Chapter Text
Ryan entered the bedroom and Shane looked up at him, cringing as he recognized that expression that Ryan wore every time he had some news. Ryan closed the door behind him, and Shane pushed himself up from his lounging position.
"I didn't break the vase," Shane rushed out. Ryan held up a hand, as if to say I can hear your thoughts, give it up already, and crawled onto the bed. He straddled Shane's lap, guiding his fiance's long hands under his shirt and to his hips. Shane had no complaints.
"You've got to meet them," Ryan said curtly, settling himself onto Shane's thighs.
Shane blinked, long and slow, fingers flexing on Ryan's skin. "Whom?"
"My parents."
"Huh," Shane said, not breaking eye contact.
"Before we get married, you've got to meet my parents."
Shane stared for a long time. Ryan shifted in his lap, and Shane had a revelation. "Did you do this number because you knew I'd be distracted enough to say yes?"
"I don't know. Are you distracted?"
"No," Shane's eyes were dark in moments, and he shrugged. "Yeah, I'll meet your folks. It's a human thing, surely. Even if I don't think I've got anything good to say to them."
"Of course you do." Ryan didn't seem convinced, and Shane couldn't blame him. "Plus, Wyatt'll be there. They love him. They'll focus on him."
"No, they won't, but! It'll be fine." Shane tapped the pads of his fingers on Ryan's waist, trying his hardest to seem confident. Ryan framed his face with his hands and his shoulders slumped, "I don't think I'll be good at this."
"At what?" Ryan was puzzled, "You're great at this. Great dad, great almost husband. No worries."
"No, I mean... I don't think I'm good at being someone to bring home. You know? What do I even have to impress them with, Ryan?" Shane shook his head. In the blink of an eye, Ryan was underneath him, Shane occupying his lap. Ryan rolled his eyes, tucking his hands into the waistband of his demon's boxers. Shane could be incredibly needy when he was anxious, but he'd never say anything about it. "I don't have a job, I don't have any credentials. I can't, like... talk to your dad about sports, or something."
Ryan tugged Shane's hands from his hair, "Calm down, Shane. They're not going to interrogate you."
Shane looked away, "They might."
"Shane - "
"They'll ask how we met, right? That's a human thing that matters." Shane bit his fingernails, humming. "Do we just lie? Oh, and they'll ask about how I'm supporting you and Wy, and I've got nothing for that either."
"Shane - "
"Not to mention the whole..." Shane flashed his eyes to black before squeezing them shut. He pressed a palm to his eye and sighed, "I'm, like a disaster. I'm not gonna get their blessing. I couldn't even accept their blessing."
"Hey, Shane - "
"Oh, well," Shane swapped their positions again, clearly uncomfortable with the level of vulnerability he was allowing. Ryan wanted to say something, but Shane was slipping back into a less-panicky state. He could mention it later. Shane crossed his arms behind his head and shrugged, "It'll be fine."
Ryan patted his chest, "Yes. It will be fine. You've been Wyatt's legal guardian for awhile now. This is the last step to get everything out of the way so we can get to the good stuff."
There was a moment of silence, just two uneasy smiles. Ryan hit the bed with a thud as Shane rolled out from under him, crossing to the closet and pulling at his hair.
"What do I even wear?!" Shane was tossing hangers over his shoulders, "Ryan! What's your mother's favorite color?"
"Purple," Ryan muttered, burying his face into his pillow.
-
"Wyatt, can you tell me a bit about your grandparents?" Shane asked, falling into a sitting position on the floor, his hands propping his head up. "What do they like? What are their names?"
"I could tell you that," Ryan said from the couch, searching through lists and lists of Disney movies to find one that both Shane and Wyatt would like. Which would be a miracle and a half.
"Yeah, but I'm asking Wyatt because Wyatt is blunter than you," Shane said, gesturing to the boy, "Anything?"
"Grandpa likes old Westerns - "
"I was in one, once," Shane said to Ryan, who quickly changed his search to find old Westerns with a familiar face in the thumbnail.
" - and coffee. And Grandma likes to knit - "
"Oh, that's lovely," Shane smiled. Ryan wanted to scream.
" - and gardening."
Shane ran a hand through his hair with a shrug, "That's simple enough. I like those things."
"She could talk about gardening for hours," Ryan said offhandedly before pointing at the TV with wide eyes, "Is that you?"
Shane turned to see the television and smiled, "Yeah! That's me and my good ol' buddy, John Ford." Shane pushed himself up onto his feet, moving himself to be closer. He traced the outline of his face on the screen, "This was the last time I saw Natalie before she, unfortunately, left us."
Ryan blinked. "... Natalie?"
"Natalie Wood," Shane looked over his shoulder at Ryan's horrified expression, "What?"
"Shane, you can't just... do you know what happened to her?" Ryan was clutching the remote like it was a lifeline. "On the...?"
"Of course I don't. I'm not just... invited to fancy boat parties with Chris Walken, Ryan. I'm not one of the cool guys," Shane waved his hands like it was something outlandish. He dove onto the couch, resting his head in Ryan's lap.
"I really can't believe you," Ryan whispered. Wyatt rested his head back onto the cushions of the couch and Shane patted his head. "I've... I've been reading about the Natalie Wood case for years. YEARS. And you... you were best friends with her?"
"Kinda." Shane tilted his head up, "She was nice. Would have liked you a lot."
"Any other revelations you'd like to tell me about?" Ryan added the old film to his list and kept searching. "You didn't happen to know any other missing persons?"
Shane shook his head, "Nope."
"Are..." Ryan rubbed his forehead with his hands, "This is gonna sound crazy, I know, but are - "
"No, Ryan." Shane feigned disappointment. "There are not lizard people in the government."
"I wasn't going to say that."
"You were."
"You can't prove it."
"Are your parents as nutty as you, Ry?" Shane grunted as Wyatt jumped onto his chest.
"Not quite," Ryan ruffled Wyatt's hair. "But you should only be so lucky."
-
"Dad is Stephen, Mom is..." Shane looked to Ryan before holding a hand up, "Don't tell me! It's... Liz? No, Linda."
"Linda," Ryan nodded once.
"Stephen likes Westerns, caffeine, and hugs," Shane listed them off on his fingers. "Linda is a fan of flowers, knitting and crocheting, and! She likes Bruno Mars."
"She's in love with him," Ryan agreed. He pointed at Shane, "Do you know him?"
"No, but I think I might have met a great grandparent or something?" Shane thought for a moment, racking his old brain, "I'll have to draw a family tree, but that can wait."
"You'll be great, now lay down. You're making me dizzy." Ryan patted the covers next to him.
Shane pulled his shirt over his head, shimmying out of his pants and clambering next to Ryan, nestling underneath Ryan's arm. His feet dangled off of the edge of the bed, but he didn't care.
Ryan pressed a kiss to Shane's temple, frowning as he saw Shane grimace. "Shane?"
"Sorry. Headache," Shane shrugged, pushing himself closer to Ryan with a sigh.
"Just a headache?"
"Also my back hurts," Shane mumbled, pressing his lips against Ryan's ribs, "And my... hair? Hurts?"
"That's not good," Ryan sat up, dragging Shane with him (who groaned), "Do we need to go to urgent care?"
"No, Ryan. I'm pretty sure it's just some nerves," Shane shrugged, trying to push Ryan back down. "Let's relax and probably kiss, some."
"Shane, you can't just be in pain for no reason." Ryan pulled Shane up by the shoulders, holding him at an arms' length, "Where does it hurt?"
"Just..." Shane waved a hand around the front of his head, "Here. And," he tried to reach back and touch his spine but couldn't, "there."
"Very specific. Here, let me," Ryan placed a hand on Shane's back, just below the space where his wings were hidden, pressing in and gauging Shane's reactions. "Here?"
"Bit higher," Shane said, shifting.
"Is it your wings?" Ryan asked, his face contorted into a frown.
Shane shook his head, chuckling, "Can't be. I've got the healthiest flappers out there."
"Well," Ryan gave him a look, "Dad instincts kicking in, it's your wings."
"Huh," Shane frowned. "That's unfortunate."
"And you know what's under here?" Ryan pointed to Shane's head. "Horns."
Shane nodded, "Huh."
"... That's all?"
"Yeah. Now I know what the problem is, and I can deal with it on a latter day," Shane went to lay back down but Ryan held a hand on his shoulder. "What?"
"Are you okay, Shane. Really," Ryan gave him a solemn look and Shane drew back. "We can invite them here, if you want? Anything to make you more comfortable."
"It's just your parents, Ry. Just some more sweet lil' humans. I shouldn't be freaking out about this as much as I am." Shane curved around Ryan's arm, pressing his face to the pillow, "It'll be great."
"You sure?" Ryan asked.
"Yes, yes," Shane wrapped his arm around Ryan's waist, tugging him down with him. "I'm sure. Can we just sleep now?"
Ryan reluctantly nodded, allowing Shane to reach across him and turn out the light.
"You should stretch your wings out," Ryan said quietly. "Maybe that'll help."
There was a distant woosh sound, and Ryan felt the softness press against his bare arm. Shane hummed. "It does feel nice to stretch the girls once and awhile."
"Don't call your wings The Girls, Shane. That's weird."
Shane just hummed again, falling asleep on Ryan's chest with his fingers grasping Ryan's arm.
-
Ryan opened his eyes to see Shane pacing paths in the carpet, straightening his tie and murmuring things under his breath. Ryan said nothing, just watched his demon worry beyond himself, plotting all the possible directions any possible conversation could take, practicing delivery and specifics. Painting himself in a better light than Ryan could stand.
"You're freaking me out," Ryan said, pushing himself up on his elbows.
Shane looked at him. "My bad."
"Come lay down, Shane."
"Can't. I ironed this shirt," Shane held his arms up, "Don't wanna wrinkle it."
"Why are you wearing a tie?"
Shane shrugged. He turned to Ryan and placed his hands on his hips, "I've decided what I want to be. For you."
"... What?" Ryan wasn't awake enough for this. He sat up, wiping the sleep from his eyes and holding a pillow in his lap, ready to be blown away. "It's too early for roleplay, Shane."
"No, no." Shane wagged a finger, "I'm not doing a bit, Ryan. Just listen."
"Okay, okay." Ryan hugged the pillow in anticipation, "Take it away, baby."
"I'm going to be..." Shane placed his hands on his hips, the tip of his tie pointing to his right shoe. "... A PTO dad."
"... What." Ryan blinked a few times, trying to figure out what Shane had heard him say in his sleep to warrant this response. "Shane. What."
"Hear me out." Shane held his hands out like he was giving a presentation. Ryan glared at him and Shane dropped his arms. "I've got nothing to offer for your parents, right? Nothing that I can possibly offer to them except community service, so that's precisely what I'm going to do."
"Did... did you watch Lifetime last night or something? I don't understand." Ryan said. Shane's confidence began to falter and Ryan perked up, "Not to discourage you or anything, Shane. I'm just curious as to where this came from. Other from trying to impress my parents."
"Well, I love Wyatt," Shane began, making Ryan grin, "and kids aren't that difficult, but I have a feeling I'll be good at it. Which is rare, these days."
"C'mon now," Ryan said, eyes sparkling, "Don't put yourself down while wooing me."
"I'm not! Wooing you. I'm... wooing your parents. With community service." Shane rubbed the back of his neck, "It sounds crazy now that I'm saying it out loud."
"It's not crazy," Ryan wanted to hug Shane, but he was too far. "But you shouldn't go into PTO just to make my parents like you on the short-term."
"It's not on the short term," Shane said, planting his feet and slipping his hands into his shallow pockets. "When I commit to something, I commit forever."
"You're going to be a PTO dad forever?"
"Until Wyatt is old enough to tell me he wants me to stop," Shane said. "Which I don't anticipate will be soon, as I'll be the best PTO member there is."
"I don't doubt that," Ryan said. "But I won't support you if you demon your way into things."
"Ryan." Shane was stony, "I've never been more serious about anything in my life."
"...Okay." Ryan raised his eyebrows at Shane's demeanor. It was incredibly sexy.
"I would never cheat my way into something like this," Shane said, shoulders rigid.
"Of course not," Ryan nodded eagerly before crooking his finger. "Come here, so I can desecrate you in your little uniform."
"Uh? Not little, and I need this uniform." Shane looked down at himself, "It's my Put Together, Trust Me uniform."
"We've got a washing machine," Ryan deadpanned.
Shane hesitantly toed off his shoes, crawling onto the mattress. "Washing machines can't repair tears in fabric, Ryan."
"I'll go easy."
"No, you won't."
"No, I won't," Ryan captured his mouth in a kiss and Shane's shoulders went slack, his hands carding through Ryan's already-messy hair.
-
"I can't wear that in front of your parents anymore," Shane said, stuffing the clothes into the basin. Ryan grinned, leaning in the doorway, sated and incredibly amused that Shane's first thing he thought to do after coming was to rush himself and his clothes to the laundry room.
"You could, if you want," Ryan shrugged. "They won't know."
Shane grimaced, standing naked in the bright-white room, his wings flimsy with exhaustion. He looked to Ryan, "Where's Wy?"
"Asleep." Ryan checked the clock. "It's only 9."
"Huh," Shane said. "We're getting more efficient."
"Supposedly."
Shane snapped his fingers, donning a new pair of pants and a loose shirt that Ryan was almost certain was his own. "How many days do I have to craft a reputation for your family?"
"A few weeks," Ryan said, pressing his warm cheek to the cold door. "That's more than enough time to get the principal to fall in love with you."
"I know." Shane knelt on the floor to straighten his socks that had appeared out of thin air. "I'm not insecure about my lovability with middle age school teachers. It's your parents I'm worried about. This'll be like target practice."
"Don't... don't use Wyatt's teachers as target practice," Ryan said, hoping he didn't really need to clarify.
"Not literally," Shane said, straightening up again. He seemed much taller, much brighter than he was when Ryan first saw him.
"You're glowing, Shane."
Shane looked down at himself, eyes wide with worry. Ryan entered the room and placed his hand on Shane's shoulder. "Oh, not literally."
"Correct." Ryan smiled at him and kissed the corner of his mouth. He heard a rustle of fabric as Shane instantly dressed him with another click of his fingers and Ryan sighed in relief as Wyatt came around the corner, rubbing his eyes.
"Hey, baby," Ryan said, scooping the boy up in his arms. Wyatt grasped at the air in front of Shane, too sleepy to speak, and Shane took him from Ryan.
"Morning," Shane said, his face screwing into a confused frown as Wyatt curled up into his arms, nose in his neck, and fell asleep again. "Oh. Okay."
Ryan covered his mouth with his hands, silently requesting that Shane summon his phone (he does) so that he can take a picture. Shane's face is red and his arms are hooked protectively around the sleeping boy and Ryan has no doubt in his mind that his parents will love him. Of course they will. Not... that he'd had doubts before.
-
Ryan pawed at Shane's face, "Shane. Shane. Shane. Shane. Shane. Shane."
"What. What. What." Shane opened an eye. Ryan's phone was shoved into his face. He blinked a few times.
"It's Wyatt's teacher." Ryan said. "She wants to arrange a parent-teacher conference."
Shane was wide awake in seconds. He grabbed the phone with both hands and jumped out of the bed, launching himself toward the dresser.
"Yes, hello!" Shane dug through the drawers, phone pinned between his ear and shoulder, "This is Shane Madej, Wyatt's... other dad. When's the earliest time we can drop in?"