SO SORRY! I have very little excuse as to why this took so long to upload. How dare real life get in the way of my hobbies. Between working 60 hours a week, and taking care of my family and the house... I've had little time for anything else. Thank heavens I have way too much energy to expend, or I'd be exhausted! LOL I do have to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has read, favorited, or reviewed this story since it began.

A very special thank you goes to ladybird. Your review kicked my butt into gear to get this chapter typed up and uploaded tonight.

So, this is the final chapter. I really hope you guys like it. Please feel free to leave me a comment and let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading and sticking with me! And please excuse the typos... if there are any. It's almost two a.m. and while I think I caught them all, odds are I didn't!

Chris sighed as he sat down on the sofa and looked around at his now clean apartment. At least one thing in his life was in order. Heaven only knew his personal life was in shambles. He felt his mind start to wander back to the curly haired man and he quickly shook his head and stood up, trying to clear any mental images of the other man. He didn't want to think right now. He didn't want to feel. For the first time in almost four months, Chris felt okay. Not wonderful, or great, or even good. He just felt okay. Granted it wasn't much, but for the moment it felt as if someone had flipped a switch inside him and some of the sense of gloom had washed away. He looked over to the sliding glass doors that led to the balcony and saw his reflection. Much to his surprise, he was actually standing slightly taller than he had the night before and managed a small smile. Maybe it helped finally spilling his guts to Lea, or maybe it was because he finally let himself grieve for the loss of his friend and one true love. Whatever it was, Chris was thankful he was finally able to breathe. Crossing over to the stereo, he slipped in a CD and walked over to the doors to the balcony, watching as traffic below ran steadily before him. Funny how life always seems to move on, he thought to himself as he watched the headlights of the cars cast dancing shadows on the streets below.

Chris had no explanation for the way he felt, nor would he bother to try and decide how or why, but it was if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he felt a little more whole. He almost felt like he had when Darren was still there. Darren. Chris smiled as he thought of the shorter man. My hobbit, he thought with a chuckle. He had to figure out a way to get him back. Lea had been right. He was deserving of love and it was Darren's love he wanted. Chris knew that he could get what he wanted; he'd known that since he was a teenager. Once his mind was set on something, there was no stopping him. He heard the song pouring from the speakers and started to sing along with the music, his eyes closed and his heart pounding in his chest.

"But I'm the only one who'd walk across the fire for you."

Chris sang softly as he watched a car pull up outside his building. He slid the door open and walked out into the cool night, a gentle breeze blowing the sounds of the city around, causing the leaves in the trees to sway ever so slightly, as if they were dancing to Chris's singing. A new song had come on, and he was certain his neighbors would have complained about the noise had they not known they were living next to a superstar. Chris snickered at that last thought; he never dreamed he would ever use his fame to get out of trouble, but at the moment he didn't care. After months of feeling like his life was over, he welcomed the reprise and closed his eyes, leaving against the railing of the balcony. Chris closed his eyes and felt the wind gently brush against his cheeks and for a brief moment he could have sworn he smelled Darren. He drew in a deep breath, the wind caressing his face as he began to sing.

Come to my window.

Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon.

He let his emotions guide him through the lyrics, and in his mind's eye all he could see was Darren: Darren sitting on his sofa, wildly colored sock feet propped on the coffee table as he stuffed his face with popcorn as he sang along with whatever Disney movie happened to be playing. Darren standing in his kitchen, fixing them dinner after a long day on set. Darren stretched out in Chris's bed for the first time, his featured relaxed as he slept and Chris looked on, amazed that he had such a wonderful man in his life. The last image made him shudder. It was the look on Darren's face right before he bolted from both the apartment and Chris's life. The line he sang next perfectly fit how he felt at that very moment.

Nothing fills the blackness that has seeped into my chest.

I need you in my blood I am forsaking all the rest.

That one really hit home, and he stood up continuing to sing out into the night, his eyes still closed and his hands clenched at his sides. He felt like he could take on the world at that very moment, and nothing could stop him and that he was ready for anything. What he wasn't ready for was for an all too familiar voice to join him on the bridge.

I don't care what they think.

I don't care what they say.

What do they know about this love, anyway?

Chris whipped around to see Darren standing behind him, his cheeks glistening in the city lights from the tears that freely fell down them. His clothes were rumpled and looked like they'd been slept in, and his face was covered with at least two days worth of stubble. His hair was wild and untamed, and his eyes held a thousand different emotions as he and Chris sang out the rest of the song together, with Darren going solo on one of the last lines.

Come to my window,

I'll be home, I'll be home…

I'm coming home.

Chris threw himself into Darren's arms, and let out a choked sob. He didn't care that he should still be angry at Darren for walking out on him. He was too happy to see him to care about anything that had happened in the last three and half months. The only thing Chris cared about was in that very moment, he held the man he loved in his arms and he was never letting go. Finally coming back down to earth for a moment, Chris heard a sniffle from the shorter man and realized he was crying as well.

"I am so sorry," Darren whispered, his voice ragged from emotion. "I don't know why I ran. I guess I just got scared. Not of you, though. I was afraid of what everyone else would say. I know I sound like such a fuckin' hypocrite right now, and trust me when I say I've been kicking myself in the ass ever since I left because I lost valuable days. Days that I could have spent with you, Chris. I was so fucking stupid. Please tell me you'll forgive me for hurting you. I know I don't deserve it, but I never meant to hurt you. I swear. I thought I was protecting you, and I thought I could keep you safe, so I ran. It was the dumbest thing I have ever done. I love you, Chris. More than anything in this world. I can't live without you. Please take me back. I want to come home to you, where I belong. Please?"

Now it was Chris's turn to sniffle. Never had anyone poured out such feelings for him, and despite being more than overwhelmed by it all, he clearly heard one thing. I love you, Chris. The only people who had ever told him that was his family. Now here he was standing before the man who had just bared his soul, and his heart swelled with love. Chris felt the tears flowing freely down his cheeks, and laughed for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Darren, that was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Of course I'll take you back. I never wanted to get rid of you in the first place. No one has ever loved me the way you do, or made me feel like you do. I love you too, Darren Everett. With all my heart and all my soul."

It was that moment that time seemed to stop. Darren leaned forward and pressed his lips to Chris's, and the fireworks went off. Taken aback, both men pulled apart for a split second. They both knew the other one had felt it too, and their mouths crashed back together, an intoxicating dance of tongues stoking the fire in both their cores. Chris felt Darren moan into this kiss, and took the opportunity to run his tongue along Darren's lip, begging for entrance which was quickly granted. Their arms were wrapped tightly around each other as they fought for dominance in the kiss. In the back of his mind, Darren was reminding himself that this was his first kiss from another man, and it felt like he had died and gone to heaven. Unlike the kisses he had shared with past girlfriends, this one held far more fire and passion than anything he could have ever imagined. Chris's lips were soft, but overwhelmingly male and when Darren felt his knees start to buckle, the taller man took the opportunity to scoop Darren up in his arms and carry him back inside the apartment and down the hall towards the bedroom, where he unceremoniously dropped him.

"You do know that I am in this one hundred percent, right?" Chris asked, his nerves catching up with him. "This could turn ugly you know? I mean, everyone still thinks you're straight."

"I don't know what I am anymore Chris," Darren replied softly, placing his hand on Chris's cheek and smiling. "The only thing I know for sure is I am truly, completely, madly in love with you."

Later on, as they lay worn out and spent beneath the cool material of the sheets, both men clung to each other tightly as they slept, both dreaming dreams of what lay ahead for them. They both knew it wasn't going to be easy, but they knew that they could weather any storm as long as they had each other.