Room To Grow (Frerard) (Completed)

13-Jamia Is Me Pt. 2

Frank was elated. He was, in fact, overjoyed, because suddenly he could do something, he could actually help Gee. He wasn't useless or a bystander who had to watch people get pushed around by something he had no control over.

He had finished his coffee, said goodbye to Pete, and left the house. Then, he had immediately gone next door to visit Gee and tell her that he could help, he was trying to help.

Mikey had answered the door, his glasses in their state of being permanently askew and his ever present DS held in his hand by his side. He beamed at Frank. "Me and my friends are going to TP Satan Stump's house, do you want to help?"

Frank raised an eyebrow at the precocious fifth grader. "I don't think I should help, Mikey, I could get in trouble." He paused for a second before smiling slyly. "But don't let that stop you."

Honestly, Susan Stump deserved every piece of toilet paper Mikey Way and his gang of geeky kids could drape over her perfect suburban home.

Mikey adjusted his glasses, although his effort was futile and they just slid down his nose once more. "Thanks, Mr. Frank, you're the coolest." Frank had never been the coolest before, it was an honor. Who knew allowing kids to vandalize the property of the PTA president at their school would make you cool?

"Thank you, Mikey, I'm glad you think that." He peered past the slightly shorter fifth grader into the house. "Is Gee home?"

Mikey glanced back to where Frank was looking. "She should be. Do you want me to get her?"

Frank ran a hand through his hair, wishing he had bothered to cut it shorter at some point. "That would be great, thanks Mikey."

The boy darted into the house, past the photo frames that held the only remaining traces that Gee had once looked not quite as feminine as she did now. But she had still been a girl, she had always been a girl, she had just been in the wrong body.

In a brief minute, Gee came bounding down the stairs. Her face was make up free and her hair was pulled back in a sloppy bun, shorter strands sticking out of it in a way that reminded Frank of a particularly adorable palm tree.

"Wow, Frank, you're here early," Gee remarked, self consciously smoothing down the oversized tie-dye t-shirt she was wearing over a pair of worn grey leggings. Her cheeks were tinted pink. Frank had never seen her this natural, she was normally dressed professionally with makeup and her hair done precisely.

And yet, Gee was even more adorable the way she was in that moment - wisps of dark hair falling against her forehead, faint smudges of remaining eye makeup lining her lower lashes, baggy shirt draped over her shoulders.

Frank tore his eyes away from her and looked at his phone screen. "Gee, it's eleven," he teased.

"I know. You're here early." She walked past him into the kitchen area. Mikey had already buried his face in his DS and walked mechanically out of the foyer and up the stairs. Frank mentally willed the distracted boy not to trip while engrossed in what was probably Pokemon.

Frank followed behind Gee, wishing her shirt were a little shorter so it didn't quite obstruct his view as much. He watched as Gee poured herself a bowl of cereal and added in milk. "So why are you here?" Gee asked, a spoonful of cereal poised before her mouth.

"I have really good news," Frank said, a smug smile flitting to his lips.

"Oh?" Gee swallowed her current mouthful of some type of sugary breakfast cereal and propped herself up on her elbows rested on the kitchen counter.