Chapter Text
One more flight, one more time being accosted by fans at the airport, one more time trying to get a cab without being kidnapped. Lia was used to hanging back whenever they escaped customs, giving the boys time to talk to fans without her being harassed for her mere existence. But when they landed in JFK, there was a strange sense of finality. Even with the Madison Square Garden show lined up for early next year, the Black Parade was dead. The people they used to be were dead. None of them were sure if they’d ever be in this airport as a band again.
This time, she and Gerard led the pack, walking out of arrivals in matching sunglasses with his arm slung around her shoulder. His hand was perfectly placed to show off his wedding band, and when a reporter yelled over a question about it, Lia lifted up her sunglasses in a subtle act to show off her own ring.
A group of girls with striped arm warmers of varying colors started screaming like someone had been shot. Lia shot them a look as they walked by, silently wishing they didn’t have to go through this whole charade and would just get to their damn cab already.
When she felt someone grab her jacket, she whipped around ready to bite someone’s head off, before she realized it was just a girl. She couldn’t be older than fifteen, with her hair dyed a familiar cherry red (Lia made the mistake of talking about the exact shade red she used to use, the same shade that inspired the protagonist of Bite Me!)
‘Sorry—I—‘ The girl stuttered as she stared at Lia. She was nervously holding something out to her. It was a Bite Me! #1, first print. Lia could tell because she’d misspelled “Sisters of Mercy” on the love interest’s t-shirt, and only fixed it for the official run. It wasn’t even printed on good paper, it was one of the hundred issues she’d shipped out herself before her series even got picked up. ‘You don’t have to sign it—‘ the girl squeaked as she started to step away.
Lia’s eyes widened when she realized she was coming off like a total dick, and quickly grabbed the comic. ‘No, no—I wanna sign it.’ She smiled as she grabbed the girl’s marker. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Uh—Olivia.’ The girl said as Lia started writing something inside the cover. ‘I tried to get people to call me “Via,” y’know, cuz’ it sounds like…Lia…’ she blurted out, before realizing she probably sounded like a total loser in front of her idol. ‘I just really wanna be a comic writer.’
Lia smirked a bit. ‘I think whatever you wanna call yourself sounds cool.’ She said as she handed her the comic back. ‘I also think that’s a great idea. We need more chicks in comics.’ Even though she was technically done signing, and Gerard was already waiting at the exit for her, Lia wasn’t moving.
‘I haven’t really made anything that good yet.’ Olivia looked down. ‘I mostly just do stuff on MySpace. And this kind of stuff.’ She motioned to her t-shirt, which Lia was now realizing wasn’t even official Bite Me! merch, it was even better.
‘That’s original?’ Lia asked in shock before she leaned in. ‘Look, kid, don’t go spreading it around, but I put my email in there.’ She said under her breath. With her south Jersey accent, Lia sounded like she was about to rope the kid into joining the mob. In a way, she was. ‘You ever want someone to take a look at your work, you send it to me, okay? I’d love to buy that design off you, too.’
Olivia stared at her like she was insane. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Dead.’ Lia winked. ‘I look forward to working with you one day.’ She saluted Olivia before finally joining Gerard outside.
‘Wow, you never talk to fans.’ He smirked as he handed her a cigarette.
‘I never talk to your fans.’ Lia corrected before she lit her cigarette off the end of his. ‘This kid was my fan.’ She said proudly.
‘You have lots of fans.’ Gerard pointed out.
‘We have fans. She just likes me.’ She smirked a bit before she kissed his cheek. ‘No offense, Way.’ She teased as he wrapped his arm around her waist.
‘ I just like you.’ He made sure to blow his smoke away from her face before sighing as they looked over as Jamia pulled up by the sidewalk, jumped out of the car, jumping into Frank’s arms as he dropped his bags. Despite his refusal to leave the band, all of his angst seemed to melt away when he saw his wife.
‘Huh.’ Lia frowned to herself.
‘What?’
‘All of us are married. Besides Ray.’ She smirked as she took a drag from her cigarette. ‘And he’s moving to LA for Christa. We’re all so old.’
‘We’re 30.’ Gerard argued, before frowning too. ‘God, you’re right.’ He agreed before grinning. ‘We’re old.’ He sounded relieved, like it had just hit him that they’d really come out on the other side of everything. Somehow.
He watched as Lia grabbed their bags from the trolley Mikey was pushing, and tossed one at him. Gerard barely caught it, too focused on how her hair was somehow perfectly falling in her face. ‘What?’ She laughed at his stupid smile.
‘I like you.’ He grinned.
‘Gross.’ Mikey muttered as he walked past them and started tossing their bags in the back of their cab.
Lia rolled her eyes. ‘You know, you’re married too.’ She reminded him.
‘Alicia and I aren’t gross.’ Mikey shot back before jumping in the backseat.
Gerard and Lia piled in next to him, squishing her in the middle. She looked between the two boys, trying to figure out exactly how much they’d both changed since she met them.
Mikey didn’t wear glasses anymore, most obviously. He slicked his hair back instead of straightening it over his eyes, and he’d gotten really into sneakers. He dressed the most like a rockstar out of any of the boys, since he was the only one who cared about wearing designer clothes (which had been a thing since his fling with Pete, but Lia wasn’t about to bring that up).
The medication he’d been on ever since leaving the Paramour had him looking healthier, too. Of course, the bar was pretty low, considering he’d looked like a walking corpse when he’d fallen in that pool. But he had some color back in his cheeks, and the dark circles around his eyes came from smeared eyeliner instead of insomnia. He’d stopped seeing his therapist, saying something about scheduling, and that “she diagnosed me, I know what the problem is now. That’s the whole point, right?”
Lia had pointed out that they shared a diagnosis now, and neither of their bipolar disorders were just going to magically go away. But he’d just said she could tell him whatever
she
learned in therapy, like she did when she was going to AA meetings. They both still drank, so Lia wasn’t exactly sure how effective that tactic had been, but they were both still alive. Mikey’s head was on her shoulder, and he was breathing. That was really all she could ask for.
She looked over at Gerard, who was gazing out of the window as it fogged up from the cold and the rain. He was drawing a heart in the condensation, with little bat wings and “L + G 4EVA” inside.
Lia leaned her head on her husband’s shoulder, and with Mikey’s head on her’s, Gerard could look at the two people he loved most in the whole world (or at least, the tops of their heads, with the roots of their respective dyed hair showing). How the hell the three of them had lived long enough to be old? He had no idea, but he was glad they were. He couldn’t wait to see them both get older.
Gerard couldn’t wait to get older.