[A/N: It's short, it's really short, but...I don't know, you might enjoy it more than I do. You'll find that with certain chapters, I don't like them, but I don't want to change them either, because it'd mean changing the following chapters too. So I'll have to shut up and deal with it! XD Thank you to Stereophonic and Charming for your...Charmingly Stereophonic reviews! =D Lots of SPAGHETTI! xxx Teeny Sweeney.]

"Was there something you wanted Miss Vengeance?" The barber questioned the girl in the doorway.

Gerard shivered at the cold air coming into the room as he fought the urge to snuggle into the man in front of him he smiled a little; the word vengeance just sounded so right from his mouth.

"Sorry…I was looking for him." She gestured vaguely at Gerard, looking awkward. "He wasn't in his room."

"Oh. Well, would you like him back?"

"No, no it's fine." Cari-Leigh replied, her awkward blush turning into a grin as she backed out of the room. "Just wanted to know where he'd got to is all. Later."

With that the door shut. Gerard swore through chattering teeth, he'd forgotten how cold it would be outside. In half of an attempt to warm him up some, the barber rubbed his shoulder.

"Yeah. That's going to warm him up." His mind scoffed.

"That's not doing anything to help me." Gerard laughed through his shivering.

"I figured…not for want of trying though." Sweeney muttered. "My hands are cold anyway." He added.

He touched the back of his hand to the side of Gerard's neck, making him flinch away at the temperature.

"That was mean." Gerard stated with a pout.

The barber smirked.

"Surely you didn't expect me to be nice."

"I never really thought about it." Gerard confessed, the shyness slipping back into his voice.

"Maybe you should have, hm? You don't seem to think about things much."

The murmured response fell from lips far too close for comfort, but at the same time not close enough for Gerard's liking. The conflict in his head made him unable to get a sentence out, leaving him stuttering for a moment before he gave up.

"Go on…tell me I'm right."

The razor that Gerard had forgotten about was suddenly at his throat, but the threat wasn't real; the softness behind the smoldering eyes locked with his told him that quite clearly. Gerard tipped his head back slightly, standing up a litter straighter, proving the point made abut his lack of thought by closing the space between their lips.

It wasn't the same kiss as the previous night; frustrated and sudden and assisted by alcohol – it was gentler, but it still wasn't something that should necessarily have been done. The reminder of that was a hesitant knock on the door. This time it was Zacky stood there looking very awkward before being beckoned in.

"Where's the peanut butter Gee?" He asked quietly.

"Right hand cupboard above the sink." Gerard replied quickly.

"Thanks."

The conversation was short and strained, the awkwardness of it forcing the barber's feet back to where they were most comfortable; by his window. He stared out of it as he paced again.

"It's that window. I have half a mind to board the damn thing up you know." Gerard threatened.

Sweeney stopped in his tracks, giving Gerard a strange look.

"What?"

"You're pacing again. It's the reason I'm up here, remember."

"I can't…"

"Can't help it, I know. I have habits too only mine don't usually keep people awake at unholy hours." Gerard cut him off.

"These hours aren't unholy. You just don't like them. Besides, you don't seem so virtuous yourself."

The barber flinched inwardly at his choice of word – he had called his Lucy virtuous. Only, she wasn't really his Lucy anymore, she was, and always would be Benjamin Barker's Lucy.

His mind suddenly jumped subjects.

"You ought to tell them not to say anything." He said suddenly, nodding towards the door.

"They won't. Not without asking me first." Gerard assured him.

There was a long pause. Gerard was beginning to hate the man for those.

"Gerard?"

Sweeney strolled over to stand in front of him again.

"Yes?"

"Don't say anything."

Gerard pulled an imaginary zipper across his lips. It was childish, but it got the message across.

"Though you might want to explain a little bit to them seeing as…you know."

Gerard stared at the barber for a while.

"Explain what exactly?" He asked.

Sweeney started shaking his head.

"I…I don't know." He mumbled.

"It's complicated, right?"

Gerard raised his eyebrows at Sweeney's distasteful expression.

"Yeah…I hate that excuse. Just explain the situation to them."

"What is the situation?" Gerard asked impatiently.

"Look just…just blame me if you want. Tell them I'm insane or something." The barber replied agitatedly.

"You are insane." Gerard blurted out.

There was a tense moment consisting of Gerard biting his lip nervously again and Sweeney holding him with a hostile stare. Gerard apologized softly, looking away.

"I'm not insane." Sweeney shot at him, the tone of voice contradicting the statement. "Maybe slightly unbalanced, no, actually…troubled, but not by any means insane."

"Yeah. You sound sane." Gerard replied sarcastically.

"Gerard."

The response was a low, dangerous rumble in the back of the barber's throat.

"Oh hush." Gerard soothed. "You're only winding yourself up." He pointed out softly.

Another long pause and it was Sweeney's turn to damage his bottom lip.

"I take back what I said about not being slightly unbalanced." He mumbled.

"Only slightly." Gerard teased. "It probably doesn't help that you always seem to be on edge." He added in all seriousness.

The corner of Sweeney's mouth turned up into a sad look that was supposed to be masked behind a smile.

"Prison does that to a man if you give it time."

Gerard spent a second or two being unsure of how to respond before leaning forwards and looping his arms around the other man's waist. His right arm automatically went around Gerard's shoulders without any thought as his mind was occupied with surprise at the action.