Archive of Our Own ^beta

Jarilo-VI was not a colorful planet. Between the lack of greenery and the subsequent lack of pigments to dye clothes with, everything was in muted shades of blue, brown, and gray. There were a few exceptions, of course— mostly from the Underground— but for the most part, people reserved bright colors for important officials and events.

Gepard wasn’t used to seeing so many people in bright clothes. With planetary trade open, it made sense for more fabrics to end up in Belobog. However, the consequences of that hadn’t truly been witnessed until now. Brilliant rainbow banners were strung between street lights, flags of innumerable colors waved proudly in the air, and the citizens of Belobog were just as vibrant.

Gepard remembered discussing plans for this celebration with Bronya. She had been a little startled by how many people were in favor of it. It wasn’t like Belobog was some primitive planet, or so conservative the people would faint at the sight of two men holding hands. It wasn’t exactly progressive either, though. Isolated from the rest of the galaxy, it was somewhat behind the times.

Bronya had agreed that it was a good idea to engage in that sort of culture. It would make Belobog more approachable to certain envoys, and it would make the Queer community on-planet feel safer and more comfortable. Gepard knew she was right, so together with the rest of the Silvermane Guards, they had organized Belobog’s very first pride festival.

Now the festival was in full swing, and Gepard was dressed in more colors than he’d ever been. He tugged at the edge of the flag draped across his shoulders, feeling the cheap material between his fingers. He had discussed what flags he wanted to wear with Sampo at length, and this one had felt right to him. The gradient of blues and greens was pleasant, and the meaning of the flag matched him as well.

It wasn’t like people didn’t know he was gay. He wasn’t open about it, but he didn’t try to hide it either. He supposed it was an open secret. Despite that, it was still scary to walk out that door wearing the flag that represented him. He was declaring himself to the whole world— literally, with how small Belobog’s population was— and that was intimidating. Anyone would be nervous, he reasoned.

Anyone except for Sampo, Gepard supposed. Sampo had been instrumental in organizing the event, since he was, in his words, “intimately familiar” with interplanetary Queer culture. Gepard was grateful for the help, as well as his general presence, but… well, part of him wished his boyfriend would be a little less flashy with his own display of pride.

Sampo adjusted his floor-length dress with a sigh, synthetic blue curls brushing across his shoulders. “How do I look?” he asked, twirling once with a smug grin that suggested he already knew he looked fantastic. He did, of course, as usual.

He’d gone all-out, his eyeshadow a vibrant rainbow gradient. A glittering red floor-length dress with a sweetheart neckline hugged his hips, and a flag (the genderfluid one, according to Sampo) was worn like a feather boa around his shoulders. A second flag formed a sash across his hips, proudly displaying the bisexual colors.

“You look fine,” Gepard muttered distractedly. He wanted to focus on Sampo, but he was too busy watching the festivities from his front porch.

The streets were more crowded than they’d ever been, with both overworlders and underworlders celebrating as one. Flags waved in the chilly breeze, and many of the underworld kids were running with their own diversity flags. They’d wanted to participate, and nobody could think of a good reason to say no. The Moles were now leading the charge in their own miniature parade.

Warm arms wrapped around Gepard’s waist from behind. “You’re tense,” Sampo teased, blowing air into Gepard’s ear. Gepard swatted him away with a scowl, earning a laugh in return.

“Of course I’m tense,” Gepard sighed. “The crowd is too big. It would be easy to launch an attack, and the guards wouldn’t be able to keep things under control.”

He wasn’t lying about these concerns, but he was, admittedly, using them as a front. It was easier to act like a Captain, even off-duty, than it was to admit that he was also afraid of announcing himself. Sampo didn’t have to know that, even if he was Gepard’s boyfriend.

Sampo shook his head, his chin digging into Gepard’s shoulder. “C’mon,” he said, “lighten up! You’re out of uniform. Act like it, Mister!” A slender finger with perfectly manicured nails poked Gepard’s side as Sampo pulled away and stood next to him normally. “Nothing’s gonna happen as long as Ol’ Sampo’s here.”

Gepard rolled his eyes with an exasperated laugh, although it was warmer than it would have been a mere year before. “It’s not your job to protect Belobog,” he reminded. “If anyone should be relaxing, it’s you. You organized half of the festivities.”

“D’aw, you flatter me.” Sampo fanned himself gently with his hand, and Gepard was sure he would have been blushing if it wasn’t for the over-the-top makeup he wore. “Seriously, though, I don’t care about me right now. It’s your first pride parade, Gep! Live a little!”

When Gepard didn’t respond, Sampo let out a sigh. He took Gepard’s prosthetic hand in his own, then the real one, his verdant eyes shining with sincerity. “If anything happens,” he said, “then you’ll take care of it. You’re a good Captain, and the Silvermane Guards are very good at what they do.” He paused. “Except for catching me, of course.”

Gepard snorted, letting go of Sampo to nudge him with his shoulder. “I caught you,” he reminded. “You just kept escaping.”

“That’s doesn’t make it any better!” Sampo laughed, and Gepard laughed with him, his chest already feeling lighter. The fear wasn’t gone, but it was quieter now, and that was all that mattered.

Gepard ran his fingers down the edge of his flag one more time, then squared his shoulders. “Okay,” he said with a nod. “I think I’m ready now.” Sampo gave him a thumbs up and a teasing wink, and Gepard chuckled softly.

“Thank you,” he whispered as he took Sampo’s hand in his own. “I needed that.”

“Anytime, Captain.”

The two stepped off of Gepard’s front porch, finally making their way into the festivities. Sampo walked slightly ahead, confident in his steps. He waved at people, shouting compliments over the chattering crowd at whoever caught his eye. Gepard followed, greeting people he knew as he did.

A surprising number of off-duty soldiers were there. There were only a few of those in the first place, but it seemed that almost all of them were participating in the celebration. A couple of them, two Privates who were particularly close to each other, were flying the same flag as Gepard. They didn’t speak to Gepard, but when they passed each other, the three of them stared at each other wide-eyed until Sampo dragged Gepard to a booth.

As Sampo perused the wares— various colorful earrings made by a local artist, it seemed— Gepard took in the crowd again. It looked a lot bigger up close. “The turnout is a lot better than I expected,” he admitted. “I had no idea there were so many of… us.”

Sampo shrugged, putting back the pair of rainbow cloud earrings he’d picked up. “The universe is a big place,” he said with a grin. “It can be a little inconvenient at times, but it’s really nice for… y’know. Knowing you’re not alone.”

Gepard exhaled, making a noise halfway between a laugh and a sigh. “Yeah,” he agreed. “That part is really nice. I’m sure Bronya is having a great time with that.”

“Oh yeah, Seele was real excited!” Sampo held up a pair of dangling earrings shaped like tiny daggers to his ears. “What do you think?” Gepard nodded in approval, snorting a little. The earrings certainly fit Sampo’s general vibe.

Sampo slid a few shields across the booth, grinning as his purchase was wrapped. Gepard raised an eyebrow and elbowed him teasingly. “You’re not just going to take them? Wow, you’ve changed.”

“Excuse you,” Sampo said haughtily, “I don’t shoplift! I’m above such petty crimes.”

“You pickpocketed me a few months ago.”

“As a joke! I gave your wallet back!” The booth’s operator handed Sampo the bag, and Sampo thanked them before taking Gepard’s hand and leading him away.

“Yeah, with twenty credits missing.” Gepard dodged Sampo’s playful swat, though he didn’t let go of his hand. Their laughter didn’t carry far in the crowd, overpowered by music and endless chatter. With so much going on, nobody seemed to care about Gepard being there.

Well, nobody except for his friends and family. Some of his soldiers came up to him with enthusiastic greetings, waving their flags excitedly. Serval was there, proudly displaying a lesbian flag alongside Pela and Lynx, who shared a bi flag draped across their shoulders. Natasha herded the Moles, whose faces had all been painted with glittery rainbows.

At one point, Bronya gave Gepard a formal greeting, while Seele punched Sampo in the arm so hard it didn’t seem very friendly, although they both laughed about it. Gepard hadn’t even known the two were together yet, although he’d had suspicions. He hadn’t known about so many of the people there, and it was a pleasant surprise to see how many familiar faces there were.

The day passed in a blur of rainbows and music. Sampo dragged Gepard to almost every booth and event, at one point forcing him onstage for a miniature fashion show. Even though Gepard was only wearing a casual black shirt and slacks, Sampo clapped for him like he was the star of the show. Gepard made sure to do the same, his face flushed as Sampo practically dominated the catwalk.

By the end of the day, Gepard was overwhelmed, overstimulated, and exhausted, but he couldn’t keep a smile off his face. He laughed with Sampo as he was pulled to a side street, lined with food stands and art displays. It was quieter there, thankfully, and since it was getting dark, the crowds had begun to thin.

It was Gepard’s turn to take the lead this time. He selected a soup stand, ordering for the two of them even though his throat was scratchy from shouting over the crowd. He carried the two cups of soup over to where Sampo sat, sliding next to him on the bench and leaning into his shoulder.

“Thank you,” Gepard said after taking a hearty sip of broth. “For helping to organize everything, and for being here with me. I never thought…” He took a shuddering breath, blinking rapidly. He wasn’t tearing up, but he could feel himself getting emotional.

“Hey, hey, Gep…” Sampo used his free hand to turn Gepard’s face toward him. His eyes shone in the dim lighting of the Geomarrow lanterns. A soft smile graced his lips, so different from his usual teasing smirk.

“I’m glad I got to do this with you,” Sampo said, genuine joy filling his voice. “Even though the guards wouldn’t stop glaring at me.” Gepard snorted. “I don’t regret doing this. Belobog deserves to feel accepted, and so do you.”

Gepard chuckled quietly. “It’s not that I didn’t feel accepted before, it’s just… hard, sometimes.” Even though Serval, Lynx, Pela, and Bronya were open about their identities, it was still difficult for Gepard to feel like he wasn’t alone.

“Yeah, I get it.” Sampo guided Gepard’s face closer, then planted a kiss on his cheek. “I remember my first time at one of these, and feeling like I belonged… it was overwhelming.”

“Yeah.” Gepard gently guided Sampo’s hand away from his face, lacing their fingers together. He sipped at his soup, warming his stomach and his heart.

The festivities were planned to go on the whole night. More adult parties had been booked at various bars, one of which Gepard and Sampo had promised to attend. There was still time before it started, though, so Gepard was more than happy to sit quietly and enjoy Sampo’s company alone for a little while longer.

“Happy Pride, Gepard,” Sampo muttered softly after a moment. Gepard didn’t have to look to see that Sampo was grinning from ear to ear. That smile was infectious, even if Gepard couldn’t see it.

“Happy Pride,” Gepard repeated, closing his eyes. He would definitely have to convince Bronya to do this again next year.