The Talk
Fandom: The Sarah-Jane Adventures
Pairing: Luke / Clyde
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 774
Summary: Luke comes out to his mum, and Sarah-Jane reacts as any mother would- by asking those awkward questions.
Notes: This was meant to be a one-shot but they’re fun to write so it will now be a series.
Series: #2 in the Small Steps series- full list here.
The Talk
Luke paced across the kitchen for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past few minutes. He wasn’t used to this feeling, being nervous; he could face down aliens and move away from all his friends to go to University but this? This was ten times worse.
He was determined to go through with it, but that didn’t stop him worrying about it.
“Luke, calm down. You don’t have to do it.”
Clyde’s hand on his arm stopped him in mid-pace. Luke paused, turning to his boyfriend and nodding.
“Yes, I do.”
------------
When Sarah-Jane arrived home that day she found Luke sitting in the living room, on the sofa. He was fidgeting, his foot tapping on the floor. When he saw her, he jumped to his feet.
“Luke, are you alright?”
She put her bag and car keys down and came over to him, looking concerned.
“I have something to tell you,” he said, sitting back down.
Sarah-Jane frowned. “Is this a good something or a bad something? Are you having trouble at University?” He shook his head. “You can tell anything, you know that, don’t you?”
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, silently running over the words he’d been rehearsing for the past few days.
“Mum, you know how you keep asking me if I’ve met anyone at University?” She asked him at least once every time she spoke to him if he’d found a girl he liked, or if he’d had a date for the University social events. “Well, I have.”
Sarah-Jane’s face lit up in a wide smile. “That’s wonderful, Luke! So, tell me all about her.”
“It’s not… Mum, I haven’t been seeing a girl,” he said softly. “It’s Clyde.”
The smile remained frozen on her face as she stared at him in surprise. Her mouth opened a few times as though she intended to say something but the words died on her lips and she closed them again. As the minutes passed, Luke grew more and more uneasy.
“Mum? Are you disappointed in me? Say something, please.”
His voice, barely more than a whisper, seemed to shake her from her thoughts and she reached out to pull him into a crushing embrace.
“Oh, Luke, I could never be disappointed in you, especially not for something like this,” she said. “I am so sorry if I made you think that! You just surprised me, that’s all.”
He felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “You’re not mad?”
“No, love.” He let her hug him for a few moments longer before pulling back from her arms. Sarah-Jane smiled. “I’m glad you’ve found someone who makes you happy,” she said. “And Clyde is a decent young man. He is being good to you, isn’t he? He’s not pushing you into anything?”
“Mum…”
She laughed. “I know, I know; you’re old enough to make the right decisions and I trust you to do that.” A thought struck her then. “How long have you two been seeing each other?”
Luke could almost see the thoughts as they crossed through her mind, thinking of the nights that Clyde had stayed over in the past, wondering just how far this had gone. She might be fine with it, even be happy for them, but that didn’t mean she would approve of Clyde spending the night here now that she knew of the change in their relationship.
“A couple of months.”
“And are you being careful?”
Luke wished the ground would open up, right there and then, and swallow him up. Or an alien attack. Anything but this conversation. He was grateful that she had taken it so well but it hadn’t occurred to him that she would want to have this talk with him too. He was seventeen, for goodness sake.
“We haven’t exactly got to that stage yet,” he muttered, keeping his gaze fixed on a spot on the wall at the opposite side of the room so that he wouldn’t have to meet her gaze. He could feel his face heating up; he used to think that nothing could embarrass him, but he hadn’t reckoned on a rather late birds-and-the-bees talk from his mother.
Luckily, she decided to give him a break after that. “You know that I’m only looking out for you, don’t you?” she asked. “I’m glad that you felt you were able to talk to me about this. Now,” she said, her tone signalling the change in topic. “What would you like for tea?”
“You’re the best, mum.” Luke smiled and gave her a hug. “Thanks.”
--------------
End- for now
Pairing: Luke / Clyde
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 774
Summary: Luke comes out to his mum, and Sarah-Jane reacts as any mother would- by asking those awkward questions.
Notes: This was meant to be a one-shot but they’re fun to write so it will now be a series.
Series: #2 in the Small Steps series- full list here.
The Talk
Luke paced across the kitchen for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past few minutes. He wasn’t used to this feeling, being nervous; he could face down aliens and move away from all his friends to go to University but this? This was ten times worse.
He was determined to go through with it, but that didn’t stop him worrying about it.
“Luke, calm down. You don’t have to do it.”
Clyde’s hand on his arm stopped him in mid-pace. Luke paused, turning to his boyfriend and nodding.
“Yes, I do.”
------------
When Sarah-Jane arrived home that day she found Luke sitting in the living room, on the sofa. He was fidgeting, his foot tapping on the floor. When he saw her, he jumped to his feet.
“Luke, are you alright?”
She put her bag and car keys down and came over to him, looking concerned.
“I have something to tell you,” he said, sitting back down.
Sarah-Jane frowned. “Is this a good something or a bad something? Are you having trouble at University?” He shook his head. “You can tell anything, you know that, don’t you?”
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, silently running over the words he’d been rehearsing for the past few days.
“Mum, you know how you keep asking me if I’ve met anyone at University?” She asked him at least once every time she spoke to him if he’d found a girl he liked, or if he’d had a date for the University social events. “Well, I have.”
Sarah-Jane’s face lit up in a wide smile. “That’s wonderful, Luke! So, tell me all about her.”
“It’s not… Mum, I haven’t been seeing a girl,” he said softly. “It’s Clyde.”
The smile remained frozen on her face as she stared at him in surprise. Her mouth opened a few times as though she intended to say something but the words died on her lips and she closed them again. As the minutes passed, Luke grew more and more uneasy.
“Mum? Are you disappointed in me? Say something, please.”
His voice, barely more than a whisper, seemed to shake her from her thoughts and she reached out to pull him into a crushing embrace.
“Oh, Luke, I could never be disappointed in you, especially not for something like this,” she said. “I am so sorry if I made you think that! You just surprised me, that’s all.”
He felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “You’re not mad?”
“No, love.” He let her hug him for a few moments longer before pulling back from her arms. Sarah-Jane smiled. “I’m glad you’ve found someone who makes you happy,” she said. “And Clyde is a decent young man. He is being good to you, isn’t he? He’s not pushing you into anything?”
“Mum…”
She laughed. “I know, I know; you’re old enough to make the right decisions and I trust you to do that.” A thought struck her then. “How long have you two been seeing each other?”
Luke could almost see the thoughts as they crossed through her mind, thinking of the nights that Clyde had stayed over in the past, wondering just how far this had gone. She might be fine with it, even be happy for them, but that didn’t mean she would approve of Clyde spending the night here now that she knew of the change in their relationship.
“A couple of months.”
“And are you being careful?”
Luke wished the ground would open up, right there and then, and swallow him up. Or an alien attack. Anything but this conversation. He was grateful that she had taken it so well but it hadn’t occurred to him that she would want to have this talk with him too. He was seventeen, for goodness sake.
“We haven’t exactly got to that stage yet,” he muttered, keeping his gaze fixed on a spot on the wall at the opposite side of the room so that he wouldn’t have to meet her gaze. He could feel his face heating up; he used to think that nothing could embarrass him, but he hadn’t reckoned on a rather late birds-and-the-bees talk from his mother.
Luckily, she decided to give him a break after that. “You know that I’m only looking out for you, don’t you?” she asked. “I’m glad that you felt you were able to talk to me about this. Now,” she said, her tone signalling the change in topic. “What would you like for tea?”
“You’re the best, mum.” Luke smiled and gave her a hug. “Thanks.”
--------------
End- for now