Empire // h.s. au

Motherly Hugs

Samantha Anderson

Christmas was upon us. It was my favorite (and least favorite) season of the year. It consisted of an excessive amount of food and family. Two things I adored. It also consisted of drama and unexpected ER visits. Two things I hated. 

Christmas had always been insane, even as I was growing up. My parents, who were both lawyers, would finally both have off of work at the same time, which meant a full house of me, my sister and my brothers. 

Our big family was one to compete with when it came to holiday spirit.

"Where is your family going to be sleeping, exactly?" Luke asked me as we bundled up in coats to go meet my parents outside of our apartment building. My parents insisted on driving up here instead of flying. 

"Well we have two bedrooms, so I'm thinking we give my parents the extra and then my siblings can take air mattresses and the couch," I told him, putting a hat on my head. He looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding and agreeing with me.

"Is anyone else coming for dinner tomorrow other than your family?" Luke's family didn't live here and they hated New York, so they never came up for Christmas. I think it bothered him at times that his parents weren't as involved as mine, but it was something he silently dealt with. 

"Aria is and I don't know about that asshole of a boyfriend of hers," I groaned rolling my eyes. Tuck was also one of Luke's best friends so he hated that I disliked him so much. However, Tuck was a real dick so I didn't quite understand that friendship. 

"Tuck said he was coming, so did Brian," I nodded my head at his words, completely unsure as to how we were going to fit so many people into my tiny apartment. 

I did fail to mention, though, that Louis and Eleanor would also be joining us. I could only hope the surprise would be a pleasant one for Luke. 

"Ready to go?" I asked him as I slipped my feet into boots. He nodded his head and ushered me outside into the hallway. He locked the apartment and slipped his hand into mine. Our fingers laced and we began to walk to the front entrance together. 

Our hands felt cold and foreign as they held onto one another. Not the comfort I once experienced when we first got together. It all felt like an act at this point and I wasn't quite sure as to how that would ever change. 

"They're arriving right in front of the building, right?" he asked, adjusting the beanie on his head. I admired his attractiveness. He had bright blue eyes that were mesmerizing. He wasn't the tallest guy, but he was pretty well built. His jaw was sharp and his lips were supple. He was incredibly handsome. His looks, like every relationship, were what had initially attracted me to him. 

His style, though, had never been my favorite thing about him. He considered a clean pair of jeans as dressing up. Looking back, I can't believe I overlooked that in the beginning of our relationship. I worked in fashion and was slightly obsessed with it, yet Luke saw it as irrelevant. 

One more dividing factor between us. 

"Yeah," I said, shaking my head of my distracting thoughts. Getting through this holiday was essential for our relationship. We needed to prove to ourselves that we were still a team. "I'm really excited to see them."

"So am I, I haven't seen your family in ages," Luke admitted a smile appearing on his face.

"There's a reason for that," I giggled, crossing my legs and giggling. 

"Very true," he laughed. "Do you remember at your cousin's wedding when-"

"We were hooking up in some closet and my mom walked in."