InsaneJournal

Current mood:	awake
Entry tags:	mcr: art of codependency, mcr: bob bryar, mcr: frank iero, mcr: gerard way, mcr: mikey way, mcr: ray toro, my chemical romance

FIC: On the Road-Day 1 (Art of Codependency Verse)
title: On The Road-Day 1.
author: lisa roquin
rating: 15
fandom: My Chemical Romance
pairing/characters: Bob, Gerard, Mikey(/Alicia), Ray(/Christa), Frank(/Jamia) mention of past Gerard/Bert
series/sequel: Art of Codependency Verse
disclaimer: lies, fiction, untrue. completely and totally made up. I know no one, know nothing of their personal lives. I make no claims of knowing much of anything.
summary: How the hell did his band manage this shit? Really. How?
warning: slash? language? Didnot/Didtoo Is/Isn't arguments?
author notes: this has been sitting here for a good long while, but will work as a little sketch/interlude on it's own for the timestamp meme for inshadow8light who requested art of codependency verse. not orphans but...step closer to them maybe ~laughs~






They were all set to go. The little trailer was hitched to the back of the van which Bob, Gerard and Mikey were driving out to California. More shit loaded into Ray's car, which Ray and Frank were driving. Jamia would be following in a few days with the dogs, Christa and Alicia. The girls had decided somehow that they needed their own road trip.

Ray was quietly worried over that, because Alicia and Jamia were fairly nuts in their own right and they can all just see Thelma and Louise style visions running through his head. Frank was a bit worried mostly because he's Frank and the girls are planning on traveling cross country alone with just the dogs. Mikey was torn between worried and wanting pictures. They all knew the girls were going to raise a bit of hell on the way, simply because, well, Alicia, Jamia and Christa on a road trip? Of course, they were.

Gerard swallowed as his mother once again latched onto Bob, hugged him tight and kissed his cheek just above his freshly trimmed beard--picture of which had been emailed to Bob's mother after a phone call when she'd asked if Gerard had gotten on Bob's case to get it done yet. Bob didn't complain though, he just hugged her back and kissed her cheek and promised to make sure Gerard and Mikey both ate.

Brian had glared and complained about the road trip shit, certain they were going to land their asses in some trouble or other. The record company suits would probably bitch if they knew, but they didn't really care.

*

Mikey stirred frowning. "Where are we?"

"Uh...behind Ray," Gerard said pointing toward the car in front of them. "Ohio, I think. There's a couple tacos in the sack for you and a coke in the cooler."

Mikey yawned and looked toward the back seat. Bob had his earbuds in and eyes closed, face slack in sleep. He tilted his head studying Bob intensely.

"Mikey?"

"He's good for you,"

Gerard's eyes widened.

"I've known you all my life, dumbass, he's good for you."

Gerard reached for his cigarettes off the dash. "Jesus, Mikey, there's nothing--"

"Gerard. I watched you shove him in the kitchen chair and sit in his lap and trim his fucking beard. Straddle his lap and trim his fucking beard. In Mom’s Kitchen. With Mom. Right. There..”

"His scissors disappeared somewhere around Jakarta last time out and I couldn’t find any other scissors at home. His mother called. And wanted to know--" Gerard wriggled digging in his front pocket for his lighter. Mikey looked worried for a second which caused Gerard to snort at his brother. He could fucking light a cigarette and drive at the same time, it was navigation that got tricky, but Ray's car was right there in front of them so everything was good--unless Frank was navigating, but then that was Frank's fault they were lost, not his.

"Gerard," Mikey looked at his brother. His brother and Bob were so far beyond plausible denial there weren’t even words as far as he was concerned.

"There's nothing to–"

Mikey's eyes narrowed.

"Christ, Mikey, have you ever fucking seen Bob with a guy?"

"Yeah."

"WHAT!" Gerard shouted.

Bob jerked awake.

Mikey stared at Gerard. “Uh...”

Bob pulled the earbuds out. “DITCH!”

“FUCK!” Gerard shouted jerking the van back between the lines of the road, and fighting with the trailer’s sway behind them for a moment before it steadied out.


~

“Uh Ray, think you need to pull over, something’s going on back there.” Frank murmured and pulled his cell phone from his pocket.

~

“Gerard thinks Bob is like...Ray levels of straight,” Mikey said into his phone by way of answering his sidekick. They could see Frank kneeling backwards in the passenger seat of the car looking back at them.

~

“Frank, will you sit down and put your seat belt back on. We’ve seen like thirteen cops in the last two hours. Seatbelt laws..you have Mikey on the phone, sit.”

“Gerard thinks Bob is as straight as you,” Frank said, not budging, if anything he leaned further over the back of his seat staring intently at the passengers of the van behind them.

“Uh..” Ray looked at Frank confused.

Frank sighed and shook his head. “Trust me, he’s not.”

Ray’s eyes widened.

“Ray thought Bob was as straight as Ray too,” Frank informed Mikey.

“How do you–“

“Caught him grinding and making out with Mikey back on the first Taste of Chaos we did when Bob was doing sound for the Used. Think the night we met Bob actually.”

Ray stared. “Oh Christ.”

~

“Ray –huh. Ray usually isn’t that oblivious,” Mikey frowned.

“Mikey, Bob is...as straight as Ray,” Gerard said shakily.

“No, he’s not.” Mikey insisted.

Bob stared at Gerard. Then at Mikey. “Mikeyway, just shut your mouth. Tell Ray to pull over. Gerard. Pull over. I’ll drive.”

~

“Ray, Bob says to pull over.”

“Uh, yeah,” Ray managed. “Why don’t you tell Mikey he’s gonna ride with us a bit.”

~

“You want me to ride with Ray and Frank?” Mikey asked.

Bob stared from one brother to the other. “I think Ray and I’ll switch...But Ray drives.”

~

Ray could not believe this shit. How the hell did his band mates manage this shit? Really. It should be against all laws of probability. But, then again, those really went out the damn window with Gerard, Mikey and Frank. He shook his head. Frank was still leaning over the seat and staring at the van now parked behind them. Bob got out, Gerard’s lurch from the driver’s seat to the middle bench seat vacated by Bob.

Ray grabbed Bob by the arm as they met between the two vehicles to switch. “You made out with Mikey?” he hissed.

Bob groaned. “Jesus. Not exactly. Sorta. Fuck..”

“Not exactly? SORTA!” Ray stared his voice hitting an impossibly high note.

“I kinda stole him from one of the techs that was gotten rid of not to long after that. Seriously fucked up bastard. Told him to fuck off the pretty one was mine...Grabbed Mikey and held onto him in a corner til Frankie showed up and wanted to know if he was going back with him or what. I sent him on with Frank. He was...sweet and cute and Talbert was a motherfucking freak. Mikey was also higher than a damned kite and horny as hell. I don’t even know if he even remembers it. And it was more...enjoying distracting Mikey from having a fit or wandering off than making out.”

Ray stared.

“He was high and horny. Mikey. You’ve seen Mikey high and horny.”

Ray nodded.

“High, horny Mikey. Grinding.”

Ray nodded again even more disbelieving. How the fuck did his band manage this shit? How?

“For fuck’s sake I had no clue who the hell he was. I’d never seen him before. And I doubt Talbert realized Mikey was short for Michael not Michaela. Talbert only went after women that I ever saw. Hell, I thought Mikey was a girl for a second. It was before I ever got to know you guys...” Bob sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

“If I pull over. You damn well better too–fucking immediately and come rescue me from World War Way.” Ray demanded.

“Yeah. I will.”

~

Ray steeled himself as he got into the van.

“Bob’s straight.”

“No, he’s not.”

“Yes, he is.”

“No, he’s not.”

“IS”

“NOT”

Ray stared at the two. “Don’t even. Just don’t even.” Ray shook his head.

“But–Ray?” Gerard looked at Ray. “Bob. Is. Straight.”

Ray shrugged. “Frank said he saw Bob with a guy way back when he was doing sound for the Used. Right around when we first met Bob. At a party, grinding making out, didn’t leave together though.” He was not being the one to inform Gerard that that particular guy was Mikey.
Gerard shook his head a little. “He was with the Used for how long. Bert groped him a couple times that I know of, that doesn’t mean shit. Especially if he was drunk or something...” Gerard turned his glare on Mikey.

Mikey glared back. “Bert groped him? In front of you?!”

“Christ, Mikey, Bert grabbed your skinny ass once. At that party the guy Quinn knew...”

“WHAT?”

“You. No, you weren’t that stoned,” Gerard shook his head.

“I thought it was you!”

“Why would I grab your ass off stage?” Gerard stared at his brother. “Really why?”

“I thought you wanted my attention and were going for my coat.”

Ray wanted to beat his head against the steering wheel. Only Mikey and Gee could seriously have a conversation of who did or didn’t grab the other’s ass. And. It. Be. Understandable. Because it was them. And...the question of whether or not Gerard grabbed Mikey’s ass being the preferable person doing the grabbing debate. How the hell they were even certain they were talking about occasion was a bit beyond Ray but he didn’t doubt the semi-hive memory the Way brothers shared, at least the ability to hit the ability to hit the same page instantly. He and Frank were going out and getting drunk once they got to LA, if he survived this trip.

He sighed and pulled back onto the road following Bob. He snorted as Bob’s hand struck out and connected with Frank’s ass. Well, that was one way to get Frank to sit right Ray supposed as he watched Frank squirm-turn and flop into his seat, such petulance in the movement Ray could practically see the pout, even if that was a physical imposibility.

Gerard raised his eyebrows at his brother. “I wasn’t that fucked up!”

“You–that son of a bitch,” Mikey growled.

“I’m not arguing about Bert,” Gerard snapped back.

“Fine!” Mikey snarled.

“Fine!”

Mikey stared.

Ray swallowed back a whine. “How the hell did you two even start this?”

“Mikey decided to fucking declare Bob was good. For. Me.” Gerard growled as he glared at his brother, hurt and angry.

Ray glanced over at Mikey. His jaw was set, his mouth in just a little tighter line than usual. A glance in the rearview mirror showed Gerard, tense and wound, somewhere between shutting down retreat and dangerous explosion. “Bob is good for you.” Ray said carefully. “And you’re good for Bob.”

Gerard glared at the back of Ray’s head.

“You two balance each other out these days. Especially when we’re busy outside the band..whether it’s anything more or not, you’re good for each other, have been.”

Gerard turned his glare back on Mikey.

~

“You two are stupid,” Frank declared as Bob got in the car.

“Iero.”

“You are. Jamia thinks you should fuck and call it good. C’mon, you’ve already picked out the china patterns.”

“Frank.”

“Ray told me I had to sit still. I downed a bag of pixie sticks.” Frank said with a patently fake ear to ear shit eating grin.

“Remind me to kill Ray,” Bob muttered and started the car up, pulling back onto the highway almost immediately with the lull in traffic. He saw Ray pull onto the road right behind him.

“Seriously, you two are great together,” Frank said quietly, dropping the six-year-old on a sugar high act.

“Frank,” Bob grated out. “Don’t just–just fucking don’t.”

“Tell me you’re not totally as in love with him as I am Jamia.”

“Don’t,” was Bob’s whispered response.

“Why?” Frank demanded.

“I–“ Bob swallowed. “Frankie, please, just...no,” he whispered hoarsely. God. No. Gerard was barely getting back on his feet and trying to tear himself apart again over everything sinking in how badly he’d scared the rest of them, especially Mikey. Seeing Kat again still kind of raw and god... “Please, Frank.”

Frank looked at him a long moment and reached and squeezed his arm. “Okay, okay.” Frank said softly.

Bob didn’t care what conclusion Frank had come to just then. He was dropping it. That was good enough for now. He was where Gee was leaning right now, and he didn’t mind that at all. Gee would steady out, was dealing and getting past the shit. Hell Bob wasn’t sure any more if it was the loss of Lyn or the loss of just wanting that dream, wanting someone, of not being alone. Gerard didn’t do alone well for all his hermit-tendencies when left to his own devices. It was going to be hard enough when Gerard got past leaning so hard, it would probably kill him if it went to anything more and Gerard moved on when he was back together. Be the end of Bob’s playing even if his wrists weren’t too far gone that he couldn’t play anymore because he wouldn’t be able to stand to stay in the band. He’d lose everything.

~

Ray frowned as Frank almost disappeared in the passenger seat in the car ahead. Frank had been way too obnoxious and hyper, mostly fake even if Ray had pretended to believe it was completely real. Now it looked like Frank was slumped in defeat.

“Can we get nothing done without some kind of near-band-ending drama?” Ray muttered.

“What drama?” Gerard snapped. “There is no drama.”

“Sure that’s why you’re so pissy,” Mikey snorted.

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“GUYS!”

“You two are good together,” Mikey insisted. “He’s good for you. He takes care of you right.”

Gerard glared at his brother.

Ray sighed. “Mikey.”

“I’m right.” Mikey insisted stubbornly.

“You’re delusional!,” Gerard glared. “Tell him, Ray.”

“You’re out of line, Mikey,” Ray said finally because Gerard was trying to stare a hole in the back of his head and it really, really seemed like it was winding up for World War Way.

“Only because he’s an idiot,” Mikey shot back, almost bordering on petulant.

“Tell. Him. He’s. Delusional!” Gerard insisted.

“Tell. Him. He’s. An. Idiot. And. I. Am. Not.”

“Guys,” Ray groaned.

“Bob’s straight. Ray, tell Mikey he’s straight.”

Ray groaned again. “I–mostly, I think. Maybe. I don’t pay attention. I don’t care who any of you sleep with as long as I don’t have to see it.”

“Bob is not straight!” Mikey shouted.

“Oh you know that for a fact?” Gerard sneered.

“I made out with him!”

“WHAT!” Gerard squawked.

Ray whimpered. “He didn’t know who Mikey was, caught him and kept him out of the way of a creep, made out with him in a corner until Frank came along and took him back to the van. It was before he knew us.”

“He called Bob when mom decided Gerard couldn’t get it up because Gee was having a fit they weren’t sleeping together.”

“What?” Ray asked in a very, very small voice.

“When Frank and Bob were in Chicago. Wednesday night supper. Mom told Gee she really liked Bob and she was happy he found someone so nice and how good they were together. Gerard flipped and said they weren’t sleeping together–or at least just sleeping in the same bed not having sex. Mom said there’s viagra and all that if he has trouble from when he was using. So he called Bob and stuck Mom on the phone so Bob could tell her he could get it up.”

“I’m going to kill you, Mikey.”

“How was that going to convince your mom nothing was going on?” Ray could have kicked himself once the words were out of his mouth because, good God, he did not want to encourage this at all, but really...

“Oh–fuck you.” Gerard snapped pissily.

Ray bit his lip.

“Seriously, brain fart of the millenium there.” Mikey looked at his brother.

“Fuck you,” Gerard shot back for all the world sounding like a sulking preschooler.

Ray seriously considered pulling over and letting Bob referee this.

“Ray, tell Mikey he’s fucking delusional!”

“I am not! Bob is good for you. You’re an idiot.”

“Ray!”

Ray groaned. “Guys...” he pulled over. Bob did the same. Ray sighed in relief. “Mikey. Go.”

“I’m right!”
“MIKEY!” Ray growled.

Mikey grabbed the sack with the tacos and now-watery coke hopped out of the van and headed up to the car ahead.

“You going to come up here and keep me company, Gee?” Ray asked tiredly.

Gerard climbed up into the passenger seat warily.

“Bob’s straight,” Gerard insisted.

“Take that up with Bob. I–don’t think completely,” Ray sighed. He snorted at Bob flipping them off from the car ahead before he pulled back onto the highway.

Gerard stared off out the window.

“Gee, it’s–whatever okay.”

Gerard gave him a look like he was not making a bit of sense or maybe lost his mind. If he had lost his mind, Ray didn’t have very far to go to find the reason why.

“Bob is good for you. You’re good for him.” Ray managed not to flinch from the glare. “Whatever the hell it is or isn’t, you two balance each other out good. No...no one’s going to get pissed if you two, are more.” He wasn’t fessing up that Christa thought the two needed locked in a room together naked. In fact, he just wanted to forget that all together, and prayed that Frank and Mikey never came to that conclusion. They might actually attempt to do that.

“Bob’s not–,”

“I’m...fucking Switzerland on that okay? I’m totally neutral and not getting into whether or not Bob’s straight.”

Gerard slunk down in his seat, staring out the window.

Ray managed to not give into the urge to beat his head on the steering wheel. A good thing going sixty-five down the damned interstate but really, really how the hell did his band manage this shit? At this rate LA would be leveled by a tidal wave before they got there.