Kissed All the Boys | Frerard + COMPLETE ! |

➵ SEVENTY SEVEN

sam

Marina had been passed around for everyone to hold by the time Bert came knocking on the door, the disruption startling. Donna was starting to think that he hadn't come, which was a very Bert thing to do, but hope was restored and she wished things wouldn't go downhill faster than a train on a broken bridge track.

Gerard was starting to think that he'd be okay, but once the moment became real, he started hyperventilating, his nails digging into the skin of his arm. Frank looked at him and, though he was undeniably freaking the fuck out on the inside, told himself to be the strong one.

"Hey," he said, his tone still quiet, avoiding Melanie's earshot. "It's time to do this. You can do this."

Against his better judgement, Gerard nodded and stood up with him, his hand almost reaching out to hold his, almost.

They all turned toward the door as Donna welcomed Bert inside. Gerard's heart was beating like a race horse's, and all he could think about was, if I faint will Frank catch me? Bert was just how he remembered, the same slouchy gait, the unkempt medium length hair, the unflattering stubble. It appeared that he had let himself go a little downhill, putting on a few pounds but still wearing the same jeans.

He faced Melanie first, waving shortly and saying, "Hey, Mel."

"Hi, Bertie," she greeted, the nickname from their childhood aggravating him but making Donna smirk.

He then looked at Gerard, who was trembling and gnawing at his bottom lip. "Is that...Gen? What did you do to your hair?"

"I, uh, cut it. Um – "

"I liked it longer," Bert remarked, his muddy boots padding on the floor as he neared Gerard and Frank. "Who're you?"

"Frank. Nice to meet you," Frank said confidently, reaching his hand out to shake. Bert chuckled and turned around.

"You adopt or somethin'?" he asked Donna, distracting himself with inspecting the food on the table.

"N-no. Why don't we go on and sit at the table?" Donna suggested, the surrealism of what was about to happen making her jittery.

The family found their seats, Melanie in between Bert and Donna, Marina on her lap. Gerard took the seat next to his mom, so Frank was stuck between Bert and Gerard. Wonderful.

Since the family wasn't necessarily religious, they skipped the saying grace part and began making their plates. "I'm so glad you all could make it this year," Donna said, filling the silence.

"Me too, sis," Mel smiled as she began to spoon feed Marina some mashed potatoes.

The table was speechless for a minute longer, everyone focusing on the food on their plate. Frank kept cringing every time Bert took a bite, for he chewed lazily and with his mouth open. Donna patted Gerard's knee discreetly and when their eyes met, she winked.

"Alright, everyone. We have an announcement to make," she stated, putting her fork down and her hands in her lap. Her siblings raised their brows, Melanie quieting her daughter's coos and Bert wiping his mouth with Frank's napkin that he had mistaken as his own.

Donna nodded to Gerard and Frank, seeing the fear in her son's eyes, but knowing what had to be done.

Gee pushed his chair back and stood, tugging at the bottom of his shirt, which flattened it and in turn his chest, but he didn't realize. The movement was over before they could notice. He cleared his throat and began with, "This year has been a very, um, hectic year. And I have a few things that I would like to share that have changed." Why is this so much harder than telling the kids in the cafeteria?

Bert grumbled and said, "Well, get on with it, girl." Girl.

"That's exactly it. Um, I just," he could feel his himself becoming lightheaded, and he clutched onto the edge of the table for stability.

"You okay, Genny?" Melanie asked with concerned eyes, and all of a sudden, Gerard felt this surge of...ease. Carelessness. Alleviation. He didn't know why; maybe it was something in Melanie's kind voice or the look he was getting from Bert, but regardless, the tightness in his chest just disappeared.

Why do I care so much about what these people think of me? I haven't seen Uncle Bert in years, and I don't like him anyway, so he doesn't have to like me back. If Melanie could tell us about Lana, then surely I can tell her about this. It's not like this is going to change anything. They'll leave, like they always do, and we'll go back to our lives before this. If they don't accept me, that doesn't mean I am unacceptable.

He made up his mind.

"I've always known I wasn't like the other girls in my grade. Like, I just felt...out of place. I stood in the girls' line in kindergarten when I wanted to be in the other. I changed into my gym clothes in the girls' locker room, but the whole time, I knew that I didn't belong there. Mom asked me when I turned thirteen if I wanted her to take me shopping for makeup, because that's when her mother did that for her. I said no. Instead, I asked her if she could take me to get new Vans. I got teased in middle school for wearing the same shirt as another boy one day. Recently, this feeling has grown stronger, like I'd been putting it off for too long and my body finally decided that it was time to stop fighting. Which is a relief, because I am so tired of fighting."

As he paused to catch his breath and glance at Frank, who was smiling like a proud boyfriend with tears in his eyes, Bert interrupted the hushed culmination by asking with a raised voice, "What are you getting at, Genevieve?"

This hit a nerve, and Gerard switched from calm and collective to reviling and irritated as he got to what he was getting at.

"Listen, Uncle Bert, I don't really care what you think of me, okay? You are the absolute last person on the list of people I give a shit about, alright? Now, on the other hand, Aunt Mel, you are pretty cool, and I would like to hope that you'd be pretty cool about this. But, with that being said, if you aren't, then oh well, because I'm not living my life to earn everyone's approval."

He extended both of his arms down and held Frank and his mother's hands. He took a long, deep breath, looked at Bert and Melanie with a determined stare, and said a sentence so simple, you'd never think it had the capability to cause what it did.

"I am no longer your niece. I am your nephew."