- Chapter 35 - It's Les, Not Leslie -
Warnings: I don't know what to put for this. Les coming out is basically the chapter
Third Person POV
A/N, I swear I always get Les or Crutchie and I've taken it so many times to get someone else lol. (It didn't work).
By the way, I've never written about someone being Trans before, so if I'm doing something wrong or if it's offensive, tell me.
Btw, thank you to the lovely Addie_your_Queen for reading this over for me.
Les turns to face his older brother. "Hey, Dave." He starts softly.
"Yeah, Lee?" Davey responds as he folds his clothes.
Les cringes a bit at the nickname.
Leslie/Lee.
He hated that name.
"Can I go see Romeo?" Les asks quietly, looking down at his hands like he was scared he was going to get yelled at.
Davey stops for a moment, a shirt in his hands as he looks at his younger sister.
What's up with her?
"You've been seeing him a lot recently." Davey points out quietly. "Is something wrong?" He asks. "Am I that horrible of company?" He jokes.
Les laughs a bit. "No, of course not." He responds. "I just have something to tell him."
Davey nods, going back to folding his shirt. "Okay." He agrees.
Les' eyes light up.
"Go get Sarah and tell her we're going there." Davey tells him. "And we'll leave when I finish putting away our clothes."
Les nods, leaving the room.
With Jack and Davey
A bit later
"Do you know why Les has been hanging out with Romeo so much?" Davey speaks up softly.
Jack looks at him. "No..." he starts slowly. "I didn't even know they've been hanging out."
Davey nods.
"Why?" Jack asks.
Davey shrugs a bit, staring at the other boys who were across the yard from them. "Just wondering. I want to know if something's wrong so I can help him." He answers.
Jack nods. "I understand."
They stay silent for a minute.
Jack carefully takes Davey's hand in his own. "I'm sure if something was wrong, Romeo would help him, and tell us if it was that bad." He assures the younger boy.
Davey nods. "I know."
Jack presses a soft kiss to his knuckles, causing Davey's fists to uncurl a bit and for him to relax, but only slightly.
With Les and Romeo
"I hate that name." Les complains, falling backwards into Romeo's bed.
"Why don't you tell them, Les?" Romeo asks him softly.
Les smiles softly at the name, before his problems flooded back onto his mind.
"I'm scared." He admits softly.
"Scared of what?" Romeo asks, almost gently as if to not anger or hurt the younger boy.
"That they won't accept me." Les admits softly, picking at his nails. "That they'll be mad."
Romeo grabs a fidget cube from his drawer, closing the drawer and throwing the fidget cube to Les.
Les catches it with both of his hands, shooting Romeo a thankful smile.
"Les," Romeo starts softly. "I understand that it can be nerve-wracking, but you have the best brother and sister." He tells him softly. "And all of us."
"Can you tell them for me?" Les asks, looking Romeo in the eyes.
His eyes were a honey-chocolate brown, the inside near the pupil looking a bit gold at times, if the light hit it just right.
Romeo could see why Lucky always ranted about how Les' eyes were going to melt him and his heart and why they were so pretty, but he'd never actually looked in them before.
"Only if you're sure you want to tell them." Romeo responds after a moment of thought. "And if you stay with me while I do it."
Les stays silent for a minute, before nodding. "I do."
Romeo nods. "Okay," he stops for a moment. "Who do you want to tell today?" He asks.
"At least Jack, Davey, and Sarah." Les answers. "And maybe Race and Crutchie." He adds slowly.
Romeo nods, getting up.
He smiles at Les. "Come on, brother. We've got people to tell." He states, holding his hand out for Les to take.
Les looks at his hand, biting his lip, before taking it.
"Do you have a sweatshirt?" He asks softly.
Romeo chuckles. "Do I have a sweatshirt?" He pokes Les' side. "Course I do, bud."
Les smiles up at him.
Romeo throws him a sweatshirt.
Les slips it on.
They leave the room.
After a few minutes
Les stood in front of Race, Crutchie, Davey, Jack, and Sarah.
Romeo stood behind him, his hands on Les' shoulders while he smiled softly.
Les was fidgeting with the fidget cube in his hand.
Romeo looks at Les, who nods.
Romeo bends down next to Les. "We have a small announcement, or Leslie does." He tells the other softly.
They look at them, growing confused.
Les bites his lip, closing his eyes.
"Even though Leslie was born a girl, he doesn't feel like a girl." Romeo informs them softly. "He'd prefer it if you used he/him pronouns and called him Les." He explains.
As soon as those words left Romeo's mouth, Les instantly regretted it.
He opens his eyes slowly.
He immediately felt two pairs of arms around him.
"Of course we'll call you Les." He heard Sarah whisper, hugging him close. "Why wouldn't we accept you?"
Les felt like crying.
And he did start crying as he hugged his siblings back.
Davey pulls away slightly.
He wipes the tears off of Les' face. "Don't cry, Les." He whispers. "As much as I loved having two sisters, having a brother is so much cooler." He was only half joking.
Les laughs a bit.
Les looks up at Jack, Crutchie, and Race.
They were all smiling.
Race nods when he saw Les looking at him.
"Is this why you've been hanging with Romeo so much?" Davey asks his younger brother.
Les nods.
Romeo shoots them an offended look. "I'm offended that you don't think it's because I'm so cool." He responds, crossing his arms.
The group laughs.
Les hugs Romeo tightly.
Romeo smiles, hugging him back. "I told you they'd be okay with it, kiddo." He whispers.
Les smiles.
He pulls away and turns back to face his siblings.
"Is there anyway we can help you adjust?" Sarah asks him.
"Please tell mom to stop trying to get me to wear skirts." Les responds with a small bit of pleading in his voice.
Sarah and Davey chuckle.
"Okay." His sister nods.
Les honestly felt like he was going to cry again.
He was so grateful.
1106 Words