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Theo was watching mindless TV when Liam burst in, cellphone in hand, something that did not catch the chimera by surprise. He might have learned to let his guard down when in their apartment, but he was too attuned to his boyfriend’s presence not to notice him leaving their kitchen, the scent of excitement preceding him.
“Hey, Theo!” Liam called, grinning, as he sat down next to him on the couch. “Are you doing anything on June 29th?”
“No, nothing I can recall. Why?”
“Well, Mason just texted me.” That explained the scent of excitement. “He asked if we wanted to go to the Pride Parade with him and Corey.”
Ah. Right. Theo had been busy enough with college and his job at a local coffee shop, he hadn’t even noticed June coming up. So suffice to say he had not given any thoughts to the Pride Parade. The first one since Liam and him got together.
Theo could understand Liam’s excitement. Ever since they had moved to San Francisco, Liam had been happy to discover that a whole LGBT+ community existed, with meetings and events. Theo had been dragged to the GLBT Historical Society Museum on their first weekend there. And then every time they opened a new exhibition. Liam was the loud and proud kind, and wouldn’t want to pass up an occasion to celebrate. Theo, on the other hand…
“I don’t know, Liam,” he answered, not daring to look the other man in the eyes.
However, the scent of disappointment Theo was waiting for did not come. And when he did raise his head, Liam was looking back at him, patiently waiting for him.
“That’s okay, Theo. We don’t have to go.”
“But I know you want to!”
“Not if it means you forcing yourself to come with me and being unhappy,” reassured Liam, drawing Theo in for a hug.
A few minutes later, Theo was snuggled to Liam’s side, both of them turned towards the TV when Liam spoke again.
“Do you want to talk about it, though?”
Theo snorted. “No, not really… But it’s probably best. Otherwise, you’ll keep worrying about it, won’t you, Little Wolf?”
Liam hummed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but he dropped a kiss on Theo’s hair as an apology. Yeah, definitely would worry.
“To be honest, I don’t really know myself. So bear with me, okay?” started Theo, trying to organize his thoughts. “It’s just that… I get that Pride is about celebrating the fact that we’re different but not less awesome, and proud of what we are. But it gets a lot, you know? All the happiness and rainbows everywhere…”
Liam hummed again and started carding his hand through Theo’s hair. A habit he had picked up once he discovered how soothing it was to Theo. “I think Pride is different to everyone. Be it during Pride month, or just all around the year. To me, having this community, even if sometimes the only thing we have in common is not being cis and straight, it’s a reminder that I belong. I’m not broken since there are other people like me. And the parade is like, the best it gets. It’s not about the music or the partying. It’s about being myself, and knowing I won’t be judged for it because I’m surrounded by like-minded people.” Liam paused for a second, before continuing with amusement in his voice, “Plus, it’s a nice fuck you to the people who don’t want to recognize we exist. Especially since we couldn’t have gotten that 50 years ago.”
Theo chuckled. “Of course it’s about history for you.”
He took a breath, thinking back on what Liam had just said. The other man let him, giving him as much time as he needed. The movement of Liam’s hand never stopped though, showing he was still focused on Theo and their conversation.
“I get what you’re saying,” started Theo, less hesitant now. “I understand why you want that. But I’m not like that.”
“And that’s very much okay” interrupted Liam.
“You wanted me to talk, at least let me finish,” snorted Theo. “Who I’m attracted to? It’s not something I feel like I have to broadcast to the world. It’s mine. Fuck, I don’t even know who I’m attracted to, but even if I did, I don’t think I would want to wear it like a badge, the way you do with your Pride pin.” Theo paused for a second, not sure if he wanted to give voice to that last thought. But he had said too much already to stop there. “And sometimes, the fact that I don’t want to be loud about this part of me… It makes me feel like I don’t belong.”
Liam’s hand stopped moving, and for one second Theo got scared he had said too much. But Liam was just moving them both so he’d be able to face Theo, and the hand was back, gently holding the side of his face.
“First off, that’s bullshit. LGBT is about acceptance, not discrimination. You don’t need to have it all figured it out. You don’t have to label yourself or anything. As long as you feel like you might belong, you belong. That’s the only rule. And it does not mean you have to shout it from the rooftops. Lots of people don’t. Your sexuality is nobody’s business but yours.”
That was it for Theo, who slowly took a shuddering breath. Liam reacted by immediately pulling him in, engulfing him in a hug. Theo didn’t understand how Liam always found the perfect words to crack him open and make him… feel this much.
Theo enjoyed the quiet comfort of the hug for a few minutes before pulling away, just enough to look at Liam. “Thanks, Little Wolf.”
“No worries, Theo. I’m always here for you. And to remind you that you’re perfect as you are.”
They exchanged a few sweet kisses, Theo’s - now lighter - worries slowly fading back to the box he usually keeps them in.
Though Liam seemed content enough to leave things as they were, this whole conversation had started with Mason’s question, and Theo couldn’t stop thinking about it. He might not want to go to the parade, but Liam was right that there was something to celebrate there. Maybe they could…
“Hey, Liam?”
“Hmm?”
“You know you can go to the parade with Mason and Corey, right? And-”
“Yeah, but I’d rather stay home with you.”
Theo rolled his eyes. “Stop being cute and let me finish.”
“You like when I’m cute,” mumbled Liam, trying not to move his lips.
“Liaaaaam…” grumbled Theo, his tone playful. Liam poked him in the side to make him look, then mimed locking his mouth shut and throwing the key.
“If only that worked…” teased Theo, chuckling. Liam stuck his tongue out before motioning for Theo to keep talking.
“Okay, so what I was going to say is that you can go to the Pride Parade-” Liam started opening his mouth, but Theo kept going “-or not, up to you. And maybe in the evening, we can invite Mason and Corey. Have our own celebration, maybe watch a movie. What do you think?”
At the question, Liam made a show of unlocking his lips, making Theo snort in amusement, before answering. “I think that it is an awesome idea.”
In the end, their Pride Parade Day went something like that:
They slept in, and then stayed in bed some more to snuggle together. Theo got up first, but he came back to bring Liam breakfast in bed. When they finally got up and showered, Liam put on his bisexual flag muscle tee, because, “of course I’m wearing it today!” They watched part of the parade on TV, then went to the kitchen to make rainbow cookies. Well, Liam made them, while Theo was mostly watching his boyfriend. And trying to distract him. But who would blame him? And when Mason and Corey arrived, still covered in glitter and radiating happiness, they ate together a very fancy dinner of pizza and ate the cookies while watching Pride.
And honestly? It ended up being the best day either of them could ask for, made only better by the fact that they were together. And by the end of it, Theo could not wait for next year’s June.