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Jackson didn’t think he would be spending this year’s San Francisco Pride being poured on by a surprise summer rainstorm while looking for Stiles. His plans didn’t involve Stiles at all, initially, but Stiles had been involved in his plans when he had shown up alongside Cora for his first “big city Pride.”
Stiles usually did Pride in Beacon Hills, and was involved in a lot of the festivities. He helped set up the artists’ market and painted rainbow crosswalks. His face was all over the @BeaconHillsPride social media accounts, showing off the LGBTQ+ books display at the library and driving around town in his Jeep, decked out in rainbow and bisexual flags.
Jackson had come out to his parents at fifteen and had spent all Pride weekends in San Francisco since. Being a cousin to the Hales, he was invited to stay at Peter’s San Francisco loft alongside his cousin Derek and his best friend Danny. The three of them had grown close while playing for the Beacon Hills High basketball team.
Cora and Malia showed up, as they usually did, but this time they had brought Stiles along with them. The three of them were studying at the same college and had become friends. Jackson didn’t care. No matter how many times Derek and Danny smirked at him for catching him staring at Stiles.
Jackson could admit that his ex-high school classmate was, in a way, attractive. But he was also so… much. The shirt he had been using when he arrived had all six colors of the rainbow flag in an angular pattern, and his wrists had not one but several rainbow bands.
“To give away,” Stiles had said when Derek commented on them. “Look!” he added, showing off the tiny unicorn decal each one had.
That night they had gone to sleep late, and Jackson could see just how excited Stiles was for the next day. Jackson couldn’t really relate. Or understand. Stiles’ dad was supportive and so were the rest of the people working at the Sheriff’s station. Several out gay couples lived in Beacon Hills without any issue. So why did he have to go all out like this?
The next morning, Jackson came down in his boxers and tank top to the kitchen to find Stiles, Malia and Cora getting ready. Stiles’ garish sense of style for the day had infected them, too. Cora’s top was a bright rainbow with glitter all over it and Malia had a huge lesbian flag as a flowing skirt. Another huge rainbow flag leaned against the kitchen’s floor to ceiling window, tinting the light of the whole space. Stiles concentrated as he put on glittery eyeshadow.
“Good morning!” Stiles said, greeting him with a big smile. “I brought coffee mugs for everyone.”
Jackson looked at the counter and saw that there were, in fact, coffee mugs. Each one had a rainbow flag on one side and a name on the other. There was even one for their uncle Peter.
“You truly didn’t have to,” Jackson said. Malia glared at him but Stiles didn’t seem to notice the irony in his voice. Once Cora was glaring at him, too, he knew better than to push his luck.
“Thanks.”
Stiles smiled at him one more time. Jackson turned away, not wanting to think too hard on how well the glittery eyeshadow complimented Stiles’ eyes. Instead he poured some coffee and headed out to the living room to have his coffee.
He sat down and closed his eyes. The image of a rainbow covered Stiles immediately came to him. There was something charming about it.
Steps behind him let him know someone was coming. Maybe Derek or Danny were finally up and they could go get some breakfast before meeting up with the rest of the group.
“Coffee’s ready in the kitchen,” Jackson said. “Careful or you’ll end up covered in unicorn barf by the time you come out.”
Jackson brought up his mug to show the rainbow motif on it. Instead of hearing a laugh, he heard whoever was behind him walk away. Jackson opened his eyes and turned around just in time to see Stiles push Derek out of the way as he hurried back to the kitchen.
Derek walked towards Jackson, his worried expression making it obvious Stiles had not taken what Jackson said as a joke. “What did you say to him?”
Jackson explained, as innocently as he could. Derek gave him his best judgmental eyebrows. Danny came down and Jackson tried another version of the story with him, but he also looked at him like he had done something wrong.
“I was joking!” Jackson said, defensive.
“You’re being an ass,” Derek said.
“This is why you’re single,” Danny added. “You can’t bear to be nice to anyone you like.”
Derek nodded. Jackson felt like he had just been punched in the gut.
“Please,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I could do way better than Stiles.”
Someone cleared his throat, and they all turned to see Malia and Cora. With Stiles right between them.
“We’re going to get some breakfast,” Malia said, smiling at Jackson with what could only be plans to murder him in her eyes.
“We thought you might want to join us,” Cora added, not hiding her anger with a smile like her cousin did.
“But I guess you could do with way better company, so we’ll just go,” Stiles said, expression and tone blank. Jackson stood up to try and follow after them but with just one look from Malia he stopped dead in his tracks.
“I was joking!” he said, turning to Derek and Danny once again.
“Your jokes kind of suck,” Derek said, standing.
“Kind of made it extra shitty that you said it while holding the mug he made for you,” Danny added, pointing at said mug.
It wasn’t until way later that Jackson would realize his was the only mug that had a little heart after his name. By then, they were back from the parade. Jackson had hoped he would finally be able to talk to Stiles and apologize before heading out to a party, but instead Cora and Malia showed up, Stiles-less.
“What? Is he going to avoid me until you guys leave tomorrow?” Jackson asked when he saw them.
“We can’t find him,” Malia said, walking past him. Cora followed after her.
“You lost Stiles?” Danny asked from his spot on the couch. “The Sheriff’s gonna murder you.”
“Yes, we know, thank you,” Cora answered, actually looking kind of concerned. “He’s not answering his phone.”
“When did you last see him?” Derek, always the pragmatic one, asked.
The rain started trickling down as the five of them left the house to look for Stiles. By the time they were back where Malia and Cora had lost track of him, it was coming down hard. Thankfully, they had brought bright rainbow umbrellas for everyone.
“Stiles’ idea,” Malia said, handing Jackson one. He didn’t particularly think the bright colors meshed with his outfit. The only rainbow on him by now was a subtle sleeve detail on his bright blue hoodie.
They split up, planning to meet back up at their starting point in an hour. Derek and Danny decided to look along some of the side streets but Jackson was sure Stiles would stay near or on Market Street, looking for a place where it wouldn’t be too hard to find him.
Unless something had happened to him, Jackson thought, which made him quicken his pace.
It only took ten minutes before Jackson found him, drenched and sitting by himself outside a coffeeshop. His bright make up had been ruined by the rain and spilled onto his shirt.
Stiles turned and saw him, his eyes making it clear he was not the one Stiles had wanted to find him. Jackson steeled himself and walked towards Stiles, covering him with the bright rainbow umbrella.
“Hey,” Jackson said, voice gentle. “What happened?”
“I lost track of my backpack for a second and someone took it,” Stiles answered. He crossed his arms, both in frustration and feeling cold from being wet and outside. “All my stuff was in it.”
Jackson nodded. “It’s okay. Maybe someone found it. Let’s get you back to my uncle’s place.”
“Whatever,” Stiles said, a bitter note to his voice. “It was mostly filled with unicorn barf.”
Jackson winced. He hadn’t meant for Stiles to hear that, sure, but by now he knew his misgivings were more about himself than anything Stiles had brought or done.
“I should apologize,” Jackson said, taking off his hoodie to hand it to Stiles. “And I will, properly, once we’re somewhere dry.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” Stiles said, looking down at his shoes. “You just said what you thought and I happened to be there to hear it.”
“I was wrong,” Jackson said, handing Stiles his hoodie and making him look up. “And I would like it if you gave me a second chance to be part of your first big city Pride.”
Stiles stood up and took the hoodie, looking at Jackson with a mixture of worry and hope.
“I do have a couple of matching rainbow shirts we can wear tonight,” Jackson added, hoping Stiles would get what he meant. “They’re very bright. I think you’ll like them.”
Stiles shrugged, already putting on Jackson’s hoodie. “They might be too good for me.”
Jackson placed an arm around him, making sure they were both covered by the rainbow umbrella.
“Only an idiot would think that.”