Not So Dangerous Days

6

I gently shook Gerard awake and watched him roll over.

"Five more minutes..."

"Aw, I wanted to take you out to breakfast before it gets too crowded-"

"I'm up, I'm up." He sat up and stretched, smiling. He looked down and realized that he was still wearing his clothes from last night. He got up off the couch and somehow managed to get back to his room. He carried a change of clothes into the bathroom and I heard the water start. He walked out a few minutes later in a paint-splattered shirt and similarly stained jeans. He sat on the couch and began to tug on his boots before tying his yellow bandanna around his leg. He went back to his room and walked over to me at the door with a black leather jacket in hand. We held hands as we walked out to the parking lot.

"So, where do you wanna go?"

"I didn't think we'd get this far." He pondered a bit and told me to surprise him.

"Oh, you might regret that."

"I doubt it." I started to drive as Gerard dug a pair of sunglasses out of his jacket pocket.

"You have a lot of stuff, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"So, uh, you were an artist?"

"How do you... Oh, right, yeah, I was." I nodded as we pulled into a restaurant's parking lot.

"And, uh, when's your birthday?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just in case."

"It's April ninth. I don't know what you'll do with that info, but have at it I guess." I nodded and parked the car, then turned to Gerard.

"Well, isn't today April ninth?" Gerard stared at me in confusion.

"Oh shit, it is."

"So how many years have you graced the Earth with your presence?"

"Um, I think we're at thirty-one."

"You think?"

"Hey, it's been awhile since I could celebrate these, okay?"

"Well, come on. Birthday breakfast."

"You didn't even know it was my birthday until a few seconds ago."

"You're still getting out of the car." Gerard hissed at me and closed the car door. We walked into the restaurant, and all sound seemed to stop. A waiter walked over and led us to a table, though it was a little nerving how everyone was staring at us. After we ordered our drinks, the waiter came back a few minutes later, balancing two mugs of coffee.

"Um, Mr. Poison? I was wondering of you could sign this?" They held up an old comic book that I vaguely recall seeing in gas stops on those little magazine racks.

"Oh, wow, Sure thing." The waiter handed the book and a pen to Gerard and he flipped to the back of the cover.

"Um, don't tell me you made a comic book?"

"Yeah, a long time ago. I'm surprised there are still people who read it." The waiter squealed in delight and thanked him. After we managed to successfully order our food, Gerard sat there, staring at his mug.

"Hey, you good?"

"Yeah, fine. Just, y'know, in a little pain."

"Well, we'll go home after this and you can, like, lay on the couch or something."

"That's no fun. I want to do things with you. Like, go out and stuff." I sighed and stared down at my food.

"Well...I guess we can go to one more place." Gerard smiled at me in thanks and began to eat his food, which was the first time I hadn't had to argue with him over it.