A/N: Hello again everyone! Sadly, we have officially reached the finish line of this story.

Before we get into the final chapter, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone that has read this story. I also want to take a moment to give a huge thank you to thank winterschild11, annabellex2, RainbowDiamonds, Guest, and Side1ways for constantly reviewing and taking the time to share your thoughts! I've loved hearing your thoughts and you all have made this so worth it. I love you all so much.

I hope you all enjoy!

I woke up a few mornings later and smiled as I stretched, feeling sore from a long night of sex but loving it. A grayish light shone through the window in Kendall's room, and thunder rolled in the distance. Knowing it was rainy and gloomy outside just made me want to lay in bed even longer and be lazy.

But then I stretched my arm toward Kendall and only felt a cool mattress. I looked at the digital clock on his nightstand and saw that it was seven in the morning. He wasn't working out today, so he didn't have to be up early. And Kendall was the kind of guy that liked to sleep.

Suddenly, the thought of staying in bed was no longer appealing, and I got up. Spotting my discarded pants on the floor, I pulled them on before leaving his room and going down the hall.

Before I reached the living room, I heard him talking.

"I don't really give a fuck what you want, Jett." Kendall growled into the phone. "I'm not signing those damn papers just so you can smear my name and talk about how I liked to fuck." A pause followed before he said, "Too bad. I don't condone you writing a book about us." Another pause. "Oh? So you were fucking other closeted guys too? Wow. You're a real piece of work, Jett."

Not wanting him to think I was purposefully eavesdropping, I moved into his line of sight and went toward the coffee machine. When we made eye contact, I gave him a tight lipped smile.

"I don't care if the other guys signed the release forms." Kendall continued, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Chapter nine will just have to be cut out of your book."

After he hung up the phone, he stood up and came up behind me, wrapping his arms around me and resting his head on my shoulder.

"You were chapter nine, huh?" I asked, closing the lid on the machine before hitting start. "How many chapters are there?"

"Twenty." He answered, not moving from his spot on me. "And yep, before you ask, it's a different guy per chapter."

I turned in his arms to face him and looked into his eyes. "Are you okay?"

He nodded and smoothed his thumb along my unshaven jaw. "I need to tell you something."

Damn. My stomach coiled. His words seemed like the equivalent of we need to talk, which anyone in a relationship knows meant something huge was about to go down.

"Okay." I said, leaning against the counter and crossing my arms. It was a defense mechanism I'd picked up over the years to put some distance between me and the person confronting me.

"I got offered three more years." Kendall said, cutting right to it. He stood a few feet from me and ran a hand through his hair in that nervous way he did.

Not again.

Things had been going so great between us and we'd made plans for the near future. Plans that didn't involve him being gone for half the year. For three more years. Once again, those plans we'd made would be thrown out the window.

However… it wasn't about me. His passion was hockey and his dream career was to play it professionally. What kind of fiance would I be if I denied him that? Sure, we'd have to postpone certain plans, but life was made up of unexpected moments that made you switch things up.

"Congrats!" I leapt forward and threw my arms around neck. He gave a surprised grunt as he returned my embrace. "I'm happy for you, Ken."

And I honestly was. Beneath the slight disappointment and shock of the news, I was happy for him. Because I knew how much he wanted it. We could make it work.

"I told them no." Kendall said, leaning back to look at me. "As much as I love playing hockey, I love you more, Jay. I let go of you once for my career, and I won't make that same mistake again."

He pressed his head to mine and hugged my waist tighter. We kissed then, and conflicting emotions went through me. Happiness that he said no, but also heaviness in my gut because I felt he'd regret that decision. It was the same struggle I'd faced the day I broke up with him.

I snuggled more against him, finding my favorite spot to rest in the crook of his neck.

"Is that what you want, though?" I asked. "I don't want you giving up your dream for me."

I could handle a lot of things in life, but having Kendall mad at me for something so selfish was not one of them. I refused to crush his dreams.

"I'm not doing it for you." Kendall answered before kissing my forehead. "I'm doing it because I can't wait to go home with you and start building the life we've always talked about. The life that you selflessly gave up so that I could live my dream." He continued with a smile. "I'm excited about coaching the high school guys and getting to know the kids better, but most importantly, I can't wait to spend every day with you. That's what I want. To love you with everything I have until my heart stops beating."

"You should put that in your vows." I said, trying my best to hold back the emotions that were threatening to spill over.

Kendall flashed his heart melting-boner inducing and probably panty dropping too-smile. "I still say we should go all Romeo and Juliet on that shit."

"And do what? Drink poison and stab ourselves at the altar?"

He laughed. "Just the romantic part of it."

I groaned and buried my face in his neck. "You do know that's a tragedy, right? Pretty sure we've already been over this. A million times."

He glided his hand up and down my spine before resting it on my lower back. Leaning closer, he whispered in my ear, "It's a romance."

I playfully shoved his chest and backed up. "You're delusional."

"And you're adorkable." He countered, striding forward and pulled me back against him.

Our lips were inches apart as he stared into my eyes.

When it came to true love, fate, and happily ever after, I'd been a skeptic. Kendall was the exception to it all. He'd made me believe in soulmates. That there was one person in the world that completed you, like a puzzle finding its missing piece.

"Honestly, I don't care if we have a Romeo and Juliet wedding, or if we get married down at the courthouse." I said, staring into the green depths of his eyes and feeling myself get lost in his gaze. "Just as long as you're with me."

Kendall smiled, causing the edges of his eyes to crinkle. So much love shown through those eyes.

"So," He said, running his hand up my side. "Does this mean I need to order a dress instead of a tux? Because I call dibs on Juliet."

I shook my head and looked at him like he'd lost his mind.

But I loved it. The way he made me laugh so easily, the warmth in his eyes as he held me in his arms, and the softness of his voice as he leaned in and whispered in my ear that he loved me. There were so many sides to him. The hockey star, the model, the carefree immature side followed by one with in-depth thoughts and sharp wit, and then the sweet, romantic side that turned even the most disbelieving people-me-into saps.

Our love story was far from a fairy tale, but it was ours. And it was real. I didn't need a knight in shining armor. I just needed a dork with a dimpled smile and whose heart beat on the same frequency as mine.

One Year Later - October

So much had happened in the past year. The closing of one door, but the opening of so many others. My career in pro-hockey was over, and while it had been bittersweet at first, I was ready to turn to the next page in the story of my life. I'd taken the necessary courses in the winter to get my coaching license, and I'd started coaching high school hockey that August.

I loved it even more than I thought I would.

James had gone to most of my games for my last season of playing hockey. I'd stood on the ice with my teammates, hearing the crowd roaring around us, and somewhere in the stands, I knew he was watching. Cheering.

After the games, I'd tugged him to me, kissing him in front of everyone. We'd go out with my teammates afterward and party sometimes, and other times we'd choose to have a nice, quiet dinner out, but we always ended up in the same place. Tangled up in each other in bed.

The Mavericks had a great season, and although we lost some games, we'd also won some. But win or lose, I'd always played my hardest, giving it my all. I had cried after my final game, both afraid to let go of what I knew and excited to move forward.

That's what I loved about life. The unexpected moments that led you from one path and to another.

And now that path was leading me down the aisle to marry the love of my life.

The smell of fall was around us. Which was fitting seeing as we were outside in a meadow, surrounded by trees in the midst of brightly changing leaves of orange, yellow, and red. It had rained the day before, so the air smelled damp and earthy as well as crisp. Someone had their fireplace going nearby, and the scent of wood smoke was carried with the light breeze.

The willow tree-mine and James' tree-was to my right, and its long branches swayed with the wind. We'd wanted the wedding to be small, so only our closest friends and family were in attendance.

Veronica sat in the front row, on my side, with her boyfriend, Raoul. She wore a red gown that looked amazing on her subtly tan complexion and wavy blonde hair. A smoky gray eyeshadow covered her eyelids and made her blue eyes pop like sapphires.

"Don't faint." She mouthed.

I rolled my eyes, but smiled anyway.

With two grooms, it'd been a little tricky to plan the wedding ceremony. Did I come out first, and then him? Vice versa? James and I'd researched how other gay couples had done it, and some had walked out together, from different directions, and then met in the middle. That had seemed like a good idea, but then I asked if he could walk down the aisle toward me.

Yeah, he had then made a quip about being the bride, but I explained to him my reasoning.

"I want you to choose me." I had told him that night, after we'd made love and were holding each other in bed.

"I do choose you, Ken."

"No, I mean...I want you to be the one to walk down the aisle." I said, grazing the tips of my fingers along his shoulder blade. "It's hard to explain, but having you be the one to come to me, and then me taking your hand...I don't know. It sounds stupid, but it's like you're making the choice to be with me. That even after all the heartache I've put you through, you forgive me and want to spend your life with me."

"Don't forget I played a role in all that heartache too." He pointed out, staring up at me with inquisitive eyes. "Are you afraid I'll change my mind?"

I shrugged, swallowing the lump in my throat. He'd hit the nail on the head.

"Okay." He said before kissing my collarbone. "If it eases your mind, I'll be Juliet."

And just like that, the sadness was lifted and we laughed. Just as I hoped we'd spend the rest of our lives laughing.

At the memory, I teared up.

This is it.

More than twenty years of friendship, with seven of those years being filled with regret, and it all came down to this moment. I couldn't see James, but I felt him. I knew his heart was racing just as fast as mine as we waited in anticipation for the moment when he'd walk down the aisle. For the moment when we said our vows. Promises to love each other through thick and thin.

I looked out into the gathering of people, seeing Veronica and Raoul, Dak and Stephanie, and James' parents. Dak gave me a thumbs up, and I gave a nervous smile. Daniel and Joel were there too, along with Joel's parents and Daniel's mom.

Joel and Daniel had graduated last May, so I never got the chance to officially coach them, but James and I still saw them a lot. Both boys were attending University of Arkansas together. Joel was going for computer science and Daniel was taking the classes for a bachelor's degree in organizational leadership while pursuing college hockey, just like I'd done.

Although it was a small wedding, I'd spared no expense. I wanted it to be perfect. Something we'd remember when we were old and gray.

I'd hired a professional decorator who had created a beautiful archway, sitting area, and had made the meadow look like something out of a fantasy movie. I also hired a band, which was playing soothing, classical music. James' favorite. They were on a Bach symphony, when all of a sudden, they ended the song and began playing something entirely different.

An instrumental version of Staind's Tangled Up In You.

James came into view, and the tears I'd worked my ass off at keeping back started to fall anyway.

A cello played the melody of the lyrics as he walked toward me, down the aisle of flower petals and past our friends and family. His dad walked with him, not keeping it together at all as he wiped his eyes.

I smiled and began feeling anxious.

James was so close but still too far away. I needed to touch him. To have him in my arms.

"And who gives this man away?" The wedding officiator asked.

"I do." Tom said. "His father."

I stepped forward and Tom placed James' hand in mine. Finally, I could breathe. I interlocked out fingers, smiling into James' watery hazel eyes, and together, we turned and faced the pastor.

"Friends and loved ones, we are gathered here this day to join Kendall Knight and James Diamond in matrimony." He started in on the beginning of formalities of the ceremony, but all I could focus on was James' hand in mine and the insane rushing of blood through my veins.

It was already the happiest day of my life, and it wasn't even over yet.

"Now, is it correct you two have written your own vows?" The pastor asked. We said yes, and he motioned for us to continue.

James took a deep breath and looked into my eyes. I nodded to encourage him, and he squeezed my hand. Public speaking was an anxiety of his.

"I'd be lying if I said I liked you when we first met." James started The crowd laughed at that, as did I. "You stole my crayon and it caused our first ever fight. But even then, even when we were five, I knew there was something special about you. You became my best friend and from that, we fell in love. You've loved me at my best, and you've loved me at my worst, and I want you to keep on loving me, as I have always loved you."

"Not sure I can top that." I said when it was my turn, which caused another laugh from our friends. "Guess now is probably a weird time to tell you that the reason I stole your crayon in kindergarten was because you were wearing a dinosaur shirt, and I thought you were cool." James chuckled and wiped tears from his eyes. "You're my best friend and always have been. Sorry, Dak."

Dak gave me a shit-eating grin and called out, "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

I looked back at James, gaining strength from the warmth in his eyes. "Through epic battles through Middle Earth to destroy one ring, journeys across the high seas as pirate lords in search of lost treasure, and with every shared laugh, I have fallen madly and stupidly in love with you, James Diamond. I want nothing more than to be yours. Forever."

"Repeat after me." The officiator said before starting the end of the vows.

James asked me to be his, and I said I do. He slid the ring on my finger, and more tears streamed down my face. Fuck, I hated crying in front of people, but I was happy and overcome with that happiness.

Then, I asked him to be mine. And as dumb as it was, my breath hitched in my throat as I waited for him to say those two incredible words.

"I do." James said, slightly trembling as I slid the ring on his finger.

"By the power vested in me by the state of Arkansas, I now pronounce you husband and husband." The pastor said and smiled as he stepped back. "You may now kiss your husband."

James and I locked gazes before I slid my arm around his lower back and pulled him to me.

It was throwing tradition out the window, but I had something to say before sealing the deal. I'd researched Shakespeare quotes the night before, since James and I liked to recite random shit to each other time, and I found one that was fucking perfect for this exact moment.

I stroked his freshly shaven jaw and quoted from the play Cymbeline, "I can express no kinder sign of love, than this kind kiss."

And then I kissed him.

XxX

"Great job today, guys!" I said after hockey practice that Wednesday afternoon. "We're going to kick Charleston's ass on Friday."

"Hell yeah!" Liam cheered before fist bumping another kid named Reese.

The guys went to their lockers and started changing out of their gear. I was still getting used to being on that side of the line, the coach instead of the player. But damn if I didn't love it nearly as much. Seeing the excitement on the boy's faces and seeing their growth as not only athletes but as great kids was just incredible.

"Thanks for everything, Coach Knight." Alexander said once I'd walked out of the boy's locker room. He wasn't officially on the team yet, but he had asked for my help in getting prepared to join next year. "Did you and Mr. Diamond have a good honeymoon?"

"The best." I answered with a smile. My ass was still sore from it, but I was keeping that detail to myself. "Great job out there today, Alex. Keep playing like that and you'll make the team next year for sure."

"Really?" He asked with disbelief.

"Definitely."

Alex smiled and threw his arms around me. "You're awesome!"

I patted him on the back, grinning. He was so shy, but he was one hell of a player. He had no trouble keeping up with the other guys on the ice.

After saying bye to him, I went to my office to get my gym bag before walking out to the parking lot. James had already gone home, since I'd had to stay for after school football practice, and I was eager to get home to him.

I wondered if it'd always be like that. That never-ending desire to have him with me. Probably. I'd heard newlyweds went through that phase, where they constantly fucked and couldn't get enough of each other, but I believed it was less of a newlywed thing and more of a James thing.

It was just him.

It'd always been him.

When I pulled up to the house, I saw him through the kitchen window. I couldn't see what he was doing, but it looked like he was wearing an apron. My sexy little chef. When I first came back to Willow, I would've never thought we'd be here. Happily married and falling more in love each day. But we were.

Dak and Stephanie were staying with us for a while since Dak had insisted on visiting us.

During Dak and I's final year of hockey, James and Dak had spent a lot of time together. "I have to get to know my Best Friend-In Law." Dak had said. As ridiculous as he had been, it made me happy that they both had gotten along and had become so close. Even though Dak sided with James during each and every one of our arguments, the traitor.

I saw Dak and Stephanie walking hand-in-hand down the small stone path James and I had built a few months ago that led from the sunroom and to the terrace in the backyard.

I got out of the car and walking up the porch.

"Honey, I'm home." I said like the goofball I was as I went inside.

"Oh yeah?" James called from the kitchen. "Why don't you come peel these sweet potatoes then, honey?"

Cracking a smile at his smartass mouth, I entered the kitchen. James moved the glasses up his nose as he read something in his recipe book, looking too fucking cute. I hugged him from behind, kissing his shoulder. He smelled like cooking spices and his subtle cologne.

He turned in my arms and kissed my jaw. "About time you got home."

"Feel free to punish me later." I suggested, wiggling my eyebrows.

"Shut up and kiss me." He said before taking a handful of my shirt and drawing me to his chest.

Obeying his command, I kissed him. His soft lips opened to my welcome tongue, and I tasted him like I was an addict and he was my drug of choice. James moaned and snaked his arms around my waist, swirling his tongue with mine.

I would never get tired of kissing him.

With that thought, another thought sprang to existence. Well, more like a memory. One of us as eighteen year old boys, lying together by a lake in the summer. The summer before everything changed between us. James had tasted like banana Laffy Taffy as we'd made out on the grass, beneath the hot sun.

"I think I could spend forever kissing you." I said, staring into his hazel eyes and holding his hips.

At first, James didn't seem to catch on, but then...he did. His features softened and he nuzzled my jaw.

"I think I'd let you." He responded, repeating the exact words he'd said to me all those years ago.

Second chances rarely happened in life. Once something broken, it was hard to pick up the pieces and make it whole again. James and I had been given a second chance, and there was no way in hell I was letting it go to waste. We'd done a lot to fuck it up between us, and yet, we somehow found our way back to each other.

Found our way back home.

Done! You guys know I couldn't end this without giving Kames the happily ever after they deserved. I also couldn't help but throwback to the first chapter to bring things full circle. :)

I'd love to hear your thoughts the chapter, and story in general, as well as if you happened to have any favorite parts/moments!

Once again, thank you all so much for your support! I've loved every second of this. And although I'm sad to see this story end, I'm excited for what next. I love you guys so much, and I hope you all enjoyed this story! :)

-Epically Obsessed