N/A: Here it is, the FINAL chapter. I would just like to say...thank you for all those who've faved, alerted and reviewed the story. It's been an incredible journey writing this fic for the past...two years. Holy crap. Two years. I might come back with a sequel, maybe an epilogue or maybe not...but anyway, thank you. And thank you so much.

Weeks passed, and the media continued to buzz with the current arrest of Tyler Smythe, the founder of one of America's largest business empires. The general public were taken quite aback by the news, since Tyler Smythe had done such a wonderful job of maintaining a stellar image. Afterall, it's hard to hate someone who holds at least one charity event a season.

The internet had a lot to say about the man, and this of course led to talks of the recent trial regarding his son.

There were speculations after speculations, and Hunter knew there were some comments that he couldn't let Sebastian read. He couldn't understand why some people had to be so harsh and downright stupid. He couldn't understand why some people thought that Sebastian had pulled the whole thing as a publicity stunt, because he was an attention whore. He knew Sebastian, and he knew the Sebastian never wanted that kind of attention.

But most people were sympathetic, agreeing that perhaps Tyler Smythe had done all those horrible things to his own son.

All in all, Hunter decided that Sebastian was probably not ready for the internet yet, and fortunately, Sebastian wasn't masochistic enough to venture into that realm yet. So they continued their isolation a bit longer.

Hunter could see that Sebastian was healing at a much quicker pace. Sebastian was laughing a lot more now, more comfortable leaving the house and going on their little picnics to secluded locations. Sebastian wasn't ready to face everyone else yet, and Hunter could respect that. He was just glad that the news hadn't gotten hold of the fact that Sebastian was living with them. He didn't need some pesky journalists or the paparazzi swarming the estate.

His father would have a field day with them, but that was not the point.

The two now spent their days planning for the coming academic year. Sebastian toyed with the idea that perhaps he should attend a different school, but eventually decided to remain a Warbler. Everyone in the continental USA and then some knew who he was, so there was no point in trying to start a whole new life elsewhere. He had Hunter by his side, and frankly, he didn't want to run away anymore.

So they practiced in Hunter's room, trying out different moves to figure out which songs the Warblers should perform. They laughed over the funny memories they had as Warblers and joked about rival schools. Eventually, the conversation led to them talking about Kurt and how Sebastian had deliberately been a dick to poke fun.

"So Blaine and Kurt, huh?"

"And how did you not know this? I mean, those two are basically stuck to each other."

"I barely know who they are, remember?"

"I guess that's true. But man, you should've seen Kurt's face every time I flirted with his boyfriend. Hilarious."

"Did you actually like him?"

"Who, Kurt?"

"No, Blaine."

"Ha, no. I just heard so much about him I wanted to know who this Blaine was, and he just made it way too easy for me."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that your standard's much higher than that."

Sebastian stared at Hunter with a look of mild fascination.

"Face it, I'm a lot hotter than Anderson," Hunter added with a cocky grin, and as much as he wanted to deny it, Sebastian knew he couldn't.

"Aren't you a humble little bee."

"A humble little bee? Seriously?" Hunter asked with a short laugh, pulling Sebastian towards him. Hunter fell onto the bed behind him, taking the other with him. Sebastian yelped, trying his best to maintain balance, but failing miserably.

Sebastian glared at Hunter, who was now lying beneath him with a lazy grin on his face. Their noses were only a few inches apart, Hunter's eyes staring deeply into Sebastian's.

"You're beautiful," Hunter whispered, his lips now stretched into a soft smile.

"You're kidding me, right?" Sebastian countered, rolling his eyes.

"No, I'm not, actually," Hunter replied, taking Sebastian by the back of his neck and pulling him in for a quick kiss. Just as Sebastian was about to make another snarky comment, he heard the doorbell ring downstairs. Well, that was strange. The only guests to the house since Sebastian began living in it had been the two super lawyers. Sebastian instinctively wondered if the press had gotten hold of his whereabouts. Or worse...What if it was the police?

Sebastian looked down at Hunter, and much to surprise found that Hunter was perfectly at ease.

"I believe we have a visitor," Hunter stated with a fake British accent before rolling over and pinning Sebastian to the bed. He stood up and made his way towards the room, dragging Sebastian by the wrist.

"Ok, what the hell are you up to?" Sebastian asked as he was being led downstairs.

"Why do you always assume that I'm up to something."

"Because you always are," Sebastian retorted with an ungraceful snort. Hunter promptly ignored the comment and opened the door.

Now, Sebastian had made quite a number of speculations over the course of the few seconds they spent arriving at the door, but none had him prepared for this.

All the Warblers were there, dressed casually, each and every single one of them with their eyes on Sebastian.

Hunter motioned for them to enter, and as soon as the door was closed behind them, they all burst into cheering. And just like the dream, they all came running towards him, burying him in hugs and laughter. Sebastian bucked under the weight but Hunter held him in place.

"What..what are you guys doing here?" Sebastian asked, his voice laced with confusion. He was still looking around them, trying to register all the faces.

"They wanted to come and say HI," Hunter answered. "And yes, this is actually happening," he added with a cheeky grin.

"We wanted to come in our uniforms, but we didn't want to attract any, you know, attention," Jeff began, wearing one of the biggest smiles Sebastian had ever seen on the Warbler. "It's really good to see you, man."

"Seriously! It's been way too long!"

"Why didn't you say hi at the regionals! We were all waiting for you!"

"Heard you're coming back!"

"You dick, you could've at least called us once in a while."

And so the Warblers continued with their greetings and questions, and Hunter watched as Sebastian's confused expression slowly fell into that of his usual, comfortably cheeky grin. He was laughing now, even poking fun at the rest. His eyes began to twinkle, his shoulders now completely relaxed.

Hunter crossed his arms and leaned against the wall next to him. He was starting to see the old Sebastian again.

0

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and before they knew it, Sebastian and Hunter were back at Dalton. It was a strange feeling for Sebastian, to return to the norm. He brushed his fingertips against the familiar walls, he listened to the familiar voices of teachers lecturing them, he took in the familiarity that was the common room. It felt almost surreal , knowing that this was his life again.

Hunter was by his side for the most part, and like before, they continued to bicker during practice. Many of their friends have moved onto to college, and while that left Sebastian feeling a bit depressed at times, he learned to get over it.

Soon, the two were now busy drafting their applications for college, still trying to decide where to go.

They were in mutual agreement that they were going to leave Ohio. There were good memories here, but also horrible ones, and they knew that they had to move elsewhere to truly move on. They also applied for schools in the UK and often joked about returning to the village. Sebastian had promised those people that he'd be back to say hello, and he was keen on keeping that promise.

Hunter had decided to apply for law school, and both Harvey and Mike joked that maybe he'd join them at Pearson and Specter, but they all knew that Hunter was bound to be a human rights lawyer or something equally philanthropic. Sebastian, on the other hand, couldn't decide exactly what to do. He liked the idea of becoming a teacher and making a difference in others' lives, and Hunter teased him that Sebastian would make one kick-ass teaching who cursed a lot during class. Another option was to get involved in public health, because Sebastian was secretly a bit of a science geek (but not enough to become a research scientist).

Months later, they found themselves celebrating their acceptance letters to Oxford University. They had gotten into most of the universities they had applied to, but they both decided that going abroad would be for the best.

So they did. That summer, following graduation, they were back in England. They did stop by the village, where the people recognized them and greeted them with open arms.

Hunter could see that Sebastian was changing with each passing day. Sebastian became stronger, more independent. There was a gentle glow in his eyes that continued to grow. Sebastian became more passionate about things happening in his life, and Hunter found it absolutely mesmerizing. They spent many hours studying together, and Hunter had to admit that he wished he had more time on his hands. Law school was not a joke, and he found himself constantly under books and cases studies.

Yet they never drifted apart. They didn't need to spend all day everyday cuddling or going out for nice meals. They simply knew that they would always have each other.

After their first year, they flew back to Ohio to stay at the Clarington estate for the duration of the summer vacation. Hunter's parents could see how much the boys had grown over the past year. Their features hadn't changed too much, but they had matured considerably, and the look of confidence in their eyes made their hearts swell with pride.

Sebastian entered the backyard with some iced tea in hand. He had wanted some cold beer, but that would not be tolerated in the household, so he settled for something more age-appropriate. He handed Hunter a glass as well and whistled at the display of lights that had somehow gotten more impressive over the past year.

"Were they out of beer?" Hunter asked playfully with a chuckle. They were able to drink legally in the UK, and they had taken real advantage of that, so he knew how much Sebastian hated not being able to grab a cold one on a night like this.

"More like your parents are still up."

"You can have all the beer you want when we go back."

"I think I"m getting a bit of a beer belly though," Sebastian commented, pinching his nearly flat stomach.

"And why do you care?"

"Uh, since I'm hot as fuck, that's why."

Hunter laughed as he took a sip of the iced tea and placed it onto the table besides him. He took Sebastian's out of his hands and placed it besides his iced tea.

"I was drinking that," Sebastian protested with a scowl.

"Yeah, I know," Hunter replied with a cheeky grin, taking the other's hand into his. "But we have somewhere to go."

"Now?" Sebastian asked incredulously. It was already past 10, and he knew for a fact that not many places were going to be open at this time of the night in Ohio.

"Yes now."

"Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"The whole we're going somewhere thing without telling me. You're an asshole."

"But you love me. Come on, up, up," Hunter pulled the grumbling Sebastian towards the house.

"Is this the day you murder me?" Sebastian questioned playfully.

"Yes, I waited all these years to murder you, obviously."

"Make it quick."

Hunter laughed as he watched Sebastian get in the car. As expected, there weren't many cars out at this time of the day. Sebastian and Hunter exchanged friendly banters and sang a couple duets as Hunter continued to drive. Eventually, they arrived at the entrance to a very familiar meadow.

"If you're going to kill me, don't do it in the middle of a forest. That's fucking cliche," Sebastian began, his arms crossed. "I'm not going in there."

"Stop being a baby, I have a flashlight."

"What the hell is this about? You into ghost sighting or some shit like that all of a sudden?"

"Will you please stop whining and just follow me."

"Fine. You're an asshole. Just remember that when we get murdered."

Hunter took Sebastian's hand in one and a flashlight in the other and made their way into the forest. Sebastian couldn't understand how Hunter managed to find his way around all the trees. He figured it must be a military academy thing.

"Remember this?"

"I do remember, but I don't remember it being this creepy," Sebastian mumbled as he took in the meadow. There were so many memories to this place, but right now, it was just eerie under the flashlight. Wordlessly, Hunter looked around and crouched by a particularly large tree. There was a click, and the meadow was immediately lit up with hundreds of small white lights hung across the branches.

"What the..." Sebastian began but fell speechless as he took in the intricate display of lights.

"You did this?" Sebastian asked incredulously. Hunter was besides him with a triumphant grin.

"Yeah, not bad huh?"

"Maybe you should drop your law degree and just do this for a living."

"I'll think about it if I end up failing law school."

Sebastian continued to watch the lights, wondering if anything could be more beautiful in Ohio right now. Over the past three years, Sebastian had come to understand that Hunter was a lot more complex than he led everyone to believe. Hunter may appear to be a very strict, confident alpha-male figure, but he was also just as kind, soft and delicate. Hunter always picked up on the minor changes in Sebastian's mood but never coddled him. Hunter had always given him the space and respect that he needed, and he was never afraid to do things for Sebastian that may seem cheesy or even "whipped."

"Sebastian," Hunter began after a long moment of silence. Sebastian turned around to face Hunter, who was getting on his knee.

"What are you-"

"Will you stop talking for a minute," Hunter interrupted with a roll of his eyes. Once he was on one knee, he cleared his throat and pulled a small box from his pocket.

"Hunter, what the fuck are you-"

"Sebastian, will you please shut up for a minute."

"Is this a joke?" Sebastian continued with an impressive frown.

"Sebastian, Jesus Christ, shut up for a sec and let me talk? Please?" Hunter nearly pleaded, rolling his eyes yet again. Sebastian pursed his lips and remained still.

"Thank you," Hunter began calmly and cleared his throat again. "Sebastian Smythe, I'm not going to say much other than the fact that I'm completely in love with you and that I can't imagine a life where you're not with me till the very end. I know this seems sudden, but this is all I can think about. Sebastian Smythe, will you marry me," Hunter finished, opening the small box to reveal a simple band with a small diamond embedded between the two ends of the ring.

Sebastian stared in complete silence, his expression blank. He could comprehend the words, but he couldn't figure out if this was all real or not.

"Are you asking me to marry you?"

"Did I not make that part clear?"

"No, like seriously, are you asking me to marry you?"

"Yes. And you're very close to ruining this for me."

"But why?"

"Were you not listening? Stop being an idiot and just marry me."

"You. You want me to marry you."

"Oh my god. Why else do you think I'm on my knee with a ring in front of me? So is that a yes or a no?"

Sebastian blinked a few times. Come to think of it, every time he thought about the future, Hunter was in it. Hunter was always besides him, laughing together, enjoying some nice wine after a hard day at work or getting their first dog together. They would grow old together, poking each other with their canes and doing their best to beat each other at chess. Hunter was a big part of his life. No, Hunter had given him this life. Hunter hadn't given up on him when he himself had. Hunter had shown him faith and confidence and stayed by his side through thick and thin.

He couldn't picture a life without Hunter, and Hunter felt the same way.

"Yes, yes, you asshole. I can't believe you're doing this to me," Sebastian finally replied, wiping at his eyes furiously. He didn't want to be like those women he saw on TV who cried when proposed to. He wanted to be calm and cool about it, but as he watched Hunter break into the most beautiful smile he had ever seen, he couldn't help it.

Maybe they were too young to be married. Perhaps too naiive to understand the true meaning of marriage. But the truth is, neither Sebastian nor Hunter cared. Each other was all they needed in this world, and that was never going to change.

-fin