A/N This time I mean it this is the last chapter. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and sorry it ended too soon for most of you. I suck at endings so I hope you like this one better.
Epilogue
Summer 2012 Outer Banks North Carolina
Jeff came out of the water looking too gorgeous and perfect to be real. He shook his hair like a wet dog which made Kurt smile because it was so cute and also so Jeff.
"You should get in the water. It's great now and you must be frying on sand."
"No, I'm fine. I don't want to" replied Kurt. Then he saw that look. Oh he knew that look so he took off running even though it was useless. He couldn't outrun Jeff. The taller boy scooped him up and started carrying him into the water. Truthfully, Kurt could have stopped him with a serious word but instead he laughed and snaked his arms around Jeff's neck and let himself be carried into the waves.
Kurt looked up at his boyfriend's smiling face, noticing the freckles that scattered across his face. They only appeared when he'd been in the sun and faded in the Ohio winter.
Later when they tired of floating in the waves, they laid on towels on the beach.
"Put some sunscreen on my back, sweetie" Kurt demanded.
"I just did!" claimed his boyfriend.
"That was twenty minutes ago" insisted Kurt.
"You're not going to get one photon of sun on your skin are you?"
"That's the plan."
Jeff straddled Kurt and started rubbing his back and shoulders with sunscreen. When Kurt started making soft moaning noises, he seriously thought about abandoning the beach and going back to their room instead. Thoughts like that only occurred to him about a hundred times a day. Kurt was just unconsciously sexy on vacation.
Michael and Morgan approached just as he was completing his sunscreen application.
"Come on guys" exclaimed Michael. "We're going sailing now. Mom and Dad have been wondering where you guys were for an hour."
Kurt looked up with a sleepy gaze.
"We've been right here" he answered reasonably.
Michael had grown six inches since Kurt met him. He no longer had that cute blond Justin Bieber look. Instead he'd filled out into a seriously smoking hot jock and his voice had dropped too. Morgan was growing up too. She looked more like her sister's twin than her younger sister and ironically spent less time with Ali now that she was more like her.
As they headed down to the dock Jeff mused "It's almost perfect here, the only thing missing is Nick. I really wish he'd come with us."
Kurt laughed.
"I'm sure he's having way more fun in Jamaica with Santana and Brittany. In fact, I'm jealous that he didn't take me with him."
Jeff gave him a pout.
"You'd rather spend summer with him?"
"If he's going to take me on a tropical get away. Seriously, North Carolina? Why does your family vacation here? I know you could afford to go anywhere."
"North Carolina is beautiful and they have wild ponies. Besides we always come here."
Kurt knew better than to argue with the infamous "we always do it this way" trump card. Jeff was right North Carolina was beautiful and coming from Ohio it was exotic enough.
"You're right. I love it here but it would be nice if we were all together."
Santana had pried Brittany away from Artie but by the time she had, Santana had realized that she was hopelessly in love with Nick. If it had been anyone else that would have just been too bad so sad for Brittany but instead, they were now all together as a trio instead of a couple. It weirded a lot of people out but the three of them seemed oblivious to the unaccepting world.
Kurt was an expert at sailing now. Well, nowhere near as proficient as Jeff and his siblings who'd been doing it all their lives but as good as some one could be who'd been doing it for a month. They stood together at the bow of the ship looking out on the ocean. Kurt leaned into his boyfriend, running his hand along his chest, absentmindedly brushing his fingers across the scar. He'd like to believe he hardly noticed it any more but the truth was that he noticed it every day. It was a constant reminder of exactly who Jeff was. Kurt couldn't have imagined when he first met Jeff how far he'd come into the other boy's world. When he looked at Jeff now he knew it was worth it.
They'd been together for sixteen months and he was more in love now than he'd been a year ago. He knew very well that they'd be tested by college. Jeff would be going to Case Western in Cleveland and Kurt would be going to Parsons in New York City to study design. He had faith they could make it. It wouldn't be easy but he was determined to have it all. If - when - they made it through college together they'd have to decide where to live. Jeff still had no idea what he'd even major in. He'd spent too long dreaming of being a marine and didn't really know what he wanted. Kurt spent too much time worried that he'd actually do it after all. Jeff would be a spectacular marine. He'd also die a hero, probably saving his entire squad and get a posthumous medal from the president or something like that. A medal. Big deal. Kurt was way too selfish to let that happen.
Jeff looked at his boyfriend apparently lost in thought.
"What are you thinking beautiful?"
"I'm thinking that I'm like the merchant seeking fine pearls, who having found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."
"That's from the bible."
"Yeah, just because I'm an atheist doesn't mean I don't see the beauty in it. You're the pearl by the way. Just in case you didn't get that."
"I got it Kurt."
"Don't let it go to your head."
Case Western Reserve University 2016 Commencement, Cleveland Ohio
Kurt jumped up clapping enthusiastically when Jeff's speech ended. He'd done very well considering he'd actually tried to convince everyone that maybe the valedictorian of the graduating class wasn't required to speak.
Kurt turned to smile at Nick standing next to him. Jeff's parents and siblings were all there too. Even Ali had flown in for the occasion as busy as she was on her concert circuit.
Later, the two men stood in each others arms in Jeff's - no their - apartment near campus. The celebrations over and they were finally alone for their own private party. Kurt had just finished moving in. He still couldn't believe he was giving up life in New York for a life in Cleveland but it was never going to happen the other way around. It was a choice long in the making but four years of a long distance relationship was all he could bear. The one time Jeff had come to New York had been too hard on Kurt's heart so that was completely off the table. Sure it had been hard on that mugger and that purse snatcher too but worse for Kurt. New York just wasn't going to happen.
"So how should we celebrate your degree in applied mathematics?" said Kurt with a glint in his eye. Making the words 'applied mathematics' sound sexy wasn't easy but he managed.
"I have some ideas" replied Jeff.
"Dude, we're out of beer" interrupted Nick.
They were grown men with college degrees but some things never changed.
"Nick, why are you here? Shouldn't you be in you own apartment?" complained Kurt. "No I take that question back. Go home!"
"Not fair Hummel. Brit's upset with me. You know how she gets when she's mad."
"What do you mean? Brittany is the sweetest girl in the world."
"No, Santana."
"Oh, well your sentences can get confusing when you're living with two women."
"Try living with them especially when they're both on..."
"I'm not listening!" exclaimed Kurt as he putting his hands on Nick's shoulders and propelled him to the door. Kurt opened the door and pushed Nick out. "Go home and play your video games."
"That's work not play" objected Nick as Kurt shut the door. Nick had landed a sweet job as a video game tester. The world just wasn't fair. No one should have the life Nick had these days.
Kurt leaned against the door and said to his boyfriend "Now where were we?"
Jeff pressed against Kurt and said "You were about to fuck my brains out, I think."
"Oh yeah, that. Um..." replied Kurt as Jeff began working on undoing his buttons and as he sucked on Kurt's neck. "Yes, I think you screaming so loud the neighbors bang on the walls demanding that we keep it down would be appropriate."
Westerville, Ohio 2020
Kurt surveyed their newly decorated house proudly. He'd really outdone himself this time. It was perfect. He could hardly believe it. He and Jeff owned a house. Jeff had just finished his Ph.D in operations research and already landed an amazing job not long after completing it. The best part was that he could work from home most of the time and only go into Columbus twice a week.
Life was good. They were near family. Kurt's designs were finally getting recognition. He hadn't though it was possible originally. It seemed that giving up New York meant giving up being a clothing designer but in the new global economy connected instantly to anywhere via the web it didn't matter so much anymore where you lived. He still traveled regularly to New York and Paris but he could do his work from home. Trips were mainly for meet and greets and networking.
The door bell rang and he went to answer it.
"You're the first ones here" he exclaimed as he welcomed Dennis and Laura with a hug.
Soon the place was filled with friends and family as the house warming party was a huge success. When everyone was gone, Kurt and Jeff snuggled by the fireplace enjoying the fact that this was their house and they could do anything they wanted here. No neighbors banging on the walls. This was their home and they were together.
2026
The first time Jeff held their daughter in his arms he couldn't believe how beautiful she was.
"How is it possible that she's more beautiful than anything else in the world when we made her?" Jeff said with tears streaming down his face.
"I know. She's perfect. There isn't a baby that has ever been born that was sweeter or prettier. She's going to be so talented too. And we made her." said Kurt proudly. Because they had. There had been doctors involved but she was theirs completely because children didn't have to be conceived the old fashioned way any more. They could have two mothers or two fathers or one of each.
"Oh stop it you two" complained Nick. "You'd think you'd never seen a baby before. They're supposed to be cute. It's in their DNA but it's just a horrible nasty trick to keep you from killing them. Honestly, they're just monsters and we'd go extinct if it weren't for their cuteness trick. I've got plenty of them if want another you can have your pick of the litter."
"Shut up Nick" said both men.
2036
The Labor Day picnic was at Jeff and Kurt's house this year. As always the event was packed. Now they were the uncles and the yard was filled with nieces and nephews. Kurt was starting to feel his age as he watching the teenagers. His husband standing beside the grill instead running around tackling other boys or playing street hockey. The years had been good to them though and he never regretted a minute of it. Especially now as he saw his daughter dragging her five year old brother by the hand in their direction.
"He's such a brat! He won't stop following me every where I go. Please Dad make him stop!"
At ten she was still perfect and the best thing in the world besides her brother who despite her words was a sweet young boy.
"I'll take him, El" Kurt offered as he scooped the boy up. "Go play with your cousins."
"Give him to me" asked his husband. "You take over the grilling and I'll keep him entertained."
"OK" agreed Kurt as Jeff swung their son Nick up on his shoulders.
The boy pulled his father's hair to direct him in to turn this way and that, laughing as he did. Kurt was a sad that he'd never know his name sake. But as much as they all missed Nick who'd been taken from them far too soon, he couldn't be sad long on a day like this. He wiped a tear from his eye as he stood watching his husband and his children. With his whole family around him, Kurt thought my life is perfect.