Swing Set AU; A Bdoc Oneshots Collection

Pride Parade

I saw my first pride parade this year! This was funny because we didn't know we (my family and I) would be seeing one, which happened after I started writing this! 

-

Doc's cheeks ached from how much he was smiling. He was unashamedly staring at Bdubs, who was focused on his task. With one hand he supported Doc's jaw, thumb pressed against his green skin. The other hand steadily held a paintbrush as he carefully created lines of color on a metal panel on the opposite side of his face. The hybrid was sitting on the living room floor, with Bdubs kneeling beside him.

His bionic arm was already painted; different panels were filled in with blocks of color to make it more rainbow for the day.

"Okay, I'm calling it done... now." His husband declared, pulling away.

On two different panels, he had painted the flags that represented Doc's identity; omniromantic and demisexual. "Thanks for the help!" He patted his leg as Bdubs began cleaning up his paints. Just minutes ago, it was Doc who was helping decorate the other's face by helping him create a rainbow look across his eyelids and using face glitter to add the colors of the bisexual flag across his face on top of his freckles.

The couple had watched pride parades on the sidelines multiple times, but it was set to be their first year being able to walk in one together.

He checked the time on his phone before standing up. "We should get going soon, then! If we want to meet up with everyone before the parade begins." His choice of outfit was a cropped rainbow-colored fishnet tank top and high-waisted jean shorts that had slits in the sides, revealing rainbow fabric. Bdubs was sporting a loose-fitting, cropped tank top with the colors of the flag that represented his sexuality. He paired it with black shorts covered in small, embroidered details of stars, rainbows, and hearts, black fishnet tights, and of course, his classic bandana wrapped around his forehead.

"What shoes do you want to wear?" Bdubs asked after he finished packing up his paints and headed for the shoe rack by the front door. He thought momentarily, watching him slip on a pair of white sneakers.

"I'll just match with you!" He brightly decided.

-

"Yo! Bdubs!" Etho nearly tackled him to the ground as he attacked him with a hug. They had just arrived at the start of the parade, waiting for it to begin at 11. "Ready to walk your first parade?"

He laughed. "Hi, Etho, and yeah! Roughly two miles, right? I can do that, easy!" His husband chuckled beside him.

"You mean three kilometers," Doc teased. Iskall was close to follow, waving wildly with their free hand, as their other had a large flag in hand.

It wasn't just them; Pearl, Gem, Hypno, and Beef were there too. Their other friends promised to be on the sidelines, waiting to see them pass.

When Etho finally let Bdubs free, he took the other end of Iskall's rainbow flag to help them hold it up. "We start walking in five minutes!" Gem announced when she met up with them. Her hands were filled with flags and she was handing them out to anyone who wanted one.

"You want to hop on my back? Then you might be able to see everything!" His husband brightly offered. Bdubs scoffed in faux offense and smacked his shoulder.

Laughing again, Doc wrapped his arms around him.

It truly was the right day for a parade. Earlier it had been cloudy, but most of the gray had disappeared, leaving behind a blue sky and a glowing sun. Bdubs stared up at the sky as he touched the arms holding him. He listened as Doc made small talk with other people who were a part of the parade. When the walk finally started, he was freed, only to take Doc's hand.

He kept an eye on him in case he saw signs of his social battery draining too much, but fortunately, his husband looked like he was not just comfortable, but having the time of his life.

A float behind them started blasting music so loud it drowned out his thoughts and washed them onto the streets. Through the pauses between verses, he could hear everyone on the sidelines cheering and chatting. From people dripped out from head to toe in all things rainbow to others wearing shirts to let others know they were proud to be standing there as allies.

When a song they both particularly enjoyed came on, Bdubs twirled Doc before taking his other hand and dancing with him as they walked.

Although it was nice to be around all of their friends, to be surrounded by a whole community of people like him, at the end of the day, his husband was his whole world. He loved how easy it was to get lost in his charming smile and slip away into their own little world. As they danced down the street, he forgot what it meant to worry about little things and realized the laughter he was hearing floating around was his own. And when he tripped on the pavement, Doc caught his weight to keep him from falling.

"Thank you!" He giggled, though with how loud everything was, he didn't know if his gratitude was heard. Lips gently pressed to his forehead, sparking a warm feeling to spread through his body.

-

After the parade ended, they hung back for a little longer to keep talking with their friends, and other people they met at the event. When someone asked how long they had been together, a sense of pride bloomed in Doc at the chance to show off his wedding ring beside his husband.

For the first time, he felt okay with being in such a large social event. His mind wasn't trying to pull away from his body, desperately attempting to convince him to hide away. He was just... happy. Enjoying himself.

"Hey! Etho and I were going to get drinks somewhere with some other people. You two wanna join?" Iskall asked.

He placed a hand on Bdubs' shoulder when he noticed him hesitating. "We were going to just get tea somewhere and probably head home, but thanks for the invite!" He politely declined with a gentle squeeze.

When they finally dispersed from the leftover crowd with joint, slightly swinging hands between them, Bdubs spoke up as the sounds of people and music faded into the background of usual city life. "Maybe instead of tea, we get something else?"

"What do you suggest?"

"How about... frozen yogurt?" Doc had already learned back in November his smile could grow bigger than he realized. But, he felt that feeling hit him again when his partner pointed out a building near the end of the block. From anyone else's perspective, the moment meant nothing significant. And maybe that was true. Maybe his mind was still all wrapped up in the glitter and rainbow from the parade, but something about Bdubs' spontaneous desire to eat frozen yogurt was suddenly sweeter than anything he could buy from the vendor.

"I would love some frozen yogurt!" He eagerly agreed. 

-

Sorry for how short this chapter was, I didn't have much motivation to write this month! We'll see what next month brings, though!