"We are beginning the descent into Tampa, Florida. Please return to your seats and fasten your seat belts. Return your tray tables in the upright and locked position. Weather in Tampa is 87 degrees and cloudy with slight winds from the northwest. Enjoy your stay, and thank you for flying with us." The captain of the plane signed off after the last announcement as they ended their flight.

    "So, are you ready to meet the parents, Ashy-cakes?"

    He scrunched his face in disgust.

    "As long as you don't call me that in front of your parents, yes, I'd say I'm ready."

    "Yeah?" Luke raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend. "You're not nervous at all?"

    Ashton scoffed, pausing packing up the few things he'd taken out of his bag to look at Luke.

    "Parents love me, Munchkin, there's absolutely nothing to be worried about." Luke nodded, shaking his leg slightly as he looked out the window. "Hey," Ashton brought his attention back. "Are you nervous for me to meet your parents?"

    Luke made a face.

    "No, I just wanted to make sure you were going to be okay. It's a big thing, to meet your partners parents, so it would be normal for you to be nervous."

He shook his head.

"Nope, I'm all good here."

"My dad will love you," Luke smiled, thinking about all the times as a kid Luke and his dad talked about what he should look for in a partner. Ashton exhibited all of the qualities they'd listed and then some. He had no worries about his dad. Or his mum. The second she saw him, she would love Ashton almost as much as him.

"I sure hope so, Doll." He hummed before continuing. "You know, two years ago I wouldn't have thought I'd be the 'meet your parents' kind of guy."

Luke chuckled, grabbing onto Ashton's hand as they started the descent.

"Yeah, you've changed a lot since we met," Luke couldn't imagine bringing the cocky asshole back to meet his parents. It probably wouldn't have gone over well, especially considering Luke couldn't stand him when they first met.

"I'm glad you decided to give me a chance, Sweetheart," Ashton rubbed little circles over the back of Luke's palm, attempting to soothe the anxiety he felt about landing.

"Me too. I knew you weren't actually a terrible person though."

Ashton gave him a funny look, asking him to explain that backhanded compliment.

"I just mean, there was always something that drew me to you. Even when you were sort of horrible, ten seconds later you'd be super nice and caring. I knew Conceited Jerk Ashton was just an act pretty quickly."

Ashton raised one eyebrow at hearing his boyfriend's true first opinions of him.

"I wasn't that bad," he tried but Luke cracked up into horribly fake laughter that included him doubling over and slapping his knee with his free hand. Ashton gave him a flat look at his dramatic show.

"You so were, mate. I could not stand being around you at first, but then I took a minute to really look at you and..." he trailed off, not wanting to admit the next part.

"Don't call me mate, and what else were you going to say there, bro?" Ashton teased.

"Nothing, " Luke insisted, a light blush coating his cheeks.

"Mhm, sure," he rolled his eyes. "If it's nothing, just say it then!"

Luke sealed his lips together and shook his head.

Ashton held up both hands, wiggling his fingers, threatening to tickle the blonde who gasped.

"No, no!" He shrieked. Ashton brought his fingers to Luke's sensitive stomach and started laughing when Luke couldn't contain the giggles bubbling over.

    "Uhm, first of all, y'all are super cute," A girl with a mop of brown curls leaned up over the seat in front of them and looked at them. "And I wish my boyfriend was even half as sweet as you," she said to Ashton, "But also, barf. I can't decide if I wanted to kiss my boyfriend the second I see him when I get out of here or open the window and jump out of this plane because you guys are just so...ugh," she shook her head and sat back down.

    Luke and Ashton stayed quiet the rest of the time, unsure if others around them were really that bothered by them.

    They got off the plane after grabbing their carryons and went to baggage claim.

"Did you call your mum? She's picking us up, right?"

Luke nodded.

"I texted her when the plane landed. She's waiting by terminal B."

"Great," Ashton pushed past him to grab Luke's bag which had made its way around the conveyor belt to them. He'd taken his own when it rolled out with the first couple bags. "Ready?"

Luke nodded, reaching to grab his bag but Ashton was already holding it with this other hand. "No way, Angel, let me take it,"

"Ash, I can grab my own suitcase," Luke protested, a slight blush coating his cheeks.

"I know you can, but I want to get it," he countered, stepping forward. He'd caught a glimpse of that girl who scolded them on the plane. She had her arms crossed over her chest, scowl on her face, and lips pursed as she shook her head at them. Ashton looked at the floor and started rolling their suitcases away, Luke following quickly behind him until they got outside and away from her scrutiny.

"Where's your mum, Sweetheart?"

A white Range Rover pulled up in front of them, the passenger window rolled down to reveal a grinning woman. She looked to be mid-60's with curly brown hair, blue eyes Ashton would have recognized anywhere, and a familiar smile.

"Lukey! Oh my god! And you must be Ashton," the woman called. She threw the car into park and got out, running around the side and pulling her youngest son into a touching embrace.

"Mum, hi," Luke hugged her back, the two of them standing in the middle of the sidewalk without noticing anything around them.

Luke was so happy to be there, even if it was for sad reasons. When he was with Michael, his ex had always told him they were too busy to visit his parents. This was the first time Luke had seen his mother in person in over 7 years.

He pulled back with misty eyes, noticing actual tears staining his mum's face.

"I'm so happy to see you, baby," Luke flinched. He tried not to react when someone called him what he used to, but sometimes it was hard.

Mrs Hemmings looked over her sons shoulder and saw Ashton shaking his head, mouthing "not baby" and she nodded. "Sorry, honey. How are you doing? Let's get your stuff in the car and then we'll get home and get you boys settled."

Luke once again tried to take his bag, but Ashton ducked around him with a playful smile.

"I told you, Lu Lu. This is kinda a vacation for you, I'm going to make sure you stay relaxed. Let me handle this, Munchkin," Ashton kissed his forehead, forgetting the fact that Luke's mother was standing in front of them.

She squealed, bringing her clasped hands under her chin.

"Oh my god, you two are frickin adorable!" She cooed, attracting attention from everyone around, including, of course the now angry girl from the plane. She groaned loudly and stomped away, deciding to find someplace else to wait. Luke's mum tilted her head in confusion, but ignored the girl in favor of doting on her son and his adorable partner. "Ashton, you get shotgun, I need to learn all about you on our way home. Come," she started taking bags from Luke, who was holding their carry-ons so Ashton could wheel the suitcases around and set them in the trunk.

"Mum, I always get shotgun," the youngest Hemmings whined. He quickly shut up at the glare his mom sent him. He hung his head and reluctantly got in the back seat, ignoring a smirk and taunting look from his boyfriend.

"All right, you boys have everything? We're good to head home?" Ever the mom, Liz couldn't help herself from making sure everything was all set. Even though her son was almost 30, she wouldn't stop taking care of him.

She felt absolutely awful when she found out a bit about what was happening in Luke's previous relationship. She knew why he stayed, she'd connected the dots when Luke had given her a brief update on what had been going on in New York, and while she was proud that he was trying his best to do right for everyone else, she felt guilty that he'd had to endure that for her.

    "Aren't we going to the hospital, mum? I thought we'd go see dad first," Luke said in a small voice once Liz started up the car.

    Liz looked back at him thorough the rearview mirror.

    "Is that what you want, hon? You're not tired from traveling?" Luke shook his head. He was a bit tired, but he knew that resting would wait until he saw his dad and made sure the man was okay. "Ashton, is that all right with you?"

    "Of course, ma'am. Whatever Luke wants is what we'll do."

    Mrs Hemmings laughed.

    "Oh wow, Lukey, you really picked a good one," she winked at her son, then turned to the man she knew already would end up being her future son-in-law. "You'll call me Liz, Ashton, or mum, whatever you're comfortable with. You're practically family,"

    "Mum," Luke groaned, not wanting her to embarrass him in front of his boyfriend. This was new to him, Michael had only met his parents once before they moved to Florida, and it was a quick meeting so they could thank Michael for being so generous.

    "Sorry, Lukey, but he's even more wonderful than you told me,"

    Ashton turned around in his seat to smirk at Luke.

    "Well, I just try to treat your son as he deserves. He's the most wonderful person I've ever met, and he's helped me in more ways than I could imagine. I owe him a lot, and he deserves to be treated like my princess,"

    Luke's face lit up bright red while his mother almost started crying.

    "You guys are just..." she trailed off. "Too cute."

    It was silent for a while, just the radio humming in the background while Liz drove to the hospital.

    "Hey, mum?"

    "Yeah?"

    "Uh, h-how is dad? Like, is he..." Luke didn't know how to ask what to expect when he walked into the hospital room. Would he look okay? Would the cancer have really done a number on him already?

    "He's doing okay today, I was with him right before I came to get you, bab--honey." She corrected herself, remembering what Ashton had said. "He's thin, really small which might come as a shock to you," Luke's dad had always been a solid guy, not overweight by any means, but he was broad and by no means tiny.

    "Okay,"

    "Lukey, he's okay for now, don't be so upset, yeah? Thanks to you, he's comfortable, and not in any pain," Liz would never forget what her son did for them.

    "Yeah," Luke whispered, trying to stop the tears from falling.

    He heard Ashton saying something to his mum, but couldn't concentrate. He didn't notice when the car stopped on the shoulder and Ashton got out and slid into the back until he was being held. He burrowed into Ashton's shoulder, taking deep breaths with his eyes closed.

    "What do you need, Sweetheart? What's going on?"

    He shrugged helplessly.

    "I-I--"

    "Take your time, yeah?" Ashton mumbled a few moments after Luke trailed off. "Don't talk unless you want to, this is about you right now,"

    Luke took a deep breath.

    "I'm just scared I'm too late," he said in a small voice. "What if I wasted all my time in New York when I should have been here?"

    "Lu, don't start thinking like that," Ashton chastised lightly, speaking low. "It's not your fault for living your life, you did the best you could, and you had no idea things were going to end up like this. Please don't feel guilty, my love."

    "You've done so much, Luke. None of this is your fault," Liz piped up from the front seat. She knew her son was in good hands with Ashton, but also knew he'd need all sorts of reassurance from everyone in order to ease some of the burden he was putting on himself. "You've done more than anyone would have ever expected, okay? Please try and tell yourself that, yeah?"

    "Yeah," he agreed, pulling Ashton's hand into his lap and playing with his fingers. He was wearing a couple rings today, and Luke always loved twisting them around when he was anxious or bored.

    "We're almost here," Liz told them moments later. She was used to making this drive, since her husband had been in and out of the hospital for years, staying a few days for treatments and bouts of illness. Right now, he was dealing with pneumonia, and recovery wasn't looking good.

    Luke closed his eyes and took deep breaths to prepare himself while Ashton played with the ends of his curls to try and calm him down.

    They pulled into the parking lot and Liz stopped the car in the visitors lot. She turned around and tried not to fawn over how cute her son and his boyfriend were, because there were other things they needed to worry about more.

    "Are you going to be okay, Lu Lu? You don't have to do this right now,"

    "Yeah, Lukey, you can always come back tomorrow or later on, everyone would understand."

    He shook his head, sitting up and removing himself from Ashton's arms.

    "No, I want to see him. I'll be okay."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes." He wouldn't be able to rest until he saw his dad. Once he saw what condition he was in, he could deal with everything else after.

    "Okay, let's go then,"

    They all got out of the car, with Liz leading the way. Ashton walked next to Luke, keeping his hands out of his pocket in case he wanted him. Luke noticed the way he was walking close and grabbed his boyfriends hand with a small smile.

    "Thanks for being here with me," he whispered.

    "Always, Angel. I love you,"

    "I love you too,"

    They walked through the automatic doors and the first thing Luke noticed was the smell of antiseptic invading his nose. It was noisy too, even though they were only out in the front lobby. There were alarms ringing behind the front desk, people laughing and talking in the cafe to the left, the sound of an ambulance whirring outside could still be heard. It was a bit overwhelming, but having Ashton's hand in his made him feel better.

    "Hello Mrs Hemmings!" the girl at the front desk grinned as Luke's mom walked in. "How are you?"

    "I'm well, Twyla, thank you," she stopped in front of the red head, smiling. "I haven't seen you in a couple days, how have you been?"

    "Oh I'm good! I had off for a bit, went camping with my little cousins. We went up to Georgia."

    "Wow that sounds like a great time!"

    "It was," she exclaimed, dimples popping on her freckled face. "I'll have to show you some pictures later, I see you've got some guests with you who I'm sure are anxious to go see Andy," she looked past Liz and smiled at the boys.

    "Yes, thank you, dear. I'll talk to you soon,"

    Liz waved to the girl then ushered Luke and Ashton down a hallway which led to an elevator. As they walked past, nurses, doctors, and even some patients said hello to Liz, and addressed her by name. Luke and Ashton shared a smile.

    "Mum, you're like the mayor around here,"

    Liz laughed.

    "I've made a few friends," she admitted, pressing the number 3 on the side panel, which closed the doors and caused them to begin their upwards ascent. "When you're here every day, multiple times a day, people begin to recognize you,"

    "I'm sure,"

    They got off when the doors opened and Liz started left, the boys following behind her.

    Luke was getting more and more nervous about what he was going to see when they got there.

    "Lukey, you're hurting my hand," Ashton whispered to him. He gasped and let go of the tight grip he didn't even realize he was holding.

    "Sorry," he bit his lip and looked at his boyfriend.

    "It's okay, love, I know you're nervous." They stopped in front of a closed door, where the label "A. Hemmings" was written on the side of the door. "What do you want, do you want to go in yourself? Do you want me with you? Do you need another minute?" He questioned rapid fire.

    Luke shrugged.

    He felt like he needed to go in alone, talk to his dad, but he also needed support in case he couldn't handle it. What if his dad was bad?

    Liz wedged herself between Ashton and her stunned son.

    "How about I go in with you, and then we'll call Ashton after you've had a couple moments?"

    "Is that okay?" Luke asked hesitantly.

    "If that's what you need, Angel, that's totally fine." Ashton pointed at a chair near the window in the corner. "I'm going to sit there and call Louis, let him know we made it safe. He was nervous about us flying," Ashton said with a fond eye roll. Of course Louis was the nervous one of the group, he acted like their mum sometimes.

    "Okay."

    "I'll be here whenever you need me. You're so strong though, Lu, I know you can do this. You'll feel better once you go in and talk to him,"

    "Yeah," he could only answer with one word right now, his heart was pounding and he felt sweaty. He loved his dad, seeing him in poor conditions would break him, he felt.

    "All right, sweetie. Let's go." Liz opened the door, walking in first. Luke watched Ashton blow him a kiss before he turned away and walked in his dad's room. "Hey, Andy, I have a visitor,"

    Luke exhaled as he walked in the room.

***
Hehehehe that was mean. What a cliffhanger. It's been quite a few chapters since they said they were going to see Luke's dad and here we are, still not meeting him. Soooooon!!

What do you think of Liz? Any thoughts on what's going on?

Also, I went camping with my cousins and aunts this week, and I stayed up late one night and looked at the stars and listened to lukes album and it was so beautiful 🥺 nature is so pretty and the album is just so good? A wonderfully magical opportunity. And we saw planets!! Jupiter and Saturn 🪐

~ashtonfortherwin