approval.
rating: t word count: 733 warning(s): n/a
Your hands were shaking as you stood in front of your father, your boyfriend by your side. The two of you had been dating for a few months now and things were moving quickly, getting more serious than you ever imagined they would be. Seth entered your life at the perfect time and the two of you were pretty perfect together. There was just one obstacle in your way -- your father.
Seth was already pretty familiar with your father, Dustin. The two had worked together a few years back, so it wasn’t like they had to meet each other all over again. However, your father had never known Seth as your boyfriend before.
And there wasn’t a great track record for him approving of your past boyfriends.
You cleared your throat, deciding to just go ahead and jump on it. “Dad? Uh, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”
He looked up from where he was sitting in his recliner, hands steepled in his lap. “What is it, [Y/N]?” He asked. Your father’s gaze shifted over to where Seth stood. You think in that moment he realized what was happening, but waited for you to confirm it.
“So, uh, Seth and I are dating now.” You said it as quickly as you could, the words coming out of you so quickly that they all began to run together. Next to you, Seth looked completely uneasy.
This was something he hadn’t had to face before.
Dustin’s face was unreadable. You knew exactly what it meant. He was trying to process what he had just heard, trying to decide how he felt about it. “Is that so?” He asked, but he was looking at Seth, not at you. “Why don’t you two have a seat so we can have this conversation?” Then he looked at you, “That’s what you wanted, right?”
You swallowed. “Yes sir.” You and Seth took a few steps backwards to the couch, taking a seat. You sat close enough that your thighs were touching. So badly you wanted to reach out and entwine your fingers with his, but you knew you couldn’t. You had to get your father’s approval first.
“What makes you think you’re the right fit for [Y/N]?” Dustin asked Seth.
Seth froze next to you for a moment before clearing his throat and speaking. “We get along very well. We make each other happy. We just work together.”
“You understand you need to do more then ‘work together’ to make a relationship actually work, don’t you?”
You realized that you were just a witness to this conversation now. It was between Seth and your father. Seth nodded. “I realize that, sir. This relationship is still fresh and new. We’re learning day by day about each other, but I think it’s right.”
“Why did you pick [Y/N]? Out of everybody that you could pick, why him?”
Seth looked over at you and flashed you a smile, as if silently telling you not to worry. “To be honest, he’s gorgeous. That’s why I originally picked him, of course. Then, we got to know each other. We like the same things, we share hobbies and enjoy learning about each other. Every day with him feels like an adventure and I want to keep exploring it.”
You couldn’t tell if your father was okay with this relationship or not. He was still unreadable as he looked at Seth. “You seem to be romanticizing this relationship a lot. You have a prettily worded answer for everything, but are you ready for when things aren’t pretty? At the first sign of something ugly, are you going to run?”
Seth didn’t hesitate. He quickly shook his head. “Absolutely not. I know I may be romanticizing things a bit because of how new everything is, but I’m not looking at this with rose-colored glasses. I know things won’t always be this great between me and [Y/N], but I’m willing to deal with that. I’m willing to accept that and work through it.”
Once again, your father was silent. He looked between you and Seth before sighing. “I’m not saying I approve.” His gaze settled on Seth. “You still have to prove yourself to me, Rollins, but I’m not going to fight against this relationship. At least not yet. Is that understandable?”
It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough. At least for now.











