Warnings: Reference to past trauma/abuse
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.
A/N: This is the last chapter of "Breaking at the Seams". I hope you've enjoyed it and that you like this chapter. Thank you very much to everyone who reviewed, favourite, followed and read it. I've already started piecing together an idea for the next fic but it's gonna require some research. Thank you again and I hope you enjoy the finale…
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CHAPTER 21:
On Christmas morning, Sebastian and Nick wandered downstairs to find Hannah had cooked chocolate chip pancakes in the shape of Christmas trees. They sat around the table and ate before Sebastian gave his mother the scarf Blaine had bought for her. In turn, she gave each of the boys a knitted beanie. Nick's was red and navy blue while Sebastian's was black and lime green. They felt silly wearing them but when Tim arrived to drive them to Nick's house, they were thankful.
Jonathan had cooked another amazing roast turkey – though Sebastian supposed it was because he hadn't had enough time to learn to cook anything else. But Kylie had made a caramel steamed pudding that Sebastian virtually inhaled.
However, it was the presents that rocked both Sebastian and Nick to the core.
Kylie received books and music and money towards a car. Tim got a model airplane and concert tickets for a show in February. Jonathan was given a new tie and a box set of the Lord of the Rings movies. Tim reached under the tree, grabbing two presents and handing one each to Sebastian and Nick.
"Presents from all of us," Tim explained. "We weren't really sure what either of you would want though so we just put these together."
Sebastian looked down at the gift in his hands, slowly pulling off the wrapping paper. He smiled when he saw it was a wooden plaque that read "It's not much, but it's home". He went to show it to Nick but froze when he saw the tears running down his face. Casting his gaze downwards, Sebastian saw that Nick held in his hands a framed letter from his mother.
"She wrote it when you were born," Jonathan murmured. "When she got sick, she gave it to me to give you when you needed it most."
Nick hugged the frame to his chest and looked up at his father, smiling brokenly. "Thank you," he whispered before he sniffed and nodded.
Kylie disappeared upstairs after that – Sebastian had taken note of the tears in her eyes but didn't feel he could offer any comfort. Tim slowly coaxed Nick into a conversation while Sebastian headed back into the kitchen with Jonathan to help clean up.
"Y'know, Sebastian, I had my doubts when you two were here at Thanksgiving," Jonathan murmured as he filled the sink with hot, soapy water.
"That doesn't sound good," Sebastian said with a nervous laugh. "Should I be worried?"
"No, of course not." There was a pause before Jonathan sighed and continued. "I thought Nick was making a mistake… But when you two came back from his mother's grave, I knew he had made the right decision."
"I'm glad you feel that way." Sebastian grabbed a dish towel and started drying the dishes as they were stacked in the rack.
"When Nick left for New York, my biggest fear was that something bad would happen and Blaine wouldn't be able to deal with it. So thank you for being around when something bad did happen. Blaine called me up crying so many times since the accident… You kept my son alive, you saved him… There's nothing I could ever do to repay you that debt."
"Please, don't feel you owe me anything," Sebastian said. "I love Nick and I would do anything to keep him safe."
Jonathan turned to Sebastian and smiled. "I know you do, and that changes things. Don't ever feel like you have no family, Sebastian, because you have a family here."
Sebastian nodded, smiling as a sense of acceptance spread through him. The peace was disturbed however when Kylie ran into the kitchen from the living room.
"Woah Kylie, what is it?" Jonathan asked as he scrubbed a plate.
"Nick's all froze up!" she gasped.
The plate clattered into the sink, water splashing on the floor and mingling with a bowl Sebastian had dropped as he ran into the living room. Nick and Tim had been sat on the floor by the tree but Tim rose when he saw Sebastian. Nick was indeed frozen in place, his eyes glazed over with a memory and Sebastian felt a pang of fearful hope strike him.
Sebastian knelt down in front of Nick, watching his face worriedly. "Nick? What is it?"
"We were just talking about The Hobbit – I mentioned one of the dwarves and he just froze." Tim explained, the fear strong in his voice. Sebastian frowned before he held Nick's face in his hands, looking deep into the brown unseeing eyes.
"Nick? Nick, what are you remembering?" Sebastian asked, louder.
Nick shuddered and fell forward slightly before he reached out and clung onto Sebastian.
"Nick…"
"I remember," he whispered. "You were at work… I watched Snow White and Jesse showed up… He tried to kill me… He said-" Nick paled.
"What? What did he say, Nick?"
Sebastian watched as Nick's eyes filled with tears. "He said I used you… When we met – I used you, and you didn't love me. You just felt like you had to stay." His breath hitched and he shook his head. "Please don't say you feel like that. Please don't hate me."
Sebastian pulled Nick into his arms. "I could never hate you. I love you, remember?"
Nick cried into his shoulder and Sebastian didn't know what to do. "Do you … do you love me to?" Sebastian asked tentatively.
Nick nodded against his shoulder before straightening and wiping the tears from his eyes. "I do – I love you."
Sebastian bit his lip and pushed Nick's hair back behind his ear, his fingers grazing over the scar on his head. "Do you know why?"
Nick smiled sadly before leaning in and kissing Sebastian before whispering, "Because you saved me."
Sebastian pulled Nick into his arms, sighing thankfully. It was far from the end but it felt like the hardest part was over. And Sebastian was alright with that.
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A/N: And that's the end… I hope you've enjoyed it. I'm really sad this is over but I'm glad it is because I could feel the inspiration waning (hence why this wasn't up earlier). I'd hate to have to finish a fic with no passion behind it.
I have started piecing together an idea for the next fic. Here's a few clues about it:
- Cliques
- French
- Troupe
Feel free to guess but I'm not gonna give anything away just yet – mostly because the idea is in its infancy and I barely have a summary let alone a plot or outline. I hope that's piqued your interest :p
I've also put together a masterpost on tumblr of all of my fics – I don't know how useful that will be for people. You can find it on my blog under the "Fic Masterposts" tab.
So thank you all for making this my most popular story – by way of reviews, favourites and follows. I hope you've enjoyed it and I'm glad we got to go through this together :) Thank you for reading and I hope you're having a wonderful day –Em xoxo