A/N: Takes place in an AU where they didn't move to Missouri. Cam is fanon version because that's best Cam. I made up Lily's friends because I don't remember them. Song reference- You Need to Calm Down by Taylor Swift.
BAM
Mitch jumped, accidentally mistyping on his computer as the front door of their new house slammed. He heard Cam grumbling as he entered. Mitch fixed the error and closed his laptop, pausing for a moment to look at the baby monitor next to him to see if the noise had woken Rex. Relived that the baby was still asleep, he went into the kitchen to see Cam rummaging through the fridge.
"Cam, sweetie, are you okay?"
His response was a disgruntled 'no'.
"Did Lily get to her friends at the mall?"
"Yeah." Cam said, closing the fridge. He opened the can of Coke he'd gotten out. He sipped and sighed with a frustrated growl.
He set his can down a little too roughly, splashing the drink a bit. He groaned and rubbed his face with his hands. Realizing Mitch hadn't responded, he opened his eyes. His expression softened on seeing Mitch by the entryway to the kitchen, a nervous look on his face.
No matter how many years had passed, certain things always made the redhead's anxiety spike and he'd always try to keep his distance.
"Mitchell, I'm safe." Cam said. "It's just soda and I'm not taking anything out on you."
Mitch nodded, staying where he was.
"Better clean this or there'll be ants." Cam said. He cleaned up the mess, seeing Mitch approach out of the corner of his eye.
The redhead hesitantly put an arm around his husband. Cam offered the soda, but Mitch shook his head.
"You know you're safe with me." Cam said.
"What happened?" Mitch asked.
Cam let out a frustrated sigh, feeling his husband's arm twitch. "I dropped Lily off and they were going to the food court so I decided to shop a little. I bought Gloria a necklace for her birthday-the one you liked last time we were there-and then I remembered Pepper's costume party and I was trying to get a dress fitted properly..."
"I thought I was wearing the dress."
"I wanted to get both in case you weren't feeling comfortable, we can switch."
"Thanks." Mitch said. "What happened? Did anyone in the fitting room say anything?"
"No, the lady fixing me was encouraging. I told her to be honest with my body shape, and yeah, it's not great hearing the nice way of I probably need to get rid of some weight, but that's not what got me. She wanted to see if it worked in different ways, so I walked around the shop and spun and danced a little. It was all fine until I left. This lady had seen me through the window and took issue with me in a dress. She didn't believe me when I said it was for a party."
"Was it only her?"
Cam shook his head. "I wish. She got her husband and some friends who were just verbally attacking me. Then I saw Lily and her friends farther down the mall and I didn't want her to see that so I just left...and I have to go back later because the final touches are being put on the dresses and I'm supposed to pick the kids up and bring them here for a karaoke party."
"Okay. Then let's go back." Mitch said.
"Now?"
"Maybe when Rex wakes up, but yeah. We stand up for each other, we should be louder than the ones who are being too loud. We just need to tell them they should calm down. And...I want to try on my dress."
Cam grinned and kissed him.
...
The fitting lady applauded when Mitch came out of the dressing room with a flowy dark pink dress.
"Thank you, thank you." He said.
"Is it too short?" She asked. "Your husband's was a little longer."
"Nah, he says I should show off my legs more." Mitch put his foot up on a stool and shot Cam a sly look.
"It's true." Cam said. He whistled. "Hey, sexy legs, you come here often?"
"I'm guessing you've been married a while." The lady said, laughing. "Though that's not the worst pickup line I've heard."
"Thank you. And I'm sorry you've heard worse."
The three of them walked around the mall, waiting for Lily to text them that she was ready to meet up. They caught a lot of people's eyes, a few complimented, most just looked amused and kept walking.
"Man, can't believe some people are jealous of my legs." Mitch said as they passed a few people who gave him a nasty look. He wanted to keep it on for a bit.
"And straight ahead you'll see a not so straight sight." Lily said as she and four of her friends exited a shoe store. "Gavin's mom saw you guys and we told her we'd meet up with you when we're done here, so she went home."
"Hey, nice dress Mr. P!"
"Thank you, Wendell." Mitch said.
"Got any shoes for that?" Lily asked as her friends started fawning over Rex.
"Yep, they're at home."
"Should've stayed at home!" A voice called. They turned to see a group of five people standing there. Cam scowled.
"Oh...you're back." An older lady said, wrinkling her nose.
"Look at this freak show." One of the men said.
"Why are you so mad?" Lily asked.
"No one asked for your opinion, little girl. Actually, why are you and your little friends around these men...if they're even men."
"You just need to calm down." Mitch said. "And don't speak to my daughter that way."
"It's called the freedom of self expression." The man said.
"True. You're using yours and I'm using my right to self express and mine is I look pretty damn hot in this dress."
"Ooo" The preteens said.
"I bet your parents are ashamed of you." The lady said.
"My accepting mother is dead and my father actually thinks I have the legs for dresses." Mitch said, hands on his hips, looking haughtily at them.
"You wouldn't be so hot if I tore it off." The man grumbled.
"Whoa, hey, he's taken, sorry." Cam said, putting an arm around his husband's waist as Mitch fanned himself with his hand. The preteens giggled. "And something you should do is learn the lesson I did, that stressin' and obsessin' 'bout somebody else is no fun."
"Why can't we tell you what we see wrong?" One of the women said.
"There's really better uses of your time and effort." Mitch told her. "I mean, anyone care that certain species animals are going extinct? Or world hunger. Personally, I'd be more worried about issues impacting our planet than a man in pretty colors walking around. So, could you not step on my gown?"
"This impacts society." The man grumbled.
"And isn't that sad?" Cam said, shaking his head. "That you feel the need to tear down humans while also preaching for a society to be a society. Who are you really mad at? Us for being different, or you for not accepting that everyone has their differences."
"Yeah, just calm down dude." one of the preteens said.
The older lady's jaw dropped as she stared at the kid. Mitch and Cam stood protectively in front of the group.
"Excuse me, it's creepy and weird to stare at my friend, we're twelve." Gavin said.
"Definitely creepy." Lily agreed. "Silvia, can you text your sister's friend? I think we need security."
"On it." Silvia said.
"What sort of influence are you two on that girl?" The woman snapped.
"Don't react, Quinn." Gavin said.
"No. I want to." Quinn said furiously. "My friend's dads didn't 'make me this way'. I am who I am because I don't feel like a girl. I don't understand everything about myself yet, but I do know that I'm a PERSON with FEELINGS and friends who CARE about me."
"Enh!" Rex started fussing.
"Aw, baby, I'm sorry." Quinn's demeanor changed, they gently picked Rex up and started soothing him. "You made me upset the baby."
"Just stop." Cam said, seriously. He noticed the glances the group was making at the baby and their movements. "Touch my baby and you'll regret it."
"And don't say anything else to these kids, they're our responsibility, not yours." Mitch said just as seriously.
"Is there a problem here?" A young man came up to them in a mall security uniform.
"They're bothering us and threatening my children and the rest of the kids, Mr. Barton." Cam told him, having seen the name tag.
The man nodded. "I'm going to have to ask the rest of you to leave the mall." He told the confrontational group.
"You're going to let THAT walk around?" The rest of them started complaining, pointing to Mitch, Cam, Quinn, and the baby who had been given to Lily.
"You're disturbing the peace and I heard you've been acting suspicious towards minors. Please leave. I would like to let you know, I'm the nice one. My friend Hank, on the other hand, has been a mall cop for ten years and he doesn't mince words." He indicated a buff man who'd come up with him, but was apart from the group and observing in case he needed to intervene.
The group complained as they left.
"Thanks, Ray." Silvia said.
"No problem, let me know if you ever need anything."
"Thanks."
Mitch and Cam sighed and turned to the preteens, asking if they were alright. Lily, Silvia, and the boys said they were okay. Quinn shrugged, saying they didn't want to talk about it.
...
They dropped Wendell off at home and took the rest of the kids back to the house so Lily could set up karaoke. Cam put Rex down for a nap while Mitch changed out of the dress so it would stay clean. He came back down to see Quinn crying with Silvia's comforting arms around them.
"Everything okay?" Mitch asked.
"Yeah, your husband's helping Lily and Gavin set up downstairs and we were going to the bathroom. I was last when I saw Quinn here, crying."
"Quinn, do you want to talk about it?" Mitch asked, sitting next to them.
"I don't know." Quinn sniffled "I-I know you guys had to come out at a more difficult time, but it sounds like at least your parents accepted you...did they ever call you 'that'? Make you seem less human?"
Mitch scratched the back of his neck. "I don't know about less human, but my dad did make me feel like I wasn't normal at the beginning. That different was abnormal or wrong. I don't know that Cam's parents fully accept him, they just don't complain to his face." He hoped he was saying the right thing.
"Quinn, you have your cousin. She accepts you for who you are." Silvia said. "If she didn't, why would she be trying to adopt you?"
"There's the silver lining." Mitch said. "Someone who loves you unconditionally and accepts you for who you are. My dad came around, my sister and brother in law and their family accept me."
"My parents can't ever come around...is it stupid for me to think they can?"
"No." He winced as he dug into his neck.
"Mr. Tucker-Pritchett?" Silvia said. "Um, I think I heard the baby."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I have really good hearing."
Mitch nodded and went to check on Rex. The baby was fast asleep.
He went back downstairs, wondering if he said something wrong Silvia had wanted him to leave. He tugged at his sleeves.
It's my fault Quinn's upset. If I hadn't been parading around in that dress, they wouldn't have noticed Quinn and maybe the twelve year old would be partying with their friends instead of crying all because you and your stupid-
A sudden movement.
He squeezed his eyes shut. Something was wrapping around him. He inhaled sharply.
"Mitchell, I'm so sorry." Oh, it's just Cam. Breathe. "I just wanted to make sure the kids were settled okay first. I didn't realize how long it would take. I'm sorry I left you here. I'm sorry I left you..."
"M-my f-fault..." Mitch mumbled, pressing his face into Cam's shoulder.
"What do you mean, sweetie?"
"Th-they're upset...because-because I-I was in the dress and-and all that...because of me..." Mitch sobbed.
"Oh, no honey. It wasn't you." Cam soothed. "Mitchell, sweetie, it wasn't you. It wasn't either of us or any of the kids. It's people who just talk loud, that's all. We're safe here, kids are having fun singing out of tune."
"I messed up...messed up...can't say proper thing to a twelve year old..."
"You mean Quinn?" Mitch nodded. "Mitchell, you did say something right. You reminded them that they have someone who loves them for who they are. That's was what Quinn needed, reassurance and the reminder that they can be loved and are loved."
"B-but S-Silvia told me...said go check on baby...she must've known-she knew I said something wrong..."
"No, she noticed the scratching." Cam said. "And that's my fault for not coming back up sooner to check on everyone. I'm so sorry."
"H-how does she know?"
"She could tell that you had a nervous habit and that it was hurting you." Cam kissed Mitch's temple. "Kids pick up on things like that. "
"I-I-"
"And for the record, I love you in that dress." Cam whispered. "I couldn't say it in front of the kids, but I wanted to say I love seeing you out of it too."
Mitch let out a sob-laugh. He lifted his head to meet Cam's eyes.
"They were just being too loud and they really needed to calm down." Cam said.
"Y-yeah."
"It really puts into perspective how the move to Missouri might have gone. I'm glad we stayed."
"I-it's nicer."
"We own who we are and nobody can tell us otherwise. We'll do what we always do, stand tall and proud. I love you."
"Yeah." Mitch said, sounding more confident. Cam kissed him. "I love you too."
"Now, I don't know about you, but if I was a dancing, singing preteen, I'd probably get hungry. Let's give our hands something to do and make snacks for everyone."
"Okay." They held hands as they went to the kitchen.
A/N: I wrote this when Ao3 went down and I was trying ot post a zombie AU that I'm not sure if I can post here because of rating.