Fire & Ice

Parents and Paper Lantern

To say she was nervous would be a gross understatement for how Issy was currently feeling. She had no doubt that Warren would try his best, it was the element of her father that had her worried. Her mom had promised that her dad would be on his best behavior, but anything could happen when it came to The Commander.

At exactly 3 PM there was a knock on the door. She knew his prompt arrival would garner brownie points with her mother. Answering the door she took a moment just to appreciate the man on the other side. Dressed down in jeans and layered tank tops, ready to work, he look good enough to eat. His hair was what was really causing a short circuit in her brain, however.

Warren had tied his hair up into a simple knot, in preparation for working at the restaurant no doubt. She imagined he also didn't want her conservative father saying anything about his long hair, which she personally loved. She moved out of the doorway allowing Warren into the house, "I'm so nervous." She whispered. Warren just smiled "Why? You're not the one meeting the parents for the first time." He said laughingly.

It was then that Issy's mom walked into the entryway. Now his mother was a superhero as well, but he seemed a bit stunned to be seeing Josie Stronghold in person. He hid it well she would give him that, but she knew him well enough to know his facial expressions.

Her mom always the gracious hostess, greeted him with a polite, "You must be Warren. I've heard nothing but great things about you from my daughter." Warren held out his hand for a handshake, but Josie was having none of that. She knew this boy would one day be a part of her family, she went in for a hug. Warren was shocked at first, then slowly accepted the hug.

No one except his own mother and Issy had ever given him a hug. To have his girlfriends mother not only accept him, but welcome him with a hug, was a slight shock to his system. But Issy had warned him it wouldn't be her mother that would be the obstacle, it would be the commander.

Warren couldn't exactly put a name to the emotions he was feeling at the thought of coming face-to-face with the man who had put his father in prison. It wasn't like he was diluted and thought that his dad deserves to be free, but having to live without a father and to have the stigma of being a super villain's son had changed his life forever.

Her mom graciously directed them into the kitchen to have a sit down at the kitchen table. After politely declining a drink Warren waited for the questions to start. Making polite small talk to get the boys nerves down, Josie asked simple questions such as how his mother was doing and where he worked, she knew Steve was waiting to make a slightly dramatic entrance, it's just who he was.

Sure enough, about five minutes into their conversation out steps Steve from the secret sanctum's kitchen exit. Warren rose when he saw the commander come into the room, Issy could tell that this impressed her father. She knew Warren's manners were 10 times that of her brothers.

Her dad made his way to the table, holding out his hand to shake that of the young man that had so captured his daughters interest."Hello I'm Steve. I am Issy's dad as you know. You must be Warren, the young man that my daughter can't stop talking about." Issy blushed lightly at this and Warren gave a small smile. "Well I hope that's me, I'd hate to have to beat up another guy."

There was a quick moment of silence where Warren was worried that it was too soon after his fight with their son for that joke to land. Then with a hearty chuckle her dad gave him a slap on the back, slightly knocking the air out of the young man, already liking this boy's sense of humor.

Steve couldn't remember a time that he wasn't willing to fight for the love of his wife, in fact he still did on the daily basis. He knew that his wife and daughter, most especially his daughter, really like this young man. He was well on his way to feeling the same, though he would keep his eye out because it was his baby girl that this guy was dating.