.Slime.Heads.

The thing about living in the Way's household is basically a ticket to lazy town... kinda. You see, when there's an important event Donna gets up at crazy hours in the morning to clean the whole house herself. Not one finger is lifted from the male Way's, not even a stand of hair.

If the house was dirty, she'd clean.

If someone was hungry, she'd cook a buffet.

If someone needed help, she was there.

The thing about living with a mother that's basically never home is that you have to learn how to look after yourself. Especially when there were no other lending hands.

If the house was dirty, you pick it up.

If you were hungry, you'd cook or order.

If you needed help, you were on your own.

But that all changes in both households when Donna's oldest son came back home. Especially for summer break.

Gerard Arthur Way. The first boy to ever show kindness and manners towards my mother and I. The first to ever make me food when I was starving. The first to become my babysitter and my older friend.

He was quite a character. He played baseball as a kid, read comics as a teen, and no well, he wrote comics as an adult. He was three years fresh out of high school, being 21. He had skipped the first year after high school to take some time off to find himself. He then proceeded to college as an artist, instead of his first option being a psychiatrist.

Either way, Donna was proud of him. She would go mountains to see Gerard smile, so at six in the cold morning, she stood next to the foot of my bed grabbing my legs and yanking them.

"AHH!" I kicked whatever and whoever that decided to scare me awake so early in the morning.

"Rise and shine!"

"What the hell!?"

"Get up and ready. Gerard is due home at two and I need everyone to start working." Donna said turning my lights on.

I winced, covering my face with my sheets. "NO NO NO NO!"

"YES YES YES! C'mon, my house needs cleanin' and we ain't stopping till we drop-"

"-Dead!"

I could picture her grinning while I continued to whine. "Hurry up, everyone is already awake and running. You're lucky I gave you and hour extra to sleep. My boys weren't lucky." With that she walked out of my room.

I laid in my bed, wanting to cry. I really loved and cherished my sleep. Just like Donna loved to wake us all up at crazy hours for her son. Realizing that she'd come back, but with a bucket of water, I got up and got ready.

Once done, I walked out to see Donald cleaning the windows from the outside, freezing. I felt bad, for all of us. "Your wife makes it hard to love her sometimes."

He laughed hugging me when I got close to him. "She means well. Now go before she comes over crazy eyed."

I grunted and walked inside the cozy household, making it hard for me to stay awake. "Wyatt, start in the living room. Clean everything from the top to bottom. When you're done, continue on the hallways with the picture frames and after that I'll find another task." Donna said from the kitchen.

I went past the doorway that lead to the living room and went to their supply closet. As I turned the corner I faced Mikey, who stood in front of the sink in their guest bathroom. His hands moved horizontal across the sink mirror to wipe of the wet surface with a rag.

"Whatcha doin'?" I said startling him. He jumped, throwing the rag up, holding onto the sink as he tried to fall. He did some awkward moves with his legs making me raise a brow and snicker.
He looked over at me, holding on to his body chest. "You scared me!"

"Wasn't trying too."

"My God, I thought you were my mom ready to give me another chore!" He picked up the rag and continued to clean. "I've been awake since four. Four, Wyatt, how can she be so cruel?"
Mikey fixed his glasses on the end on his nose.

"I don't know, but-"

"-sorry for interrupting, but my living room didn't look clean and this bathroom isn't even half way done."

Both Mikey and I jumped to the voice of Donna Way. I held onto his side, calming my beating heart. "S-sorry!"

"Get to it." She snapped with his hands on her hips. She walked away, looking over her shoulder.

Once she was out of sight, Mikey pushed me off him and swatted my hands away. "Go, go, go! I don't was any trouble right now when she's very timid."

"Timid doesn't even begin to describe." I murmured continuing with my duties.

While cleaning the living room, Donna ran back and forth trying to get the rest cleaned. She made Donald cut the already short yard, clean the car, and repaint the small porch and the front door.

It was twelve now, meaning that Gerard would be home in two more agonizing hours. Despite hating him for making his mother crazy, I grew anxious and excited.

My concert was tomorrow, the first concert Gerard would see. His opinion was always valued among all of us. He was very descriptive and he never lied. So if you sucked, he would mention it in the kindest way, not in a rude manor.

"Is the cheese done?"

"Yes-"

"-the sauce?"

"Yes, Don-"

"Oven preheated?"

"Yes- but Donna wer-"

"Good, good, Now just put them on the tray and-"

"Donna!"

She stopped talking and stared at me. I shook my head and pointed to Donald, who stood on the kitchen entrance. "Dear, take a breath. Wyatt, you can go get ready after you tell Mikey to get ready too."

With those new orders, I dashed out of kitchen and ran to the opposite hall from where Gerard and the guest room would be. I passed the stairs that lead to Donald and Donna's room, and two other doors until I reached Mikey's room.

"Mikey?" I said knocking. I repeated my actions until realizing he wasn't there.

I walked around until I spotted him outside gathering litter from the backyard. He looked up at me as I opened the sliding door. "Donald said to get dolled up."

He nodded and went to put the trash bag in the garage can. I walked away, closing the door, and rushed to my house.

As I opened the door, there, sitting in my living room drinking coffee, sat in all his glory the pale boy named Gerard Way. He stood as I closed the door and gave me a lopsided grin. "Four in the morning?"

"Six."

"He took sip from the cup. "Not so bad."

I frowned. "Not to be rude, but why are you here?"

"Hiding."

"From?"

"Mom." He shrugged and sat down the coffee.

Gerard opened his arms for me to run into. I blushed a bit and made a beeline towards him. We hugged each other tightly and swayed from side to side. "I'm glad your home." I said taking in his scent.

"I'm glad too," he kissed my head and rubbed his hands up and down my shoulders. His eyes became dark and gloomy, angry and saddened. "I heard what happened."

Of course he did. Nothing stayed secret in the Way household. Especially with the gossip master Sir Donald and not from Donna... surprisingly.

"Today means for celebration of you being home. So let's just do that." I looked away from him and let go of his grasp.

He followed me into the kitchen and watched as I got a glass of Orange juice. "Still, it was... rather rude." He said, "just know that despite anything else, you have the Ways to save the day. Specially me, I'll always be with you in a heartbeat."

I knew I could count on him ever since last year. It was winter break when I got a stomach virus and couldn't leave the bathroom. I called Gerard and he was instantly in his car, racing to get me in order to drive me to the nearest doctor. The rest of the Way's went on vacation and my mother was working late, as always.

"I know, and I really appreciate that."

He nodded and realized that it was already one. "Hey ready and then we'll go."

I rushed past him and closed my bedroom door. I took out clothes and got the shower ready for me to get in. The water woke me up more and relaxed my muscles and bones. I breathed in and out, enjoying my moment to myself.

I got out and got ready, leaving my hair to dry, and went downstairs. Gerard sat on the couch again, watching Discovery Channel, gulping down another cup of coffee. He patted the spot next to him on the couch and continued watching the documentary on deep sea creatures.

"If I sit, I'll sleep."

"I'll wake you up." He said turning to me. He held up a hand and smiled. "Scouts honor."

Nodding, I sat next to him and instantly fell asleep on the couch. Gerard's arm draped over my shoulders, pulling me in closer. Before I knew it, I was shaken to wake up. "Wyatt, time to go."

I groaned, "Five more minutes."

"I have you six, now c'mon or Ma will go crazy."

Knowing he was right, I got up and stretched. I fixed my shirt and pulled up my jeans. "Ready?" he asked.

I nodded and followed him out. He used his spare key to lock the door and grabbed my hand, leading us across the street. "So, are you nervous for tomorrow?"

He looked both ways before crossing. "Yea, I have to practice tonight. So I might leave early."

We got to his house and stepped inside. "Ma, I'm home!" He hollered taking his jacket off after letting my hands go.

"Gerard? My baby! You're gone!" Donna yelled coming out of the kitchen. She held her hands up and wide, pulling the starving artist a bear hug.

She gushed over him making Gerard blush and shove my face away when I imitated Donna. "Alright, alright, c'mon let's go see everyone else." He said dragging Donna as she clung onto him.

I held my laughter back and followed. I sat on the dinner table and watched as Gerard and Mikey hugged, but turned my head when he hugged Donald, who was equally excited as Donna.
The simplest things hurt, but I had to keep on keepin' on and stop being a little hurt ass when fathers showed affection to their kids.

"I made your favorite, lasagna with cheese breadsticks-"

"-Donna baked it with the help of little Wyatt." Donald said interrupting her.

"I'm not so little!" I whined.

"To us you are, anyways, how's school? Has anyone looked into your comics?" Mikey said speaking up.

"Actually, yes, Cartoon Network is looking into one of my creations." Gerard said.

The night went as perfect as Donna wanted it. They all helped cleaning up the dinner table and kitchen. By the time they were supposed to watch a movie, it was time for me to go and practice until my fingers gave out.

"Donna, Donald, I have to go and practice for tomorrow. Thanks for dinner, goodnight guys." I said. I walked to their front door and grabbed my jacket.

"Mikey, go-"

"-I'll go, it's fine." Said Gerard patting Mikey's shoulder to make him sit down again. Donald nodded at him and continued to put on a movie.

"C'mon let's go." Gerard said putting his right hand on my lower back.

I opened the door and the five o'clock shadow hit us. The wind was chilly and the streets seemed littered with kids of different ages. Gerard repeated his actions and looked both ways before crossing. I pulled out my key and opened the door.

Turning around, I hugged him. "Thanks for walking me home. I'll see you later."

"I'll drive you to the place in the morning."

"Sure thing, I'll tell my mom you're here! She misses you a lot, but I think she actually wants you to make sure i'm safe and not antisocial."

He snickered. "I guess she has it all wrong. Goodnight, Wyatt." He said kissing my cheek.

Gerard waited on my porch until I was safely inside with my door locked. I watched him from the living room window as he walked across the street again, greeting his neighbor.

Once inside his house, I turned on my heel and walked to our basement where my piano sat in all it's glory. Our basement was like the Way's. It wasn't creepy and cold, it was warm and cozy. We had a bed, bathroom and a door leading outside on the side of the house. My piano was next to the wall across the bed, against the furniture that held a tv.

I sat on the bench and started with warm ups until my finger felt stretched. I then proceeded to play the first song with my eyes closed. Every time I missed a note or started wrong, I'd start again.

I couldn't fail. I couldn't miss a note or else I would never get into the program I wanted too with a full ride. This was my only chance of being independent without Lucas's fortune and I didn't want screw up.

Before I knew it, I slouched forward resting on top of my piano. My mother came home later that night at one am and woke me up.

"Wyatt, honey, go upstairs and rest." She gently said.

Opening my eyes, I noticed that she was still in her scrubs. Her orange beeper hung attached her shirt pocket along with two pins. Her hair was out of the usual bun and framed her face in a mess.

She helped me up and navigated me to my room. She tucked my in with my day clothes on. "Can you set my alarm at seven?" I said.

"Of course, rest up. It's a big day for you tomorrow." She walked out and closed my door at the same time my window opened.

Notes