EPILOGUE

30 years later in Nesso, Italy

High up on a lush mountainside, overlooking the calm waters of Lake Como, sat a lone, spacious property. Surrounded by trees, vast expanses of vibrant wildflowers, and a plethora of friendly animals, four people resided together a far, comfortable distance away from the main village closer to the water. A large, u-shaped, Italian-style villa with two separate wings had an outdoor patio settled in the middle. Tinted windows above the area helped to keep out powerful rays of a golden sun. Below the glass covering, there was a deep swimming pool. A wide opening between two pillars was lined with empty lounge chairs. It led to a small space meant for outdoor grilling, several hammocks, and a garden full of thriving produce.

With his eyes on the horizon, Marshall relaxed with his fingers absentmindedly splashing against the water. Beside him, a hand joined with his friend's and occupying the other half of a dual floaty, was Brad. Both men were completely soaked as they'd just finished with their daily swim. Hair of differing textures was pushed back, revealing their facial features completely. A beam of sunshine came through the opening of the patio, settling on their joined hands, as well as the matching chain bracelets they'd recently made together. Tan skin sparkled, a shimmering glint reflecting off of a paler complexion.

Marshall smiled when Brad's thumb moved back and forth, gently rubbing the area for the simple pleasure of feeling their skin touch.

"Are you excited for next week?"

Brad nodded, leaning his head back against an inflated pillow. "I love going to La Tomatina with you guys. I told the neighbors we're going to spend some time at abuelita's house once our vacation is done in Buñol. They wanted to have a community-wide dinner to celebrate us coming back to Andalucía again."

"That sounds nice. While we're in Sevilla, we could probably make some time to catch a couple flamenco shows. Paul got really into it last year when we took those classes after the Flamenco Festival back in March."

"I still can't believe he had the energy for dance lessons after taking part in the Bull Run while we were in Pamplona."

Marshall chuckled. "It was his first time attending the Festival of San Fermín. He was excited to get immersed in the culture."

Both men could remember those couple of days as if they'd happened yesterday: last July, they'd been on vacation in Pamplona to take in the historical sights and didn't realize their trip coincided with the Festival of San Fermín. At first, Paul had been content with simply watching the festivities. When he heard about Los Toros de San Fermín, though, his excitement increased ten fold. After successfully completing the challenge, which was to run from a group of bulls along a specific distance, he was more than ecstatic to continue trying new things. Which incidentally led to him asking Marshall about taking some flamenco classes while they were still in Spain. Along with a bunch of other unplanned excursions they had no regrets pursuing.

When Paul's adrenaline finally wore off, he'd slept the entire 8 hour long car ride from Pamplona to Andalucía. 

Marshall and Brad's quiet laughter morphed into breathless cackles and wheezes the more they thought about that trip. They were leaning against each other for support when approaching footsteps caught their attention. Two pairs of ruby-colored eyes moved to glance at the doorway leading into the Lahotes' section of the house.

Paul and Leah came out, seasoned meat and summer salads in hand.

Upon seeing their imprints, both shifters paused once their bare feet hit cool tile.

Marshall tried to get his bearings by sitting up. Instead of helping, shifting his body in such a manner caused the floaty to dip. He tried to keep himself from submerging by tightening his hold on Brad. Frantic giggling morphed into high pitched shouts before they ended up capsizing the floaty entirely.

They resurfaced with even harder laughter.

Playfully rolling his eyes, Paul put down the summer salads onto a free table near the lounge chairs. He grabbed two dry towels, walking over toward the pool. Marshall and Brad got themselves onto solid land, rubbing water out of their eyes and reaching for something to cover themselves with.

"Thanks, Tiger."

Once his face was clear, Marshall stood on his toes give his husband a kiss. Paul reciprocated the gesture, his face gaining additional color. He pulled away, only to scratch at his cheek in a bashful manner, his short beard soft against his fingertip.

It was cute that after so many years, Marshall could still make his husband feel shy with a single touch of the lips.

"Do you guys need help cooking?" Brad asked, draping his towel over his shoulders.

Leah came over, her large bowl no longer in hand, and she wrapped an arm around her imprint's waist. "We're good, Rafa. You guys can keep relaxing. It shouldn't take long."

Brad nodded in understanding. He took a moment to lean down toward his wife to press a kiss to her lips, then did so against the crown of her head. "Gracias, hermosa."

"De nada, mi amor."

Together, Brad and Leah made their way toward the lounge chairs. That presented an opportunity for Paul to pull Marshall into a tight hug, resting his nose above the vibrant, ridged scar of his bonding mark.

Marshall couldn't help but shiver. "Did you have a good time in town, honey?"

"Yeah. We stopped by the farmer's market for a couple things, and the clothing store had a pretty good sale. I got you some new sandals and another one of those satchels you really like. Got myself some new button-ups for the summer. We also got cherries for that new pie recipe I wanted to add to the restaurant's menu."

"That so? Well, I can't wait to see how it turns out." Marshall glanced between his husband's eyes, appreciating the warmth seen within them. "Now that Brad and I have temporarily retired from making music for the public eye, we'll be able to help you out more."

"You two are always welcome to step in as my head chefs. You know I'd never say no to that. If you want to spend your time doing something else now that you guys will have a more free schedule, though, you don't need my permission to do so."

"I know, honey. But I've been meaning to step in anyway. I like helping you out. I like getting to know the other staff and your customers. I'll be just as happy doing this as I was performing with Brad."

Paul chuckled. He pressed their foreheads together, taking in a deep breath to revel in his imprint's scent mixed with his own. "After we get back from Andalucía, if it's okay, I'd like to go over the main menu a little more extensively with you. See what types of things you'd like to add. Since we'll be working together, I'd really like to make it our place, y'know?"

"If that's the case, I'll come up with some extra special dishes. On top of the awards you already have, your new stuff will impress the locals and tourists even more."

"The only person I care about impressing is you, Marshmallow. Everything else is just a plus."

"That's sweet, Tiger-"

"I'm stealing your husband to get plates, think fast!"

Marshall barely had a chance to react when he was tossed over Brad's shoulder and carried into the kitchen. Paul watched them go with a fond shake of the head. He checked in with Leah to make sure everything was cooking well. Then, he made his way back into the house to go rescue Marshall from his impromptu kidnapping.

*****

And that, everybody, is the end of PB:TLC, as well as Pretty Boy in its entirety! I really hadn't intended for this spinoff to be so long, but it's been a real treat to have put it out for you guys.

Thank you for reading, commenting, voting, and supporting me throughout these two books. Hopefully, I'll see you in another story (maybe another fanfic!). And for one last added gift, here's the last few pieces of original art I'll be making for Pretty Boy.

Take care!

The Duality of Marshall Hale (Completed July 10, 2024)

Together Forever: feat. Leaf the Cat and Platanito the Quokka (Completed August 9, 2024)

The Wedding (Completed August 23, 2024)