Even without thinking twice about the repercussions, I closed the distance between us by kissing her directly in her soft lips. She was stunned for a moment before she kissed back, reflecting my own passion. Her hands snaked around my neck, pulling me closer to her, completely closing the gap between us while my hands were pressed against her cheeks.

She pulled back first, taking a deep breath, looking at me bewildered by my suddenness . "Y-you mean it?" Her voice was shaky, but firm.

"I do."

"Too soon to say that. " She grinned widely, as she pulled me towards her, kissing me yet again, but softly and tenderly. It felt like a promise of a certain infinity which we would have and how she'd be by my side no matter what.

She pulled back slowly, enough for our lips to not touch but enough that our nose tips touched each other. Intimate and passionate, and yet the sweetest.

Her hazel eyes pierced my green ones as her lips perked, smiling. "Finally, you are mine." She whispered, as she a loose strand behind my ear.

"I'm yours." I replied, a sudden burst of giddiness within me and butterflies fluttered inside my stomach.

"I love you, you timid wallflower." She grinned widely at me, her warm palm cupping my cheek as she stroked it tenderly. I rolled my eyes at that phrase as a small smile fought its way in my face. "Only you. Only you are permitted to call me that."

"I know."

Ever so slowly, she leaned forward to kiss me when a sudden knock on the window of the jeep distracted us, as we turned around to see Liam and Andrea, standing there grinning notoriously. Lydia grimaced at her twin's action, as we jumped out of the jeep.

"Finally, my sister won't act like a love sick puppy." Lydia glared at Liam for saying that, while I stifled a laugh, standing right next to her, feeling content finally after confessing to her. She looked at me before flinging her arm around me, pulling me closer to her side, as I leaned onto her.

"I'm calling you mine from now." She whispered in my ears, bending a little. I grinned back at her, my hand snaking around her waist, as I leaned towards her.

"And I'm calling you mine."

Liam coughed way too louder, breaking our gaze and annoying both of us equally.

"We've a parade to attend." He reminded like an adamant alarm clock, as his tongue clicked the roof of his mouth, creating a sound which annoyed both of us equally.

"Exactly. No more suppressed feelings, just enjoy. "Andrea stated, smiling at me which just made me grin wider.

Lydia let go of my shoulder as she took my hand and squeezed it, as I smiled back at her.

Nothing can go wrong anymore.

"Cassie, is that you, honey? " I froze on the spot. Andrea mirrored my stunned reaction as she looked at something behind me. Or rather at someone behind me.

I just jinxed myself.

Mom and Dad stood right behind us, as they were followed by people I've never seen in my whole life. Two two men stood beside my Dad. One had deep blue eyes, with his face covered with light brown hair, which was gelled to one side, while the other one had a familiar face with very curly dark brown hair with a darker shade of green eyes. They were accompanied by a few teenages of around my age.

"Mom? Dad? What are you two doing-"

"Joining the parade but what are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be there for the girls' night out?" Dad questioned, as her blue eyes pierced my blue ones. I gulped as I dreaded the worst scenario to arrive until Lydia started talking.

"If you kick my girlfriend out of your house, Mr. Benedict, I won't mind accommodating her in my house." Many heads turned towards Lydia, as her grip on my hand tightened, calming my nerves to a considerate level.

Andrea facepalmed at that, while realization set into Dad's eyes.

"Well, that's not needed."Mom simply stated, making Dad stare at her confused. She smiled wistfully as she walked towards me. Keeping her hands on my shoulder, she kissed my forehead and beamed at me.

"Mom I can explain-"

"You don't have to justify anything to me, sweetie. And what exactly would you explain? If you are here with a girl calling you her girlfriend, that clearly means that you are a lesbian, right?"

"Mom-" My voice trembled a sI bit my lip to stop it from quivering.

"I overheard you and Andrea, back in your room." She quietly whispered. I let out a gasp as my eyes met Andrea's, terror filled in mine which visibly tensed.

"Were you closeted for the whole time, sweetie?" Dad asked, a passive lok in his back as he tried to get the hang of the situation. "Raven, did you-"

"Yes Josh." Mom answered him even before he could complete, leaving Dad utterly perplexed. "Our daughter was afraid to tell us because she thought that maybe we would kick her out just like how Noah was years ago." Dad looked straight at me, before he shaked his head, his eyes closed and a small smile lingering on his face.

"This was not how I expected to introduce you all." he explained to the men who stood right beside him, as he laughed slightly, a weird expression on his face. "Not your fault, man." The blue eyed man replied as he patted Dad's shoulder. "Kids these days tend to surprise you a lot. Didn't we just tell you about our daughter a few minutes ago?" The two unknown men shared a look, as they shyly grinned at each other.

"So..?" Lydia trailed away with a questioning tone, her eyes moving to and fro from my parents to the two men.

"So, do you love her?" The green eyed man asked me, as he raised his eyebrow. Something about him definitely felt familiar but I really couldn't place a finger on it.

"Yes." I said without missing a beat, as I involuntarily stood straighter and a lot confident about my feelings for the girl beside me. Andrea, who stood right beside me patted my shoulder and I shot her a quick grin to which she nodded in reply.

He nodded as he moved a bit closer, standing right in front of me. "Are you sure that it's not just a phase?"

Easy, I thought smugly. "Thinking that I was straight was a phase." Lydia was the one who looked most impressed by my answer as the man in front of me showed my Dad a thumbs up.
"Looks like my younger brother approves of it."

His younger brother-

"You've a brother, Mr. Benedict?"

"Holy-fucking-shit! He's Noah Benedict."

Lydia and Andrea simultaneously responded, eyeing the guy who stood right in front of me. His green eyes were exactly like me and my Dad's. No wonder why.

He smiled a bit, his smile exactly like my Dad. "Yeah, I'm Noah Benedict and that-" he pointed towards the other guy, with affectionate blue eyes whose grinned became wider as we looked at him.

"-that is my husband, Peter." he waved at us as Dad patted his shoulder.

I could feel a thousand thoughts running through my head, all at once and I was unable to speak. Lydia tugged my hand a little as she tried to jerk me off my thought process while mirroring my confusion of the revelation.

Noah- Uncle Noah bent a little to meet my eyes as she held my shoulders lightly. His touch was indeed full of love and affection." They may have kicked me out years ago when I came out as gay. Along the way, me and Peter had to face a lot of obstacles, but he had each other by our sides just like you two," He paused momentarily as his green orbs wandered from me to Lydia and then to our intertwined hands and then refocused on me.

"The world may seem cruel and may not accept you but always remember that your family will always be there for you." he stood up straight as he looked proud. Proud of me even though we have just met. Even though I've just heard of him but met him in person.

"Since when did you start being this smart, Noah?" He turned back to his elder brother, who was my dad as he poked fun at him. "No wonder, dear brother. That is why we have an amazing daughter."

"I heard that." Someone shot back from beside me. She was around my age, almost an inch taller than me as she winked at me. Her black coily hair was let loose, which bounced at the slightest movement of her head, while her brown eyes warmed up to me.

"Kirlia Hemmings," She extended her tanned hand at me to shake which I did, as soon as the realization hit me. It's their adopted daughter.

"Great to meet you." Lydia said for me, as I was still unable to speak anything to her, out of the anxiety of how I had a cousin sprung up at me, who completely was at ease around me while I stood there as an awkward potato.

"And Dad, you really sounded very smart." She winked at Uncle Noah as she walked up to him to give a side hug, grinning at Uncle Peter.

"I really appreciate the family reunion but the parade's about to start." All of them gasped simultaneously at the suddenness of the voice. Kirlia groaned the loudest as she dragged a guy, who grinned widely at us, meek and notorious at the same time.

"You're so dead after this, Nicholas." She loudly said, as the cheers of the people around us grew louder.

Mom and Dad nodded at us to leave ad they smiled at us and Lydia, having getting the signal, tugged my hand hurriedly to navigate me through the crowd, both of us Laughing widely, content of the outcome of the whole ordeal.

And just like that, we broke several stereotypes and overcame residing fears as the whole parade came into live. All at once.