Epilogue
Qiang’s POV
Qi’s arms are tight around me and pulling me so hard against him that my face is crushed against his chest. When he finally lets me go, there’ll be a makeup imprint on his shirt.
“You’re not allowed to forget me,” he murmurs, very tearfully and very irrationally, against me, with a sniffle.
“You are being absolutely ridiculous. With Marcus’s schedule, I’m gonna be back up here for visits so often that you’ll get sick of me,” I remind him drolly.
“Promise?” he asks for the thousandth time.
“Of course, Qi. You’re still my favorite person,” I remind him.
“If that were true, then you wouldn’t be leaving me for that sibling-stealer,” Qi laments dramatically, and I can’t help the snort of amusement that escapes me.
Qi absolutely adores Marcus; he’s just not happy that we’re moving.
It’s still something I’m getting used to as well.
I mean, Marcus and I had talked about this often and had detailed all the different outcomes that could result from him declaring for the draft after his fourth college season ended.
He’d trained endlessly, constantly, from the moment he’d declared until the draft in April. It became so integral in our lives that it was surreal when it finally came to the draft announcements.
Marcus had been invited to the draft green room but declined, opting to stay home with our families, all gathered here with him.
Evidently, getting that invite spoke volumes about Marcus’s expected prospects of getting picked, but it wasn’t really until the camera crew showed up at the house that everything started to hit. And then Marcus got the call just moments before they announced his name on TV.
I almost missed the TV announcement, though, because as soon as we’d heard he’d been drafted through his speakerphone, I was immediately crushed between Marcus’s arms around me and Darryl crashing on the other side of me to get to Marcus.
Several cries of Marcus getting to live the dream for both of them spilled from Darryl’s mouth while I struggled to breathe between them.
Despite how buried I was between them, I still didn’t miss the pain that flashed through Fei’s eyes at Darryl’s reaction.
There’s never going to be a time when he’ll stop blaming himself for Darryl’s career-ending injury.
Honestly, if I were in his shoes, I don’t know if I’d ever be able to let go of that kind of blame either.
There were so many tears shed and congratulations from everyone in the house, including all of our parents who were there, well, except for Fei’s and Darryl’s. Marcus found the South Carolina hat and threw it on for the cameras before pulling me in for a soul-altering kiss.
The following morning, an over-the-top bouquet showed up at the house from Kingston Adair, of all people, with a congratulatory card that sounded more sincere than I would have imagined after their rather hostile clashes over football years ago.
Marcus,
After years of heavy reflection and consideration,
I realize no one deserves this more than you.
From the bottom of my heart,
I wish you congratulations.
Thank you for everything you've done for me,
and I'm so happy to know you and Qiang are still together.
Respectfully and humbly,
Kingston Adair.
I guess in a rudimentary way, it makes sense. I know Cade has been keeping tabs on Kingston and sending Marcus random updates. I think at first it was to make sure he didn’t follow in his dad’s footsteps, but over time it became a little deeper than that.
Especially since Cade and Kingston seem to have struck up an actual friendship since then as well. At first, I’d thought it was all about business prospects, but even several years later, I know the two of them are still close. I think it helps that their spouses are best friends, too.
Later that day, Marcus flew out to the team’s headquarters.
He’s made a brief appearance back home to pack heavier bags, and I’ve flown out there twice to accompany him for some special sponsor events, but now that he’s on a summer break, I’m joining him to find a more permanent home, and I’m staying this time.
Despite his tears, I know Qi is happy for me and for Marcus.
He’s been one of our most avid cheerleaders from the beginning.
It’s such a stark contrast from how he was with Kingston, but then again, Kingston and I were never gonna fit.
Even if all the stars aligned, I was hiding too many layers of myself, even when I thought we were at our strongest, for that to have ever worked. The foundation was a lie.
With Marcus, all of my layers, especially my ugliest ones, were out there for him to see, and he fell in love with me anyway.
There’s nothing hidden there, just safe spaces for us to be our truest selves and know the other wholeheartedly accepts us.
We fit so perfectly that even though I tried with everything I had to deny my feelings for him and to destroy any semblance of a chance with him, we ended up here together anyway.
“Come on, Qi. You know they’ll be around all the time. Qiang can’t stand to be away from their favorite baby brother any more than Marcus can keep away from my handsome mug for too long,” Darryl winks, throwing his arms over both of us.
I roll my eyes at the huge guy, remembering the many sides of him I’ve seen and the hellacious journey he’s been on. Even though his natural goofy teddy bear is most often on the surface, there are also the haunts of lost dreams and hurts that, although soothed, will never fully heal.
I give everyone a final hug. Qi’s three best friends that he’s had since grade school, Paxton, Owen, and Fei, and then Tristan and Darryl. How we all fit in one house, I’ll never know, but it’s been a wild few years.
I turn back towards Qi. “It’s time,” I remind him, and his mouth cracks into a wide, albeit watery, smile.
“Time for the next phase. A little further this time, but no less accessible, right?” he says musingly, and I smile in response.
“Exactly. Love you,” I tell him, and he leans in for a final hug.
“Love you, and Qiang?” he whispers before pulling away and looking me in the eye. “Just wanted to remind you that you’re the best sibling ever!”
And with those simple words, it’s like a reel of our best moments playing in my head.
From playing as children to crying over broken toys, to growing up and our relationship shaping into something deeper.
Late-night talks, Qi discovering my makeup obsession, and being nothing but supportive.
The many conversations shared over boyfriends, girlfriends, discovering sexuality and gender, and not to mention the protectiveness when anyone hurt us.
My baby brother and absolute best friend wrapped up into one person.
I reach up and run my thumb across his tear-stained cheek. “Back at you, Qi.” I give him one final smile before hoisting my carry-on over my shoulder and heading towards the security check to start the next phase of my life.
I’d never been on a plane until earlier this summer.
Now this is my third trip. Still not sure how I feel about it.
In many respects, it’s new and a bit fun because of that newness.
There are so many types of people hustling here and there that the judgy looks I’m used to getting in larger crowds are almost non-existent.
Obviously, I still get some; I always will, with how ridiculous societal standards are, and humans en masse can’t seem to survive without them.
But there’s such an overflow of to-and-fro with melding cultures and a sense of rushing to the next spot that I simply get lost in the crowd more than stand out in it, which, honestly, is a bit nice.
However, the cramped seats and weird things the cabin pressure does to my ears, not so much. Luckily, it’s not a long flight, and I don’t have to make any changeovers.
It’s just a few short hours before I’m jostling my way out of the terminal. There are so many people that it takes me a minute before I find my favorite pair of obsidian eyes in the crowd. I still just for a moment, taking him in.
His face is scanning the area, his eyes wide with anticipation, a serious expression on his face as he searches for me. But when his eyes finally meet mine, that serious expression disappears behind the dazzling rays of his sunshine smile.
He takes a step towards me, and then another, before my feet finally break loose from the daze his smile had left me in, and I make a mad dash straight into his arms.
I have no idea what life is gonna have in store for us moving forward, but I know as long as his arms are around me, we’ll figure it out, and I’m so fucking excited for that!
Marcus’s POV
A couple of weeks later
There are a million ways I’d imagine my future happiness, but none of them had ever been this perfect.
Qiang is standing against the balcony railing that’s just off our bedroom.
Their hair sways in the breeze, and I can hear the distant waves lapping against the shore.
And just knowing this is ours, this moment, this life, this path, it belongs to us.
“What are you thinking?” I murmur into Qiang’s ear, wrapping my arms around them from behind and leaning in to kiss the side of their neck.
I can feel Qiang smile against me, the quiet way they lean into me that tells me there’s nowhere else they’d rather be.
“How much I love the smell of the ocean,” they respond quietly, peacefully, contentedly. All the words I hoped would someday be able to encompass them does now.
Even years later, Qiang still has rough patches.
I think we’ve all realized that’s just always going to be a part of them now.
But they’ve worked so hard on their coping mechanisms and on changing their line of thought more quickly to combat the worst of it.
There’s a tranquility and a happiness in them now, something that isn’t so completely marred by the ugly things that happened to them when they were younger.