Twilight Diversity Contest

Title of Story: When at Gay Pride…

Story Summary: Bella attends the Gay Pride Parade in Amsterdam while visiting her friend Alice during her studies abroad. For story purposes, some names are slightly altered to a more Dutch version. Dutch dialogue will not be translated, but paraphrased.

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Rating: M for mature themes and language

Word Count (not including summary, header, or footnoted word translations): 5035

Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" I call out to Jasper.

He pushes his way through the throngs of people, pulling me along. We took a tram as far as it would take us, considering the substantial crowds. I was lost as soon as we left the apartment. The streets in his and Alice's neighborhood have names referring to Indonesia, and he insisted it was too far to walk to the Prinsengracht, so I made use of my brand new public transport chip card, not even bothering trying to remember which stop we needed.

"I'm sure," he replies. "Laurens said they're right next to the Leidsestraat bridge. We just have to find the pharmacy and the coffee house."

Since Jasper has been living here since his first year of university, I trust him in finding our way. All the streets look the same to me here, and it takes me too long to match the street signs to their pronunciation. Because he is much taller than I am – I barely reach his shoulder – he easily spots the landmarks we need.

"Laurens!" Jasper calls out as we make our way across the other two boats.

His friend waves at us and motions us over. I met him the night I arrived, since he was coordinating today's festivities with Jasper at his and Alice's place. The occupants of the other boats are very friendly, making sure we don't fall overboard. I'm glad I'm wearing my trusted Converse. The effort is well worth it; we have a prime spot in the canal, with an unobstructed view. It'll be a rather tight fit, especially with the addition of the cooler full of wine and the shopping bag filled with snacks and sandwiches.

"Jasper, hey!" Laurens greets us. "Waar bleven jullie?" He reaches out a hand and pulls Jasper into his boat, then repeats the process with me. "Hey, Bella."

I wave lamely in greeting, not understanding what he just asked.

"De tram was stampvol en we moesten lopen vanaf Leidseplein. Wat een gekkenhuis!" Jasper tells him. They exchange a few more comments before he turns to me and explains, "I was telling him about the hassle we had with the crowded tram and walking here from the stop."

Laurens takes the hint and looks slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Bella. I forgot that you don't speak Dutch. I hardly ever have to speak English with Alice anymore."

I tell him not to worry about it.

Alice had started learning Dutch through an online course as soon as she had been accepted into the Master's program at the University of Amsterdam. She completed the program two months ago with a thesis discussing differences in the approach and treatment of gender and sexuality between Europe and the United States. Subsequently she was accepted into the Research Master's program, starting this September, meaning she'll stay here for at least two more years. Her decision to start learning Dutch was a smart move, therefore, since it allows her to settle in more easily. Luckily for me, most people here, especially students, speak English really well, so I'm getting by just fine during my visit.

Laurens hands us both a beer from the cooler, and we take a seat while we wait for the parade to start. In the meantime it's fun to watch the people on the other boats along the canal, on the streets on either side and on the bridge. Rainbow flags are waving proudly in the slight breeze and a lot of people are wearing pink. The guys point out a local celebrity on a nearby boat and explain that a lot of well-known people, such as athletes, musicians, and politicians, speak out in support of the event and even attend, regardless of their own orientation.

I am well into my second beer when two more people arrive: Laurens' girlfriend Irene and Jasper's twin Roos. They are both blondes, but that's about the only thing they have in common as far as looks go. Where Roos looks like she stepped off the pages of some swimsuit edition magazine, Irene has a more preppy look about her. Since I have only met Laurens before today, having arrived just two days ago, the girls are introduced to me.

I politely reach out my hand to shake theirs, but both girls lean in to kiss my cheeks three times.

"Oh, right," I mutter. "I keep forgetting about that custom."

They both giggle at my flustered reaction, but are also quick to reassure me that I'll get used to it.

I am glad for the female additions; while I enjoy hanging out with guys, it's nice to have some girls to talk to, especially at an event like this. We decide to dig into our sandwiches before the start of the parade, to ensure we've had some sustenance while partying. I imagine it would be tricky trying to eat while dancing in a small boat with four other people.

"Laurens told me you arrived the day before yesterday?" Irene asks me, to which I nod. "How long will you be staying?"

"Another week here," I answer. "Then Jasper is taking Alice and me to see some of the sights in the rest of the country before I have to go home again."

"That's cool," she replies. "Yeah, you should definitely see as much as you can. A lot of tourists only visit Amsterdam, but then they miss out on the rest."

Roos nods in agreement, then suggests we all go out together later in the week, to which I readily agree. It would be fun to party with some people who actually live here, instead of just doing the tourist thing. She then asks how I know Alice.

"Oh, we practically grew up together. Our moms are friends so all of my childhood memories involve Alice. It was a given that we would go to the same college and be roommates, which we did, but she wanted to do her Master's abroad."

"That must have been tough, saying goodbye to her like that," Irene probes.

"It was, but on the other hand it provided me with a holiday destination. Besides, it was only supposed to be for a year, but then she met Jasper and decided to apply for the Research Master's. I doubt she'll move back to the States anytime soon."

We all laugh at that, since it's obvious that Jasper and Alice are madly in love. I'm happy for my friend and can see that she feels at home here.

"So why are you only staying for such a short time?" Roos asks.

"Well, I graduated in June and will be starting my job in a few weeks."

"Congratulations!" both girls exclaim. "What kind of job?"

"Junior pharmacist at a hospital in Seattle. It's actually really great, because it's the same hospital where my fiancé is doing his residency."

As soon as the word 'fiancé' is dropped, Irene grabs my left hand to inspect my ring. It is quite modest: a platinum band with a round cut diamond and two small sapphires on each side. He surprised me with it the night before my graduation. Both girls gush over the ring, asking me about the proposal and our wedding plans.

"It's still very early, but we're thinking next summer. I hope we'll lock down the date and a venue soon, so Alice can block off the time and book her and Jasper's flights. For now it's still a bit of an adjustment, because we only moved in together over winter break and now things are moving quite fast. But with Edward's residency and my new job, I'm glad we're not rushing the wedding. I want it to be perfect for us."

"Aw, look at her," Roos says to Irene. "She's blushing! Tell us about the guy!"

So I give them the brief version about how Edward and I met when I was a sophomore and he was an intern, doing an ER rotation. I've always been a bit clumsy, and this time I tripped down the stairs at my and Alice's dorm. We took a taxi to the ER, where Edward treated my sprained ankle. He was professional enough not to ask for my number right then, but a few days later I ran into him at Starbucks and he asked me out.

"That's so romantic," Irene sighs.

I continue by showing them some pictures on my phone. They are appropriately impressed; Edward is very handsome, with copper colored hair in almost permanent disarray, a strong jaw, and piercing green eyes.

"How were you able to tear yourself away from that gorgeous man?" Roos wonders.

"It wasn't easy by any means," I reply, winking. "But he wasn't able to get the time off and I really wanted to see Alice this summer. We didn't get to go to each other's graduation ceremonies and we also needed to celebrate my engagement."

Just then the first boat appears in the distance and we redirect our attention. It is a police boat with mostly LGBT police officers and supporting personnel. All of the boats have music pumping from the speakers, some with a drag queen performing as well. My gaze is constantly redirected as new details stand out to me. There is a boat with a massive unicorn on it, which they have to lower for each bridge. Another boat is filled with people dressed in black leather and chains, some kind of BDSM theme. Other boats just have people in brightly colored clothes dancing and interacting with the crowds. They all have one thing in common: most men are shirtless, wearing little more than very tight hot pants. They're lucky the weather is nice as I can't imagine having to endure rain and cold dressed like that.

"Do you know when Alice's boat will be?" I ask Jasper.

"She texted me earlier that they're right behind the devils, so we'll have to keep an eye out for lots of red and fire," he responds.

"Did you know she was bi?" Irene asks me.

"Of course! She told me when we were fifteen that she had a crush on a girl, but she was very confused because before that she'd been crushing on a boy."

"That must have been difficult for her," Roos muses.

"Well, once we figured it out, it didn't matter to us. Her parents are more old-fashioned, though, so they had some trouble accepting it when she eventually told them. I think they're happy that she's dated mostly boys, so that helps."

"Ugh, I remember when I told my parents," Roos commiserates. "They threw a fit of epic proportions. Luckily, I was already at uni, so I just didn't go home for a visit until they calmed down. Jasper was supportive, though."

"You're gay?" I ask her.

She nods.

"You didn't want to join the parade?"

"Nah, too complicated."

We're interrupted from that particular conversation by Jasper yelling out that he sees the devil boat. We all stand up, grab fresh beers from the cooler, and focus on the parade again. There is still a boat with fairies and butterflies passing us, but behind it is a boat that looks like it came straight from the underworld. There is red and black everywhere and they have something that looks like a massive bonfire on it, but it's actually made out of crepe paper and a wind and smoke machine. Some of the people on it are simply dressed in red bathing suits, with horn and pitchforks. Others are in full costume, with elaborate wigs and face paint.

Alice is on a boat with the LGBT student association. They actually started off the parade with one of the couples participating getting married. They are using the parade as their reception and party, which I think is an absolutely brilliant and highly original move on their part. Alice had texted Jasper earlier to let him know where they would be in the parade, so we are on the lookout for the boat.

We shouldn't have worried, as the boat cannot be overlooked. The newlyweds are prominently seated on a massive throne backed by a glitter canon. Three sides of the boat are decorated with banners identifying the group.

Alice waves at us enthusiastically from the front of the boat. When she left the apartment this morning, she was wearing a sinfully short, sparkly white dress, but she has since added elaborate sheer wings and a glittering halo.

When the boat passes under the bridge, we can see that the back has the traditional "Just Married" sign on it, with colorful dinghies trailing behind.

"She looked awesome!" I gush to Jasper, who nods enthusiastically.

"Damn, little brother, if she wasn't already taken I'd be all over that," Roos teases.

"Shut up, you're only eighteen minutes older than me, and I'd better not catch you eyeing my girl," he retorts.

"So, girls like Alice are your type?" I ask.

"Not exactly, but she's looking mighty fine today. Usually I prefer them a little tougher than that, though. She's a bit too frail for me; I'd worry I'd break her in half!"

We all laugh at that. Alice is indeed tiny, but she is a force to be reckoned with.

"Are you seeing anyone right now?" I probe.

"I was, until she decided that she's still scared of what people think," Roos grouses.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we've been hooking up at parties and hanging out at my place and things are going really great, you know? I even went to some of her handball games to cheer her on, and I'm seriously not into sports. But when I suggested going public, Emmy suddenly decided it's more important to her to please her parents, and she started dating some awful law student named Roy."

"Ugh, that sucks," I comment.

"And then she expected me to be okay with it!" she practically yells. "She actually thought I'd want to sleep with her after she'd been on a date with Roy!"

The others in the boat don't comment but look on in sympathy, probably having heard the story before. I feel for Roos at being betrayed like that.

"So I cut her off, but I still have to see her flaunting her thing with Roy at uni. It sucks! I'm so glad it's summer break!" she rants.

"You know she'll come to her senses at some point," Irene offers in consolation. "And then she'll realize what she gave up."

We are interrupted from our conversation by loud cheers erupting as another boat approaches. This one is completely covered in camouflage nets, with its occupants in army gear and blue helmets, resembling UN soldiers. I wonder if they are all truly in costume, or if at least some of them are actual soldiers. A group of them waves at us enthusiastically.

"That's my cousin, the bulky one in the middle of that group," Laurens explains. "He's in the army and got some of his buddies to join this float. He's straight, but he knows I've got friends who are gay or bi, and he's very supportive of equal rights."

None of us get the chance to comment, because loud music from the next boat drowns out everything else.

"These guys are hilarious!" Irene yells in my ear. They're called De Toppers and they put on an outrageous show every year. Very popular with gays and middle-aged women."

I can see the appeal; the three men are wearing sequin-covered three-piece suits, outfitted with a massive feather construction on their shoulders. They are singing classic disco hits and have dancers on their boat, scantily clad in Brazilian carnival costumes. When they pass our boat, the blonde singer spots Roos and calls out to her.

"Hey schoonheid! Kom even een dansje doen!"

I have no idea what he just said, but it's clear he wants Roos to join them on their boat. Roos tries to back out, but Irene gets behind her and pushes her to the edge of our little boat. The dancers catch on to what's going on and reach out to pull her over.

"Jij bent echt drop dead gorgeous!" the blonde singer almost squeals. He takes Roos' hand and twirls her around. "Is ze niet goddelijk?" he asks the other guys and the audience.

"Goor, we hebben onze Venus!" one of them agrees.

Roos doesn't appear the least bit shy as they pull her into their middle and start singing Shocking Blue's Venus. I laugh and clap along with the crowd, but my confusion must be apparent, because Jasper leans over to explain.

"He called her divine and compared her to the goddess Venus."

That does actually make sense. Roos is tall, statuesque, and curvaceous, with long, wavy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. I make sure to take plenty of pictures to commemorate the moment, making a mental note to add her on Facebook later.

My phone buzzes with an incoming text. I sit down for a moment, not wanting to risk dropping my phone into the canal.

Hi love, how's it going over there? Looks like u're having fun! Miss u! – xo E

A smile comes to my face at his thoughtful message.

Aw baby, miss u too! Long shift at the hospital? What do u mean "looks like"? – xo B

His response comes just a minute later.

Yeah, just having a bite to eat. Some guy called Jasper tagged u in a bunch of pics.

I quickly type out a reply.

That's A's b/f. We're watching the Gay Pride parade from a boat in the canal. Freakin' hilar!

Roos is climbing back onto our boat when another text comes in.

Have fun & keep me posted. Love u! – xo E

I pocket my phone and grab another beer from the cooler.

"That was fun!" Roos exclaims. "They dedicated that song to me and made sure I got off safely after. They were really funny as well!"

"I took some pictures," I inform her. "I can send them to you later when I have wifi."

"Cool, thanks. I'll add you on Facebook."

She pulls her phone out of her ample cleavage and navigates to the app.

"Oh, that's easy. Jasper tagged us both in a picture. Hey, your Edward liked them already."

"Yeah, he just texted me. He was on a break."

We watch another few boats pass, commenting on the mermaid and sailor costumes, while dancing to the various tunes. Most music is either disco, Cher, or Madonna, but I also regularly hear something that is explained to me as being called "happy hardcore". Apparently, it's typically Dutch from the nineties. Laurens tries to teach me how to dance to it, but the fast-paced feet movements are tricky enough as it is, let alone with my slight buzz. They also cause our boat to rock dangerously, so he wisely gives up, with a promise to teach me again when we're on solid ground. Out of breath from my efforts, I take a seat next to Roos and gladly accept the beer she holds out to me.

"So Bella," she starts. "Did you ever experiment? With Alice, or another girl?"

The question catches me off guard and I almost choke on my beer. Once I've regained my composure, I take a moment to formulate a response. The thing is, I have been curious about what it would be like with a girl, but I don't see myself in a relationship with a girl. My boyfriend in high school had been raised very traditionally and was quite homophobic, so I never brought it up when I was with him. We broke up when he found out Alice is bi. And with Edward, I don't have a need to do something about any curiosity I might have.

"Well, with Alice it was never an issue, because we've always just been best friends. Besides, I'm not her type," I explain with a wink. "I suppose there have been times when I was a little curious, but I never acted on it."

"And now you're happy with Edward," she concludes.

I pause, unsure how to properly explain. She mistakes this for hesitation regarding my engagement, so I hurry to clarify.

"I am extremely happy with Edward. We're a great match. He is also very understanding about my being slightly curious."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if I ever were to want to experiment with a woman, he would be okay with it, as long as I'm honest about it. He knows it would just be to settle a curiosity, and I would be coming home to him."

Roos contemplates that for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"So if you and I were to hook up, that'd be okay?" she eventually asks.

My mind immediately conjures up an image of her lips on mine and my fingers in her hair as our bodies press close together, and I swallow thickly, knowing I must be blushing.

"Let's ask him, shall we?" I suggest then.

Her mouth drops open before a wicked grin takes over her face. She nods at me encouragingly as I take out my phone once more to send Edward a text.

Hey baby, do you remember our agreement? – xo B

While I wait for him to reply, Roos offers me the use of her phone to log into my Facebook account. I didn't get an international data package, because I'm not planning on being online a lot during my trip, and wifi will suffice. But right now it would have been convenient, for looking up my new friends and posting some pictures on Facebook. I accept her friend request and quickly add Laurens and Irene as well, before logging back out. The timing is impeccable, as there is a text from Edward waiting on my own phone.

What agreement are you talking about?

Realizing my previous text was maybe a bit too vague, I make sure to elaborate.

The one related to my slight bi curiosity… You said it'd be okay as long as you knew and it'd be only physical, like scratching an itch?

His reply is almost instantaneous.

Oh THAT agreement. I remember that one very well… ;) What about it?

I swallow, suddenly nervous. Bringing this up with him will make it more real.

Well, Roos has expressed an interest, and I'm pretty attracted to her as well…

Which one is Roos?

I show Roos the last message, to which she suggests to take a selfie together and post it on Facebook. We take a few snaps and select the best one, according to her. I'm looking at the camera with a blush on my face, which could be explained by both excitement as well as alcohol, while Roos' arm is slung across my shoulders and she plants an exaggerated smooch on my cheek. She uploads the picture and tags me in it.

Check out the latest pic I'm tagged in. She's Jasper's sister and friends with A.

It takes him a few minutes to reply. When the text comes in, I'm not surprised.

Wow. Yeah. Defo, if you've got the chance. You're serious, aren't you?

I'm not sure how to respond to that verbally, and decide another picture will bring the message across much better. I tell Roos I want to take another selfie and hold her phone out in front of us. She smiles into the camera, but just before I tap the button to take the picture I tap her shoulder. She turns so she looks at me questioningly. I catch her by surprise when I pull her face to mine and kiss her while holding down the button on her phone. She gasps, clearly not expecting me to be this forward, and I take the opportunity to slip my tongue into her mouth. She then reciprocates the kiss eagerly, sliding her tongue against mine.

Her lips are soft and full, her mouth warm. In a way, it reminds me of kissing Edward; they both kiss with a tenderness that belies their hunger, and I can sense Roos' in her soft groans, which reverberate in the space between us. Her hair is also soft and wavy, like Edward's, but she smells much differently. Her perfume is subtle, but sweet and feminine. Noticeably absent is the scruff usually covering my fiancé's jaw. In its place is soft, creamy skin.

After a few moments I pull back from the kiss.

"I hope that was okay?" I ask, suddenly worried I may have gone too fast.

"Are you kidding me, babe? That was freaking hot!"

"I'll say," Laurens pipes up.

It is then that I realize I have just put on a show for not only our boat, but the other boats around us as well. Smiling shyly, I pull up the image reel on Roos' phone, curious to see how it captured our unexpected kiss. I am momentarily mesmerized by how undeniably sexy I look kissing her. Choosing one I think will speak volumes, I send it to Edward via Roos' Facebook messenger, then send him a text from my own phone.

Check the pic in your FB messages. I sent it via Roos' account. Love ya! – xo B

I do not expect an immediate response, figuring Edward will be thoroughly distracted by the image presented to him. I'm hoping he'll approve, because now that I've had some time to entertain the idea, not to mention get a little taste of what might be to come, I'm really looking forward to seeing things through with Roos. She is obviously encouraged by my earlier display and does not hesitate to touch me more freely now as we dance in the boat while watching the rest of the parade float by. I must admit her small yet intimate touches are quite the turn-on.

Instead of texting me back, Edward calls me. Turning up the volume as far as it will go, I press the phone to my ear while covering my other ear with my hand.

"Hey honey!"

"Bella, shit, that picture…"

"You liked it?"

"Liked it? Let me just say I was glad no one else was in the room with me when I opened it. Damn, baby girl, you looked so sexy kissing her! Roos was her name, you said?"

"Yeah, it is. So uhm…"

It feels weird having this conversation with him. Not because of the topic, but because of the severe lack of privacy. He needs to yell in order for me to hear him, and although he can probably hear me just fine, I find myself raising my voice as well. He picks up on my nerves quickly, though.

"Bella, seriously, don't worry. We've already talked about this at length and you know I'm fine with it. You told me as soon as the opportunity presented itself, and I trust your judgment. She looks like a great girl. If you still want to, go for it."

"You're absolutely sure? I don't want things to be weird after this," I still hesitate.

It's not that I don't want to explore this thing with Roos as far as it'll go, but part of me worries that Edward might not be as okay with it as he insists he is. I would hate for my curiosity to negatively affect our relationship, because it has absolutely nothing to do with my dedication to him.

"It won't be weird, sweetheart. I'm secure in what we have. You told me this before: you just want to settle your curiosity, and you're being smart about it. And so considerate."

"Thanks, baby. I needed to hear that," I sigh in relief.

"Does Roos know about our agreement?" he asks.

"Yes. And she's not expecting anything beyond today either. She knows I'm engaged and that this will just be a one-time thing."

"That's good, then," he agrees. "Just remember: if at any point you feel uncomfortable, you can walk away. There is no pressure to continue something if it doesn't feel right anymore."

"I will, I promise," I tell him. "Can we Skype tomorrow?"

"Of course. My shift ends at nine. I should be home by seven your time. We'll talk more then. For now, just go and have fun. I love you."

I fall a little bit in love with him at his reassurances, and a huge smile appears on my face.

"I love you too, Edward," I reply.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, Eddie," Roos shouts into my phone. "I'll take great care of her!"

She and Irene dissolve into a fit of giggles at her antics, while Jasper and Laurens need to hold on to each other to keep from falling into the canal with laughter. I hear Edward chuckling on the other end of the line.

"Enjoy yourself, sweetheart," he tells me again. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Love you, bye," I say before disconnecting the call.

I've been told it's a Dutch thing to cycle everywhere. And apparently it's a student thing to do so on a ratty and rattling bike. Roos' bike meets all the criteria: it looks like it'll crumble at the slightest touch while being held together with duct tape. She wrestles it free from the rack and we walk a few blocks until she deems it clear enough to start cycling. She coaches me in jumping onto the back while she goes as slow as she can. It is still quite the challenge for me, seeing as I am as familiar with a bicycle as a gay man with a vagina. Once I'm finally seated I hold onto Roos tightly so I don't fall off. She rings the bell on the handle bars almost continuously to alert pedestrians to our approach. It's hardly necessary; the bike makes enough noise to announce us from a mile away through a thunderstorm.

I take in the city passing us by, trying to calm the butterflies in my belly at what is about to happen. I can't wait to call Edward in the morning to tell him about it.

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