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Ben knows just how ignorant people can be, and seeing them thrust their opinions on Beverly when ze is already having a tough time is a special kind of torture. Especially when he knows what it feels like to be misgendered.
Ze wears a pronoun pin to school that day, and Ben immediately switches, knowing that using hir right pronouns would be a weight off hir shoulders. The other losers switch, too, thinking the same things.
That doesn't stop some people from sneering and blatantly calling ze out, though.
By the end of the day, they can tell that ze's drained in a way that only people like them can be, weighed down by the world, and the blatant transphobia that exists in it.
"Oh! There ze is!" Stan says, loud enough that they all know Bev hears them, and a small smile covers hir face. "We were about to go looking for you."
Ze grabs his hand, looking at them gratefully, commenting, "Thanks. For, uh, using my pronouns." Ze taps the button on hir chest shyly. All of them tell hir that they don't mind, Ben reminding hir that ze does it for them and Richie, so why shouldn't they do it for hir?
As the Losers make their way to the bike stands, Ben can hear the whispering of some girls that they pass, and he can feel the anger that simmers just under the surface of his skin.
They casually throw the two slurs around, misgendering hir as they do. They snicker, glancing at Bev, before going back to whispering.
Bev squeezes his hand, giving a look that begs him to ignore them. Ben reluctantly agrees, running their thumb lightly over hir knuckles.
"Just tell me if it's too much, okay?"
"Okay."