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Gerard decided about ten minutes in that he hated this club a lot. He hasn't changed his opinion in the last two and a half hours, and he's at the point where he's going to text Mikey rather than try to find him, and let him know that he's going home. Home is depressing and kind of barren right now, but it's better than this place with its shitty canned music, watered down drinks, and clientele that seems to specialize in trying too hard.
Still, he knows Mikey will be pissed if he just takes off, so he pushes off the wall he's been leaning on for hours and heads into the fray. The crush of bodies is familiar, but not necessarily welcome tonight. He's not in the mood, and if Mikey hadn't been going out of his head and pacing the apartment, he would have insisted on staying home. As usual, Mikey's not too hard to find. He's reasonable tall, which helps, but he also always draws a crowd, people watching him sink into the music and dancing. Gerard stops to admire him once he finds him, dyed blond bangs falling in his face, his body shiny with sweat, his head tilted back, and his throat exposed. Fuck.
Gerard starts toward him, stopping again when he realizes there's someone standing behind Mikey, his hand on Mikey's hip. Normally he would interrupt, but there's something about the way Mikey keeps moving away from his touch, the way Mikey's not surrendered like he normally is that sets off alarm bells in Gerard's head. He watches for a bit longer, just to make sure he's not imagining things, before he moves in, letting the music catch his hips so he's moving to the beat by the time he reaches them.
"Hey." He winds an arm around Mikey's neck and pulls him close, mouths barely a breath apart. "This guy bothering you?" Mikey doesn't nod, but the answer's in his eyes. Gerard figures that's good enough. He slides his hand down and tangles his fingers with Mikey's. "Let's go."
Mikey does nod then, falling in step with Gerard. They don't go far, the guy reaching out and snagging Mikey's other wrist. Mikey jerks away from him and Gerard moves back, standing in front of Mikey. The guy's taller than him, broader than him, probably everything-er than him, but that's never stopped him before, so he faces him down.
"Back off."
"I saw him first, asshole."
That earns the guy a cocked eyebrow. "Really? I've known him since I was three. You think you can beat that?"
"Oooh, what are you? His brother? I'm so scared."
"I'm his boyfriend." Gerard doesn't really know where it comes from, but something about this dickhead makes him snap. Being Mikey's brother never seems to phase them, but somehow that actually makes an impact. "Known each other all our lives, and I think that means I've got all the cards here, so fuck off." Gerard tightens his hand around Mikey's, feeling the reassuring squeeze. "Or we could get nasty."
"Yeah, right." The guy steps closer, crowding Gerard like he owns all the space around them. "I'm scared as shit."
Gerard actually got in a few fights in school, all of which he inevitably lost, but not before he got a few good hits in. He learned well from the Karate Kid - not that you should practice and have great faith in yourself, but that you go for the most vulnerable parts - and he's not about to fuck around right now. He knees the guy in the crotch and jams his fist into his throat as he bends forward. It's not pretty, but it works long enough for Gerard to grab Mikey's hand again and haul ass out of the club.
They don't make it too far before Mikey pulls Gerard into an alley, both of them trying to breathe and laugh at the same time. Mikey slumps against the wall and sucks in air then blows it out in a braying laugh. "My hero."
"Fuck yeah." Gerard feels like he's fucking Superman. Shit. The smile on Mikey's face is enough to make the fact that his hand feels like he dropped a pile of bricks on it completely worthwhile. "Shit. Did you see his face?"
"When his eyes bugged out of his head? Yeah. I noticed." Mikey snorts another laugh and then leans his head back. "Shit, Gee." He shakes his head, the brick catching at his hair and making rasping noises as he moves. "Shit."
"Yeah, well..." He shrugs and digs in his coat pocket for his cigarettes. "He was touching you."
"Seriously, you're my hero." Mikey smiles at him, the smile that he saves for special moments, the one that's open and honest and not shy at all. Gerard loves that fucking smile. "I mean, I should totally be bitching that I can take care of myself, and who do you think you are and shit, but that was the best fucking thing ever."
Gerard blows smoke out of the side of his mouth, aiming it away from Mikey. "Sorry. I went all Rambo."
Mikey's laugh takes Gerard by surprise, until he realizes it's aimed at him, and he flips Mikey off. Mikey laughs harder, so it takes Gerard a minute to realize he's shivering. Gerard shrugs out of his jacket and hands it to Mikey, only slightly disappointed when Mikey puts it on, covering his bare arms and burrowing into it.
"Fuck you. I could totally be Rambo."
"Absolutely." Mikey tries for serious, but he's smirking so Gerard flips him off again just for good measure. Mikey pushes off the wall and they start walking again. They took a cab to the club, but it's a nice night and the walk actually feels good. They fall in step easily, then Mikey grabs his hand, lacing their fingers again. "Seriously though, Gee. Thanks."
Gerard's breath hitches and he manages a shrug with one shoulder. "Anytime, Mikes. You know that. I'd do anything for you."
"Even date me, apparently."
"They never listen when I tell them I'm your brother." He tightens his fingers, squeezing Mikey's. "I didn't know if he'd listen if he thought I was your boyfriend either, but I figured it was worth a shot."
"No, no. It was cool. You were very possessive and manly."
"Fuck off."
"No." Mikey stops walking and looks at Gerard, his dark eyes serious. "You were."
"I don't like watching other guys touch you." He knows he should amend that, to say that he doesn't like it if Mikey doesn't like it, doesn't like it if they're hurting Mikey, but really all he can think is that it's true as it is.
"Jealous type, huh?"
"Yeah." He wants to shrug it off, but Mikey's still looking at him, still holding his gaze. "You're my b..."
"Boyfriend."
"Mikes..."
"Oh, now you're denying it?" Mikey steps closer, backing Gerard up toward the building next to them. "You can't just say shit like that and then think that you can blow me off. I heard you say it. That guy at the club heard you say it."
"Mikey."
"I demand at least a good night kiss before you dump me, Gerard Way. Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners?"
"Actually, no. No, she didn't." His mouth quirks and Mikey rolls his eyes. "It's true."
"I know. I know." Mikey runs a finger down the side of Gerard's face, from the corner of his eye to the slope of his jaw. "No one knows us here."
"No." Gerard's heart is pounding, his breath caught somewhere around it trying to cushion the blows. "No one."
"We could be whoever we want to be." Mikey licks his lips and Gerard realizes for the first time that Mikey has been thinking about this too, that it isn't something that he's been harboring by himself. "Whatever we want to be."
"You'll say anything not to get dumped."
Mikey nods and closes the distance between them, brushing his lips against Gerard's. "Are you dumping me?"
"No," Gerard whispers against Mikey's kiss. "Not a chance."