Remedy [MxM]

Chapter 21: Epilogue: Six Months Later

This chapter was edited on 2/3/2016 and includes minor alterations. Enjoy!

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Six months. It'd been six months since the incident with Eliot. He was put in prison with a sentence of five years, and no one had heard from his sister, Laina. She was the one who found us, which explained what she was doing in New Jersey of all places. Apparently she had some pretty good connections and was able to find me in the new apartment, and consequently Chris. I'd never met the woman, but if I hated her before, it was nothing compared to how much I hated her after I found that out.

Chris was healed up, for the most part. Certain areas like his back and ribcage were still a little sore, but other than that he was fine. We stayed in our apartment, but we did get a new lock. And found a new spot for the spare key. Chris found a new job as a bartender about after a month out of the hospital, and I'd managed to get a promotion.

It was near the end of July now, and Chris and I had gone down to my parents for the weekend, since it was Dad's birthday. Mom insisted on having a barbeque, but, come to find out, no one in our house knows how to grill. Go figure. That was fine with me though, because I'd never been big on grilled stuff. I was much happier with the four slices of pizza piled on my plate.

"So what, are you two just gonna stay together and get married and adopt kids and, other stuff gay guys do?" Lizzie asked with a mouthful of food, making me grimace.

"How the hell should I know? I don't make the decisions in this relationship."

"You should. I think Chris would make a cool older brother-in-law. And a good dad. Despite being a bartender."

I smiled slightly, shaking my head before glancing over to where Chris was. My father had cornered him, and now appeared to be asking all sorts of questions. They were too far away to hear properly, but Chris seemed fairly comfortable, so I assumed the questions weren't too invasive.

"Do you love him?"

I looked back over to Lizzie with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

"Dumbass. Do you love him?" she said again. I thought for a second, glancing over to Chris. I paused for a second as he looked toward Lizzie and I before his eyes caught mine, and we were stuck in a short staring match before he looked away, smiling a little. That made me smile slightly too, ignoring a snort from Lizzie.

"You're so gay."

"I pray for the man you end up marrying."

"Me too. May God have mercy on their soul. I sure as hell won't."

I snorted and laughed, ducking my head as Lizzie nodded. What had Mom and Dad raised? I sure as hell wasn't like that as a teenager.

"What's so funny?"

I glanced up to see Chris standing next to me with a confused expression, looking between Lizzie and I. I shrugged slightly and stood up from my seat in one of the lawn chairs, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"Just how evil Lizzie is and how we should pray for whatever poor soul she ropes into marriage." I murmured, leaning in to give him a peck on the lips. He hummed quietly.

"Oh. Sounds terrifying."

"I'm sure it will be. At this rate she'll become the next dictator or something. Hopefully she'll be assassinated before she takes over the world."

Chris laughed quietly, putting his arms around my neck and leaning up to press our foreheads together. I could hear Lizzie making a choking noise in the background.

"This area right here just got like, thirty percent gayer," she complained. I rolled my eyes, holding out my middle finger in her direction. She only laughed, shoving the rest of her pizza into her mouth before getting up. "You two have fun being gay over here. I'm getting more pizza."

"You keep eating and eventually you'll be too fat to move."

"I'll get a wheelchair, I'll be good," she said, waving me off. I laughed again, shaking my head, which made Chris's move as well while he smiled. I focused on him instead, watching him as he stared at me.

"So, now what?" I asked quietly. He hummed quietly, thinking for a second.

"I want kids."

I snorted, raising an eyebrow. "You know, normal people want like, a dog, or something."

"I'm allergic to dogs."

"Well I'm allergic to kids."

"That sucks for you then, doesn't it?" he smiled. I sighed loudly.

"Whose last name would they have?"

Chris paused, tapping his fingers on the back of my neck as he thought the question over. "We can hyphenate."

"Hollowell-McHale." I mumbled thoughtfully. "You know a kid is a lot of work."

"Yes."

"And they're expensive."

"Yes."

"And we'd have to get a bigger place."

"Yes."

I was silent for a second before sighing quietly, kissing Chris lightly and lingering for a second, pulling back just far enough to speak as our lips brushed together.

"We'll see."