Who would have thought
Ryan Cooper, Will Croft - Crieve AU
Ivy - Fidelity, attachment
Ryan watched his daughter closely – the way she pulled Cricket closer, lacing their fingers together, in the middle of an argument between the Croft siblings that had started as playful bickering and was boiling into something more; the way she leaned against the blonde, reminding Cricket of her presence as the shadow manipulator grew more aggravated; the way her girlfriend glanced over at her and visibly relaxed against the empath, still arguing but reigning in the anger.
“So your kid is dating my little girl,” Will drawled as he offered a cold bottle of beer that was still wet from ice. He grinned at the brunet, transporting the man back to meetings at bars before children had taken priority. “I don’t know if I should be happy or terrified.”
Ryan laughed, accepting the beverage with a small nod. “Please. If anybody should be worried, it’s me – you shadow types have a reputation.”
“Pot, meet kettle,” the man retorted with a grin. “I think half of our former colleagues at SPSRA would faint if they were to discover the legendary Ryan Cooper was tied down.”
The lighter looked over at his wife, who had grown even more gorgeous with age – She was still voluptuous, her generous curves softened with healthy weight, and her sapphire eyes shone with contentment and happiness. Picking up his thoughts, the telepath made eye contact with a playfully disappointed scowl.
“Please, this is on brand for me – I married the hottest girl around,” Ryan grinned, popping the bottle cap off. “If anything was shocking, it’d be that you’d manage to satisfy Kiara Scuro for so long.”
The shadow manipulator chuckled, lifting his beer in a toast. Ryan knocked his bottle against it.
“To monogamy,” Will grinned. They took a swig in unison, savoring the flavor and moment of quiet. “But seriously Cooper, if your kid breaks Cricket’s heart, I’m coming after you.”
“Scared my princess would beat your ass?” Ryan shot back.
“Do I look like a man who would fight a girl?”
The lighter gave him a mocking once-over, taking in the peppered hair and lanky frame. And they both dissolved into laughter.
“So what is Cricket like?” he probed when his chuckles subsided, his eyes on the young blonde.
The threat of a family argument had subsided and Cricket and Evie had separated from the group, heading toward the barn on the edge of the woods. The shadow manipulator had her arm slung over Evie’s shoulder, paralleling the empath’s arm on her waist.
Will laughed. “You’ve met Kiara – Cricket is her clone, though both of them would bite your head off if you said as much to them. She’s stubborn and she’s determined to prove she’s every bit as strong as her siblings.”
“And if she can’t?” Ryan asked.
“I’ve met a lot of shadow folk, Ryan – I’m not modest enough to pretend like I don’t share a name with some of the most powerful of them,” the raven-haired father explained proudly. “Cricket might not be able to walk through them like Inali and Balin can, but she’s got enough heart that she’d make ‘em sweat.”
“Well, I suppose I should return the favor and warn you that if Cricket hurts Evie, I will make her regret it,” Ryan drawled, taking a slow sip.
“Cooper, if Cricket hurts Evie, I guarantee she’ll hate herself before you even get to her,” Will scoffed. “Like I said, she’s Kiara’s daughter.”
“Good to know,” the lighter replied.
Will propped his feet up on the deck rail, leaning back in the Adirondack chair. “Besides, I’d be more scared of your wife than you.”
Lily looked up, a brow arched in his direction, from where she and Kiara were playing with Iliana.
“Damn straight.”