Fic: Come and Paint the World with Me
30 Days of Tarlos/30 Songs of Tarlos - Day 27: āRainbowā by Kesha
āYouāll find a rainbow, rainbow, baby / trust me, I know life is scary / but just put those colors on, boy / come and play along with me tonightā
AU. When he and his dad move to Austin the summer before his senior year of high school, TK Strand finds himself dragged along to Austin Pride, where he meets the one and only Carlos Reyes.
A/N: Happy Pride, everyone! Last year I spent the last weekend of June melting in the heat during my cityās two-day PrideFest. While this year is very different (and so much cooler, thank goodness), I still wanted to mark the occasion, so here is the first of two āTarlos at Prideā fics! This one is an AU, while tomorrowās will be a future canon fic.Ā
Also, I didnāt find out until today that Austin apparently holds its Pride in August. Iām just going to ignore that, along with the fact that Iāve never been to Austin Pride and have no idea what itās actually like. Everything that happens here is based on the Pride that I know. Anyway, hope you enjoy the read!
TK has never felt less like celebrating than he does right now.
First, his dad springs a sudden move on him, right after the end of his junior year of high school. Not just any move either, no; Owen Strand doesnāt do anything in half-measures. One month later, itās mid-June, and theyāre driving from New York City to Austin, Texas, their new home, halfway across the country. TK is now a 25-hour drive away from everything that he knows, and heās seriously pissed off about it.
Theyāve been in town for two weeks now, TK has spent all of his time in his room, his door firmly closed, earbuds in and music up as he lays in bed with his eyes closed, trying to pretend that heās anywhere else in the world.Ā
Except, today, his dad has apparently decided that heās had it with TKās moping, so heās dragging him to Austin Pride, his dad claiming that he needs to get to know the city and other people in his community. TK just scoffs, staring out the window as they drive down a street with absolutely no skyscrapers. It couldnāt feel less like home, and with only one year left in school, TK has no plans to find his place here; he wonāt be staying any longer than he has to, already planning his escape back to New York immediately after graduation.Ā
They arrive when the parade is already in progress, finding a spot on the steps of what looks like some government building to watch it pass by. Thereās a sizable crowd gathered, more than TK was expecting, but itās still nothing like New York Pride. Ever since he came out four years ago, TK has attended the march; it breaks his heart that heās missing it now, his friends probably having a ton of fun without him while he slowly dies of boredom in the middle of Texas.Ā
They stand there in silence for about 10 minutes, TK wishing that he could be anywhere else. His dad tries to engage him in conversation, pointing out different banners and costumes as they parade by, but TK canāt even muster up the energy to feign interest. Eventually his dad gives up, telling him that heās going to go introduce himself to some of the firefighters that they see off to the far left, standing near a sprinkler that people are using to keep cool.
āI have my cell, if you need anything,ā his dad says before he goes, giving TK a serious look. TK just rolls his eyes, nodding as he clenches his jaw. Itās probably not a good time to tell his dad that what he needs is to not be in Texas anymore.Ā
When heās alone, TK drops down on the steps, pulling out his phone to scroll through Instagram. Itās only when he scrolls past the fourth or fifth picture of happy couples at Pride that he stuffs it back into his pocket, his heart lodged in his throat. He jumps up, moving quickly across the street towards where he can see rows and rows of booths and food trucks set up in a small park. He moves through crowds of people, covering himself in glitter as he pushes through sweat-soaked bodies. He looks down at his black t-shirt to see it now sparkling in the sunlight and with a huff, TK cuts behind a row of booths to stop in a less-crowded area with shade.Ā