Disclaimer: I do not own Ib.

Title: Height

Ib had never been bothered by her height before. At the age of nine, most children were about the same size. And adults seemed so separate from children. They were supposed to be bigger, smarter, stronger. They were the authoritative figures in life. They were meant to comfort children when needed.

Garry was good at comforting. He was strong, as he proved by moving the mannequins around. Being older, he definitely knew more than Ib, generally speaking. He was indisputably tall. Garry was an adult.

While Ib was, of course, closer to her parents than any of her friends―with the exception of Garry, he was at least as close to her as they were―there was still that distance between them that came from the gap in age. The wedge that separated adult from child was perfectly in place.

Ib was okay with this. It was natural. It would make no sense for them to treat her like an adult. She appreciated and enjoyed their support. She was their child and their role was to be responsible for her.

However...

That gap between her and Garry did not seem to exist. Though many things were lost in translation due to their different ages and experiences, they did not feel the usual distinction between adult and child. They talked easily. They shared secrets, feelings, and thoughts. They were friends with the utmost trust in each other. For all their differences, they were of equal standing. They were in the same group; a group of their own.

This made sense. They had fought through the gallery together, an ordeal in which age did not have any influence in. Garry was stronger being the adult, but Ib more than made up for it with her ability to keep them both from going insane. He had a more extensive vocabulary, she had an eye for detail that stemmed from her natural curiosity. These traits seemed less like distinguishing characteristics to divide adult and child and more like natural strengths they had. They solved the endless puzzles and riddles together. They were more like partners than anything else. They were not separated.

Around Garry, Ib always felt like they were equals, friends, partners. They depended upon each other. They had a balance to their relationship that no one else seemed to have.

The only thing that occasionally bothered Ib about their relationship was height.

Whenever Ib needed comforting, whether it was just an off day or she had a nightmare, Garry would hold her. She liked that. She loved being small during these times. She could cuddle up to him, listen to his heartbeat. She could feel secure, curled up and surrounded by nothing but Garry.

But being small had its drawbacks.

They were partners. That meant they not only depended upon each other, they also provided mutual support. And sometimes, Ib felt like she couldn't do that. Guertena's gallery was horrific. Any sane person that went through it would have recurring nightmares or occasional bouts of unspeakable fear. Anyone would regress into the feelings of helplessness and confusion. Ib knew she did. She also knew that Garry did.

This was where her small stature left her frustrated. She would be there, to call his name and snap him out of his stupor. She would wrap her arms around him as tightly as she could. She would say anything that came into her head that sounded comforting. She knew it helped.

But she still knew what it felt like to be stuck in the past, in the terror. A tug on the arm, a shout, and a tiny girl's warm arms wrapping around the body were barely noticeable when surrounded by walls that seemed to be closing in. Her tiny body could not shield him from the world. She could not just wrap him up in herself and make him feel nothing but warmth. Her smallness made it impossible to provide him the comforting, isolated space that would allow him to regain his composure. All she could do was ride out the feeling with him. She could not comfort effectively.

All her efforts, though they amounted to some good, did not seem as if they were enough. To have the feeling of truly being free from the gallery, one had to be reassured by isolation. They needed to be so sure of their security that no doubt could penetrate their created space. They needed to create a spot of their own that had nothing but themselves and the warmth and air of comfort. They needed to feel safe. And safety correlated to the feeling of being protected. She could not do that for him.

But she still tried. When Garry found himself trapped in the memories, she would try to make herself bigger. She would try to give him that feeling of comfort. She'd tug him firmly until he was on his knees in front of her. She'd reach out, guiding his head to her stomach. Then she'd wrap one arm around him, enclosing his shoulders and neck. Her other hand she would keep occupied with rubbing his arm, sharing her warmth as much as she can. She would bend over him, not lying on top of his back, just looming over him, attempting to replicate the feeling of solitude. She tried to create the safe place that he always provided by holding her close and wrapping around her.

Though she hated being so small during these times she would always feel better by the end. When he would finally come to his senses, he would reciprocate the hug, wrapping his arms around her waist and burrowing his head into her stomach. He'd choke out a word of apology followed by one of gratitude. The gratitude was so raw, so sharp, so intense, in his cracking voice that she always knew that she was doing something right.

So maybe her height was not enough to support him with the instant feeling of safety. Maybe she would never become as tall as Garry. But she could make herself big enough to help. And that, she could tell from the small smile that was always on his face afterward, seemed to be enough.

A/N: I think I like this one. Sorry, this is just a short one to get me back into it. I've been busy lately. But I've brainstormed a lot of ideas and I can't wait to find a way to flesh them out.

To all my reviewers so far,

You are absolutely wonderful.

Until next time friendlies.