Welcome to the Pride Parade [Frerard AU]

Part I: Chapter 1

PART I: POSSIBLE YEAR

CHAPTER 1 – THREE IN THE AFTERNOON

"Gerard, what's up with that smile?"

It was true. I couldn't wipe this dorky grin off my face and my mom had seen it as soon as I'd walked in the door on the last day of school. I looked at the ground, but the smile didn't go away. She waited for an explanation; I couldn't keep from looking guiltily up at her.

I chose my words carefully. "I'm dating somebody."

"Ooh! Who is it? Do I know her?" she squealed, setting down her pencil and patting the chair next to her to indicate I should sit with her at the counter. "Or him? Or them?" she added, suddenly making this so much easier. I'd have to tell her sometime, so I supposed now was as good a time as any.

"Him," I admitted quickly, and she smiled cordially. "His name's Frank. Iero. I'm sure I've talked about him before."

"Lately it seems you don't talk about anything else," Mikey's voice hollered from somewhere else in the house. I laughed.

"I do recognize the name," Mom recalled.

Still a bit skeptical, I asked, "So... you okay with us being...?"

"I'm okay with anyone that can make you smile like that." She winked at me.

I groaned, but smiled in spite of myself. With one last chuckle she picked up her pencil again and went back to what she'd been doing before I got home.

I hadn't expected to have to come out so soon. At the same time, though, I hadn't expected to be able to keep to myself about it for too long either. It had gone over as well as I could have hoped – Mom didn't mind, and it became clear that I was going to be increasing more comfortable talking about it.

I knew that the summer had only just begun, but I was glad to have gotten this out of the way. It opened up the possibility of seeing Frank more often without worrying about what lie to make up so my mom would never find out. She seemed happy that I was happy, and that was all I could really ask for.