Acid Love- Mina Ashido WLW Story

Chapter 5: Coming Out

***Note: I'm changing tenses here; it doesn't have anything to do with the story, I just like it better in past-tense.***

Her arm around my shoulders was the only thing rooting me to the physical world; the summer breeze sifting through my hair was the runner-up. We stood on the porch of her parents' home, waiting to be let in for a brunch the family has every Sunday. As it was, I was simply a "friend" she wanted them to meet. Right.

I shifted my weight from side to side as we waited for them to answer the door. After a few wordless seconds, which, of course, felt like forever, the door opened.

Her mother's, unsurprisingly, bright, pink face was a welcome sight. She rushed forward, smothering Mina with maternal forehead smooches. She had long, straight pink hair, and Mina's pink skin tone. Her acid quirk is inherited from her, then, I thought to myself, realizing I had never asked Mina. Her mother then made her way to me, giving me a firm hug before holding me back for examination. She smiled again.

"It's great to meet you. You can call me Mrs. Ashido. You are Y/N, I presume?"

"Ah, yes," I answered hesitantly. Her energy was welcoming but also unexpected, and I was having a hard time adjusting to her personality.

Mina's father--a tall, boxy man with dark skin and Mina's curls-- hung back during their reunion, but eventually came forward to hug her. To me, he reached out his hand for a handshake, smiling slightly and tilting his head in greeting. Ah, a man of few words.

His wife made up for it. Together, they had prepared brunch, and I could only strive to someday be as in-sync with Mina as they appeared to be with each other. He seemed to know what his wife would need before she said a thing, passing her a plate full of small finger sandwiches at just the right time, or even grabbing her a second napkin right before she needed it. They were small acts, but they weren't unnoticed by me, whose parents had seldom gotten along before they split up. Mrs. Ashido was quite talkative, chatting between bites; anytime we weren't chewing was fair game. Finally, she asked a question I could tell she had been wanting to get to.

"So, do either one of you ladies have boyfriends?" Her eyes widened eagerly, but I froze in fear. I quickly tried to act normal, setting down my napkin lightly on the table. My eyes flicked over to Mina, who seemed as if she had been faced with this question many times. But instead of jumping to lie, her eyes turned steely as she set her fork down.

"I have something to tell you." It was my turn to widen my eyes, nervously glancing at her parents. Even her father, previously detached from the conversation, was tuning-in now.

"Mina..." I began in a whisper, but trailed off. This was her decision, regardless of the consequences.

On the subway ride over to this part of Musutafu, she had explained that her mother was very religious, and that her father was not religious in the slightest. It had made me wonder how they got along so well, but now that small detail was making me even more unsettled.

"I'm gay."

The energy at the table shifted fluidly. There was no more clinking of silverware against plates, no more quiet chewing. Everyone was silent, frozen. I glanced around. Mina sat upright, her face not breaking from the small, determined frown she had been wearing. My eyes slid slowly to her parents. Her father seemed to be slowly drinking in the information, slumping back into his seat and staring at the tablecloth. Her mother, on the other hand, seemed to be building up to something.

"And Y/N here is my girlfriend," the words rushed out. I could tell she wanted to get this awkwardness over with as soon as possible. Their eyes all turned to me. I wasn't sure what to do, but my body's response was to give an awkward little wave. Silently, they returned their attention to Mina. And then was the explosion.

"You are not," said her mother through clenched teeth, "I recall you having a boyfriend in your first year-"

"-which was all of the confirmation I needed to know that I am absolutely a lesbian," inserted Mina, eyes alight with anger. Mina's mother pushed herself back from the table quickly, chair legs screeching against the tile floor. Her eyes landed on me one last time before she stormed out of the room and, by the sound of it, up the stairs.

Her father was the solitary parent left. He gave her a small smile before standing up. "Honey, I think it's best that you go now. She needs some time," he reached out to the now-standing Mina, pulling her into a tight hug. "I'll talk to her, I promise." I saw Mina smile into his chest. He released her. "I love you no matter what," he said solemnly, holding her shoulders. Then he turned to me.

"It was a pleasure, Y/N. I'm sorry you had to see that." He gave my hand a quick shake before disappearing up the stairs to find his wife. Mina grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly, and led me out her front door.