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July 2021
The dining room looked like something out of a magazine. There were candles lit, a ridiculous spread of food laid out across the table, and wine glasses were shining under the soft lights above the table. Luke didn’t know whether his mom was celebrating summer, everyone being under one roof again, or just the fact that she finally got to fuss over all of them at once again. Probably all three.
Young sat beside Luke, their knees brushing under the table in ways that only the two of them noticed. Across from them, Gabe and Maddy sat shoulder-to-shoulder, laughing at something Luke’s dad had just said. The atmosphere was oddly warm. Warner than Luke had expected after everything… and he caught himself smiling without even meaning to.
“Honestly,” Luke’s mom said, beaming at the whole table, “I know it’s silly, but it feels like my house is finally full again. I hate the fact that you’re always away living your lives in Boston.”
Gabe scoffed lightly. “Mom, how can you miss us? We’re nothing but loud assholes. Aren’t you glad you have some peace and quiet?”
“No,” she pointed at him with her fork, “yes, I hated the loudness but it was fun. I missed you, okay? Accept it.”
Maddy nudged Gabe with her elbow. “Aww, isn’t that sweet?”
“Disgusting,” Gabe muttered, but even he was fighting a smile.
Young snickered under his breath, and Luke shot him a soft look—one of those little glances that held far more emotion than either of them could show in front of the family. Luke’s parents knew about the engagement… but Gabe and Maddy didn’t. And sitting at a dinner this cosy made Luke acutely aware of the ring tucked safely in Young’s draw downstairs in the basement.
Young was smiling politely at something Luke’s dad was saying, but Luke could see the tension in the corner of his jaw. The quiet weight of the secret. The waiting-for-the-right-moment.
For now, though, they played the part of two people who were simply dating. Nothing more.
“So,” Luke’s dad said, looking between Young and Gabe, “tell us everything. How does it feel being graduates? Proper adults now.”
Maddy laughed. “Gabe? An adult? Please. He nearly set the oven on fire reheating pizza last week.”
Gabe’s mouth dropped open. “It was ONE TIME.”
Luke snorted. “Famous last words.”
The whole table laughed. Even Gabe, though he rolled his eyes dramatically. It felt nice. Normal. Like the years of tension and heartbreak had finally thinned out enough for them to breathe and joke around with each other again.
It was a perfect moment. Almost too perfect. Because underneath all the laughter and teasing, the engagement sat between Young and Luke like a bright, glowing secret that grew heavier with every passing minute. But for tonight, they let the warmth linger. Tonight, they simply enjoyed being home.
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The next morning was one of those lazy, golden summer mornings. Luke and Young lay tangled together on the big outdoor hammock Luke’s dad had impulsively bought in June “for ambience,” he’d said, even though Luke suspected it was just an excuse to lie outside and drink iced tea.
The hammock rocked gently with every small movement. Luke was on his back, head resting against Young’s chest, while Young lazily traced circles over the faint line of Luke’s top surgery scar through his thin T-shirt. The sun was warm, the birds were obnoxiously loud, and for the first time in days, Luke felt entirely at peace.
Young pressed a kiss to the top of his head, soft and absent-minded, the kind he did without thinking.
“Luke,” he murmured.
“Mm?”
Young didn’t answer straight away. His hand stilled on Luke’s chest. Luke felt him inhale slowly.
“We should probably tell Gabe today.”
Luke’s eyes snapped open and he twisted just enough to look up at him. There was no hesitation in Young’s expression, just quiet determination and the faintest nervousness around the eyes.
“You want to?” Luke asked, sitting up a little.
Young nodded. “Yeah. I’ve been thinking about it a lot. No time like the present, huh? The more we hesitated, the more it’s just going to stress us out. I don’t want us to keep hiding this.”
“I want that too,” Luke said immediately. “God, Young, I want that so much.”
Young gave a small. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide being engaged,” Young went on, voice gentler now. “Especially in your own home. And I know Gabe may need some time to adjust, but he loves you. I think… he’ll want to try. For you.”
Luke leaned forward until their foreheads touched, the hammock swaying softly beneath them. “Whatever happens, I’m with you. All the way.”
Young cupped Luke’s cheek with one warm hand, brushing his thumb along the faint fading freckles there. “I know.”
Luke snuggled back into his chest, fingers intertwining with Young’s as the hammock rocked them gently, both of them warmed by the sun and the terrifying, exhilarating certainty of what they were about to do.
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By evening the house had settled into its familiar rhythm of mom bustling around in the kitchen, dad humming somewhere upstairs, the lazy creak of the old floorboards, and the faint smell of something sweet baking. But the living room felt different. Heavy. Like the air itself was waiting.
Gabe was sprawled across the couch in joggers and an old lacrosse tee, one leg hanging over the armrest. His eyes were half on his phone, half on the ice hockey match playing loudly on the TV. Every so often he muttered something under his breath about poor defence or sloppy passing.
Luke hovered in the doorway first, hands damp with nerves. Young stood close behind him like a silent pillar of support.
Luke swallowed.
This was it.
Gabe didn’t look up. “If you’re here to ask what’s for dinner,” he said without lifting his eyes from the screen, “mom said leftovers.”
Luke shot Young a panicked look. Young gave him the smallest nod.
“Uh, no,” Luke let out a soft laugh, padding into the room. “I just wanted to talk.”
Gabe let out a grunt of acknowledgment.
Luke forced himself around the couch until he and Young were in Gabe’s line of sight. Gabe finally lifted his eyes ever so briefly, then frowned when he realised neither of them was moving or speaking.
“What?” he asked flatly. “You look like you’re about to confess to murder or something.”
“No murder took place,” Luke said lamely.
“Okay… that’s good?” Gabe muttered, eyes flicking back to his phone.
Young stepped forward just slightly. “Gabe,” he said quietly, “can you put that down for a sec?”
Gabe froze at the sound of Young’s voice like that. All serious, soft, and steady. His jaw tightened. He lowered the phone slowly, eyes narrowing as he sensed something was up. “What is this?” he asked.
Luke’s palms tingled with nerves. He reached for Young’s hand very subtly, giving him permission. Young took it immediately, fingers threading through Luke’s without a moment’s hesitation. Gabe’s eyes dropped straight to their joined hands.
Luke’s voice trembled. “We need to talk to you.”
Gabe didn’t blink. Didn’t breathe.
Young squeezed Luke’s hand gently and said, steady as anything, “Uh, so the thing is… Luke and I—”
Gabe held up a hand sharply. “Don’t.”
Young paused.
Luke’s stomach twisted. “Gabe, just listen.”
“No,” Gabe snapped, voice cracking just slightly. “If this is what I think it is… don’t.”
Luke stepped closer. “We’re getting married.”
Gabe’s mouth opened… then closed again. His brows pinched. His gaze flicked from Luke to Young, then dropped once more to their joined hands. For a long, terrifying moment, he just stared at it. Luke was wearing his ring. Of course he was. Young wasn’t, because he wanted to tell Gabe first, but Luke had refused to take his off. Not even for a second.
Gabe exhaled slowly through his nose, like he was forcing air into lungs that hadn’t worked in a minute. “…Okay,” he said.
Luke blinked. “Okay?”
Gabe lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug, half-surrender. “Yeah. Okay.”
Young frowned. “Gabe—”
“It’s fine,” Gabe cut in. There was no venom this time. No raised voice. No accusatory glare. Just… tired acceptance. “I’m not gonna yell. I’m not gonna storm out. I’m too old for that shit now.”
Luke’s mouth fell open in a confused and relieved, but also terrified, little breath.
Gabe rubbed the back of his neck, eyes still drifting anywhere but directly at them. “Look,” he muttered, “I knew it was probably coming. You two have been… you know.” He waved vaguely between them. “Grossly in love for ages.”
Luke felt his face burn. Young choked on a laugh.
“And,” Gabe went on, clearing his throat, “I’m not an idiot. Dad’s been too smug lately. Mom’s been humming all the fucking time. The house has been suspiciously… hopeful.” He sighed, then finally met Luke’s eyes properly. “You’re my little brother and I don’t get to choose who you love. I don’t even want to. I just…” He hesitated, swallowing hard. “I just needed time to wrap my head around it.”
Young’s grip on Luke’s hand tightened.
Luke stepped forward, voice soft. “Gabe… Are you really okay?”
Gabe huffed out a short laugh, the kind that wasn’t quite amused but wasn’t hollow either. “No,” he admitted. “No, i’m not okay. I haven’t been okay in a long time. But I’m… getting there. It’s weird. And uncomfortable. I’ve had to… adjust to a lot. But you’re both adults now. You made your choices. This is just one of them.”
Luke felt something overwhelming fill his chest.
Gabe shoved his hands into the pockets of his joggers. “Don’t expect a hug or some sappy speech,” he muttered. “I still think it’s—” He wrinkled his nose. “—deeply disturbing.”
Young coughed a laugh into his fist.
“But,” Gabe added, looking directly at Luke, “I’m not angry or whatever. I don’t want you feeling guilty for being happy.”
Luke’s breath caught. He hadn’t realised how badly he needed to hear that until now. “Thank you,” Luke whispered.
Young nodded too, voice thick. “It means more than you know.”
Gabe lifted a hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t elope tomorrow or some shit. Let mom plan something ridiculous first.”
Luke actually laughed. It was shaky, but it was real.
Then, after a beat, Gabe glanced at Young properly for the first time, his expression softer than Luke had seen in months. “You treat him right,” Gabe said. Not a threat. Not a warning. Just… a brother handing over something precious. “If he cries, I cry. And you do not want to see me cry.”
Young smiled small and sincere. “I promise.”
Gabe nodded once, sharp but satisfied. Then he turned deliberately back to the TV. “Now piss off,” he said lightly. “You’re blocking the hockey.”
Luke let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. Young squeezed his hand again. And for the first time in years, it felt like the three of them were standing in a room that wasn’t cracked or fractured anymore…just a little strange, a little awkward, but warm, familiar, and whole in its own way.
Luke leaned into Young, heart full.
They’d done it.
They’d really done it.
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