Spectrum (Frerard, Petekey)

26: this fic's gonna end soon lmao

Frank had made some stupid excuse about needing to take a shower; it had all been an excuse not to talk to Gee, and not to talk to his mum, who sat at the kitchen table, with an odd knowing look in her eyes the very moment Gee walked in.

Gee offered her an awkward smile as she lingered in the doorway, unsure as to why she even found herself in the kitchen in the first place - she really wasn't hungry, after all.

"Sit down," Mrs Iero offered, gesturing towards the chair opposite her as she sipped on a mug of tea.

Gee nodded before following her instruction, biting down on her bottom lip as she pondered over Frank and just how long he could spend in the shower, and just what he could possibly say to her when she got out, and then what he'd say as she left, because she did need to go home - she needed to sort this shit, and she needed to decide.

She'd tried to text Mikey four times by now, but there was absolutely no response from him at all - she wondered if he was still asleep or something, but he was usually awake by now. Maybe she was overthinking things. Overthinking everything. Maybe Mikey was fine. Maybe it would all be fine. Maybe Frank would think about things rationally for once. Maybe he'd get out of that shower and manage to look at her like he didn't hate her. Maybe Gee could hope.

"What's wrong, love?" She asked after a moment, letting out a sigh, and Gee knew that somehow she just knew more than she was letting on, and that for that very reason there was no use to lying and hiding the truth or making it out to be nothing, no matter how much Gee felt herself inclined to do so.

She let out a sigh, glancing down before responding, "a lot," she said, honestly, because she didn't' know where else to start. "It's kind of a mess."

"I've gathered that." Mrs Iero nodded, meeting Gee's gaze, "it involves Frank - he's angry or something, and you're upset but you didn't have a fight specifically because you'd be angry too then. You're just apologetic."

Gee nodded a little, "can you read minds or something?" She asked after a moment.

Mrs Iero shook her head, "no, dear," she pulled her lips up into a smile, "I'm just good at reading people. Frank especially. If he's been in the shower more than three minutes then he's officially brooding."

"And what happens when he gets out?" Gee asked, her tone rather tentative.

"Depends how long he's been in there really. Less than ten minutes and he'd be slightly agitated but over it soon enough, less than twenty and he'd avoid everyone, less than thirty and he'd start a fight, less than forty five and he'd probably storm out and spend the night with someone else without an explanation, less than a hour and... well then... if he spends more than a hour he probably doesn't plan on getting out ever."

"It's been ten minutes." Gee said after a moment.

"Well, then we can hope it won't be much longer," she sighed a little, "what exactly happened, if you don't' mind me asking?"

"Well... I... I... my grandma wants me to move in with her, me and Mikey, because my parents aren't good for us, and she would take better care of us, and I know that, and she wants to get me hormones and I really want them, but she lives in California." Gee trailed off, "and Frank thinks that's the end of the world. The end of us, even, but things like Skype exist, and I could visit and- I might not even go, I haven't decided yet-"

"You have to go, Gee, and you know that." Mrs Iero met her eyes, "don't change your mind over Frank, he's just a boy. He's not the pivotal point of your life." Gee nodded - she knew that, but sometimes she didn't quite feel it.