Meet the parents
Villain was scared witless. They were not a coward by any means - they never shied away from battle, could take a punch and were sure to retaliate even stronger. But right now, they were shaking out of their shoes with fear and foreboding.
Hero had insisted that they attend Superhero's retirement party as they were adamant about introducing Villain to their mother - the retiring Superhero. Villain moved to the city two years ago in pursuit of better carrier prospects and found a great nemesis in a matter of mere days. Hero was exceptional. Quick-witted, incredibly strong and ravishing with their charm and beauty. Needless to say, Villain could not resist.
They had been dating Hero for a little over a year. Albeit, keeping their relationship secret. Neither of their families were aware up until recently, when Hero expressed their desire to meet Villain's parents. They even flew all the way to Villain's hometown to meet their grandmother. Which meant that Villain had no other choice but to make an appearance at the party and meet the city legend in person despite the panic settled in the pits of their soul.
"This is going to be a disaster," they mumble under their nose, pacing the roof of the giant reception hall. "A disaster, I tell you!"
They hear a low chuckle, badly masked by a cough, and whip around, barely making out Hero's shape against the night sky. Amusement colours Hero's voice when they speak. "Are you done freaking out?"
Villain glares at them, struggling to look angry when they are this disheartened. The idea of facing the strongest Superhero in history of their city sends a chill down their spine despite her being Hero's parent. Hero's arms drop from their crossed position against their chest as they step closer, noticing the panic behind their lover's eyes. "Love?"
"Shut up, I'm in despair!" They are indeed, judging by the tremor in their voice.
Hero lets out a huff of a laugh before getting hold of Villain's arms and pulling them into a tight embrace. They leave a kiss on top of Villain's head and place their chin over it, murmuring into their hair.
"Oh, you sweet little thing." Villain's hands wrap around their waist, clutching to their comforting warmth while Hero traces soothing circles on their back. Their steady heartbeat seems to calm Villain's nerves, so they part slightly to look at Villain. "She knows."
"Hm?" Villain peels their face off of Hero's chest, looking up, and Hero thinks their heart might collapse at the sight of their worried face.
"She knows about us." Villain gapes at them with the most adorable lost expression. Hero throws their head back with a laugh, unable to contain their fondness for the enemy they battled for the past two years. Somewhere between those fights, they fell head over heels in love with the amiable idiot. "What?"
"That's worse!" Villain exclaims, pushing them away. Hero still holds onto them, their countenance cheeky. "Why are you looking at me like I'm wrong?"
"'Cause you are." When their claim is met with a sceptical look, Hero shakes their head, intertwining their fingers with Villain's and leading them towards the stairs. "She's gonna love you."
"Why? Do you know something I don't?" Villain questions. Their feelings are in disarray, and so are their thoughts, yet Hero looks entirely unbothered. "Because if that's not the case, we're in trouble. Big trouble."
"Everything's gonna be fine," Hero's confidence, as admirable as it is, does not convince Villain. Hero leaves a tender kiss on their knuckles. "Trust me."
It's minutes later that they enter the hall where the reception is in full swing. Hero's eyes scan the place, spotting Superhero and pointing her out to Villain. She's standing next to her husband, who's facing away from them, and it crosses Villain's mind that they never talked about Hero's father. Superhero was extraordinarily private with her life until Hero became - well, a hero and entered the field. They begin weaving through the crowd a few feet away from the center of the hall when Superhero's husband turns.
It takes Villain mere seconds to recognise... Supervillain? Former Supervillain, to be precise. Shocked beyond imagination, they freeze in their tracks, speechless and struggling to inhale.
Hero notices Villain has stopped moving when their hand jerks back. They turn around, catching the reaction and follow Villain's gaze to discover the reason of their state.
"What the fuck, Hero?" Villain squeezes out, breathless from the revelation.
"Yeah, uh," they pause, stepping in front of Villain sheepishly. "Meet my dad?"
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Villain's voice is uncomfortably high. Hero should have anticipated that response, to be fair. This one's on them. "How come you didn't tell me?"
"You never asked?" They offer Villain an apologetic smile, shrugging.
"After I spent hours gushing about him, it didn't occur to you that you should, perhaps, tell me he's your father?!" Villain whisper-yells at them, their face incredulous and increasingly redder with every passing second. "You know I'm obsessed with his work!"
"I know," Hero admits. They feel bad for keeping Villain in the dark, but they had to respect their parents' boundaries. Their father retired years before their debut and did not want to make their relationship with Superhero or Hero known until Superhero retired, and Hero had to accept that. That was part of the reason they waited this long before asking Villain to meet their family. "I've told him you're a fan."
"You what?!" Villain sounds hysterical at this point. Their eyes are wide, panic filling them again - this time, for a different reason entirely.
Hero can't help the smile that stretches their lips when they notice Villain's gaze return to Supervillain. Their expression is a mixture of utter mortification and pure admiration. "Come on, do you wanna meet him or not?"
"Oh my god!" Villain clasps their hand, trembling with excitement. "How do I look? Does my hair look okay?"
"Villain, please!" Hero laughs, shaking their head and sending them a warning look for good measure. "Should I be jealous?"
Villain pinches their forearm, their eyes sparkling with harmless spite. "You're gonna pay for this surprise, just so you know."
"Gladly." Hero draws them closer, planting a kiss on their pouting lips before pulling them in the direction of their smiling parents.
Masterlist
