Aaron leaned against the wall next to the door that led into the hospital, one leg cocked up and his eyes on the phone in his hand. It wasn't his phone- Aaron’s had been deemed too outdated for real use- rather, one leant to him by Harry. He had a sinking feeling Harry would refuse to take it back, and would never admit there was a bill if asked, but at the moment, that wasn't important.
What was important was the words that popped onto the screen. The group text allowed the boys to stay in contact as they carried out the plan Kris had devised in half an hour. Each boy had their own task to carry out, and Aaron watched them report their progress.
Benji and Harry thoroughly enjoyed their task. They set off a small explosion in an empty OR that brought doctors running. The red-headed twins hid behind the doors, identical smiles stretching their faces, until they were sure most- if not all- of the doctors in the wing of the hospital were investigating the explosion. Then, moving as one, they slammed the doors shut and locked them with the set of keys they had filched from a janitor. The sound of angry voices and fists pounding the door was music to their ears.
The first text popped up on Aaron's phone.
Oscar Vulcano, one of Cara's mountains of muscle, was helping them as a favor to Kris. Staying as far way from Aaron as possible to avoid Kris's 'or else', he used his mother's position as head of a record company to liberate equipment. He and the other mountain snuck it into the hospital and set up in one of the hospital's patient lounges.
The phone lit up with a second text.
Roman sauntered his way to the floor's nursing station, running a hand through his golden locks before leaning against the desk. He gave the attending nurse a charming smile, and wormed his way into her heart. Nurses flocked to the station, word spreading about the visiting Greek god. The nurses were too busy to watch the patients unless the machines went off.
The third text was covertly sent from Roman's phone hidden carefully in his pocket.
Marcus snuck through the building, as much as someone like him could sneak. He found his way to the lounge where Oscar had set up and sent him packing. Marcus stationed himself outside the door, pushing Gerard through when he showed up. Crossing his arms, feet placed slightly apart, he was ready to defend the room from intrusion.
Aaron watched another text pop onto the screen.
The last piece of the puzzle was Kris and Ian Rowling, another boy doing a favor. Ian's father owned and ran the hospital. The boys made their way to his office, getting in on a ridiculous story about the school newspaper. They settled in, and took out a long list of questions that would keep Mr. Rowling busy for at least an hour.
The final text made the phone in Aaron's hand vibrate, buzzing like an angry bee. He pressed the button that made the phone go dark, showing it in his pocket as he pushed away from the wall. With the halls of the hospital clear of interference, Aaron was left to the most important task, the one he was well-suited for; convincing a dying girl to leave the safety of her hospital room to see her best friend.
Piece of cake, Aaron thought sarcastically as he walked into the hospital. The phone vibrated in his pocket, and he pulled it out to see Gerard's text: Bree was in room 309, third floor. Aaron nodded, though the boy couldn't see him, and headed for the elevator.
A nurse was already in it, an empty wheelchair in front of her. She gave Aaron a skeptical look; he was still in his uniform, but his hair was an untidy mess because his nervous hands had undone the gel's work. The nurse's gaze sharpened when Aaron's phone vibrated in his pocket, and he pulled it out to see Roman's text that he better hurry up and get Bree out of her room before he lost the nurses' attention. The nurse opened her mouth to speak, hand moving ever so slightly in the direction of the button that would signal security.
Then Aaron smiled. It wasn't just the parting of lips, the lifting of the corners of his mouth. His eyes melted into something warm and rich and impossible to deny. The nurse's face flushed, and she couldn't believe she had thought badly of him; especially when Aaron began to talk about how he was visiting his little sister, who couldn't come home, and tears gathered in his eyes while his bottom lip quivered. The nurse began to gush about what a good, sweet brother he was. Nobody could resist Aaron hen he put everything into it.
The elevator opened on Bree's floor, and he waved farewell to the nurse as he exited it. She waved back, red-faced and flustered, as the door closed between them. Roman, who was surrounded by nurses at the desk not even ten feet away, watched Aaron shed his sad expression. The brunette looked up at the ceiling, brushing the fake tears from his eyes, and his quivering lips formed a cocky half smile. Roman's eyebrows climbed, but a responding smile crawled onto his face and he covertly gave the other boy a thumb's up.
Aaron looked down, not wanting the other boy to see how pleased he was as he hurried past the nurse's desk. A few of the women spared him glances, but Roman at his finest far outweighed Aaron when he was hunkered into himself and trying to make himself look invisible. Roman quickly reclaimed straying attention- Aaron's included- by shifting and stretching just so, his shirt drawing up enough to show the v of his hipbones where his pants had 'accidentally' slipped down a little more every time he had rubbed against the counter.
Aaron tore his eyes away from the perfectly tanned skin- and thoughts of how an area usually covered got tanned- speeding his steps once more. Roman's cocky grin, full of knowledge that Aaron had enjoyed that glimpse of skin even if the boy would ever admit it, was completely ignored.
Aaron watched the room numbers carefully as they descended from 356. Most of the doors were open, displaying stark white walls and perfectly clean sheets. He passed those, ignoring the distaste for hospitals that plagued many people who were constantly sick when they were younger- Aaron had severe asthma that faded as he got older, but he had been one of those kids who hated his inhaler and often ended up in the hospital. That gave the hospital a ghostly feel, full of memories that Aaron would rather forget- so he rushed past his demons.
Harry and Benji were playing rock-paper-scissors in the hallway when Aaron blew past them. They paused only long enough to wave before returning to the game, continually throwing out the same sign- which only served to make them laugh. That laughter managed to cheer Aaron up enough that, by the time he'd reached the end of the hall and finally found room 309, he was able to summon up a perfect, charming smile as he pushed the door open.
Bree jumped at the sudden intrusion, her book flying from her hands. She scrambled to catch it before it fell, but the wires that were attached to her limited her movement and the spine of the book it the tile floor with a sharp crack. Running a hand through her hair- now golden blond, as the previous wig was tangled beyond repair- she glared at the intruder while the beeping of the heart monitor slowly stilled from a frantic pace. The heat in her eyes faded into confusion when she recognized the odd uniform and the brown hair that had become naturally messy rather than artfully tousled.
"You're the boy Gerard was staring at," it wasn't a question, merely a flat statement.
Aaron's face flushed, and he cursed himself for the instant, unreasonable reaction- he knew who Gerard was interested in, and it wasn't him. "That's me," he replied with a forced smile, since it was easier to say that than to try and explain the complicated truth.
"How do you know him?" was her first question, but she followed it up in seconds with, "And why are you here?"
The second question saved Aaron from an awkward explanation, and his relief was obvious in his stunning smile. "Well, actually, I'm here on Gerard's behalf. He has a surprise for you," the smile edged toward mischievous, almost devilish.
"He realizes I can't leave my room, much less the hospital, right?" Bree asked arching an eyebrow and wrinkling her delicate nose.
Aaron's smile only grew. "We have all that taken care of. All you have to do is come with me," he held out a hand, a silent offer, and waited for her response.
Several minutes later, they had made it back down the hall. Aaron was carefully guiding Bree, who wobbled slightly but appreciated the lack of the annoying cords and constant drone of machines. Bree followed her leader without complaint, her feet in their fuzzy socks scuffing across the floor, he eyes half closed as she swallowed a yawn.
"Almost there," Aaron promised, not at all fooled by her attempt at deception.
She gave him a rueful smile and continued to trudge behind him. Her eyes widened when she saw the imposing boy standing guard outside the very familiar patient lounge; Aaron assuaged her fear with a gentle smile and a high-five for Marcus, who smiled tolerantly. His eyes went soft when they settled on Bree, and he was quick to open the door for her. As inherently polite as all the well-bred, noveau-riche kids, she smiled and nodded as she passed by him, the doors closing behind her.
Aaron didn't go inside with Bree. He saw no reason to interrupt the romantic moment that was coming- and had even less desire to awkwardly hide in the corner when they emotions unavoidably got the better of the two friends.
So he leaned against the wall next to Marcus and took the headphone the imposing boy offered- Marcus had learned that if he didn't offer, Aaron wouldn't hesitate to steal one, and having an earbud yanked out could hurt.
"Good job," Marcus said softly, grinning at the brunette boy.
Aaron shrugged and stood taller, aware that the top of his head barely reached Marcus's shoulder. "It's not done yet. I just hope Gerard can pull this off."
~~~
Bree stared at the lounge, her eyes wide with shock. She hadn't been to the hospital in over a year, but she was pretty sure the hospital staff would have changed it so drastically, and especially not like that.
The furniture- comfy chairs, low tables, plush foot rests- were shoved against the wall, the shapes barely discernible under the neon colored sheets that had been thrown over them. The harsh fluorescent lights had been replaced with black lights that highlighted the sheets and made the stark white of Bree's hospital gown glow. It also reflected off high-tech equipment: portable amps, tangled cords, a microphone in a stand. Most importantly, it shimmered on Gerard's blonde hair, and was swallowed by his black button down shirt and dark pants.
"Gerard, what's going on?" Bree asked, her voice quavering.
Gerard shifted on his stool, positioning his acoustic guitar more securely in his lap. "I wanted to tell you something; I've been trying for a while, but you're never heard," his voice wobbled a little, and Bree could have sworn she saw tears in his eyes before he blinked furiously.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, panicking a little- the last time he had been that cagey about something, he had been ten and wanted her to take him to the hospital for an infection that had festered in a cut on his arm for a week and a half. And granted, the lounge didn't look like an 'I think I might be dying', but it could be something equally awful, "Gerard..."
He held up a hand to stop her from continuing, blue eyes shining. "Just listen, okay? And if you don't get it after this, I'll give up. I'll accept it as a lost cause, no matter how much it will hurt my heart. Okay?"
She heard every ounce of old pain in his voice, and her eyes widened slightly- she'd never been faced with Gerard, her brave, broken boy, so vulnerable. It made her heart ache.
So she nodded, mute. He jerked his chin down in what could have been a responding nod, and settled his hands in the correct positions on his guitar. After taking a deep breath, he began to play.
Bree recognized the song as Gerard's voice rose and fell. She had always said it was her favorite love song, and her heart could be captured by the man who sang it. And even though Gerard didn't have the best singing voice- he was certainly nothing compared to Bon Jovi- it tugged at her heartstrings. A lump began to grow in her throat, and she didn't understand why.
It fit them. Bree and Gerard had been partners in crime since the day they met. Even when they argued, they always made up, always came back together. Bree wanted to think it was just that, just about friendship, but the love in his voice, in his eyes, was too much for that.
True tears began rolling down Bree's face as the soft words of the song twined with the notes Gerard's expert fingers teased out of the guitar. Every word was filled with emotion, with heartbreak, with love. The true kind of love, the one you saw in the eyes of the ninety year old man as he told his wife of sixty years he loved her. The love you saw in the eyes of a pregnant woman as she looked at who was to be the father of her child. Bree had always dreamed of having a love like that, but she had never been able to see it shining in Gerard's eyes.
In seven years, she hadn't seen it. But she did then, and it was enough.
Bree stepped up to the microphone, locking her eyes with Gerard's. There was love in her, too. Love she had locked away because she didn't think he would ever love her back. When he told her he did, she thought he was just somebody else who felt bad for her. But Gerard had finally made his move, had forced her to see, and everything was out in the open as they sang together.
Knowing the song by heart, and knowing what came next, Bree let go of the mic stand. She gently pushed Gerard's guitar off his lap, ending the perfect notes. Yet, though the room was quiet but for the quiet hum of the amps and the mingling of their breath, the melody played in their heads, their hearts.
They had been leaning closer with each word, eyes drifting shut. And though the song wasn't over, though there was still a verse left, it didn't matter. Their lips connected in a soft, sweet kiss that said everything they couldn't.
***
"Awful quiet in there," Marcus remarked.
Aaron laughed, soft and low in his throat. "Of course it is- you can't sing when you're tongue wrestling."
Marcus couldn't help but laugh, keeping it quiet for the sake of the lovebirds. Then they lapsed into silence, leaning against each other, and kept guard so Gerard and Bree could enjoy their newfound love.
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