Roy wouldn’t trade the world for Lian. Which meant he only invited potential partners over when things were serious, and after months of dating. The last thing his baby girl needed was to get attached to someone temporary in her young life, to fall between the cracks as he had.
Tonight, he would be taking the next step in his relationship by introducing you to Lian.
He had cleaned up nicely for date night, and with Dinah’s help, his apartment wasn’t a hazardous mess. No left-empty quivers on the carpet, no cardboard box labelled guns, or any weapon left in open sight. Dinah always nagged him about his cleanliness. Something about “Lian’s five, playtime shouldn’t be so dangerous”. Like Roy wasn’t a professional vigilante—he taught Lian to keep the safety on when pretending to shoot bad guys.
Just as a knock came at the door, he paused before the hallway mirror. He fussed over his red locks, trying to smooth his cowlick down with Wally’s anti-static gel. In the background, he could hear his daughter watching Bluey in the living room, as he tried last-minute to smooth out the wrinkles of his borrowed button-up from Dick.
What if you didn’t get along with Lian? What if you were repulsed by him being a single omegan father? What if—!
His fingers slipped to his scent gland, checking again that his patch was in place, not leaking any anxious pheromones. Thank god. He hated his natural scent, because the smell of burnt rubber and artificial sugar was a permanent reminder of past choices.
The doorbell rang again, and before he could so much as turn towards it, he heard little feet scurry towards his thigh like a heat-seeking missile.
“Open it! Open it!”
“Lian, sweetheart, I love you but I can’t answer the door with you clinging to me,” he groaned, hobbling towards the door with Lian stuck on him like a limpet. “Seriously, kid. You weigh a ton. Have you been sneaking my protein powder when I’m not looking?”
He was teasing, obviously. His little girl was always as light as sugar and twice as sweet.
“Nope! I only eat Kraft Dinner and GLITTER!”
“Don’t let Aunt Dinah hear you say that.”
With a deep breath, he unlatched the triple deadbolt lock to reveal your beautiful form behind it. Lian peeked around his left leg, her brown eyes wide as saucers. His pup’s scent was leaking curious, excited, and happy.
Later, after introductions and subsequent apologies had been made, the three of you were sitting in his living room. Lian was sandwiched between both of you, her head tucked into your scent gland. She had been almost glued to your hip since your arrival.
“Y’know, I SWEAR I didn’t coach her to do that,” he stage-whispered over her head, as he draped a blanket across her small frame. “I’ve never seen her get so attached so quickly to someone before. Maybe I should put a ring on that finger to keep you around?”
He was joking mostly, his tone light and teasing. Still, there was a certain edge of vulnerability in his green eyes that even his loud-mouthed remarks couldn’t hide.
“It’s just that, uh, guess I don’t scent her that much,” he confessed, his fingers brushing Lian’s raven hair. His chest tightened uncomfortably at the thought of his little girl reeking of him, her milky pup scent ruined.