You & I [Kier/Shane]

Chapter Fifty - Epilogue

Shane's POV

One Year Later

"Shane, give them back; It's too sunny!" I heard Kier whine from behind me, causing yet another loud spurt of laughter to fall from my lips as I ran. Hurrying towards the end of the garden I slipped down the back of the shed, in the small enclosed space between it and the tall wooden fence surrounding our garden.

"Well, come and get them then!" was my simple response as I continued to laugh, making sure Kier's fairly large, black sunglasses never fell from their place atop my head.

I heard him sigh as I faced him, poking my tongue out from where he was watching me at the side of the shed.

"You've just gone and got yourself cornered." Kier chuckled, not bothering to try and slip down the back to grab me.

"You've technically not won until you grab me," I giggled, poking my tongue out once more.

"I'm not going down there," was his blunt response, his arms crossed tight against his chest while staring at me.

"What? Is model boy afraid of getting his expensive clothes dirty?" I teased, taking the sunglasses from my head to hold tightly in my hand, knowing fully well I was probably covering the lenses in multiple smudged finger prints.

"No," was his smug reply, a sly smirk forming on his lips. "I'm more concerned about the spiders that live down there."

Releasing a loud gasp I sprang from my hidden place and into his arms, squealing slightly at the thought of the creatures that could have been near me while Kier instantly grabbed his glasses from my grasp and put them back on, whining in annoyance moments later as he took them back off and began to clean them on his shirt.

The sound of Laurence calling us further down the garden signalled that the barbeque was finally ready and we could eat, meaning I reached over and grabbed Kier's wrist before running back towards the rest of my family, ignoring my boyfriend's cries of protest in the process. Upon reaching the barbeque I released Kier in favour of grabbing a plate of various food and moving over to the bench closest the house, sitting beside Drew with a large smile.

"You seem happy," He commented lightly, taking a bite of a hot dog seconds later.

I nodded, watching Laurence, Kier and Luke conversing and drinking various alcoholic beverages near the grill. "I am," I replied, shrugging slightly. "I'm not as afraid anymore."

"I'm glad, I'm really proud of you, you know," I nodded while he continued. "But I still don't believe I'm not going to see you for a whole month! What am I going to do if I'm not looking after you?!"

He merely laughed away my glares, pushing him slightly. "I don't need looking after, I'm not a child." I chuckled, failing at my weak attempt to sound fierce. "Anyway, you were the one who always insisted I was kept safe at home."

"I know," Drew replied, more softer than previously. "But just... be careful over there, okay?"

My smile was gentle and loving as I turned to face my best friend, nodding while shuffling closer to him and resting my head on his shoulder. "I will," I reassured him. "On most days I'll be stuck inside at Kier's until he comes home from work anyway."

Drew merely nodded, and I felt his head fall to rest on top of my own while I watched Kier laugh and joke with Laurence, staying in a comfortable silence myself and enjoying the suns rays hit my skin.

I'm not hoping for miracles, like waking up one morning and not trembling in fear of what harmful things lurk behind my four bedroom walls; I just hope that when I do wake up each morning, that he'll be lying there beside me ready to face them with me.  

Author's Note: I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who kept by me and read this till the end; thank you so much for all your lovely votes, comments and reads, it means so much to me that people take the time to actually read the chapters I write. I'm uncertain whether or not to write a sequel to this at the moment, but until I finally reach a decision there will be other stories, so I hope you'll be around to read them too. Let me know what you guys think about it though. Thank you again! <3 x ~IerosEyebrows