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Miles first met Raymond when he was a child. He went to visit his father at the Edgeworth Law Offices one day, and found Raymond. He remembers how he looked at the teenage Raymond, and though that Raymond thought and acted younger than he really was. And although he found his father’s assistant a bit odd and too hyperactive, Miles respected Raymond for his plans to be a defence attorney, for he longed to be one too.
After the entire mess with his father and DL-6 and the fallout of that incident, Miles lost contact with Raymond. And he only met him again last year, on the Knightley case. Raymond is very different now – he actually looks his age and has an annoying habit of asking people for hugs – but still reminds Miles of that naïve teen from long ago.
During the Knightley case and the several incidents that followed, Raymond was always there. He annoyed Miles with his digs about Miles’ ‘betrayal’ and flirted with Miles several times and Miles found himself both trusting and wary of Raymond.
Things only got more confusing when Raymond asked him out a few weeks after the case with the Debestes was over and done with. Miles stared at Raymond, and said, “What?”
Raymond scratched his nose, avoiding eye contact. “Uh… I asked you if you want to date me, Miles. Unless… would it be creepy?”
Miles shook his head. “No, just because we knew each other when I was a child does not make your plan creepy, Mr Shields.”
“That’s good. It’s just… when I met you the other week, Miles, I… you looked so handsome.”
“Oh shut up,” Miles said. “Anyway, about your request, I will have to decline.”
“O-Oh, I see,” Raymond said, still red. “C-Can I ask why?”
“It is nothing personal,” Miles said. “I simply… uh… do you know what the terms asexual and aromantic mean?” Even though his sexuality was nothing to be ashamed of, Miles found his cheeks burning.
Raymond’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh. Know what asexual is. Is aromantic the romance equivalent of that one?”
Miles nodded. “Yes, exactly. It wouldn’t matter who asked me. I would have to say no. you wouldn’t want to go out with someone who can’t love you back.”
“Whoa, hey, Miles, don’t say it like that,” Raymond said, catching the bitterness in his voice. “You’re not the bad guy here. Don’t feel bad for something you can’t control. I’m the one who asked you. Look, I, it’s—”
“Mr Shields, stop talking,” Miles said, cutting off Raymond’s awkward ramblings. “But…” He smiled. “Thank you.”
“Huh?”
“Thank you for saying that. Far too many times, I have been asked out only to decline them politely. However, I was always treated like a bad person for rejecting their love. People felt sorry for their unrequited feelings, because it is hard to like someone who can’t like you back. I understand that. But nobody ever considers how I feel. Do you know how it feels to see a woman you care for and respect crying because you don’t – can’t – love her back?” Miles paused, processing what he just said. Did he just open up about years of pain to Raymond bloody Shields? He went to apologise for venting, but stopped.
Raymond stared at him, close to tears. “Oh, Miles, I didn’t know you’d been though such shitty situations. I’m… so glad what I said helped. Huh…” Raymond cleared his throat, still studying Miles with watery eyes. “So, yeah, no feeling bad, okay? It’s my crush, and my problem. And nobody else is allowed to get upset on my behalf whilst forgetting how you feel.”
Miles gave him an awkward smile.
“Anyway. How about a—”
“No,” Miles said, and Raymond laughed.
It seemed like such a normal day when it began. But it turned out to be incredibly important. That day, when he sat with Mr Shields in his father’s legal firm, Miles both came out, and someone finally understood how people treated him for being aromantic.
What is it with Raymond Shields and his ability to be both annoying and incredibly helpful?