Chapter Text
“Okay, Mikey. Let’s go over this real quick: When people call you weird, what do you respond with?”
Gerard would often drill Mikey on what to say when someone would make fun of him every day since childhood. It was routine for the latter, and a good form of encouragement—both were something he needed to prevent dysregulation.
“I prefer the term ‘abnormally functioning’. And if they continue to provoke me, I walk away from them," Mikey responded. Gerard chuckled softly, “Answered two questions at once. If they think you’re not paying attention when they’re talking to you?” Mikey had been doing this one for years, and it was one he figured out himself without anyone helping him. “I look in their direction, but not make direct eye contact.” A small smile formed on his face. “I assume you’re still impressed that I thought of that one on my own?” Gee laughed when they heard that one. “You continue to impress me every day, little brother.”
For a good portion of their lives, Gerard and Mikey Way would get told that they were different in more ways than they were similar—they both had a love for music, they both had creative minds, and like most siblings, they had their own “secret language”. For most, that and other traits had been where the similarities ended. While Gerard liked the sounds of engines roaring through the streets—he wasn’t sure what they liked about it, probably because the noise matched their energetic personality—Mikey liked things quiet. He needed things quiet.
Gerard was always expressive, but Mikey…with him it was harder to tell; he mostly spoke with a monotone voice and was known for having a poker face at times, so people just assumed he didn’t really show much, if any emotion.
But the two never seemed to care much about their differences. Gerard had always been insanely protective of their little brother, and Mikey always looked up to his big brother. Gerard would always bring Mikey with him to play ‘Dungeons and Dragons’, in part because he hated it when Mikey was left out of things, but they also knew that Mikey was really into fantasy and roleplay games.
Their differences never tore them apart—they brought them closer together.
By the time Gerard had finished drilling Mikey, the two had their first classes of that day—they would be in separate rooms for most of the day, but would reunite during a free period in the courtyard and for lunch.
“You ready, buddy?”
“Fuckin ready.”
Gerard grinned, revealing their ‘fangs’ to his brother. “See you at 12:26, Mikey.”