee machine, "Huh?" just casting a quick gaze over at his brother to make sure of his wareabouts and just how observant he was being. Especially considering the fact that Bert was sat on the breakfast bar counter, legs dangling over - his white sock covered toes secretly being playing with ever so discreetly.

Mikey looked exausted and uninterested in anything really. "Gran'ma says she's gotta weekend trip with Aunt Olivia coming up."

"Oh yeah..." Gerard did hear something like that. He just wasn't sure when that would be exactly. What he wasn't quite aware of just yet was the eyes burning into him right now.

Mikey had already thrown his bag down on the sofa and sat down with a heavy drop, "You wanna hang out?" Mikey sounded like he himself wasn't all together sure, even though he had been the one to ask.

Bert frowned to himself. This response Gerard picked up immediately. He looked over to see that his brother had turned sideways and lay down on the sofa with his eyes closed. So G could look Bert right in the eye when he confirmed, "Which weekend is that?" slipping closer to the boy on the counter, keeping an eye on both him and Mikey over in the living room.

Mikey who was still just resting his eyes, "This weekend. You got plans?" not really expecting Gerard to have plans at all, since everyone knows he's a fucking hermit.

"Uhh..." Gerard buys times with a sound like he's thinking, but leans over to Bert, whispering, "Do I?" as he slipped closer, just between his knees.

Bert smirks, blushing slightly as his dimples come on full display, he just nods his head.

Gerard whispers again, "You sure? You don't have gymnastics or church or something?" just being a little cheeky, both hands wrapped around Bert's feet - which gained him a jab to the arm and another shy smile.

"Sorry, bro... I've got some dumbass deadlines I gotta make before I fuck this job up too." the coffee machine beeped and Gerard could get back to what he was supposed to be doing instead of getting himself worked up over a pair of knees.

"Oh well..." a moment of silnce before, "Shit.. Bert... don't we have that project due too?"

Bert's eyes blew open and out of the fog he was in, "Oh yeah shit."

Gerard was less than impressed, "What project?"

"We gotta build like a water system or something like that."

Anxiety already kicks in as Gerard pictures what his weekend is going to feel like if he doesn't see Bert and he doesn't fucking like it. The quiet takes over him and because it has, the quiet takes over Bert too.

Gerard notices immediately and that usual tight feeling starts in his throat. He can tell the guilt has started to creep up in the kid. Now he'll be upset with everything just because he's upset with himself. And suddenly Gerard resents Mikey. He resents Mikey because he was the one who mentioned it and because of that the whole mood of the kitchen area had turned dark. He tried to pick at Bert's toes again but Bert kicks his fingers away.

It's a viscous cycle really. The more distant Bert is, the more upset Gerard becomes, which in turn makes Bert add even more space between them. Sometimes Gerard can pull him back. But only sometimes. So now his brain has to go to work.

Pouring himself and Bert a cup of coffee, he slides the second mug over, for which Bert mumbles a little "Thanks." Gerard can tell he's already thinking about going home.

"Okay..." G grabs his car keys from the counter top. His sudden movement made both boys interest peak. "Finish up, let's go." Suddenly showing off that naughty little smile.

Mikey perks up, "Go where?"

"To get supplies. Let's get both your shit done so your weekend isn't filled with work." Gerard takes a massive sip of piping hot coffee, eyeing Bert over the mug. Bert whose big blue eyes now shone up at him, he too sporting a naughty kid smile, "Seriously?" just making sure.

"Dead serious."

"Dude, yes!" Mikey jumps up, "Wait... gotta take a leak." and jets off to Gerard's bedroom for the en suite bathroom.

Now Gerard feels the warmth again, he reaches out for Bert's toes and the kid curls them up around G's finger tips, chewing the corner of his bottom lip. "Mikey's good with all that sciencey shit and I'm good with my hands. We'll get both of them done in no time."

"You're not that good with your hands." Bert chirped.

Gerard's eyes widened. Not because he was scared Mikey might've heard but rather because of the statement itself. His fingers gripped Bert's toes hard to punish him, "What you say?"

Bert closed his eyes softly, pretending to be getting off on the pain. His mouth fell open mimicking a silent moan. "Just kidding." He gigges slightly, grabs Gerard's hand and sinks his own teeth into the flashy side of his palm. This action however almost produces a very real moan from Gerard, but he curbs himself. "You've got the best hands." Bert adds very very quietly.

Gerard grabs his hand back from Bert's grip, "Damn straight." and backs up enough to give Bert space to jump down from the counter top. By then Mikey is back from the toilet and everything is very normal. The coffee is drank much faster than it should be but they were all out the door in no time.

At first it hurt Gerard's feelings that Bert insisted Mikey sit in front, especially since it was their first car ride together. But by the time Bert got in behind him, he looked him in the eye through the rearview mirror and then went to lay down flat over the backseats, G understood why. Bert had thought it through. He was protecting Gerard.