This Is Us - Chapter 20: Chapter 20

THOMAS POV
"Do you prefer a specific color?"
The doctor asked Luca, who looked like a deer in headlights as he just nodded in response and gulped.
"Babe, that's not an answer," I reminded him and he gave my hand a gentle squeeze.
"Um...no, not really. Just do black," He said to the doctor who looked super confused and I raised my boyfriend's hand to my lips. Resting them there for a second to distract him so he would stay still for the doctor.
I never knew Luca was terrified of doctors and hospitals until I had to drag his butt into the office via wheelchair.
My poor angel was shaking with fear and terror struck across his face as he focused on my lips. His heart rate on the monitor was going a mile a minute and the doctor stepped out so he could grab the materials needed for his cast.
"Babe, you have to calm down. You're going to give yourself a heart attack if you keep this up," I tried to warn him but he only clenched my hand harder.
"I can't help it. Hospitals are triggers," He said in a raspy voice, but I could already tell since he couldn't stop shaking.
"I know but it's going to make you feel better. They're going to help you," I promised but his big blue eyes were still wide awake and alert, searching for an exit of some kind. That's when I decided I couldn't take it anymore.
I let go of his hand and he whimpered slightly, his bottom lip trembling until he realized I was hopping onto the hospital bed beside him, sitting up and wrapping my arms around his shaking body. Luca quickly hid his head in the crook of my shoulder, just like Jaydean often does when she's terrified, and grasped my sweatshirt with his fists.
As soon as we got into this position his heart rate slowly started to come down and he stabilized. His body still shaking a little bit but not as much as before.
"Talk to me angel," I demanded as I twisted little pieces of his silky brown hair.
"You know, now that I'm really dating Matthias, he's not as much of an asshole as I thought he would be," Luca stutters and I smiled at his realization.
"I used to wonder how the two of you got along so well, now I know," he mumbles into my neck and the doctor comes back. He wears a confused frown on his face but shrugs it off when he sees Luca's vital signs. The frown stays and he avoids looking at either of us, instead focusing all his attention on Luca's foot as if he's uncomfortable with us being so close in his presence.
Great, a homophobic doctor, fucking love that bullshit.
"I never thought I'd hear him say I love you, especially now that he knows I'm not the man he once thought I was," Luca adds, letting the doctor wrap his broken foot in the wet casting.
"Aren't you disappointed? That I'm not the same person?" He asked and I quickly shook my head.
"No, I thought the old you was too uptight anyway. I like my soft fluffy angel a lot better," I confessed.
"I started to fall in love with you when you came out of your shell and finally opened up to us," I added. The doctor now wore a scowl and I swear to god if he purposefully hurt my sweet Luca we were going to throw hands.
"I fell in love with you when you stopped me from jumping," Luca said, his voice so soft that it was only for my ears and I wanted to kiss him but couldn't for fear of this idiot hurting him.
I wonder what it's like to be straight.
"I loved you back then too, but in a different way," I said and he nuzzled his freckled nose against the bare skin of my shoulder that was showing, sending small sensitive tingles down my spine.
"Alright, we're all set here are your discharge papers and come back in four weeks to have it taken off," He says and quickly leaves.
"Can we go now?" Luca asks and I wasn't going to hold him here longer than need be as I took up his crutches and helped him back to his feet.
As soon as we got outside to the parking lot and into the fresh air, Luca instantly seemed to perk up, crutching as fast as he can to the truck, even beating me as he does so.
"I feel like a new man now that I've regained my independence," He says and I unlock the door so he can side in himself.
"Damn, I kind of liked carrying you," I huffed as I got in and Luca did so too once he tossed his crutches in the back.
"You can still carry me, I wasn't complaining," He giggles and leans over the console to kiss my cheek but I turn my head just in time and catch his lips instead. He pausesnwhen he notices but continues to kiss me nonetheless before quickly darting back.
"Fuck, they're watching," he mutters and I sigh, revving the truck's engine before driving away.
"Are you sure?" I asked him and he swiped the saliva off his lower lip with his thumb.
"I'm pretty sure I saw someone but better safe than sorry," he says and turns back towards the front, buckling up as he does so.
"So are we going to try to beat Matthias home?" He asks and I slid on my sunglasses when the bright California sunshine started to get in my eyes.
"Nope, I want to show you something," I said and Luca tilted his head a little, letting his chestnut brown hair fall to the side.
"Show me what?" He asked and the place was only a few minutes up the road so I ignored his question by turning to my phone.
"I wonder what Matty's listening to this week," I sigh as I turn on the Bluetooth and let my phone connect to the truck.
"What do you mean?" He asked and I turned up the Spotify playlist Matty and I shared.
"Well Matty and I have this thing on Spotify where we created two playlists and we add our favorite songs to them depending on our mood," I explain and Luca raised his eyebrows as Cardi B's Bodak Yellow started blasting and I knew exactly what kind of mood he was in..
"You guys are really cute," He says and pokes my cheek before he starts singing along and I burst out laughing just hearing his accent trying to rap Lil bitch like Cardi.
***
"What's this?"
Luca asked as I pulled up to the familiar bakery and parked the car. I got onto the other side and opened the door for Luca as he got out, grabbing his crutches as I did so.
"There's someone I want you to meet," I finally reveal and I watch his smile start to fade as he gets nervous.
"Hey, don't worry, I'm sure she's going to love you," I reassure him but he gives me a look like he doesn't believe me. I enter the bakery with the ringing bell with the second love of my life and hear her beautiful voice flutter through the air.
"Welcome to Henrietta's Bakery, I'll be with you in just a...THOMAS!"
My older sister squealed as soon as she saw it was me and hung up the phone on whatever poor soul had to listen to her shriek of pure, genuine, excitement. She jumps over the front counter, nearly landing face first onto the tiled floor if it hadn't been for a table to catch her fall and rushed up to me, jumping straight into my arms.
"THOMAS JACKSON, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!" She screams in my ear as we embrace and she lets go of me, punching my chest as she did so.
"Ow, I've been around, sorry I didn't come sooner," I wince as she hits me again and again for not coming back to the bakery and checking on her in almost a month.
"I thought something happened to you! I was about to go straight up to your little mansion farmhouse and beat the shit out of you myself," She huffs with her hands on her hips and I chuckle a bit.
"I highly doubt you'd be able to if you managed to get that far," I said and she narrowed her deep brown eyes at me.
"You have a serious ass whooping coming your way mister, wait until Christmas," She pokes my chest and I take her hits like a man because I deserve them. I hear a small cough and suddenly feel guilty for forgetting my poor awkward Luca.
"Oh! Sophia, this is my boyfriend Luca and Luca this is my older sister Sophia," I introduce the two and Luca holds out his hand to my sister, but she denies his request and looks him up and down instead.
"Thomas, why are you always attracted to the twigs? There's no meat on his bones, look at him! A simple breeze could knock him over," Sophia pokes at him and he winces.
"What? I am not a twig! I'll have you know I've worked very hard to get these muscles," Luca tries to defend himself but my sister waves him off.
"That's okay, if you keep visiting me here, we'll fatten you up really quick," Sophia giggles and walks back behind the counter.
"I like him, but when are you going to bring my little Jaydean around again? I miss my little niece and your holding her hostage," Sophia whines and I lean on the counter.
"I'm not holding her hostage, there's just been a lot going on recently, but you'll see her during Christmas if you actually show up this year," I extended the invite to our house and she gave me the same look she does every year.
The same look that breaks my heart each time.
"Thomas...I'll try but you know mom and dad. If they find out I'm over there spending time with you..." She alludes to what I already know is true.
"They won't find out Sophia. We just invite close family and I think it would be nice if...you know what, nevermind it's fine," I take it back. Holding back my own emotions because I knew it wasn't her fault.
"Thomas, I'll try. I really will but mom and dad have eyes everywhere it seems like," she said with a sad sigh but I shook my head.
"No, really Sophia it's fine," I put on my best smile and shrugged it off like it was nothing when the rejection hurt like hell.
"Ah, if you do come I would love your help in the kitchen. Thomas and Matthias don't know how to cook without burning something and it's a lot of work for one guy," Luca interjects and Sophia finally cracks a smile.
"I'd love to Luca, but things are a little complicated." She winces and he nods.
"I understand but you're always welcome at our house," Luca repeats with a wide smile that makes me genuinely smile and I hold my breath.
"Okay cutie, here take this for the road,"
***
"Why have I never met her before?"
Luca asked after we had been on the road for a while. I still had one last surprise for him but this one was different. I was so focused on his next surprise that I totally missed what he had said.
"Hmm?"
"Why doesn't your sister want to come over?" He asks and I let out a long sigh.
"Because our parent's don't approve of my 'lifestyle' choices, aka being gay, and they think I'll infect the rest of the family with gay if I come near them. My sister doesn't care but when it comes to holidays she's torn between the two. She's never come to Christmas at our house before but I was hoping she could make it this year so I could tell her Matty's pregnant," I explained. Trying to mask my disappointment as he licked the cupcake she gave him.
"I was hoping this year...that I would have some kind of family at my home for the holidays. Matty has his dads and his sister, you have Jaydean, and I just...it's stupid I know," I sigh and suddenly a small cookie is floating in my vision from Luca's fingertips.
"Chocolate? I find that sometimes chocolate makes everything better," He says and I take it from his fingers with my teeth.
"You're not being stupid and believe it or not, I understand where you're coming from but Thomas, you've built your own family from scratch. And yeah, we're not normal and we're pretty fucking complicated sometimes, but that's what families are. I consider you family, even though you're still just my boyfriend. I think your an amazing father to our beautiful little girl and an incredible husband to our significant other," He says giving me all the credit I felt like I didn't deserve.
"I didn't know how to be a father to Jaydean so I was scared because I never had a father. But I watched you, I learned from you, and now I'm not the worst dad on the planet," he says as licks the frosting from his fingertips with a gentle smack.
"Your parents might not accept you for being gay but your chosen family always will," He reminds me with a bright smile and what he said only confirmed my thoughts as to whether or not I should ask him to marry us.
And the answer was yes.