All The More Reason ✔

Epilogue - Always There

Saturday

"Is it okay for Killian to leave?" Senn asked out loud, shaking the magic-8-ball furiously, never breaking eye-contact with his brother.

"You know if that things tells me it's a bad idea, I won't."

Senn shrugged, knowing by now the ball had predicted plenty of things right for the both of them, that they both started believing is was actually a really decent item to ask advice from.

"Well?" Killian asked when Senn kept staring at him from the door opening.

It wasn't even that long ago that they were in the same positions. Senn remembered throwing a book at him, yelling at him. He remembered how his room had looked more like a storage room than a bedroom. And he remembered how badly he needed Killian to stay, because he was all that he felt he had left.

Yes – definitely

"You're good," Senn said, holding up the magic-8-ball, smiling at Killian. "But promise me you'll be careful."

"Of course, little bro," Killian opened his arms, inviting him for a hug. "I'm so proud of you."

"You are?" Senn asked, hugging his brother tightly. "What for?"

"You might not see it, but you've come a long way in the past few months. Just remember that bad days aren't a sign of weakness, and I'm only one phone call and a half-an-hour drive away."

"I'll be fine, Kil. I have Tessa and Dean, I have Elio, I have Lucas and Avan, the girls. I will be all fine."

"Yeah, about Elio?" Killian said, clearing his throat as he sauntered further into Senn's bedroom. "I'll be here every other weekend, and I do expect you to clear some time in your busy schedule for me, you know, since you're always busy with your boyfriend."

Senn laughed, throwing a pillow at Killian before falling onto the bed with a huge smile on his face.

"I promise you, I will make sure we have time to hang out together. I just can't promise that he won't be there too."

"If you take him, I'll take Julian. And Joyce. Just to make things hella awkward for everyone, not just me."

Senn snorted, sitting up on his bed as Killian took a seat at his desk chair. He smiled at his brother. He loved goofing around, teasing him. It was pretty much the only thing that hadn't changed in his life; his relationship with Killian. Which was why it was kind of hard to see him go back to college after taking half a year off to take care of him.

With Killian out and away, Senn knew things would feel weird again for a while, because he'd be all by himself. Well, the only one of his actual family. But with the help of Elio, Lucas, Joyce and Tessa, he had managed to find plenty of triggers that made him remember things about his parents, or Liam. Whenever he missed them most, he would think of everything he remembered, savoring the fact he didn't lose more memories, writing every single one of them down in his diary.

It was scary too, to have Killian leave, since he would have to drive, and Senn still wasn't a fan of driving a car, or have a loved one driving one. Elio had in fact helped him to step behind the wheel of the car Dean and Tessa had bought him months before, but he hadn't driven it further than around the block yet. At clear daylight, very slowly, and with Elio and Tessa helping him to check his surroundings constantly.

He couldn't help but panic if they wouldn't.

He knew how badly everything could go wrong in a split second. It only required one drunk driver, missing the red light, to screw over your entire life. Senn was well aware that it could technically happen again.

He was very well aware it was an irrational fear, since the chances were very slim. But whereas he wouldn't mind dying months ago, he now had all the more reason to continue living.

— The End —