Work Text:
Mikey steps through the glass door of the coffee shop, held open by a middle aged man who smiles at him. He had noticed right away how differently people were treating him today, now that he's wearing makeup, a brunette wig and a yellow sundress.
Everything feels different, dressed as a girl. People smile at you instead of pass you by. People hold doors for you. People move out of your way on the street instead of expecting you to go around them.
But more importantly, Mikey feels different. He feels more confident; pretty and smart for once. He holds himself differently, shoulders back and chin up instead of tucked in on himself. He feels... really good.
Ray is sweating. And tired. And completely ready to get off work.
The line of people wanting coffee at 2:45 in the afternoon is ridiculous. He has fifteen minutes ‘til break, then two hours until he can go home and shower.
He hands a 20-something hipster his drink and change, then wipes his hands on his dark green apron.
“How can I help you?” he asks the next person to approach the counter without looking up.
“Uhm, yeah.”
Ray looks up at the sound of a scratchy, high pitched voice.
“Can I get a- an Iced Skinny Mocha, please?”
Ray's tongue momentarily gets stuck to the roof of his mouth as he stares at the skinny, awkward looking girl that is still staring up at the menu even though she already ordered. She's got light brown hair, medium length, tucked behind one ear. She's wearing brown eyeliner and pink lip gloss and a flowing, light yellow dress. The girl drops her eyes to Ray, looking a bit confused.
“Oh uh, sorry. What did you want?”
The girl shows a tiny little grin that flips Ray's stomach over and repeats herself.
“What, uh. What size?”
“Uhm, medium?” she says, sounding like she's asking permission.
“So, grande,” Ray says, grabbing a cup and writing the order down on the side.
“Grande is medium?” the girl asks, shooting her eyes back up to the menu above Ray's head.
“Yeah. I know it should be large, but that's Venti.”
"That... doesn't make any sense. But okay.” She pulls a few bills out of a tiny chocolate colored purse and holds them out. Ray takes them, trying to not very-obviously touch her hand. Her skin is soft and warm and Ray has to blink twice to remember how to work the cash register. By the time he hands her back her change, her coffee is up.
He can't help but to watch her walk away to a little table in the corner. Ray usually goes for curvy girls because he likes a little something to hold onto, and this girl is a positive stick. No curves, tiny breasts, knobbly knees. But Ray can't help himself, she's fucking pretty.
The next customer in line coughs obnoxiously and Ray jumps.
“Sorry. How can I help you?”
Mikey remembers to smooth his dress behind him as he sits, making sure it doesn't bunch up and show off his thighs. He hunches his shoulders, then straightens up as soon as he realizes he's doing it.
It's thrilling. He's never let anyone see him like this, never gone outside his bedroom dressed like this before. But he likes it. He feels completely at home.
Mikey pulls a small novel from his purse and sets it on the table, reading and sipping from his iced coffee. It's gorgeous out today and every time someone opens the door he can smell the summer air outside.
He's half finished his coffee when a cookie wrapped in a napkin appears at his elbow. Mikey glances up, startled. It's the frizzy haired guy that took his order.
“Uh-?”
"On the house,” the guy says, grinning.
“Oh! Uh, thank you,” Mikey stammers, starting to blush. “That's really, like, nice of you.”
“No problem.” The guy smiles at Mikey again, then turns and walks back behind the counter.
Mikey absolutely does not stare at his ass.
Ray chuckles internally as he watches the girl bury herself back in her book, pressing a hand to her cheek, trying to get rid of the beautiful blush that crept up. She glances up at Ray, who pretends to be wiping down the counter, then back down to the cookie. She breaks a piece off and dips it into her coffee before putting it in her mouth. She chews and swallows then glances back up to catch Ray looking. Her blush deepens and she turns away.
Ray might, possibly, be in love.
Mikey takes a deep breath when he finally gets back outside. He starts for his car, parked a block and a half away, mentally willing his cheeks to go back to their original color.
That guy was flirting with him! He was actually, completely flirting! He feels like he could fly at that moment and subconsciously makes plans to return to the coffee shop in a day or two.
He drives back to the apartment that he shares with his older brother and rushes inside before anyone can see. The giddy feeling starts to fade when he locks himself in his bedroom and undresses. Mikey hides the dress with his others in the back of his bottom drawer. The wig gets squirreled away in the back of his closet, the make up supplies swept into a sock and tucked away in a shoe.
He pulls on jeans and a horror movie t-shirt. In the bathroom he brushes his short, dirty-blonde hair back and washes the last remains of girl off his face. He picks out his contacts and pushes his thick rimmed glasses back on. He tries not to look in the mirror afterward.
The girl doesn't come back the next day and Ray really hopes that she wasn't just passing through town or something.
She doesn't come back the day after that either and Ray's heart sinks a tiny bit. It's alright, he didn't even get her name. There wasn't anything there anyway.
It isn't until Friday afternoon that she appears again. Ray immediately stifles his smile when she walks through the door and tries to play it cool.
She's wearing a purple skirt today, coming to just above her knees, with a clean white blouse. There's a bow in her hair and Ray swoons in a very manly fashion.
She's already blushing by the time she reaches the counter and Ray smiles at her.
“How can I help you?” he asks.
“Uhm, Iced Skinny Mocha?” she says, looking up at the menu without reading it.
“Grande?”
Her blush deepens and her lips pull up in a tiny smile. “Yeah.”
“Do you want to donate a dollar to feed underprivileged kids?”
“Uhm, sure.”
Ray takes the slightly crumpled handful of money from her and sets a smiley faced paper on the counter with a pen. She scrawls her name on the line before taking her change.
Ray takes the paper to tape it up on the wall behind him. He glances at the messy name.
Emma.
Mikey's hand shakes a little when he writes the name. It was something he came up with months ago, lying awake in bed and staring at the ceiling. He's never actually used it before and it's exciting and scary.
The guy hands Mikey his iced coffee and smiles. “Enjoy, Emma.”
Mikey can feel his face heat up. Getting called Emma is... It feels really nice.
“Thanks, uh,” Mikey glances down to the guy's name tag pinned to his apron. “Thanks, Ray.”
Mikey leaves the shop immediately this time. He sits on the little bench right outside the large window and drinks his coffee, watching people as they pass.
He can feel the eyes of the coffee shop guy, Ray, on his back the entire time and it makes him feel... Special and pretty.
There's almost nothing left but ice in the bottom of the plastic cup when someone speaks to him.
“Mind if I join you?”
It's Ray, and he's not wearing his apron. Mikey's heart starts racing.
“S-Sure, yeah.”
Ray sits down next to Mikey, politely leaving enough room between them so that their elbows don't touch.
“I just got off.”
Mikey chokes on the small sip of coffee he just took and Ray winces.
“Got off work. My shift just ended, I mean. I'm waiting for my friends to come pick me up.” They're both blushing now and Mikey feels incredibly awkward. Ray pulls a cigarette out of his pocket and lights up.
“You can smoke out here?” Mikey asks, glancing at the shop's front door a few feet away.
“Yeah.”
“Awesome.” Mikey pulls his own cigarette out of his purse and sets it between his lips. “Would you mind?”
Ray smiles and lights the cigarette for Mikey, who blushes and looks away right after.
Ray is mentally reeling from his dumb ass comment and furiously thinks of a way to make this conversation not awkward. It's tough though, because Emma looks fucking hot sucking on a cigarette.
Thankfully, after a few moments, Emma speaks up.
“Where are you going with your friends?” she asks, staring at the cigarette in her hand.
“To see some band play,” Ray answers, intelligently.
Emma picks up on the topic though. “Oh yeah? What kind of music?”
She's looking at him now and he tries to keep his expression straight and his eyes on her face.
“Punk, probably. My friends never seem to care who's playing. We go every Friday night.”
“You listen to punk?” Emma asks, her slim eyebrows lifting up.
“Uh, yeah. Do you?” Ray asked, his heart almost stopping.
“Oh yeah!” Emma smiled, waving her cigarette around. “I went to see Rancid last year with some friends, it was pretty cool. I'm more of a Misfits kid, but the ticket was free so... Yeah.” She blushes and puts her cigarette between her lips again. Ray realizes she's embarrassed about how much she just blurted out.
“How'd you get a free ticket?” Ray presses, wanting to hear her speak again.
She grins a little and lifts her eyes up to him again. “I know a guy who does sound, so, you know.” She shrugs her thin shoulders.
“But, you listen to The Misfits?”
Her smile widens. “Oh yeah. I snuck out when I was like fourteen to go see them at Maxwell's. I got punched right in the face in the crowd, I thought I broke my nose. It was awesome.” She blushes again and ducks her head.
“That's so cool. I've never gotten to see them live,” Ray admits.
“It was really cool.”
Emma's closed off again and Ray looks around to find another topic. He sees his friends walking towards them from down the street. “Oh, my friends are here.”
“I should go,” Emma says softly.
“I mean, you could come with us, if you want,” Ray throws out, a little desperately.
“Uh, I actually have to get home. Maybe next time.” She smiles and drops her cigarette to the ground. She flattens it under her shoe and disappears around the corner.
“Toro!”
Ray looks up to see Gerard and Frank. Frank skips forward and tackles Ray, almost knocking him off the bench.
Ray's still off balance from Emma's sudden departure.
“Earth to Toro!” Frank says, pulling on his hair.
“Dude. The most amazing girl. She listens to The Misfits.”
“What?” Gerard asks, gently untangling Frank and pulling him to his feet.
“I think I'm in love.”
Frank and Gerard burst into laughter.
Mikey's flying high. He spins around in his bedroom, trying not to scream out loud. That, that, was flirting. And a real conversation. And a name! Ray.
This was something he never expected. He didn't think he'd meet someone cute and nice. He can't wait to go back to the coffee shop and see him again.
Gerard's going to be out all night with Frank, so Mikey leaves Emma on and grabs his laptop. He wants to buy a cute dress. Something pretty that will make Ray smile.
Ray sleeps in on Saturday, sore and tired from the show. It's the first time in his life that he wishes he was working during the weekend. He wonders if Emma will go to the shop and if she'll be disappointed that he's not there. Maybe he should go in anyway and order something and just hang out- no. He can't fucking hang out at work on his day off. He'll just have to wait until Monday.
Mikey snatches a small cardboard box out of Frank's hands.
“What in there?” Frank asks.
“Nothing.”
“You ordered nothing?”
“Shut up, Frank.”
Frank grins and leans against the kitchen counter. “Is it something nasty? I bet it is.”
“Fuck off, Frank,” Mikey growls.
“Oh man, it is! Is it a dildo?”
Gerard picks that moment to appear in the kitchen.
“I'm sorry, what?”
“Your brother bought a dildo,” Frank answers, a wide shit-eating grin on his face.
“Mikey!” Gerard gasps, scandalized.
“I didn't!”
“Ah!” Gerard cries, covering his eyes with both hands.
“I didn't buy a dildo!” Mikey insists, blushing furiously.
“Ew! Oh my God, don't say that word!”
“What's wrong with dildos?” Frank giggles. “You have one.”
“Ew!” Mikey yells.
“Frank, what the fuck!?” Gerard cries.
“I'm leaving now!” Mikey takes the small box and practically runs out of the kitchen. He can hear Frank laughing as he goes, that asshole.
Mikey rushes into his bedroom and locks the door. He takes a moment to calm down before he sits on his bed and opens the box. He pulls the belt out first and sets it aside. The dress is folded up and nestled inside, covered in plastic.
It's white, with a fitted top and little brown buttons lined up down the middle. The bottom is pleated and will give him the appearance of hips, he hopes. He lays the dress out on his messy bed and sets the wide brown belt across it. In his closet he finds a fairly new denim jacket that he picked up at a thrift store. He pulls it around the top of the dress and steps back to admire the outfit.
He smiles. It looks good and he can't wait to wear it out.
Ray doesn't see Emma again until Wednesday, but at this point he realizes that she's not going to show up on a regular basis.
He can't stop a huge smile from appearing on his face when she walks through the door. She's wearing a bright white dress with a denim jacket. There's a tiny light green purse slung over her slim shoulder and another bow in her hair, matching her purse. The dress is short enough to give Ray just the smallest flash of thigh and it leaves him wanting more. Ray wonders how it would feel to hold her, she's so skinny. He wants to press his fingers into her body hips, but not hard enough to bruise. He'd be so gentle with her.
“The usual?” he asks when she gets to the front of the line.
She smiles, wider than usual but it's still tiny. “Yeah.”
Ray writes her order on a cup and takes her money. The till slides out and he hesitates.
“You know, my friends and I are going out again this Friday,” he hedges.
“Oh yeah?” she asks, shy and delicate. Not at all like she was last week when she was gushing about music.
“Yeah, I. I just, was wondering if you'd want to come with me?”
“Like a date?” she asks, looking partially intrigued, partially scared.
“I mean, yeah. If you'd like.”
“I-” Emma startles when another employee sets her drink down on the counter.
Ray remembers what he's doing and quickly gets Emma her change.
“Sure,” she mutters, blushing. She turns and walks away, finding a table to sit at.
Ray has a smile on his face for the rest of his shift, especially when he sees that Emma is sipping her drink incredibly slow, nose buried in a book again. When his shift finally ends, he tosses his apron in his locker and buys himself an iced coffee. He sets his coffee down at Emma's table before sitting, giving her the chance to look up at him and smile.
Ray pulls a chair out and sits down, glancing at her book.
“What are you reading?”
Emma blushes, hard. It's such a good look on her. “Pride and Prejudice,” she mutters.
“I read that in school once,” Ray offers up. “I don't think I understood a single word they said.”
Emma laughs and it's high-pitched and adorable. “Do you read much?”
“No, not really,” Ray chuckles. “Besides comics and magazines I don't really-”
“You read comics?” Emma asks, closing her novel and sitting forward.
They sit for over an hour, drinking coffee and talking. First it's comics, then movies, then music again. Ray's so absorbed in everything Emma is saying that he doesn't notice the sun beginning to set until Emma looks up at the huge deco clock on the wall and starts.
“Oh shi- I gotta go,” she says, stuffing her book into her tiny purse and grabbing her empty coffee cup.
“Oh, right I-” Ray fumbles.
Emma stands and sets her long fingers against Ray's forearm. “I'll see you on Friday?”
“Yeah,” Ray says, smiling.
“Cool. Bye Ray.” She smiles and then she's out the door, and Ray is left with no air in his lungs, skin tingling where her fingers touched.
He is completely gone for this girl.
Mikey holes up in his room Friday afternoon, obsessively brushing out his Emma wig. He already has his outfit planned; the black peplum skirt with the tulle around the edges, the red top, the denim jacket, the black bow, and the new red flats he just picked up. His hands are shaking he's so excited.
Suddenly, someone is knocking on his door.
“Miiiiikey!” comes Frank's voice.
“Just a second!” Mikey calls back, grabbing the wig and tossing it into his closet. He slams the small door and winces at the knots he's going to have to brush out again.
Mikey opens his bedroom door and gives Frank a dirty look.
“What?” he demands.
“Come on.”
“What?” Mikey repeats, confused this time.
Gerard appears over Frank's shoulder and smiles at Mikey.
“You're not spending another Friday night alone in your room. Come on, you're coming out with us.”
“I don't want to,” Mikey says immediately.
“Doesn't matter, you're coming,” Frank grins.
“Just come with us Mikes, it'll be fun,” Gerard says.
Mikey glances between his brother and Frank, then frowns. He turns around and grabs his gray beanie off his bureau, shoves it over his rats nest, and pulls on his sneakers.
He wishes he had Ray's number so he could call and apologize.
Ray counts down the minutes until his shift is over, then locks himself in the employee bathroom to get ready. He changes his shirt and wipes the sweat from his face. He sprays himself with body spray and pats at his hair.
“Okay, chill out. Just a date,” he tells his reflection.
He shoves his sweaty t-shirt and apron in his locker and then struts outside to smoke and wait for Emma.
After ten minutes of waiting he's starting to get nervous. What if she stood him up? What if she's deathly ill? What if she got in a terrible accident and-
“Toro!”
Ray jumps and looks up to see Gerard, Frank and some skinny kid with glasses walking towards him.
“Hey man,” Frank says, dragging Gerard forward by his hand.
“Hey guys,” Ray says.
“Toro, meet my kid brother, Mikey,” Gerard smiles, pulling the skinny kid forward by his hoodie.
“Hey, nice to meet you dude,” Ray says. Mikey nods, not looking up from the sidewalk. Weird kid, Ray thinks.
“So, where's your hot date?” Frank asks, poking Ray in the stomach.
Ray smacks his hand away and sighs. “I think she stood me up.”
“I think you made her up,” Frank laughs. “Some perfect chick that likes punk and reads comics and wears pretty dresses? Yeah right.”
“Frank,” Gerard reprimands.
“I didn't make her up,” Ray grouches. “And I actually thought she was interested, but I guess not.”
Mikey stuffs his hands into the front pocket of his hoodie. “Are we fucking going or what?”
“Don't mind Mr. Pouty over here,” Frank says, trying to climb Mikey. “We wouldn't let him hide in his room all night again.”
“Fuck off, Frank,” Mikey growls, pushing the smaller man back towards Gerard.
“Yeah,” Ray sighs. “I don't think she's gonna show. Let's just go.”
Mikey feels sick. Beyond sick. He feels like he's dying and he desperately wishes he could run away and crawl into his bed and fucking cry.
He had no idea, no idea, that the 'Toro' Gerard went to college with and always talked about was Ray. His Ray. Well, not his anymore. Ray thinks Emma stood him up.
Mikey listens to Frank and Ray wax poetic about music and guitars while they walk towards the bar. He keeps his eyes on the ground, hunching his shoulders. He's hiding behind his boy clothes and glasses, not daring to look Ray in the eyes.
Mikey flashes his fake ID and pays the dude at the door. Frank immediately pulls Gerard towards the shitty little stage where the first band is setting up. Mikey heads for the bar.
He chokes on his beer when Ray claps him on the shoulder.
“It's nice to finally meet Gerard's brother,” Ray grins. “He talks about you all the time.”
“Awesome,” Mikey mutters into his drink.
“You're in college, right?” Ray asks.
“Yeah.” Mikey keeps his voice low, praying that Ray won't recognize it. He still hasn't looked at Ray's face.
“What's your major?”
Mikey shrugs and says “Film.”
“That's awesome,” Ray gushes. “I went for music but that kinda went belly up. I've been trying to put a band together since I graduated but it's tough, you know?”
Mikey nods and tries to inch away from Ray. His arm is brushing against Mikey's and it's making Mikey's heart race.
“Gerard said you played bass?” Ray presses.
“Kinda.”
“We should jam sometime,” Ray says.
Mikey has to swallow against the feeling rising in his throat.
“Maybe,” he says shortly before pushing away from the bar and getting lost in the crowded room.
Ray keeps his eye on Gerard's skinny brother as the night goes on. The dude's drinking a ton and starting to get sloppy. Eventually Ray searches out Gerard.
“Your brother's wasted!” Ray shouts over the music. “You want me to bring him home?”
“Would you mind?” Gerard shouts back, keeping one eye on Frank who's whirling around in the four person pit.
“It's cool,” Ray answers. “I'll see you around.”
Ray shoves through the crowd and makes his way to Mikey. Ray puts a hand on Mikey's shoulder and yells at him.
“Your brother wants me to take you home!”
He expects Mikey to put up a fight, like most drunk people would, but the kid turns and practically falls into Ray's arms.
“Take me home, Toro,” Mikey slurs, no trace of a smile.
“Come on, dude.”
Ray hails a cab and folds Mikey into it, giving the cabbie the Way brother's address. Mikey is silent and brooding the entire ride, which lasts only about five minutes but feels like twenty. When they finally pull up to the apartment building, Ray sighs gratefully and tugs Mikey out onto the sidewalk. He half carries him up the stairs, the kid must weigh like 95 pounds, and digs the keys out of Mikey's front pocket to unlock the door.
He's only been to Gerard's place a few times and Mikey had always been locked in his bedroom the whole time, but Ray knows exactly which room is his. He pushes the door open and takes a second to look around. There are movie and band posters plastered over every inch of wall except for a small section that's covered in, what looks like, Gerard's art.
Ray drags Mikey over to his messy twin bed and lets him fall onto it.
“Fucking- sucks,” Mikey slurs, waving an arm around.
“What does?” Ray asks.
“Fucking everything, dude. Everything's so fucking... stupid.”
Ray smiles at the kid's drunk-ramblings.
“At least you didn't get stood up,” he says ruefully.
“She didn't mean to, you know. Wanted to see you. Really did,” Mikey slurs, starting to lose consciousness.
“What?” Ray asks, leaning close to hear him.
“Emma, she- I really wanted to see you.”
Ray pulls back abruptly and stares at Mikey, who's now passed out. He blinks, then blinks again. Very carefully, Ray reaches out and slips Mikey's glasses off his face.
He stares for a full thirty seconds before he turns and runs out of the apartment.
On Monday afternoon, Emma walks into the coffee shop. Ray doesn't smile this time. He's too busy looking her over, seeing everything he missed before.
He can see the indents on her nose where the glasses would sit. The strong hands. The fucking Adam's apple. He can see Mikey behind the clothes and the wig and the makeup.
Emma- Mikey- steps up to the counter and smiles at Ray.
"Hey,” he says, mouth twisted up. “I'm really sorry about Friday.”
Ray doesn't say anything.
“I really wanted to come but this thing came up and I couldn't-”
“You don't remember,” Ray says.
Mikey pauses and lifts a thin eyebrow. “Remember what?”
Ray frowns. “What you told me Friday night.”
“I- What?”
“You said Emma really wanted to make it,” Ray says. “You told me as I put your drunk ass to bed.”
“Wh- What?”
Ray watches Mikey grow pale under his makeup.
“Gerard didn't tell you that I brought you home?” Ray asks, growing angry.
Mikey's chin starts to tremble.
“What I don't get, is why,” Ray says darkly. “Was it Frank's idea of a practical joke or something? Have me show up with Gerard's little brother as a fucking date?”
“Y- You-” Mikey stutters out.
"Or did you just think it would be fun to embarrass me in front of my friends? Because I gotta tell you, Mikey, that's some seriously messed up shit and-”
Mikey turns and bolts out of the shop. Ray sighs and wishes he could hit something without getting fired.
It's the longest week ever and Ray is eternally grateful when Friday rolls around. He waits outside his work for Frank and Gerard, giving them a weak hello when they finally show up.
He tries to lose himself in alcohol and music, but his mind keeps bringing up Emma's face. Fucking- Mikey Way.
Eventually he asks Frank.
“So, where's Gerard's brother tonight?”
“Ah, we tried to get him to come out with us again but he wasn't having it,” Frank tells him. “I think he got dumped. He's been moping around all week, crying and shit.”
“He- Really?”
“Yeah,” Frank nods. “I've never seen him so busted up over a chick before. She must've been something special.”
Frank melts away after a few minutes to find Gerard, leaving Ray leaning against the bar.
It's fucking stupid, he tells himself. Stupid. This is a stupid idea.
Ray marches up the stairs in the apartment building, a cheap bouquet of gas station flowers clenched in his hand. He hesitates outside the door. He turns to leave at least four times before he finally sacked up and knocks.
He doesn't hear anything for a moment and considers, again, turning around and going back to the bar. Before he can decide, the door creaks open.
It's Mikey, and he looks terrible. Pale and thinner with swollen red eyes and chapped lips.
“Hey, I-”
Mikey slams the door in his face.
“Mikey, come on. Will you open the door so we can talk, please?”
He waits, and waits, and then the door suddenly flies open.
“What the ever-loving fuck do you want?” Mikey growls.
Ray casts an eye over the baggy sweats and his hunched posture. “I wanted to apologize. For what I said.”
“You've got some fucking nerve, you know that?”
“I'm sorry,” Ray repeats. “I... brought you flowers?”
Mikey stares at the white and red flowers for a long second, then scoffs. “Just come in, God damn it.”
Mikey walks away, barefoot, and leaves Ray to shut the door behind him. He awkwardly follows Mikey into the apartment and finds him curled up on a ratty sofa, a paused movie on the television. He's not looking at Ray.
“Look,” Ray starts. “Frank told me how upset you were and I just, felt really bad and-”
“Frank's got a big fucking mouth and I don't need your fucking pity,” Mikey barks at the coffee table.
“Frank was drinking and it's not pity.”
“Then what is it?” Mikey snaps.
“Regret?”
Silence hangs in the air for a while until Ray sighs and sits down next to Mikey. He sets the flowers on the coffee table. “Look, I- I really like Emma, and I want to get to know Mikey. I just... Can you give me another chance?”
“Gerard said you're straight,” Mikey says, softer now.
“Apparently I'm not as straight as I thought,” Ray admits with a small smile.
“And you'd date a dude that dresses up like a chick?”
“I just know that I want to take you out to dinner.”
“Me, or Emma?” Mikey mutters.
“Whoever will say yes,” Ray answers.
Mikey sighs and collapses back into the cushions. “Ray, seriously. You hardly even know me.”
“I know, but I want to know you. Can we at least try?”
Mikey purses his lips and grabs the remote. “Just- fucking watch this movie with me.”
Ray grins and settles into the couch as Mikey hits play.
“Dead Alive?” he asks.
“It's Gerard's,” Mikey says, the tiniest, barest hint of a smile on his lips.
“Cool.”
When the movie ends and the credits start to roll, Ray suddenly realizes how close he's sitting to Mikey. He reaches out, slowly and carefully, and touches his hand. Mikey looks at him, eyebrows raised.
“So, I-”
Mikey cuts him off, leaning forward and pressing his lips to Ray's. Ray gasps a tiny bit, then gently parts his lips, hoping Mikey will do the same. He does. Ray slips his hand down to settle on Mikey's hip and revels in the fact that it's just as bony as he imagined. Mikey's hand is on his neck, sliding down to his shoulder as their kiss gets deeper. He gets a shock as Mikey climbs into his lap without breaking the kiss, knobbly knees on either side of his thighs.
“Mmfh,” Ray sighs, slipping his hands down to Mikey's hips. He can feel his hip bones pressing through the fabric of his clothes. He pulls Mikey closer and the thin man grinds against him, making them both gasp between kisses.
“Ray, what the fuck?!”
Mikey and Ray break apart with a jump and Mikey's face pales. Ray whips his head around to see a furious Gerard standing in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. Frank's standing behind him, stifling giggles behind his hands.
“Uh...” Ray says. There's no bigger boner killer than being caught by your date's older brother.
“How the fuck long has this been going on? Are you why he was so upset all week?” Gerard asks furiously.
“Uh, I can explain?”
“I'd love to hear you try,” Gerard tells him, crossing his arms across his chest.
“I need to talk to my brother,” Mikey announces. Everyone turns to look at him and he gingerly climbed out of Ray's lap. “Gee, come on.”
Mikey steps towards his bedroom and Gerard reluctantly follows, glaring at Ray the whole way.
Frank moves forward and sits on the couch next to Ray, not giggling anymore.
“You know, if you took advantage of him last weekend when he was drunk, I'll have to kick your ass. Just saying,” Frank shrugs.
“Oh my God. I didn't take advantage,” Ray sighs. “I'm sure he'll explain it to you later, once he's done talking to Gerard.” Ray sets his head in his hands and sighs again. “My fucking life dude.”
Frank starts giggling again.
Ray is sweating anxiously, waiting to hear anything from Mikey's room. Yelling, cheering. Anything. Frank switched the tv on after about three minutes of waiting and they've been sitting there for at least a half hour already.
Finally, finally, Mikey's door opens and Gerard comes out. He walks right over to Ray and smacks him upside the head.
“Ow! What? What'd he say?” Ray asks, scrambling to his feet.
“You better treat him right or I'll kick your ass, you understand me, Toro?” Gerard demands.
“Yeah, of course.”
“And you,” Gerard says, turning to Frank, “You be nice or I'll kick your ass, too.”
“What? I didn't even do anything!”
“I'm just saying, right now. Be nice.” Gerard turns back to face Mikey's room. “You can come out.”
Mikey- No, Emma- steps shyly out into the living room, blushing furiously. She's wearing her wig, lip gloss, and the light yellow sun dress from the first time Ray meet her.
Frank gets to his feet and raised his eyebrows. “Uh, Mikey?”
“Emma,” Gerard corrects. “It's Emma when she's like this.”
Frank looks confused but he nods anyway.
Ray is staring at Emma, and when she finally looks up her eyes immediately find Ray's. She blushes and looks down again.
“Come on, Frankie,” says Gerard. “Let's give them some privacy.”
Gerard takes Frank's hand and pulls him into the kitchen.
There's a heavy pause, and then Emma looks up.
“Is this... okay?”
Ray steps forward, eyes never leaving her face.
“I mean,” Emma continues. “I didn't do my makeup or anything, and my wig's all knotted and-”
Ray cuts her off with a gentle kiss. Her lips are tacky with gloss and they taste like strawberries. Ray lifts his hands and sets them on either side of her face, cradling her and smiling through the kiss. Emma's hands twist into the front of Ray's shirt and she kisses back.
Ray finally pulls away.
“You look beautiful.”
The End