Mikey Way And Mistletoe
"Gideon! Dinner's ready!" Gerard called. He was scooping pasta on to three plates as Frank hugged him from behind, nuzzling his neck.
"You work too hard, babe. Next time, let me cook," Frank cooed. Gerard chuckled.
"Last time you cooked, you almost burned down the house, and we don't have the money for a new kitchen," Gerard teased. Frank made a sound of protest and grabbed a plate from the counter, kissing his husband on the head as he passed. They had been struggling with money for years until Frank got a good job working for a record company. They had only recently adopted a boy named Gideon, taking him in from an abusive father and neglectful mother.
Gideon was sweet, but extremely closed off and shy. He spent much of his time reading comics in his room or listening to music. Gerard's attempts to relate with him on that level was failing. Both him and Frank loved the boy deeply, but Gideon didn't see it. He only thought he was stuck once again with parents that would hurt him. For being only twelve, he was much too mature for his age. He hadn't smiled since he came home with Frank, hadn't done so much as laugh. He just glared and occasionally spoke.
"Gideon, you're food is getting cold!" yelled Gerard. He turned to Frank, holding a wooden spoon up, pointing to the staircase. His knuckles were white around the handle. "Can you go check and see if he's coming? He hasn't eaten all day. I'm worried." Frank swallowed a mouthful of spaghetti and stood, scooting his chair out behind him. He would do anything for Gerard, ever since they had met in elementary school. They had been best friends and high school sweethearts, causing them to marry at a young age. A few years later Gideon came along.
"Sure. I'll be right back." He blew Gerard a kiss and headed up the stairs. The staircase was brightly lit with fluorescent lights. Frank wandered up the familiar path to his son's room and tapped the door lightly, entering straight after. The room was destroyed, books and clothes everywhere, disks out of their cases and strewn across the floor. In the messed bed was Gideon, surrounded by blankets. His face was streaked with tears, his eyes darker than his hair. His knuckles were scraped and bleeding, explaining the dent in the wall. He looked up at Frank, his face a mixture of sadness, anger and fear. Frank took a deep breath to calm his temper, trying to avoid yelling at the boy.
"Gideon…" he started, but stopped. Gideon was crying again, huddled against the wall on his bed. He looked terrified.
"Please don't hit me!" he sobbed. "I'm sorry, I'll clean it up!" Frank's heart melted. He walked towards Gideon, making him flinch, but he relaxed when his guardian didn't raise his fist.
"I'm not gonna hit you, bud." He smiled gently, sitting on the edge of the bed. He motioned for Gideon to join him. The small boy edged closer before sitting. He looked up at Frank with big, emotional eyes the colour of dried leaves. Frank reached over and wiped away the boy's tears before grabbing his injured hand. He kissed the skinned knuckles comfortingly. "Why did you do this?" Gideon looked down at his lap, playing with a loose thread on his jeans.
"Because I hate it here. I have no friends, you and Gerard hate me-" Frank raised an eyebrow and cut him off.
"Hold on, Gid. We don't hate you. We love you more than anything. You'll be sent to school after Christmas break, and I'm sure you'll make lots of friends." He wrapped his arm around Gideon's shoulders. "Christmas is in only a few weeks, and we'll make sure you'll have fun. Just, give me and Gerard a chance, and we'll give you a chance, okay?" He smiled.
"Okay, Frank," Gideon grinned, using all his teeth. He hugged Frank tightly.
"One more thing. Well, two actually," Frank said. Gideon looked up at him, listening. "First, neither me or Gerard will ever hit you, okay? And second, call me Dad." He ruffled the boy's raven hair and helped him stand. "Now, your Daddy made a really nice supper, and I want you to come down and eat with us. You haven't eaten a thing all day. Your stomach's gonna start devouring itself." He poked Gideon in the abdomen, earning a giggle.
"Okay, Fr- I mean, Dad." Frank laughed and they walked downstairs. He had made Gideon smile, even laugh, after a month of waiting.
"What do you mean, you lost your job!" Gerard yelled, his eyes wide with fury. "Christmas is just around the corner, and you go and fuck up our one decent source of money!" He threw his notebook down on the table, which was filled with present ideas for Gideon.
"I'm sorry, Gee. I didn't do anything wrong!" Gerard stood, staring at Frank angrily.
"If you didn't do anything wrong, then you'd still have a fucking job," he muttered, close to tears. Frank tried to hug him, but Gerard pushed him away. "No, Frank. I'm done. This is the biggest screw-up you've ever had! Now how the hell will we buy presents for our son." He put as much emphasis in the word as possible to layer the guilt on Frank.
At that moment, Gideon came downstairs, thumping across the kitchen floor. Gerard froze and glared at Frank.
"What are you guys yelling for? I can hear you from upstairs," he said. Gerard smiled sweetly.
"We're not yelling, honey. We're practising singing for your Dad's record company. They need us to test some songs," he lied. Gideon shrugged and grabbed a cookie from the cookie jar before heading back upstairs. When he reached the top of the stairs, Gerard tensioned again.
"I'm sorry, baby. I'll find a way to make us some money-" Gerard spun around on his heel.
"I'm leaving," he hissed, grabbing his jacket. Frank sighed in frustration.
"And where are you going, smartass?" Gerard rolled his eyes and shrugged on a leather jacket.
"Nowhere you need to know," he spat. "Tell Gideon I'm out with a few friends so he doesn't worry." He stomped out of the kitchen, grabbed the car keys, and slammed the door behind him. Frank blinked back tears and kicked a chair near him, sending it flying against the wall. A tear escaped and rolled down his cheek. He was more hurt than angry, and upset about the fact that he couldn't have done more about the situation.
Running a hand through his dark hair, he flopped back in a chair, regret weighing him down. It wasn't his fault that the record company were laying employees off at random. Now he had no job, no money, and the love of his life hated him.
All only a few days before Christmas.
Gerard stormed out into the cool night, fighting the tears that threatened to spill. Pinching his thumb in the car door, he winced, ignoring the pain. He backed out of the driveway, gravel crunching under rubber. He didn't know why he was so angry; he hadn't even listened to Frank's side of the story, only blamed him and stormed off. Whether he knew why he was upset or not, he needed to cool down, and he knew just the place to do that.
He pulled into the driveway of his brother's house, feeling slightly calmed down. It was about ten o'clock by the time he arrived at the small house across town. He clicked the lock on the door and slammed it, dragging his feet as he trudged up the walkway. His fist pounded the thick plastic of Mikey's door, listening to footsteps thump around inside. Mikey lived alone with his gecko, Trigger. He had only recently moved out, but managed to get a good job, and made large amounts of money.
"One second!" called a voice, definitely Mikey's. More footsteps were heard, then the door swung open. In the doorframe was his little brother, wearing a wife beater tank top and blue pyjama pants, looking exactly the same as he had five months before. His eyes lit up when he saw Gerard.
"Gee! God, how are ya, man?" He pulled Gerard into a hug. "How's Frank and the Gabriel?"
"Gideon," Gerard corrected. Mikey shrugged.
"Okay, whatever. Gideon." He led Gerard inside. "What brings you here at this hour of the night? You in the doghouse or something?" Gerard's eyes saddened when he slowly remembered his current situation. Frank, sitting at home alone, trying to get Gideon to bed and after he did, sleeping alone in the bed they shared… He shook away the thought. They had never fought before, only bickered a couple of times but made up right away. It hurt.
"Something like that," he responded. Mikey slung his arm over his brother's shoulders.
"That sucks, Gee. You want some coffee?" Gerard nodded slowly, soaking in his own guilt. Mikey led him to the kitchen where he sat, and a few minutes later there was a cup of coffee in his hand and a curious-looking Mikey at the other side of the table.
"Quit staring at me," he mumbled, but Mikey didn't look away. He just blinked and took a sip of coffee.
"Sorry, man. I'm just curious. Why don't you tell me what happened?" His voice was soft and comforting, something that Gerard missed.
He hesitated, then, gulping down the rest of his coffee, shrugged. "Sure. I've got nothing to lose."
He went into the details of the story, from Gideon finally opening up to Frank losing his job, all the way to him storming out. "And now I'm here, and my kid probably won't have a Christmas this year." He rested his head in his hands while Mikey patted him on the back.
"It'll be okay, Gee. I promise. Remember all those Christmas's we had as kids where we didn't get any gifts, but still had fun? I'll come over with Angie and Hailey, and we'll all celebrate together." Angie was Mikey's girlfriend, and Hailey was her one-year-old daughter. Gerard shrugged, but knew Mikey couldn't keep a promise like that. Angie was an absolute bratty princess, and definitely not Gerard's favourite person.
"Yeah…sure," he muttered, unconvinced. "Can I crash on your couch, Mikes? I don't think I can face Frank tonight." Mikey shook his head in disapproval.
"Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. You're spending The Night Before The Night Before with your family, and I don't care how much you hate it. You'll thank me later." Gerard sighed. Sometimes his baby brother could be so deep and motivational, but sometimes he wanted to strangle him with his own hair.
"Fine," he huffed. "You're awesome, Mikes, but you piss me off sometimes. If Frank murders me, you're paying for the funeral." He snatched his keys from the kitchen table and left, ignoring Mikey's laughter in the background.
Gerard entered the house, blinded by darkness. Every light was off, all except for the small light leaking from the living room. Sucking in an encouraging breath, he tossed his coat on a chair and started towards the room.
Frank was lying on the couch, asleep, snoring lightly. The sight made Gerard's heart melt. He yawned from the couch and shuffled slightly, making a small squeaking sound. Gerard involuntarily smiled as he fell in love all over again, and forgot why he had been mad in the first place. This person was his life, his love and soul mate, and he almost threw that away over a few cents.
Scooting Frank's adorably short legs aside, he sat down. Groaning, Frank fluttered his eyes open, looking around in the dim light from the TV. "Gideon?" Gerard shook his head.
"It's me, babe. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ran out like that." Frank sat up and stared at Gerard.
"Why should I believe you?" Frank cocked his head, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.
"This is why," he whispered, and pressed his lips against Frank's. It felt like their first kiss all over again, in an alley in the rain near the end of ninth grade.
"I'm sorry," Frank whispered against Gerard's lips. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Really." He wrapped his arms around Gerard's frame and pulled him close. He put his lips close to his ear. He could feel the heat from Frank's lips, the smell of coffee and cigarettes filling his nose. "C'mon," he hissed. "Let's go to bed." He stood Gerard up and pulled him to the bedroom, hand in hand, and for the moment they both felt like teenagers again.
"Merry Christmas, gorgeous," Frank said, turning to face Gerard. They were tangled in the sheets, naked and tired-eyed. Gerard looked down and gave a half-smile. \
"It's only Christmas eve morning," he said, blushing as Frank ran his hand up his thigh. He looked up at Frank, nuzzling his head into his chest, breathing in his scent of sweat and coffee and peppermint.
"Well then, happy Christmas eve morning." Gerard giggled and pulled away.
"Smartass," he retorted, throwing a pillow at Frank's head. He caught it with grace. "You can make breakfast. I'm too lazy." Frank rolled his eyes and sat on the edge of the bed, covering himself with the sheets. "What?" Gerard teased. "Too shy to expose yourself in front of me?" Standing up, Frank blushed, dropping the sheet and facing Gerard. He earned a choked laugh.
"Do I seem scared to you?" Gerard cupped his hand over his mouth to suppress his laughter. Frank pulled on underwear and an old t-shirt.
"Fine, fine. You win." He began to pull on sweats and a tee just as Frank scooped him up, bridal style, and kissed his forehead. Kicking and screaming, Gerard begged to be put down, but Frank ignored his pleas and began to carry him down the stairs.
"L-let me go!" he cried in between giggles. "You'll wake Gideon!" Frank rolled his eyes.
"That kid could sleep through anything. Now come on, kiss me!" Frank kissed him sloppily and set him down on the counter. Giggling, Gerard tossed a dishtowel at him.
"You're such a loser," he stated in between giggles.
"You picked me, and I'm your loser," Frank replied, picking the towel off his head. Gerard jumped off the counter and pecked his cheek as a small voice broke the romance.
"Daddy! You're back!" He ran up to Gerard, sleepy-eyed and in pyjamas, grinning. They hugged for a second before Gerard placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Of course I'm back, Gid. I was just visiting your uncle Mikey. There's a chance he might be coming down tomorrow." He gave Frank a look that said, 'A very, very slim chance.' Frank nodded as Gideon grinned excitedly.
"Gideon, why don't you go play video games in the living room so your Daddy and I can talk?" Frank suggested. Gideon's eyes lit up as he raced to the other room, no questions asked. Frank waited until the sounds of Mario Kart started before turning to Gerard, his face grim.
"He's so excited," Gerard stated, "and we can't even buy him presents." Gerard looked down, guilty and upset. Noticing this, Frank took him in his arms.
"We'll figure something out, babe. I promise." He stroked back Gerard's hair when the tears started.
"I feel like the worst parent ever!" Gerard sobbed. Soothingly, Frank rubbed his back, pulling their bodies close. He kissed Gerard's neck lightly, trying to stop the crying.
"You're the best parent ever," he reassured. "You're also the best husband I could ever have." Gerard looked up, his eyes red and wet. Frank's T-shirt was soaked in tears.
"Really?" Frank smiled at him, but a hint of sadness was in his eyes.
"Really. Now, come on. I'm going to teach Gideon some Christmas Carols on his guitar." He pulled away, still holding Gerard's hand, and entered the living room.
"Goodnight, Gideon." Frank said. Both Frank and Gerard were standing in the doorway of their son's room. Gideon sat on his bed, but he was shifting uncomfortably and looking down. Gerard noticed this and stepped forward, walking to the bed with Frank in tow.
"What's wrong, Giddy? Is something bothering you?" The small boy began to shake his head, but stopped.
"It's just- I…" he stuttered. Frank reached over and rubbed his shoulder, coaxing him to continue. "At my old house, before they took me away, my Dad would always promise to tell me a story on Christmas Eve. Every year he did that, but would either come home drunk or never come home at all. He never once kept his promise. I was just wondering…could you guys tell me a story? I mean, if you want to…" Gerard reached over and grabbed Frank's hand, squeezing it gently.
"Of course, hon. We can tell you a story any day." Gideon grinned and sat up, surrounding himself in blankets and pillows. When he was comfy, Gerard started.
"Once upon a time, there was a young prince who lived in a big kingdom far away. He was constantly stuck inside because bad trolls would go out and hurt innocent people. When he was allowed outside, the other princes and princesses would make fun of him or hurt him because he looked different. He didn't want to learn how to joust or fight dragons. Instead, he wanted to read books in the hedges or draw pictures of the castles. He was teased until he turned old enough to go to school-"
"They had schools way back then?" Gideon questioned. Gerard smiled patiently and nodded.
"When he went to school he was teased their, too. Every prince and princess made fun of him, all except for one. One prince said hello to him, and they began to talk about books and drawing. They became best friends, and spent all their time together." Gideon was slouching back, slowly falling asleep, so Gerard decided to finish the story up. "Years later, they got married by the river and built a castle for themselves, where they raised a little boy named…Gideon." Frank smiled at the ending, as did Gerard. Gideon was completely asleep.
"That was a great story, Gee," Frank praised. He bent down and kissed Gideon's forehead. "You should tell bedtime stories more often." They got up and went to their bedroom, where Gerard would secretly stress about how the next morning would work out.
"Wake up, wake up! It's Christmas!" Frank opened his eyes slowly to see Gideon, who was bouncing up and down on the bed. Beside him, Gerard looked equally tired and confused.
"Gid," he whispered. "Gideon, it's still only 6:30. Go back to bed." Gideon continued to jump.
"No! Come on, lazy butts! Wake up!" he pulled the blanket off the bed, forcing Gerard to sit up, legs dangling over the edge. Frank sat up, too.
"Fine, we're up," Frank said, sighing. In his opinion, 6:30 was still night time. Gideon gave a victorious cheer and jumped off the bed. He began to skip out of the room, his parents in tow.
The living room and kitchen was dark when they entered, causing Gerard to stumble for the light switch. He wasn't used to being up that early. They entered the pitch-black living room and flicked on the lights, and nobody was expecting what happened next.
Gerard's jaw hung open at the sight. In front of them was a Christmas Tree, fully decorated, and underneath were dozens of presents. Tinsel decorated the TV and fireplace. Gideon raced into the room, grinning with all his teeth. Frank and Gerard could only stare and walk in cautiously, eyes wide.
"How…" was all Frank could say, but it had already clicked in Gerard's mind.
"Mik-" he started, but was interrupted by a certain blonde-haired boy screaming at the top of his lungs.
"Merry Christmas, guys!" Mikey called as he jumped out from behind the tree. He smiled kindly and adjusted his glasses. A Santa hat was perched crookedly on his head, and he was holding a card.
"Mikey, what the hell?" Frank asked, but not unkindly. He was smiling, and Gerard thought he saw tears in his eyes. Gideon was already into the presents, unwrapping every one with his name on it. Mikey bounded over where Gerard hugged him tightly, knocking the hat off his head. Frank hugged him, too.
"Dad, this one's for you!" Gideon yelled. Frank looked at Mikey and walked over.
"Mikey, you didn't have to-"
"I saw it and thought of you," he interrupted. "You're gonna freak." Frank walked over to where his son sat. Beside him was a large, flat box in the shape of a rectangle decorated with red wrapping paper. 'Frankie' was written on a white label in sloppy handwriting. Frank kneeled down and pulled it towards himself, noticing it to be quite heavy.
He tore open the wrapping paper and demolished the box, revealing a black guitar. It shone in the light as Frank strummed it, his eyes filled with happy tears. "Mikey, this must've cost a fortune. How did you do it?"
Mikey grinned, showing an array of polished white teeth. "let's just say my Girlfriend's loaded. You need it more than she does." Mikey paused, as if remembering something. "Oh yeah, this is for both of you." He handed Frank the whit envelope he had been holding the entire time. "Also, I didn't forget about you, Gee. You have a present under there, too." Gerard smiled as Frank tore open the envelope. He pulled out a beautiful card with gold print. On the front it said Merry Christmas To The People I Love Most.
"Open it!" Mikey coaxed as he teetered back and forth eagerly. Frank popped open the card as something fell out. The inside only said 'Merry Christmas, Love Mikey. (And Angie's Money)'
Gerard bent down to retrieve the object. It was a piece of folded paper and a cheque. The paper said, 'if you ever need anything, don't be afraid to call.' The cheque was worth $500. Gerard's eyes went wide as he pulled Mikey into another hug, thanking him over and over again.
"You still have to open your present," he said, and handed Gerard a flat, square object. He opened the paper, viciously tearing it up.
In his hands was a picture of Frank and Gerard when they got married, sitting by each other on the river bank. They were holding hands and smiling in their tuxes. It was in a beautiful gold frame with etchings in it. Gerard covered his mouth and showed Frank, who had the same reaction.
"Mikey, you've done so much. We can't take all of this. You need money, too-"
"Like I said, Angie's loaded. This barely put a dent in her funds." Gerard shook his head and smiled as a single tear rolled down his cheek.
"Cool! Look at this!" They all turned to see Gideon, who was holding up a Superman lunchbox. "Thanks, Uncle Mikey! And thanks for all the comic books, too!" He jumped up and plowed into Mikey, hugging him tightly.
"It's no problem, kiddo. That's what uncles are for. To spoil you rotten when your pernts aren't watching." Gideon giggled and pulled away as Mikey ruffled his hair. "Merry Christmas, guys. You mean the world to me."
"Merry Christmas!" Gerard echoed, his arm draped around Frank's shoulder. Mikey was added to the family, and Gideon became the most spoiled nephew ever.
