At exactly 8 o'clock on June 1st, eight beings rose out of bed more hyped and rowdy than they'd been since their last Pride Month together. But this one was different, this one was going to be the most memorable one yet, they swore it on May 20th as they went to get supplies.

They flew to get their showers, teeth brushed and outfits on, and raced down the stairs like it was a competition.

The first one was out of the Tabb-Johansson household was Adam, who let out a beastly bellow of excitement that the others returned in kind. They were so excited they were scrambling over each other, almost resulting in Alex's camera breaking but even he was bouncing off the walls.

"The time has come," Jacob whispered. "Hey guys!" His partners turned to him, all with shimmering eyes. "I now present to you a new era. As of today, I am officially tweaking myself slightly farther to the left. Pansexual Panic rolls off the tongue better."

They cheered so loudly their ears were ringing, and then it was breakfast time.

Anna burrowed into the fridge. "Gay fruit salad!"

Jasmin and Connie climbed the counters, shouting, "Gay plates and silverware!"

Jacob, Adam and Steven cooked in perfect unison: fast and unallowing for mistakes. "Gay pancakes!"

Hazel was preparing the dinner table. "Gay tablecloth and cups! Fuck I'm so excited I could explode!"

Alex snapped pictures with a little smile. "Gay family."

That was indeed what they were. None of them were straight, whether it be an awakening or just the way they'd been born, they relished in a month where there was nothing but love among all good people.

Connie leaned up to kiss Steven's cheek. "I love my pansexual husband."

He turned to gather her for a real kiss and ran his hands over her body. "I love my bisexual wife."

Her definition was a little different, as bisexual and pansexual were ultimately the same thing. Both included trans, as trans men were men and trans women were women. She just preferred the bisexual flag colors. Connie giggled and pecked Anna on the cheek. "My bisexual girlfriend."

"Ah, ah, ah!" She corrected with a spoon covered in whipped cream her way. "Your bisexual trans girlfriend."

Jasmin clasped Jacob's hand. "I love you!"

She was so animated when he told her that he twirled her and buried his nose in her hair. "I love you too, darling."

Hazel hip checked Adam gently. "Hey."

Smirking already, Adam looked up at him. "How can I assist you on this lovely first day of Pride month?"

He laughed joyously. "Nothing. I just am happy to be with you. I feel so loved."

Adam let himself blush and chuckled when Anna launched herself into his arms. "I'm the biggest icon, my shit is more interesting."

Jacob snorted. "What's the list again? There's so many..."

He rolled his eyes as Anna held up one finger. "Demisexual." Then two. "Trans." Then three, at this point he was laughing so hard he could barely get it out. "Polyamorous." Then four. "Homoflexible." Then five. He frowned. "Kinky as fuck?"

More cheers erupted and he blushed harder, thrilled for no other reason than love itself as Anna pulled him into one of her sweetest kisses. "Happy Pride month, Daddy."

Hazel was attacked next by a hug so tight he felt his ribs bending. How terrible it would've been if she had injured him with her love. "Ah! You're gonna kill me!" He squeaked, but surrounded her in his arms. "Happy Pride month, babygirl."

They all froze at the same time, the little hive mind that they were and turned on Alex.

He tried to frown but his smile was stuck. "No—,"

"HAPPY PRIDE MONTH ALEX!"

He doubled over laughing and crying at the same time. He didn't remember the last time he was this happy. This Pride they were going all out now that everything was settled, they were all completely comfortable as a polycule and with their identities. "Ow! My ears!"

They rushed him anyways and the various comforting smells made him go limp as a dozen kisses were planted on him. He was open to it all.

Steven gasped as he came to a realization. "I'm surrounded with cis-gender fucks! Ah! Gross!"

Crying out their faked outrage, Jacob, Hazel, Connie, and Alex started fake crying in sorrow for their cis-ness.

Jasmin giggled. "I dunno, am I cis? I'm torn!"

Adam booped her nose. "No, Ma'am. You go by They pronouns sometimes."

She squealed and flipped the others off, furthering their sorrow. "Four and four! We're evenly spaced."

"Ah, but I have the upper hand," Steven proclaimed passionately. "I am nothing, I am everything! I could be a hot, really tall girl one day and a dazzlingly handsome man the next! Or, OR I could just decide to be a baddie They/Them! I have all of the power in the world!"

Jacob sauntered up to Steven and pointed up. "Hey Steven?"

He giggled. "Yes, newly pansexual boyfriend?"

He was nearly wheezing with laughter, his face was red with effort. "Could you...? Hand me a pan, yeah?"

They started boo'ing but Jacob practically collapsed into himself with giddy laughter. "Oh god, so worth it!"

Breakfast was going rather gaily. There were kisses and spoon feeding and flirting the entire time until Connie teased Anna about being so fucking beautiful, and got a soft bit of pancake tossed at her.

They froze as Connie peeled the syrup covered confection off her face and stood valiantly. Suddenly they could see the warrior she once was and still was as she pointed an accusing finger at the wide eyed girl. "How dare you assault me with confections! Do you know who I am?!"

Anna blushed and looked to the others for help but they avoided her eyes and started whistling cheerfully. "N-no?"

She stood on her chair and let out the scariest war cry they'd ever heard, only serving to make them fall in love all over again as she exclaimed, "I am Connie fucking Maheswaren, Knight of the Cosmos, Bisexual Warrior and I declare war on all of you!"

Jacob shouted, "Food fight!" and chucked a piece of cake at Adam.

Adam slammed his hands on the table and stood so fast the chair he was sitting on clattered backwards. Those periwinkle eyes shone with mischievous intent. "Big. Mistake."

Soon it was a full on food fight with whatever they had left over. Screams as they were taken down with a grape to the chest or a dollop of whipped cream grew into war cries from all of them.

Steven paused, suddenly amazed by his partners more than he ever had been. "Oh my stars," He murmured. "Look at them."

Adam was loose and ready for combat, light on his toes as he dodged three assaults but was taken down by the next: a full handful of Durian cake.

Jasmin squealed as she got whipped cream in her hair, but that didn't stop her. She cried out and launched six grapes in rapid succession, only one of them missing.

Jacob blocked even the tiniest of cantaloupe with his hand, caught it and threw it right back, nailing Hazel in the head.

Hazel fell, but not before he could grab at the table dramatically as he breathed his last breath and throw an apple slice at Anna.

Anna cried out in fake pain and clutched at her arm, rendering it useless from the sharpness of the apple. She started only using her left hand, and it seemed as if she were better for it. A full pancake nailed Alex in the side of the head.

Alex gasped and frisbeed it right at Steven, where he pretended it cut into his side and fell with a cry. As he lay there, undoubtedly bleeding out, he smiled.

He was in love with warriors. This side of them: slipping on juices and syrup and whipped cream, and getting right back up was more proof that the queer community were all warriors and survivors. These people he loved so dearly were unintentionally proving to him just how strong they were, how absolutely magnificent and persevering they had grown to become when they needed to be.

As a team.

Steven glowed hard, his joy leaked onto his skin so intensely that he could feel when their skin took on his glow as well. Now these were warriors that possessed the strength he had. They had strength to never give up no matter what came their way. Even his Adam, who held the world of severe depression on his shoulders hadn't given up when his entire being said that he should. The strongest among them were the brightest, and even then the others were determined not to fail. He took multiple pictures on his phone, he wanted Alex to enjoy the moment and be in it.

Jacob gasped at a honeydew somehow making its way into the back of his shirt. It was freezing to the touch and he yelped as it slipped further down. "Ah! Cold! Help!"

Adam saw an opportunity and ran with it as Steven pushed himself off the ground with a huge smile. He tugged at the bottom of his shirt and it came off entirely. "There. I'm helping." He put a dollop of whipped cream over his lips and kissed him.

Jacob chuckled and surveyed the rest, slowly coming down from their war to look around.

Connie wrinkled her nose. "Now we have to shower all over again."

"And clean the commons," Alex added on with a pant. "I love you guys. You're a bunch of idiots, but you're my friends."

Now Steven scooped him into a hug and the rest joined, ignoring his cries that they were sticky and smelled sweet but licking a bit of cake off of Jacob's cheek anyways. Some were crying with joy they couldn't contain, Steven had made it easy to express heavy emotions with tears and without excessive self consciousness.

They re-showered and with eight people, cleaning wasn't so bad. It was a togetherness they couldn't get sick of, a giant family and so much more all coming together.

Downstairs was their next task. They'd been meaning to do it for awhile, but the packages were finally open.

Jacob stared down into them with starry eyes. "Pride flags. Kink and Pride for-fucking-ever."

Adam chortled and tore into it and they followed suit.

Soon, every flag that represented one or more hung proudly displayed for all to see:

Progress Pride flag, Transgender, Intersex, Genderfluid, Non-binary, Homoflexible, Pansexual, Bisexual, Demisexual, Asexual, Greyromantic, Gay, Polyamorous, Polysexual, Leather, Ageplay, and the BDSM flag now covered every inch of their downstairs walls, leaving only the one by the big carpeted area they liked to lay down empty.

They linked hands and stared up at them, feeling a whirlwind of emotions.

Anna shuffled shyly. "Does this mean these are only up for 30 days?"

"Of course not," Steven replied with a happy sigh. "These stay up forever in my humble opinion. Polycule vote?"

"Nope, you said it." Adam grinned at him. "I don't think we need one."

"Hear, hear!" Connie cried.

"All in favor?"

"Aye!"

"Motion passed."