FRERARD ONE-SHOTS

THE MUSE

(inspired by a true story)

Home sweet home.

After a long day of putting up with assholes and making stupid sandwiches, Gerard is finally home. His back hurts and he feels like yelling at the void, and though a nap sounds like a great idea right now, he needs to blow off some steam.

He crosses the small apartment he shares with his brother to the hallway and goes straight to his room. Perhaps it's not fancy, but at least he's got some privacy and more freedom than back when he lived with his folks. A few months ago, when Mikey asked him if he wanted to move out with him, the idea sounded crazy and he didn't see the point, especially when he had to get an actual job to be able to afford rent, but now – he gets it.

It's not like he has a crazy life, or anything – he mostly spends his days locked in his room, drawing or reading comics. But at least no one's going to make a big deal of him smoking inside, or catch him jerking off. So, that's nice.

Once he's back in his Star Wars PJs, he sits on his makeshift desk and starts sketching. He's not sure what the outcome will be, he just knows he needs to create something. Whether it's a new character, or that insane monkey he's been thinking of lately, this is the best part of Gerard's day.

Creating.

It's his purpose in life.

He might not know what he's doing with his life right now, or how to be a functional adult, but the one thing he does know is that he was born to be an artist. And the fact that his parents agreed to send him to art school and that by third grade he knew he wanted to be a comic book artist, is enough for him to keep working on it. Even when all the opportunities he's got since graduating have been as an intern, working as a copy boy at an office, and things that have nothing to do with art. Even when the only paying job he got so far is at the Subway down the street. None of that matters to him. The only thing that keeps him going is using whatever free time he has to make art.

It doesn't have to make sense or be decent. He just needs to tell a story, or let out all his frustrations. Whatever helps. It's almost like therapy. As long as he has paper and pencil – or whatever he can find –, Gerard can spend hours in his own world.

He doesn't even hear the knock on his door, and it's not until Mikey walks in that Gerard realizes his brother is home. 'Oh, shit!' he lets out a yell. 'What the fuck, dude? What if I was naked or having sex?'

Mikey laughs at him, and throws himself at the mattress lying on the floor. 'That's funny. As if you'd be having any sex as of late.' Touché. Mikey's right, but Gerard isn't going to admit that. 'Besides, I was knocking like a maniac and you didn't hear it.'

'Sorry, I was too focused on this panel. It's finally working somehow, so I just lost myself in it.'

Mikey reaches for one of the finished sketches on the desk. 'What is this one about?'

'I'm not sure yet. I just thought of this character who's sort of a superhero, trying to bring capitalism down.' He shrugs it off as if it's no big deal. It still needs a lot of work, and maybe it's just him tired of having to work a minimum wage job in order to survive, when all he really wants is to make art.

'It has potential –' Mikey tells him, which Gerard appreciates. Mikey has always been his biggest fan, and back when they were kids, Gerard would always make little comics for him.

'You think?' Mikey gives him the sketch back, and Gerard puts everything away. It's way too late, and he should be going to bed, since he has to go to the office in the morning. 'You just got out of work?' he asks his brother, who just shakes his head.