Give Me Love

Give Me Love (one shot)

Gerard Way was the last person Bert expected to find crying his heart out in front of a McDonalds at one in the morning.

And yet, there he was. It was early December, and despite the California heat, Bert could see him shivering in the breeze. He parked the car and whistled over to the designated smoking area, where Gerard was holding a cigarette in his shaking hand, not noticing the man come up behind him.

"What gives Way? No greeting for your old friend?" Bert chuckled.

Gerard whipped around at the sound of a voice he hadn't heard in nearly 27 months. "Bert?"

"Wow, I missed you too asshole," Bert scoffed, leaning against the white painted brick of the building, twisting a strand of his dark, greasy hair around his finger. He gazed longingly at the cigarette dangling from Gerard's fingers. His hand felt empty without a cigarette between his fingers. He was almost off of the withdrawal. He hadn't touched a thing, not since he was thrown from the MCR bus. He couldn't remember if it was Frank or Mikey, but he still heard the words, clear as day.

'Gerard doesn't need the influence of a crack head like you.'

"I'm sorry, I'm just going through a lot right now," Gerard sighed, reaching in his pocket for a cig and his light. "Want one?" He offered to Bert, who stared at it wistfully before shaking his head.

"I-I got clean, I couldn't," He insisted. Gerard couldn't believe his ears. Bert McCracken? Clean?

"Never thought I'd hear those words," Gerard scoffed. Bert nodded sheepishly.

"Well after I lost Kate, I needed to get fucked up. After I lost you, I had to get sober," he reasoned. "I lost someone I cared about because I was recovering from losing someone else."

Gerard sighed, ashing his cigarette. "I'm supposed to be clean too."

"Trust me, I fucking know you got clean. Your band made it clear that we shouldn't be together after you sobered," Bert almost growled.

Gerard winced, looking back down at his shoes. "It's just, nights like this. I need something." He looked away, trying to clear his face of any remaining tears. Don't let him see you cry, don't let him know that you miss him a voice in his brain told him. Don't let him know you wish he stayed

"You wanna talk about it?" Bert suggested, fiddling with the cig butt he picked up from the ash tray. He knew it was disgusting, but it's better than him not knowing what to do with his hands and much better than a relapse, especially in front of Gerard. Gerard avoided his eyes, looking up at the night sky.

"Not really."

"C'mon man," Bert pestered. "You're torn up about something and I'm going to keep annoying you until you give in and tell me."

"Asshole."

"You love me." Bert fired sarcastically. Gerard scoffed. "But why are you crying in a parking lot at 1 am?"

"Why are you up at 1 am?"

"Insomnia because of withdrawal. Two years and I'm still rebounding hard. What's your excuse."

"Frank left me."

"People are allowed to leave you, you don't just relapse in a McDonald parking lot over a break up-"

"He cheated on me with a girl," Gerard said softly, eyes watering. Shit, don't show him you're weak, pull it together Way. He wiped the tears off his cheek, sniffling.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Bert paused for a full 30 seconds before pulling Gerard into an embrace, rubbing his back as the older man sobbed into his chest.