"Gerard!" Layla cried from behind me. I turned around and dropped my art books onto the sidewalk. Layla was running towards me, her clothes torn, her skin almost totally covered in bruises, and her face was covered in blood. Tears trailed down her face from her traumatized eyes. The girl that had been with me through everything, the girl that had pulled me out of a spiraling life of horror, the girl I'd grown to love, was loping towards me in pain.
"Oh my God! What happened?" I asked, running towards her and embracing her, gently.
"My father's drunk again!" She sobbed into my shirt. I felt the blood drain from my face.
"What'd he do this time?" I asked worriedly.
"He started beating me. Then he tried to rape me, but I fought back. He got angry and tried to kill me! I only just managed to escape! I knew I had to find you." She cried.
"Did he follow you?"
"I don't know! I'm so scared. Please, can you help me?"
"We've got to get back to my place. You can stay there for a while. I'm sure my parents won't mind." I whipped my phone out of my pocket and called my younger brother, Mikey. He had just gotten his learners permit. In about ten minutes, Mikey sped around the corner, and pulled up next to us. I jumped into the driver's seat, and Mikey popped into the back to comfort Layla. We sped home at top speed.
I parked the car, and helped Layla inside. We were greeted by my fretting parents.
"You poor dear! Come in quickly!" My mum said to Layla, ushering her into the living room, and sitting her down.
"Gerard, come with me." My father called from the kitchen. I walked over to him, puzzled.
"Yeah, dad?"
"We need to alert the police. This is terribly out of control. Can you write her home details down for me?"
"Sure thing." I scribbled down Layla's address and phone number on a piece of paper, and handed it to my dad. I scurried out of the room and back to Layla, as dad made the call. I sat down next to her on the couch, and put my arms around her. She was still crying.
"Gerard!" She sobbed into my shoulder, "Please don't leave me! I love you!" I thrilled at her words (even thought the moment wasn't the best to be thrilled).
"I love you too, Layla. I will never leave you. No matter what." I was so happy that I could finally tell her my true feelings. Everyone in the room jumped, when we heard the front door come crashing down.
"Layla! Oo naught-eh gurl." I drunken male voice called from our entrance hall. All four heads turned, and started with petrified eyes at the doorway to the living room. Layla's father appeared there, and, sure enough, he was completely wasted. "There oo are Layla! I've bin lookin' for oo. Oo war ver-ee naught-eh, so oo have to die. Sorr-ee." He smiled at Layla evilly, and raised a gun, which he'd been hiding behind his back. But before he could fire, dad jumped up behind him, and tackled him to the ground. The gun flew out of his hands, and slid to a halt a few meters away from the couch. I pounced on it, so that he couldn't retrieve it.
"Stop it! Both of you!" I screamed at the two fathers brawling on the floor. I raised the gun. "Dad, move away!"
"Gerard! What are you doing?" Mum screeched in horror. Dad obliged all the same.
"I'm doing something that should've been done a long time ago!"
"Jer-yard! If oo shoot meh, oo will go teh jehl!" Layla's dad smiled again. I didn't drop the gun. In the street I could here police sirens wailing. I heard the cars pull up, and as I heard the men enter the house, I dropped the gun about a meter in front of Layla's father. A policeman took one look at the scene, and quickly apprehended the abusive father.
"Yeh have-nt eard da last of meh!" We heard him yell as they towed him away. A humble police lady talked to Layla and me for a small while, then left. Mum cleaned Layla up, and then served us all a nice dinner. Layla decided to share a room with me, feeling too scared and unstable to sleep in the living room by herself.
"Gerard?" She asked in the darkness.
"Yeah?" I replied. I heard her sheets ruffle, and saw a silhouette loom up in front of me.
"Can I sleep with you? I'm really scared."
"Of course, Layla." I pulled back the sheets, and made room for her. She jumped in gratefully.
"Gerard?"
"Yes?"
"I really do love you. Thank-you so much for saving my life today."
"It was my dad that saved your life. You should real-" Layla cut me off, suddenly pressing her lips onto mine. After what seemed like hours, but still not long enough, she pulled back. I smiled into the darkness. "You don't know how long I've waited for you to do that."
"I've always loved you, Gerard. And when you went through that rough stage of your life, it just made me love you more."
"I've loved you ever since I laid eyes on you, Layla. But I was always afraid that if I said anything, I would scare you away."
"So….are you going to ask me?"
"Ask you what?"
"Ask me out."
"Oh!" I blushed, "Layla Robin, will you go out with me?"
"Gerard Way, there's no-one I'd rather date." She whispered in response. I found her lips again, and pressed mine onto hers. Her tongue outlined my lips, and I parted them slightly to give her access to my mouth. I placed my hand on the back of her neck and pulled her closer to me. She ran her fingers through my tousled hair with one hand, with the other she felt down my leg. I let out a small involuntary moan.
"Don't ever leave me!" I breathed.
"No problem." I felt her smile against my lips. We spent the next few hours searching each other's bodies in the dark. We would've continued, until Mikey stormed in and switched the light on.
"Will you two shut the fuck up? I'm trying to sleep!" He slammed the door behind him as he stormed back out in a huff. Layla and I started laughing, but decided we should probably get to sleep. I shut the light off, crawled back into bed, and snuggled up against the love of my life.