Thanks to those who have reviewed, PMed, and alerted this story. In particular, "Call me mad" for formatting suggestions, and LiveLaughLove24 who seems to always pop up first with a review. Thanks! Ok, so here's Finn...
Chapter 3 – Finn
Carole woke up earlier than usual that Saturday morning. She had decided to prepare a nice breakfast for the four men in her house that morning. She and Burt had heard Finn come home from dropping off Rachel five minutes after curfew. They weren't going to worry about a measly five minutes though, they never had. Unbeknown to both Finn and Kurt, they did give them both a fifteen minute allowance for unforeseen circumstances. She knew before she reached the kitchen that she'd be making Finn favourite that morning. Buttermilk pancakes, and plenty of them. Carole knew it wouldn't make that much difference to Finn's reaction, but it couldn't hurt to try and ensure he was in a good mood first. All she could do was hope!
As she busied herself in the kitchen, she thought about her son and how much he'd struggled in the previous years with Kurt. Initially, those difficulties stemmed from Kurt having a major crush on her son. Now, that topic had become one of those 'don't mention the war' subjects within the house. Carole was sure that once enough time had passed they'd all be able to laugh about Kurt's crush on Finn, and how it actually bought her and Burt together, hopefully sometime in the next thirty or so years anyway. Finn had almost cost Carole her relationship with Burt when they were originally going to move into Burt's old house together. Eventually, they had decided to wait until they could find a house where both boys could have their own rooms. Since then, Carole and Burt had gone out of their way to ensure that both boys were treated in exactly the same way – same rules, same expectations. The situation had gradually eased to a point where she felt that Finn and Kurt did consider themselves to be true brothers. But like any two brothers, there were flashpoints from time to time. Carole was certain that today would be one of them. She started the last batch of pancakes and shouted up the stairs to let the boys and Burt know that breakfast was ready.
Finn groaned as he heard his mother call. He could easily stay in bed another hour or so, and thought about doing just that. Until he lifted his nose out of the pillow and smelt...right then, he was getting up! His mom had made pancakes. Finn knew that Blaine was a pancake hound as well, so he'd have to hurry to make sure he got there first. He jumped out of bed, threw on some sweatpants and a hoodie and bounded out of his bedroom. He glanced at the door of the guestroom and saw it still tightly shut. Excellent!Finn thought I'llbeathimtothemtoday!With that Kurt's door opened and out bounced Blaine.
Finn stared at his brother's boyfriend, "You are in so much trouble, dude," Finn chuckled, "and you are now my slave for the day!" he added evilly, his mind was already thinking up disgusting jobs to get Blaine doing.
Blaine raised one eyebrow, "Why on earth would I be your slave?" he asked the man-mountain in front of him. Sometimes Blaine didn't understand Kurt's stepbrother. Over the summer Finn had been friendly enough, watching the odd game of football together, normally while Blaine was waiting for Kurt to finish getting ready for a date. Or just hanging around the house, the three of them. All of that had apparently changed, once Blaine had transferred to McKinley. Finn was now very unpredictable toward Blaine - sometimes borderline friendly, and at other times, outwardly hostile. Blaine never knew which Finn he'd be dealing with from one day to the next.
"It's called blackmail, Blaine. So I won't tell Burt you spent the night in Kurt's room." Finn clarified for the ex-Warbler.
Just then the door to Burt and Carole's room opened, and out stepped the man in question. "No one is being anyone's slave, thank you Finn," Burt said firmly, "now I suggest that you both get your backsides downstairs for some breakfast before I get there first." He laughed as the two boys looked at each other. Without a word, they sized each other up and then both suddenly took off at the same time, pushing and jostling each other down the stairs to get to the kitchen first. Burt laughed as he watched them. It always amazed him that Blaine could be such a...well...such a boysometimes, and then he'd flick a switch and become all dapper gentleman through and through.
Finn reached the kitchen first, throwing both hands in the air and cheering to himself as he did a victory lap of the room. While Finn was busy congratulating himself, Blaine picked up a plate, sat down at the table and grabbed the first three pancakes off the top of the stack, dousing them with maple syrup and stuffing the first bite into his mouth. It took Finn a moment before he noticed, and he let out a loud groan.
"Mom, that's not fair," Finn complained like a five year old, "I got here first, I should get the first pancake!" he whined.
"There's plenty for everyone, Finn," Carole pointed at the abnormally large stack of pancakes on the table.
"Jeez, it's like pancake overload day or something," Finn said eyeing off the massive pile. He took four pancakes from the top, folded one up and stuffed it whole into his mouth while he poured syrup onto the stack on his plate, preparing to devour the lot.
"Teez a und a ool" Finn tried his best to speak.
"Finn, close your mouth and chew. You can talk when you've finished your mouthful," Carole reprimanded.
She then turned to Blaine, "Kurt still upstairs, honey?" she enquired, surprised to see one without the other.
Blaine made sure he swallowed his food before he replied, "Yes, he missed his skin routine last night, so he got up super early to do the 'urgent rectification' routine, I think he called it." As Carole laughed along with Blaine, Burt sat down at the head of the table and helped himself to some pancakes and fruit.
"I assume we're talking about Kurt, then," Burt said amiably.
"Yep," replied Blaine, "He got up two hours ago to sort out his skin, even though I keep telling him there's nothing wrong with his skin. It's absolutely gorgeous the way it is" Blaine said dreamily, perhaps taking the 'let your love shine' mantra a little too far. Finn made a vomiting motion from the opposite side of the table. Carole gave her son a gentle smack around the back of the head.
"And I intend to keep it that way," Kurt said as he walked into the room and took his place at the table beside Blaine. He kissed his boyfriend gently on the lips. In comparison to the previous night, Blaine kissed him back just as softly. "Good morning, you," Kurt said quietly.
"You already said that once today," Blaine said smiling. Kurt took a plate and ignored the pile of pancakes, going straight for the fruit instead.
"Yes, but you were still half asleep, so I get to say it again," Kurt answered as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Finn stopped mid-chew and looked up, first at Carole and then over to Burt, waiting for the imminent explosion to occur. Burt and Carole continued eating their breakfast as if nothing was wrong.
"Ok," Finn said once he'd swallowed his mouthful, "what's going on? These two just pretty much admitted that they spent the entire night together. Like here, with us all in the house and you're both just sitting there as if there's absolutely nothing wrong with that." He waved his fork accusingly between Burt and Carole.
"Not now, Finn," Carole said to her son cautiously, "and don't wave your cutlery around, please." As much as it needed to be discussed, she really didn't want Kurt and Blaine around to see or hear Finn's reaction. She didn't want to give Kurt any reason to doubt whether they were doing the right thing.
"But," Finn started again, "they spent the night – TOGETHER!IN.KURTS.ROOM." He re-iterated, staring again at both of the adults at the table, searching in vain for a reaction.
"We know," Burt said, "and your mother has told you we'll discuss this later." He stated, glaring at Finn. Blaine looked worriedly at Kurt and then over to Burt. The older man winked and smiled at him reassuredly. Kurt put his hand on Blaine's knee and gave it a gentle squeeze.
The rest of the meal continued in silence, Finn looking at each person seated around the table in turn, as if looking for some sort of clue as to what was going on. Kurt and Blaine finished up their breakfast, and excused themselves from the table. They vanished up to Kurt's bedroom as quickly as they could. The three left in the kitchen quickly tidied up. Burt then motioned for Finn to sit down again at the table.
"Finn," Carole said gently, "we did know that Blaine was in Kurt's room. He's allowed to be." She looked at her son and waited for the inevitable question.
"Excellent," Finn grinned, "So, Rachel can stay over in my room too?" It pained Carole to see her son's face split in two with a smile so wide.
"Umm,...no." She answered. Finn's face screwed up in confusion.
"I don't get it," he said, "you always said that Kurt and I had the same rules, so if Blaine can stay over with Kurt, then why can't Rachel stay in my room?" Both Burt and Carole knew that this would be the first thing that Finn would ask.
"Listen," said Carole gently, "Kurt and Blaine's relationship is a bit different from yours and Rachels. They don't get the same chances as the two of you get." She looked over at her son. Was it even possible for Finn to understand such a seemingly inequitable proposition? For the sake of the entire household, she hoped so.
"So, what?" Finn started, feeling his anger rising to the surface, "if I was gay then I could have any guy stay over and have all the sex I want? But I'm straight, so I'm meant to just 'keep it in my pants' and never have sex?" He stared at the two adults in disbelief. He really was cool with the fact that Kurt was gay. He was now anyway, he just didn't see how his parents could possibly think that he'd just agree to Kurt having free reign while he was stuck under the same rules as ever.
"Listen to me Finn," Burt butted in, "it has nothing to do with sex. And you know that Rachel is allowed to stay over in the guest room already. But they're our rules," he looked at his stepson straight in the eye, "do her Dads actually let her though?"
Finn looked back sheepishly, "No," he replied, "but it's still not the point. What if I was going out with a girl whose parents did let her stay over? Could she be in my room?"
"Honey, before you get too upset, there's a little more we need to tell you," Carole said, ignoring Finn's last question. She knew this was the one that wasn't going to go down well atall.
Finn groaned and stared at his mother, "Go on then, totally destroy my life," he said sulking like a petulant five year old. After all, he thought to himself, what could possibly be worse?
"Once a month, we're all going out," Carole explained, "and by all, I mean you, me and Burt. It's up to you whether you want to take Rachel on a date, go to Puck's or come with Burt and me. Kurt and Blaine will have the house to themselves from 7-11pm". Carole sat back and waited for the penny to drop. She wasn't waiting long.
"THIS. IS. CRAP!" Finn exploded, "And let me guess, Rachel and I won't be getting the house to ourselves once a month! Will we?" he shouted accusingly at his parents.
"No, Finn," his mother replied earnestly, "you won't. Simply because the purpose of those nights, is to give Kurt and Blaine something that you and Rachel have every single time you go out."
"This is just so wrong," Finn said, raising his voice so the neighbours could listen in as well, "they can go on dates. They do it all the time. Blaine takes Kurt on more dates than anyone else I know!
Rachel is always going on about how Blaine and Kurt went to the movies, Kurt made Blaine a picnic, Blaine took Kurt to a play, Blaine and Kurt went to Breadstix." Finn said in a mockingly high pitched Rachel imitation. "It's already impossible to compete with them in dating!"
"It's not the same, Finn," Burt stepped into the conversation once more, "they can't go out and act as any more than friends. Stop and think about the consequences for them if they did!"
"Fine," retaliated Finn angrily, "why don't I just go and see if Puck is interested in changing teams then shall I? Then I'd get all the sex in the world, it seems. Is that what you want? Or are you just trying to win the 'Gay Parents of the Year' award for 2011?" Finn yelled gesturing his hands wildly.
Burt lost it then, slamming his fists onto the table. Both Carole and Finn recoiled in shock.
"You listen to me, Finn," Burt said in a scarily quiet voice, "you and Kurt both live here. Carole and I want both of you to be able to have healthy, loving relationships. Unfortunately the world doesn't work like that. Not for Kurt and Blaine. So we're going to give them what the world won't let them have." Finn flinched at the pure anger in Burt's voice. It was a voice he hadn't heard Burt use for nearly two years.
"Dad! Just wait..." Finn and his two parents looked up as Kurt walked into the room.
"I told Carole last night that if it made anyone uncomfortable, we could just forget it." Kurt said. He totally understood why Finn wouldn't be happy with the arrangement. Not to mention the fact, that it did also make Kurt feel awkward. He had always wanted his Dad and Carole to treat and look at both himself and Finn in the same way. Suddenly getting special treatment due to his sexuality went against everything he'd previously wanted.
"Stop this," Burt shouted at both the boys, "you," he said pointing at Kurt, "can stop being a martyr. I've told you this is the way it is and that's that." He turned towards his stepson, "and you, can stop playing the victim. You are not losing anything here."
"Finn, I want you to ask yourself a few questions; when you're at school, how often do you hold Rachel's hand? Or give her a kiss – however small and insignificant? Or stare at her as she walks away?" He looked as Finn shrugged his shoulders, after all it wasn't something people counted, was it? It wasn't something that Finn gave a second thought to. Mostly, that type of thing was initiated by Rachel. Burt continued, "Then I want you to ask yourself how often someone's insulted you for it? Slammed you into a locker because you like a girl?"
"I get all that," said Finn honestly, "but that doesn't happen anymore." Finn looked over at Kurt and raised his eyebrows. "Does it?" He thought that he and Kurt had made a deal last year. If anything like that was still going on Kurt would tell him, wouldn't he? Besides, it wasn't like it was last year, Kurofsky was gone. No one hassled Kurt any more.
"Finn," Kurt said quietly, "it's going to happen for the rest of my life. It's just easier to ignore with Blaine there." Finn looked at his stepbrother in astonishment.
"It will always be there," Kurt pondered sadly, "whether it's a hateful look, an insult, a shove, a disgusting text, a slushee or a punch, they all still hurt." Kurt knew that even once they were in New York, they would always have to contend with a certain amount of hate directed toward them. Perhaps less than in Lima, and hopefully with more friends who were just like them, but it would always be there.
"Finn," Carole said carefully, "I know this seems very unfair to you at the moment, but I want you to understand that this is our home. These are the rules Burt and I have agreed upon, and while you are still under our care, this is just something you are going to have to accept." Finn was about to jump in to argue once more before Burt put his hand up to stop him.
"Hang on a minute, Finn," he said, not giving the eighteen year old a chance to argue, "your mother and I do our best to give both of you boys what you need, you didn't ask me for a job in the garage, did you?" Burt asked pointedly.
"No." replied Finn, knowing he was going to lose this battle.
"That's right, but I offered you one anyway, because we knew you needed it." Burt explained, "This is no different. Kurt needs something that the three of us can give him. He didn't ask for it, but he needs it. Whether he realises it yet or not." Burt finished, looking over at Kurt. Kurt put his head down and gave a slight smile.
"And that's just what's going to happen," Burt said definitively, "end of discussion."
Finn looked at Burt in disbelief.
"End of discussion, Finn," Burt reiterated once more. Burt stood up from the table and pushed his chair in.
"Dad," began Kurt.
"End of discussion, Kurt," Burt said as he left the room to get ready for work.
"Finn," Kurt said, looking at his stepbrother, "I just want you to know, this really wasn't my idea. And if you don't want to go out on the date night things, you're welcome to join Blaine and I here." Kurt offered trying to rack his brains to think of an appropriate olive branch.
Finn snorted, "As if I'd want to be around you and Mr McPreppy Pants any longer than I'd have to! No thanks." Finn got up from the table and slammed his chair in as loudly as he could.
"I'm going to Puck's." He shouted, heading for the door.
"Finn...wait..." shouted Carole as she heard the front door slam behind her son.
A/N: Just to explain, I couldn't just have Finn be suddenly okay with everything. To me real life rarely happens that way. He'll probably come around in his own sweet 'Finn' time, he just needs to cool down.
Also, I really don't know whether to keep going with this. I have the boys first date night planned, and Burt may not always be as comfortable with things as he'd hoped! Let me know if I should bother.