Rouge practically jumped out her seat, dropping her half knitted scarf, when her lover and baby daddy, Roger, brust into the house. He looked concerned before a smile appeared upon seeing her. His smile stretched from ear to ear as he raced up to her, an exhilarated laugh escaping his throat with each large step.
"Good, you're okay!" He exclaimed, picking her up from her arm chair to hug the three foot shorter woman close to his chest. Rouge looked exasperated.
"Of course we are. Why wouldn't we be?" This has been happening for the last four days. Ever since Rouge broke the news about being pregnant. Roger was ecstatic but ever since he had been ridiculously protective of them. Doing everything for her and not letting her do anything by herself. He even insists on carrying her everywhere so she doesn't get tired walking!
"Well, you're pregnant and I read that risks increase when you are and- "
"Yes, the risks of something bad happening increase when pregnant but it's not as if I'm going to drop dead suddenly like you seem to think I will. Besides, I'm only a month pregnant. And I feel completely fine."
"I know but I'm worried. I read about some things that can come out of the complete blue. That can kill both the mother and baby."
"And those things very rarely happen and are usually because of genetically passed down diseases or not getting enough rest or the proper types of nutrients. I've made sure to get enough rest and nutrients and neither of us have those types of diseases in our genetics for as far back as I could research."
"You researched?"
"Yes, why else would I ask for your family tree? Besides I needed to make sure our baby didn't have any possible variants in their genetics that I'd have to watch out for. And they don't, other then your, you know..."
"Right..."
There was an awkward silence at the mention of the incurable disease that would take Roger's life soon. They've been trying to ignore the fact that Roger would live to at most several months after their baby was born. And God did they hope they didn't inherit the disease.
"Would you put me down? I need to finish knitting that scarf."
"Right!"
•
The peaceful silence lasted for only five or so seconds.
"Can you believe it, Rouge?" He asked. "We're having a baby."
"Yes, Roger, I know. This is the thirtieth time you've said it today and it's only seven in the morning."
"I know but I can't help it. We're having a baby. A real life, fully alive, certified baby. Oh, God dammit, Rouge, we're having a baby."
"I know, I know." Rouge said with a chuckle.
•
Roger was pacing around an empty room in Rouge's house. "We can start painting now. You already agreed we can do an ocean themed nursery and said I can be the one to choose the walls. I couldn't decide between nine ones I really liked but luckily this room has five walls so I choose to do each wall differently with the ones that would look nice together."
He turned to one of the walls. "This wall is going to be the only one with a beach. It's of a beautiful beach that becomes a vibrant ocean near the end. It's also where the crib is going to be."
"This one is going to be - what was it again - oh right! This is going to fully be that style of drawing waves of white and light blue with those curves and lines." Roger turned to the third wall. "And this one is going to show underwater with gorgeous sea animals swimming in it."
"This one has really realistic looking water and is going to show the top of the ocean with a large whale jumping out and fluffy looking clouds in the sky with a ship in the back that I will custom make to look like the Oro Jackson." Roger turned to the final wall. "And this one is going to be a beautiful coral reef with a bunch of colorful fishes swimming through it. I'm going to find a way to blend the corners of each wall to make it look perfect."
Roger was looking increasingly excited. "Everything's going to be pretty expensive but nothing's too much for out baby. All the furniture is going to be is some way ocean or beach themed and there will be small ships and paintings and toys that I will buy later today and-"
"Roger." Rouge interrupted. "As much as I love listening to this and seeing you so happy and excited the furthest we can go for the nursery right now is planning for it. We still have many different things to prepare for before we start actually buying stuff for the nursery."
"I know I know. But I'm just so excited!"
"I can see that."
"So...what do we have to do first? Before the nursery, I mean?"
"For the baby? Nothing right now. Because if you haven't noticed, just like every time you visit, the house is a mess, the door is broken again, and you already ate though my entire food storage with that ridiculous appetite of yours."
"Sorry." Roger nervously chuckled, bowing his head slightly. "So what do we do now?"
"One, we go grocery shopping and then cooking." Roger frowned.
"Or two, we get cleaning and fixing the third broken door this week." Roger started looking like a kicked overgrown nine foot tall puppy.
"We can't do anything for the baby?" Roger begged.
Rouge shook her head.
"Please?" Roger begged, grapping onto her hands to clasp between his. "Pretty please?"
"...Okay fine. Three, if you promise not to break down my door again, we can do those things tomorrow and eat out today and start picking out names instead."
"You, ma'am, have a deal!" Roger reached out and shook Rouges hand which, mind you, was not outstretched or in any way positioned to be shaken at that moment.
Rouge laughed.
•
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"No."
"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"
"No."
"Pretty please with two cherries on top-"
"No, Roger. You are not naming our child Pirate."
•
Rouge scoffed. "Absolutely not!"
"Whyyyy not?" Roger whined in a very not-Pirate-King way. "It's perfect. I'm the Pirate King. They're my kid. They're going to technically be the pirate prince or princess. Prince or Princess is perfect."
"You're just asking them to be made fun of, aren't you? No."
"Okayyyy." Roger dragged out, flipping through the book to find a certain meaning. "...What about Amir? If they're a boy."
"Amir?"
"Yeah, this book says it means prince. I would also find one for princess but all the names that mean that don't sound well with Gol D."
"Why are you so obsessed with naming them Prince or Princess?!"
"They're going to be the pirate prince or princess-"
"Oh don't you start with that again." Roger gave her puppy dog eyes. You'd think a nine foot tall man who's known across the world as a terror wouldn't be able to but they were very effective. "Okay fine. Amir isn't too bad of a name. It will go on the maybe list."
"Yes!"
•
It was silent as they went through baby name books. That, of course, was interrupted by Roger when he suddenly jumped up with an excited yell. "I got it!"
He excitedly turned to her. "How about Etarip?"
"Etarip?"
"Yeah, like Ea-Ta-Ripe."
"I've actually never heard of that name before." Rouge really hadn't. Was it a boy or girl name? What was it's meaning? What origin did it come from? "Could you show me the book?"
"Oh it isn't from the book. I thought of it. It sounds a bit more boyish but it could be used for a girl. And here's the best part, it's pirate spelled backward!"
Rouge deadpanned. Of course it was. "No."
•
Roger suddenly took a deep breath, startling Rouge after several minutes of complete silence. "Rouge."
"Do you have another idea?"
"Yes." Roger took another deep breath before quickly saying. "Don't get mad but...Gol D. Captain."
"...Really?" Rouge looked at him in utter disbelief.
Roger wilted slightly under her gaze. "So...can that be their name?"
"What do you think?"
"...Yes?"
"Absolutely not! Let's actually be serious with the names Roger!"
"I am being serious!"
•
Rouge was cleaning the dishes left over from the day before when Roger ran in the kitchen. "I have a name!"
Rouge dropped one of plates she was carrying at the sudden appearance of the nine foot man, causing it to shatter all over the floor.
"Sorry!" Roger exclaimed, kneeling down near the mess before Rouge could. "Let me clean that up."
Rouge sighed as he did just that. "So, you have another name?"
"Yep!"
"Well, what is it?"
"Anchor!"
"Anchor? Like a ship's anchor?"
"That's right!"
Rouge sighed again. "Roger. I thought we agreed to be serious about the names now-"
"I am being serious! And I've met someone named Anchor before. Two people actually."
"Roger-"
"And it sounds really nice with Gol D. Gol D. Anchor. Nice right."
"I-" Rouge sighed. Again. She was sighing alot today. "Okay. Let's put it on the maybe list."
•
"I found a name." Rouge suddenly stated.
Roger went to look over her shoulder at the book. "What is it?"
"Neri."
"Neri?"
"Yes Neri. It's main meaning is burning light or candle or lamp but it can also mean ocean spirit. And I know you like names that mean Ocean."
"Neri." Roger tried it out. "I like it!"
Rouge smiled. "It's more of a girl name but it can be used for both."
"Gol D. Neri." Rouge smile dropped slightly. "I like the name and it's meaning but I just realized it doesn't really suit Gol D."
"Gol D. Neri? It's not perfect but it isn't that bad."
"Gol D. Neri." Roger tried it again. "I guess it doesn't sound that bad. Put it on the maybe list."
•
"Speaking of Ocean meaning names, this book has a section of ocean names." Rouge turned toward him. "It says these are all popular ocean-inspired names but it doesn't say what they exactly mean."
"Well what are the names?"
"Kai, Dylan, Wade, Marley, Malik, Marina, Jennifer, Mira, and Morgan."
"I like Kai and Morgan. You?"
"Ah, I don't really like...Morgan is okay I guess? Actually no. I don't like any of these names."
"That's okay. We can just keep looking."
•
"How about ocean?"
"Ocean? Please tell me you mean a name that means ocean and not just straight up ocean?"
"Just ocean."
"Yeah, no."
"Fine." It was silent for about two seconds. "Well, how about sea-"
"No."
•
"Since you want names like Ocean so much how about Aqua?"
"Like the color blue Aqua?"
"That's right. I was going to say because it's the color of the ocean but this book also says it means water or sea-blue or one from water."
Roger looked over her shoulder at the book. "Wait it says it's also short for Aquamarine?"
"Yes?"
"Then no way. I'm not naming my possible daughter a name that has Marine in it."
"But Marine isn't even in the name. It's just in one of it's meanings-"
"That's still too much. Marine. How can you expect me to name my possible daughter Marine of all things." Roger scoffed, kicking a empty water bottle childishly as he crossed his arms and pouted.
Rouge deadpaned at him. "Are you sure you're a man almost at his mid fifties? And one of the most feared people in the world?"
•
"You know, I knew these twins when I was little. Ivy and Iris. They were the popular girls in our schoolhouse-"
"I'm sure you were very popular as well."
Rouge smiled. God, she loved him. "Anyway, what do you think of those names?"
"They sound nice. Ivy doesn't suit Gol D. though."
"So only Iris on the maybe list."
"Actually just put both." Roger said. "I like them both."
"Great!"
•
"What do you think about Nora?" Rouge asked.
"Too plain, too common, and doesn't suit Gol D." Roger rapid fired.
Rouge blinked. "That was quick."
•
"You know, when I went to Wano Country - the inner north secti-"
"You went to Wano Country?!"
"Yes. You already knew that though."
"Sorry, let me rephrase. You went to the inner section?!"
"Well, yes-"
"That's really illegal-"
"Practically everything I do is illegal, Rouge. Get used to it. Now as I was saying, that place has names that were pretty different. But also sounded nice."
"What were they like?"
"Well, there were of course a lot of names but something I kept hearing was names that ended in hiko, suke, hei, o, or shi for the boy names and e, yo, mi, na, ka, or ko for the girl female names. And let me tell you, there was a lot that ended in ko-"
"Roger, their names seem to be pretty different from what we're used to. Let's just focus on names that we're more familiar with first and then we can move on to names from a country you illegally entered, okay?"
•
"How about Orion?"
"Orion." Roger scrunched up his nose. "No, it sounds too much like onion."
•
"Here's another word associated with the ocean. Coral."
"Like the Coral Reef?"
"That's right. So what do you think?"
"Gol D. Coral." Roger whispered. "Gol D. Coral sounds strange. Not bad, just strange."
"Well then what about Carol? Or Carole? Or even Corale? Maybe Coralie? Or just straight up Cora? These are all girl names, by the way. Though I did use to know a boy named Cora so it could work for a boy as well."
Roger was mumbling all the names with Gol D. under his breath to see if they sounded good together. "I don't like how Carol, Carole, or Coralie sounds with Gol D. at all. Not sure about Corale. Coral, Coralie, and Cora are okay though."
"The maybe list for Corale, Coral, Coralie, and Cora?"
Roger thought for a moment. "Skip Corale. Just put Coral, Coralie, and Cora on the list."
•
"What about Aimee? Or Ai?"
"Where'd you get those from?"
"One of my regulars at the bar gave birth almost three months ago. She was going to name her daughter Aimee and call her Ai as a nickname but ended up having a boy."
"It's cute but I don't know if I want to name our possible daughter that."
"Okay. What about Zelda? It was a name she was seriously considering for the majority of her pregnancy. It means dark battle or strong woman. The dark battle part could be considered a little of a dedication to Rayleigh. You know with his nickname the dark king. I've heard people call his fights the dark battles as well."
"I don't know." Roger scratched his head. "What did that woman end up naming her son?"
"Miles."
"Miles. I knew a woman named Miles so it could be used for both genders."
"Eh, I don't really want to name them that."
"Why not?"
"That regular – her name is Dionne by the way – is also a friend and we already talked about our babies being future playmates and friends since Miles is going to be less then a year older then ours And it would be bothersome for two friends to have the same name. Especially when they're babies and need to learn their names."
"You want Miles to be our baby's friend. I'll have to meet them. Make sure he's fit for it."
"Fit for it. Roger, he's not even three months old yet."
"I know that but I still want to check. I have to check everyone that comes in contact with them. Only the very best for our baby!"
Rouge dropped her face in her hands. So he was going to be the overprotective dad, huh? "You're ridiculous."
•
"You know, when I was little there was this name I loved that I always wished my parents had named me instead of Rouge."
"I love your name though."
Rouge smiled, reaching up to caress his cheek lovingly. "I love yours as well."
Roger turned his face slightly so her hand was on his lips instead of his cheek, kissing it softly before leaning into the touch. "What was the name?"
"Akira."
"Akira, huh? What does it mean?"
"I honestly don't know. I just always loved how it sounded. I never bothered to learn the meaning."
Rouge grapped one of the baby name books, flipping to the AK section before trying to find the name. "It isn't in here."
"It's in here." Roger announced from where he was flipping through another baby name book. "It says it means bright, clear, or ideal."
"Nice meanings. Should we put it on the maybe list?"
"I like it. This book also says it's a unisex name so we can use it either way. I think it's my favorite name so far."
"Mine too."
•
"What about Edward?"
"Like Whitebeard?"
"That wasn't where I got it from but I suppose."
"Nah. Too plain. But speaking of Whitebeard and the name Edward, do you know Edward's actually his last name?"
Rouge raised an eyebrow. Edward as a last name and Newgate as a first? "Really?"
"Yeah, and Newgate's his first."
"That's strange." Rouge closed the baby book in her hand, reaching for another one.
"Yeah, I used to think so too. Everyone outside of the Blues just know this and think it's normal but I've found that almost everyone from the Blues tend to think Newgate's his last name. Guess names are just different here."
"Guess so."
•
"Rouge."
Rouge's eyes flew open as she quickly sat up in bed. "What?! What is it?!"
She squinted to see Roger looking at her with a grin.
"What about Aerwyna?"
"What? A-Aerwyna?" She asked in a groggy voice, already half asleep again after seeing there was no emergency.
"Yeah. A girl name. For the baby. We could call her Wyna or Aerwy as well. As a nickname or even as a name if you'd like. It means friend of the sea."
"You woke me up for this?" Rouge groaned as she buried her face in her pillow. "My answers no."
"Why not?"
"I-" Rouge yawned. "I don't like the name. Too long and complicated."
"That's where the nicknames come in-"
"Good night Roger."
•
Rouge turned to Roger. "Harper?"
Roger scoffed. "Absolutely not."
"Why not?"
"Cause everyone's name is Harper around here."
Rouge paused. Roger wasn't wrong. Harper was one of the most popular girl names these past few years, especially in the Blues. Rouge has probably known at least thirty something of them and she's never set foot outside of Baterilla before.
"Okay then. Not Harper." Rouge sighed as she looked back to the naming book, eyes settling on a name. "What about Avery? Or Charlie? They're both unisex names."
Roger turned to her. "I've met almost as many people named Avery as I have Harper. And I don't like how Charlie sounds with Gol D."
"So that's a no?"
"That's a no."
•
"Excuse me. I need to take this." Rouge told a customer before running to the purururu sound of the Den Den Mushi Roger had given her as a present when they were still only friends, picking up and pressing the receiver to her ear. "Y-"
"Nayeli."
Rouge's face scrunched up. "Nayeli?"
"For the baby. If it's a girl."
Even though she knew Roger wouldn't be able to see it, Rouge still glared. "Roger, you're calling me while I'm working to give me baby names?"
"Sorry but it's the first name I thought of today that I thought you might actually like so while it's a pity it doesn't have anything to do with-"
"You want to name her I love you."
"What?"
"You do know that name means I love you, right?"
"Well, yeah. That's the main reason I choose it. You know, since I love them."
"I-Roger." Rouge sighed as she heard the tell tale sounds of another bar fight taking place in her bar. "We'll talk later. I have to go."
•
"What about Jasper?"
Roger slightly sneered. "Come on."
"What?"
"We can do better than that." Roger said with disgust. Rouge raised an eyebrow.
"What's this name ever done to you to earn that kind of reaction?"
"Nothing. I just don't like the name." Rouge stared at him, raising an eyebrow. "Okay fine. When I first became a Pirate and was still a rookie there was this absolute dick of another rookie named Jasper. I hated him so much. I can't name my possible son after him."
"When you were just a Rookie? Roger, that was over thirty years ago. Still hold such a grudge?"
"And what if I do?" Roger grumbled.
Rouge laughed. "That's fine. Let's just keep looking."
•
"You want names in some way associated with your pirate life, right?"
"If we can, yes."
"What about Dawn?"
"Dawn?"
"You just always tell me how the dawns in the New World are the most beautiful dawns you've ever seen."
"When it's not storming, yes. Actually even with storms it's like a type chaotic beauty."
"I also have two other names you can choose from. One for a similar meaning. The other for a similar sound. Both short and sweet and all for for girls. Luna since you also always talk about the New World's gorgeous moon and Dana is just another cute name that sounds a little like Dawn."
"Eh, I like the names but I want a name that rolls of the tongue beautifully with Gol D. and none of these names really do."
"Oh well. Guess we have to keep looking."
•
"A father's joy..." Roger whispered.
Rouge looked up. "What?"
Roger looked up as well. "Sorry. Didn't realize I said that out loud."
"Did you find a name?"
"Ah not really."
"Not really?"
"Well, there's this name. A girl name. It's on the really popular list for North Blue names. It's meaning is perfect but I don't like the actual name."
"Oh? What's the name?"
"Abigail. It means a father's joy."
Rouge smiled at the meaning. "What don't you like about the name?"
"I don't know. I just don't like how it sounds. I like the nickname though - Abby - but just as a nickname, not as an actual name."
"What about just joy? Since they're bringing joy and happiness into our life."
"Joy. Gol D. Joy. I actually kind of like it. Has a nice ring to it you know. Put it on the maybe list."
Rouge smiled. "Perfect."
•
"Perhaps we should name them based off some of our friends. Like a dedication to them of sorts. Possibly to some of your crew."
"Maybe. Or maybe we should focus on names that start with R."
"Why's that?"
"Well both of our names start with R. You know, Rouge and Roger. Maybe we should continue this onto our child."
"Maybe." Rouge flipped some pages in her book to get to the R section. "Tell me some names that start with R that you like."
"Mm I like Rafferty."
"Rafferty?"
"I like how it sounds and it means floodtide, abundance, and prosperity boy. I like all those meanings, especially floodtide. It also sounds like Raftel. Which could also be a name! I also like Rowan."
"I'm not sure about Rafferty or Raftel but I like Rowan. I like Ruby and Ros, by the way."
"Gol D. Ruby. Gol D. Ros. I like them-"
"Actually take off the Ruby. Gol D. is often mistaken for Gold so Gold Ruby is a bit much. But we both like Ros so that should be fine."
"Now we have two new names on the maybe list. Rowan and Ros."
"Maybe Riley as well?"
"Ah, too common of a name."
Rouge was mumbling to herself. "Wait, I just got another idea! What about Ray?"
"Ray?"
"Yeah. It starts with R and could also be dedicated to Rayleigh who's going to be their godfather. Maybe Rae if they're a girl."
"Ray and Rae." Roger tried. "I love them!"
"Me too."
"I think they're my favorite of the names so far!"
"That applies to me too! Now is it agreed that unless we find better ones Ray or Rae will be their name?"
"It's agreed!"
•
"You found another name?" Rouge asked, reaching out to the book with names and all their meanings.
"Oh, I didn't find them from there! I just thought of them. A boy and girl name!"
"You...thought of it?" So far all the names that Roger thought of straight up and not from the book were usually a disaster waiting to happen.
"I sure did! And I don't think I want to put these on the maybe list. I want this to be their actual name."
"You're serious about these names, aren't you?"
"Yep!"
Rouge sighed. "Okay, tell me."
"How about..." Roger gave a pause for dramatic effect. "Ace and Ann?"
"...Ace and Ann?"
"Yes?"
"Like our weapons, Ace and Ann?"
"Yep! A-C-E and A-N-N."
"Like your sword and my-"
"Weird staff slash spear thingy? Yep!"
"It's not a 'weird staff slash spear thingy' okay! When will you stop calling it that?!"
"Never! Now, what do you think?"
Rouge stayed quiet.
"...What do you think? The names? About the names? They're good, aren't they? You like short and sweet names and I like it having at least something to do with my pirate life and since you don't like the names like Ocean or Pirate and I think most of the names you choose are too plain and dull, which they are by the way, this makes us both happy. And it also has to do with how we met and the start of our love. Perfect, right?"
Rouge thought about it.
Roger was actually the one that had her name her weapon. She was a bartender and there were always more then a few obnoxious people there that needed a weapon to get them in place.
That was actually what caused her to become close with Roger in the first place. Three, almost four, years ago, forty nine year old Roger and his crew were staying for a couple days in Baterilla to restock their ship and stretch their legs before heading out again. Roger had wanted a drink so he, along with his First Mate Silvers Rayleigh, came to the bar that she owned.
At that time thirty-four year old Rouge was dealing with some particularly difficult customers who were trying to hit on her. Their anger at the rejection as well as the large amount of alcohol in their system caused the four delinquents to attack her. Roger and Rayleigh were about to intervene when Rouge grapped her weapon and dealt with them smoothly and quickly and not even twenty seconds later they were all on the ground groaning in pain.
The two snapped out of their surprise pretty quickly at seeing such a dainty looking woman singlehandedly take down four large muscular men. They were used to much much weirder things after all. This didn't even come close.
Honestly Rouge wasn't that strong. She was just good at using her weapon and smart. Besides, the majority of her fights were against drunk people in her bar. She would never be able to survive the New World, at least not without other people helping her, and Roger, who was experienced with fights could see that. But he was still curious, mostly about that strange weapon he'd never seen before, and he didn't have anything to do so he approached her.
One thing led to another as they talked about what Roger dubbed the 'weird staff slash spear thingy' and Roger decided to increase the two day visit to four. Then to seven. Then nine. Then fourteen. Then seventeen. He'd eventually had to leave at twenty-one days because his crew wanted to get a move on but not before insisting she name her weapon like he did his. She had found the idea stupid but conceded to his puppy dog eyes.
She had chosen Ann but Roger insisted on adding something before it to make it sound better. She'd left the choice to him. He'd chosen Queen, making it Queen Ann, because a queen deserves to have a queenly weapon. Rouge snorted at the memory. He was such a chessy dork.
He had left right after but visited not even a month after and that continued as friends until eleven months after they first met, when he confessed his love to-
"...Rouge?"
Rouge snapped out of her thoughts. Roger was leaning down in front of her, concern on his face. "You okay?"
"Yes I'm fine. Was just thinking about something in the past."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just thinking about stuff."
"Great! Now what do you think of the names? I don't think I want to put these on the maybe list. I want this to be their actual name."
"The names..." Short and sweet. Has something to do with Roger's pirate side of life, his sword, without being too obvious or cheesy. And also has something to do with why they'd even had the chance to get close in the first place. "...I love them!"
"Yes!" Roger practically lunged forward in his haste to get to her. He picked her up, giving her a loud kiss on the lips, before hugging her close to his chest.
"We finally found a name." Roger let out a laugh as he pressed his cheek to Rouge's and let out a closed-eyed sigh. "We're starting a family, Rouge."
Rouge found herself tearing up at the words, hugging him tighter. "Yeah. Yeah, we are."
Rouge and Roger couldn't believe this was their life now. They'd found the one person they loved more than anything in eachother, the love of their life, and they were starting a family together. Now that their unborn baby finally had a name, their family could now really begin.