Work Text:
Soap is taking Ghost to a pride parade for the first time. Sergeant is there absolutely booming with pride, excitement and joy while Ghost is there just taking it all in- all the people that are surrounding him that might be feeling just like him. So many different people. Some with rainbows everywhere, just screaming PRIDE and some who just follow along silently with little smiles on their faces. Maybe it's their first time to?
And Ghost fucking loves it there. Even though he is not a fan of crowds. Johhny is right next to him, his arm hooked over his shoulder, covering them both with a rainbow. Ghost is floating with the realization that Soap is here because he is proud of loving him.
Simon notices some very young people as well as an old lesbian couple that makes him smile, because maybe one day if he manages to leave military alive- it could be him and Johnny.
One day- he promises himself. One day he will be able to look at Johnny, at his greying hair and the wrinkles surrounding his eyes like the the rays of light around the sun and smile because they fucking survived.
No one is batting an eye on him, no one seems to be bothered by the mask he is wearing, his gloves. People are /smiling/ at him, they look inviting. It feels great.
Until the parade passes by a church and they are greated with a black, morbid banners calling them pedophiles, a group of men screaming slurs at the top of their lungs. And Simon can't understand that, he was never a religious man, but he knew that Christianity was supposed to be about love and acceptance toward each other. Why loving someone is a sin when they can spit venom anywhere they please?
But it didn't last long as the crowd around him just screamed louder. And they weren't screaming slurs or more hate at those men. They just all singed louder, danced with more energy as to rub in those hateful people's faces how much fun they have, in how much joy they are to just love and be loved. Show that they are here and not going anywhere.
Johnny kissed him right in front of them. Pulling him down by his neck, uncovering his chapped lips and holding his waist in a way that made Ghost shudder like it was their first kiss.
And the parade moved on like they never passed by that church.