QPC 10 - Queer Friendship

Warnings: Swearing, jokes of harm

Word Count: 695

“Tay…. Tay, what are you doing?”

“Oho, just you wait my fine friend, I have quite the surprise for you.”

“You…. really, like really don’t have to.”

Tay paused her rummaging through their backpack with a sigh and ran a hand through her hair.

“Look, Adri, I know you don’t like surprises, but I promise you, it’s a good one. And if you don’t like it, I’ll just take it away, and you’ll never see it again. I promise, okay?”

Adrian frowned. He had made his dislike towards surprises quite clear, in his opinion, but they didn’t actually think he would ever reject something that she made, right? Choosing to save that conversation for later, he gave in to their antics.

“Sure. You know what, sure. Show me the incomprehensible surprise you and only you could create, oh almighty.”

They slapped his arm.

“Ow, Tay, you bitch!”

It was worth it to see her laugh and enjoy themself, she really had been stressed lately.

“I mean, I already made my stance on this clear. Violence solves literally all problems, it’s true.”

“It is not true in the slightest, but okay then.”

“Buzzkill.”

“I literally didn’t even say anything?!”

“I could sense your judgement all the way over here.”

“I am right next to you.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Also, you could sense it? What, is the surprise that you’ve gone psychic?”

“No, it’s much- Oh yeah, the surprise!”

He laughed as they shot up from her place on the bed to run to their bag.

“Did you already forget about it?”

“Mouth your shut.”

“... What?”

“Yeah yeah, great, listen up now.”

She held both their hands out in front of her, curled together into fists so he couldn’t see what they were holding.

“Choose one!”

“Uh, left?”

“... Choose another one!”

He gave her an unimpressed stare.

“Really?”

“Adri, just choose one before I shove the surprise up your ass.”

“You terrify me.”

“Choose the damn right hand, Adrian.”

“Jeez, fine, chill.”

He could sense their nervousness, and she knew that as well. But they had a silent agreement to never ask until the one who was doing bad initiated the conversation first, so as much as he also was getting nervous about the gift, he said nothing.

“Wait, Adri, please just…”

“What’s up?”

“... Nothing. Nothing, just take the gift.”

Right. Nothing wrong at all.

He closed his eyes and took the three (three!?) small items from their hand.

As he opened his eyes, he saw….

“A pronoun badge?”

“Also, uh- also the trans flag. And the ace one. Y’know… for you. Um. If you like it of course…. Do you like it?”

He stared down at the small pins.

“Tay-“

“‘Cause, y’know, I can just, give them to someone else. Or throw them out. Yeah, I should probably throw them out. I’ll just go do that-”

Holy shit, his best friend was stupid as hell. In the nicest way possible, of course.

“Tay.”

“Adrian.”

“Tay. Why on earth wouldn’t I like them?”

She visibly relaxed. Good. Not fully, though. Less good.

“Just, y’know, you’re kind of trying to be stealth. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, obviously, pride pins are just not that stealthy. Y’know.”

“Of course I know Tay. I like them. I love them. And it doesn’t matter if I just wear them in private when I need a bit of gender euphoria. Just because I don’t show the world, doesn’t mean I don’t like them. I really appreciate this Tay. Thank you.”

They weren’t tense anymore. Just surprised. That was better.

“Uh, well. You know, I didn’t just make them for you. ‘Cause that would be favoritism and stuff, and we don’t condone that shit here.

“Of course not, of course not. I was a bit scared you didn’t make for Coal and Harlow, they would have murdered me.”

“Oh dream on pretty boy, you’re not special enough to make me exclude them.”

“I have literally never been this hurt in my entire life.”

“Good. Suffer.”

And they were back, the two of them. Just laughing and joking and slapping each other. Like they always had been. And like they always would be.

#QPC10

Background and picture made by me on Wombo Art