Heaven Help Us

The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide...

After dinner, Mikey texted Pete, who called and was put on speaker phone so that Jeph could hear him, too.

"Mikeyway! You haven't texted me in months! Where the hell've you been?"

"Hey, Pete. What are you doing next saturday?"

"Bronx is coming over from his mom's. Why?"

"I've got a..nephew of sorts who wants to meet you. He loves Fall Out Boy."

"Nephew? Mikey, don't tell me Gerard finally got a girlfriend. That man broke my gaydar, there is no way-"

"No, dude. My cousin Zac is in the band Death To You, y'know? And-"

"Wait, your cousin is in that band? I love that band!"

"Yeah, he is. Anyway, I met them all when they began and we all became super close, and now everyone's like family. Rain's like the sister I never had."

"You mean the sister without a dick."

"Pretty much."

Gerard glared at Mikey for a moment. "Fuck you, Wentz!"

"I love you, too, Way!"

"Pete, dude. Focus."

"Oh, right."

"So her son, Jepha, is like my nephew. I'm Uncle Mikey." Mikey smiled a little for a moment, and then his face went back to it's usual expression.

"Well, I'd love to meet him. You can bring him over here. We have catching up to do, plus maybe he'd like to play with Bronx for a bit? You could bring Iero and your brother's kid, too."

"You owe me twenty bucks." Mikey said to Pete.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It'll be here waiting for you this weekend."

"Good, and maybe you can pay me for the other bets you lost, as well."

"One step at a time there, Mikeyway. I've gotta go for now, but text me, okay man?"

"Will do."

"'Bye Mr. Wentz, Merry Christmas." Jeph added.

"I'm looking forward to meeting you, Jeph. Merry Christmas to you, too."

Jeph leaned back against the couch, smiling happily.

A while after it got dark, everybody started going home. Not before giving last hugs and well wishes, though.

As the last couple of people left, I turned around, facing Dante, Raven, Jeph, Andy, and Asher.

"Cleanup?" Jeph asked. I could see him fidgeting; itching to get started picking everything up. He was by no means a neat freak, but he liked clean-ish spaces so that he had more room to work on projects and to play.

"Yes, Jepha. Cleanup." I smiled and watched as he grabbed Batman and ran into the living room to start picking up.

"...I'm going to go help him."

"Asher and I are gonna go out for a bit, if that's cool?"

"Raven, you're old enough to make your own decisions. You're an adult. You don't always have to ask me to do things." I laughed and he blushed a little.

"I know, I'm just used to it." He said as he grabbed his coat.

"Love you; be safe, okay?"

"We know," Asher grinned and dragged Raven out the door. "We're going to go meet up with Brendon and Ryan."

"Oh, are they talking again?"

"Yes, and thank god, too!" Raven yelled as the door closed.

Dante smiled and shook his head. "Those two. I am so surprised that they don't get in more trouble. And them added to Brendon and Ryan...I just can't even."

"Yeah...but hey, at least we don't have to bail them out of jail all the time."

"True, true."

"Though, I think Brendon keeps them out of a lot of trouble."

"I don't know..He's kind of...eccentric. But probably."

I shuffled my feet awkwardly, not sure what to say beyond that.

"Well," He began, rubbing the back of his neck. "We should go help clean up?"

I nodded and we went to go help clean up.

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Big things coming up. Perhaps I dabbled with the Dante/Rain relationship a little? ;) Perhaps Andy and Rain get back together. Maybe both? Predict something, and we'll see if you're right.