Kevin sat on the patio, looking out at the rising sun and the beautiful orangish color that was morphing the night sky into something more. Kevin looked out, holding his mug of tea in his hand. Thinking. Thinking of basically everything that had happened.

The testimony had been a whole month ago. In that time, Kevin had stayed with his father and his family. He had stayed in the loving care of his dad and caught up on all things Riverdale that had he missed out on in the coma. Starting with the love of his dad and Sierra McCoy, a possible new stepsister, Betty and Jughead having promise rings, Southside High joining into Riverdale High and all of the deaths that The Black Hood had caused. It was hard at first to get used to life. He had first started having vivid nightmares, insomnia and shaking fear of everything that had happened with his attack and his kidnapping and his coma. But everyone made it known that they wouldn't leave him.

Tom would hold Kevin close to his chest and rub his hair, signing This Nearly Was Mine softly until he fell asleep. On the nights that Sierra and Josie slept over, Josie would make him hot chocolate and they would spend the majority of the night watching whatever show Kevin missed while unconscious, while Sierra would pull the covers over him when he crashed pretty early in the morning. On the nights that Veronica slept over, she would soothe Kevin's aches and shake with a meditative pose and breathing. And on one of the many nights that Moose slept over, he would hold him close and whisper all of the nicknames that he wanted to call him.

Or Moose would treat Kevin to calm, passionate and romantic sex.

Same effects as the nicknames. Kevin sure as hell wasn't complaining.

Kevin soon got over his constant fear of getting attacked again, or being hated because he was gay, or of his father and friends abandoning him. It just took a lot of hard work and tender loving care to get to this point in his life. Kevin just wished that it didn't take a coma for him to reach this point in his life where he wasn't afraid of anything anymore. Kevin looked out as the sun raised and started to glisten into his house. He heard the birds start to sing and the trees start to sway. He smiled. He missed the sound of forest nature compared to the sound of endless waves in his purgatory coma induced prison.

Kevin pressed his lips to the cup of his tea as he heard someone come down the stairs. He didn't look over, he stayed in his seat and just looked out at the early sunrise in Riverdale. "Kevin?"

Kevin knew that the voice belonged to his dad. He was the only one that he lived with. Kevin still didn't turn. His eyes were focused on the sunrise in front of him. Tom did take a seat in the chair opposite to him and the table that matched the chair. Tom looked over at his son. Kevin just sipped his tea slowly as he looked out in front of him. After a few seconds he turned over and placed his cup down on the table. "Do you want some?" he asked. "It's peach and cherry blossom mixed together."

"No thank you." Tom said, waving his hand. "What are you doing up this early. It's nearly six."

"I just woke up early. I saw that the sun was beginning to rise so I thought that I'd sit and watch it." Kevin answered, turning to his dad. There was the sympathetic smile on his face that everyone had grown to love. "How'd you sleep?"

"I slept fine son." Tom replied. Tom knew that sometimes Kevin would get into these moods. Ones where he'd just stare out, laser focused on something. Like a photo, or the fireplace on the wall, or even one page in a book he was trying to catch up on during lost time. Tom looked over and sighed.

"Dad..." Kevin said, picking up his cup again. "I just wanted to ask. Why were you so mad when I went into Fox Forest? In fact... why didn't you want me to go in the first place?"

Tom licked his lips and placed his elbows on the chair's armrests. He put one hand to his chin and started to rub it. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes, I do." Kevin responded.

Tom in took in a deep breath and he looked at his son. "Kevin, the reason that I didn't want you going out into that forest and cruising around for boys... was this. This is what I didn't want to happen. You getting hurt. Badly hurt. I didn't want you to end up the next Jason Blossom. I didn't want to have to get a call from the station one night and have anyone tell me that it was you that they found. You found dead. I couldn't bare it Kevin! I couldn't even bare it when you were in the coma. Thank God that you didn't die, but it was worse then having to live without you Kev. You're my son, and then I had to watch you lie in a hospital bed for days and days on end. Just... just blaming myself for not stopping you in time. For not... for not saving you.

"I... I just... I wasn't mad at you when I found out that you had been going into the woods Kev. I was mad at myself for not keeping you safe and not being a better father. I should have noticed that you needed attention and that you needed care and love. I should have opened my mouth to understand you. So that we could speak to one another and that we could have a conversation and that you would feel less alone and loved for and cared. And because I didn't to that... you ended up feeling so lonely and believing that you deserved that terrible... horrible attack." Tom sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry that I made to feel like you were alone and that you deserved. You didn't deserve any of this... and this was all my fault. For making you feel alone.

"I'm sorry son. I'm so so so so sorry. For not being there for you... for not protecting you. I don't deserve you. I've never deserved you."

Kevin got up from his chair and walked over to his sobbing father. He knelt down beside him and took his larger hands in his. Tom had missed the feeling of Kevin touching him since he was in the coma. He missed him in general. Kevinmove over and hugged his dad. "Dad... dad." Kevin said, looking at his crying dad. "Dad, look up at me please."

Tom looked up, his eyes red and his face slick with tears. He looked over at the child that he had helped create and the one that he had ignored for awhile. "Kevin I-"

"Dad... listen to me." Kevin said to him. "Dad... did you ignore me for awhile?"

"Yes." Tom responded.

"Yes you did. But you did it because you have a job to do to keep this town safe from harm." Kevin said back.

"That's no excuse though Kev." Tom tried to say, but Kevin held his hand up and cut him off.

"Yes it is. Without you, this would have happened again and again and you wouldn't have helped put Hal in prison." Kevin said to him. "Now... Dad, did you attack me in the woods?"

"What? No! Of course not! I would never hurt you!" Tom cried.

"That's right. Now. Did you put me into that coma?"

"No I-"

"Did you traumatize me? Did you give me PTSD?"

"No Kevin I-"

"Did you kidnap me and try to kill me with Betty and Mrs. Cooper?" Kevin asked, rubbing his dad's knuckles.

Tom sighed and nods at him. "No Kevin. No I didn't."

"That's right. You didn't. You had nothing to do with my attack and my kidnapping. Which means that you didn't do a thing to hurt me. None of this is and will be your fault. Okay? Look at me dad. You didn't do this to me. You didn't do any of this to me. Okay?"

Tom wipes his tears and nods. Kevin moves over and he wraps his dad into a hug. Tom hugs him back. He rests his head into his son's shoulder. He never wanted to hear that his son was hurt ever again. He never wanted for him to be hurt. He never wanted him taken away from him again. He never wanted for his beautiful beautiful child to be sad or lonely ever again. Tom gripped his son's hair and kissed the side of his cheek. "I love you Kevin. Don't you ever forget that."

"Never." Kevin said back, holding his dad tightly in his arms. "I'd never forget that or you."

The rest of the day had progressed with little to none huge events. Tom and Kevin had breakfast, the ritual that was stripped from them since Kevin was attacked and Tom spent the day working from home. Mostly because he had to. He would not leave his child again. He sat in his office with the door opened, working on some files while looking out at his son through the window that led to their patio. Kevin sat on their porch swing, reading a book that he had been waiting years for before the coma came along. Tom loved seeing his son doing young teenage boy things again. He loved seeing his child just... alive.

Kevin swung slowly back and forth on the porch swing that he and father had made two summers ago, imagining himself in the world of the book that he was currently reading. The younger Keller was to involved in his novel that didn't hear the sound of something approaching in his driveway. Approaching the Keller home was the kind and loving boyfriend of Kevin Keller. Moose had one of his hands shoved into his pockets and in his other was a large bouquet of pink gerbera daisies. Moose walked up the steps of the porch and his blush got even more pink when he saw the sight of Kevin reading again.

"Hey." Moose whispered, giving Kevin a little jump. He's eyes widened and he instantly regretted scaring him. "Shit, I'm so sorry! I wasn't thin-"

"It's okay Moose. I'm fine." Kevin said with a smile. He put his bookmark inside of his book and patted the soft mattress that was on top of the swing, inviting Moose to sit. Moose and walked over to the swing. He sat down next to his boyfriend and cradled the bouquet of flowers in his hand. He handed them to Kevin.

"Here." he said.

Kevin took the flowers and took a sniff of them. "My favorite." he said with the smile that made Moose's heart melt. "Thank you."

"You're welcome dear." Moose said, snuggling Kevin closer to him. Kevin put his head inside of the crook of Moose's neck. Moose held Kevin close to him. It just felt so right having him here in his arms. So right to have Kevin back where he belonged. Alive and well and breathing. Tom had noticed the other boy's appearance and smile. He really liked Moose. He set down his files and he walked out to the porch.

"Hey Moose." he said with a smile.

Moose looked up from his boyfriend and at the his father. He smiled. "Hello Detective Keller." he said. "I was just here to um... give Kevin some flowers."

Kevin shook the bouquet in his hands. "They're beautiful aren't they dad?"

"Yes, yes they are." Tom said. "Do you have someplace to be Moose? Sierra and Josie will be here any minute. Would you like to have lunch with us?"

"We made our family famous Nashville hot chicken." Kevin said, standing up and holding his hand out to help Moose stand too. "You're not a Keller unless you've tried it."

Moose smiled at the thought of being a part of Kevin's family. "Of course. Of course I'll stay."

"That's great." Tom said, clapping Moose's shoulder. "I'll set the table."

Tom walked back inside, leaving Moose and Kevin alone again. "Did you mean what you said?" Moose asked. "About me... being a Keller?"

Kevin smiled. He set down the flowers on the swing and he took one of Moose's cheeks in his hands. He moved forward and kissed him, leaving Moose dumbstruck and giddy when he pulled back. "Moose, you've always been a Keller. Since the day that you started to protect me in the coma, and visit me and visit my dad... you became an honorary Keller. You've always been a Keller. You'll always be a Keller."

Moose smiled and he moved over, grabbing the back of Kevin's thighs and lifting him up into his hold. Kevin wrapped his legs around Moose's back and smiled. "I love you." he whispered. "More than words can express. I love you so so much dear."

"I love you too." Kevin cried. The two moved in into a kind and loving kiss. One that stayed connected and one that left butterflies in Kevin's stomach. Moose set Kevin down and his hands held the skin underneath his jaw. The two explored each other's mouths while holding each other's bodies in a warm embrace.

Moose was forced to pull away when he needed air. He looked at Kevin and smiled. "I'm glad that I met you." he whispered, taking Kevin's hand and kissing it. "Now come on. I think that I need to prove how much of a Keller I am by eating that chicken."

"How's your spice tolerance?" Kevin asked, grabbing his book and his bouquet of daises in one arm and taking Moose's hand in his. Moose opened the door to the room.

"It's decent?" Moose said, walking into the Keller's living room.

"Then you're going to suck at this."

The two laughed and then once more went into a passionate kiss. "Okay, okay, enough with the kissing." Tom called from the kitchen, making the two boys pull away and blush hard. All three of them laughed.

The Black Hood might have taken away most of Kevin's life. But he was glad to return to one that was filled with warmth, protection and happiness. Kevin was glad to be back. Kevin was glad to be alive. Kevin was glad to be... to be Kevin.

It is with such sweet sorrow that I say the two words no one wanted to hear. The End.

This story was so much fun to write and I'm glad you all enjoyed it. I hope to see you all next time for my stories. Hugs and Kisses from OnceUponATimeInRiverdale