For the @jatp-adventevent prompt: Queer Day
Day Seventeen: Done We Now Our Gay Apparel <-AO3!
Julie comes to him as a teen and tells Ray that she thinks she likes girls and boys. Ray pulls her into a hug, tells her he loves her, is proud of her, and he’ll happy welcome anyone she brings home… when she’s old enough to date. She rolls her eyes and whines, but the small bitten off smile tells him all he needs to know as she skips off, presumably to tell Rose.
Ray breathes out a breath, running his palm down over his face and then grins. He loves that Julie is able to tell him this kind of stuff, and that the world is a kinder, though not perfect place for queer people now. He remembers the hatred from his college years towards his LBGT peers, and the subtle undercurrent of derision when both he and Rose tried a few things out, with her liking everyone, and Ray falling more on the ‘heteroflexible’ side of things, but happy enough to have a bit of fun if the opportunity arose.
When Julie is old enough to date, she and Flynn decide to go together with their dates, which Rose thinks is adorable, and Ray feels like it will make things way less tense for the girls. Julie is going with some guy from the lacrosse team. “Who’s the lucky guy Flynn?” he had asked as the girls got ready.
“Girl, actually,” Flynn replied. “I’m a lesbian.” She finished applying her eyeliner, then turned to look at Ray. “It’s Carrie, by the way.”
“Well then, good job. You’re both lucky girls.”
Flynn scrunched in on herself at that, and then bit her bottom lip. “I… I don’t identify as a girl actually. I’m non-binary, I’m using they/them pronouns now. Is that okay?”
Ray gathers her into a hug at that, assuring her-them-that it is, and promises to try and remember and be respectful. He’s never met anyone who identifies as non-binary, but for Flynn, who is practically a second daughter to him, he’s more than willing to learn.
A year later, Julie brings home her bandmates. Ray likes those boys, they’re sweet and respectful, and the music they make is pretty darn good. Rose has a smile for each of them as they come in the house, and she always has a tray of snacks at the ready for them. Today though, she’s out shopping, so Ray throws something together to bring out. Julie is squat between Luke and Reggie on the couch, the three of them hunched over a notebook.
But Alex is sitting on the armchair, another boy practically in his lap, playing with his hair. “Oh hey Mr. M!” he says with a wave. “This is my boyfriend Willie.”
“Yo!” Willie says with a jaunty wave.
“Very nice to meet you Willie,” Ray replies. “You’re welcome any time.” He turns to Julie then. “Make sure to get your homework done amidst all the song writing please, and dinner tonight is lasagne if anyone wants to stay.”
He leaves the garage then, but just after he clears the door, he hears Julie say. “I told you he wouldn’t care. He’s not like your parents.”
“I know, but he’s still a dad,” Alex replies. “He just… happens to be a good one.”
Ray has to smile at that, and by the time the band meets up again, there’s a Pride flag in the window and Alex beams when he sees it, nodding at Ray when he greets him.
Luke actually comes out to Rose, and Ray just happens to be there. He approaches shyly, asking her if she thinks Julie would say yes to a movie date if he asked. Rose beams and says yes, but he’d be better off asking Julie herself.
“And you don’t mind that I’m…” he trails off, but moves his cut off so the scars are visible.
“No,” Ray says firmly. “If Julie knows and doesn’t care, then why should we?”
“She knows,” Luke says. “And that I’m pan, and she likes me just the same. She’s pretty accepting.”
“Well I’m pansexual too, so she grew up knowing that who you are attracted to doesn’t mean squat as long as you’re a good person,” Rose replied, and Luke offers her a fist bump at that. Ray grins, and thanks whatever force sent these boys to Julie, and to them. He knows not every parent would be as cool with it, and from the whispers he's heard, some of these boys parents are not.
Reggie is the last one to come out, and it’s in a weird, roundabout way. Julie and Luke march into the house, Reggie in tow and tell Ray that they’re all dating now.
“O…kay, you want to give me more details there mija?”
“I’m bisexual,” Reggie says, his eyes downcast. “I… I kind of just figured it out recently.” He lights up though when Ray grips his shoulder, offering him a warm smile. Ray has a fondness for Reggie, and any chance to make his sunshiney self come out, he takes.
“We all like each other, so why not all date?” Luke supplies.
“Love triangles are stupid, especially when polyamory is a easy solution,” Julie finishes.
Ray and Rose exchange glances, but re-assert that they love them all, and whatever they need, all they have to do is ask. There’s a lot of hugging and tears, but Ray can see those boys adore Julie and each other, so what more can he ask? Life will be hard enough on them, he doesn't need to add to it just because he doesn't understand it yet.
He and Rose spend a lot of time researching after that, but they always let their kids... all their kids know that they are loved, accepted, and safe in their home. If the guys spend more and more time there after that, well Rose just starts buying more snacks, and Ray offers as many dad hugs as they need.
That holiday season, Ray puts up a small tree in the garage. The kids all spend most of their time there anyways. And knowing the varying levels of acceptance from their respective families, bedecks the tree in as many queer themed ornaments as possible. It's a rainbow mish-mash of flags and hearts, but it's theirs. Everyone loves it, and when he brings snacks out this time, he catches the conversation as they take it in.
“Man are there any actually straight people close to us?” Alex comments wryly.
“Tia Victoria?” Luke offers.
“She’s aro-ace actually,” Willie replies. “She told me herself when I came out as demi.”
“Carlos is twelve,” Julie says and Ray can almost hear the eye roll. “He's still figuring himself out.”
“You dad,” Reggie replied.
“You rang?” Ray says as he comes in, setting down the tray of hot cocoa and cookies.
“We’re just saying you might be the only straight person we know,” Julie says as she thanks him for the treats.
“Who said I was straight?” Ray replies with a wink, walking out, whistling Jingle Bells, and giggling to himself at the gobsmacked teenagers he left behind.
