Backdoor Boy

Prologue

Mikey sat on the couch beside Pete. Their fingers were intertwined, but neither seemed very interested in the other.

Mikey glanced over at his boyfriend and shifted his shoulders. The movie playing in the room was just background noise as they sat together. They were disconnected from everything. It was almost as if they would rather be anywhere else.

Mikey wondered what Pete was thinking about. It could have been Patrick, for all he knew. Mikey had had a sneaking suspicion for weeks now that the friends were a little more than just that. Although he didn't dare leave Pete over a hunch. He knew that wasn't right.

Mikey sat quietly until the movie ended. When it did, he was quick to stand up and tell Pete that he had to be home. Pete gave him a quick kiss, and Mikey was out the door.

Mikey sighed as he climbed into the car. Their kisses didn't even feel real anymore. The whole relationship felt like a fever dream. Although Mikey longed to fix it, he knew that he never truly could. It was broken, and it had been since day one. But it was the longing for love that kept him in Pete's arms.

As Mikey arrived at his house, Gerard was sitting on the steps, doing something on his phone. When he saw Mikey, he quickly put it away.

"How was it?" Gerard asked. He shifted. "Dare I ask."

Mikey sighed. He knew Gerard didn't want to hear about his relationship. It often just frustrated Gerard, because he didn't like how Mikey or Pete handled the situation. "Awful," Mikey said. "I'm just gonna..." He trailed off, then shook his head. He turned to leave his house again.

Mikey stuffed his hands into the pockets of his too-big coat and walked down the street. The sharp wind slapped at his face, blowing his hair into a matted mess.

Mikey pushed open the door to the coffeehouse. He walked up to the counter and took a spot on a stool. He looked around, the bright yellow walls welcoming him. The building had been a diner in the past, but it went out of business and was bought and turned into a coffee shop. Mikey ended up there just about every day.

"Hey, you," said the man behind the counter.

Mikey looked up and smiled a bit. "Hi."

"The usual?"

Mikey nodded, thanking the man. He stared down at the surface of the counter. It felt safe in the shop. Nothing could get to him there.

And then he met Ray Toro.