It was dark by the time Michael pulled into his parents driveway.

Luke had slept the rest of the trip, which gave Michael one less thing to worry about.

Michael walked around to Luke's door.

He smiled at his sleeping boy. His future husband.

Michael brushed the hair from Luke's face.

"Lu, baby", Michael started, gently shaking the boy, "We're here."

After a few moments passed, Luke stirred.

His eyes fluttered open and Michael smiled down at him.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty." Michael joked as he pressed a kiss to Luke's lips.

"How long was I out?" Luke croaked, plucking the glasses from his face.

Michael shrugged, "Bout an hour or so."

He clicked the button to release Luke's seatbelt and offered his hand to help the boy out.

Luke took it and Michael gently tugged him from the car.

Michael closed the car door and kissed the back of Luke's hand before letting it go.

He made his way around the car to the trunk where he picked up his stuff.

Luke tried to grab his bags, but Michael hit his hand away and grabbed it himself.

The younger boy pouted as Michael gleamed happily, grabbing Luke's hand again and swinging their arms until they reached the door.

Michael held open the door for his lovely fiancé, before following him inside.

He dropped their bags by the door.

"Ma?" Michael called.

A women with blonde hair and a smile identical to Michael's appeared from out of the kitchen.

She wore a pink apron with flowers on it.

"Oh my goodness", She started, "Daryl they're here!"

The woman rushed over to them and engulfed Michael in the biggest hug.

Luke had fallen behind Michael at some point.

"I'm so glad to have you home, I made your favorite." She gleamed, before taking a step back.

Her eyes seemed to fall upon Luke.

Luke panicked, but Michael gently grabbed him and pulled him forward.

"Mum, this is Luke." Michael introduced.

"Look at you! You're just as lovely as Michael said." She exclaimed.

"It's lovely to meet you, Mrs. Clifford." Luke jeered politely.

"Call me Karen", She muttered, "Gosh it's so nice to finally meet you, Michael practically never stops talking about you."

"Ma." Michael groaned.

Luke giggled and looked back towards Michael.

The smile on Luke's face was enough to diminish the embarrassment.

A man appeared. Luke could see a bit of Michael in him, but it only solidified how much more Michael looked like his mother.

"Dad." Michael greeted with a smiled, holding his arms out.

The two hugged, patting each other on the back.

"Welcome home." Daryl jeered as they pulled away.

"Darling this is Michael's Luke." Karen piped up, gesturing towards Luke.

"Thank you for keeping our son in check." Daryl quipped, holding his hand out for Luke to shake.

Luke took it, "It's my pleasure."

"I hope you like spaghetti. It's Michael's favorite of mine and he's always complaining about missing my cooking." Karen jeered and she guided them into the dining room.

Michael pulled out Luke's chair for him to sit in, before plopping down in the seat beside him.

Daryl sat at the head of the table beside Michael.

Karen disappeared momentarily into the kitchen before reappearing with a bowl of spaghetti.

The table was set with plates and utensils.

There was a bowl of salad, spaghetti and meatballs, and bread with butter.

Michael plucked both his and Luke's glasses.

"I'll get you juice." Michael gleamed, pressing a kiss to Luke's head, before disappearing into the kitchen.

He returned, handing Luke the glass full of red juice- which he concluded was fruit punch.

They passed around the bowls of everything, while Michael's parents started up conversation about Michael's classes.

Luke just ate his spaghetti and salad in peace, while trying to actively listen to stories Michael's parents told about drama in their lives.

Luke was particularly interested in the story about the neighbor sleeping with the mailwomen- who turned out to be his future mother-in-law.

You can't just make that stuff up, it was quality entertainment.

Their stories were way more interesting then anything Luke had to say, so he was content with keeping to himself.

"We're so happy to have you", Karen piped up, looking to Luke, "I can't imagine it was easy for your parents to let you go for the holiday. I mean, I'd be a mess if Michael didn't come home-"

"Mum." Michael hissed, wishing she'd be quiet.

Luke averted his eyes from her.

"They- uh- died in a car accident, a few months ago", Luke muttered, dragging his fork across his plate, "This is my first holiday without them."

A damper fell upon them, something Luke wished he could have avoided- for Michael's sake.

She cleared her throat.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart", Karen apologized with a frown. She reached out to place a comforting hand on his, "Hopefully we can make this Thanksgiving a good one for you."

The rest of the meal was a lot quieter.

They all finished up and Karen began collecting the dishes.

"Why don't you go take a nice hot shower?", Michael suggested, "I'll be up in a bit."

Luke nodded before Michael gently sent him off with a kiss.

The blonde paused turning back towards Michael.

He opened his mouth, but Michael beat him to it.

"First door on the left." Michael explained.

Luke smiled softly, scurrying to grab his and Michael's bags and bring them upstairs- before Michael could fight him on it.

He found Michael's room pretty easily, since it was the only room with band posters plastered on the walls and bright red paint.

It was not the surprising to Luke. It was practically exactly as he'd imagined it.

Their shared love for punk rock and bands was what made it less surprising.

His childhood room looked very similar except less... vibrant? bright?

Loud.

The room was cleaner than Luke pictured, but then again Michael hadn't been actively living in the room.

The covers had little guitars on them and Luke chuckled to himself a bit.

Luke dropped their bags by the bed before heading into the bathroom.

His least favorite thing in the world was trying to figure out a new shower, but luckily Luke got the hang of it easily.

He turned the knob and step back proudly as the shower started up.

"The poor thing..."

Luke spun around, he could hear Karen's voice.

"...Lost both his parents?"

His eyes traveled to the vent right by his feet.

"In an accident. He barely made it out alive-"

Michael's voice cut off.

Suddenly Luke could hear soft cries.

Luke made his way to the ground.

"Oh, Mikey..." Karen cooed.

"I was so scared to lose him." Michael cried, something muffling the sound.

"Shhhh, it's okay." Karen assured.

Michael sniffled, "I'm still so scared- scared that I can't help him, that I can't be there for him when he needs me."

Luke's hand began to tremble as he brought it to his mouth.

His heart was in his stomach listening to Michael cry to his mother.

Luke had never wanted to hurt Michael in any way.

"You're doing a great job honey, that's all you can hope for." Karen muttered.

"Is it supposed to hurt this bad?" Michael quizzed, his voice broken and weak.

Karen sighed, "Love is pain and pain is love."

There was a pause.

"What do I do?" Michael sobbed.

"Do you love him?" Karen quizzed.

"More than anything mum." Michael admitted.

"Then hold onto the pain, because when the pain goes, so does the love." She muttered.

Luke squeezed his eyes shut and tears slipped from them.

He was hurting Michael.

He didn't want to hurt anyone, much less the man he loved.

One of Luke's hands was on his mouth and the other clawed at his chest as if it would stop the pain in his heart.

The shower was still running and the steam off the water billowed, filling the room.

Luke cried into his hand.

It was too much, it was all too much.

It would have just been easier if Luke had died.

Why did he live?

Why did he have to suffer?

Luke never wanted to die more than he did in that moment.

He couldn't breathe.

It felt like he'd been stabbed in the back, only he was the one holding the knife.

He was causing pain to the people around him- and himself.

Luke sobbed on the floor he didn't belong on, in the bathroom he didn't belong in, in a house he didn't belong.