Animal

Epilogue

Epilogue

 

Ten Years Later....

          "Uh oh. Mike watch it!"

          "What?" Mike turned around and got water dunked right on his head. Laughter could be heard throughout the entire tour bus. A man with spiky brown hair stood behind him with a grin. He had flames tattooed up his wrist and pierced ears. Tattoos also covered his back and down on his leg.

          "Chester you ass!" Mike cried as he got up and scooped the younger man into his arms. Chester grinned at him.

          "Oh come on Mike!"

          "You just got me soaked!"

          "Yea well now you don't have to shower."

          Mike still couldn't believe how similar Tyler's son resembled the Chester he knew in high school. He had everything almost exactly the same. Except the scars. There were no slashes on his chest or wrist. No tally marks on his back. But that was ok. He smiled slightly.

          "I guess you're right."

          Chester grinned at him and winked, "So when do we get to the next stop?"

          "About a half hour."

          "Cool."

          Mike laughed and then took Chester's hand. They walked down to the bunk room and Chester sighed before looking down.

          "If I'm not good enough for you Mike, it's really ok."

          "Hey, don't you ever say that," Mike said softly. Chester looked away.

          "I know you still think of him. Especially today."

          "But don't you too?"

          "Yes," Chester whispered before lowering his head. Mike wrapped his arms around the younger man and let him cling on to him.

          "I just don't want to feel like you're trying to replace him with me. I'll never be what he was for you."

          "You want to know what?" Mike asked softly. Chester shivered and buried his head into Mike's shoulder. "Hey, don't cry."

          "You've just done so much for me. God, you've helped me through so much," Chester said, "I'm sorry if I'm being pushy."

          "Ches, listen, he gave me a ring the one day and asked me to be with him forever. I told him I would," Mike said softly as he stroked the younger man's hair. Chester clung onto him tighter. "And then, on the day he died, he told me to take it off. To find someone else. I told him I would never be able to find someone like him. That he was irreplaceable. But I did."