A/N: Here we are, the final chapter. I'm honestly speechless. It's been a good, long run, and I'm very happy to hear how much some of you enjoyed this little fic of mine. Really. Thank you much to everyone who has supported me with this, especially those of you who have been around since the beginning. I hope you enjoy your final chapter.

Oh, right, two more important things: I will be continuing to write Hetalia fanfiction. Please be on the lookout for more things about these two dorks! I do plan on churning out more AU's and such. Also, I created a sideblog on Tumblr for fanfiction-related thing only. Find me under "celestialclusters"!

It was hard. It was one of the most difficult things Alfred had ever done. The bullying he used to endure felt completely different from this kind of pain. It seemed to radiate from the pits of his stomach and burn into his bones, sucking the warmth out of his skin and leaving him cold. Arthur's absence was like a rock settled in his guts and he honestly did not feel cheerful that much anymore. He had tried to be happy for Arthur, he really did, but the loneliness was flooding back and some days it was nearly overwhelming.

School was a bit different than it used to be. In a warped sort of way it wasn't quite that far off from what he used to have, because he still felt lonely and he still didn't really have friends, despite looking different than before. Now he didn't have Arthur around and things felt like they were before they had met, just with less bullying. People didn't really bother him too much since he had started growing. His height may have become a bit intimidating. And despite being different physically, it didn't magically change the outlook people had of him. People still…well…pretty much labeled him as a dork. Or a nerd. Or whatever else, really, but at least no one was smacking him around anymore. But it was a bit depressing when he thought about it. He had been hoping people would actually start talking to him once he changed, but that wasn't the case. Every now and again a few classmates would converse with him, but it wasn't something he had wanted. He had dreamed of huge, tremendous differences, and they were just that. Dreams.

He missed Arthur.

Arthur talked to him every day but it didn't feel the same. The text messages didn't feel right. The phone calls felt so out of place. Really, the only thing that made it all settle down and made him feel like nothing changed at all was when he and Arthur did video calls. He got to hear Arthur's voice and see his face and just watch him talk and it was almost as if Arthur was still right there beside him, and suddenly the distance didn't seem to matter so much anymore. For a little while it was like things had never changed, and he felt happy again.

They did a lot of calls, really. Some nights it was them and others. Kiku sometimes would join in, or Scott, or Allen from his office, and on the rare occasion, all of them managed to get a conference going and chat. It was extremely uncommon, but when it did happen, it was always wonderful.

But most of the time, the calls were between just the two of them. Arthur would usually wait for Kiku to go out somewhere, usually to get something to eat or to hang out with one of his buddies down the hall, and then would call Alfred. They would talk for hours and things, for a while, felt normal again.

"I miss you so much," Alfred had whispered one quiet Friday night, sitting in his bed with his laptop on his thighs. He studied Arthur's beautiful green eyes, watching the teen smile sadly at him through a screen that was just in the way.

"I want to kiss you." Arthur's voice was soft as he kept his back pressed to one wall as he was settled on the mattress of his bed, inside the cozy space of his dorm room, currently alone.

He swallowed as he stared at his boyfriend's face. Alfred looked so different these days. He seemed to finally be done growing. He barely even looked like the same person anymore. Time had changed him.

"I want to see you." Alfred's blue eyes were half-lidded now.

"I want to touch you." Arthur's voice dropped suddenly and he heard a sharp inhale emit from Alfred's lips. He watched Alfred's cheeks bloom a soft pink and watched the Adam's apple shift in his throat as he swallowed.

He wanted to touch the boy so badly. He wanted to feel Alfred's flesh under the brush of his fingers, the way the skin felt so hot underneath his hands. He wanted to run his fingers through that soft blonde hair, trail them over the expanse of Alfred's broad back and down his front and just feel his body underneath his hands.

When was the last time they had touched, even the slightest of physical contact? Several weeks, at the minimum, but it felt like it had been months and maybe even years since they had been near each other.

Arthur studied the teen's face for a long moment in silence, watching those blue eyes stare back at him. His hair was still that same stupid mess it always was, combed down but still flared up in a cowlick on one side of his head. But besides those two things, the man looked different. His face had thinned. His jawline was powerful and square. It was not the same small, chubby boy he had met so long ago.

And it had been surprising when he had come home on vacation and ran into Alfred, only to find that the teen had changed far more physically than he had been expecting. Alfred had grown taller than him by several inches. His height had mirrored Scott's perfectly and it had honestly blown Arthur away to see the boy suddenly so tall. Suddenly it was Alfred having to bend over to kiss him now. Suddenly he had to stand on his tiptoes and yank down Alfred's skull to kiss him on the lips and it was something that was going to take forever to get used to. Suddenly Alfred was bigger than him, with big broad shoulders and thick arms and legs and a chest and stomach that was hard with pure muscle when Arthur pressed against him and ran his hands down his front and it made his mouth go completely dry.

The last time he had seen Alfred they had met with a kiss so harsh their teeth clashed and their hands just fisted into each other's shirts, pulling and yanking and touching. Arthur's voice was a gasp in between breathless pants and bruising kisses. 'Fuck, I missed you', he practically snarled as he fumbled, grabbing at Alfred's mop of blonde hair and plunging his tongue deep into his mouth as the teen's knees drooped lifelessly.

"I need you." Arthur was starting to crack. His eyes were glazing over as he breathed, his cheeks warming a little, his voice growing low and rough and Alfred felt himself swallowing roughly. "I want to touch you so bad. I want you here."

Typically, things didn't dissolve into this. They usually just spent time talking. Every now and again the two of them slowly crumbled from lack of contact, and it slowly wore down into this type of situation. It wasn't always Arthur, either, that collapsed. Sometimes it was Alfred who was suddenly begging to be loved, to be touched or held or kissed somehow. Sometimes he would start crying about it and Arthur would have to build him back up. And other times he would just beg until Arthur started mumbling words that were filthy and made him turn scarlet and sometimes the contact was just too much for him to fight against.

And now, after not seeing one another in person for at least two months, the lack of contact grew mind-numbing. They had gotten so used to being in each other's company constantly that it grew so hard to be apart.

"I want to see you." Alfred's voice was desperate all of a sudden as he watched Arthur tug his shirt over his head and toss it carelessly over the edge of the bed. His eyes were watering pathetically as he unbuttoned his shirt, mimicking Arthur. "I miss you so much, I just… I…"

"I know. Me too," Arthur whispered, his fingers toying with the necklace resting against his freckled chest. In all the time they had been together, Alfred had never seen Arthur take it off. Not once. His voice sounded hoarse. "Me too."

The first year was so hard. They went through times like these and it seemed like the longer they spent apart, the more their self-control slowly frayed. Arthur's first few days of summer vacation were nothing more than catching up with Alfred. The kid's eyes finally looked bright and shiny again, just like the ones he had fallen in love with before, and the world finally felt like it was normal once more.

Alfred started to attend the same college. They had gotten a room together in that same dorm, with Kiku as one of their suitemates. He had gotten a scholarship, and Arthur wasn't surprised by it. Alfred had excellent grades and he was highly intelligent. He deserved it. He was happy for the kid, of course he was, but he was even happier to be around him again.

And college flew by quickly.

During his third year of college, and Alfred's second, Arthur took the two of them out for dinner on Valentine's Day. He drove the two of them out to an upscale restaurant deep within the city, dressed in their finest. And Arthur loved to spoil him, he always had, watching Alfred flush the cutest shade of pink when he ran around the side of the car and opened the door for him and held his hand and whispered teasing compliments in the man's ear.

The pocket of Arthur's jacket felt unbearably heavy.

He couldn't keep his head clear during the course of the meal, nor during dessert, and his hands trembled on his silverware as he tried to calm down. He wanted to throw up, honestly, and a few times he was scared he was going to. His palms felt sweaty and he kept wiping them absently on the front of his pants as he tapped a foot. Alfred took notice of his anxiety a few times and leaned across the table, running a warm hand down the sleeve of his jacket.

"You don't look well, are you sure you're alright?"

"I… I'm fine," Arthur had stuttered out, swallowing down another wave of sickness that threatened him. He was nervous, so bloody nervous. He hadn't been this anxious before in his life, probably. Alfred bought into it enough to leave him alone about the whole thing, and Arthur sighed as his palm brushed against the lump in his pocket.

"What if he says no?"

"This was wonderful, Arthur." Alfred was smiling at him, his blonde eyelashes hanging low over those wonderful blue eyes that made Arthur's heart twitch in his chest. His soft lips parted slightly, shyly showing off his white teeth and Arthur wanted to melt down into his seat. "Thank you."

"Why would he say no, Arthur? Don't you love him?"

"It's nothing, really, but you're welcome." Oh, God. Arthur's eyelids fluttered for a second as he tried to keep his mind steady. "I do have one more surprise for you, though."

"With all my heart."

"Really?" Alfred asked, his eyes staring back at Arthur now, wider and more alert. Curiosity swam in those wonderful blue irises and Arthur's stomach did a brutal flip deep inside of him.

"And he loves you back the same way."

Arthur suddenly stood up onto shaky legs and made his way around to Alfred's side of the table. And for a moment, Alfred just stared at him in a puzzled manner, and then suddenly Arthur was sinking down on one knee in front of him and—

Alfred's eyes widened, suddenly glazing over with unshed tears as Arthur gently held onto his hand, thumb grazing the back, fingertips nestling underneath Alfred's digits. Arthur looked up at him with those bright green eyes, framed by those soft brown freckles, and suddenly his face was going a gentle shade of red, shyly smiling up at Alfred.

"I can't believe it's been almost three years since I first went out with you," Arthur breathed, his voice soft. He felt eyes of other diners watching his every move. Alfred stared mutely down at him, speechless, his mouth open slightly and tears swimming in his eyes. "It's been a long, bumpy road, but I'm glad I was able to go through it with you, Alfred. And I know I'm not good with words, but I… I love you. I love you more than anything in this entire world."

"Arthur, I…" Alfred's voice died in his throat. Words failed him. He watched Arthur nervously fumble around for a second and remove a small black box from the depths of his jacket. And suddenly Arthur was looking back up at him, showing nervous smiles and bright, warm eyes.

"Alfred Frederick Jones, will you marry me?"

It was gorgeous. Alfred's mouth went dry, his hands shaking, tears suddenly spilling out of him and rolling like rain down his cheeks. A weak sob passed his lips. It was silver, beautifully twinkling under the soft glow of lights of the restaurant. It was a medium thickness, not too thin and not grossly wide either, studded with small diamonds around the band and the most stunning sapphire Alfred had ever seen was wedged dead center. Blue, blue like his eyes, Arthur had always told him, blue like oceans and skies and the eyes he never wanted to look away from again.

"Yes," Alfred breathed almost instantly, struggling to find his voice again. He was choking on his sobs, but he was smiling so wide, his eyes crinkling shut as he grinned and cried and bobbed his head. "Of course I will."

There was suddenly cheering in his ears. Arthur's fingers were cold as they always were, fumbling against him, sliding that wonderful piece of jewelry onto his finger. And then Arthur was rising again, threading those thin fingers deep into his hair, kissing him passionately and it sucked the air clean from Alfred's lungs. He kissed the man in return, tears still freely dribbling over his cheeks and down his chin and he buried his fingers into the back of Arthur's jacket, those fingers settling against his skull and—

And, really, Alfred never felt happier.

"What's this?" Arthur asked as the chain was fastened about the base of his neck. The silver was cold against his skin. A hand brushed the nape of his neck and fluffed out a bit of hair from underneath the jewelry. He fumbled around and took the small cross-shaped charm into his chubby fingers before he looked up, brow knitting in confusion. "Scotty, this is yours."

"Nah. It's yours now, Arthur."

"But you always wear it! I've never seen you take it off, never ever." Arthur was suddenly trying to pull the necklace over his head, only to pause as a strong hand, pale and freckled, encircled about his wrist, ceasing his movement. Arthur visibly pouted up at his sibling, green meeting green. "Scotty, this isn't mine!"

"I'm giving it to you."

"But why?" Arthur asked, head cocking sideways as he went back to playing with it. "You said it was special. And you never take it off. Why are you givin' it to me?"

"It is special. It's very special." Scott squatted down before him, tangling his fingers into Arthur's mop of red hair, pushing the fringe out of his eyes. Those same bright eyes everyone else had. Green and free. "See, it's kinda like a game. Grandpa gave that to mom, and then she gave it to me, so now I'm gonna give it to you. But you gotta take good care of it because it's apparently supposed to make you lucky."

"I thought lucky was rabbit feet and four leaf clovers and horseshoes?"

"I'm just telling you what grandpa told me. It might be, it might not be. But either way it's good to take care of it because it's a present, and that means someone loves you, yeah?" Scott was suddenly grinning, the ugly splotch of purple on his cheek stretching with his smile. "It might be lucky, though. I mean, I'm so lucky that I get to have you around all the time."

"Oh! Then, then," Arthur started, suddenly wrapping little arms about the teenager's neck, squeezing him in a hug. "Then I'm lucky too, because I have Scotty!"

"You sure do," he laughed, wrapping an arm loosely about the tiny curve of Arthur's back. After a moment he was sitting on the floor and Arthur happily clambered into his lap, leaning over one thigh and digging through the sum of storybooks that were scattered on the carpet. Arthur thrust one at him and he rolled his eyes, settling back. "This one again?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I really like this one." Arthur's chubby fingers fiddled with the chain around his neck absently. He didn't seem to take notice of the teen's sarcasm. "Scotty?"

"Yeah?" he mumbled, working on prying the book open and making himself a bit more comfortable. He blinked in surprise as Arthur's head swiveled around to look at him.

"I'll take care of it, and I won't lose, and I'll wear it all the time just like you did, and then I'll be really lucky!" Arthur grinned up at him suddenly, showing off a smile so big and happy even though a few of his baby teeth were missing. "Maybe I'll get super duper lucky and daddy won't hurt you anymore."

"…Yeah. Maybe."

When he was nervous he had a tendency to fidget with it. He hadn't really thought about how long he had been doing that until he pondered those old days. And he had fidgeted when he told Alex, and William, and Allen, and Kiku, and everyone else about how he had proposed to Alfred. But nothing made him squirm more than when he told Scott.

"When do you plan on getting married?"

"I don't know. October, maybe."

"That'd be nice." The smile he received with that comment made his insides warm a little. "You could probably get some nice photos outside since the leaves will be changing. Have you guys talked about a theme?"

"Ah… No, not quite." A tiny bit of a smile crossed his lips as he twirled the chain between his fingers. "We, um, actually wanted to hear your opinion first."

"What? Me?" Scott was frowning at him in a puzzled manner now, one large red eyebrow quirked. "Why? It's your wedding."

"You don't get it. I want you to be my best man in the wedding, you dolt."

The redhead blinked at him once, then twice, and then his eyes were suddenly welling up with tears. "Really?"

"What do you mean 'really', Scott, oh my god," Arthur answered, rubbing a hand across the man's back. "Why the hell wouldn't I ask you? I couldn't think of anyone better suited for the job."

And then suddenly they were formulating plans and making phone calls and making booklets full of designs and sending out invitations. It was an early day in October, with gentle breezes and half-naked trees, leaves stained red and orange and brown. He wore a tuxedo colored a deep, rich black, his necktie and handkerchief a soothing shade of purple. His shoes were shined and he had smoothed out his hair the best he could, no matter how badly it fought back against him.

Alfred looked amazing. The black fabric of his tuxedo hugged his frame in all the most perfect of ways, complemented by the silver of his necktie that made his eyes look like they were glowing behind those thin, square-framed glasses of his. His cheeks had that soft pink hue to them, shyly gazing at Arthur from underneath long blonde eyelashes, his teeth sparkling as he smiled. His hands were warm, hot, soft, as they brushed skin against skin, rings slipping onto fingers, and watery voices suddenly speaking out as clear as they could manage.

"I do."

Alfred was the first to crack, tears starting to roll freely down his cheeks, and Arthur did not take long to follow him, grabbing the man by the collar of his tuxedo as he desperately hoisted himself up and onto the tips of his toes, placing a kiss onto those sweet lips that were all for him.

Arthur hadn't really expected Scott to start blubbering, but he had, clean-shaven with tears running freely down his face as he gave Arthur the biggest hug he could when he actually received the chance.

Alfred and Arthur cut their cake and wound up smashing a few pieces in each other's face, dissolving into hysterical laughter as they scrubbed themselves down with napkins and whispered sickeningly sweet words into each other's ears. They couldn't dance well, neither of them could, and yet there they were, hands gripping at waists and heads nuzzled into the crooks of shoulders and it honestly felt like a part of them had died because this was, really, too good to be reality.

They were unaccustomed to photographs; both of them were, as it had not been a common phenomenon in either household that they lived in growing up. And yet here they were, posing and touching and whispering. It didn't even feel like they were being photographed. It felt natural. It just felt like they were there just to love each other, spend time together, and, well, in a way it was.

Kiku wasn't too shabby with a camera. He actually got some amazing shots and Arthur had to admit, he was rather impressed. Some of those pictures were downright gorgeous. And he planned on getting a large chunk of them developed. He'd probably cave and get a few wallet sizes developed too to keep with him; it could give him something to look at if he was feeling down.

And besides the pictures of him and Alfred, there was one more he felt really attached to.

It hadn't been planned, but Kiku caught it, somehow. Arthur and Scott had moved to one side at some point and were talking, standing side by side, eyes staring out at something, as if watching the guests. And for a split second they made eye contact, Arthur's face and eyes warming in a smile. But it was Scott that made him love that picture. For a split second his brother's face erupted into a grin that was big and bright enough to blind him, an actual smile that Arthur had not seen since he was very small.

And that was a memory he didn't ever want to forget.

Ivan had been the first they saw. He and Alfred talked the most, and Arthur mainly listened, watching with a warm heart. The fact that Ivan was a meager inch taller than Alfred baffled him. Ivan's accent was still present but his English was perfect, and he spent time conversing with Alfred about work – he was employed in a job in the international relations field – and what else he was doing. It was nice, honestly, to hear what he had been up to.

But the first thing that came out of Arthur's mouth had been one simple sentence.

"Good lord, you need a haircut."

It fell right out of him as he stood there inside his high school gymnasium. He had been standing around with Alfred, the pair dressed nicely – Arthur had pushed them into both wearing a suit, despite Alfred's whining about it – and were just pausing every now and again to talk to people. And then, as he had been helping Alfred redo the knot in his necktie, and lecture him as he wiped crumbs off the front of his shirt, he had felt a tap on his shoulder that made him turn around.

Francis stood behind him, and Arthur could automatically tell by the face. His hair had grown out quite a bit, tied back into a messy bun that left several strands of blonde falling over his ears or into his face. His face was a bit scruffier, marked with that same shade of golden hair. His eyes did not appear to be any different than Arthur remembered, though, and when the man opened his mouth to speak he knew he was talking to the right person. That annoying accent was still something that grated violently on his nerves.

"Good to see you, too," Francis greeted him sarcastically, rolling his eyes slightly as he studied Arthur's face. "I can see you haven't changed a bit besides your mouth getting a bit more lax."

Francis paused for a moment, seeming to take notice of Alfred now. He was silent for a long period, just staring at him, watching as Arthur helping straighten out his tie, mumbling something that he could not quite hear. And then, finally, the Frenchman drew closer.

"Alfred?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice and on his face as he bridged the gap. "I didn't even recognize you."

Oh. Right. Arthur had forgotten how long it had been since anyone had seen the two of them. Once he graduated, everyone else got out the same year. Alfred had been the youngest of the pack, so after Arthur's old friends graduated, they hadn't seen Alfred at all since then.

And fifteen years, well, that's a long time.

Alfred shyly picked his head up. He may have been just over six feet tall, but his bashfulness and partial socially awkward behavior was still something he carried with him. His physical changes had not altered his heart, or his personality, and it seemed like the only person who was bleeding out confidence was Arthur.

However, Arthur actually felt his insides warm a bit with pride. Francis was actually marveling at the guy, looking puzzled and amazed all at once.

Clearly, the fact his husband had grown hot as hell since they graduated high school was a bit obvious now.

"You look fantastic," Francis complemented honestly, smiling up at him for a moment before he let his eyes wander back over to Arthur. He sipped at his drink calmly. "You don't look like you've changed at all, besides a bit more tiredness about your eyes."

"Did Antonio come here with you?" Arthur asked, noticeably avoiding Francis's comment, mainly because he wasn't sure whether to feel complimented or insulted. Francis, to his surprise, bobbed his head. "Really?"

"Mm. His apartment is only a few blocks away from mine presently. We came here together. Made the trip easier." Francis's blue eyes sparkled. "So? What have you been up to?"

"You first," Arthur quickly replied.

"Of course." Francis rolled his eyes before rolling his thin shoulders in a shrug. Arthur frowned internally as he noticed that Francis seemed taller than him. He wasn't sure if it was the heels on those boots of his or not. He hoped so. "Well, as I said, Antonio and I still keep in touch. I haven't heard from Gilbert since we graduated, though, so I'm not sure what he's been up to. But, either way, it shouldn't matter. I'm currently working as a fashion photographer, but I'm sure you expected something like that, yes?"

"He's actually pretty good. He's starting to get noticed big time for it," Antonio commented, suddenly popping up behind Francis, holding a glass in one tanned hand. His skin looked a bit more tan than Arthur remembered, and his dark hair was pulled back into a very small ponytail. His smile glittered, like it always had, framed by white teeth as he let a hand rest against the front of his vest, motioning to himself. "I do marketing, but, that's sort of taking a backseat now since Francis is trying to wrangle me onto the team for modeling or something like that."

"You guys seeing anyone?" Arthur had nodded before he asked this question to show he was paying attention. He was honestly curious.

Antonio fessed up that he had a crush on this woman at his job, and Francis mentioned he had just started going out with a girl not too long ago. Suddenly the duo were exchanging looks at one another before they both let their eyes settle on Arthur, their expressions turning nearly feline, and Arthur vaguely felt a bead of sweat roll down his face in anxiety.

"What about you?" Francis finally asked, letting his eyes roam over Arthur before trailing hintingly over Alfred's strong face. "Both of you."

"I, um. I do social work," Arthur replied, suddenly feeling nervous talking about himself like this. "Help kids out and stuff like that when they need it, try to make their situations a bit better."

Because honestly, he knew what it was like to suffer.

"Aerospace engineering," Alfred finally said, speaking for the first time now. He looked a bit bashful, not one to try to brag about himself or his accomplishments. "I, um, design things for NASA and stuff like that, I guess you could say."

Arthur had to admit to himself, his chest actually did feel a bit swollen in pride at the impressed looks on the other two faces staring back at them.

"I'm assuming you two are still together," Antonio suddenly said, breaking the silence, smiling still, and Arthur's face suddenly started to warm as he suddenly held up a hand, showing off the wedding ring sitting on one thin finger. Instantly, a baffled look crossed Francis's and Antonio's faces. "No way! How long?"

"About twelve years," Arthur said sheepishly.

"That's good." Antonio chuckled softly somewhere in the back of his throat. "I'm glad to see you two love each other as much now as you did then."

"…Yeah. Me too," Arthur answered, starting to blush. He went digging in his pocket for his wallet and at last extracted two tattered photographs from the inside of it, handing them both over to the waiting duo.

The first was one of their wedding photos. His hand was wrapped tightly into Alfred's, the both of them wearing those beautiful tuxedos, Arthur's head nuzzled into the crook of Alfred's enormous shoulder. Arthur vaguely felt himself starting to blush again when the two began to compliment them, telling them how cute they looked.

And the second, well…

"Scott looks like a different person in this picture," Francis commented.

And perhaps he did. At the wedding he had chopped his hair off again, leaving it short and red and wild, and had shaved and cleaned up so nicely Arthur was blown away by it. But he knew what Francis was really talking about. He was staring at Scott's smile, taking in his straight teeth and the way his face stretched and his green eyes sparkled. It had lasted for only a moment back then, and Arthur count only count his blessings for Kiku – Arthur and Alfred both actively kept in contact with him – capturing that photograph.

But, well, even if it made Scott look different, that wasn't the brother he had anymore, because honestly, time changed people, and Arthur count finally say he was lucky enough to see Scott smile again. He got to see Scott be happy again. He got to have his big brother back.

That was the second-luckiest thing that had happened to him in his life. And the first, well… Arthur's hand absently brushed against Alfred's, threading their fingers together.

"I'm glad you're happy." Antonio handed him back the pictures, his face warm. "Both of you."

"As am I," Francis agreed, giving Arthur a smile that showed no teeth but held plenty of emotion. And Arthur honestly took it as genuine, for once in his life. All of it.

But he suddenly found himself laughing as he stood there, holding Alfred's hand, standing in the middle of his high school gym fifteen years after he graduated, because, honestly, he was happy.

And perhaps he was the luckiest man on this earth, because he had everything he wanted.

Like It or Not: End.