𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬 ♥︎

𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧. ♡

theme: idrk
ship(s): lander
au: college (they are 20 in this🫶)

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The fall afternoon brought a slight breeze, as leaves of different color varieties scattered across the ground. The brunette male anxiously approached the front door of the Wickham-Austin's home, only feeling more nervous. He was planning to ask Shannon, whom was his boyfriends mother, if he could take him in marriage. Luckily, Zander was out running errands and wouldn't be back for a while, so this gave Luke a good opportunity. Although the whole situation was immensely nerve-racking, he felt that after so many years of knowing one another, and dating for four years now, she would accept the request. Hopefully.

He breathed a long sigh before raising his arm to knock. The house seemed still from the appearance, as if no one was home. Although, he managed to contact Shannon, who confirmed that she was the only one in the house currently. He knocked on the door several times and waited patiently for someone to answer. As he stood there, he nervously fidgeted with the sleeve of his jacket.

There then was the almost inaudible sound of the door unlocking. The door opened to reveal Ms. Wickham, with a bright grin when seeing Luke. "Luke! It's very nice to see you! Come in!" she exclaimed passionately. The golden-eyed male gave her a slight smile, passing by her and entering the house.

Once both of them were in the kitchen, Luke peered down at the floor while he leaned against the counter. His nervousness was seemingly obvious from the way he acted. The mauve haired woman noticed and furrowed her brows in reaction. "Can I get you anything? Like a glass of water or something similar?" she asked. Luke turned his attention towards her, slightly nodding his head. "Yes, I would appreciate that," he whispered, walking towards a the table and taking a seat. Moments later, Shannon returned and handed the boy a glass of water before taking a seat beside him. "You said you wanted to talk about something important, right?" Shannon questioned. Luke nodded as confirmation.

"Yes, it's important. Uhm.." Luke paused halfway through the sentence. He'd completely forgotten what to say. Shannon looked at him in utter confusion. "Luke, is everything alright? You seem to be acting a little off." - "Everything is fine, I had just.. forgotten what to say."

He took in another long and dramatic sigh, before continuing to speak. "Ms. Wickham, you know that Zander has been one of the greatest people throughout almost my entire life. He's such a kind and caring person, and would do anything for those he loves. I've enjoyed every second that i've spent with him and I think i'm ready to ask you." Shannon sat there listening to his words, suspecting what he was going to say.

"Ms. Wickham, I would like to ask for permission to marry your son."

Luke broke eye contact with her, gazing at the other side of the room. He felt scared about her response, and was quite anxious to know what could be running through her mind.

He glanced back at her again. Shannon had a bright smile on her face. She seemed, happy. But that smile eventually faded into a concerned expression. He felt as if all his hope in her allowing the marriage was gone. "If you don't think it's the right decision, I understand."

"No, no, Luke it's not that I don't want you two to get married. It's just.. i'm worried that something could happen between the both of you eventually, and Zander would end up in the same situation as I did."

Luke peered down at the floor. He fully understood what she meant, and Shannon had every right to feel this way. Her and Zander faced something deeply horrific that nobody should go through. "I understand completely. And, if you think it isn't the right thing for Zander, I get it. But whatever decision makes you comfortable, i'll go along with it." The mauve-haired woman smiled. "Thank you for understanding, Luke. It'll take me a bit to think." Luke nodded in understanding. The two sat there in complete silence. Shannon stared down, her hands in her lap as her mind raced for what the best decision was. Luke remained where he was, waiting for what Shannon's next statements would be. She cared deeply for her son, and she knew that Zander and Luke adored each other. They've known each other for practically decades by now. After a few moments, Shannon faced the auburn-haired male once more.

"Luke, both you and I know how much Zander appreciates you being apart of his life. He would always tell me how much he cared about you, and loved you and that you treated him with respect. So the answer is yes, I would gladly allow you to marry my son."

He looked at her in utter shock. "Really?" She nodded in confirmation. "He really does love you, and it would probably break him if he found out you asked and I declined. And i've known you long enough to know that I can trust you. But please take care of my son, he needs you," Shannon responded.

"I promise, i'll treat him right and make sure he's happy. Thank you so much, Shannon. Your support means a lot."

"No problem. Tell me when he says yes," she said, winking at him jokingly as she got up from her seat.

— —

Luke returned to his and Zander's apartment forty-five minutes after leaving the Wickham-Austin home. He opened the ivory door to a dim and almost quiet space. The only source of sound in the room was the television. He walked into the apartment, shutting the door behind him.

"Zander? You in here?" he called out, only to receive no response. Though he was quite worried, he shrugged it off. Luke entered the office, turning the desk lamp on to provide light. It was approaching dark, and the sunlight was majorly below the horizon. He signed into the computer, searching up for engagement rings, now that he was given permission to propose.

Twenty minutes passed by, still no changes. Thirty turned into forty. It was dark out by the time, and Luke was still deeply occupied by looking for an engagement ring. Abruptly, his phone began to vibrate on the desk. He picked up his phone, answering the call.

"Hello?" he called out to the person on the other end.

"Yes, this is him."

..

"I'm so sorry sir, but your boyfriend has been killed in a fatal car crash."

..

... and thats when his only hope was gone.

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word count: 1,165 words
authors note:
(not saying any names), but i saw someone mention that they wanted to see a oneshot where luke asked shannon if he could propose. so here you go, except i randomly decided to add that plot twist 🤭
ok its late rn so bye!!