Oh no, never do we breathe
Title: Oh no, never do we breathe
Author: creepylicious/alles_luege
Pairing: Ways gen, with a dash of Gabe/Mikey
Rating: R
Summary: Mikey and Gerard check out the murder house and bad things happen.
Mikey nearly rolls his eyes. “I know. I'll take care of it, if you want to go?” It's not a real question. Gerard wants to go. He always wants to check out rumoured haunted houses. Since he was seven and dragged Mikey along to check out Meyer's haunted garage two streets over. (It wasn't haunted).
Warning(s): horror, ghosts, character death
Author’s Notes: turps33 wanted an AHS/MCR crossover,
which I made about the Ways being the Ways. *hands * Because that is what I do, apparently.
Title from 'Cold Ground'.
Word Count: 2.063
Beta: omletlove
Disclaimer: Don’t know, don’t own, not real
~One~
Gabe is drunk. Mikey knows it because he's seen Gabe drunk more often than sober, it seems. He knows it's not really true, but yeah. Seems that way anyway. So the thing is,Gabe is drunk and Mikey knows better than to believe the shit Gabe tells him when he is sober, so he really has no idea why he sits up and looks at Gabe when Gabe says, “Really fucking freaky, man. I swear to god, they were ghosts. My parents never even talked about it.” He makes the sign against evil, too.
Mikey doesn't know if it helps, so sloppily as it's done, but he guesses it can't hurt either. He grabs a pen and writes in careful letters on his arm that he needs to ask Gabe about the ghosts and the house and the dead chick again in the morning when they are sober.
~+~
Gabe laughs it off when Mikey asks two days later. He is sober, but he doesn't look at Mikey when he tells him it's all bullshit anyway and that he was high back then.
Mikey could believe that, but...somehow he doesn't.
“Gabe,” he says.
Gabe sighs. “Look-”
“I don't want to hear anymore bullshit. Just tell me where the house is.”
“You're not-” he stops and runs a hand through his hair. He knows Mikey, is the thing, like Mikey knows Gabe. They are friends and more on some nights. And Gabe doesn't hide shit from Mikey often because there is no need. It's not like Mikey has room to judge and besides, he wouldn't. “Fine. But it is haunted.”
“Okay.”
“You need to be careful and -” he stops again. “I don't even know. I was never so freaked out in my life.”
Mikey nods. He believes Gabe. “I'm going with Gee.”
“That doesn't make me worry less,” Gabe answers, but he writes the address down.
~Two~
“Gabe gave you the address?” Gee asks.
Mikey nods and he knows exactly what Gerard is getting at, but whatever. Gerard never understood what he and Gabe have. It's because Gerard doesn't trust people. Not like he trusts Mikey. Which... He is not going into that now.
“We can go and check it out.”
“It's in L.A.” Gerard answers. But he has his thinking face on. He is calculating when and how and how much money they would need and what to tell their parents.
The last is the easiest, really.
“We could go during the long weekend,” Mikey says.
“That's in two weeks. What about money?”
“I can ask mom-”
“No.”
“I'll tell her I want to sped the weekend with you in New York.” Mom knows very well that Mikey can't live without Gerard.
“Won't be enough,” Gerard says. “We can't drive, you know? That's like two days without any stops.”
Mikey nearly rolls his eyes. “I know. I'll take care of it, if you want to go?” It's not a real question. Gerard wants to go. He always wants to check out rumoured haunted houses. Since he was seven and dragged Mikey along to check out Meyer's haunted garage two streets over. (It wasn't haunted).
“I don't like lying to mom,” Gee says.
“I know,” Mikey replies, that's why he does it. Since he figured out that Gerard hated lying to their mother, and Mikey became a really good liar along the way. He doesn't even have to think about it twice anymore.
“It's probably bullshit anyway,” Gerard sighs, but he puts the piece of paper with the address in the box with important shit. Mikey nearly smiles.
~+~
It's raining in L.A. when they arrive. Gee curses and gets out his crumbled pack of cigarettes, lights one, takes a drag and hands it over to Mikey. They will need a taxi. Mikey did research on the house. It's empty now, so they decided to just stay there for the four days before they have to be back home.
Cheaper than finding a shitty motel for sure. (They'll have to break in of course, but Mikey learned a thing or two from Gabe).
Mikey has it all planed out already. A taxi, some groceries and candles, he has no idea if the electricity works. The water probably does. Still, he thinks. Better safe than sorry.
He gives the cigarette back to his brother.
“How come that the one time I am making it to freaking L.A. it rains?”
“You hate the sun, you think it sucks,” Mikey points out.
Gerard gives him a look. “True, but still. I am not a fan of pouring rain either.”
Now Mikey gives him a look. “Hmm.”
Gee rolls his eyes. “Not real rain. It doesn't count when it's on TV or whatever.”
“Right. See it that way: you will have awesome scenery to draw when we get there. I mean what self-respecting haunted house is going to sit around and let the sun shine on it?”
“Oh shut up,” Gerard grins.
Mikey does, but only because he finally spotted an empty taxi.
~Three~
They break in at night and Gee doesn't ask questions, but Mikey still suspects that Gerard will want to have a word about his friendship with Gabe once they are back and this big adventure - or whatever - is in the past.
The basement is huge and it gives Mikey the chills. Maybe he shouldn't have read so much about that house. His eyes search out the spot where the gay couple was killed. Double suicide or something. The reports on that one aren't too clear. One blogger only said: “The house made them do it.” Which…whatever that means.
Houses can't do anything. People on the other hand. A lot of fucking awful things. And ghosts too, if you believe in them. Mikey is only here because Gerard loves that shit and Mikey loves Gerard. It's really just that simple.
“No cobwebs,” Gerard says, shinning the torch around.
“Yeah, it was recently-” he stumbles and catches himself on the wall. He has no idea why he stumbled, there is nothing there.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I'm fine. The last owners just vanished over night a month ago or so?”
“Just vanished, hmm?” Gee asks.
“Took their crap and left, I don't know.”
“Maybe there is still furniture upstairs.”
“Yeah...” Mikey says; he feels really tired.
~+~
They find the rooms upstairs still nearly fully furnished. Who the hell leaves all their stuff? Mikey shakes his head.
“Gonna take a shower,” he says.
Gerard nods. “Okay.”
The electricity doesn't work, but the water does, it's not warm water, but Mikey doesn't care. It isn't cold either. Or maybe he doesn't feel it anymore. Whatever. He can just crawl into bed with Gee when he's done here. They aren't going to separate right now, the house it too huge for that. And they are both tired. The groceries are in the kitchen. God only knows why Gerard insisted on that, but if it makes him happy... Mikey doesn't mind. Gee kept the alcohol in the bag he took back into the room. So they could get drunk while listening to something or other on the Discman.
When he is done, he crawls into bed, but Gee is already out like a light. The bottle of vodka still untouched. Mikey throws an arm around his brother's middle and breathes him in before he closes his eyes.
It's not so bad, he thinks, that Gee is sober for this.
~Four~
“You were listening to the Misfits again,” Gerard says yawning. He is barefoot which Mikey doesn't approve of - not here.
“No, I wasn’t.”
Gerard looks at him bleary eyed. “I woke up to the Misfits.”
“Must be in your head,” Mikey answers and winces. Not the best choice of words. He rubs his forehead and hands his brother a cup of cold coffee. It tastes horrible. But it's that or go out, and they would have to cross the basement for that and Mikey just - he can't go down there. It makes him shiver only thinking about it. He dreads the day they'll have to leave. Maybe he risks the front door after all.
Gerard nods absent-mindedly and takes a sip. He makes a face. “I'm going to find a Starbucks. It's freaking L.A. I'm sure I'll find one.” He looks at Mikey like he's expecting him to jump on that idea like it's Gabe's dick or something. Normally Mikey would. He just can't.
“I'm going to explore the house while you're getting coffee.”
“Mikey.”
“What? You think I will be eaten by the ghosts of the past?” Mikey asks with a grin.
“You're such a dork. Just, be careful.”
“It's not a rotting piece of shit. This house is on the market. I'll be fine,” Mikey answers and even as he says it, he knows he won't.
Gerard nods anyway.
~+~
That crawling feeling from last night is back as soon as Gerard steps on the pavement, just outside the gate. It's like someone is caressing his skin, an icy touch, looking for any signs of discomfort.
He wishes he were drunk or out there with Gerard. But somehow the fear of crossing the basement is bigger than the feeling (he is not going to call it fear just yet) he's experiencing right now. It'll pass. And besides Gee will be back soon with coffee. Hot, or at least not cold, which has to count for something.
He takes a deep breath and climbs the stairs to look around a bit more. They are here to find out if the house is haunted or not. Just because people have died here...it doesn't mean anything. People have died everywhere.
~Five~
By the second day Mikey thinks he will make it out of here just fine. When he's with Gee, inspecting one room after the other, he is okay. Nothing is wrong with the house, except for its history of violence.
No blood coming out of the faucet, no skeletons in the closets, no undead pets in the garden. It's just an ordinary house.
Gee can sit for hours in the hallway and sketch the stairs, or lamps, windows and wallpaper, even if the wallpaper is different than the one that Mikey can see. He would ask, but then, it's Gee and artists see things differently. Apparently.
Mikey sits with him sometimes on the stairs, looking at Gee and far away from the door to the basement. He has no idea what it is, exactly, that is freaking him out about the door, the stairs, the basement, but he feels better when he is nowhere near it.
~+~
By day three Gerard is sketching the door to the basement and only the door to the basement. It looks different. When Mikey grabs the sketchbook, he can see picture by picture, like an old cartoon, how the door changes with every new sheet of paper. From how it is now to how it maybe was, or will be, or something. Darker, meaner, bloodier. And it opens. It opens a bit more in every picture until it's wide open and - Mikey doesn't look at the last one. He doesn't want to see.
He knows what he will find there, in the darkness, at the end of the stairs.
“I'm sorry,” Gerard says like it's his fault and Mikey should scream and throw things, but he can't. It's not Gerard's fault. Mikey was the one who wanted to come here.
He puts the sketchbook on the floor and sits down next to his brother, leaning into his body. He wonders what will happen now, because he can't ever leave here, but Gerard can. Gerard can have a life, a girlfriend, and a family one day. And Mikey loves him enough to want all these things for him.
“You should leave. Mom will freak out when you don't come home.”
“Mom will freak out anyway, Mikey,” Gerard answers.
Mikey nods. Shewill, but it doesn't matter, because Mikey never loved anyone as much as he loves Gerard. Any other human being pales in comparison. He wants to tell Gee to stay, but he doesn't. He links their fingers together and stares at the door instead.
“I'm going to buy the house. One day, I'm going to buy the house,” Gee says with utter conviction.
Mikey believes him. Until then he will just wait.
Author: creepylicious/alles_luege
Pairing: Ways gen, with a dash of Gabe/Mikey
Rating: R
Summary: Mikey and Gerard check out the murder house and bad things happen.
Mikey nearly rolls his eyes. “I know. I'll take care of it, if you want to go?” It's not a real question. Gerard wants to go. He always wants to check out rumoured haunted houses. Since he was seven and dragged Mikey along to check out Meyer's haunted garage two streets over. (It wasn't haunted).
Warning(s): horror, ghosts, character death
Author’s Notes: turps33 wanted an AHS/MCR crossover,
which I made about the Ways being the Ways. *hands * Because that is what I do, apparently.
Title from 'Cold Ground'.
Word Count: 2.063
Beta: omletlove
Disclaimer: Don’t know, don’t own, not real
~One~
Gabe is drunk. Mikey knows it because he's seen Gabe drunk more often than sober, it seems. He knows it's not really true, but yeah. Seems that way anyway. So the thing is,Gabe is drunk and Mikey knows better than to believe the shit Gabe tells him when he is sober, so he really has no idea why he sits up and looks at Gabe when Gabe says, “Really fucking freaky, man. I swear to god, they were ghosts. My parents never even talked about it.” He makes the sign against evil, too.
Mikey doesn't know if it helps, so sloppily as it's done, but he guesses it can't hurt either. He grabs a pen and writes in careful letters on his arm that he needs to ask Gabe about the ghosts and the house and the dead chick again in the morning when they are sober.
~+~
Gabe laughs it off when Mikey asks two days later. He is sober, but he doesn't look at Mikey when he tells him it's all bullshit anyway and that he was high back then.
Mikey could believe that, but...somehow he doesn't.
“Gabe,” he says.
Gabe sighs. “Look-”
“I don't want to hear anymore bullshit. Just tell me where the house is.”
“You're not-” he stops and runs a hand through his hair. He knows Mikey, is the thing, like Mikey knows Gabe. They are friends and more on some nights. And Gabe doesn't hide shit from Mikey often because there is no need. It's not like Mikey has room to judge and besides, he wouldn't. “Fine. But it is haunted.”
“Okay.”
“You need to be careful and -” he stops again. “I don't even know. I was never so freaked out in my life.”
Mikey nods. He believes Gabe. “I'm going with Gee.”
“That doesn't make me worry less,” Gabe answers, but he writes the address down.
~Two~
“Gabe gave you the address?” Gee asks.
Mikey nods and he knows exactly what Gerard is getting at, but whatever. Gerard never understood what he and Gabe have. It's because Gerard doesn't trust people. Not like he trusts Mikey. Which... He is not going into that now.
“We can go and check it out.”
“It's in L.A.” Gerard answers. But he has his thinking face on. He is calculating when and how and how much money they would need and what to tell their parents.
The last is the easiest, really.
“We could go during the long weekend,” Mikey says.
“That's in two weeks. What about money?”
“I can ask mom-”
“No.”
“I'll tell her I want to sped the weekend with you in New York.” Mom knows very well that Mikey can't live without Gerard.
“Won't be enough,” Gerard says. “We can't drive, you know? That's like two days without any stops.”
Mikey nearly rolls his eyes. “I know. I'll take care of it, if you want to go?” It's not a real question. Gerard wants to go. He always wants to check out rumoured haunted houses. Since he was seven and dragged Mikey along to check out Meyer's haunted garage two streets over. (It wasn't haunted).
“I don't like lying to mom,” Gee says.
“I know,” Mikey replies, that's why he does it. Since he figured out that Gerard hated lying to their mother, and Mikey became a really good liar along the way. He doesn't even have to think about it twice anymore.
“It's probably bullshit anyway,” Gerard sighs, but he puts the piece of paper with the address in the box with important shit. Mikey nearly smiles.
~+~
It's raining in L.A. when they arrive. Gee curses and gets out his crumbled pack of cigarettes, lights one, takes a drag and hands it over to Mikey. They will need a taxi. Mikey did research on the house. It's empty now, so they decided to just stay there for the four days before they have to be back home.
Cheaper than finding a shitty motel for sure. (They'll have to break in of course, but Mikey learned a thing or two from Gabe).
Mikey has it all planed out already. A taxi, some groceries and candles, he has no idea if the electricity works. The water probably does. Still, he thinks. Better safe than sorry.
He gives the cigarette back to his brother.
“How come that the one time I am making it to freaking L.A. it rains?”
“You hate the sun, you think it sucks,” Mikey points out.
Gerard gives him a look. “True, but still. I am not a fan of pouring rain either.”
Now Mikey gives him a look. “Hmm.”
Gee rolls his eyes. “Not real rain. It doesn't count when it's on TV or whatever.”
“Right. See it that way: you will have awesome scenery to draw when we get there. I mean what self-respecting haunted house is going to sit around and let the sun shine on it?”
“Oh shut up,” Gerard grins.
Mikey does, but only because he finally spotted an empty taxi.
~Three~
They break in at night and Gee doesn't ask questions, but Mikey still suspects that Gerard will want to have a word about his friendship with Gabe once they are back and this big adventure - or whatever - is in the past.
The basement is huge and it gives Mikey the chills. Maybe he shouldn't have read so much about that house. His eyes search out the spot where the gay couple was killed. Double suicide or something. The reports on that one aren't too clear. One blogger only said: “The house made them do it.” Which…whatever that means.
Houses can't do anything. People on the other hand. A lot of fucking awful things. And ghosts too, if you believe in them. Mikey is only here because Gerard loves that shit and Mikey loves Gerard. It's really just that simple.
“No cobwebs,” Gerard says, shinning the torch around.
“Yeah, it was recently-” he stumbles and catches himself on the wall. He has no idea why he stumbled, there is nothing there.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I'm fine. The last owners just vanished over night a month ago or so?”
“Just vanished, hmm?” Gee asks.
“Took their crap and left, I don't know.”
“Maybe there is still furniture upstairs.”
“Yeah...” Mikey says; he feels really tired.
~+~
They find the rooms upstairs still nearly fully furnished. Who the hell leaves all their stuff? Mikey shakes his head.
“Gonna take a shower,” he says.
Gerard nods. “Okay.”
The electricity doesn't work, but the water does, it's not warm water, but Mikey doesn't care. It isn't cold either. Or maybe he doesn't feel it anymore. Whatever. He can just crawl into bed with Gee when he's done here. They aren't going to separate right now, the house it too huge for that. And they are both tired. The groceries are in the kitchen. God only knows why Gerard insisted on that, but if it makes him happy... Mikey doesn't mind. Gee kept the alcohol in the bag he took back into the room. So they could get drunk while listening to something or other on the Discman.
When he is done, he crawls into bed, but Gee is already out like a light. The bottle of vodka still untouched. Mikey throws an arm around his brother's middle and breathes him in before he closes his eyes.
It's not so bad, he thinks, that Gee is sober for this.
~Four~
“You were listening to the Misfits again,” Gerard says yawning. He is barefoot which Mikey doesn't approve of - not here.
“No, I wasn’t.”
Gerard looks at him bleary eyed. “I woke up to the Misfits.”
“Must be in your head,” Mikey answers and winces. Not the best choice of words. He rubs his forehead and hands his brother a cup of cold coffee. It tastes horrible. But it's that or go out, and they would have to cross the basement for that and Mikey just - he can't go down there. It makes him shiver only thinking about it. He dreads the day they'll have to leave. Maybe he risks the front door after all.
Gerard nods absent-mindedly and takes a sip. He makes a face. “I'm going to find a Starbucks. It's freaking L.A. I'm sure I'll find one.” He looks at Mikey like he's expecting him to jump on that idea like it's Gabe's dick or something. Normally Mikey would. He just can't.
“I'm going to explore the house while you're getting coffee.”
“Mikey.”
“What? You think I will be eaten by the ghosts of the past?” Mikey asks with a grin.
“You're such a dork. Just, be careful.”
“It's not a rotting piece of shit. This house is on the market. I'll be fine,” Mikey answers and even as he says it, he knows he won't.
Gerard nods anyway.
~+~
That crawling feeling from last night is back as soon as Gerard steps on the pavement, just outside the gate. It's like someone is caressing his skin, an icy touch, looking for any signs of discomfort.
He wishes he were drunk or out there with Gerard. But somehow the fear of crossing the basement is bigger than the feeling (he is not going to call it fear just yet) he's experiencing right now. It'll pass. And besides Gee will be back soon with coffee. Hot, or at least not cold, which has to count for something.
He takes a deep breath and climbs the stairs to look around a bit more. They are here to find out if the house is haunted or not. Just because people have died here...it doesn't mean anything. People have died everywhere.
~Five~
By the second day Mikey thinks he will make it out of here just fine. When he's with Gee, inspecting one room after the other, he is okay. Nothing is wrong with the house, except for its history of violence.
No blood coming out of the faucet, no skeletons in the closets, no undead pets in the garden. It's just an ordinary house.
Gee can sit for hours in the hallway and sketch the stairs, or lamps, windows and wallpaper, even if the wallpaper is different than the one that Mikey can see. He would ask, but then, it's Gee and artists see things differently. Apparently.
Mikey sits with him sometimes on the stairs, looking at Gee and far away from the door to the basement. He has no idea what it is, exactly, that is freaking him out about the door, the stairs, the basement, but he feels better when he is nowhere near it.
~+~
By day three Gerard is sketching the door to the basement and only the door to the basement. It looks different. When Mikey grabs the sketchbook, he can see picture by picture, like an old cartoon, how the door changes with every new sheet of paper. From how it is now to how it maybe was, or will be, or something. Darker, meaner, bloodier. And it opens. It opens a bit more in every picture until it's wide open and - Mikey doesn't look at the last one. He doesn't want to see.
He knows what he will find there, in the darkness, at the end of the stairs.
“I'm sorry,” Gerard says like it's his fault and Mikey should scream and throw things, but he can't. It's not Gerard's fault. Mikey was the one who wanted to come here.
He puts the sketchbook on the floor and sits down next to his brother, leaning into his body. He wonders what will happen now, because he can't ever leave here, but Gerard can. Gerard can have a life, a girlfriend, and a family one day. And Mikey loves him enough to want all these things for him.
“You should leave. Mom will freak out when you don't come home.”
“Mom will freak out anyway, Mikey,” Gerard answers.
Mikey nods. Shewill, but it doesn't matter, because Mikey never loved anyone as much as he loves Gerard. Any other human being pales in comparison. He wants to tell Gee to stay, but he doesn't. He links their fingers together and stares at the door instead.
“I'm going to buy the house. One day, I'm going to buy the house,” Gee says with utter conviction.
Mikey believes him. Until then he will just wait.