Chapter Text
"You sure you have everything?"
"Yes."
"Passports?" A small pause where the dark haired man nodded but said nothing followed. "Money?" Another nod. "And you have all the emergency numbers in case you get into any trouble?"
Ross smiled at the woman in front of him in fondness. "Mom. Stop." He said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "We'll be fine."
The woman nodded, much like her son had just done moments before. She wet her lips and took a breath that was a little shaky. "It's just so long that you are going to be away and you'll be missing Christmas and I worry about my little boy being on the other side of the world." She rambled.
Smith sidled up to her, throwing an arm around her shoulder that she leant into as Ross released her shoulders. "Don't worry, I'll take care of him."
Ross raised his eyebrows. "Not sure you're making this any better." He teased. "You're not exactly the responsible one in this relationship."
Yvonne hit out gently, catching Ross on the upper arm. "Don't you insult my second son."
Smith's response to Yvonne's phrase was to stick his tongue out at his boyfriend and sing-song 'I'm her favorite. Ner, ner, ner, ner, ner!' Which Ross simply rolled his eyes at.
"We should go to departures." Smith said, looking between Ross and his mother. After a seconds hesitation, he moved to stand in front of Yvonne and wrapped his arm around her middle. Straightening his back, he picked her up and spun in a tight circle. "Gonna miss you. I promise we will at least try to be good."
Yvonne laughed at that and offered him a watery smile as he placed her back on her feet. "Love you. See you in eleven months." And with that he walked away, leaving Ross and his mother alone to say their goodbyes.
Ross squared up to his mother, tilting his head down to look her in her red rimmed eyes. "Don't cry." Ross pleaded, feeling his mouth go dry and a lump form in his throat.
"The house is going to feel empty without you and your friends, kiddo." She admitted
Ross' lips lifted into a grin. "Well, you are always complaining we're noisy and under your feet." He joked, knowing it was completely untrue and that usually she was right in the middle of it with him and his friends, making the racket and playing around. "And Trott said he would stop by every week for a cup of tea." He continued. "And I'm sure if you asked him he would run around the house screaming so it isn't so quiet."
Yvonne laughed again and the tears she had been holding back started to roll down her face. She reached up and pulled Ross into a crushing hug that stretched out for over a minute before she sniffed a couple of times and pulled back.
With a hand on his neck, she bent his head down and placed a kiss to the middle of his forehead. "Have fun." She whispered, trying to talk with her broken voice. "And make sure you call me at least once a week so I know you are okay."
"I promise." Ross replied, bending down to grab his bag from the floor. Neither of them said anything as he put the strap over his shoulder and hitched it up higher. "I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, sweetheart."
Ross turned and walked away before his own tears could fall. He smiled when he saw Smith around the corner, waiting for him with an outstretched hand. Ross swallowed past the golf ball sized lump in his throat, took his boyfriends hand and together they made their way towards the plane and the 'once in a lifetime adventure' that awaited them on the other side of the world.