Can't Let You Go

"So wait...you had a random guy show up at your door to sell you magazines, get hurt on your shitty porch, and now you are on your way to hire his friends to work for you at the mansion?"

Pete pulled his phone away from his ear and looked at it.

"Am I really talking to Patrick Stump, who I have known for the past 20 years who never leaves his comfort zone without a fight?"

"Yes Pete, you are..."

Patrick said with an eye roll.

"...and I am. Look, you're the one who said I need help to run that place, and these kids need money and somewhere decent to live...it's a win win, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but...ugh. You couldn't do it when I wasn't working a double shift and could meet them too? "

Patrick laughed.

"No, I want to hire them, not scar them for life...you can meet them if I hire them...ok?"

"WENTZ! WE GOT A PROBLEM IN SHIPPING!”

"Shit, gotta go. Call me later after you get back. Later Trick."

Pete hung up in mid shout to someone. Patrick rolled his eyes and shoved his cell into his jacket pocket before climbing out of his crappy car, slamming the door shut and fumbling it locked, then pulling up his collar and running through the rain to the coffee shop. The little bell over the door tinkled as he stumbled in, dripping water all over the floor.

"Hey take a seat anywhere."

A girl behind the counter called out to him and then shouted to the back.

"Gee can you take over for a minute, I have to deal with something."

"Sure Candy...I'm coming."

A voice came from the back room...Patrick presumed it was "Gee"...and come to think of it, wasn't that what Mikey called his brother? He looked over in interest as a slim young man with jet black hair that nearly met his shoulders, and skin that didn't look like it had seen the sun ever, came out to take over from the girl. Patrick watched the boy walk toward him with a note pad and pen.

"Hi, welcome to the Muddy Cup Cafe, what can I get you?"

"Are you Gee?"

"Um..."

The boy took a half step back, eyeing the older man suspiciously.

"You're Mikey's brother, right?"

Patrick tried again. The younger boy's face went from guarded, to open and friendly in a split-second.

"Yeah I am. You know Mikey?...oh wait, are you Patrick?"

Patrick smiled and nodded.

"That's me. Sorry if I freaked you out before."

"Nah, it's cool. I just don't like it when strangers know me when we've never met."

"Sorry."

The boy shook his head with a smile.

"No worries. Look, the others aren't here yet, so how about I get you a coffee...on the house."

Patrick laughed.

"A week ago, the 'on the house' line would've been what made me say yes...but yeah thanks, I'll take a coffee. Black please."

The boy smiled wide.

"Sure, coming right up..."

He turned and headed behind the counter to fix Patrick his coffee, just as the little bell rung and two wet and bedraggled boys hurried inside. Gee looked up and grinned.

"Hi Ray, hi Bob. You seen Mikey or Frank while you were going for a swim out there?"

Patrick recognised the two boy's names from talking to Mikey, though as yet he didn't know which was which.

"No."

Bob crashed into a seat not far from Patrick. Ray sat down looking at the mess they made.

"Sorry Gee, no, just us."

"Fucking land lord, fucking leaky roof."

Gerard looked at the water all over the floor and sighed, grabbing a mop from behind the counter that he'd had to use at lease twenty times already today.

"Yeah guys, about that..."

Bob pounded his fist on the table.

"The fucking roof caved in over my bedroom! Everything I have is soaked! My fucking lap top, my stereo!"

Ray tried to calm Bob down.

"This rich asshole better be legit Gee or I am going to murder your brother and then go back to Chicago in fucking chains!"

Gerard glanced at Patrick then back at his friend who apparently didn't have a filter today.

"Bob, please shut up."

Bob was seriously going to ruin this for all of them.

"No Gee I won't! I don't have any money to replace any of it and I just lost my job cause that ass said I was feeling him up when I tossed him out of the bar, which you both know is bullshit cause of what happened to my sister!"

"BOB!!...for fuck sake...SHUT UP!!"

"Gerard! I know your friends are here, but there is at least one other customer and if I catch you using that language again..."

Gerard chewed his lip and looked down.

"Sorry Candy."

"Hey guys."

"Sup bitches!"

Patrick looked over at the door to see a short energetic guy with lots of tattoos, and a tall...girl?...wearing a short black dress that was barely decent, fishnet stockings and heels. Gerard frowned seeing the dressings on his boyfriend's arm.

"You got another one Frankie?..."

He said, walking over to greet them.

"Really?"

"This one is awesome Gee! Wait till you see it, even Mikey liked it."

Mikey looked a Gerard as he shook out his hair and then repinned it.

"It is pretty cool."

Patrick's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Wait...Mikey?"

"Hey Patrick, hey guys sorry we're late, Frankie was getting ink and it ran over."

Mikey walked over, slipping off his see through raincoat. Instead of sitting at the table with Ray and Bob, he sat with Patrick.

"So this is the guy that I told you about."

"Wait...this is him?"

Bob just banged his head on the table. Gerard rolled his eyes.

"And that is why I told you to shut up, Bob."

"Did I miss something?"

Mikey looked at his friends. Gerard snorted.

"Oh, only Bob ruining everything!"

He said dramatically, leaning against the counter.

"Bob?"

"Sorry! I didn't know okay! I'm used to coming here and being able to vent!"

"Bobby, what happened?"

Bob looked at Mikey. He was the only one allowed to call him that and he only did it when he was feeling like a girl.

"The roof caved in and ruined everything I own and I flipped out about it and..."

Bob put his head on the table.

"Please, don't worry..."

Patrick said gently.

"You called me a rich asshole before..."

He chuckled.

"...but until a few days ago, I was living on Ramen Noodles and had a bucket sat permanently on my dresser cause of the leak in the roof...I know where you're coming from."

"Wait...what?"

Patrick smiled and shrugged one shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm kinda new to this rich asshole thing."

"I didn't mean to call you an asshole. Um...I'm Bob."

"Nice to meet you Bob...nice to meet all of you."

"You uh..."

Gerard started nervously.

"You're not sorry you came?"

"No, I'm not sorry...I'm glad."

"I told you he was a good guy."

Mikey smiled at Patrick.

"Soooo Mikey said you had money for us?"

"Frankie!"

“I mean jobs, you have jobs for us."

Patrick laughed loudly.

"Yes, yes jobs..."

He said with a wide smile.

"I have this huge house and no clue what I'm doing. If I tried to take care of the place myself, I'd never get to sleep cause I'd be cleaning and gardening and...and whatever else needs doing 24 hours a day."

"So you need servants."

"Do we get uniforms?"

"Oh can I pick mine?"

"Guys chill out and let Patrick talk."

Patrick choked slightly.

"Uniforms?...I hadn't even thought of that."

"I think it'd be cool..."

Gerard said, bouncing slightly on the spot.

"It could be like a costume party."

"That we get paid for!"

Frank started bouncing around.

"Now wait a minute..."

Ray was the voice of reason in their group.

"None of us have those kinds of skills."

"Yeah, what would we do. Frank sucks at cleaning and the Ways..."

"Hey!..."

Gerard exclaimed, then pouted.

"We can clean...we just choose not to."

"Yeah, I used to clean up after Gerard's drunk ass all the time. So much easier now that he's sober."

Gerard huffed, sticking his tongue out at Mikey.

"For that, you don't get coffee."

Patrick chuckled, he liked these boys. Mikey whimpered.

"Come on Gee, that's not funny."

He pouted and looked at Patrick.

"See what he puts me through? He's a mean older brother."

Patrick laughed.

"Yeah, withholding coffee is pretty mean."

Gerard rolled his eyes.

"Well I see who's side you're on."

"That's cause he likes me better. Thank you Patrick."

Mikey kissed Patrick's cheek. Patrick's eyes widened and he flustered.

"I uh um I...y-you're welcome?"

Frank started to laugh.

"Oh man, you should see your face!"

"Frank man, cut the shit."

Ray turned to Patrick.

"So, I don't mean to be a dick, but can we see this place before we decide?"

"Oh uh, yeah sure. When are you all free?"

"Well I don't work till...oh wait, I go fired."

Bob's head hit the table again.

"I think he means to say we are free right now."

Ray rubbed Bob's back soothingly.

"Gee, when are you off?"

Mikey looked up at his brother. Gerard looked up at the clock over the counter.

"Well, strictly speaking, five minutes ago. I gotta wait for Candy to finish what she's doing first though."

"Well then it's settled!"

Frank jumped up.

"I'll drive!"

"Uh...you can't Frankie, your arm."

"Fuck, I forgot."

Ray laughed.

"I'll drive, I have the van."

"Yeah, cause my Audi bit it last night."

Mikey looked at Patrick.

"Can I ride with you?"

"Yeah sure...anyone else?"

Everyone looked a Gerard.

"What?..."

Gerard looked around at them all.

"I'm riding wherever Frankie is."

"So it's settled then, we go with Ray and Mikey goes with rich boy here."

Mikey rolled his eyes.

"His name is Patrick, Frankie."

"Soon it will be boss."

Ray chuckled. Patrick shook his head.

"No, it will always be Patrick."

"Gee, you're free to go. Thanks for letting me finish up."

"No problem Candy, see you Saturday..."

Gerard took off his apron and screwed it up, shoving it in his pocket before turning to the guys.

"Ok, lets go."

All the guys filed out and piled in a van. Mikey followed Patrick to his car. Patrick unlocked the passenger door and opened it, holding it open for Mikey to climb in.

"Oh...thanks."

Mikey blushed a little and then got in. Patrick nodded and closed the door before walking around to the driver's side, opening the door and sliding in. He shut the door and did up his seat belt. He started the car then looked at Mikey.

"The car's shit, but my CD player kicks ass..."

He reached over and opened the glove box to reveal a couple dozen CDs.

"Shotgun's choice."

Mikey smiled and looked through the collection.

"Man, you got a lot of burned ones."

He pulled one out.

"Who is DJ Pete Diddle?"

Patrick grinned.

"That would be my best friend Pete...he's a good guy, but as a DJ?..."

He winced.

"You're welcome to give it a go if you want to though."

"Sure."

Mikey threw the CD in and put it on shuffle. The first song came on.

I love myself, I want you to love me. When I get down I want you above me. I search myself, I want you to find me. I forget myself, I want you to remind me.

Patrick groaned.

"Man, I forgot this one."

I don't want anybody else, when I think about you I touch myself.

"Just a friend huh?"

Mikey smirked and fixed his skirt.

Patrick laughed.

"Yeah, just a friend. I mean there was that one time but...that was a long time ago and should never be mentioned again."

"I see...I had that with Ray, but he is pretty straight now. He's got Christa."

Patrick chuckled as he started the car and put it in drive, heading out of the small parking lot.

"Fair enough. What about the others?...I figured that your brother is with Frank, but what about Bob...and you?...either of you in relationships?"

"Bob is...well Bob so the answer is no. Myself...it's not easy to find someone that...no, I'm not."

Patrick frowned slightly, but kept his eyes on the road.

"Well, you're young...there's plenty of time to find someone."

"Sure."

Mikey was quiet the rest of the ride.

*

*

*

"Well, here we are."

Patrick said nervously as the huge house came into sight.

"Wow."

Mikey was in shock. It really existed. Not that he thought Patrick was lying, but still. He watched Patrick put a code in and the gates opened. They drove through and as they got closer Mikey was even more in awe. They got to the top and Patrick parked. Mikey got out and waited for Ray's van behind them.

"Motherfucker!"

Mikey turned around and saw Ray freaking out.

"Ray, you okay?"

"No! That little dip shit nearly got us in a car accident!"

"What did Frankie do?"

"As we started to get to this place, he jammed himself in the front to see better and knocked the stick out of my hand!"

"Sorry! It was just a fucking mind fuck!"

"Geeze Frank, way to sound like you’re an educated man."

Bob got out and stood by Ray.

"Geeeee, their picking on me again."

Gerard moved up behind Frank and wrapped his arms around the shorter boy's neck, leaning his chin on Frank's shoulder.

"Leave my Frankie alone."

"Your Frankie almost got us killed!"

"Almost...but we're still alive aren't we?"

Ray threw his hands up in disgust and Mikey just chuckled.

"Sure you still want to hire us?"

Patrick chuckled.

"More every minute. So you guys wanna see inside?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Sure."

"Sounds good."

Mikey looked at Patrick and smiled.

"Please."

Patrick chuckled and pulled out the key, starting up the stone steps to the huge front door. He put the key into the lock and turned it before pushing the door open and waving the boys inside with a flourish.

"Welcome to my...humble abode?..." .

"Please, take a look around and I'll be in the living room when you're done..."

He pointed to a large room to the right.

"Take your time and decide if you think you still want the jobs, ok?"

Before Patrick finished his sentence Frank was off and running with Ray charging after him, telling him to be careful. Bob shook his head and then followed.

"Um...I'm going to stay with Patrick, Gee."

Gerard looked at Patrick, then back at Mikey with a small smirk.

"If you insist, little bro..."

He winked, then turned to run after the others.

"HEY...WAIT UP FRANKIE."

Patrick grinned as he watched him go, then turned to look at the younger Way.

"You don't want to explore?"

"A house is only as interesting as the person that lives here. I want to know more about you."

Mikey walked over to the chair opposite Patrick. He placed his hands under his ass to smooth his skirt before sitting.

"Me?...I'm not that interesting. Besides, I don't even really live here yet...I can't until I have help to run this place."

"Well, what do you do now? Like what is your job and are you gonna stay there now that you are nouveau riche?"

Mikey crossed his legs, the fish nets making a light scratching noise as he leaned forward on his knee with his hand on his chin and his elbow balancing on his knee looking at Patrick.

"Well, I have two jobs actually. By day, I try to sell basement conversions over the phone, and by night, I work front of house in a little movie theater near my apartment. Both jobs pay peanuts to be honest, and I'm not sure I'd want to carry on with the day job, but I get to see movies before they're released at the theater, cause the boss likes to check that they aren't damaged or anything...I think I'd like to stay there...haven't really thought about it that much though."

"Wow, yeah dump the first job cause if anyone tried to convince Gee the basement needed converting, I think he would kill them, but free movies? Hells yeah!"

Mikey bounced his leg up and down a little. Patrick tried to ignore Mikey's fishnet clad leg and focus on the boy's face.

"What's your brother got against basement conversions?"

"He likes his basement dark, dank, moist, and all those words that make people cringe."

Patrick laughed.

"I'm afraid he won't find a room here to his liking, if that's his taste."

"You have an attic?"

"Yes, but it's not dank or moist at all."

"No, but I bet it's dusty and has great walls for expressing yourself."

"Uh, yeah, I guess it does...do you think that would work for him?"

"Probably. So where do you sleep?"

"Well I haven't actually decided yet, it's between the big purple room, or the one at the top of the stairs with the huge fireplace."

"Purple...room?"

Mikey tilted his head like a dog would when confused.

"Show me?"

Patrick smiled and stood up, offering his hand to the boy.

"Come on then, let's go."

Mikey stretched out his hand to pull himself up, but the buckle on his shoe had come undone and he stepped on it and tripped.

"Whoa there..."

Patrick said, catching the boy against his chest.

"Steady now."

"Sorry. I'm still new to the Mary Janes. I need to practice in heels more."

"Well you look good in them...I mean...I mean they look good on you..."

Patrick flustered, setting the boy on his feet again.

"Shall we go?"

"Lead the way."

Patrick smiled and took the boy's arm to steady him.

"Right this way..."

He lead Mikey out of the living room and slowly up the stairs.

"You like purple then?"

"I do. I feel like it shouldn't matter who you are that determines what colours you like."

"That's true, my friend Pete's favorite color is baby pink...but don't tell him I told you that."

"I promise."

Mikey got to the top of the stairs with Patrick and whistled.

"Wow, this place is amazing!"

He bounced a bit on his toes causing him to lose footing and stumbled forward on the slippery Parquet floor. Again, Patrick caught him.

"You know, as much as I like your shoes, I think I like you without a broken neck more...please be careful."

"I think I need to get non slip ones for work."

"Uh, yeah...definitely."

The rest of the tour was accident free and by the time they got downstairs, Mikey was bubbling over with excitement.

"I wonder if Gerard has seen it yet? All the colours created when the sun light hit the walls!"

"He's that into colours?...I thought you said he likes dark, dank rooms."

"He does, but Gerard is an artist at heart. He minored in it, but really he wanted it to be his major. Our parents said no."

Mikey sat in the chair bringing his knees together and splaying out his feet looking down.

"I just want Gerard to be happy and do what he truly wants you know?"

Patrick nodded.

"Yeah, I get that. What about you though, what do you want to do?"

Mikey just shrugged.

"Don't know. I mean yeah I'm in college, but that's to avoid my parents. I hate that I got in though right before Gerard gets out."

"Yeah, that sucks. You two are close, huh?"

"Mhmm, I tell him everything and he tells me the same."

Mikey looked up at the ceiling and all the chandeliers.

"That must be nice...I mean I tell Pete a lot, but there are things I wouldn't dare to tell him about...you know?"

"Well he isn't your brother."

Mikey giggled a bit.

"So when would we start?"

"Can I be the cook?"

"No, cause we would fucking eat salads all the time."

"Geeeeee, Bob's making fun of me again."

Everyone returned to the living room. Gerard clipped Bob around the back of the head as he walked in.

"Bob, stop it...hey, can I be the gardener?...the grounds look amazing out there."

Mikey saw the surprised look on Patrick's face and giggled.

"I told you what his minor is, not his major. He's studying to be a Botanist,"

"Really?...wow, that's cool, and yeah, if you want to be the gardener, then sure you can."

"Oh my God, thank you!...I won't let you down."

Gerard gushed with a huge grin plastered on his face. Patrick chuckled.

"I'm sure you won't, now, does that mean you all want a job?...and if so, what jobs?"

He looked around at the boys expectantly.

"Fuck yeah!"

"Sure, why not."

"I'll cook."

Everyone looked at Bob. Bob looked back.

"You want pint size to poison you with vegetables instead?"

"Hey!"

Gerard wrapped his arm around Frank's shoulder and pulled him in.

"Be nice Bob, my Frankie's a great cook."

"I can cook and answer the door.”

Patrick chuckled.

"I think that sounds good...you could scare off all the money grabbers."

Bob cracked his knuckles.

"Um...I like to fix things. I mean, that's what I did at the apartment..."

Ray shrugged a bit.

"And when I'm not fixing things I can help Mikey clean?"

"Well, that all sounds good to me..."

Patrick said with a nod.

"So if you're all interested, the jobs are yours."

Gerard nodded enthusiastically.

"Well I'm in...gotta be better than what we've got going now."

"Wait...what do I get to doooo!"

Gerard looked at Frank.

"You could drive."

Patrick raised an eyebrow.

"Can you drive?"

Frank grew the biggest grin on his face.

"Yeah, I can drive."

"Oh hell no! I'm not getting in a car with his crazy ass."

"Frankie is a little..."

Gerard stamped his foot hard on the floor, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Would you all stop please?...Frankie's a great driver, and you all fucking know it."

Mikey moved over to Gerard and touched his arm.

"Easy Gee, relax."

He turned to Patrick.

"Frankie will be great driver and when he is not driving he can do landscaping with Gerard. He's also studying Botany."

"Well then, it’s settled..."

Patrick said with a grin.

"...you're all hired."

"Great!"

"Fuck yes!"

"So where will we be living?"

Mikey gave a hug to Gerard and then looked at Patrick.

"Yes, do you have servants quarters?"

"Um, well yeah, but they aren't great, so I was thinking you could all have the guess wing instead...what do you think?"

"We get to stay here?"

"Of course...I wasn't gonna have you stay where you are, not after what Mikey said about that place."

The guys started to talk excitedly. Mikey walked back over to Patrick.

"I'm kind of glad I tripped on your porch."

Patrick grinned.

"Me too Mikey...me too."

Notes

Hi there chipmunks, how's you?

So the boys got the jobs...how do you think things will go, hmm?

Until next time, PLEASE COMMENT, and peace out babies!
<3