Archive of Our Own ^beta

Roger was walking through the dorm room hallway with a mission. He needed a ride to Newgate’s place but didn’t have a car to get there. He knew of one person in his dorm who did, and needed an excuse to get to know the other man better seemed as good as any.

Luck would have it that Rayleigh, as he was told his name was, was standing outside by his car. Allowing Roger to stroll up to him with a huge smile on his face.

“Hi, nice ride! I happen to need a ride, so meeting you seemed like destiny.”

He was grinning widely, even when he noticed Rayleigh just looking at him like he was nuts. He had been told that he was too forward at times.

Waiting for a moment longer, he heard him snort, “You got balls, I like you.”

Beaming at Rayleigh, he held out his hand, “Roger Gol, so can I get a ride to my friend’s house?”

Rayleigh took him for a moment longer, taking the hand offered to him, “Rayleigh Silvers.”

“Even out names match together, this truly is destiny.”

He can see Rayleigh thinking it over, before another snort leaves the older man, fishing the keys out of his pocket before unlocking the car.

“Let’s get you to your friend, then, you better pay my gas though.”

Nodding at that, Roger gets in, dragging Rayleigh with him as soon as they arrive at Newgate’s. Introducing the two of them and seeing the way his best friend looked between the two of them. Amusement lit his eyes, when Rayleigh shared how he and Roger had met not even an hour before Newgate’s loud laughter ran through the house.

Pouting at that, Roger started smiling again once he noticed that Rayleigh was looking at him with something close to endearment in his eyes. He could work with that, he liked the other man and just used this as an excuse to get to know him better. To know it worked out like this was better than he had ever expected.

Grabbing the last of his things stored with Newgate, Roger loaded them into Rayleigh’s care before they were making their way back to campus. The ride was silent, but pleasantly so, allowing Roger all the time to keep an eye on Rayleigh in what he assumed was a non-conspicuous way.

“You can stop staring, you know.”

Yelping, Roger could feel the blush blooming on his cheeks, “You’re interesting, and that was before I got to know you better.”

Rayleigh’s tilted eyebrow says it all, making him look back before he’s whispering, “I… Ah, I saw you around campus now and again but never found a good enough reason to approach you. I’m glad I found one and I did, though.”

Now it was Rayleigh’s turn to blush, a light dusting of red taking over his cheeks before he cleared his throat and glanced at Roger out of the corner of his eye. Trying not to let it show too much.

“I… I see.”

Grinning widely, Roger hums as he fiddles with the radio, grinning as he thinks on how this can progress. He knows that this can only get better, he wants to have a chance with Rayleigh to be more than the friends they are now.

Years later, after spending two years together on campus and eventually becoming roommates after one too many people ran into them having sex. Gaban was a saint for asking to be transferred and to arrange that Roger and Rayleigh were placed together.

That last year without Rayleigh had been hard, even if Roger hadn’t been living on campus by then. Rayleigh had an apartment in the city, so Roger was there more often than in his dorm room. Making plans to officially move in once he was through with college.

Laying next to his lover after a bout of lovemaking, Roger hums, “Did you hear about this event that the city is organizing?”

Rayleigh nodded, pulling Roger close, “The pride thing? That parade?”

Nodding, Roger pushes himself up to look at Rayleigh, seeing the way his lover’s eyes turn downwards. Even after so long, and after being together for two years he hated that Rayleigh didn’t seem to get that it was okay for two men to be in a relationship.

“Hey love, none of those thoughts.”

Rayleigh looked up, allowing Roger to crawl closer and rest his hands and head on his chest.

“This is normal, you know, it isn’t a bad thing. No matter what your family told you, this is something to be celebrated. We aren’t doing anything wrong.”

Rayleigh sighed at that, the mood plummeting in a way that had Roger just gathering him close as Rayleigh tried to work through his issues. Not for the first time, Roger cursed those of Rayleigh’s family that had told his lover that this wasn’t natural. They truly weren’t doing anything wrong. He was hoping to show Raylaigh that there were more than enough people like them out there. That it was nothing to be ashamed of, or to hide.

“I promise that I’m going to show you this is everything, my love, please believe me when I tell you that.”

Rayleigh nodded, even if tears gathered in his eyes.

“Roger?”

He hummed, “Yeah, sweetheart?”

“Love me?”

Pressing their lips close, he whispered, “Always.”

That wouldn’t be their first pride they attended together, showing Rayleigh that they weren’t indeed the only people who were like this. Who were gay, or dating people of the same gender. It became something they did every year, like clockwork, meeting the same people and getting connected throughout this whole community. Finding that they became a staple piece to show up ever since that first time.

The one time they didn’t, was close to 10 years after they started dating. Because adoption as a gay couple was allowed, making them act soon when one of Rayleigh’s siblings left their child on their doorstep. The little redheaded baby didn’t need that, he needed loving parents, so that’s what they became. Once again standing in the spotlight because they became the first openly gay couple to adopt a child. 

Shanks would be joined by a brother, Buggy, the year after they adopted him allowing them to build on a future that included more than just them. When their boys were older, teenagers, Roger’s side of the family contacted him to tell him that his favorite cousin had died in childbirth, if he wanted to take her son. Despite being in their 40s they took on the newborn, the look in both their eyes at seeing Ace with them was enough for Roger to grin and turn to Rayleigh.

“I told you meeting me was destiny.”

Rayleigh snorted, before they were kissing softly, he couldn’t say anything about that. Knowing that Roger was such a staple in his life that he never wanted something else.

“Yeah, it was… I love you.”

Roger beamed, “I love you, and the boys, so much.”