Well, this is it. The last chapter. I almost can't believe it. Here I sit, 90k words later, on a story that I had originally planned to be half this length and far less twisty and turny than it ended up. However, I can say that after all that, I love this story, and it was told exactly how it needed to be told. I, of course, need to give a monstrous shoutout to my very wonderful, fabulous, beautiful, talented beta, Jayhawk-Writes. This story would NOT have been possible without her as she kept me going at times when I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to write this story, and she so graciously let me write what ended up being almost a fanfiction of her story, The Silver-Scaled Mark. Plus, she agreed to be a character in this story, and I used the crap out of that. So, thank you, my dear. I love you! Muah! And, to all of you who have been reading and commenting and following and favoriting this whole time, I also love you and appreciate the hell out of you. This is the first time I've done something like this, and I cherished each and every comment and favorite/follow that I have received. Really. So, thank you. Now, I'll close this monstrous author's note and let you get down to why you're here: The Epilogue.
Many, many years later, long after their children had grown up, gotten married, and had children and grandchildren of their own, Kurt and Blaine were sitting alone, rocking side by side as they looked out the window.
After their rise to fame as the first soulmates the world had seen in ages, others had begun to find their own soulmates, and it seemed that they were back to stay. Even Jan and Liz got soulmarks, much to Liz's surprise. And, to honor their oldest and dearest friends, Kurt and Blaine had fronted the money for a beautiful retirement home in the very woods in which Blaine had been cursed. Now, it was their home, too, at least for a little while.
"What are you thinking about, Kurt?" Blaine finally asked, catching his husband looking at him from the corner of his eye.
"Nothing." Kurt returned his eyes to the window, watching as the breeze rippled through the trees outside the retirement home.
"You don't think after all these years I can tell when you're lying? You never were very good at it," Blaine quipped, giving Kurt a smile when his husband finally looked at him again.
"I was just wondering… Do you think the kids will miss us when we're gone?"
Blaine sighed. He didn't like to think about leaving his kids alone in the world, but he and Kurt had had many discussions; they could tell the end was drawing closer and closer with every passing day. "For a while," he said softly. "But not too long. They have families to take care of them."
Kurt didn't say anything for a long time, and the sound of squeaking rocking chairs took over the room again. Then, he said, "I've been thinking about something."
"What is it?"
"When you travel into a book, if you don't leave before the story ends, you… Well… You end, too."
Stilling his rocking chair, Blaine slowly twisted in his seat until he was facing his soulmate. "What are you saying?" he asked softly.
"How do you feel about one last adventure?"
"You know the kids don't want us doing that, Kurt. They're afraid we won't make it back."
"Well, I don't plan on coming back."
Blaine was silent for a moment. "You'd take me with you?"
Reaching across the small space between them, Kurt placed a hand lovingly on Blaine's. "Do you honestly think I would go without you?"
"No." Turning back to sit comfortably in his chair, Blaine began to rock again, his right foot setting a steady rhythm for his chair. He watched a small bug crawl across the carpet beneath the window, he stared at a small patch of sunlight glinting off the wall, and then finally, he turned to face his husband again. "What book?"
"Mine? When Worlds Collide? Don't you think it would be kind of a romantic way to go, to watch the two of us fall in love again before we die?"
A soft smile slid across Blaine's face. "I can't think of anything more romantic than that."
They didn't do it that day, or even the day after. Even a month later, when Lili, Tori, and Lark came to visit them for their anniversary, they were still sitting in their rocking chairs, this time a little bit closer together, holding hands and watching the birds.
"Dad, Pops, you guys okay?" Lark asked as they chatted. Both of his parents seemed more sentimental than normal; nearly everything he and his sisters did brought tears to their eyes.
"We're fine, Lark," Blaine reassured him. "We're just happy to see you and hear about our grandkids. You know we just love you all so much."
"We love you, too, Daddy," Tori told him, kissing his cheek softly. "Just no more tears today, please?"
"Yeah," Lili chimed in. "Otherwise, you're going to make me cry, and I don't want either one of you to accuse me of being a sap!"
They all got a good chuckle out of that, but it didn't stop Kurt and Blaine from tearing up when they said goodbye to their daughters and son. They knew, though they'd never tell their children, that those goodbyes would be their last.
A few days after that final visit, they both woke up in more pain than usual. It was a gray, rainy day, and their arthritis was acting up, making it more difficult for them to move. Still, they got out of bed like they did every day, giving one another slow, lazy kisses to wake up before shuffling to the kitchen to start the coffee brewing.
As they were sipping their first cups in front of the window, Kurt said, "I think today is a good day for an adventure. What do you think, sweetheart?"
Blaine didn't say anything in response, but he nodded, drinking his coffee as though that was a statement his husband had made to him every day for decades.
After breakfast, they retired to their bedroom, tidying up what little they had lying around the room.
"I'm going to brush my teeth," Blaine announced, heading in the direction of the bathroom. "Pick us something to wear for our last adventure?"
"You know I always pick out your clothes," Kurt moving to the closet. "Why are you brushing your teeth? Afraid I won't let you come with me if you have bad breath?"
"You know our story always makes me want to kiss you." Blaine raised an eyebrow flirtatiously at his husband, his toothbrush poised near his mouth. "Among other things."
"Brush your teeth, old man!" Kurt said, shaking his head and grinning at his husband. Even after all these years together, Blaine could still make him laugh.
Finally, they were ready to go. Kurt had picked out simple black slacks for them both. He paired Blaine's with his favorite red button-down, a black sweater, and an adorable black bowtie with tiny white hearts on it. For himself, he'd selected a purple button-down with a thin black sweater and a crisp white ascot with a golden edge. They both looked dapper if he did say so himself.
"Do you have the book?" Blaine asked from the doorway. He'd gone out to make sure the rest of their apartment was in order, and he leaned heavily against the door as he waited for Kurt's answer. He was already exhausted, and more than a little part of him was glad they were doing this today. He was ready. He'd made peace.
"Right here," Kurt said, pulling the book and his wand from his nightstand drawer. He thumbed over the engraving on the handle, smiling as he read his name there one last time. Kurt Elizabeth Hummel. Then, patting the bed next to him, he asked, "Are you ready?"
Blaine nodded, padding across the floor to cuddle up next to his soulmate on the bed. "I'm ready," he replied. "In fact, I don't think I've ever been more ready."
"Me neither," Kurt replied, kissing his husband's temple. "Hold onto me tightly." When he was sure Blaine was holding on well enough, he raised his wand above their heads as best he could and repeated the spell one last time, "Wish we may, wish we might, enter this book by way of the light."
Then, everything around them went dark, and they both felt like they were floating through an endless black haze, falling slowly toward the earth. They'd discovered that the older they got, the longer it took for them to enter into the story, and this time was the longest yet. It seemed that they floated for several minutes, just holding onto one another and breathing, not seeing nor feeling anything besides the other's body next to theirs. They both wondered if that was what death would be like, but neither bothered to voice their concerns. Finally, they felt something solid beneath their backs and a bright, warm light on their faces. They were back.
Blaine was able to get to his feet first, so he helped Kurt up and dusted him off, turning so his husband could do the same for him. Already, he felt better, the sun soothing his tired bones and the adrenaline of what they were planning to do giving him more energy than he'd had when they left home.
"We're right outside the Academy," Kurt announced after taking a moment to orient himself. "That's where I started the book." He pointed toward a window off to the side. "I bet if we look inside, we'll see Mercedes talking to me about my gift. Rachel, too, maybe." He started in that direction, eager to see his world come to life.
"What if someone sees two old men spying on them?" Blaine asked, hobbling alongside him.
Kurt stopped, swatting his husband on the arm. "Who are you calling old, old man?" he asked playfully, giggling.
The sound brought back many memories of years gone past, and for a moment, his Kurt looked younger, so youthful and vibrant. It made Blaine smile. Yes. He was certainly glad they'd decided to do this. "You know I love you, right?" he whispered, reaching out for Kurt's hand.
"Of course I do, you big sap," Kurt laughed, kissing his cheek. "Now, come on."
Together, they walked to the window, peering inside. They could just see young Kurt sitting at the end of one of the tables, talking to Mercedes. He almost seemed to be upset with her, but the tone shifted quickly when she pulled him into a hug.
"Must be time for the ceremony to start," Kurt mumbled, nudging his husband away from the window as he turned. "We're not going to be able to watch everything, you know."
"I know. Makes me almost wish we'd kissed in the real world the first time instead of in the book."
"That would have been far less romantic," Kurt retorted, taking off toward the woods. "C'mon. Let's go wait for you to find Kimberly!"
"Race you!" Blaine challenged, and off they went, each of them trying to outwalk the other and failing miserably.
Neither of them knew how long they were in the book, and if they were being honest, they didn't care. This was exactly what they needed, and true to Blaine's predictions, each new thing he saw just made him more and more emotional, laying kiss after kiss to Kurt's face and neck, professing his love over and over.
After watching young Blaine locate Kimberly's cabin, they made their way back to town, walking slowly around Burt and Kurt's old block to catch a few of his arguments with Burt about going into the book. Then, they headed toward the library, hiding amongst the stacks to watch as Kurt discovered what he and Blaine were, how they were going to change the world. They hung around long enough to watch Kurt and Blaine have their first conversation with Jan, giggling and kissing quietly in the stacks as they waited.
After that, they trailed their younger selves to Blaine's parents, back to Burt's, and back to the library again. They stared through the window as Kurt proposed, and they had a little intimate time of their own as their book versions enjoyed their first time together in their upstairs apartment.
They made a silent appearance at their engagement party, giggling at how drunk and silly Blaine acted. It wasn't the first time, and it certainly wasn't the last. Nonetheless, it was adorable, and Kurt loved watching his husband blush furiously as he watched him announce to the world that they were, in fact, gay.
"My poor, adorkable husband," Kurt whispered, kissing Blaine's hand lightly.
"I wasn't your husband yet then," Blaine whispered back, kissing Kurt's soulmark in retaliation.
"Mmm. Close enough."
They were lucky to get to listen to their intimate wedding ceremony outside the window of their dressing room, and they chuckled at their announcement that they were already married and to enjoy the reception and dance.
When they made it back to their house, listening closely as time passed quickly and they re-lived the stress of adopting Lark and writing Kurt's book at the same time.
It was the last scene, though, that really got to Blaine.
It was just the two of them, sitting on the couch, watching as baby Lark and young Tori and Lili played on the floor together. Blaine had his head on Kurt's shoulder and they were whispering back and forth, giving one another gentle kisses.
Watching that caused something to stir within Blaine, and he grabbed ahold of Kurt's face, turning him away from the window so he could latch onto his lips, kissing him deeply, passionately.
"Blaine," Kurt murmured softly between kisses, "I don't want to miss Lili telling us 'no kissing'!"
"I do," Blaine replied, sounding a little out of breath. "All I want to do is kiss you." He returned to what he was doing, his tongue begging for entrance as it flicked across Kurt's lips desperately. "Mmm, besides. She said that a lot."
Kurt didn't respond, opening his mouth and letting Blaine in, sighing happily as his husband began to explore, tasting every inch of his mouth, sucking at his tongue and upper lip, nipping lightly on his lower one.
Neither of them noticed as the world around them began to shift into shades of gray. They were too wrapped up in one another, the taste of the other's mouth, the smell of their skin and sweat mixing tantalizingly in their noses, feeding their lust for one another.
It wasn't until they pulled away for air that they realized that everything was almost pitch black. They could barely see one another in front of their faces, and they took another shuddering breath, realizing what was about to happen.
Blaine spoke first. "I love you, Kurt," he said, bringing his soulmate's wrist to his lips for one last gentle kiss. "I've always loved you, and I'll always love you. I don't know what's next for us, but I know that I love you. Fearlessly and forever."
Kurt let out a shuddery breath, raising Blaine's wrist to his lips for one last light kiss to his soulmark. "I love you, too," he breathed, never letting go of his soulmate's hand. "I've always loved you, and somehow I know that we're destined to love again. Like you said, fearlessly and fore-"
For a moment there was silence, complete blackness. Then, everything was bright, and they were holding hands in some great gray abyss. They blinked in confusion, all their past adventures and everything they knew slowly coming back to them.
Then, Kurt asked, "What just happened? We were young and in love, and now, we're here."
"Your book," Blaine answered, staring at Kurt's mouth. "We were in your book, and then…"
Without another word, they leapt at one another, mouths colliding in a spectacular kiss, a kiss full of passion, love, and lust. They couldn't stop. They felt an insatiable need to have their mouths on one another, a need they didn't fully understand.
There was silence for several minutes before a voice somewhere nearby said, "You know… There's a place you can go…"
And, before they knew it, they were off on another grand adventure.