Shoulder to Shoudler - An Epilouge

[ryanmochrie.livejournal.com]

Thank you zekkass for beta-ing!

Title: Shoulder to Shoulder
Authours: krzcowzgomoo and ryanmochrie
Characters: Ryan Stiles/Colin Mochrie
Word Count: 1264
Rating: PG
Author’s Notes An epilouge to Making the Family Skeleton Dance.




I love you too Colin, always and forever.

The words rang in Colin's head as he looked at the picture of Ryan and his brothers over his mantle. Well, their mantle. He remembered those three days fondly, he liked to think of it as the day his life started, started for real, anyway. Three years had passed since then and yet it all was so clear, every expression and detail was clear in Colin's mind.

"Hey Col?" Ryan said, turning the tap off and turning around from his place at the sink where he had been washing dishes.

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember my family reunion?" They always had an odd, almost psychic, connection, and this example of it only reminded Colin why he loved Ryan so much. They knew each other, really knew each other.

"Of course I do, babe." Colin smiled as Ryan walked into the living room and sat next to him on the love seat in front of the fire. Colin immediately curled into the lanky man. He wrapped his arms around Ryan's waist and feeling Ryan's arms come over his shoulders rested his head in the crook of his shoulder.

"I was just thinking about it." Ryan murmured into his ear.

"Oh?" Colin said, pulling back and looking into Ryan’s eyes.

"As insane as it was, it was definitely worth the trouble." Ryan kidded.

"Well, I hope you would say that!" Colin playfully hit Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan retaliated by pushing Colin. He toppled backwards and off of the couch. Ryan looked down at Colin and stuck out his tongue at him.

"Oh, yeah. That’s mature." Colin said, and then pulled Ryan down next to him. But instead of getting back at Colin, Ryan kissed him gently. Colin smiled against Ryan’s lips. He could definitely live the rest of his life like this. Nothing else really mattered anyway. Not since that reunion. Colin remembered the flight home. He had finally gotten to act on the impulsive action he’d been fighting against on so many plane trips with Ryan. He finally got to hold Ryan’s hand, to sooth and calm his jumpy nerves.

He also remembered telling his wife, well it was more his wife telling him, but same difference. He had arrived home and Deb had been sitting on the front porch waiting for him. That was already odd, but got even odder. "Debra, dear, I have something to say and I’m not so sure how to say it...". He began, but she cut him off. "You and Ryan are in love with each other and you’re leaving me to be with him?" She didn’t seem surprised or even phased really, Colin, however, had been stunned. All he could do was nod stupidly as she turned to pick up her suitcases. She seemed happy almost like a weight had been lifted as she hugged her husband for the last time, told him to take care of himself, and drove off.

They talked on the phone later that night and it turned out Deb and Pat had been basically taking bets on when this would happen, especially after Ryan left Pat. Deb and Colin worked everything out without so much as a slightly raised voice. Colin had spilt custody of Luke just as Ryan did with Claire, Sam, and Mack. It all worked out perfectly. Remembering that reminded Colin of something else too and he began to laugh.

"What?" Ryan asked.

"Oh, nothing." Colin teased.

"I don’t think so." Ryan nudged him. Colin nudged back, making it all out war. Or at least a playful bout. Colin pushed Ryan, his back hitting the couch. They grabbed each other at the same time. Colin pushed and Ryan pulled, leaving Colin to straddle Ryan who lay back on the floor.

"Hmm." Ryan said, pulling Colin into a kiss. Colin noted how domestic he and Ryan had become over the last few months. He took notice of it in their everyday lives. Colin would cook and Ryan would clean. Ryan would do laundry, Colin would vacuum. Colin didn’t mind that either, in reality he’d come to love it. It was comfortable and warm. Ryan pulled out of the kiss and looked at Colin thoughtfully.

"So what were you laughing at?" Ryan asked again.

"I was just thinking about when we told the guys, the look on Brad’s face was priceless." Ryan chuckled deep and hearty at the memory.

"I know, he looked like a mixture between a deer caught in the head lights and a man who just got punched in the stomach." Then he did the impression, which got Colin laughing all over again.

"The only thing funnier," Ryan continued, a growing smirk on his face, "was the first taping after we had told everyone. You remember that?"

"Of course I do. They made us kiss, like, for real out there."

"That was fun."

Colin groaned. "Yeah. Bunches of fun."

"Oh come on, You can’t tell me that kissing like that in front of a live studio audience, our closest friends, and over a million viewers nationwide wasn’t completely hot, especially since most of them have been waiting for it."

"Yes, I can tell you that it wasn’t completely hot. It was also partially terrifying!" Colin said, throwing his hands in the air.

"So you admit it was hot though?"

Colin sighed, "Yeah. It was. But after, with all the fans, that was fun."

"Yeah," Ryan chuckled, "I never knew so many people thought we were together. That was crazy."

"A few of them had even taken bets, can you believe that?!" Colin smiled broadly.

"Oh, I think I can. I mean, especially after how my parents responded. They all but said told you so " Ryan pulled Colin closer to him and leaned against the couch. Colin curled up against Ryan’s chest, wrapping his arms around the tall lanky body that is Ryan Lee Stiles. Colin would agree with anyone who said this is what heaven would be like. To be able to lie with the one you love and who loves you back, to feel safe and at home every time you were together, it was bliss.

"Col?" Ryan murmured into the top of Colin’s head, apparently he was feeling the bliss too.

"Yeah, Ry Guy?"

"Marry me?" He whispered.

Colin propped his chin up on Ryan’s chest to look into his emerald eyes. He was taken aback to see the shine of tears along with the ever present shine of love.

"Well, I mean, "commit to me, and only me?" He continued, voice shaking a bit.

Colin searched for the word that meant yes, but he couldn’t find any words. He was sure that if someone asked him his name he wouldn’t have been able to tell them.

"If you think it’s too much, then we can just forget...”

Colin cut off his nervous rambling the only way he knew how at the moment. He captured those familiar lips in his own and gave his lover a short, sweet, and simple kiss. They pulled apart and rested their heads together.

"Of course." Colin finally replied, evoking a little chuckle from Ryan.

After Ryan married Pat he wondered why it had taken him so long to find Mrs. Right and why when he finally found her he had proposed only out of suggestion of her sister. After his divorce he couldn’t believe he had settled down with the wrong girl. Now it all made sense. He spent so much time looking for the right girl, when who he really needed was the right man.

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The End