Author: merfilly
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Todd thought it was all about Damon and about what he was. Alan set out to show him he was wrong.
* * *
Alan Scott had made himself a solemn promise on learning that he had twins that he would do anything for them, try to guide and nurture them in all the ways he had been denied by losing their mother when he did. More than anything, he had wanted to protect them, which had been part of his initial resistance to them joining a team of any kind. He honestly couldn't keep from trying to protect them, not with all the guilt he felt over their mother, and over their young lives.
The hardest lesson any parent learned, though, was that no parent could protect their children forever. He had watched the agony on Dinah's face when her daughter had been feared dead, during an early JLA mission. He'd watched the pain that Ted bore, for his missing son. Even gaining one back in the form of the newest Wildcat had done little to truly patch over those old scars for the boxer.
Between the tragedy of Todd's upbringing and all he had suffered, Alan had never expected to have to face the ultimate sacrifice, the loss of one of his children.
Especially not Jenny.
He hated it every time he thought of that, of how the fact it had been her, not his son, struck him harder. If it had been Todd, he could have comforted himself to know Todd was finally at peace. But with Jenny, with so much ahead of her, especially with that young man of hers, there was only a sense of loss and grieving with no relief.
In the aftermath of her loss, he knew he needed to reach out to his son. Todd and Jenny had been amazingly close once reunited, despite a few problems here and there. Todd would need support, need to know he still had family.
Only, Alan wasn't sure where to really begin when it came to doing just that.
* * *
Todd laughed softly as Damon told him the latest faux pas in the courtroom that had resulted in multiple fines for disorderliness. It was one of the perks of dating someone in law, this ability to see that the somber judges were not above being human at the best of times.
The night was beautiful a mild one, stars all out and the city quiet. The moment was just right, and when Damon leaned in, Todd didn't even think of moving away. He never really did, not since he and Damon had gotten comfortable enough with each other and themselves to just kiss when they felt like it.
When they broke, he looked at Damon's happy face, the closed eyes...and then saw motion to one side. His eyes sharpened, and took in the details of his father, standing near the door to his place, turning away from having seen them and walking away, shoulders hunched and head low.
Anger, sharp and burning, flared in Todd's heart. Damn him then. Damn him to the Shadowlands if he couldn't handle having a gay son. Todd didn't need him, never had. He had Damon. He had a solid life here. He was happy, and no moralistic artifact from prehistory was going to stomp on that!
* * *
Todd had that sullen set to his jaw that Alan had come to recognize as having his back up. He forced a smile to his lips, not wanting a fight, and fell in step with Todd anyway. "Did you have fun this weekend?"
"You'd know, Dad. Wouldn't you?"
Alan winced at that ugly tone, and looked at his son's glaring eyes. "I hoped you hadn't seen me."
"Oh, that's rich." Todd rolled his eyes. "Was it me or my boyfriend you hoped wouldn't see you?"
Alan was taken aback by the accusation implicit in those words. "Todd, I only didn't want to intrude."
"Yeah, right, Dad." Todd stormed off before Alan could gather a solid reply to that, leaving the older man worried and wondering how to mend the breach he had accidentally caused.
* * *
"I don't have an issue with you liking men," Alan said as he came into the locker room where Todd had just been changing to go out into the city for a little while.
"But you're ashamed to see me kissing one?" Todd replied hotly.
"I actually was just trying not to intrude on your night when I saw you had a date," Alan told him evenly. He reached out for Todd's shoulder and squeezed it. "Son, believe me. I want you to be happy. Nothing else would make my life better than to know you've found the love that makes life worth living, and I don't care if it is a man, a woman, an alien, or all three somehow!"
Todd glared, but he wanted to believe, a fact Alan could read in the slight softening of his jaw. "You're just saying that. You don't mean it. You just don't want to get the loser dad of the year award."
Alan barked out a short burst of laughter at that accusation. "Son, how in the names of all that is holy could I ever condemn you for a lifestyle I dabbled at when I was a young man?" At that full drop of Todd's jaw, Alan just smiled, squeezed his shoulder, and headed for the door of the locker room. He stopped there, turned back to his speechless son, and raised an eyebrow. "Bringing him to dinner one of these Sundays, right? He doesn't get any free passes any more than Kyle did, you hear me?"
"Yes, Dad." Todd had to smile then, even if he was still stunned at the casual bomb dropped on him. "I'll bring him this weekend." He hoped Damon didn't have plans, because he intended to see if his Dad was bluffing.
Though really, the idea of Damon and he appearing together at a family event, scared the shadow-stuffing right out of him.
* * *
Alan held one hand out to Todd, the other to Damon. At the other end of the table, Molly took their other hands, and they all bowed their heads over the family meal.
"Keep this family in Your hands, and bless this meal," Alan began, making Damon flush just a little, peeking over the huge ham at his boyfriend to see Todd peeking right back...and smiling.
Having a family like Todd's would take getting used to, but Damon loved to see that smile. For that, he could learn to cope with a legend or two.
* * *