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The school bell rang, the sound ripping through the air like a piece of paper being torn. Ziggy dashed through the crowded school hallways, airpods stuffed deep in his ears, eyes fixated on the doors like they were the pearly gateways to heaven.
God, was he glad school was over.
He burst through the school doors, immediately inhaling the fresh spring air. It was a real breather from the stale school smell. He sighed as he hopped down the concrete steps, readjusting his backpack straps. The sun was blazing hot and heating up his skin, making his hoodie slowly feel tight and hot, along with his beanie. He heard an electronic beeping sound, the volume dropping and dissolving to silence.
Beep…beep....boop…..booooop…
He frowned and stopped his music and took out his dead airpods. His head was beginning to hurt and he really didn't want it to get worse. He slipped them in his backpack pocket and then put his backpack back on his spine, making a mental note to charge his airpods later at home.
Just then, Ziggy heard a hyper voice call behind him. “YOO! Zigzag! Wait up, brother!”
He groaned inside his head, because he knew who it was just by the cheery tone. He whipped around on his heel, and he quickly spotted where the voice was coming from. His twin brother Trevor was standing on the top of the school step, frantically waving his arm and sprinting down, almost tripping and falling over. He stumbled on his own two feet before finding his balance, approaching Ziggy. His backpack swayed side to side, the zippers quietly jingling. The boy crossed his arms against his chest, his eyes falling half-lidded.
“Trying to leave without me, were you?” Trevor giggled at his own lame joke.
“You know how hard it's getting to tell people we're related?” Ziggy fired back, turning back around and walking away. Trevor scratched his messy midnight black curls before running after him, still keeping a toothy cake-eating smile on his face.
“Well, it can't be that hard! Since we look the exact same, in appearances at least. We're even alike on birthdays! Our birthday’s in February, as you already know!” He yapped, almost making Ziggy dizzy with his rambling. Again. Ziggy let out a heavy sigh, he was starting to get annoyed.
“It's June.” He huffed. “And there are still many, many differences between us, like you said.”
“Yeah! For example, I don't have a politically religious sucker girlfriend.” Trevor snickered as they both arrived at the edge of the sidewalk, waiting for their two dads to come and pick them up. Ziggy made a face.
“She's- She's not my girlfriend! And you can't be talking! What about that girl you're always with? What's her name? Lucky or some crap?” He shot back. Trevor blushed, his expression and confidence faltering.
“That's different.” He murmured. Ziggy rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure.” He grumbled.
Suddenly, a car horn honked, rupturing through the air and making the siblings jump. Trevor gasped when a familiar dark royal blue Mercedes-Benz came speeding down the road.
“It's them!” He squealed like he was meeting a celebrity. His and Ziggy's dads weren't celebrities, but they were definitely special. The car slowed down, the wheels squeaking and whining on the pavement as it pulled up to the edge of the school sidewalk. Trevor and Ziggy moved to open the car door and they shoved themselves in the backseat, desperate to get out of the hellhole that was called “school”.
The car smelled like fresh leather and faint cedar pepper, it smelled recognizable and homey. Sitting in the driver's and passenger's seat were Mike and Will. Mike and Will were Trevor and Ziggy's dads, and they wouldn't have it any other way. It was kind of confusing, actually. Mike was trans, born a female at birth before he realized that he identified as a male at heart and soul, but Trevor and Ziggy were unplanned. The gaps were easy to fill in. Anyone with a brain could connect the complicated yet obvious dots.
After Trevor and Ziggy had been born however, Mike was finally able to get surgery and hormone blockers, top and bottom, gender reassignment, the whole shebang. It was a huge adjustment and a big deal for a while, in a good way of course. But that was for another time. They all still loved each other unconditionally, as a loving family. And Trevor and Ziggy have two dads. It had always been like that, they had always seen Mike as their dad who used to have a vagina and didn't anymore, and it would stay like that forever and ever. It was normal.
“Hey dad! Hey pops!” Trevor and Ziggy chorused as they settled in the backseat, “Dad” referring to Mike and “Pops” referring to Will.
“Hi, my darlings.” Will chirped, his sweet smile reaching ear to ear.
“Hello, sweethearts.” Mike greeted his sons warmly, turning the steering wheel to drive out of the school property. “How was school today?”
“Eh, the usual.” Ziggy shrugged and placed his elbow on the car windowsill, staring out the window and at the trees and cars rapidly passing by. Mike smirked as he rolled the car onto the road. The same tune for the last 174 days of school.
“It was good!” Trevor cheeped, flicking a curly strand out of his face and humming an off-key tune. Will chuckled, his shoulders shaking slightly.
“I'm glad.” The older man replied, before Trevor started to activate his motor mouth and ramble about his day. Mike didn't mind, because at least in his words: “someone in this family is passionate about their education”. Ziggy would just strenuously roll his eyes every time Mike pulled out that iconic “boomer” catchphrase, knowing it was actually the opposite. Trevor only really went to school to goof around and be silly and talk about ghosts or ukuleles or whatever. Sure he tried at his grades, but not enough to get overly praised for it.
“I would have had a better day if it wasn't for what happened today.” Ziggy accidentally blurted out a sentence that was supposed to remain trapped inside his head. Concern spiked inside Mike and Will's minds, and Mike arched an eyebrow as he turned the wheel firmly, switching lanes.
“Why? What happened at school today?” Will asked, worried.
“Did something bad happen?” Mike questioned, failing to hide the bubbling panic and overprotectiveness in his tone. Even Trevor tilted his head in wonderment. Ziggy sighed. Well, that sounded dramatic.
“Nothing too crazy, just some dumb kid asking about you guys. He wasn't rude or anything, but he was stupid and brain-dead enough to ask how we were born if you two are males.” He explained slowly, eyebrows knitting together at the memory. A dark part of him wanted to dropkick the kid out of Earth's core and curse out his bloodline, and now that same part of him wished he actually had. The bloodline cursing part, at least, but he didn't want to get in trouble. Mike let out a hefty breath.
“Geez. I'm sorry, sweetie.” He rasped, starting to get a little uncomfortable. Will quickly reached to place a comforting hand on his husband's shoulder. Ziggy instantly felt bad and started to backtrack on his words.
“Oh- don't worry! I clarified it to him and he left me alone.”
“Well, what did you tell him?” Will asked softly. Mike kept driving.
“I know! It's obvious! He told the little rat that we came out of a pussy, but the pussy got turned into a dick!” Trevor blurted out without thinking. Ziggy wanted to facepalm himself, but he recoiled and cringed instead.
“Hey! Language!” Will barked lightly, dropping his hand back to his thigh once Mike fully relaxed and stopped furrowing his brows. “We use the proper, appropriate language for anatomy in this family.” He chided his son, raising a strict instructive finger.
Trevor paused, blinking like a frog as he searched for the fitting words. “...Vagina and….” He uttered, voice trailing off. “Wait a minute, there's no proper word for di-”
“I told him about everything. And I explained the whole thing.” Ziggy cut him off nonchalantly. “I hope you don't mind, dad. He was totally cool with it.”
Mike smiled radiantly, the corners of his eyes crinkling. He visibly beamed, his mood skyrocketing to the bright blue sky. “Not at all, Zig. Thank you.”
“Yep! It's a new and improved world. Evolving beautifully. Oh! Sausage! Does sausage work, pops? Technically it does!” Trevor exclaimed, leaning forward and peeking his head through the gap to the front seat.
“Oh my god! Can we stop talking about that?!” Ziggy erupted, burying his flushed face in his hands. He felt like he was being lit on fire. He never did great with these kinds of talks.
“Yes, it does work, darling.” Will chuckled, coughing into the crook of his arm to keep himself from bursting into laughter. Mike was already one step ahead of his husband, because he started cackling loudly as he drove onto another road, the sound rippling throughout the entire car. His laugh must have been contagious, because pretty soon, everyone, including Trevor himself, started laughing nonstop at Trevor's antics, even Ziggy. The car roared with the family's shared laughter.
“Why are you using technicality?” Ziggy choked out through chunks of laughter before they dissolved into stray giggles, tears of joy pricking the corners of his eyes. “Okay, okay, seriously. Stop."
Mike loudly exhaled out his mouth as Trevor slowly finished wheezing, his chest and ribs starting to hurt. Will shook his head.
“You two are crazy. Out of your mind.” He decided with a fond grin. “Just like your father when he was younger.”
Mike frowned. “I was not crazy.” He griped with a grunt, and Will shot him a knowing look. They exchanged glances, and Mike's expression faltered as he pouted. “I wasn't that crazy.” He corrected himself. Trevor and Will just laughed once again.
“Dad, could you please turn on the radio?” Ziggy quietly asked with slight hesitation, picking at the skin under his nails. Mike's smile grew broader as he nodded and pressed the radio knob. “Of course, dear.”
“Come as you are” by Nirvana came on, the background music humming along with the hearty lyrics. “I love this song.” Trevor said, and Ziggy nodded in agreement.
Come as you are, as you were
As I want you to be
As a friend, as a friend
As an old enemy
The rest of the car ride was all chatter and catchy songs, and Trevor and Ziggy even challenged each other to multiple thumb wars. “Best out of 37!” Trevor cried out, not picking up on Ziggy's impending exhaustion. The car eventually pulled up to their house, the roof a dark crimson red and the outside exterior of the house looked freshly painted in a light khaki colour despite the house being 10 years old. It was still standing, and it was their home.
The Mercedes-Benz pulled into the driveway and stopped to a halt, the wheels squeaking on the rocky concrete. The back doors swung open before Will could even announce that they were home.
“Finally! Home sweet home! Ellie, I'm here!” Trevor proclaimed, slipping out of the car and bolting towards the house door. Ellie was the family dog, a scruffy, fluffy, adorable young dog with wavy fleecy dove white fur, floppy fuzzy ears and furry hazelnut brown dots scattered all over. She had black beady eyes that shimmered in any type of light, even in the dark. They all loved her to bits, she was their spark and their shining star. Their little fluffball bundle of joy.
Ziggy stepped out of the car, scoffing at his brother's excitement to be back home. You would have thought he had just been at war with the way he was racing around and pulling on the doorknob, almost collapsing inside. He couldn't really blame him, though. He skipped up the steps, also thrilled to see their cute fluffy dog.
“Slow down! Don't trip over!” Mike called out as he exited the car, with Will following along. Mike huffed as the two boys disappeared into the house, rubbing his temples. “Gosh, those two are so rowdy. I don't know what to do with them.”
Will chortled, stepping closer towards him and cupping his face with his warm hands. Mike naturally leaned into the touch, a faint purr vibrating in his throat. “Well, they are our sons, love.” He giggled, a sincere smile plastered on his lips. Mike smiled back, bobbing his head lightly in agreement.
“But seriously, did my genes try at all? They look like exact copies of you.” Will complained playfully, his hands dropping to wrap around Mike's shoulders as he nuzzled his head onto his chest. He could hear Mike's thunderous hammering heartbeat, and it made his own heartbeat pound in his ears. Mike chuckled low, looping his arms around Will's waist and pulling him close.
“Physically, at least. But they both have your big heart of gold and beautiful, incredible personality. They have your fantastic essence and brave presence, the same one I fell head over heels in love with.” Mike responded truthfully. Will's heart absolutely melted at those words and his muscles turned liquid, and he could have teared up right there.
“They- They have your eyes.” Will managed out through his throbbing love, and Mike tipped his head back and howled in short-lived laughter. “They have our eyes.” He corrected him softly. Will’s eyes threatened to well up, but he fought back the happy tears.
“I love you and our sons, I love our family so much. Never forget it.” Will added with a semi-shrill voice. Mike pressed a sharp kiss to his husband's forehead.
“And me also.” He whispered, tone dripping with unfiltered affection.
“Lovebirds!!” Trevor shouted from the house, his head peeking through the doorway, making the couple jolt. Trevor's grin looked like a feral cat’s. “There are 4 rooms in this house, you know!” Ellie the dog also peeked out of the door, barking loudly and scratching her fluffy ear.
Mike rolled his eyes and Will cackled. “We'll be right there!” He yelled back, holding Mike's hand and interlocking their fingers before they both headed inside the house, to join their exceptional family.
They were surely flawed, everyone had flaws of sorts one way or another, but still a fantastic family of four. Enveloped and built up solely from support, solace, warmth and pure unconditional love. They would be a complete consoling family until the end of time. And neither of them would have it any other way.