ThunderPride

A Thunderbirds Event dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community within the Thunderfam! icon by @mrmustachious and banner by @squiddokiddo

[thunder-pride]

HAPPY PRIDE!!🌈✨

This year all of our muns have been very swamped with irl stuff so unfortunately we haven't had time to come up with any new activities for y'all this year. We are however, recycling old activities and games for you to play from the previous years and we will still be reblogging any queer Thunderbirds art and fics that pop up.

We hope you all have an amazing pride month. Stay safe, drink water and bind safely!!✨

[icomb-ici]

HAPPY PRIDE EVERYONE!!! 🏳️‍🌈 🎉

Spend 2 hours drawing my transmasc king Brains!!! Might do a bit of rendering later idk. Please don't look at the hands I never drawn them on digital I almost didn't post this omg

Planning to do something similar with Penny!!!

[katiedido2]

Meet Cute

I'm in the final stages of an international move, but I didn't want to miss ThunderPride Month. I'm reposting the first chapter of my first foray into ThunderPride writing, Meet Cute.

It started as a simple one-shot and then grew into eleven chapters. I have been working on an epilogue, which might become a two-part epilogue (if Stephen remains cooperative).

I love the rare!pairing of Virgil Tracy & Stephen Furnier. I hope you do too.

Chapter One

“Virgil?”

The voice behind him in the Sydney coffee shop caught Virgil Tracy’s ear. He turned towards a familiar person.

“Dr Furnier?”

Stephen Furnier smiled. “Hello, Virgil.” 

“Hello, Dr Furnier.” Virgil smiled in return. 

The men shook hands.

“You saved my life. I think you should call me Stephen.” He remembered how nice Virgil Tracy smelled when the IR operative had carried him onto Thunderbird Two. His cologne scent was light but very appealing. Stephen hadn’t been able to get it out of his head for weeks afterwards. 

“Okay…Stephen.” The two men smiled. “You’re looking good.”

“So are you.”

Virgil chuckled. “I meant since the last time I saw you, but thank you.”

“Oh!” Stephen blushed and then, scratching the back of his neck, chuckled. “How embarrassing.

Stephen Furnier was just as Virgil remembered him. Attractive, trim, and neatly attired, with that full head of blond hair he wanted to run his fingers through. Virgil was a sucker for blonds. Not wanting to get distracted and keen to put the other man at ease, Virgil asked, “So, what brings you to the wilds of Sydney?”

“Ah. I’m in Sydney for work. I plan to be here roughly a year.”

“There are certainly enough spiders here to keep you busy.”

The line moved, and the two men moved forward. 

“There are!”

Virgil chuckled. “Deadly and otherwise.”

“Actually, Australia has more non-lethal spiders than people think.”

They moved forward with the line.

“Oh. It probably doesn’t help that we only hear about the deadly ones.”

Stephen chuckled. “No.”

“Are you looking for any spiders in particular?”

“Not this time. I’m doing work for the Australian government. They’ve asked a group of arachnologists and herpetologists to study the effect of climate change on the ecosystems of spiders, lizards and snakes.”

“That sounds interesting.”

“It is!”

“Will you be working in Sydney?”

“Not the entire time. We’ll be going around the country. We’re trekking into Western Australia for a month in a couple of weeks.”

“What can I get for you two?”

Stephen and Virgil looked in surprise at the barista. They hadn’t noticed that the line had progressed so far. They looked at each other. 

Virgil tilted his head and held out his hand. “What do you say, doc? My treat.”

Stephen raised his hands in protest. “No, no. You saved my life. It’s my treat.”

“But you saved my life capturing the creepy spider.”

“Creeping banana spider.”

“Guys.”

The two men looked in the direction of the voice. The barista stood with their eyebrows raised. 

“Lumberjack, let the doc buy you coffee; you can buy him dinner, but let’s keep the line moving, okay?”

The two men blushed. “Um, sure.” “Yes, okay.”

“What’ll you have, Lumberjack?”

“I prefer Logistical Tree Feller.”

“Yeah, but it’s too wordy.”

Virgil shrugged. “Okay. Lumberjack it is. I’ll have a Long Black, please.”

“Okay.” The barista typed his order into the computer. They looked at Stephen. “And you, big spender?”

“Yes, um… may I please have a flat white?”

“Right-o.” The barista rang up their order. 

Stephen touched his thumb to the pay pad, causing a soft beep, indicating that he had paid. 

“We’ll call when your order is ready.”

Stephen stopped them. “Wait. Don’t you need our names?”

The barista cocked their head. “Do ya think there are more than one Doc and Lumberjack in here?”

Stephen frowned. “Umm…”

Virgil chuckled. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out…doc.”

Stephen blushed and chuckled. “Oh, yes. Of course.” 

They moved away from the counter and stood together. Virgil was enjoying talking to Stephen and wished to continue their conversation. He hoped Stephen felt the same. 

“Shall we find a table? We can keep talking…unless you have to go….”

“No!” Stephen blushed again. He glanced at Virgil from beneath his eyelashes. “No, my afternoon is free…and I want to continue our conversation.” He smiled when Virgil’s face lit up at his reply. 

“Okay.” 

They found a table near a window and sat. 

“I’ve been terribly rude. Virgil, I neglected to ask what you were doing in Sydney.” 

“That’s okay, doc-”

“Stephen, please, Virgil.”

Virgil nodded. “That’s okay, Stephen…I have a few days of R&R. I’m taking in a couple of museum exhibits, and I managed to get tickets for tomorrow to see Ming Ha at the Opera House.”

“Ming Ha? I’m not familiar with them.”

“She’s a classical pianist.”

“Oh. Classical music isn’t really my thing.” Stephen hesitated, wondering if he had said the wrong thing. He cleared his throat and spoke quickly. “Do you like classical music?”

“I do! I enjoy playing it on the piano, but I prefer jazz.”

Stephen’s face lit up. “I like jazz too!” 

The men smiled at each other. 

“Doc and Lumberjack!”

“I’ll get it.” Stephen rose and went to collect their coffees. 

Virgil looked out the window, watching passersby until his companion returned with the nectar of life coffee. An idea occurred to him, and he tapped a message into his phone. A moment later, his phone tinged. Reading the reply, he smiled and looked up in time to see Stephen returning with their coffees. 

“A tall black for the tall black-haired gentleman and a flat white for the spider guy.” Stephen grinned at Virgil while he set the cups on the table and retook his seat. “What are you grinning at?”

“I’m not grinning.”

“Virgil, you look like a cat who’s eaten a canary. What is it?”

“The coffee is called a long black, not tall black.”

“Oh.” The blond blushed. “Australian coffee rituals are very confusing.”

“They are if you aren’t familiar with them. You did okay ordering your coffee. Unless you didn’t actually want a flat white.”

Stephen sipped his coffee. “Mmm, this is exactly what I wanted.”

“Now you’re prepared for next time.”

“And I’ll try to remember it’s long black, not tall.” He sipped his coffee again and noticed Virgil grinning at him. “What? You’re grinning again…do I have foam on my lip?” He swiped his hand across his lips.

“No, you’re fine.” Virgil paused, staring at Stephen’s lips. “Um….” He shook himself. “I checked on Ms Ha’s program, and she’s performing works by Jean-Michel Blais.”

“I’m not familiar with him.”

“He’s a modern Canadian composer. I think he’s still alive. Philip Glass was one of his influences, and some of his works have a jazzy feel.”

Stephen made a face. “Jazzy?”

Virgil laughed. “Oh no, don’t make that face. Okay, jazzy is a bad description. But his work is interesting, and Ms Ha is a talented pianist.”

“You don’t have to sell me on your evening plans, Virgil.”

“Yeah, about that.” 

Stephen looked expectantly at him. 

“I was wondering if you might like to come with me tomorrow night.”

“To see Ms Ha perform?”

“Yes, I have an extra ticket…” Virgil briefly wondered if he had misread Stephen’s interest. “Unless you have other plans, or there’s someone you’re seeing, then….”

“No.”

“No?” Virgil wilted slightly in disappointment. 

Stephen’s eyes widened at his companion’s obvious disappointment. “No, that’s not what I meant. No, I don’t have plans…and there isn’t anyone at the moment….” 

The two men looked at each other; neither had misread anything. 

Stephen smiled shyly. “I’d love to join you.”

Virgil smiled. “Excellent.” He sipped his nectar of life coffee. It was very good. “So, Stephen, what are your plans for this afternoon?”

“I haven’t any.”

A black eyebrow rose at this information. “There’s an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art I’ve been dying to see, and it’s leaving after this week. Would you like to spend the afternoon with me?”

“I’d like that very much, Virgil.”

They grinned at each other and sipped their coffees.

-fin-

[thunder-pride]

Choose a palette and a character (or ask your followers to do it for you!) and create something!

Many thanks to Persea (@quasar-concept) for making the palettes and the background <3

Works can be completed at any time and interpreted as you see fit - we hope you enjoy creating with these palettes this month! If you’ve never considered yourself a artist before - special shout out to you people and we hope that you get inspired to give even one palette a go!!

Tag using #thunderpride and @thunder-pride so we can share your wonderful works!

Pride Flags are used to represent sexualities and gender identities for many queer people. They are a way of show solidarity both within and between queer identities, and also to proclaim who we are to everyone. Most flags also use colour symbolism to represent what the creator felt was important aspects of the community.

If you would like to explore more flags for #14, you can do so here (sexualities) and here (gender identities).

You can learn more about the flags that inspired each palette below the cut.

1 - The current Lesbian Pride Flag was created by Emily Gwen in 2018. A five-stripe variant is commonly used today.

2 - The current Gay Men Pride Flag was created by Triton in 2019. A five stripe variant is commonly used today.

3 - The Bisexual Pride Flag was created by Michael Page in 1998.

4 - The Transgender Pride Flag was created by Monica Helms in 1999

5 - The Asexual Pride Flag was created by standup, an active user on AVEN (Asexuality Visibility and Education Network) in 2010.

6 - The Non-binary Pride Flage was created by Kyle Rowan in 2014.

7 - The Genderfluid Pride Flag was created by JJ Poole in 2014

8 - The Genderqueer Pride Flag was created in Marilyn Roxie in 2011

9 - The original Pride Flag (now known as the Gilbert Baker Pride Flag) was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978. The six stripe variant (without the pink) is now well recognised as an umbrella pride flag for the queer community.

10 - The Pansexual Pride Flag was created by Jasper V in 2010

11 - The Polyamorous Pride Flag was recently updated by a community vote held in 2022 to a design known as the “tricolor polyamory pride flag” which was created by Red Howell, however the original design from 1995, by Jim Evans, is still circulated amongst many and still well recognised. You will likely see others if you go searching online.

12 - The Intersex Pride Flag was created by Morgan Carpenter in 2013

13 - The Aromantic Pride Flag was created by cameronwhimsy in 2014.

14 – The Progress Pride Flag was created by Daniel Quasar in 2018 and was inspired by the Philadelphia Pride Flag (2017). The current intersex inclusive version was adapted by Valentino Vecchietti in 2021.

Links to info sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

[thunder-pride]

Happy Pride Month everyone!!! Reblog and share and send everyone questions to celebrate the first event of Thunderpride!!

Text version under the cut <3

THUNDERPRIDE ASK GAME

Send a number!

Talk about a favourite trans headcanon

Tell me an alternate queer headcanon for a character

Introduce a queer OC to the fandom

Tell me a queer headcanon you'd like to create for

Recommend a favourite queer fanwork

Recommend a favourite piece of queer media

Name a character that helped you love yourself

Name a character that made you feel seen

Describe a fluffy moment for a favourite queer ship

Describe an angsty moment for a favourite queer ship

Create a crossover with media featuring queer characters

Plot an episode where a character is confirmed to be queer

Send a letter and a character!

A - How do they celebrate Pride Month? B - How open are they about their identity? C - How do they feel about labels? D - Who's a favourite musical artist of theirs? E - Who's a queer icon they connect with? F - At what age do they figure out their identity?

[thunder-pride]

Create fanworks for as many prompts as your heart desires. Give it a go, aim for a bingo (3 in a row), or challenge yourself with a full blackout (complete the whole board!) You have the whole month of June so go wild!

Please use appropriate warnings if required and use the read more function as needed 😄

Feel free to save this graphic to add to your own post to help keep track, simply tag @thunder-pride and use #thunderpride so we can see your wonderful creations!

If you’d like some inspo - you could combine these prompts with our random identity generator!

You can find a text version of these prompts under the cut

Bingo Prompt Board

Row 1, Column 1: Support

Row 1, Column 2: Flowers

Row 1, Column 3: Holding Hands

Row 2, Column 1: Smile

Row 2, Column 2: Wedding

Row 2, Column 3: Beach

Row 3, Column 1: Engagement

Row 3, Column 2: Rainbow

Row 3, Column 3: Acceptance

[thunder-pride]

It's time for Headcanon Weekend!

Do you have any queer headcanons you'd like to share? Any characters you want to develop further? Any ships you want to dive deeper into?

Have a go at filling out our graphic! You can either fill it out with a character (or characters!) of your choice, or open up to requests for others to send in and see where your headcanons lay!

If you don't want to fill out the graphic above but still want to develop your headcanons further, here are some questions to think about and get you started:

What's their sexuality? What's their gender identity?

What are the significant relationships in their life? Are these relationships romantic, platonic, or queerplatonic?

How do they figure out their identity? Do they ever figure out their identity?

How open are they about their identity? How did their coming out go?

What queer symbols do they use? Do they wear pins and patches, do they have flags hung up in their house? Do they celebrate pride?

What queer media are they into? What music do they listen to? Are there any queer fictional characters or celebrities they look up to?

There are so many things you can think about, so these are just a handful of questions to get your thoughts churning! Happy Headcanoning! 🌈

[thunder-pride]

This week's activity is the Colour Palette Challenge!!!🌈

Send eachother a subject (character, vehicle, location, ect.) and a pride flag pallete and draw and create to your heart's content.

Underneath the cut will be some simple rundowns for each identity featured in this year's pallete challenge for anyone who is unsure of what they are or just wants to learn more. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Unlabled - An identity where someone either can't/doesn't want to label their gender and/or sexuality.

Achillian - Men and masc aligned people who are attracted to other men and masc individuals. Also known as MLM or Men Loving Men.

Aroace - An identity where an individual doesn't feel sexual or romantic attraction. Also known as aromantic asexual.

Transmasc - Also known as transmasculine refers to someone who feels their gender is masculine. People who come under the transmasc label may be: trans men & trans boys, demiboys and non-binary individuals.

Omnisexual - A sexuality where someone is attracted to more than one gender, it is often compared to pansexual but the gender of the person they're attracted to plays a role in how that attraction is felt.

Alloace - An identity where someone feels romantic attraction but not sexual attraction. They may be homoromantic asexual, biromantic asexual, panromantic asexual, heteroromantic asexual, ect.

Queer - A label refering to anyone who is not straight and/or cisgender. It is a reclaimed slur, anyone in the lgbtqia+ community may decide to use this term to describe themselves but not everyone is comfortable using it for themselves.

Agender - An identity where someone feels like their gender is completely neutral or non existent.

Sapphic - Women and feminine aligned people who are attracted to other women and femme individuals. Also known as WLW or Women Loving Women.

Demigender - A gender identity where someone only feels a partial connection to a gender or feels kind of but not fully a certain gender. Demiboy and Demigirl come under the demigender label.

Alloaro - An identity where someone feels sexual attraction but not romantic attraction. They may be homosexual aromantic, bisexual aromantic, pansexual aromantic, heterosexual aromantic, ect.

Transfemme - Also known as transfeminine, refers to someone who feels their gender is feminine. People who come under the transfemme label may be: trans women & trans girls, demigirls and non-binary individuals.

Bigender - A gender identity where someone feels connected to two genders or more. This could be, male and female, male and non-binary, female and agender ect.

Dealer's choice or pick your own (bonus pallete) - if a flag you want isn't in this year's challenge, or if you don't know what pallete to pick you can send this option to who ever is taking part in the challenge.

Here's a link to last year's pallete challenge for more options.

Choose a palette and a character (or ask your followers to do it for you!) and create something!

Many thanks to Persea (@quasar-concept) for making the palettes and the background <3 Works can be completed at any time and interpreted as

[samcat71470558]

the cavern quest logo is trans... Cavern Quest is trans...

...

AEZETHRIL IS TRANS!!!

YIPPEE

[mrmustachious]

TRANS HEADCANON ACCEPTED

[samcat71470558]

the cavern quest logo is trans... Cavern Quest is trans...

...

AEZETHRIL IS TRANS!!!

YIPPEE

[mrmustachious]

Hello my gays if anyone was wanting a polyamourous fic this pride month then boy do I have a gift for you! if you didn't want poly fic then continue scrolling.

fuse/gordon/penelope. gordon gets hurt and fuse and penny take care of him. just a fluffy hurt/comfort scene cause these guys won't leave my head

You can read it here!

Happy pride month!

[thatkidwholikesthunderbirds]

heyoooo!!! been loving all ur awesome art recently!!

might i request a butch lesbian energy kayo doodle? 🖤

-cora <|:-)

Hey!! Here ya go, one buff lesbian queen for you!!✨

Also just a reminder that @thunder-pride will be coming up in a couple of months.

[skymaiden32]

The only time of year I can make this joke…

[knyee]

Thunderpride Day 2: Scott + Bingo Card

Part 2 of 4 (1,3,4 revealed in the next few weeks)

Scott looking very cute with his little bluebell. He's preparing flower crowns for a wedding, but who's?? 💕

BE WHO YOU ARE FOR YOUR PRRIIIIIIDEEEEEE

Family things, showing love for each other!! 💕💕

@thunder-pride 🫶

[knyee]

Happy gay month scott

[spaceshipsoutthepool]

Aghhhh Belated happy thunderpride to @quasar-concept! thanks for waiting, am so sorry about the hold up. I give you good big hugs, comfort food (ish), Poly ace john and nonbinary trans girl Gordon. i hope you like it

johns t-shirt reads space ace btw. Gordon's 'mermaids have more fun' and they're wearing pan eye make up too.

@thunder-pride

[emtb319]

For @tracybirds Happy Thunderpride!

--

‘Is it done John?’  Virgil didn’t regret making the call.  It was this or a bigger headache with a lot more paperwork.

‘In about 30 seconds.  I’m sure the entire island will hear it, just waiting for Alan to finish turnover.  It’s the last thing I’ll do before I take off for home.’  John was double checking everything for his return trip home.  

‘Ok, we’re ready down here.  Who has the password?’

‘Gordon.  As much as I love you Virgil, if he pushes you enough, you'll cave.  On the other hand, Gordon will write it on a piece of paper, stick it to a fishing pole, and wave it in front of his face, just out of his reach.’  Virgil chuckled.

‘No offense taken John.  I was just wondering who had it, just in case.  I actually thought you’d given it to Penny or Tin.’

‘I considered them, but they’re both off island.  Better to have it more local.’

‘Agreed, ready?’  John finished up the last few things and settled into the pilot’s seat.  

‘Flipping now.’  Within seconds, Scott saw a message take over his screens.  The groan could be heard all the way in England.

‘You’d better leave 5 now John, before he tries to convince someone to call you.’

‘FAB.  I’ll see you all soon.’  Scott walked into the room, just as John cut the link.

‘Virgil,’ Scott started, ‘really?’  

‘Yes Scott, really.’  Scott rolled his eyes and was about to speak when Virgil cut him off.  ‘In all fairness big brother, you were warned.  You need rest and a break.  Your injury will never heal properly if you don’t.’  Scott opened his mouth to protest, and Virgil cut him off again.  ‘Don’t even try it.  We’re all paramedics, but I’m the family medic.  You may be able to fool the others, but not me.  You have 2 options right now, take this break, and I’ll keep my mouth shut about your ribs, or you can keep going on like an idiot, and I’ll turn this into medical downtime.  What would you rather?’

‘You don’t play fair.’

‘No I don’t.  What’s your choice?’

‘Ok, ok, you win.  Regular downtime.  You really don’t play fair.’

‘Noted.  Now, John will be some soon enough.  He’s going to do the supply run with me and Gordon.  Don’t forget to add what you need to the list please.’

‘Already done.’

‘Ok, now scoot.  It’ll be lunch time in a little bit, why don’t you take advantage of this nice weather and eat on the beach.’  

–

‘How’d it go Virg?’

‘Better than I thought Gords.  Honestly though, I was expecting more of an argument.  Just let me know if he tries to break into the system or bother you for the password.’

‘Well, you did pull the John card.  You never do that.’  A bunch of noise from the kitchen caught their attention.  ‘What is he doing?’

‘I mentioned maybe enjoying lunch down on the beach today to relax.’  Virgil took a good look at the mess in the kitchen and the basket being packed.  ‘Just how much food is he packing?’

‘Finally.’

‘Finally what Gordon?’

‘He’s finally taking the first step.  It’s about time too.’  Virgil pinched his nose and groaned.

‘Gordon, not enough coffee yet this morning.  Take a step back and try again please.’

‘Scott’s smitten and has been for a while now, but he’s never done anything about it.  Didn’t you hear what he was saying?’

‘His mumbles?  Yea, I heard him mumbling, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying.’

‘I heard enough.  He was trying to remember if Brains liked lemonade or grape juice more.’

‘Ahh…so finally.’

‘Yup, finally.’

‘Ok, let’s let him be and get ready for our supply run.  Once John lands, we’ll head out.  I was thinking…pizza night tonight.’

‘Oooooo, and a movie?  I’m sure Alan can beam in later.  I'm pretty sure Kyrano sent him up with his favorite pizza.’  Gordon started bouncing.  He always loved their movie and pizza nights.  ‘Can I have pineapple?’

‘Gordon relax.  Yes we can do movie night, and I’ll never understand how you and TinTin can eat pineapple on pizza.’

‘Don’t knock it Virg.’

‘I’ll knock it all I want.  It’s just not right.’  Gordon started to pout.

‘You’ve hurt my feelings big brother,’ he said, laying it on thick.

‘I’m sure.  1 pizza…only 1, for you two to share.  What movie are you thinking?’

‘Hmmm, how about Top Gun?  Scott and Alan both really like that one.’

‘Sure.  Now go shower.  John will be landing soon.’

–

Scott watched his younger brothers take off for the supply run.  It was rare that John wanted to join in on it, but Scott was pleased to see him branching out a little bit.

‘Gordon remember, only 1 pineapple pizza.  That’ll be plenty for the two of you.  The rest of us would appreciate our favorites too, you know.’

‘I know Scott.  Virgil told me, John reminded me, and now you too.  I promise to bring home lots of pizza for our movie night tonight.  All different varieties…something for everyone.’  Scott smiled.

‘We’ll see you all later.  I already called in the order for pick up in a few hours.  You have the list, right?  I think Kyrano and Brains added a few small pickups too.’

‘They did, and yes we have it,’ Virgil answered.  ‘Enjoy your afternoon Scott.’

‘I will.  Be careful.’  

Scott had noticed that Brains was holed up in his lab.  The last record was 5 days.  His impromptu picnic was the perfect opportunity to get him out of his lab for a break.  He finished setting up the beach before heading down to the lab.

When he arrived at the lab, he stood in the doorway and smiled.  Any time something happened to them on one of their missions, he would go into full blown hermit mode while he worked out how to prevent something from happening again.  Because he was so engrossed in his work, he didn’t hear Scott approach.

‘Hey fella.’  Nothing, no answer.  Scott got his attention when he placed a hand on his shoulder.  ‘Hey, you need to eat.’

‘H-huh?’  Brains’s brain hadn’t quite caught up with the conversation yet.

‘Break time.  I’m taking one too.  Why don’t you come join me for some lunch?  Get some air, some food, and rest and reset for a moment.’

‘I-I’m sorry Scott, but I can’t right now.  This is very important work.’

‘It’s always important work.  Your work is some of the most important stuff here, and we all see, appreciate, and love your hard work and dedication.  You work tirelessly to keep our birds in their best shape possible to help keep us safe on our missions.

‘S-safe,’ Brains huffed.  M-more than once your birds failed to protect you guys.’

‘No,’ Scott started, turning Brains around to face him.  ‘No, more than once we only got off with a few bumps and bruises instead of something far worse.  Case in point, my ribs.  Yes I’m sore and need rest, but nothing’s broken or life threatening.  Without your technology, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.’  Scott paused a moment.  ‘Do you remember what Granddad used to tell us?’  Brains shook his head.

‘If you do not schedule system maintenance, your system will schedule it for you.  He wasn’t talking about work.  He was referring to self care.  And yes, I know, kettle meet teapot.  I didn’t listen to his advice and now I’m on forced downtime so that I can take proper care of myself.  I should have done this weeks ago.  I would have been better off.’  Brains considered his words.

‘I-I guess it’s been a while since I’ve taken a break.’

‘Then it’s settled, come join me for some lunch.’

‘Join you?’

‘Yes.  It’s just us for the next few hours, until my brothers get home with the supplies and pizza.  I made a nice lunch, food enough for both of us.  It’s set up down on the beach.’

‘Oh okay.’  They took the short walk from his lab to the picnic that Scott had set up for them.  ‘S-scott, you did all of this?’

‘It’s nothing much, really.  Just some sandwiches, fruit, and juice.  You like lemonade, right?,’ he asked as he started to pour their drinks.  

‘Y-ses, thank you.  You really didn’t have to do all of this.’

‘We both needed a break,’ Scott started as he started to plate their food.  ‘I don’t know about you, but I like your company, and since we both seemed to need a moment….I thought this was a good idea.’  Scott was stammering, unsure if he made the right decision.

‘I-I like spending time with you too.  You’re one of the few people I know that doesn’t mind listening to me prattle on about my stuff.’  Scott smiled.

‘I don’t pretend to understand it all, but you always talk about your work with such passion.’  Scott didn’t expect to go down this road, but his mouth wouldn’t stop now that it started.  ‘I like you for who you are, all of it.  Please never stop being you.  To be honest, I can’t imagine a life without you in it.’  Brains didn’t know what to say.  No one had ever spoken to him like this before.  ‘May I admit something to you?’  His mouth still didn’t seem to want to stop.  

‘S-scott, you have my strictest confidence.’

‘When you were on the Anasta expedition, it was the first time, in a long time, that I was scared.’

‘Why?’

‘You were so excited.  I watched you spend hours planning.  Even during your first check in, you were so hopeful about what you expected to find the next day.’  Scott took a moment.  ‘But the next morning, you missed your check in.  I wanted to hope that you were just too busy with your excitement, but I knew something was wrong.  I’ve seen you forget to eat or sleep, but you’ve never missed a check in.’

‘S-scott…’

‘I’m really sorry Brains.  This has been on my mind a while.  That day, Dad didn’t need to tell me twice to launch.  Hell, if he had told me to wait, I would have gone anyway.  I was both shocked and relieved to see you.  Shocked to see you buried in the sand, relieved to see you alive.  It wasn’t real until I had you out of that sand and leaning against my leg.’

‘I-I’m not sure what to say Scott.’

‘I’m sorry to offload like this on you.  I really just wanted to have some lunch and relax.  I hadn’t planned on this.’

‘Scott….stop….breathe.  F-first, thank you for trusting me with this.  Seeing you that day was a huge relief for me too.  The logical part of me knew that you’d come once you realized something was wrong and that T-thunderbird 1 would be the first to arrive, but I was relieved to see you standing in front of me.’  Brains covered his hands with his own.  ‘I-I can’t imagine a life without you in it either….I-I’m not sure what to do now.’  He said, turning timid.  

‘How about this? We take it 1 step at a time.  We both enjoy each other’s company, right?’

‘I-I’d like that,’

‘That settles it then.  One step at a time and see what happens.’  They both smiled and continued their impromptu picnic.  Scott didn’t expect them to have this conversation today.  It really wasn’t his intention, but he’s glad they did.

‘S-scott, one thing first.  I-I’m not sure what you expect of me.  I’m relieved that we’ve both admitted our feelings to each other, but I-I don’t know what you expect.’  Scott took his hands in his own.

‘Nothing, I expect nothing.’  Brains looked at him, confused.  ‘Really.  I’m just happy to have you in my life.  If this leads to something more, great…if not, then I still have you as a close friend, and that’s ok too.  Do you expect anything of me?’

‘No Scott, same as you.  1 step at a time and see what happens.’

–

The next months go by.  Brains had asked Scott for a favor, part because he needed to learn something, but it would also be the perfect excuse to spend some extra time together.  After Anasta, he realized that his self defense skills were not good enough.  Scott was more than happy to work with him.  Through these lessons, they took time to learn more about each other.  

The more Brains learned about Scott and observed him, the more he saw his natural born leader.  He would question Scott about the reasons behind some of his decisions.  It wasn’t to criticize, but to help him break down the why behind it, so that next time, he could anticipate.  If he could break down some of the decisions better, then he could improve their technology.  Never once did Scott tire of his questions or lose patience with him.  

They would face a big test with the Sun Probe mission.  Scott knew that Brains was keeping a close eye on the mission.  He had friends at mission control, and every so often, they’d run their ideas or calculations by him.  Scott came down to his lab to see if he wanted to watch over the broadcast with them.  He wasn’t surprised when Brains said no, that he’d rather keep working on Braman.  Braman was his newest project.  There was talk about what to do next if the Sun Probe mission went well.  Rumor had it that they were considering a deep space mission.  If they were to accomplish that though, they’d probably have to use hibernation pods, which meant that they’d need a robot like Braman to help.  If he could get Braman to think faster, better, more independently, then he could gift it to the program.

‘T-thank you Scott, but I want to keep working here.’

‘Ok, just don’t forget to eat something.’

‘I won’t.  I have my coffee here too.’  Scott left him to his work and returned to the lounge to watch the broadcast.  While watching it, Jeff mentioned that Brains should be there to watch with them.  Before Scott could answer, Jeff got up and went down to the lab to fetch Brains. 

Jeff smiled as Brains essentially shooed him from his lab.  He knew all he needed to know about the mission, and he had a direct link with his friends over there.  He didn’t need the broadcast to know what was happening.

Brains did take a break once he saw the data start streaming in.  After a moment, he made a hurried call to his friends, but they didn’t answer.  They were probably all too busy celebrating the mission’s success.  He could see a problem brewing.  He went up to the lounge to inform Mr. Tracy of his concerns.  He saw them all watching the broadcast still and expressed his concern.  A few moments later, the broadcaster confirmed that they hadn’t fired their retro rockets to return them home.  International Rescue was needed.  While Jeff called Cape Kennedy, Brains went back to his lab to pour over his data and maybe distract himself some.  

After his call, Jeff convened everyone in the lounge, and they started going over options.  As they threw out ideas, Brains crunched numbers in his head.  He knew that his birds and technology were good, but would they be good enough?  Safety and excellence first, he always told himself, which meant that he had extra room to work, but even pushing things, it was too close to tell if they could pull this off.  Thunderbird 3 could withstand a lot, but this went well over anything they thought to test.  She would have the clearer shot with her beam, but Thunderbird 2’s were stronger.  The problem was, he couldn’t just switch them with each other.  He could modify them both, maybe make them work a little bit better, but he couldn’t just switch them.  He stored that as a future problem to solve.  

In the end, they took Gordon’s idea and decided to try both approaches.  Hopefully 1 or both would work.  Just before Thunderbird 3 was ready to launch, Scott came down by him.

‘Hey fella,’ he started, handing him a cup, ‘have some coffee.’

‘T-thanks Scott.  I-I’m still nervous about this mission.  The numbers are too close to tell.’

‘Safety and excellence first, right?’ Scott said, turning him around to face him.  ‘You’ve poured every fiber of your being into these craft.  I trust that they will get the job done.’

‘S-scott…’

‘No, Brains.  I trust you.  I trust your machines.  Trust me on this mission.  We will bring them home and be home before you know it.’

‘Of course I trust you.  I-it’s the numbers, that’s all.  I-I can’t stop going over them.’

‘You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t,’ Scott said, giving him a hug.  ‘Dad wants to meet with us all 1 more time before we launch.’

‘I-I’ll only be a moment.  I just need to put these panels back on.’

‘Good man,’ Scott said as he left to return to the lounge.  Brains kept thinking.  There were too many unknowns, it was too close.  

Up in the lounge, they went over the mission parameters 1 more time.  Jeff couldn’t hide his worry about sending Tin Tin on the mission, but Alan was right, he needed an engineer with them in space.  Brains was needed in Thunderbird 2 for her part.  After the briefing, Scott stole a quick moment with Brains.

‘Save this for later,’ he said, handing him a box.  He then returned to the lounge and set off.

With Thunderbird 3 launching, Brains shifted his focus to Thunderbird 2.  He couldn't shake off his anxiety with this mission, and it got worse the more he ran his numbers.  He had to keep telling himself to have faith.  After all, Scott seemed to have faith in him and his machines.  He repeated to himself that he was an excellent engineer, and he wouldn’t be with International Rescue if he wasn’t.  Thankfully he made sure to have his checklists for everything.  They helped to keep him on point.  Unfortunately, they weren’t a fool proof way to check everything.  He missed that Virgil had packed the wrong box.

Before leaving the island, Brains put the box that Scott had given him on his work bench.  He needed to grab some of his tools to make some adjustments to Thunderbird 2.  

Out in space, the first part of the mission was relatively uneventful.  Scott heard Alan mumbling to himself.

‘I just don’t get him sometimes.’

‘Who Alan?’  Alan looked at him surprised.  He hadn’t realized that he was talking loud enough for anyone else to hear him.

‘Brains.  It’s been bothering me.  I mean, why would he rather play with his robot than watch the broadcast with us?  Wouldn’t he have seen the issue sooner?’  Scott shook his head.

‘Did it ever occur to you that he wanted to keep himself busy?  Or that he has friends in mission control that were feeding him information faster and earlier than any broadcast could?’

‘Ummm…’

‘In fact, if he hadn’t been in his lab to see the data himself, he probably wouldn’t have realized the danger as fast as he did.  Did you know that he tried to call mission control before coming upstairs?’

‘No, I didn’t,’ Alan answered sheepishly.

‘His friends were so busy that they didn’t see the danger, nor did they answer his call.’  Alan was seeing Scott’s passionate side.  It could be downright intimidating.

‘Geeze Scott, don’t jump down my throat.  It was just a question.’

‘Alan, you and I both know that it wasn’t ‘just a question’.  There was more to it than that.  You honestly thought that he didn’t care.’

‘Whatever Scott.’

‘No Alan, not whatever.  If you had spent even 5 minutes with him before all of this, you would have known.  Instead, you assumed and let yourself get hung up over nothing.  Did you know that he’s looking to gift Braman to the space program?  Did you know that if the Sun Probe mission goes well, that they’re considering other deeper space missions?’

‘Wait, really?’  Scott turned his attention to the panel in front of him and continued speaking.

‘Yea, there’s talk about a deep space manned mission, but that’ll probably need to involve those hibernation sleepers.  Which means that they’d need something to help watch over the ship while her astronauts are asleep, that’s why he built Braman.  That’s why he’s trying to get him perfected.  Braman would be a huge asset to them.’

‘I didn’t know all of that,’ Alan admitted.

‘No you didn’t Alan.’  Things were quiet for a little bit before Alan spoke up.

‘Say Scott.  How do you know all of this?  Last I checked, you didn’t have a huge interest in space exploration.’

‘I’ve spent time with him, taking interest in his interests.’  Alan got quiet again.  He realized how wrong he really was about just about everything in the past 24 hours.

‘I’m sorry Scott.  It was pretty rotten of me to think that way about him.’  Scott ruffled his hair.

‘It’s ok Sprout.  Next time though, look at the situation from all sides.  You were just looking through your eyes, that you didn’t see things through his.  It’ll help you with your missions too, you know.  Bad assumptions/blindness lead to mission failures.’

‘I will Scott, I promise.  Say, if I act like a twit like this again, feel free to snap me out of it.’

‘Sure little brother, sure.’  After their conversation, they decided to test their beam.  Scott was hoping that they’d be lucky.  The beam wasn’t enough, they had to go closer, but Scott didn’t want to risk Tin Tin’s life.

‘Alan, call Tin Tin and tell her to get to the escape capsule.’

‘Scott, we can ask her if she wants to go, but I know her well enough to know how she’ll answer.’

‘It’s not about asking her, Alan.  I’m telling her to get into the escape capsule.’

‘Listen Scott.  She knew the risks when she came with us, and we need an engineer down there.  I might be good, you might be good, but out of the 3 of us, she’s the best.  If something needs to be adjusted or if something goes wrong, we will need her to fix it.  I trust my bird, but I simply don’t know enough about the beam to fix it if it breaks, or even how much I can push it.’

‘She doesn’t have to take this risk with us.’

‘She chose to come.  You can ask her, but I’m pretty sure that I know her answer.’

‘You don’t speak for her you know.  I know you two are close, but you don’t make decisions for her.’

‘Like what you're trying to do now?’

‘Touché little brother.’

‘Scott, ask her, but don’t be surprised when she tells you no.’  Alan was right.  She refused to leave them.  

Back on Earth, Brains and Virgil were busy working on their own calculations.  Their beam wasn’t good enough.  The beam in Thunderbird 3 would have to work.  Brains knew that Tin Tin was working tirelessly on her own modifications and calculations.  It had to work.  As Brains picked through his own data to see if he could get their beam to work, he saw the Sun Probe craft move to head back towards Earth.  Brains thought to himself, after this mission, I am picking apart every piece of this data.  Thunderbird 3 needs to be able to handle deeper space missions if the space agency was going to go deeper into space.  

As he was deep in thought, they heard from base.  Mr. Tracy confirmed that Thunderbird 3 was able to fire the Sun Probe’s rockets, but they could see that Thunderbird 3 hadn’t fired her own to turn around to return home.  He had to do something.  This mission would not end this way.  They still had their beam.  Thunderbird 3 was closer to the Earth than the Sun Probe.  Maybe they could reach 3.  It was a long shot, but they had to try.  He discussed his idea with Virgil.  Virgil was on board, so they went over to the pod to get the mobile computer.  Brains needed help with the math.  They discovered that they had packed Braman by accident, but he was able to get the job done.  His calculations brought Thunderbird 3 and her crew home.

After the mission debrief, and some much needed rest, Scott joined Brains and Braman in their game of chess.

‘Did you open my box?’

‘No Scott.  W-with the excitement of the mission, I didn’t have time.  I’ll go get it.’

‘I’ll walk down with you.’  They made the quick walk in comfortable silence.  Scott saw the box, picked it up, and handed it to Brains.  ‘You didn’t have to wait, you know.  Here, open it.’  It was a simple box.  Brains opened it, unsure why Scott had given him this.

‘O-one of your dog tags?’

‘Yes, I wear the other one still,’ he said, pulling out the one around his neck.  ‘But, I wanted you to have this.’  Scott took the necklace out of the box and put it around Brains’s neck.  ‘Do you know what it means when a soldier give someone their dog tags?’

‘No Scott, I don’t.’

‘Soldiers do not share their tags easily or lightly.  It signifies the highest trust and respect.  It means that I trust you with my life.  It is also a reminder that you are never alone, and that you’ll always have someone fighting for you.’  Scott steadied himself, his hand covering the do tag on Brains’s chest.  Brains was at a loss for words.

‘I want you to know how I feel.  In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I care about you a lot, and I cannot imagine my life without you in it.’

‘Nor I without you S-scott.  Thank you for this,’ he said, placing his hands over Scott’s on his chest.  ‘I’ll cherish this always.’

[alexthefly]

THUNDERPRIDE GIFT EXCHANGE

Happy Pride everybody!!! Hope you've all enjoyed the month's festivities and all the Thunderbirds-y goodness. I've got a bit of reading and art to catch up on, but what I've seen so far has all been amazing - you're all so damn talented! 😊

For the Thunderpride gift exchange I was lucky enough to be matched with the incomporable @emtb319 ! I've taken their prompt of seaside and kinda run with it, but if you look closely and squint a bit, you might just spot hints of their other prompts - stray cat and green - as well.

Also just to say that although this was meant to be pure Earth and Sky fluff, it did get a bit angsty in the middle (when does it not with me? 😅) But I promise it all turns out well in the end.

Hope you like it. Thankyou so much for the prompts, and happy Pride!

Word count: 2365

Also available to read on AO3

Just You

The morning of the annual Pride beach party had broken warm and bright, and now at mid-morning the place was jumping. Right across the crowded seafront, smiling people draped in banners and flags of every kind thronged together in a cacophony of colour and sound. Grilling stations had been set up along the edge of the beach to cater for the hungry revellers and, on the stage at the far end, performers in elaborate costumes kept the mood high with a joyous concoction of music, spectacle and thumping beats.

From his vantage point on the stone steps leading up from the beach, Scott Tracy was surrounded by the sounds, sights, and smells of a damn good time. Entranced, he took a moment and just breathed the jubilant atmosphere in.

It was intoxicating.

After a few minutes, he sensed his brother draw up next to him, a cool oasis of calm in a tumultuous sea of sensation.

“Quite the scene, huh?”

He breathed. “...Yeah.”

A delicious-smelling package was suddenly thrust into his hands.

“Got you some chips,” smiled Virgil knowingly.

Scott’s spirits soared and he tore into the paper cone immediately. Real British chips - distinct from fries and, according to Parker at least, far superior - were a rare treat that were best enjoyed piping hot.

That first bite of salty, crispy fluffiness elicited a moan of pleasure from him that frankly bordered on the obscene. 

Parker might have had a point.

Thankfully the ambient noise from the party spared him most of his blushes, although of course Virgil’s ever-sensitive ear caught it; but he just chuckled, rolled his eyes and turned his attention to his own similar package.

Over on stage the bands were swapping over, with the new one announcing themselves - Cat Distribution Network - before launching into a cover of some old dance track. It was apparently a popular choice; the crowd on the beach cheered, pulsed and tossed in waves to the beat.

“They sound good,” said Virgil, popping one of his own chips into his mouth. “That song works well pitched lower like that. Makes the chorus more robust. And the sax solo in the middle eight is an interesting choice - I’ve not heard that done before.”

Scott had no idea if the changes to the song were any good or not, but he nodded anyway, happy to hear his brother chatting away about something he enjoyed.

“So, you gonna go change?” 

Unlike Virgil, who was already back in his familiar red flannel and jeans, Scott was still sporting his distinctive IR blues from the opening ceremony earlier.

He shoved another morsel of fried goodness in his mouth.

“Food first.”

Virgil smirked. “Alright,” he said, “but I’m not explaining it to Brains if you end up with grease stains down your jacket.”

It was an empty threat - their uniforms were engineered to be way more than stain-resistant - but Scott made a show of wiping his fingers on his brother’s sleeve anyway, just because. Virgil grumbled, but let it slide. He could hardly complain; oil stains were kind of his signature look.

Scott finished off his chips and, crumpling the paper into a ball, pitched it straight into the recycling bin; nothing but net.

“Show-off,” grumbled Virgil, picking his own attempt up off the floor and spiking it in.

“Gotta make a good impression Virg,” replied Scott, just a little smug. “We’re official representatives at this event, after all.”

Technically it was Tracy Industries who were the actual sponsors for this year’s shindig, but it had been agreed all round that an appearance from International Rescue at Pride was just too much good publicity to turn down. It was also for that reason that a certain green sky-whale was currently parked on a specially-built platform just off the main beach, temporarily adorned with about fifty different painted flags of the LGBTQIA+.

There’d been a lot more than just oil on Virgil’s shirt for the last few days.

But unlike his ‘bird - or a certain squid, who even at this moment was sparkling his way somewhere across the packed beach dressed head-to-toe in pink, yellow and blue sequins - Virgil himself had apparently gone the subtle route with his own attire this year, choosing only a small green and blue pin in recognition of his own identity.

It was a very Virgil move.

“So, didn't fancy getting all dressed up, huh?”

Virgil shrugged. “Nah. I wasn't feeling it,” he said, nudging a stray pebble down the steps with his boot.

Virgil hadn't really ever been the type to draw attention to himself. Not shy exactly, at least not the way John was sometimes in a crowd, he preferred to play a background, backup role to bolder, more adventurous (reckless?) brothers. Sure, he’d done all the usual art student-y things in college - hair colour, nose piercing, his infamous goth phase - but none of it had stuck. 

The truth was that Virgil had never really felt the need to shout about who he was. He just…was. Even with his sexuality, there had been no “coming out” as such; somehow they’d all always known he was gay, just as Virgil had always known that they knew.

Still, it was a surprise not to see him with at least a little glitter in his hair today. Pride was a big deal in the Tracy household. Obviously Gordon was the usual driving force for getting the family into the spirit of things, but Virgil had always been right there behind him, ready to make his little brother’s more outlandish plans happen with all the enthusiasm and creativity that a double masters in engineering and art demands.

So why had Scott been left to source his own fairy wings this year?

“Are you okay, Virgil?” He asked, realising the need to tread carefully. “You don't exactly seem…yourself.”

Brown eyes looked up at him from under thick, slightly knitted eyebrows.

“I’m fine, Scott.”

Uh-huh. Nice try.

“Virg…”

He put one hand gently on the shorter man’s shoulder, noting the tension carried through it. Scott squeezed gently, and was happy to feel taut muscles relax just a little.

“Talk to me, Virgil.”

His brother held fast for a moment, but then seemed to wilt.

He sighed.

“I just… Look, I love Pride. Really I do. It's vibrant and joyful and so so important. But…” He swallowed. “I just wonder if… Is it all worth it?”

Scott tilted his head.

Nope, gonna have to run that by me again. 

“If what's worth what?”

Virgil huffed, clearly struggling for the right words. 

“If… If maybe I’m getting too old for all this.”

There was a moment where Scott knew he should be sensitive and simply listen, but he just couldn't hold back the sudden laugh trying to burst the back of his throat.

“Too old? You?!”

He gave in and let it out.

“Virgil, for god’s sake! If you’re over the hill then I must be at death’s door! You’re not even thirty yet! ‘Too old’...”

Glare-powered daggers stabbed at him as he fought for composure.

“It's a young person’s game, Scott. All of this…” He swept his arm across the scene of the party. “I just don't seem to have the energy for it at all.”

Down the beach, as if to illustrate the point, Cat Distribution Network were on their second encore; a loud, clangy, cymbal-fest of noise that sounded to Scott a lot like the last tropical storm they’d had back home.

Okay, maybe he had a point right this second, but…

“Virgil, you don't have to be young to enjoy Pride. It's not just for teenagers and Gordon; it's for everyone, from stroller to walker, every walk of life. It doesn't have to be the parade or this party - there's all kinds of things going on, from the clubs to the local library. Everyone’s welcome at Pride; there's something for everyone.”

He reached across and pulled his brother closer to him, needing more contact.

“And I know you know that. So tell me, what's really going on?”

Virgil said nothing for a moment, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the ground, brow furrowed.

Scott waited.

“I guess… I s’pose it's just that these days it's hard to feel connected to that side of me anymore. Being gay, I mean.”

Virgil shifted and sat down on the step, resigned to spilling his guts, and Scott went with him, refusing to let go.

“I guess with what we all do, how busy we are, it doesn't leave a lot of time for other things - dating and whatnot - and that's fine; I love what we do. It's what I signed up for. But lately it feels like… oh I don't know! Like I should be doing more. Being more gay.”

Scott's brain glitched.

“Being more gay?” 

Virgil nodded. 

“Doing more. Making a show of it. No-one ever looks at me and goes ‘oh yeah, there's a gay guy’. I’m not flashy or flamboyant or camp; I don't go to nightclubs or have… Oh, I don't know, posters of Judy Garland on my wall. I’ve never been that kind of person.”

He put his head in his hands, hiding his face from Scott.

“I guess what I’m saying,” he said quietly, “is that I don't really feel as if I belong here. I see all these people showing off their identities and revelling in them and I… I just don't feel…valid.”

There was a moment of silence as each of them processed what had just been said. Virgil seemed to shrink in on himself, spent from the effort of verbalising it all, but Scott remained motionless, brain churning.

Wow.

Where to begin?

How long had Virgil been feeling like this? Feeling like his own identity didn't belong to him? 

His brother was so sensitive to everyone else’s feelings and moods, but he almost never talked about his own; not without being asked, or using them to offer advice to someone in need of it. He was always so busy playing backup to the rest of them, seeming so comfortable in his skin, self-assured, not needing to perform…

Had Scott really misunderstood his brother so badly?

Virgil was still sitting there, not moving, head still in his hands. Slowly, gently, Scott shifted around until he was right in front of him, then reaching slowly out and gently pried his brother’s hands apart, scooching down to try to catch his eye.

“Virgil, I don't…” 

No, that's not right.

He took a breath and started again. 

“I can't know what it feels like to be gay in this world. It's something I’ve never known; never could know. You have all the knowledge of how that feels. All I can tell you is how I see it from the outside.”

“And what I see… is you.”

Virgil looked up at him, brow furrowed.

“Those things you just listed?” Scott continued, resting one hand on his knee. “They're all only one way to be gay; they're not the blueprint. Stereotypes and archetypes aren't the be all and end all; there's as many ways to be queer as there are stars in the sky, and just as many ways to celebrate that queerness.”

Brown eyes dimmed, full of doubt.

“You don't have to perform it for anyone or put on some costume. You painted the flags on Two. You helped Gordon with his costume. You…” 

He could feel himself flailing. 

“Virgil, you love so completely. You live your life with your whole heart, every single day. You do it your own way; you always have.”

He reached out to put one hand on the back of Virgil’s neck, bringing him in closer until their foreheads touched.

“You are you, and you are gay, so being you is showing your gayness. No ifs, no buts. It just is. You don’t have to prove anything. Those two things are inexorably linked, Judy Garland poster or not.”

He felt a small chuckle rumble through his brother’s chest and breathed an internal sigh of relief.

“Just be, Virgil,” he said. “That's all. Just be you.”

A breath. Two.

“...Thanks Scott.”

And suddenly he needed to be closer than just a forehead. Arms acted on their own accord, wrapping around each other in a fierce hug, each of them desperate to reassure the other that they were there, that it was okay.

It was all going to be okay.

From over his shoulder Scott could hear the party clearly still going on strong. Cheers and noise bounced around the beach as the next band struck up on stage, and as the first chords sounded, the crowd roared their approval.

I am what I am,

I am my own special creation…

Scott and Virgil looked at each other, and dissolved into fits of giggles at the serendipity of it all.

Sometimes it was just like that at Pride.

Eventually they managed to get a hold of themselves again. Virgil extricated himself from his brother’s arms and stood up to brush himself off. 

The song was still going into the second verse, with the crowd singing along to every word in raucous harmony.

“Now this?” he said, inspiration dancing in his eyes, “This is a Pride song worth getting a little dressed up for.”

Grinning, he reached across to Scott’s baldric and nabbed his laser cutter. Then working quickly, he bent down and burned a small tear in each jean leg, before ripping them right across the mid-thigh. He kicked off the remaining tubes of denim, leaving him in a pair of ragged shorts. Then he shrugged his shirt off, whipped off his undershirt (drawing interested looks from more than a few passers-by), and finally pulled his red flannel back on, tying the bottom of it tight across his chest, Daisy Duke style.

The effect was striking.

“How do I look?” he asked, standing proud.

Scott smiled.

“Very you.”

Virgil beamed.

“Dance with me?” he asked, holding out a chivalrous hand to him.

Scott took it with a little curtsy. “I thought you’d never ask,” he said, smiling broadly.

And with that the pair of them made their way joyfully down the steps - sand, heels and spirits all kicking high - to join the celebration.