author's notes: epilogue chapter! it's safe to say that there won't be any sequel to this story, i've let it sit too long and i think i've told a pretty complete story in any case. massive thanks to everyone who supported me through this story, everyone who read this and everyone who left me reviews. i had a blast writing this story!

BUT YOUR WORDS ARE LIKE WEAPONS;;

epilogue

"Bastian, when's June coming out?" Belle calls out loudly, her voice booming through the auditorium. She's standing up on her seat, peering out over the crowd.

"Any minute now," Sebastian answers, wondering exactly how he'd end up sitting between his sister and his stepmother. Yesterday morning there was shouting about Belle not being allowed to wear her favorite slippers because they were dirty from a school field trip. Belle had thrown a tantrum, shouted for the entire neighborhood how she was "never allowed to do anything!" and started packing a bag because she'd got it in her head she'd go live with Blaine too.

After all, June had done it too.

It was partially his fault, for explaining how June was no longer living with her parents because they'd been mean to her. His stepmother had made it worse when she told him not to explain exactly what had happened. So why couldn't Belle live with Blaine too? Mommy had been mean and Blaine was nice and he'd let her wear her slippers inside and outside the house.

So here he's sitting now, between Belle and his stepmother at June and Blaine's graduation and for some reason he's the one paying for their fight, both babysitting Belle and communicating between her and his stepmother.

"Sit down," he says.

"S'bastian, I don't want to wait anymore!" Belle pouts and sits down, her legs—adorned with new slippers—sticking out straight in front of her in the big seat.

"You're Sebastian?" the man sitting next to Belle asks, brown hair, brown eyes, good-looking, but he's fairly certain he's never seen him before—and judging by his question they've never met. Wait, is this June's brother? She'd told him he'd be coming, but what are the odds of them sitting together without realizing. "Sebastian Smythe?"

"You must be John," Sebastian says and extends a hand, but Belle immediately swats at it because it's in her way.

"I was hoping to get to thank you for—" John's voice trails off, his gaze dropping to Belle for a moment before he focuses on an undetermined point in the auditorium. Sebastian wonders if it's guilt or shame, and there's a part of him that thinks John deserves it. But then there's a part of him that relates to John, that would have reacted the same way if his father had kicked him out, little sister or not.

"Just—thanks," John adds, eyes not meeting his again.

"I figured June'd never do it herself," he says, realizing too late it sounds mean.

Luckily his sister comes to his rescue before things get too awkward. "Bastian!" she calls out, and looks up at him with begging green eyes.

"I'm sorry," he says, having decided he shouldn't antagonize his sister like his stepmother had. "This is June's brother John."

If at all possible Belle's eyes go even wider before she turns her head to look at John. "I'm Belle!" she squeals, much the same way she did when she first met June. "June told me about you!"

"It's nice to meet you, Belle." John smiles wide. "I hope she told you nice things about me."

Belle nods enthusiastically, getting up on her knees. "How you taught her how to ride a bike and to play soccer and something about treating people."

Sebastian chuckles. "Treating people how you want to be treated," he corrects, remembering that conversation at the Lima Bean vividly—it had only been two weeks after Paris and for some reason all he had eyes for was Blaine.

"That's what I said!" Belle shouts over her shoulder, then turns back to face John. "And that she loved you very much."

"I love her very much too."

"But I love her more!" Belle exclaims. "But I love Sebastian even more!"

John nods, clearly as infected by Belle's enthusiasm as anyone. "Of course, he's your big brother, after all."

"We're here because June's mommy and daddy couldn't come," Belle says. "They made her very sad."

There's a sadness in John's eyes Sebastian recognizes all too well. He's seen it in June's eyes, in Blaine's eyes, Karofsky's, hell, even in Kurt's. And he's felt it himself. "I know, princess," John says. "It's a good thing she has you to cheer for her. I bet it'll make her really happy to see you."

"I like you," Belle says, resting her head on her arms, staring up at John with big eyes like a lovesick puppy. "You're nice."

Belle spends the next twenty minutes or so talking to John and asking if the boy sitting next to him is his boyfriend—Sebastian doesn't know where this obsession with boyfriends and girlfriends came from, but at least his little sister's consistent.

When the ceremony starts Belle jumps up to stand on her seat again and it takes him all his powers of persuasion (and bribery) to convince her only to stand up during June's moment of glory. In the end he has to promise to take her out for ice cream, watch her favorite Disney movie with her, and she still jumps up when Blaine and Sugar come on stage. She cheers louder than anyone else, claps the loudest (which is not an easy feat for a six year old) and all but dances on her chair.

He takes advantage of his height and Belle's momentary distraction to look for June by himself in the crowd afterwards.

"Congratulations, sexy," he says, figuring he can probably get away with calling her by the nickname this time around. He holds out the bouquet of flowers he'd bought earlier, both Belle (the pink ones!) and his stepmother giving him different advice, but he decided Diana was right: he couldn't go wrong with roses.

June blinks, her eyes wide. "Flowers?" she asks, beaming.

"Isn't that what—boyfriends do?" he asks.

"Boyfriend, hu?" She asks.

He grins; he's still not used to it either.

"Are you okay?" he asks, not sure where the question comes from.

He can tell from how June stops herself from immediately replying and a slight raise in her eyebrow that she resists the urge to roll her eyes. "I wish everyone would stop asking me that," June says. "I'm fine. I'm graduating. My best friends are here, my brother is here thanks to you and my boyfriend is here. What more could I want?"

"June!" Belle calls and comes running over.

"Careful what you wish for." Sebastian grins and winks at her.

"I made this for you!" Belle shouts and holds up a red envelope. June opens it, revealing a pop-up card with graduation caps. "Bastian helped with the writing."

June looks up in surprise, but doesn't say anything. Sebastian shrugs in response. He's not beyond being a proper big brother to his baby sister.

"Thank you so much, princess." June smiles down at Belle.

"June, darling," his stepmother comes over and pulls June in for a tight hug. He's happy she decided to come to June's graduation; Diana was absolutely gutted when she heard the news of June's parents kicking her out and she'd been treating June like a daughter since. "We're all so very proud of you."

June blushes. "Thanks."

"Mommy, picture!" Belle calls out, seemingly having forgotten that she wasn't talking to Diana up until a few moments ago.

Sebastian sighs, but gets nudged by one of June's elbows. "Oh, come on, indulge her this once," she says, and when he looks down at her there's the strangest pull inside his chest. He wants nothing but the best for June, he wants to be better for her, and no one's ever been able to make him feel that way.

"What?" June asks, his moment having dragged on too long.

"I'm proud of you too," he replies automatically, words tumbling out beyond his control.

June raises herself up on her toes and presses her lips to his—he pulls her closer, ignoring his stepmother's deep sigh.

"What are they doing?!" Belle asks, her shocked little voice sounding from just below them.

June smiles against his lips, but doesn't pull back.

"Mommy, why is Bastian kissing June?!" Belle squeals.

June pulls back, unable to control her laughter anymore and buries her face in his chest.

Sebastian chuckles. "You realize we're never going to live that down."

June looks up at him again. "I'm okay with that."

- THE END -