𓈊 Pride and Joy | APBAON Oneshot

Pride and Joy

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-