This chapter takes place in between Petal's Diary and Valeriana. Joel and Lizzie are married and have adopted Grian and their dog Duncan, and they live in a house next to Daniel's.

TWs: Homophobia/internalised homophobia and implication of using the F slur [reminder that I don't condone this, it's just a story].

•*°●°*•

"You're... what?"

Grian wrung his hands as he shifted his weight back and forth between his feet. "I'm gay?" It was more of a question than a statement. He was starting to feel unsure of himself.

His mother scoffed turned away, flicking the ashes from her cigarette toward him. One landed on his cheek, but he was lucky it cooled off already before it landed. "Don't he ridiculous," she said. "No child of mine is... one of those." She grimaced and rolled her eyes, laughing to herself as she walked away. "Gay... What a joke."

•*°●°*•

"Happy Pride Month!" Scar shouted as Grian walked out of the bathroom. The younger was still half asleep and very confused as his boyfriend wrapped a giant flag around him like a blanket. "I got you a present!" the brunette said happily, as if Grian even saw what it looked like before it was draped over him.

Grian looked at it and nearly panicked as soon as he saw the colour blue. "Oh," he murmured, and Scar blinked. "I..." He pulled the flag off of himself and held it up. It was just as he suspected. It was the MLM pride flag. He felt like crying.

This was the last thing he wanted.

"Do... you like it?" Scar asked, lifting himself up on his toes. "I was going to give to you on your birthday but I just couldn't-" He stopped to gasp. "Are you crying?!"

Grian sniffled and shoved the flag at Scar. "I need some space," he said, then walked down the hallway to his bedroom and shut the door. He let out a sob and balled his hand into a fist to hit himself on the head. "Idiot, idiot, idiot-"

"I'm sorry," Scar whispered, then walked away making Grian feel even worse.

Grian knew he was gay since he was younger, it wasn't anything new. But he hated it. He hated being gay, he hated the reputation gay people had, he hated all of it. And he hated Pride Month the most.

•*°●°*•

"Look, you little boy whore, it's Pride Month," Grian's mother laughed, drunkly spilling her liquor everywhere. "It's time to celebrate!" She threw her head back in a laugh before grabbing Grian and forcing the liquor into his mouth.

He nearly choked as he squirmed out of her hold. She was making fun of him, wasn't she? Why did she have to make fun of him? It wasn't like he could control it.

"Come on, Gri," she slurred after she made sure he swallowed everything she poured into his mouth. "Let's go get hooked up, huh? 'Bet you like dick, huh, you little fa-"

•*°●°*•

"Shut up," Grian whispered, now pounding his fist on the top of his head. "I'm not- I'm not-"

"Grian, is everything alright in there, honey?" It was Lizzie. "Scar told me you looked like you were having a panick attack."

Was he having a panick attack? It didn't feel like it. He wasn't hyperventilating, or- Wait, he was. He was crying and he was hitting himself and having flashbacks-

"Grian, can I open the door?"

No. No, he wanted space he needed to deal with this on his own-

"I'm coming in."

Grian gasped when the door opened, revealing Lizzie with Scar standing shyly behind her.

"Oh, sweetheart," she sighed, then came closer and knelt in front of him. "What's wrong?"

Grian shook his head. There was nothing wrong, right? There was nothing wrong with being gay. There was nothing wrong with it, right? Everything was fine. It wasn't a problem.

But his mouth betrayed him. It said what he wanted to keep hidden deep down where nobody could see.

"S-something wrong with me," he cried, and Lizzie hesitantly pulled him into a hug. "Not- not- not-"

"Take your time," Lizzie whispered, running her hand through his hair.

"Not supposed- s-supposed to be gay," he said finally, then he began to sob. Saying it out loud, he sounded like an awful person. But... it was wrong wasn't it? Mum always said it was wrong.

Lizzie sighed and kissed the top of his head. "There is not a single thing wrong with being gay, Grian," she said. "I don't know what that awful woman told you, but there's not a single thing wrong with you."

"Nothing?" Grian looked up at her and she smiled.

"Nothing." Lizzie kissed his forehead. "And the only thing you're supposed to be is yourself. There's nothing wrong with that."

Grian's lip trembled before he started crying again, and Lizzie pulled him into another hug.

"All that matters is you're happy with Scar and Mumbo, okay?"

Grian nodded. "I am happy," he wailed, and Lizzie's heart melted. "I'm really happy, and I love them so mu-uch."

Lizzie smiled as she rubbed her son's back. "That's all that matters."

•*°●°*•

"Look, I got one for Mumbo, too," Scar said once Grian calmed down enough to be out in the living room. Scar was holding up a large bisexual flag the size of Grian's flag whilst Grian petted Duncan. "And I have one for myself!" He set the flag for Mumbo down and picked up one that was more purple-y.

"What flag is that?" Joel asked. "I don't think I've seen it before."

Scar draped it around his own shoulders like it was a superhero cape. "It's the omnisexual flag," he said proudly. "It means I like more than one gender but I have a preference."

Joel nodded. "Well, since it's Pride Month, Lizzie and I made rainbow macarons," he said, putting together the last of the pastry sandwiches. "You boys can have as many as you want, just... save some for Mumbo when he gets here."

As if on cue, Mumbo burst through the front door, panting. He had a scrape on his cheek and he was covered in mud, too. He stared at the four of them and groaned.

"What the fuck?" Scar deadpanned, very obviously bewildered.

Mumbo sighed and dropped to the ground, leaning on the door with his legs spread on the floor. "Jesus," he breathed.

"Are you okay?" Joel asked, reaching into a cupboard for the first-aid kit.

Mumbo groaned. "Scar said Grian was having a panic attack," he said. "So I ran here."

"All the way across the city?!" Grian shouted.

Mumbo laughed. "I mean, it's not a big city," he said, then looked down at his soggy clothes. "I did, uh... fall into a giant mud puddle, though." He paused. "And I tripped and scraped my cheek."

Scar snorted and walked over to help him up. "You're so silly."

"I am?"

"Yes, you absolute spoon!" Grian shouted from the living room with a laugh. Duncan got excited from his volume and got up to lick Grian's face. "Hey! Mom!"

Lizzie sighed, then whistled and Duncan stopped and sat down on the floor. "Good boy," she said. "Grian, go get him a treat."

As Grian went to grab Duncan a treat, Mumbo quickly distracted him by pulling him into a hug, the smaller boy giggling.

"You thought you could get away with no kiss?" Mumbo teased before giving Grian a quick peck on the lips. "Happy Pride Month."

Grian smiled brightly. "Happy Pride Month!"