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Chloe and Red had gone to bed hours ago, but sleep was something that had been delayed by a multitude of distractions. It began with them both tucked under the covers, holding each other close as they watched a scary movie together, much later into the night than anticipated. The two of them talked throughout it, making up new inside jokes, cuddling and supporting each other through the more tense parts. Well, Chloe was the one tucking her face into Red’s neck in fear. Red was a bit more desensitized to that kind of stuff for… reasons. To put it simply, she’d seen worse.
Red held her lover close, whispering reassurances and pressing gentle kisses to her temple and hair whenever Chloe clung onto her too tight. She found herself blushing a bit when her lover’s lips would brush against her neck from time to time, the feeling of her breath on her skin sending shivers down her spine. Red tried to ignore it, but felt her hands wandering a bit as she held her girlfriend. Fingers fidgeting with clothing, tracing shapes on bare skin, sliding under Chloe’s shirt and trailing along the outline of her incredibly toned abs. Red heard the blue-haired girl let out a soft exhale, a familiar sound she was almost sure she knew the meaning of.
She turned to Chloe, eyes trained on her darker ones, searching for a sign, a confirmation of her inner thoughts. Red saw a certain kind of desire in the bluenette’s eyes, brushing her nose against hers as a final test of sorts. Chloe’s eyes took on a half-lidded quality, and Red made her move. She leaned in, her girl’s breath hitching as their lips connected, a kiss that started off slow, but made a certain kind of heat and need incredibly clear. Chloe hummed against Red’s lips, the movie long forgotten as she wrapped her arms around her lover’s neck, keeping her in place as she made it known she did not want her going anywhere. Red had no qualms with that, letting one hand slide up Chloe’s neck and into her ocean of blue curls, lightly gripping at the roots while the other settled on her waist, holding her there as their lips danced against each other in a rhythm of hunger and love.
Shirts found their way to the floor, and Chloe found her back pressed against the mattress as their affections continued, neither wanting to stop as tongues explored mouths and hands mapped out skin. Red’s finger hooked into the waistband of Chloe’s pajama pants, the bluenette letting out a soft moan of permission against her lips, until a piercing ringtone flooded the room, both Red and Chloe nearly jumping out of their skin. Chloe panted as she tried to catch her breath, searching and patting around the bed for a few moments until she found her phone, her mother’s contact appearing on the screen. She answered it immediately, believing it had to be some kind of emergency after noticing that the time was exactly midnight.
“Mom? Is everything oka-” Chloe started, but was immediately cut off by what could only be described as a screech of joy.
“HAPPY PRIDE MONTH, MY BABIESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!! I’m so excited that you finally get to spend pride with a girlfriend!! You guys both better have the best time at the parades and festivals!! I’ll be coming with my classic shirt I know you love tomorrow!!” Ella exclaimed, way too excited for literally midnight.
Chloe took a bit to process her mother’s words, still catching her breath from their… activities, her brain still fuzzy and filled with heat as she took it in. “Mom, did you REALLY call at midnight just to wish us a happy pride?? Why are you even awake??” She asked, still panting a bit without even realizing.
“Well I could ask you the same question! Why are you awake, huh Hon? You sound a little… out of breath.” Ella said the last part suggestively, forcing Chloe into a coughing fit as Red cackled like a Jubjub bird.
“We were just getting in a late night workout.” Red remarked coyly, immediately earning an elbow in the ribs from Chloe.
“YOU be quiet. Thank you soooo much for the well wishes, Mom. I love you and I’ll talk to you at a more reasonable hour of the day.” Chloe huffed, getting ready to hang up.
“Of course, sweetie. I’m sure you’re in a rush to get back to that workout.” Ella teased, Chloe hanging up immediately and tossing her phone to the side as she buried her face in her hands, enough embarrassment coursing through her veins that she thought it might kill her. “You’re so grounded.” She muttered to Red, who laughed again before wrapping an arm around her.
“I’m sorry, Princess. I simply couldn’t resist. Please forgive me?” Red begged, pressing sweet kisses over Chloe’s hands before moving them to the side to kiss over her face, reuniting their lips in a softer manner this time.
Chloe fully melted into the affection, always a simp for her gorgeous lover before her. “Fineeee. I guess I'll forgive you this time.” She sighed, a lovesick smile on her face as she rubbed Red’s hands with her thumbs.
“Thanks, Boo. You won't regret it.” Red winked, knowing full well she was gonna find some new way to annoy Chloe eventually. It was part of her charm, one of their love languages at this point. Red tilted her head when she recalled some of the things that Ella had said. “Hey, Bluey? This might be a stupid question, but uh, what's pride and why was your mom wishing us a happy one?” She asked, knowing Chloe would never judge her for any question.
Chloe chuckled softly at first, not yet taking in Red’s expression and assuming she was making some sort of joke. But then she saw the crimson-haired girl’s head tilt, the curiosity and genuine interest clear in her eyes. Chloe’s breath hitched for a different reason this time, out of shock as she intertwined their hands. “You really don’t know what pride is? Even pride month?” She asked, just to confirm.
Red shook her head. “Is this another Auradon thing I don’t know about?” She questioned, as it wouldn’t be the first time Red was completely clueless on something from this land.
Chloe hummed at the question. “Pride month is celebrated throughout all of the kingdoms though. I don’t see why it wouldn’t be a thing in Wonderland.” She mused. “It’s a celebration of queerness, love, acceptance. Queerness wasn’t always accepted here. Sometimes it still isn’t. The first pride was a riot actually. Demanding equality and fair treatment. To be seen as human and being allowed to love whoever we love.” Chloe explained briefly, not wanting to ramble too much especially since it was so late at night. Though she’d be happy to answer any questions Red had.
Red nodded along to Chloe’s words, letting out a sigh of realization. “Ahh. That explains why I don’t know what it is. My mom, well, my old mom, I guess. She pretty much banned happiness in Wonderland, or any outward showings of that. Parties were illegal, festivals, gatherings, anything like that. So pride must’ve fallen into that category too.” Red stated, fidgeting with the bluenette’s fingers as she spoke.
“I’m sorry, Red. I had no idea. I’m sorry you had to grow up in that environment. You deserved so much better.” Chloe pressed a gentle kiss to the red-head’s forehead.
Red only smiled softly. “I have better now, baby. And I’d go through it all again if it meant I got to have you in the end.” She whispered, leaning in to rest her forehead against the other girl’s.
Chloe wore a loving grin at the response. “I’d do the same. I’d do anything for you, Sweetheart.” She pressed her lips against Red’s softly, the two melting into the shared affection for a while. “Well, what do you say? Do you wanna go to your first pride tomorrow?” Chloe asked, tucking some hair behind her ears to see her face better.
“I’d love to, pretty girl.” Red answered quickly, despite having NO idea what occurred at pride. She figured she’d be okay as long as she was with Chloe.
The two went to sleep that night tangled in each other’s arms, excited for what awaited them in the morning. Red woke up colder than she’d gone to sleep, feeling around the bed and pouting when she realized she was alone. She let out a soft whine. Whereeeeeeee was her girlfriend?? Didn’t she know it was completely irresponsible to let her wake up by herself instead of in her arms? Red heard the door open after a bit, blinking her eyes open and wearing a sleepy smile when she saw a cloud of blue curls enter the room. “Babyyyyyy. You left meeeeeee.” She whined, making grabby hands towards her lover.
Chloe giggled at Red’s sleepy antics. She was the cutest thing in the world. “I’m sorryyyyy! I just went to pick up some stuff.” Chloe set down the bag she was carrying, crawling back into bed with her girlfriend and pulling her in close, pecking her lips. “Good morning, my Heart.” She whispered, running a hand through crimson waves.
“Good mornin’, Bluey.” Red replied, nuzzling into Chloe’s neck, breathing in her comforting lavender scent. “What did you get?” She asked, curiosity reaching her even in her sleepy state.
“Just a couple things for pride today. I’ll show you once we get up.” The bluenette answered, her other hand sliding down to gently scratch Red’s back, making the girl completely melt and go limp in her arms. The two cuddled for a while longer, holding each other with love and comfort, before eventually deciding that they should start to get ready for the day.
“Okay, love. I got us some stuff that you absolutely don’t have to use or bring if you don’t want to. I just wanted to bring a bunch to see what you’d like.” Chloe started pulling things out of her bag, starting off with a couple rainbow fans, which made Red smile. “Those are if it gets hot, and just cause they’re kind of a thing anyway.” She pulled out some facepaint as well. “I figured maybe you could paint my face a little? Like a rainbow flag or a lesbian heart or something? If you wanted.” Chloe set the paint aside, pulling out two mini flags, one lesbian, and one bi. “Just so we have stuff to wave around whether we march in the parade or just watch.” Chloe explained, and then pulled out a couple of shirts. “I know you typically prefer your color palette, but I got these simple shirts for us to match in if you wanted. It’s up to you!! I won’t be upset or anything if you don’t want to wear it, I just thought it might be cute.” Chloe showed the shirts, both simple black ones with a rainbow across the front.
Red took in everything that Chloe pulled out, her heart swelling at how much Chloe cared about this. It was clear she wanted her to experience this first pride to the fullest. “All this stuff is awesome. Thanks, hermosa.” Red complimented, walking up to Chloe and pulling her into a tight, appreciative hug, kissing her right after.
The two got ready after that, both wearing their new matching shirts and putting together the rest of their outfits. Red followed Chloe’s lead, doing her makeup a little extra as the other girl seemed to be doing, adding some extra jewels and making her liner more pronounced. When they were done, Red happily grabbed the facepaint and started on Chloe, doing exactly as she said. She painted a rainbow flag on her girl’s left cheek, making a cute heart with the colors of the lesbian flag on the other side. The bluenette offered to do the same for her, but Red opted to do it herself, knowing the girl wasn’t the most artistically inclined, which may have earned her a pout but she kissed it away quickly. Red painted herself, matching Chloe with the rainbow on one side and a heart with the bisexual flag colors for herself. Chloe grabbed a bag, putting their fans and flags inside, as well as some water bottles, sunscreen, snacks, and other things just in case.
“Are you ready, baby?” Chloe asked, holding out her hand for Red, who took it with a soft smile and a nod before the two left the room.
Even the dorm hallways were already decorated, rainbow streamers running down every side, some flags and hearts stuck to the wall. This pride thing must’ve been a big deal. Red took in every detail with a smile as they made their way outside into town, already hearing the music close by. Red could see a crowd, rainbow practically everywhere as if a few spray cans exploded. There were pride flags everywhere, of many different sexualities and genders, some people wearing rainbow head to toe while others were more subtle about it, but celebrating here nonetheless. Chloe got a text from her mother, telling her where she was and that she had a good spot to watch the parade if they wanted to join. They decided to go meet up with her, Red smiling as she saw Ella in a much less regal outfit than she was used to, sporting some jeans and a white t-shirt that said “Free Mom Hugs” in rainbow text.
“Hey, Mom!” Chloe exclaimed, going forward to hug her.
“Hi baby! It’s been so much fun, there were these amazing drag queens on this float that just passed by, they were stunning. Hi, Red! You two are so cute with the matching shirts!” Ella complimented, pulling the girl into a gentle hug as well, which Red accepted with a soft grin on her face.
The three watched the parade for a while, waving their flags, singing along to the music, meeting some new people, getting free buttons and stickers and such from some that were handing them out. Red was enthralled by the celebration. This was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. She watched as some people came up to Ella and hugged her, some with tears in their eyes, some with joyous expressions. This place felt like the definition of acceptance. Eventually, Ella told them to join the march, as there were apparently vendors and food trucks at the end. Red stayed attached to Chloe by the hand as they walked behind floats and performers along with the other marchers, taking in beautiful costumes and having sweet interactions with other pridegoers, queer people and allies alike.
Red’s heart felt full. She hoped there were more celebrations like this one. The music, the dancing, the heart, the togetherness, the joy. She wasn’t a very social person, but she felt herself getting emotional at the way so many people gathered together to celebrate the beauty of their identities. She felt flooded with inspiration, her hands tingling to do some spray painting. This whole experience felt like art. Eventually they reached the vendors Ella had told them about, the two stopping to get food together first since all that marching made them hungry. They sat on the grass together, talking and smiling so wide it hurt as they ate. Red told Chloe everything she was feeling about being here, and the girl was glad the girl was having a good first experience.
The couple decided to explore some of the booths in the park they’d ended up at after the parade. There were a variety of things to explore. Some people were selling clothing, things like t-shirts, hats, even cool pants that had rainbows and other colorful designs like flowers in them. Other people were selling jewelry of all kinds. One person had a table dedicated to friendship and pride bracelets that they were giving away for free despite all their hard work. Chloe and Red took bracelets that matched their pride flags, and others that both said ‘hers’ on them for each other. There was also a live performance going on, the two going to investigate and dance in the crowd as an artist sang ‘I kissed a girl’ for all the queer women in the park. Of course the couple shared a lasting kiss during that song. They watched a few drag performances as they kept shopping, buying some stickers, pins, and cute art prints as well, just soaking in the feeling of being part of a community.
They had an incredible day that ended with getting ice cream with Ella before they went back home to their dorm. Red flopped onto the bed, taking deep breaths as she just reflected on the day the two had together. “That was amazing.” She breathed out, sitting up and looking at Chloe. “Can we do that again? Are there more of those?” She asked, and the bluenette sent her a soft smile. The two spent the rest of pride month exploring other celebrations in different towns in the kingdom, having an absolute blast as they celebrated their love with their community.