The Diamond Boys has also been published, so go check that out if you're interested :) this could be considered a prologue, only it's really long . . . still a prologue! XD

Kendall Stetson was never one to believe in destiny. He didn't think there was some bizarre trick of fate that led him to find Jett. It wasn't meant to be that something so terrible had to tear them apart so suddenly. Well, it hadn't been very sudden once they found out. They just hung on to what time they had left. Until everything got worse. Kendall was looking through the window of the hospital ward. He could just see Jett through the gaps in the blinds, lying weak and defeated in the hospital bed. Hooked up to so many wires, just so he could live a few more hours. Not that it mattered. He was in enough pain anyway.

"The machine is pretty much all that's keeping his heart going," the doctor told him grimly. "Once we switch it off, it'll stop. Don't worry, though. He's so weak at this point he'll barely feel it." She paused. "I'm sorry, Kendall."

"It's alright," Kendall replied weakly, wiping his eyes. "I-I mean. It's not, but it's not your fault. You did everything you could." He bit his lip. "Can I stay with him?"

"Yes, of course. Until we switch it off. Will I come back in a couple of hours? He's not in that much pain anymore, and I'm sure you have a lot to talk about."

"Thank you," Kendall whispered, shutting his eyes for a second and taking a deep breath. Then he opened them again, walked towards the door and into the word, shutting the door behind him. "Hi, baby," he greeted softly, sitting down next to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better," Jett sighed, hand moving up to grasp Kendall's. "It doesn't hurt as much anymore."

Kendall nodded, forcing a smile onto his face. "That's good . . ."

"Kendall?"

"Yes?"

Jett beckoned him over, and Kendall crawled onto the bed, curling up at his side with Jett's arm wrapped protectively around him. "I know you're hiding something from me, babe."

Kendall let out a choked sob.

"Tell me, love."

Kendall shook his head, a tear falling down his cheek. "Jett . . . you're not going to get better. Th-the doctor said—"

"That I'm going to die once they switch this thing off?"

Kendall's eyes widened.

Jett gave a small smile. "I wanted to hear it from you too."

Kendall couldn't help it; he began to cry, face buried in Jett's shoulder as sobs racked his body.

"Shh, Kendall, it's ok," Jett whispered, kissing his hair gently. "It's alright."

"How are you not upset?" Kendall asked, moving and running up through Jett's hair. "Or angry? This isn't fair, it's not fair at all . . ."

"I know it's not fair." Jett pressed a soft kiss to Kendall's lips. "But this is the memory I want you to have of us," he added softly. "And this is the last thing I wanna feel. You in my arms, like this . . ."

"Jett . . ." Kendall choked, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Shh, it's ok." Jett hugged Kendall close to him, kissing him gently on the forehead. "I love you. You'll be ok. I just hope that someday, you'll find somebody else who'll hold you like this. I don't want you to be alone. You don't deserve that."

"I'll never find anyone like you."

"I'm not saying you should. I don't want you to forget about me." Jett gave a weak cough at the end of his sentence, his hold on Kendall weakening slightly.

"I'll never forget you, Jett," Kendall promised, lips trembling as he ran a hand along his husband's cheek. He was so cold . . . "I'm always going to love you, I'll never stop, I swear. I love you so much . . ."

"I know, baby," Jett whispered, a tear sliding down his own cheek as he brushed the palm of his hand over Kendall's damp cheeks. "I know. That's all I need to hear."

They lay there for a while, not saying anything. Kendall tried not to cry, but the tears just kept coming. Jett let a few tears slip, but tried not to let them show. It was just coming up to eleven when the doctor came in to switch the machine off. "Just do it now, please," Jett said to her. "No use putting it off." He turned to Kendall and pulled him closer. "One last kiss?"

Kendall nodded, leaning up and pressing one last, lingering kiss to Jett's lips. He didn't pull away until he heard the machine turn to one flat tone, and he felt Jett's heart stop beating under his hand. He pulled away then, trembling as he buried his face in the crook of Jett's neck. The doctor left him alone then. Kendall knew she'd come back soon. So he just chose to lie there with his husband for as long as he could.

Planning and attending Jett's funeral was the hardest thing Kendall had ever done. Harder than the day he'd even found out about Jett's cancer. Harder than the day they learned he wasn't going to make it.

Nothing was worse than dozens of people gathered just to remind him Jett was gone.

He could feel the Stetsons' eyes on him, hating him. They never had liked him, not that he ever knew why. Jett had always blown them off. Now Kendall wished they could get along. But he could see it wasn't going to happen.

The crematory was packed. Kendall sat in the front now, rigid and staring straight ahead. He didn't have to look back to know tons of people had come to say goodbye to Jett. Jett's family sat on his left, and on his other side his mother and sister sat, Katie gripping his hand to try and comfort him. Between Kendall and the Stetsons' sat Jett's best friend since middle school, Dak Zevon. One of the people who'd set them up in the first place. He seemed to understand how Kendall felt better than anyone.

"And now, Dak Zevon would like to say a few words," the priest said at last. Jett's mother had already gone up and said her speech, cutting off halfway through to blow her nose and dry her eyes, before being led down to the seats by her husband.

Dak stood up and walked up to the microphone. "Hi." Dak bit his lip. "I was Jett's best friend. Since we were only eleven years old. He was like my brother, and one of the most important people in my life. I . . . when I found out he was sick, I wasn't sure whether or not I could believe it. He'd always been so fit, y'know? Captain of the basketball team, always full of energy. But I guess nothing lasts forever." He shook his head as if to clear it and continued, "I'm never going to forget him. I don't think anyone here will. He was such an amazing person. And we all need to remember that."

He let out a shaky breath, echoing around the room. "Um, I guess that's it." He left the microphone and stopped by Jett's open casket. Kendall couldn't hear what he was saying, but figured Dak was saying goodbye. As he went and sat down next to Kendall with tears in his eyes, the priest spoke up, "Before we finish up, Jett's husband Kendall wants to give a speech too."

Kendall stood up with shaky legs and walked over. Seeing all those people staring terrified him for a moment, but he took a deep breath and began. "I met Jett at senior prom." He bit his lip, unable to help smiling at the memory. "Neither of us had a date, so Dak and my friend Jo—" he spotted her smiling sadly up at him "—set us up to go together. We didn't even know each other, and I'm gonna be honest. Neither of us were very into the idea." He gave a sigh. "But that night was so amazing. He was nothing like I'd expected him to be, and I just . . . I fell for him hard." His smiled widened and he barely realised. These memories always made him happier. "And then just . . . everything just went on from there. We went to college together, moved in together, we just went crazy, really. And then, then he asked me to marry him, and it was the most amazing thing that ever happened to me." He felt a tear slide down his cheek. "When we found out he was going to die, I wanted to sort of check everything off his bucket list, do everything he wanted to do. But . . . he told me he just wanted to be with me." Kendall gave a little choked sob, his voie half giving out. "I love him so much. And I'm always going to love him. And he knows that. Th-that's what matters to me."

He couldn't say anything else. Tears were dripping down his cheeks. He half-heartedly wiped them away as he walked down to Jett's casket. He didn't want to accept any of this was happening. But seeing Jett lying there in his suit —peaceful but completely still, unmoving— was enough to bring him back to reality. Jett was never coming back. Kendall reached out a shaky hand and rested it over Jett's. He would've given up everything he had for Jett to just sit up and open his eyes. But he didn't.

"I love you," He whispered. "I always will."

He stepped back from the casket, shaking. A hand over his mouth to muffle the sobs he couldn't hold in anymore. He could feel all eyes on him, and then felt an arm wrap around him. He turned to see Dak smiling softly at him, tears streaming down his own cheeks as he led Kendall back to their seats.

The priest said a final prayer for Jett.

His body was burned.

The crematory cleared out in no time, as everyone went to the Stetsons' house to have drinks and talk about Jett's life.

Kendall didn't understand why. There was no point talking about his life. It was over now. Done. Finished with.

Three months after Jett's funeral, three months after waking up every morning and seeing his ashes on the dresser, Kendall went and emptied them out with Dak and the others, over a grassy field just a few minutes' walk outside their small town. Kendall had come here with Jett once; the car had broken down on their way back from a day trip to Minneapolis. They took a picnic blanket from the trunk and lay out there for a few hours. and maybe had sex a little bit. But that was all finished now. Gone.

The very next day after their final goodbyes, Kendall was packing his things and finding a new place to live.

He packed up all his things, he'd found a new apartment to live in, all the way in Los Angeles. He didn't know anybody there, but there was a law firm eager to take him on, so there was no reason not to go. Jett wanted him to move on. So that's what he was doing. He didn't need to be asked twice; he'd always wanted to leave tiny, unimportant Sherwood. Jett had given him a reason to stay.

But he didn't have Jett anymore.

Leave a review? I'll try to work on this, but I've got some more stuff to do, so . . . review, and I'll update when I can! :)