You Will Be Okay - Muke

9

Michael took a detour, stopping at the store before heading home.

He slipped back into the car after running into the store, before ripping open the chapstick packaging.

He took the plastic off the strawberry chapstick and handed it to Luke, before throwing the rest of the trash and bag in the back seat.

"What's this for?" Luke quizzed.

"So you're lips don't get more chapped and hurt." Michael explained.

Luke applied the chapstick and smiled at Michael.

Michael kissed the boy gently, pulling away to lick his own lips, "And so when I kiss you, you taste like strawberries."

Luke giggled at that and rolled his eyes playfully.

Michael took them home after that and they had just enough time to thaw before guests arrived.

Luke was by Michael's side the entirety of the night, shaking hands and meeting Michael's family.

Michael introduced him to everyone- aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmothers.

Luke's immediate family was twice the size of Michael's- or at least it had been- but not nearly half the size of Michael's extended family.

Michael had more cousins than Luke could count on his fingers and toes.

The feast began a little past five.

Luke and Michael were sat super close together, despite their placemats being the normal distance from each other.

Michael's hand rested on Luke's thigh and Luke rested his own hand atop Michael's.

They all served themselves and said Grace before digging in.

"So, Michael, how did you propose?" Michael's aunt quizzed.

"Well I had gotten the ring weeks before I ever even attempted to propose. Then everything got in the way or I would chicken out. I knew I wanted to propose for three weeks before I actually did..." Michael went on.

Luke watched him so lovingly as he spoke.

His eyes sparkled in the lights and he smiled animatedly as he spoke.

Michael loved telling their engagement story.

The conversation shifted after a bit to Michael breaking his elbow as a kid.

"... He made a zip line from his room window to his tree house. He made it probably about halfway before the line attached to his window untied and he hit the ground on his elbow..."

Luke grimaced.

Unconsciously gripping Michael's hand harder.

Michael kissed the side of Luke's head as his cousin went on.

They all talked about stories from their childhood.

Luke just laughed along and smiled at stories of little Michael.

He kept quiet mostly.