THIRTY-TWO

Even in his overalls, Hugo was still too hot. The sun beat down on his face and back and he knew that he would be sunburned by the end of the day. It didn't matter. He was going to have a good time.

He hadn't let his experience at the writing convention change his mind. They were two different things and one of them was a much welcoming experience than the other. There were more people there that he knew and if he got lost, he could find one of them. Yes, he would still be anxious, but at least he knew he was safe.

Renee was tying a rainbow flag around his neck so that it flapped like a cape in the cool breeze. She had a lesbian one over her shoulders, looking like a dorky superhero in her rainbow suspenders and shorts. Stefan, who had been given a pansexual flag, the closest to his sexuality, looked like a gay surfer dude. The bright, baggy beach shirt was almost blinding, it was no wonder the man wore rainbow-tinted sunglasses.

"There, you're good to go," Renee said, patting his back and stepping away from him. He grinned, bright and happy, feeling the temporary tattoos on his cheeks pulling at his skin. "You look hella cute."

He had to admit, he did. Overalls weren't something he was going to wear all the time, but for a pride parade, they were good. He still had to replace the rest of his wardrobe so that he wasn't constantly wearing baggy clothes. He'd very quickly grown to like the news clothes he'd been slowly buying for the last few months. He felt more like himself in them.

The three of them stood with the rest of his university's GSA. Rose had greeted them with an excited smile when they arrived but had quickly drifted to other members of the group. More people than Hugo had ever seen at one session were there, but he wasn't surprised. It was the biggest gay event of the year.

It was just his group either. There were hundreds of them, milling about and talking loudly. Far more than he had ever seen before. Just looking at it made his heart fall into his stomach, but he'd known that it was going to be like that. It was a test, to see if he could handle something so big. And aside from needing to hold either Renee or Stefan's hand every now and again, he was doing fine.

"Hugo!" a voice yelled and Anthony, a boy from the group, appeared from within the crowd. He stopped by them with a loud pant. "Holy crap, this place is busy." Hugo only nodded. Renee and Stefan were busy talking and Michael hadn't arrived yet. He had no one to translate for him, but Anthony didn't seem to mind. They just stood in silence until Renee and Stefan finally wandered back over to him.

Stefan stuck out a hand to him when he realised he was there. "Hi, I'm Stefan, Hugo's boyfriend," he said. Renee didn't bother introducing herself. They'd met briefly at the group sessions.

"I'm Anthony, I'm a friend from the group." For the second time in his life, Hugo learned he had a friend when he hadn't thought they would be. He'd just thought Anthony was someone to sit with at the group. They didn't talk outside of it. But maybe that didn't matter. He could have friends that he talked to only in one place, couldn't he?

Voices pulled him from his thoughts. "Do you know much sign language?" Stefan asked.

Anthony shook his head. "No, but I am learning. I learned how to spell my name the other day," he replied and moved his hands to prove it. "I'd take lessons but I'm broke. It seems like a more useful language to learn than one from another country." Hugo was just flattered that someone was actually trying to talk to him. It must be a pain to always use a translator.

They didn't get much of a chance to talk after that. Rose called them all forward to organise them into a proper group. Most of their time was spent waiting for the other groups to go so they could march. Stefan held his hand the whole time, a smile on his tanned face. Hugo leaned into him, breathing him in.

All around them people laughed and cheered. Flags and bright colours took up every inch of his vision. Something new swelled in his gut, something like happiness and content and all the feelings he'd felt in the last months combined into one. Everything bad in his life be damned. He was running from it, from his father and his anxiety and his nightmares. He'd leave it all behind.

He knew, as the group began to march and a beaming grin pulled at his cheeks, that life would be hard. It would always be hard. There was a high chance that he and Stefan would not be together for years and years, a high chance that he would not be friends with Renee for the rest of his life. Something bad could always happen, but he was trying to be as happy as he possibly could with the time he had.

That meant going to university even if he was having a bad day. That meant spending as much time as possible with his friends and the people he cherished. It meant going to work and living on his own and opening up to the idea of his father getting better. It meant living his life as best he could despite everything that had happened to him.

He knew then that his mother would be extremely proud of him. Wherever she was, she was proud of him and how far he had come in the last few months. The thought alone brought tears to his eyes and instead of cheering and grinning with everyone else as he walked, he cried. It was slow and silent, but he cried.

Those watching from the street didn't notice and neither did anyone he walked with. Somewhere ahead of him, he caught sight of Michael walking with Rose. On either side of him were Renee and Stefan, Anthony walking behind them and yelling out to the people on the street.

"Hugo," Stefan whispered in his ear as someone threw streamers over their heads. "You're crying. Are you alright?"

Hugo nodded and looked up at him, cheeks wet with tears. "I'm happy."

He didn't need to say anything else. Stefan kissed him, long and deep. "I'm glad," he replied and kissed him again.

"I'm really happy." It was the truth, but it was so much more than that. He couldn't explain it, couldn't even find a name for the feeling. He couldn't even explain why he was crying.

Instead of trying to, he let himself enjoy the march. It was packed and cramped, but it was okay. People never stopped yelling and cheering. Biodegradable glitter, confetti and streamers flew everywhere and by the time he was halfway down the strip, he was covered from head to toe in the stuff. The heat didn't matter anymore, just the march, just walking hand in hand with Stefan and Renee. Free.

It ended all too soon, but the group never stopped cheering. Laughter rang up from the park the parade finished at. Beyond was the pride festival, filled with stalls and a couple of rides and live music. His stomach growled at the smell of the food drifted from the stalls.

Rose gathered them all in the quickly feeling park, her face red from the heat or the excitement of a mixture of both. "Alright you lot, go enjoy the festival. You're all adults, I don't need to babysit you!" she cried, smiling at them all. "I hope you all had a good time. I'll see you next week."

Stefan came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist as the others ran off to check out the festival. "What do you want to do?" he asked, his breath tickling his neck.

"Food," he replied instantly, causing Stefan to laugh.

Renee shook her head at them. "I could go for something to eat too actually," she said and turned to Anthony. "Did you want to come with us?" Hugo smiled. They were trying to include his new friend in everything, even if Renee didn't like the people at the GSA.

Food, while expensive, wasn't hard to find and in no time at all they were seated on the grass in front of the stage, listening to the band play. Stefan grabbed his camera from the satchel bag Renee had on her and snapped a few photos of them all. A few of Renee lounging on the grass and eyeing the women that walked past. A couple of Hugo eating chips, his legs crossed underneath him. He even took one of Anthony looking out into the distance.

"Can we get a few photos together?" Hugo asked when he finished eating.

Stefan looked a little startled by the question but moved closer anyway, tilting the camera to get both of their faces in. At the last minute, Hugo tilted the other man's face towards him and pressed a kiss to his lips as the flash went off. "You dork," Stefan said when he pulled away.

"Shush," Hugo replied. "Take some more. I want a whole heap."

"Do you want me to give these ones to you?" Stefan asked.

"Just make some copies for me. I don't have enough photos of us."

So, Stefan took more photos than Hugo had expected him to. Photos of the two of them hugging and kissing and sitting together. Photos of Renee sitting on his lap and eating chips, photos of him and Anthony talking together. All the while, music played in the background and people yelled to each other across the park.

He lay back on the grass, laughing when Stefan took another photo of him. "You looked cute like that, don't judge me," he said.

"You always think I look cute," Hugo replied.

"Yep." He blushed and hid his face in the cool grass.

He didn't know how long they sat there, talking and joking around in the grass with the sun beating down on them. Hours passed and people came and went. The band on the stage changed three times but they still didn't leave until the sun began to make its way down to the west.

They said goodbye to Anthony at the train station and wandered back to the busy parking lot. Hugo took off the flag then and dumped it in the boot with the rest of their things. He was definitely sunburned, but it was worth it. It was all worth it.

If he hadn't decided to reply to Renee when she talked to him that day in class, he never would be where he was now. He'd still be an anxious mess living with his father and hating his life. Thanks to his courage and Renee, he was living on his own with friends and a boyfriend that he cared for and who cared for him.

Because of that, he was able to start his editing again. Tomas's book may be finished and he already had two more people wanting his help. It was a start. He would even try more writing events, just not conventions. Not yet. There were smaller ones he could attend and online ones where being mute didn't matter. He could take Stefan or Renee or maybe even Michael from the GSA if he asked politely enough.

Then there was his father. He wasn't ready to forgive him for the last five years. Maybe he never would be, and he'd never properly speak to him. His father had ruined any attempt at that. But maybe, just maybe, he could have a good relationship with him again. It would take time, but if they were both willing for it to happen, then there was a chance that it could.

His life was good. For the first time in five years, it was good.

"Did you have a good time?" Stefan asked on the car ride back to his apartment. Renee was driving and they sat in the back, holding hands like a couple of teenagers.

Hugo looked at him, at the smile on his face and the twinkle in his eye and knew then that part of what he was feeling was love. "I did," he said.

END

A.N: I hope you guys enjoyed reading this book! I'm going to miss these guys. The next chapter is some character profiles I had made a while ago, but if you want more of Hugo and Stefan, and even a short story about Renee, head over to patreon! They're available for $1 a month, along with extras for all my books