Snow White In Chains ((SLOW UPDATES))

CHAPTER SEVEN

"Wow," she mused, smiling at him and looking at the piece of art she turned him into.
"Wow, what?"
"Just, wow."
"Good wow or bad wow."
"Good wow."

Gerard chuckled. He'd done a lot of things for cases. He'd gone undercover before. But this was different. He'd given Lindsey complete control, her logic being "he'd never fit unless a regular dressed him up". And it was evident by the look on her face that she was having a little too much fun using him as a human Barbie doll.

She ran her hand through his hair, mussing it a bit. She tilted her head, adjusted his leather jacket, and looked to see if there were any final touches she needed to add. She studied him with a careful eye, trying to piece together the fragments of her distorted vision. She cupped his face in her hands, staring her hardest to find the missing piece.

"Oh, I know," she laughed.
"Oh boy," he sighed, giving her a smile. Lindsey smiled back as she picked up her eyeliner and held it up triumphantly, much to Gerard's amusement. "I haven't worn eyeliner in years."
"The fact that you wore it already says something."
"Hush," he laughed, "I looked good in drag."
"I bet you did. That's something I'd love to see. Now, don't let your eye get all tweak-y."
"I can't help it!"
"You're lucky I'm going for smudged eyeliner."
"You're gonna make me look like Avril Lavigne."
"Maybe."

Her motions were careful and precise, done by a practised hand. It was only a few moments before she nodded and pulled back with an "all done."

"Perfect. You'll fit quite nicely. Look in the mirror."
"I'm afraid to."
"You look amazing. Trust me."

Gerard gave her a sarcastic and drawn-out "sure", before turning to look at his reflection in the mirror. He whistled loudly. She had turned him into some sort of rebellious creature, straight out of a teenage punk's dream. From the leather jacket to the ripped black jeans. Lindsey had an eye for style, he'd give her that. He was barely recognisable, yet it perfectly captured a side of him he had silenced years ago. She had the capability and the knowledge, plus that spark, to slowly tease it out of him. And here it was. The ol' spirited phantom that he hadn't seen since his art school days. The spirit that had been crushed by the death of his brother and had been crushed by the Academy. With that smirk and that sleight of hand that she possessed, she coaxed him to come out of his shell and pop a few buttons on his collar. Lindsey just knew how to bring it out of him.

"Before we can head over, we need to get a few things figured out. First of all, how much about me was revealed in the article?" she asked. She rested her hands and head on his shoulder, looking at them in the mirror. They made the cutest pair. An impossible romance, but a beautiful romance, nevertheless. Gerard smiled at her, turning so he could look her face to face and take her hands in his.
"Not much. Revealed who you were, that you were working with a reformation program with the police force, what you had been put in prison for and how long you were in prison."
"Did it say anything about what I'd be doing? That I'd be assigned to a case and such?"
"No, it didn't," he replied. Lindsey nodded, smiling when Gerard lifted her hands to wrap her arms around his neck. He rested his hands on her hips, as Lindsey leant forward and rested her head on his shoulder. The two stood intertwined with each other, in perfect harmony and silence, save for their breathing and racing hearts. A million thoughts raced through their minds, from "does she like me too?" and does "does he know how I feel?" For the first time in years, they felt young again, like school kids and their first crush. Time seemed to slow as Gerard leant forward towards Lindsey and she leant up to reach him. The two froze, lips just inches from each other. Both looked fearful.

"This isn't right, is it?" Lindsey asked, breaking the silence. Gerard took a shaky breath, before replying.

"I don't know. I know I shouldn't have fallen for you, but I can't help it. There's something about you."
"Speak for yourself," she said, giving a nervous laugh, "God, this is so wrong. I'm me. You're you. This was just supposed to be a work assignment. I wasn't supposed to catch feelings for you."

The two stood in their embrace, unsure of what to do. Neither one wanted to pull away, despite knowing how wrong it was.

"It's not like we haven't had relations before," Gerard mumbled, "It's not like we haven't done things before."
"It was different, though," she replied, "It was just fucking. We didn't know each other. We didn't have feelings for each other. You were just another person. Yeah, a really hot person that's really good at things and I really want to kiss you and I shouldn't."

Lindsey sighed, letting her eyes fall shut as she was lost in thought. She was conflicted and she knew how risky this was. She knew that after this was all said and done, she'd go back to prison and she'd never see Gerard again. She'd just be alone with her own demons and her own thoughts. He'd forget about her and move on; find someone else and settle down. She was making a mistake and she knew it. But he was here and she was here and she had fallen for him, no matter how much she told herself not to. She wanted him.

"I shouldn't want you," she mumbled, "We'll get in trouble."
"It's alright. We can make things work."
"Can we?"

Gerard nodded and leant down the rest of the way, closing the distance between them. His lips met hers and, no matter how cliche it sounded, he could only describe it as fireworks. Something had clicked between the two of them and he didn't know what. There was something about her that drew him to her. Fate, maybe? He didn't know. But he did know that this was how he wanted to spend the rest of his life and this was meant to be, as he stood in the bedroom, kissing Lindsey. He knew things wouldn't change between them overnight. It would be gradual. But maybe they'd date and maybe they'd form a closer connection and be more than just coworkers. He certainly was interested and wanted to pursue it. It was whether or not Lindsey was willing to fight for it too.

He slowly pulled back, giving Lindsey a smile. She blinked as it dawned on her, then pulled Gerard back down, kissing him back. She was a little more forceful than he was as if it was the last time she'd ever kiss him. That was always her motto. Love hard because you never knew when everything would change.

"Complete change of heart," he mumbled against her lips.
"I could say the same for you, Way." Lindsey pulled away, resting her forehead against Gerard's. She closed her eyes and hummed, trying to block out everything else for a moment and just try to focus on him.
"Lindsey, you alright?"
"I'm not listening to them. I'm listening to you. They aren't real. Are we real? Everyone is too loud. Quit screaming at me, I'm trying my best. I'm doing my best. Why won't you shut up and leave me alone? Fuck, why I am like this? It's one thing to have a condition, it's another to be aware of it and not be able to keep it in check."
"Focus on me. I'm real, alright? They aren't. I promise," he replied. He wrapped himself around her, letting her relax and cling to him as if he was the only thing holding her together. And quietly, he began to hum, then sing the melody from the car.

Lindsey hid her face in the crook of his neck. The paranoia and the fear still bubbled inside and she could feel something crawling on her, but he held her tight and subdued the pain.

"Can we just get out of here? Hit up a gas station or something. I need fresh air," she mumbled.
"I get it. You ready to go?"

She nodded, taking a deep breath. He smelt like cigarettes, booze, musk, and coconut. She had no idea where the coconut came from, but she wasn't complaining. He was like a home away from home.

"Come on, I'll carry you."
"Gerard, you don't have to."
"Too bad. I'm going to carry you."

She squealed as he swept her off her feet and picked her up bridal style. She held on for dear life and laughed, the colour slowly returning to her face.

"Do you want to go straight to Lola's or take a detour?" he asked.
"Whatever you're up for."
"We're going out! We're going to enjoy ourselves! We're going to do something fun!"
"Oh no."