Chapter Text
“Huh.” Jonah and Garrett said in unison as they entered the store to begin their shifts.
During the previous day’s breakroom corporate rundown, they’d been informed that setting up a small Pride Month display this year was the company’s latest attempt at reaching out to the community. Embracing diversity, etc. A shallow and meaningless gesture, in the grand context of things.
Glenn stretched precariously on top of a step ladder (OSHA would disapprove), attempting to hang some multicolored tinsel to the display he had set up. Quite frankly, it did not need any more tinsel. Or colors. It looked like someone had sprinted through the crowd at a Pride event and swiped every flag they could.
It was clear he was trying his best to overcompensate for some of his initial discomfort around the LGBTQ community. However kind-hearted the gesture was, it was overbearing enough that it stopped every employee who entered through the sliding doors in their tracks.
“I’m sure this will go over well,” Garrett said sarcastically.
“Well, I think it’s– his heart’s in the right place.” Jonah smiled uncomfortably.
“Dude,” Garrett leveled him with a Look. “Half of our demographic is either people old enough to have an instant heart attack at the sight of this, or in here buying hunting shit and fishing poles.”
“Well, let’s try not to stereotype–” Jonah trailed off as Glenn hopped down from the ladder and tapped the screen of his phone, blasting Madonna’s Vogue from a bluetooth speaker.
“Oh, God.” Mateo groaned from behind them.
“Welcome, everyone!” Glenn beamed, flailing his arms in an uncharacteristically flamboyant way as he flipped open a rainbow-colored fan. His mandated cloud-themed tie had rainbows connecting the clouds. He had a small pin affixed to his vest that read Love is Love . “What do you think?!”
There was an awkward beat of silence. A few uhhhh s from the group of employees who had filed in after Jonah and Garrett.
“Oh, come on!” Glenn shouted over Madonna. “Let’s show some support to the LBGQ…T…Q?” He trailed off, looking a bit confused. “Community!”
Amy piped up from somewhere in Jonah’s periphery. “Good job, Glenn. This is really, um. Supportive.”
“Sure, I guess.” Mateo shrugged. He was still a bit stunned. “At least he’s not wearing leather.”
“Great attitude, Amy!” Glenn picked up a basket and set it down on the table in front of him. It had a giant rainbow flag as a tablecloth. “Now, everybody, come grab a pin! Let’s show some pride!”
“O-okay.” Jonah smiled and approached the table.
Others started to make their way forward as soon as he led the pack. Jonah was ever eager to support any cause that he could. Several people held back, rejecting the offer.
“Uhh… dude.” Marcus scoffed as he rifled through the pins. “I think you messed up.”
“What?” Glenn asked nervously.
“Shouldn’t these all be like rainbows?” Marcus asked. He always had that weirdly cocky yet dopey look on his face. He picked a pin out of the bucket and showed it around. “Like, what even is this?”
“Bisexual pride flag,” Jonah answered so quickly that a few heads perked up. He could never resist the opportunity to Explain something.
“Correct, Jonah!” Glenn beamed. “I ordered multiples of every flag I could find, just in case.”
“Okay.” Marcus looked incredulous and picked out another pin that seemed to puzzle him.
“Oh, uh. Pansexual.” Jonah pointed at the pin, proud of himself like the teacher’s pet who just answered a question in class.
“Pan… Like, pans?”
“No, it’s more like a nuanced version–” Jonah cut himself off, tapping into the most NPR politically correct depths of his brain. “It’s under the umbrella of bisexuality, depending on who you ask, you might get a different answer, but they’re practically synonymous. To some people, not everyone, I mean, there’s always going to be some–”
“Okay, Jonah. Thank you!” Glenn shouted. Now Lady Gaga’s Born This Way was playing in the background. He asked, as if it was a normal and appropriate question for your employees: “Is anyone here bisexual? Pansexual?”
“Uh.” Jonah froze, his hand halfway into the bucket of pins.
He felt every set of eyes focused on him suddenly.
“Uh?” Marcus raised his eyebrows, teasing.
“Well, I mean. Everyone, at some point, has at the very least experimented, right?” Jonah mentally kicked himself. Why did he say that?
“What was that, college boy?” Amy teased, intrigued.
“Just own it, man.” Garrett chimed in, already bored with this whole thing. “Nobody gives a shit.”
“Okay, well, uh. I should clarify–” Jonah was a bit panicked deciding between the bi flag, which he had been used to since he was in high school, or the pan flag, which he wasn’t even aware people considered to be a separate thing from bisexuality. “It’s all so nuanced, I don’t really understand why people make it out to be like there’s any diff–”
“Just grab the pin and get out of the way.” Mateo rolled his eyes and popped up beside Jonah, grabbing a rainbow pin and quickly affixing it to his vest.
Jonah stood frozen with analysis paralysis while others casually grabbed their generic rainbow pins, a couple of others opting for the bisexual, pansexual, or trans flag colors. He was surprised at the lack of lesbian representation, but that wasn’t his business. Right now, it was just choosing. He finally took a deep breath, sighed, and snagged one of the bisexual pins.
“There’s our bi guy!” Glenn beamed.
“Yeah, thanks, Glenn.” Jonah’s face burned with embarrassment. He took the pin and fastened it to his vest.
It didn’t take long after the store opened for cranky people to start complaining about the borderline garish pride display that greeted them right inside the sliding doors, and the pins worn by the employees assisting them. Garrett sat at the customer service table, happily telling them to fuck off in the most tactful customer service ways he could.
“I just think it’s wrong.” An elderly woman said sternly, holding a paper bag that contained her prescription from the pharmacy. “Marriage should only be between a man and a woman.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Garrett sighed and rolled his eyes. “This must be very hard for you.”
“And you,” She continued on her stupid tirade, and Garrett thought his eyes were going to roll back into his skull permanently. “You’re wearing that rainbow pin. You support this nonsense. Or maybe you’re one of those people, I don’t know. It just makes me sick.”
“One of those people ?” He straightened up a bit and looked her dead in the eyes. Pressed the button on his microphone and spoke over the intercom. “Attention shoppers, will all deranged bigots please report to the front of the store, form a single file line, and get the fuck out? Thank you.”
The woman’s mouth dropped open, and she turned to hobble out of the store. No fewer than 30 seconds passed before Glenn came scrambling around a corner.
“You can’t say that!!” Glenn shrieked.
“Well, it seems to be working.” Garrett leaned back and watched with detached amusement as a few wound-up customers bolted to the exit. “This is all about supporting The Community, right?”
“Okay, true.” Glenn crossed his arms and observed. He straightened his rainbow cloud tie and nodded, filled with a borrowed sense of pride. “Just, no more bad words over the intercom, okay? We need to try to be nice, here.”
“Sure.” Garrett sighed and went over the intercom again to announce some special in-store deals in an overly friendly, unnatural tone.
“Good.” Glenn smiled and walked away.
“Hey there, Bi Guy.” Marcus snuck up behind Jonah and made him drop the package of paper towels he was stocking on the shelf.
“Jesus, you scared me.” Jonah looked flustered. He pointed at the rainbow pin on Marcus’ vest and smiled. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t have you pegged as an open supporter.”
“Yeah, well. I like the way it pisses some customers off.” Marcus replied. He smiled a little too big. “Plus, like you said, everyone has experimented at some point, right? I want to support everyone .”
It was impossible to ignore the way Marcus’ eyes widened as he said it, and darted down to Jonah’s bisexual flag pin.
“Well, uh, maybe not everyone . But, you know what I meant.” Jonah’s face was hot; he knew he was furiously blushing, and there was nothing he could do to hide it with his pale complexion. “Everyone gets at least a little curious, and uh, when people follow through with their innate curiosity…”
“Huh. Right.” Marcus replied. “You know, not everyone who’s curious has had the chance to experiment.”
“That is- That’s uh, true. Yeah.” Jonah gulped and tried to fix his eyes on literally anything but Marcus’ face.
“So, when did you start to experiment with dudes?”
“That’s kind of, um, a personal question.” Jonah stammered. “I just don’t think it’s appropriate to be having this kind of conversation, maybe?”
“Was it in college? Getting drunk with your buddies, yeah?” Marcus continued.
“No, I, uh.” Jonah knew he shouldn’t continue, but some strange warm sensation inside him urged him to keep going. “Even when I was like, a kid. I knew. Just little things, though. Innocent. Like kisses on the playground.”
“That is kind of cute.” Marcus seemed a little conflicted with himself as he continued the conversation. “But like, how far have you got with a guy?”
“Okay,” Jonah stopped him and returned to his task. “Too personal, Marcus.”
“Sorry, man. I was just curious .” Marcus said teasingly, with a strong emphasis on the word ‘curious’.
“It’s all good. Don’t worry.” Jonah said. Trying to ignore the way Marcus’ words had instantly set his imagination into motion. “It’s just something I’m not comfortable talking about with a coworker.”
“Do you, uh– How, can… How exactly does someone like find a way to start? If they’re like, curious or whatever?” Marcus was suddenly uncharacteristically shy.
Jonah did not want to be endeared by it, but, alas.
“Well, um.” Jonah had to suddenly choose between being the Helpful informative guy or telling him to fuck off. He could never resist the urge to help. “I guess a good first step is to see how it feels to kiss someone of the same, uh, gender?”
Marcus didn’t answer, just stared at Jonah. It was a little unnerving.
“If you feel repulsed or it feels unnatural or something, that’s a good sign that your experiment is over.” Jonah continued. “If it feels good, I guess you just keep going.”
Marcus continued with his weird, silent staring for a few more seconds before he took a step closer to Jonah, crowding his personal space.
“Okay, cool. Thanks.” Marcus said, and before Jonah had a chance to register what was happening, their lips were touching.
Jonah knew he should shove Marcus away. Maybe he said something that was misconstrued as an invitation? Maybe he was just Helping. He loved to help. Why did Marcus have such soft lips? Why did it feel good? Why? Why? Why? Jonah’s head was spinning, and before he knew it, the kiss was over.
“Hm.” Marcus pulled away and took a step back, licking his lips subconsciously. “Okay, yeah. I get it now.”
Jonah was too stunned by what had just happened to speak.
“Well,” Marcus cleared his throat and smiled slyly. “Thanks, Bi Guy.”
“Um,” Jonah stood frozen. “You're… welcome?”
Marcus grinned and flicked the little bi pride pin on Jonah’s vest before turning on his heels and walking away.
Jonah felt blank and watched Marcus walk toward the back of the store, stopping on his way to hold out his hand for a high five from a fellow employee.
“Huh.”