𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀✰𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐀| IT ONESHOTS

the norm

song: girls/girls/boys, panic! at the disco.
pairing: ben/bev

Being gay was the normal thing in Derry, in the world. It was always like that. Women married women and men married men.

Breeding season was despised but needed for the human reproduction. Beverly Marsh, daughter of Sarah and Elfrida Marsh, had a normal life. She had two loving mothers and an amazing group of friends.

Stan, Bill and Mike were in a polyamorous relationship. Richie and Eddie had been dating since they started middle school, now in high school, they were known to be the cutest couple in Derry high.

She had everything. She played with her dollies and sometimes her action figures. She wore the clothes she wanted because clothes weren't categorized into genders in this world. But even when she had everything, their was something wrong with Beverly.

Beverly was thirteen when she realized: she didn't want a girlfriend. Her moms had introduced Bev to the neighbor's daughter, expecting them to have some sort of connection. But Beverly felt nothing. The girl was pretty, with big blue eyes and golden blonde hair, she was beautiful but Beverly didn't like her.

She saw the girl leaning in and in a panic she backed away. "What— what are you doing?" She asked frantically. "What do you mean?" Alyssa furrowed her brows. "You tried to kiss me."

"Yeah.. so?" Beverly knew she was supposed to kiss girls but she didn't want to. "I— I just don't want to kiss you, I'm sorry."

After that awkward moment, Alyssa had gone home. During dinner, Beverly sat with her moms and her little brother, Ron. Sarah looked at Bev with such an odd expression that Beverly laughed nervously, "What?"

"Rosalyn tells me that you didn't seem to like her daughter." Beverly drank her juice. "Um.. mom, I barely know her and I just didn't like her, is all." Sarah nodded, "She tried to kiss you, I hear?"
"Yes but I didn't kiss her. She's a stranger to me."

Elfrida came by and set down a bowl for four year old Ron. "Don't worry, Bevvy, you don't have to kiss anyone if you don't want to." She smiled awkwardly and went back to digging her fork into her salad. "So, can I go to my friend's house tomorrow?"

"Which friend?" Elfrida asked. "Her name's Jane. Jane Hopper." Sarah made a tsk sound. "Isn't she a hetero?" Elfrida raised her finger in a shushing manner. "So?" Beverly asked. "What's wrong with that?"

"Well, there's nothing wrong with it, sweetheart," Elfrida said softly, "It's just weird." She heard Sarah mutter, "It's disgusting." Beverly ignored it and stood up, collecting her plates, "So can I go?"

"Sure, hun. Just don't let her contaminate you." Sarah had laughed but Beverly did not.

She was sixteen now and for three years she had to live with her dirty little secret. Beverly Marsh was a breeder. She wanted a boyfriend. She found the boys on the magazines attractive and often wondered what it would be like to kiss a boy.

She walked to school sadly but her frown went away when she saw Eddie walking towards her. He and Richie had been kissing by his locker when Beverly showed up. "Hi, Bevvy." He smiled in a daze. "Why are you so smiley?" She laughed when Eddie giggled drunkenly. "Um, so, last night, Richie and I.. did it." Beverly stared at him with wide eyes. "What? I thought you were gonna wait till—"

"Marriage? I was but one thing led to another and- we just ended up doing it." Beverly burst out laughing, Eddie did so too. "What?" He giggled. "Nothing, uh, look, there's something I need to tell you." She could trust Eddie. "What is it?"

"Promise you won't freak out?" Eddie nodded hesitantly. She grabbed his arm and led him to one of the school's benches. "I, um, you know how there are gays and lesbians and transgenders and all that?" Eddie nodded, "Yeah, duh. That's how it's always been." She took a deep breath, "But there's also the straight people—"

Eddie let out a nervous laugh, "What? The breeders? Oh, please." Beverly felt her lip quiver, "Eddie.." He looked at her blankly. "I like Ben." Eddie raised a brow. "But Ben's a boy."

"Eddie." She repeated in a hushed voice. "Oh." He said, looking at her calmly. "Yeah." Eddie wiped his hands on his jeans and looked around nervously, "Well.. okay, Bev."

"Okay?"
"Well, what do you want me to say?" She shrugged, "I just— are you mad?" Eddie shook his head. "Why would I be mad? You're you. I can't judge what you do and don't like."

Beverly smiled and hugged him. She was glad when she felt his arms wrap around her body in return. "Be careful, Bevvy." He whispered, "Not everyone's like. Not everyone is gonna accept it." Then he got up and walked away.

Beverly was glad when the school day ended. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She walked through the forest and wound up at the losers clubhouse. They didn't come here anymore so she lifted the door and climbed down. The clubhouse looked so sad and unkept.

"Beverly?" She turned around hastily but she saw Ben standing there with a book in his hand and she couldn't help but smile. "Hi, Ben."

"What are you doing here?" She shrugged, "I don't really know.. just ended up here, I guess." Ben understood, "Sit down." He said as he cleared a seat for her. Beverly said thanks and sat next to him, observing his big, brown eyes. "Whatcha readin'?"

Ben looked at the book, "Some stuff on architecture."
"You wanna be an architect?" He nodded. "I mean, you did do a really good job on this house." He blushed, "Thanks, Bevvy."

They looked at each other for a while, neither of them speaking, until Beverly did. "Ben?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you ever feel.. different?"

He looked at her in a confused manner, "What do you mean?"
"Like, you don't belong with these people. Like there's something wrong with you." Ben bit his lip but nodded. "Yeah.. like uh, Richie and Eddie and Stan, Bill and Mike? I think I'm different." He murmured.

"How so?" Beverly whispered with a hint of hope in her voice. "I just, I'm not like them."

"Me neither." She put her hand on Ben's cheek and he leaned into her touch, a sleepy smile on his face. Her eyes wandered down to his lips, "Ben," she whispered. Ben opened his eyes, "Yeah, Beverly?"

"Kiss me."

And so he did. He leaned in and his lips met hers. Beverly's hand rested softly on Ben's, soft cheek. Their mouths moved slowly but lovingly and Beverly knew, this is what felt right.