We Aren't So Different, You and Me

"Taylor, what happened to you?"
"I-I-It's nothing, Gerard," she mumbled, hissing in a breath as she brought the cloth back to her eye.
"Baby, what happened?"
"Gerard, it was an accident! It was my fault anyways, I--"
"Was it Adam?" I growled.
"What? Of course not. I was out with some friends from work and we went to this dingy ass rock club--"
"You do realize you're 17, right?"
"Yeah, but the guard didn't." She must have noticed my confused expression because she laughed and groped herself. "Tits come in handy sometimes."
"Oh my god, that is so gross." I groaned, rolling my eyes. "Anyways, your face. What happened?"
"Well, I'm a little tipsy right now so let me try and get this straight. Ummm... Oh, yeah. On my way out, this bitch was talking shit about your addictions and what have you, something about how you should have offed yourself in the long run, and I flipped out and we started a brawl in the middle of the fucking club. I left her with a broken jaw and shotglass or 9 to her face. I look like Grace Kelly compared to her."

So she went out drinking. With her friends. Underage friends, mind you. At a bar. Alone. Got into fight over me. Over me. She was defending my honor. Her father's honor. I couldn't help it; the tears just started rolling down.

"Gerard? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I sniffled. "It's just.. I can't believe you'd beat the shit out of someone over something I did over 10 years ago."
"Well, you're my father so..."
"Father?"
"I thought we agreed to not calling you that, Gerard. Don't get used to it."
"I know that, it's just--"
"Just say it."
"I like hearing you say it sometimes. I know when you're talking to B, you refer to Linds as Mom and me as Daddy sometimes."
"She's a small child; easily impressionable."
I laughed at that. Adrienne was showing through her a lot more recently. "Does it hurt? Your face?"
"Not really. I think it'll look better once I wash up but other than that, a few homemade stitches and a whole box of B's Band-Aids ought to do the trick."

I helped her clean up and pulled her hair back a little, absentmindedly pulling it into a braid. Hey, fuck off. When Lindsey's on tour, Bandit wants sassy hairdos. This is the only thing I know how to do. She smiled at that attempt and sighed, wiping her face. She turned back to look at me and did the unthinkable-- She hugged me. I tight, genuine, long, heartwarming hug. My heart stop a couple beats and I sighed into her hair, kissing her head, neck, shoulder, cheeks, nose, lips, anything to let her know that I loved her unconditionally and irrevocably.

I pulled back and looked into her dark brown eyes and smiled. "You went out drinking and you got into a fight?"
"Yeah..."
"You're grounded."
"Understandable," she laughed, heading towards her room.
"For a week."
"Okay, Mr. Way."
Once she shut her door, I stood out in the hall for a little while before heading back towards my room. "Okay, Ms. Way."

Notes