A mixture of panic and anticipation ran through me. I flicked my eyes up; he was staring intently into them. He stopped leaning in, a question in his expression, like asking permission. I leaned forward in response, and touched our lips together gently. Our eyes closed at the same time, and I felt his hand reach out to land on top of mine. I interlocked our fingers, and felt him smile a little. The kiss was light and chaste, and much too quick for my liking. He broke it after just a few seconds, pulling away to look me fully in the face. That adorable little giggle broke out from between his lips, and I smiled back. “You do realize…” he trailed off. I raised my eyebrows in question. “We only met last night.” I laughed outright at the strange yet true statement. “Yeah, but since then, we’ve discussed our not-exactly-normal life stories, revealed our artistic passions, and bonded over Green Day.” I replied. He laughed again. “True,” he conceded, and quickly kissed my lips again. I grinned like an idiot, not quite caring about the ache it caused in my face. It was unreal that I could feel so insanely happy after such a short time knowing him, but here I was, sat on the floor of a spare room, holding hands with a man I’d met in a club the night before. Damn, it sounds a lot less innocent when I put it like that, doesn’t it? But, hey, no two relationships are the same, right? If you can call it a relationship, which I’m not entirely sure of as of yet, but I hope so. I continued to stare at him, and thought about trying for another kiss, but my stomach growled, breaking the silence between us. Thanks a lot, Nature, way to ruin the moment. I ran my free hand loosely through my hair, embarrassed, and let him pull me to my feet. “Lunchtime, I think,” he said softly, and led me toward the door. We didn’t get even halfway there, however, before I froze. A familiar noise rang through the room. I turned reluctantly to see, sure enough, she was curled in the corner, crying once again. I stared at her small frame, shaking with the strength of her sobs. I was distantly aware of Frank, tugging on my hand and asking me something, but I didn’t, I couldn’t, acknowledge him. She dominated every single piece of my attention, making me oblivious to the world around me. The walls of the room could have caved in, I wouldn’t have noticed. Her piercing red eyes were soon boring into me once again, the force of her crimson death-stare making me visibly cringe. She stood up slowly, almost feline in her actions, and approached me once again. She remained silent as she stepped closer and closer, until Frank’s shout suddenly seemed to cut through the thick, tense air. “Gerard, please talk to me!” he practically screamed, tugging on my arm with enough power to leave bruises. Her head snapped around, damp hair whipping around her face. She pinned him with that same evil glare, but he didn’t even notice. He was too busy staring at me with wide, frantic eyes. She studied him for a long moment, and then she hissed words that sent icy shivers through me. “He’s not safe,” she whispered, before disappearing through the open window. The minute she was gone, it was like my body unfroze. I gasped, and slumped to the floor, my breathing laboured despite the fact that I had been perfectly still throughout the encounter. Edging toward hyperventilation, I put my head in my hands and rocked back and forth on the floor. He’s not safe. No, of course he isn’t safe! He knows about her, I told him about her, now she’ll get him too. She’ll send the shadows after him, and he won’t ever be free of her grip until it kills him. I began to sob, reminding myself eerily of her, fighting back hysteria. This was all my fault. How could I have been so irresponsible? I should have left this morning; I should have gotten out of his life before I caused any damage. Now, now it was too late. Or, was it? Maybe if I left him alone, if I forgot him and let him forget me, she’d forget him too. I mean, it’s not like I’m hard to forget, he could go on with his life and I could still save him from her wrath. I jumped up the minute the thought crossed my mind, and I hurried around the room, grabbing the few things I had taken out of my bag and stuffing them back in. I slowly became aware of Frank talking to me, asking question after question with a bewildered and scared look in his eyes. Well, he didn’t need to be scared anymore - I was going away and taking every threat to him with me. I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed for the door, but an inked hand caught hold of my wrist and stopped me. Frank pulled me around to face me. “Gerard, what the hell? Please, please tell me what just happened!” I yanked back, trying to free my wrist from his grip, but for a small guy he was a strong bastard. “Frank, I have to go, I have to leave before she gets you, too!” I pulled more, hoping that would scare him into letting go. But no, he held on. “Frank, please, just let go of me!” he shook his head stubbornly. “Gerard, please listen! She… she won’t get me!” I refused to listen to anymore, he didn’t know. But I knew, and I knew I couldn’t stay in his life anymore. I leaned forward on instinct, and kissed him roughly. He returned the kiss, and the surprise was enough to loosen his grip, allowing me to free my wrist, and race out of his house and down the street, taking random corners and flying down unfamiliar streets so he couldn’t catch up. Eventually I stopped, my back against some random wall, gasping for air and praying it would be enough to save him.

Notes

Please don't hate me! Heh, I think my friend contemplated my murder when she read this, and she's not even a huge MCR fan :') but yeah, enjoy! And thanks for the votes, guys, it means a lot. Love you all! Paranoia Violence out xø