Bullies and Boy Clothes

"Okay Sweetie, you've got everything you need?" Bryan asked, handing Sawyer his Captain America lunch bag.

"Yeah Daddy! I'm all set." He smiled.

"Perfect." Bryan smiled back. He knelt down and grabbed his son's face, kissing the top of his head. Sawyer loved it when he did that. "Have a great day, Sweetie! Daddy David will pick you up after school okay?"

"Okay!" Sawyer beamed. "I love you!"

"I love you too, little man."

Sawyer took of running towards the playground, leaving Bryan to sit and watch him run. A smile slowly crept onto his face. Man, did he love that kid... Seven years and his love for him had yet to diminish!

•••

Sawyer ran onto the playground, eagerly searching for his friends. When he spotted them at the swing set he set off immediately for them, but was stopped dead in his tracks. A group of older boys stepped out in front of him. Arms crossed, frowns on. Sawyer stared up at them, slightly confused.

"Can I help you?" He asked politely.

"Was that your dad?" One of the boys asked, pointing his chin in Bryan's direction. Sawyer turned around. His father was conversing with the other parents, as usual. He turned back to the boys.

"That's one of them, yeah!" He answered.

"One of them?" The boy questioned, almost laughing. The other boys struggled to keep their chuckles in.

"Yeah! I have two!" Sawyer said proudly.

"You mean your dad's a fag?" The boy questioned, "Ha! I should've guessed. I mean, look at what he's wearing."

The boy's erupted into a chorus of laughter pointing in Sawyer's dad's direction, which made Sawyer angry. He could feel his fists balling up. How dare these guys talk about his Daddy like that. He had to do something. Sawyer straightened his back, putting his shoulders back.

"I happen to think my Dad has the best style ever." He retorted confidently, which only caused more laughter from the boys.

"Oh god!" One said between chuckles. "I think the fag is rubbing off on him." Even more laughs came from the group, making Sawyer even more angry.

•••

Bryan listened patiently as Lisa and Shelley tried to make polite parental conversation with him, but quite frankly he wasn't interested. Especially when he saw, out on the playground, a group of older boys standing defiantly in front of Sawyer. He watched the conversation unfold, wondering what was being discussed. That's when the subject matter of his son's conversation soon became clear. With a nice shove from one of the older kids, Sawyer slammed right to the ground.

Motherly instincts kicking in, Bryan shoved past Shelley, who was in mid-sentence and raced over to Sawyer.

"Hey!" He shouted at the boys. "Why don't you go pick on someone your own size, hunh?" He said, helping Sawyer back to his feet and brushing the dust off of him.

"I don't know," one of the boys retorted, "why don't you wear boy clothes?"

Bryan was slightly taken aback. He wanted to say something back and stand up for himself, No stand up for his kid, but all he could do was stare in shock at what the little brat had said, until...

"You're just mad cause he dresses much nicer than you!" Sawyer spat back. "I mean, the ninja turtles?" Sawyer motioned to the boy's t-shirt, "They are sooo last century!"

Bryan couldn't believe what he had just heard, and neither could the older boys. The one who sported the ninja turtles shirt looked down and Bryan could swear he blushed. Embarrassment? Bullies felt that nowadays?

"C'mon guys..." Ninja turtles' friend said "let's just go." With a few glares at Sawyer and Bryan the group parted, heading for the jungle gym. Bryan still sat in shock.

"Thanks Dad!" Sawyer snapped him back to reality. "I love you so much." He wrapped his arms around Bryan's neck, who returned the hug after a few seconds delay.

"Um, yeah... No problem sweetie..." Bryan answered.

"Bye!" And with that his son was racing off once again, heading for the swing sets. Bryan turned and began walking back to the group of parents, still wondering what had just happened.