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You sat in the passenger seat of Roy’s old truck, cruising down the interstate. The windows were down, letting the warm summer air fill the vehicle as a classic rock station filled the quiet atmosphere. You could hear Roy humming along, his voice a deep baritone as he tapped along to the Bon Jovi song playing.
It had been a while since the two of you had any time alone together at all, and Roy sprang this idea on you out of nowhere. He was telling you all about the road trips he would take with Oliver, just the two of them when he was younger. Dinah would stay behind and watch over the city as they got in some decent bonding time together.
Now that Roy was an adult and no longer living with Oliver, he thought it was a good idea to share the tradition with you. Two weeks, just you, him and the open road.
Roy drove with one hand on the wheel, and the other resting firmly on your thigh. Every so often he would squeeze just enough to remind himself that you were with him, partaking in this crazy tradition with him. His eyes were focused on the road, wearing nothing but a tank and shorts with one of his crazy hats on his head and sunglasses hooked onto the front of his tank.
Neither of you were really sure where you were going, just that you were going to follow the road until you found a place to visit or rest. Having driven a few hours already, you could see Roy was starting to get tired.
Nudging him softly, Roy snapped out of his daze and glanced at you before focusing on the road again. “What’s up sweetheart?”
“You look like you need a break,” you hummed. “Why don’t we take a stop?”
Roy chewed his lip, contemplating the decision. His eyes were getting tired, and didn’t want to risk an accident. Glancing at you again, he smiled and patted your thigh, his fingers digging into the plush skin slightly.
“Sounds good, I think there’s a rest stop around here somewhere.”
Content with his decision, you leaned back in the seat and watched the world pass you by humming along to Twisted Sister that now filled the air. Ten minutes down the road, and Roy was pulling into a truck stop.
Looking out the window you saw that it had not only a gas station but a diner attached to it, claiming to have the best pancakes in all of California.
You and Roy shared a look, Oliver made some pretty damn good pancakes. If these could surpass his, then they just might be the best in the country.
Pulling up to a stop in a parking spot, Roy parked the truck and turned it off. Before you could get out, Roy leaned over the center console and pulled you into a kiss. His lips danced over yours, effectively taking your breath away before he pulled away and cupped your face.
“I love you, you know that right?”
“Of course I know that, I love you too Harper.”
Roy smiled and hopped out, walking around the truck to wrap an arm around your shoulders. The summer sun was beating down on you, tickling your skin as you absorbed the heat and vitamin d. Closing your eyes, you sighed happily embracing the clear air, away from the smog of Star City.
“Come on beautiful, let's get some food.”
Leaning into his side, you let Roy lead you inside and made your way to the diner side of the gas station. It was quaint, but it had character. There was an old jukebox in the corner, some random song playing that you didn’t recognize.
A waitress soon greeted you, a smile on her face. “Hi! How may I help you today?”
“Can we get a table for two please?”
The waitress nodded and grabbed a couple of menus before leading you and Roy to an empty booth that gave you a beautiful view of the outside world.
“My name is Traci, and I’ll be serving you guys today.” she beamed. “Can I get you guys anything to drink?”
“Just some coffee please,” you smiled. “Can we have some cream and sugar with it too please?”
Traci nodded, with a beaming smile on her face. “Of course, I’ll be right back with it.” Before you or Roy knew it, she was gone.
You looked at him from across the table, the jukebox playing an old jazz song from the 40s. Roy was lost in his own world, drumming his fingers along to the smooth trumpet melody flowing through the room.
To you, Roy was the most beautiful in moments like this. When he wasn’t worried about work, trying to provide for you, Lian and himself, or about his duties as Arsenal. His face was dusted with freckles,with the softest expression that made him look oh so kissable. The trucker hat was propped on his head, with his long hair held up in a ponytail in the back.
Roy felt you looking at him, and with the cutest look on his face he turned to face you. “What’s up babe?”
“Nothing, just admiring.” you admitted.
“Admiring what?”
“The handsome hunk in front of me.”
Roy’s ears went pink as a smug look spread on his face. “Now you’re just saying stuff,”
Raising a brow, you leaned back in your seat. “Yeah? You clearly don’t see the way Traci has been eyeing your arms.”
Rolling his eyes, “Even if she did, I only have eyes for you baby girl.”
Leaning over, you ran your finger up his chin before placing a soft kiss to his lips. “And you’re the only one for me, hotstuff.”
Pulling away, Traci came back with your coffee. To you, there was nothing better than cheap diner coffee to help wake you up in the afternoon. Ever since you made the comment, Roy noticed the way Traci’s eyes lingered just a little too long on his figure, making his shift in his seat.
“Are y’all ready to order?”
You and Roy shared a look and nodded. “We’ll both have the breakfast special, with a side of gravy and biscuits.”
Traci wrote down your order and walked off with a polite wave.
Now that you were alone again, Roy looked at you before a grin formed on his face. Before you could ask, Roy got up and pulled out a quarter. Leaning against the record machine, Roy flipped through the songs before picking on and putting the quarter in.
Waiting until the song began, you were greeted with the opening of Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis.
Turning to you, Roy held out his hand. “Come on, babe.” he smiled.
“Roy what are you up to?” you asked.
Taking his hand, Roy pulled you up and into his chest. “We are on a romantic getaway, and I want to dance with my girl,” he said. “Is that too much to ask?”
Trying to ignore the heat rising in your cheeks, you tightened your grip on Roy’s hand. “Alright then hotshot, show me what you’ve got.”
Roy smiled at your comment before he wrapped an arm around your waist, and began to lead you in a slow circle with his head next to yours. You felt his lips pressed against the shell of your ear, humming along to the low tones of Elvis.
The way he murmured the words, it was like Roy wrote them for you. If there was one thing you were positive about, it was that you knew without a doubt that Roy loved you. Your arms pressed against his back as Roy led you in slow circles. His deep vibrato lulling you into a sense of security, completely forgetting the fact you were in a diner with other patrons watching you.
Burying your face in his shoulder, you felt Roy press a kiss to your hair as he tightened his hold around you.
“You’re such a sap, Harper.” you hummed, staying close.
“How could I not be, when I have the most beautiful person in the world with me? I want to make sure my girl knows I love her.”
Shaking your head, you didn’t fight him because you knew Roy loved you.
Taking your hand, Roy grinned as he spun you slowly before pulling you back into him for a breathtaking kiss. Roy chuckled, slowing to a stop as the music began to fade out. Plating a final kiss to your lips, he helped you to your seat as Traci came back with your food.
Sitting across from you, Roy couldn’t fight the smile watching you take the first bite of the plate of waffles. The little hums of delight you made, with the giddy look on your face, Roy knew he made the right choice in stopping.
He would do anything if it meant he would get to see that happy look on your face. The rest of your meal was peaceful, with the two of you sharing jokes and laughing. Checking the time, Roy wanted to get back on the road soon. He wanted to be in Arizona before the end of the day, and you only had a few hours left to go.
Paying the bill, Roy wrapped an arm around your waist while sliding his hand into the back pocket of your jean shorts and led you out of the diner. Keeping you close, Roy hummed as he looked at different things, before stopping at the hats.
“Roy Harper, you do not need another hat.”
“Babe, hats are my thing.” he grinned, putting one on his head before looking down at you. Your eyes flit up to read the text before you pursed your lips and hit the front of it down onto his face.
“You are not buying that hat.”
“Babe! I need it!”
“I refuse to even sleep in the same bed as you if you buy that hat.”
“You can’t resist me that long,” he laughed, plopping the hat on the register counter. The words BigFoot tried to eat my ass stared you in the face. Of course Roy would find the most ridiculous hat and buy it. Did you expect anything else?
First chance you got, you were hiding that hat from him.
Once he was done, Roy took the hat and pulled you close again. Placing a kiss to your cheek, Roy led you out the door and to the truck. The sun was beginning to set, the sky dusted with beautiful shades of orange, and red. The California sky never ceased to amaze you, with how visible everything was when you got out of the city.
Opening the door for you, Roy gave your ass a playful smack before he shut the door. Huffing his name, you gave Roy a look as he climbed in the driver side.
“You’re a menace, Harper.”
“Oh, but I’m your menace.” he grinned, putting the key in the ignition and turning the truck on. Feeling the vehicle rumble under you, Roy pulled out and continued the journey down the highway.
There was a comfortable silence, the radio playing more rock tunes as you both hummed along. You could tell there was something eating away at Roy, but you weren’t sure what it was. All you knew was that something was bothering him.
Reaching over, you took his hand. Roy gave you a look out of the corner of his eye, a smile forming on his face.
“I love you, baby girl.” he hummed.
“I love you too, boardshorts.”
Letting out an exasperated sigh, Roy rolled his eyes. “I wore them once, and you still haven’t let me live it down.”
“That’s because your dumbass thought that wearing a pair with taco cats shooting through the galaxy was formal enough for a dinner out.”
“It was our first date, gimme a break.”
“I have never, nor will I ever give you a break Roy Harper. You are a menace to society with your sense of fashion. How could you have been raised by Oliver?”
Roy changed lanes before sparing you a glance. “Did you really think Oliver dressed himself?”
Okay, he had a point there. Oliver was almost as bad as Roy, if not worse. If it weren’t for Dinah, Oliver would wear the most atrocious clothes in public. The thing with Roy was that he made ridiculous look good.
He could be wearing the stupidest outfit and you would still love him all the same. It’s what made Roy, Roy. You wouldn’t change a thing about him, having fallen in love with all his quirks and traits.
A few hours and a short nap later, Roy had crossed the state line making sure to announce it not only to you, but the world.
“Welcome to Arizona! The Grand Canyon state!”
Rolling your eyes, you couldn’t hide the giggle as he kept the biggest grin on his face.
“You are ridiculous.” you hummed.
“Oh, but you are just as ridiculous.”
“I am not.”
If Roy wasn’t so focused on watching the road, he would have given you the most deadpan look he could muster. It was a look he perfected as a father.
“Sure, whatever you say sweetheart.”
Letting out a giggle, you turned to look back out the window and count each cactus and joshua tree you passed, effectively driving Roy nuts with your mundane counting.
After what felt like hours, the sun was finally setting before Roy pulled into a local motel. Most of the drive was quiet, mainly because you knew something was on Roy’s mind. You kept quiet while he drove, knowing full well it was easier for him to brush it off and ignore it, using the fact he was driving as an excuse.
Now that you were alone, in a musty old hotel room, he had nowhere to hide and nothing to use to dodge your questions.
Plopping onto the bed, you watched as he pulled out a pair of pajama pants before tossing his shirt to the side and changing. You were surprised he even put on pants, let alone slept with something on.
As if he could feel you staring, Roy stopped mid brush of his wild hair and stared at you.
“What?”
“You know what,”
Giving you a bewildered expression, you sighed and rose to your feet. “You have been off all day, and I’ve waited until now for you to tell me so spill.”
“Babe, I–”
“Spill, or I call Dick.”
That shut Roy up real fast before he dropped his head with a defeated look. If anyone was going to get a confession out of him, it would be the horrifyingly manipulative asshole he called his best friend.
Walking over to you, Roy laid on the bed before pulling you down with him effectively laying his head on your chest. Knowing what he wanted, you raked your fingers through his soft hair, and rubbed the tension from between his shoulders.
Whenever Roy did this, you knew he was stressed especially because he wasn’t trying to get into your pants.
Holding him close you sighed, “Roy, what’s going on?”
“Have–” he swallowed hard. “Have you ever questioned if you are a good parent or not?”
You knew where this was headed.
“Roy–”
“Ever since I got custody of Lian, I’ve been asking myself if I was ever going to be good enough for her. If I was going to love her enough, support her enough, protect her enough. What if I’m no better of a father than Jade is a mother?”
Burying his face in your chest, Roy held you close. “I question everything I do with her; is it too dangerous, is it too hard, is it not challenging enough so she learns?”
“I am so terrified of failing my daughter, and not being a good enough father that she doesn't want anything to do with me once she is older.”
Listening to his confession, you felt your heart break a little. Raking your nails across his scalp softly, you held him close to you.
“Roy, I have never seen a father more passionate about his daughter than you. Where you see flaws, I see Lian making memories with you. Twenty years from now, she isn’t going to care about what you did together, she is going to care about the fact that you did things with her.”
“Lian loves you, and I know you love her. She is very lucky to have you as a father, like I am lucky to call you mine.”
Lifting his head slightly, you could see Roy’s dark green eyes watching you. “You really think that?”
“I believe it with all my heart, we love you Roy. Nothing is ever going to take you away from us, okay?”
There was a moment of silence between you, Roy’s face slowly molding into a smile. “I love you so much baby,”
“I love you too, boardshorts.”
Pulling back the covers, Roy pulled you both under them before switching the light off. “Get some sleep, beautiful, we have another long day of driving ahead of us.”
“That we do.”
As Roy fell asleep, you could see the weight lift off his shoulders, as if hearing those words from you earlier lightened the load. You and Roy both knew that none of you were perfect, let alone perfect parents; but knowing the fact you tried your damndest to give Lian the best life you could meant everything and no one and nothing would ever be able to take that bond from you.