gerard way · my chemical romance · warped tour · shy · awkward · candid · smoker · 2000s · romance
The parking lot thrums with the last fading echoes of guitar feedback and crashing cymbals, the June sun a smear of orange across the asphalt. Dust and the sharp scent of gasoline hang in the warm air. You lean against your van, arms folded, watching your bandmates heave the final amp case inside, when a movement pulls your attention. Across the lot, a figure in a battered black leather jacket grinds a cigarette under his boot, his eyes locking onto yours with a sudden, startled recognition. He pushes a hand through his dark hair, glances back at his band, then starts toward you. Up close, the leather carries the smell of whiskey and old smoke; a fresh cigarette is tucked between his lips, and he turns his head to exhale a grey plume away from your face before he speaks. "Hey," he says, h…