Description: Janus gets back home from a pride event. Now he has to deal with his homophobic dad.
Tw: being dead named, alcohol, cursing, homophobia
Ships: platonic or QPR dukeceit
Alt prompt 2: rainbow (prompt by @pridewrite2021)
(Janus’ pronouns are he/she/they in this)
Janus examined their face in their phone camera for one last time, doing their best to ensure that no face paint had managed to escape them scrubbing their cheek furiously on the way back. Finally satisfied, they entered their house.
“Damien, where the hell have you been?!” Her dad called from the other room. Janus cringed at their dead name. “I was just about to send out a search party.” He chuckled.
“Study group ran late.” Janus lied smoothly, entering the living room. His dad was sat on the couch, beer in hand. The tv was on and flashing images from the news. Janus almost went dizzy as videos of the pride parade flashed across the screen.
His dad scoffed. “God, why do they have to be showing that shit?” He said, gruffly.
Janus had learned a while ago how to not let their discomfort show and they prided themselves on being able to lie well. But damn it was it hard sometimes. The comment stung like a bullet wound but they still somehow managed a nod and a thin smile.
“You’re right, it’s not like it’s a current event and it’s their job to cover it or anything.” He said, sarcastically.
“I just don’t see why they have to shove it in our faces.” His dad said, rolling his eyes.
‘Well, I don’t love being bombarded with your sexuality 24/7 either but I seem to manage fine’ Janus didn’t say.
“I just think a man should be with a woman. That’s the way it’s always been. I mean, gay couples can’t even have kids!”
‘Neither can a lot of straight couples but I don’t see you attacking their right to exist. And gay people have existed for literal centuries but whatever.’ Janus thought.
“I mean, look at him!” His dad said, pointing to a drag queen on the screen. She wore a short blue skirt with a sequin trail attached to the back and a crop top to match. Her hair was curly and done up big, dyed in blues and purples with a feather headdress which she wore like a crown. Her makeup was bold, with sparkling eyeshadow reaching up to her eyebrows and long eyelashes perfectly curled. The drag queens cheekbones were sharp, contour done perfectly. Her lipstick was a beautiful purple that glistened and made her lips look fuller than they likely were without it. She strutted down the street in her heels, radiating pure confidence.
“Any man going out like that should be ashamed of himself.” Janus’ dad spat. Ok, that one really hurt.
“If you don’t mind dad, I’m a little tired. I’m just gonna head to my room.” Janus said.
Janus did his best not to run up the stairs. It was already risky leaving in the middle of that type of conversation. Hurrying out the room wouldn’t help his case.
Janus then entered his room, locked his door and flopped onto his bed, the soft black and yellow duvet bringing the smallest of comforts to him as his dads words wrung in his head like some kind of annoying school bell.
“It’s just until I can move out” he told himself. “Then I never have to speak to the bastard again and I can move on with my life.”
She then felt her phone buzz from her hoodie pocked. She looked to see it was Remus. Opening it, she couldn’t help but smile.
It was a picture they’d taken from earlier that day. Remus was wearing his black denim jacket wearing his asexual and aromantic pride badges. Underneath he wore a green and black shirt which read ‘sounds gay, I’m in.’ He was also wearing a black choker that Janus had given him for his birthday. Remus had done his makeup slightly differently too, making his eyeshadow the full rainbow rather than just purple, and wearing black lipstick. It was hard to tell from the photo, but brown hair was also sparkling too from when he’d thrown an entire tub of glitter on himself. He was stood to Janus’ side, kissing his cheek (despite Janus’ many objections.)
Janus hadn’t been able to do as much for the pride parade, fearing their dad found out, but they had still let Remus paint the non binary and rainbow flags on their cheek. He’d also worn a skirt that he’d borrowed from Remus. It was simple, just a plain black skirt that went just above his knees with some lace at the bottom of it but he couldn’t help feeling so genuinely happy as he wore it. He’d been slightly disappointed when he had to give it back at the end, fearing his dad would find it. In one particularly brave moment, they’d also bought a rainbow pin which they’d stuck to their mustard hoodie.
As she took in all the pride flags in the background of the photo, her phone buzzed again.
Remus: we look sexy as hell in this photo😉
Janus couldn’t help but laugh.
Janus looked at the rainbow pin in the photo for a moment before reached into their hoodie and pulling it out, running their thumb across the shiny surface.
They knew they wouldn’t be able to wear it out in public much. Plus, it’d have to be hidden from their dad. But it felt oddly good to have it.
‘Oh well.’ Janus thought ‘what’s another secret to keep?’
