Princeton sighed and slouched against the park bench. He wondered how long there was left to wait. The mixed signals didn't help any. Sometimes they said to be patient, other times they said to fight. In any case, it was tedious to watch progress be made in the fight for queer rights only to have it taken back not too long after. It seemed for every step forward, someone came along to push them one step backward. At what point would they acknowledge that they were waiting for trains, solutions, and saviors that just weren't coming?

Mercifully, Princeton was roused from his cynical thoughts by the arrival of his best friend, Quincy.

"Sorry I'm late, the makeup took forever!" he cried, jogging over to the bench in full Pride gear. Princeton was impressed, he was running in heels.

"Well if you wore something simpler..." Princeton trailed off with a teasing smirk. He only wore a pansexual flag for a cape, and a shirt that was patterned like the trans flag. Quincy, meanwhile, had sashes, flags, gaudy jewelry, a tiara, those heels, and an asexual flag as a cape. He was shirtless, though, the outline of an archer drawn onto his torso in gold, glittery ink. Above and below read the words "Aroace Arrow Ace".

"When we're going to celebrate Pride in New York?!" Quincy cried, as though Princeton had just spoken blasphemy. "NEVER!" He and the other boy shared a laugh before he pulled something out his backup. "I made you a little something!" he said proudly.

"Oh?" Princeton raised his eyebrows in interest and amusement. He was touched, of course, but he was already sure it was going to be something silly...He was right. It was a Pride flag. From the outside, it looked like just another trans flag. However, there was a giant frying pan hand-drawn in the center. Above and below it were the words "Pan-trans Cross", a play on Princeton Cross' actual name.

"Seriously?" he snorted at the gift, but he felt legally obligated to swap out his plain pan flag for the new one.

"Told ya my rainbow letter's better!" Quincy teased, gesturing to his chest. Of course, nobody actually believed that any letter of the queer acronym was better than the other, but "Aro-Ace" did sound cooler than "Pan-trans".

After sharing another laugh, the two boys went on their way, headed deeper into the heart of NYC. Of course, they couldn't go for long without seeing a few protesters waving signs and carrying Bibles.

"You're on the road to ruin!" They shouted condemnation at the two boys.

"Nah, I think this is the road to the Big Apple!" Quincy played dumb and Princeton bit back a laugh, also pretending to be oblivious.

"We're just mens being frens!" he said. "I don't recall that being a sin!"

"But homosexuality—"

"Does it look like we're fornicating right now?" Quincy snorted. Princeton failed to bite back a laugh that time. "I'm ace anyway. Honestly, you guys say we're the heathens and yet it's you who can't control your urges to scream about all the people you hate!"

"OH, BURN!" Princeton shouted.

"Oh how the turntables," Quincy snickered, gesturing to one of the signs that was designed to look like Hellfire. Must've taken all night. "But hey, throw your sticks, stones, and flames, just don't forget that shade never made anybody less GAY!" He struck a fabulous pose before finally moving on, leaving the protestors to boil in their outrage over such a sinful behavior.

As they left the protestors behind, Princeton couldn't help but shake his head and smile. He remembered the days that people like that used to scare him and leave him crying tears of mascara in the bathroom, but he wasn't afraid anymore. They were just haters, and haters were going to hate, so he was just going to shake it off. They needed to calm down.

It was funny to think, he was younger than them, and yet they were the screaming, crying babies. I guess life is just a classroom, he thought to himself, then he let them slip from his mind as he and Quincy continued on their way to the Pride Parade. Maybe every day was like a battle, but every night was going to be a dream, and Princeton would build a castle out of all the bricks and Bible verses they threw at him.

"We are too busy dancing to get knocked off our feet!" Quincy declared, as if he'd read Princeton's mind. This was a new generation of new romantics and they didn't only subscribe to things like "traditional marriage" anymore. They were the best people in life because they were free, no longer constrained by the old ways. This was a new age, a new world, a new century! And life was never worse, but never better!

ooo

Suddenly, they were all here at the Stonewall Inn. There were decorative neon lights in the window that read "1969", and a sign on the door that said, "Welcome to New York, it's been waiting for you!" And there were pictures of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera also on the door. Immediately inside, there was a tiny table on display with a brick sitting atop it. It was labeled, "The first brick thrown at Stonewall. Here's to all the castles we built out of all the sticks and stones they threw at us!"

"Princeton! Quincy!" The lights and noise were blinding, but as Quincy and Princeton hung back, someone else called out to them in perfect timing. It was Emma, one of their other closest friends. She was at a table near the back of the bar. As the boys made their way over, they noticed that they really were all here. Along with Emma, there was Mallory, Iris, Storm, Clover, Peter, Aces, Lianna, Tempest, and Gale.

"Princeton!" Iris' eyes lit up, and Princeton's did, too, as soon as he saw her face. Her forehead was pink, her mouth and chin were blue, and the thin strip of skin in between was purple. "Like my flag?!" She turned around in her seat as best as she could. Of course, it was another bi flag, but what made it unique was that the name "Bi-ris," was stitched onto it. "Mom made it for me!"

Sitting beside her, Storm rolled her eyes. She was far less flashy than her wife, wearing only a sky-blue suit with a rainbow carnation on her chest. But even though she may not have been the most extra gay at the bar, she was still somewhat dressed up, and even though she was rolling her eyes, she couldn't stop a smile at Iris' antics either.

Princeton was in awe, the Village was aglow, a rainbow kaleidoscope. Everybody here wanted something more, whether they were seeking love, freedom, fun, rights, equality, visibility, or a sound they never heard before. They were all looking for a new soundtrack to dance to. A new song for new romantics. Even outside the bar, people were singing and dancing, all the colors of the rainbow celebrating Pride with one accord.

"Dance with me! We need love, but all I want is danger!" Emma's voice brought Princeton back inside and to the present. She grabbed him by the arm and led him to the part of the bar that was set aside for karaoke night. Princeton was helpless to do anything but let her drag him along.

Quincy and Mallory were still at the table, pointing and laughing at his plight, but their turn was next. After teaming up with Princeton, Emma switched sides like a record-changer and danced back over to Quincy and Mallory, dragging them over to karaoke night, too. Then, she hopped on stage and grabbed a mic.

"I could dance to this beat forevermore!" she cried, and the crowd shouted back in agreement. The spotlight over the stage got brighter, but Emma didn't flinch, look away, or shield her eyes. Instead, she basked in its glow.

"If you ask me," Mallory leaned over to Princeton, "her smile is brighter than the lights." And Princeton had to agree. Emma looked like she was on cloud nine. She was always more on the energetic side of their little quartet, only Quincy on par with her.

"When we first dropped our bags on apartment floors, we took our broken hearts and put them in a drawer," she started to sing.

That was another near-universal truth for everyone there. No matter who they were, heartbreak was their national anthem. It was all part and parcel of being queer, whether it was failing to get with someone they loved, or trying to stay proud of their identity every day, in an endless battle.

"Everybody here was someone else before! But now you can want who you want..."

"Boys and boys, and girls and girls!" the entire bar erupted in response to that line. They were going to make tonight just like a dream.

"Ah, but let's not forget to show a little love to our lovely enbies out there as well!" Emma shouted, and the crowd went wild again. This time, even Mallory started jumping around excitedly. On her leather jacket, there was a yellow patch with a purple circle in the center. She also wore two pins. One said "She/her" and the other said "They/them".

Back at the table, Iris was, in her words, "feeling very gay, very drunk, very dance-y, and very romantic." She was begging Storm to dance with her, and Storm was sure that if it weren't for the pink, purple, and blue paint, she would've seen that Iris' face was also very red.

"I don't really want to," Storm said, casting an unreadable look at the crowded dancefloor. She already hated crowds, let alone noisy ones confined to a small area. As fun as Pride Night was at the Stonewall Inn, the chaos was starting to get to her...

"Then let's go outside!" Iris wasn't taking no for an answer. She somehow managed to hop up without falling over and she gave Storm her very best puppy face. "Pwease? Take my hand and, please take me dancing...love."

"Oh, low blow, Iris, really low blow," Storm deadpanned. Calling her "love" like that...Iris knew exactly what made her weak...

"Hey, it's not my fault I'm so smol and you're so tol!" Iris giggled.

Suddenly, they were dancing under the smiling light of the moon. It was a bright white light, and all the rainbow glowsticks and neon lights were even brighter. Someone was also holding a sign that read #SpaceGays! But none of it would blind Storm or Iris. They were too lost in the music, and one another's eyes.

"Don't leave me stranded," Iris whispered in a playful warning. "It's so romantic..."

There were speakers outside, so they could still hear Emma rocking the karaoke. "Like any great love it keeps you guessing..."

That it certainly does, Storm smirked to herself as she and Iris danced.

"Like any real love, it's ever-changing..."

It's funny, in some ways, I feel like we're the same as we ever were, but I know we've both grown a lot since the first time we met, and yet she's been right by my side the entire time. And I've been beside hers. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

"Like any true love, it drives you crazy..."

This type of pop music was definitely not Storm's thing, but she still knew this song. For that, she joined in with Emma, but leaned in close to Iris' ear. "And I know I wouldn't change anything, anything..."

The only things that might've blinded her were Iris' bright purple eyes, Behind the drunkenness, they shined with the utmost adoration.

Back inside, Princeton and his squad were still jamming on the dance floor. Quincy had since joined Emma on stage. He was about to play his ace...

"We're too busy to get knocked off our feet!" he cried, and then he quicky handed Emma his mic before performing a series of backflips. The crowd, if it was possible, went even wilder.

Long gone were Princeton's memories of the earlier verbal battle with the Bible beaters on the outskirts of the city. Now, he was dancing in a dizzy dream alongside his friends, his family. Casted stones and first bricks thrown were turning into stone-walled castles, and as soon as Quincy was done with his little stunt show on stage, Princeton reached out to him with his right hand, already holding Mallory's in his left.

"Come on, come along with me!" he shouted, and Quincy was more than happy to accept while Emma held down the stage. Heartbreak was the song for tonight, but they were singing with pride and Pride.

Over the course of the rest of the night, Princeton found himself dancing with the rest of the gang as well, including Iris. And even Storm was around, although she refused to dance with anyone except Iris.

"Awww, not even us?!" Gale and Tempest shouted over the din, giving Storm their best puppy faces.

"Ugh, ok, fine!" Storm rolled her eyes yet again, but she grabbed their hands.

"Hey! Just don't forget who she belongs to!" Iris shouted back.

"Don't worry, we'll return her in one piece!" Gale shot her a thumbs up and Iris laughed, giving him a thumbs up in return.

The entire time, all Princeton could think was, We're the best people in life, and we're free! We don't ask for anything but Pride and pleasure, and the lights are so bright, but they'll never blind me, because I'm one of them! This place has been waiting for me, a new romantic...Welcome to New York!

AN: "New Romantics" is my favorite 1989 song, I'm so sad it's not more popular, LOL!

Welcome to New York is another top fav, I feel like they really go well together, so this mashup was fun to write!

Happy Pride, everyone! We're a third of the way through!