Changes

Epilogue

    Dennis pulls away from his little brother's embrace. "What is it Dennis?" "You forgot something!" Dennis says before running inside. Everyone laughs as Scarlet hugs Finn. "You two drive safe. Okay?" Cassidy says before hugging Kurt. Kurt rolls his eyes. "Oh my god. We will...dad." Kurt grumbles sarcastically just before Dennis walks outside with a box without a label on it. He hands it to his brother. "Listen. Don't open it until you get to the apartment. Okay?" Dennis says with a serious look. Finn nods before hugging him again. "Finn. Relax. I'll be there in two weeks." "I love you Dennis." Finn says just above a whisper while holding him a little tighter. "I love you too Finnie." Dennis says as Finn pulls away. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Dennis asks a teary eyed Finnie. Kurt then beeps the horn before being scolded by Scarlet, who's very protective of her car. Finn glances back at everyone in the car before looking at Dennis with a smile. "I'm fine D." Finn says before waving at him and then getting into the car. Dennis stands there alone on the sidewalk as he watches them drive away before glancing around with a curious look as he realizes that Cassidy has seemingly disappeared. Dennis sighs loudly before going inside and trying to call Cass, but he gets no answer. Eventually, he assumes that Cass doesn't want to see him after everything that's happened. 

  Dennis spends the next few days packing up the rest of the house before finally starting to pack up his bedroom, which he notices for the first time, won't be fast or easy. He didn't realise it, but over the course of the last year, he's really gotten comfortable here. Which is something he couldn't say about any other place in the world -besides his first home-. Dennis stops for a moment with an old shoe box in his hands as he wonders about what exactly made this place feel like home for him. He bows his head as tears pull into his eyes and once again he finds himself thinking of Cass, who has -the whole time Dennis has been here- done nothing, but show and tell him over and over again that he loves him. Dennis figures that it's only fair that after everything, he ends up alone, but at least he still has Finnie. After all, he spent this entire time pushing Cass away again and again. Dennis smiles to himself while thinking about the first time he found what used to be in the shoebox he's holding. He sets the box down as his breath becomes labored before sitting down with his back against the wall and putting his hands over his face. "Dennis? Are you in here?" Cassidy asks from the hallway before entering the room to find Dennis sitting against the wall in a familiar position. Dennis quickly takes his hands from his face. "Cass. Hey." Dennis says while standing up as Cass walks toward him. "What are you doing..." Dennis asks before Cassidy interrupts him while moving closer to him. "I love you Dennis." Cassidy says before kissing Dennis briefly. Dennis pulls away and looks deeply into Cass' eyes as a moment goes by in silence. Dennis then pulls Cassidy back into another, deeper kiss while pushing him up against the wall. Cass separates their lips after a moment as they both breathe heavily on one another. "Stay." Cass says just above a whisper.

   Dennis reluctantly pulls away. "What about Finnie? He needs me, Cass." Dennis says pointedly. Cassidy smiles at him while pulling a letter from his back pocket. "I need you." Cass admits before handing Dennis the letter. Dennis glances between Cass and the letter briefly before opening it. It's addressed to him from Finnie. "D, you've spent your whole life taking care of me and everyone else. I've watched you give all of yourself away, even for strangers. I think it's time for all of us to make some changes. I'll always need you Dennis, but most of all, I want you to be happy. That is why after I'm finished with this letter, I'm going to ask Cassidy to give it to you. I'm sure by now, he's asked you to stay, and told you how in love with you he is. And I'm sure you're prepared to say no, even though it's killing you. Please don't say no. Stay Dennis. Please be happy for me. That's all that I need from you now. Love, Finnie. P.S: Thanks for all the Macaroni." Finnie's letter reads. Dennis chuckles softly just before Cass earns his attention by wiping a tear from his cheek as he moves closer. Dennis hadn't noticed that he was crying until just now. "Dennis. Are you alright? Will you stay with me?" Cass questions wearily, hoping that Finn wasn't fooling around when he told Cass to go ahead and ask Dennis to stay with him in Kansas. "Cassidy O'Neal, I've been in love with you since the first time I saw you staring at me from across the schoolyard 8 years ago. Of course I'll stay." Dennis says with rosy cheeks. Cass gasps with wide teary eyes while pulling Dennis into a passionate hug.