A/N: Like most of my readers, I am very saddened at the loss of Cory Monteith. Regardless of the eventual reason, 31 is far to young for anyone to pass.

Love, love, sudden and threatening, quick, confused

(Pablo Neruda)

Since Dad had only given me 10 minutes (and I didn't doubt that he was timing me. For a man who is so laid back about so many things, he can be a real stickler when he puts his mind to it.) I raced down the stairs, trying to buy myself some time to think. Finn was just coming out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. "Hey, Baby."

I had to stop my mental freak-out and give him a kiss. Mindful of his mental state, I made sure not to give him any tongue. One of his eyebrows rose. "Really, Kurt? You can do way better then that."

I tried again, this time much harder and more pornographic. Apparently we had taken a few small steps back, but now we were moving forward again. One hand slipped up under my shirt, the fingertips grazing my back. It was somehow both sweet and hot.

Carefully I broached the subject. "I need you to stay downstairs for a little bit. Dad wants to do some nagging."

His eyes went narrow. "Why do I need to stay down here? What's he going to do to you?"

"Nothing. I just…" How could I put this in a way that was true and non-threatening, but that also didn't let him know that Dad knew about us? "It's embarrassing when your Daddy nags you. I don't want him to do it in front of my boyfriend."

That worked. "Got it. I'll just stay here until you come back down." He settled on his bed and put on ear buds.

There were only 8 minutes left, so I gave my face a quick scrub and put on a T-shirt and some lounge pants. If I as going to be humiliated, I might as well be comfortable.

Dad took me up to his room, which I still had trouble thinking of as his and Carole's room. It was where he always handled discipline. Now that Carole and Finn were here, I appreciated that he took it somewhere private, but it still made my stomach turn flips.

I sat on the bed, and Dad hesitated for a minute before sitting next to me. "So…"

"So." Neither one of us was sure how to approach the elephant in the room, so we just stared awkwardly.

"Do you know what this is about?"

"Yes." Neither one of us wanted to be the first to break.

"Ok." He sat back, waiting me out.

Damn him. Like Finn, he knew that he could sit there silent and still until I broke. "I love him."

"Kurt…" He trailed off, there, trying to figure out what to say. "You do understand that he might not feel the same way."

"He does."

"Did he tell you that, or are you just assuming because he isn't saying 'no'? Because there's a world of difference between those two things." He was still trying to avoid one important thing.

"His name is Finn, you know. Just in case you forgot." I really disliked it when people didn't call Finn by name. The Wrights had already made him into an object rather then a person, and I wouldn't allow his own family to do the same.

"I know my own stepson's name, so don't change the subject. Do I even need to go into all the reasons why this is a very bad idea?"

I noticed that he didn't actually say any reasons, which led me to believe that he couldn't think of any off the top of his head. "Yes. Please go into the reasons that Finn having more people in this world who love him is a bad idea."

Dad turned an alarming shade of purple. "I hate it when you twist my words."

"And I hate it when you rush to judgment without giving me a chance to explain myself." My voice was level and calm.

"I'm not. I'm asking you to explain to me why you think that it's a good idea to sleep with your brother. Are there really no other men in Lima?" I could tell that he was trying not to grind his jaw or start screaming.

Why did everyone keep bringing up the brother card? "Finn is not my brother. He's not even my stepbrother, because you and Carole are not married. He was my friend before you even met his mother. And no, there are no other men in Lima. None of them are Finn, so none of them are worth it." There were other reasons, but that was the main one.

"You don't think that you're taking advantage of someone who's been through a lot?"

Sometimes. "I resent you accusing me of being some sort of pervert who takes advantage of people. Or am I to treat Finn like an idiot child for the rest of his life? He wants me, and I want him, period." Tears were threatening, but I forced them back. I hated that I cried so easily when I got upset, but had for the most part accepted it.

"No, not period. Period implies that this conversation is over, and it isn't. Both you and Finn are too young to be in relationships, what happened notwithstanding. Plus-"

I wasn't going to let him get away with that. "We're both 17. A year from now, we'll be planning colleges. You were happy when I was trying to hook up with Brittany when I was only 16."

He didn't take the bait. "I was not happy when you were trying to hook up with her. But I was sure that nothing was going to come of it, so I just let things run their course."

Something pinged in the back of my mind, and I re-ran his words. "So you think that something could come from me having a relationship with Finn?"

"I think that there's a much better chance then you had with the dumb blond. But you have to understand that this is bigger then you and Finn. The choices you make right now are going to affect you, him, the rest of this family, and everything that happens from here on out. Your choice to be with Finn could change the entire outcome of this trial."

Wow, way to not put pressure on me. But I couldn't believe that it was true. "I don't believe that."

He leaned back. "It's true. Look at this from the lawyer's point of view, kid. We're trying to prove that Finn was totally normal before all of this happened. Quarterback, had a girlfriend, decent grades. Every member of that jury is going to be able to imagine that he's their kid, got it?"

I didn't like the way this was going. "Yes." So if having a girlfriend was normal, having a boyfriend was abnormal. Great.

"If Finn shows up at that trial with his boyfriend, who is also his brother-"I started to object again and he cut me off. "Whether or not you think of him as your brother, the jurors will. We'll be presenting ourselves as a family, and family members don't date each other." He tried to crack a smile. "At least not in this part of the country."

I didn't smile back. How could I? If dad had just been being a slightly homophobic jerk, I could have stood up for Finn and I's relationship. But he was making some good points, and I had no way of refuting them.

Dad continued on. "It's not fair. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is. If people see that Finn's with you, then there's always going to be a part of them that wonders if he wasn't with Joseph voluntarily as well. There's always going to be this attitude that gay men will sleep with anything that moves."

Now the tears did spill over. Maybe I had been too focused on the long term, rather then what was happening right now. If something I did or didn't do cost Finn the chance to bring them to justice, I would never be able to forgive myself. If I loved Finn, I had to back off and leave him alone. When I looked down, tears dripped onto my pants.

Dad wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. "Kurt, I wish I could fix this. If it were just about you and Finn, we could talk about it. The doctors could help us make sure that you're both doing everything you can to be safe and happy together. It's not that I don't like Finn, or that I think you shouldn't be able to be with whoever you want. Of course I don't think he's good enough for you, but no one will ever be good enough for you in my mind. But we have to look beyond you and Finn right now."

"But Carole said…." I stopped myself there, partially because I was choking back a sob, and partially because I had been about to say that Carole had said I could have Finn. Like he was an extra cookie or an object to be possessed. I forced myself to be stronger. "What about what Finn wants?"

"Finn wants all of this to be over. It won't be long now, so maybe the two of you can cool it for a little bit?" His hand tightened on my shoulders, trying to comfort me.

"How long is a little bit? The trial isn't going to start for forever, and we have no idea how long it will last. I don't want to do anything to spoil things for him, but I don't want to push him away, either."

He took off his baseball cap and bent the brim awkwardly in his hands. "The trial is starting in 10 days. Carole called me while we were still at the shop. Apparently the Wrights decided to invoke their right to a speedy trial."

My heart sank. "Does Finn know?"

"No. Carole's going to be the one to tell him, as soon as she gets home. Finn needs to focus on what's happening in his life, and being strong enough to get through this. We both know he can do it, but we have to make sure he knows it." He rubbed my back. "Do you understand why I'm doing this? It's not because I don't love you, or accept you, and it's not because I don't want you to be happy. But it's not just you and I to worry about any more. I have to think of Finn as well."

"What am I supposed to say to him? 'Sorry, Finn, but I don't want you anymore?' Because that's what he's going hear, no matter what I say." It was true. Finn's self-esteem had always been low, and his ordeal had shattered any confidence he might have had.

Dad shook his head. "I don't know. How about just telling him what I told you? That you don't think right now is the bets time for him to have a relationship with anyone. If you make it sound like it's you who wants to wait, it won't seem so bad, will it?"

He didn't know Finn. But I did, and it occurred to me that I should be telling him nothing but the truth. Not Dad's version, the real truth, with nothing held back. "Ok. Can I leave now? I would like a little privacy to talk to him." And to get myself under control. The tears were still dripping down my face.

Downstairs, I head the door close, and Carole calling out to us. "Hello? Where are my boys this afternoon?"

We both froze, which meant we could hear Finn pounding up the stairs and greeting her happily. "Hi, Mom!"

"Hi, Darling. How did you do at the garage? Is it still standing?" I just knew that she was hugging him, and my stomach tightened with poorly concealed jealousy.

"Yep. I didn't blow anything up or burn anything down, and I didn't break anyone's car either. For me, that's pretty good." He was obscenely proud of himself.

"That is pretty good for you. Where's Burt? Is he upstairs taking an extra valium?" She sounded amused, and not at all like she was about to give him bad news.

"He's upstairs yelling at Kurt. I don't know why, because Kurt was totally awesome today and didn't do anything wrong." Finn could be a total tattletale without ever meaning to be.

After a brief silence, Carole started up the stairs. "Kurt? Burt? Can I come in?"

"Of course. Kurt and I were just finishing up." Dad gave my back one final pat and nudged me upright. "And I wasn't yelling at him."

Carole took in my tearstained face and shot Dad an evil look. "Then why is he crying?"

Right now, I held the advantage, but I couldn't bring myself to push it. Instead I gave my eye s a quick wipe with the back of my hand. "It's ok, Carole. I'm a little bit over emotional at times."

Dad shot me a grateful look. "Do you need a few minutes to speak to Finn in private?"

She looked back and forth between us, and I knew that she wasn't buying the idea that I was crying for no reason at all. "That would be very nice. I think he'll feel a little cornered if we all jump him at the same time. Burt, are you still going to make us some steaks on the grill?"

He stood up. "Certainly. Kurt, would you like to give me a hand with dinner?"

I might be a little upset with my father still, but I never pass up an opportunity to spend time with him. Especially since cooking was one of the things that I excelled at. "Yes. Can we make steak kabobs instead of plain steaks?" I knew that everyone liked them, and it would trick both Finn and my father into eating some veggies.

Dad waited until we had the kabobs made and on the grill before he really tried speaking again. "You aren't angry with me, are you?"

"No. I know that you're only doing what you think is best for Finn and for me. I can't be angry about that." Whether or not Finn would be angry was a much bigger worry.

"You aren't angry but you don't agree with me." He stepped around me and grabbed some spices.

Well, since he had brought it up, I felt free to voice my opinion. "No, I don't. I see where you're coming from, but I don't see why I can't be with him, but keep it quiet. You know I can keep a secret."

"I know that. But it seems like a lot of pressure to put on both yourself and Finn. Why not just hold off for a little while longer? I know that you've been waiting for a long time to have a boyfriend, but it's too soon to stat something with Finn."

Wait a minute. Did Dad think that this was nothing but a little harmless flirting? I looked him dead in the eyes. "You do realize that this relationship has already started, right? This isn't just flirting. So you're asking me to stop a relationship that's already established, rather then hold off starting one."

His face turned red again. "No, I did not realize that. How long has this been going on?"

I shrugged. "A few weeks."

"Wow." He grabbed the kabobs off the grill. "I always thought I would know when my only son found someone. You're growing up, Kurt. I wish your mother could be around to see this."

I did, too. I did love Carole, but she wasn't my mother. No matter how much she might come to love me, I wasn't her son, either. If it came down to it, she would choose Finn without a second thought. "You think she would be proud of me?"

"I do. Her son is happy, talented, generous, smart, and apparently he's dating the quarterback. What's there not to be proud of? Here, take the plate" The last part was tacked on rather gruffly, as he could see I was ready to cry again. Though I thought that his eyes might have looked a little moist as well.

Finn and Carole had already set the table inside and were making a salad. No one was crying in here, but Finn's shoulders were hunched in a way that told me that Carole had told him about the trial. He smiled thinly at me but just kept cutting cucumbers.

Once we were all served, Carole broke the silence. "Finn, is there anything you would like to ask about the trial?"

"No." He picked a kabob apart, quickly sorting the meat and veggies into different piles. I don't know why he does that, since he'll eat both. "I have to go up there and get sworn in and then the prosecutor asks questions that are supposed to make me look good. Then the defense asks questions that are supposed to make me look bad. Then the jury decides who's telling the truth."

It was a simplified but basically correct assessment of what his role was going to be. "That's right." Dad made a face as Carole dished out a huge helping of salad. "Do you know what you're going to say?"

"Yep, but I'm not supposed to tell you. Samantha said not to talk too much about it, because then I might sound not real. Are you coming to see me testify?" The switch of subjects came quickly, but that was Finn for you.

"We'll all be there on the day or days you testify. But Kurt will probably be in school for the other days. I'm not sure how many days I'll be able to get away from the garage, but I promise I'll be there for the important ones."

Finn took a few more bites. "I don't want to be there every day. But I do want to see Joseph and Lily again."

We were never sure how to respond when Finn made comments like that. I wanted to ask, but I didn't even know if that was right or wrong. Carole cleared her throat. "I don't think that you'll see Lily this time. They'll try them separately, so she'll probably only come on the day that she testifies."

"Oh." His brow furrowed in thought. "When will I get to see her?"

Carole was very good at drawing Finn out and getting him to ask the things that he didn't always know that he wanted to know. "I don't know, sweetheart. Her trial won't start until his is over, so it depends on how long it takes. A few weeks, probably."

"Can I have another kabob?" That was Finn's way of closing the subject.

"Go ahead. There's enough for us to have three each." I always made extras with Finn the bottomless pit around.

Once dinner was over and Finn had cleared the table, I signaled him to come downstairs with me. My stomach felt like I had swallowed a brick instead of a single kabob and some salad. How was I supposed to break things off with Finn, when my heart was saying that I couldn't possibly make a bigger mistake?

Maybe you should listen to yourself and not other people you doofus. Your father loves you, but he isn't you, and he isn't Finn. And, in the end, the only two who have to live with your choices are you and Finn.

Finn picked up Wolf and held him to his chest, almost like the lion was some sort of shield between us. "Less then two weeks. That's all I have until my life is over. It's weird that after all this time they only have to give you two weeks notice that the trial is going to start."

I eased down nest to him, mindful as always of invading his personal space. "You know I'll be there for you, right? I'll always be there for you."

It was those words that cemented in my mind that I couldn't break up with Finn now. It would be a betrayal that he wouldn't be able to get past. Whatever was coming, we would face it together.

But I couldn't ignore the points Dad had raised, either. "So, Dad knows about you and me."

He tensed. "Is he mad?"

"No." I had to get that out there right away, or Finn would freak himself out to the point where he would shut down and couldn't listen to anything else I was saying. "He's very surprised, but he's not angry."

"That's good. I don't want him to be angry." He picked at the stuffed animals fur, which was rapidly becoming a nervous habit. The poor lion was missing about a quarter of his mane by now, but I supposed it was better then Finn picking at his own skin or clothes.

"He isn't. But he did bring up a few things that maybe you and I should talk about." My voice broke a little from nerves. What if, after it as all laid out for him, Finn decided that he didn't want me?

"Did he try and give you the sex talk? Because he doesn't need to give it to me. I already know and it's creepy to have my boyfriend's father do it anyway." Finn's face scrunched in disgust.

"No, it's not that. It's more about the trial, and how us being there as a couple might be perceived. Perceived means the way other people will look at us." By this point, I could usually tell when Finn might not know I word.

"Yeah, I know that. Samantha and I already talked about what it means. But we didn't talk about what it means at the trial."

"Dad thinks that maybe if you and I show up as a couple, then some jurors will have a hard time believing that you didn't want to have sex with Joseph, too. He doesn't want anyone to have any excuse not to find him guilty." I tried to present the argument in as clear a way as possible.

"That isn't very fair."

I noticed that Finn didn't say that it couldn't possibly happen. Like I had told the therapist, Finn wasn't anywhere as naïve as he had once been. "No, it isn't. He was also a little concerned that people might be weirded out by brothers dating each other." This was actually what I was less concerned about.

"Can't we just tell them that we're not really brothers? We won't even be step brothers until our parents get married." His face was heartbreakingly cute.

"I know, Cowboy, but that's not how it works. What the prosecutor is trying to do is make you look like the most normal guy in the entire world. Quarterback, male lead of the Glee Club, no trouble with the law. Outgoing with plenty of friends. You even had two girls fighting over you. If anything happens to jeopardize the way people view you, it could have an effect on the trial, too. I want everyone to see you the very best way possible."

"But my very best way possible is when I'm with you." It came out in a voice not much bigger then Tina's. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"No! I don't want to break up, because I love you more then anything. I'm just saying that maybe…I don't know."

"What you mean is that your father told you to break up with me, and you're going to do it. How can you say you love me if you're not willing to stand up to him?" Tears shone in his eyes, but they were rapidly getting dark and hard, which was never a good sign. I had about 5 seconds before Hurricane Finn blew this room to pieces.

"That's not how it happened, Finn. Give me a minute to explain." Ok, so maybe few little white lies wouldn't hurt things. "Dad didn't even realize that there was a real 'us'. He thought we were just flirting."

The hard look didn't soften, but his pupils shrank down slightly. Good, good. "But he still doesn't want us to be together" There was no edge to his voice, which meant he was coming down off the ledge.

"Finn, I'm his only child. Of course he would much rather lock me in a tower then have anyone date me. Come on, Quinn's father was the same way." I had to walk a very fine line here of blaming dad but not blaming Dad. "What do you think we should do?"

He shrugged. "I don't want to break up with you. Not even for a little bit until the trial is over. But I get it if you want an excuse to break up with me." One shoulder rose and fell in a feeble half-shrug. "You probably didn't ask for a guy who can't even feel you up."

Actually, considering my rather prudish nature, that was exactly what I would have asked for. There had to be more to a relationship then senseless groping and humping. "I asked for you, and I got you. Period."

"So why are you going to let your father break us up?"

"I'm not." Even though I had been. "I just wanted us to talk to you about it. Whether we like it or not, this is bigger then us. What should we do?"

"Don't tell anyone. It's not like anyone's going to think to ask if you and I are together." Finn was giving me a look that suggested I wasn't very bright.

He had no idea what they might ask. There was a lawyer whose sole job was to make Finn look bad, and ferret out even the smallest cracks in his façade. Anyone who looked at Finn was going to know all of his secrets. But I couldn't tell him that, not when he looked so hopeful. "I can agree to that. Let's see, it's just you and I, Dad and Carole, Mercedes and Tina. That's six people who know. Six people aren't too many to keep a secret."

Sometimes one person was too many to keep a secret, as countless Glee club debacles had taught us. I've always been a pessimist, while Finn was the sunny optimist. Since he had come back, though, I had seen only a few flashes of his previous personality. Every time I did, though, I want nothing more then to have that Finn back.

Which was why I said nothing to burst his bubble now. I wrapped my arms around him, pressing against his body. When he didn't object, I crawled into his lap, laying my head on his shoulder. He hugged me tightly, as if he was letting go would cause him to lose me forever.

This was right. Dad meant well, but he couldn't make this decision for us. If this was what I wanted, and it was what Finn wanted, then there was nothing for anyone else to say. "I love you, Finn. I never want you to doubt that."

He rested his chin on top of my head. "I don't. I love that about you."

"That I love you?" This was the first time he had used the 'L' word in reference to me, even if he wasn't saying it directly to me.

"Yeah. That you still love me, even after all this shit. You don't give up." He sounded like he couldn't believe that I wasn't getting this.

Why was it that Finn could see that as a wonderful trait in me, but be completely oblivious to it in himself? "You don't give up either."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course I do. Why do you think I didn't try and run when Joseph let me out at the gas station? I totally gave up." He gave himself a quick shake. "Except that doesn't matter now. I gave up, but I still made it out alive. Next time, I won't make that mistake."

"Learning from ones past mistakes never a bad thing." I didn't tell him that he hadn't given up, because he clearly had. I was just grateful that he had made it out alive. I tickled his side. "We'll be alright, Finn, I promise."

He kissed the top of my head. "Of course we will. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but we will. Because that's how come everything keeps working. The sun comes up; things are a little better then yesterday."

Finn's all over the place mentally and emotionally and he doesn't talk anywhere near as much as he used to, even now, so it's sometimes hard to remember that he has just as many opinions and rights to express them as the rest of the family. "I'll tell Dad that it's a no go, and we're still together."

"Tell him to fuck off and stay out of our bedroom." His voice was light, very nearly a giggle. "He might now like what he ends up seeing."

My father seeing me naked with anyone, much less his soon-to-be stepson might be what finally pushes him over the edge into a cardiovascular event. Not exactly the family bonding he had been hoping for. "I'll put it a bit more tactfully then that."

"Whatever." He nuzzled my neck with his nose. "Let's quit talking about your Dad and start making out again. That's the best part of this."

I'm not an idiot. I know that Finn using making out to distract me, and thus himself, from what was happening. But I usually let him get away with it, because boy can he kiss. With skills like his, I have no idea how both Quinn and Rachel could let him go.

So I twisted around in his lap and nibbled gently at his lower lip. I always start out gentle, and let Finn decide how far to take things. Sometimes he can be a little rough, but I think that's more him being overenthusiastic then deliberately aggressive.

Without warning he pulled back and nudged me off of his lap. "That's enough for now."

He wasn't usually this firm (or at all interested in stopping so soon), so I was surprised. "Why?"

"You need to talk to your Dad. Until you tell him that we're together, no more kisses. No more anything else, either."

It was frustrating in more then one sense of the word, but I got where he was coming from. "You drive a hard bargain, Finn Hudson."

He smirked. "Not really. You can go up there and tell him right now. 2 minutes and we'll be right back where we started. Stopped. Started." His brow furrowed again as he tried to sort it out.

"Either is correct." This was my chance, but I was frozen on the bed. I very seldom flat out defied my father, and the thought was intimidating. No matter that it was the right thing to do, and the best thing possible for not only Finn and I, but the rest of the family as well. There was always a fear, no matter how small, that my rebellion would be the final straw, and he would just wash his hands of me. It was a risk I usually found far too high to take.

Finn leaned back against the headboard. "So, are you going to tell him? Because I can if you don't want to."

The only thing that could possibly be worse then me telling Dad would be letting Finn do it. I would at least try to be tactful and kind. Finn would probably enjoy springing it on him as graphically as possible, just to ensure maximum shock value. "No, I'll do it. I just need a minute."

"Do you think that he's going to hate you, or hate me?" He shifted so he was propped up against the headboard, legs stretched out in front of him.

I mimicked his pose. "He won't hate either one of us."

"Then what are you afraid of? If it's not him, it has to be me. Because Mom already knows." He was started to get that stormy look in his eyes again.

"It's not you." I got where he was coming from, though. I was trying to play both sides of the fence by having Finn but refusing to acknowledge him to the one person I was closest to. "I never want you to feel like you're the problem."

"Well, something's the problem. If I wanted to live in the basement and be someone's secret, I could have just stayed with Joseph."

I don't think I'll ever hear that name again without my skin crawling. "I'm the problem, ok? I don't want to go up there and tell him, because he's going to be disappointed that I didn't listen to him."

The storm clouds vanished under concern. "Oh. You could have just said that. But you never listen to your father. I always hear you telling him that he's wrong or that you know how to do it better."

It was an innocent observation, but it did sting a tiny bit. Was that really how Finn saw Dad and I? Two people locked in constant struggle? "We agree about some things."

"Well, yeah." His confused look told me that we were mentally on two different planes. "I didn't mean that. I just mean that you're not afraid to tell him off. I think that that's great. It means that no one will push you around like they did to me."

"That's kind of strange, because I think I would have faired far worse then you did." I stopped there. If Finn felt up to talking about it, he would ask more questions. If it was something he didn't want to deal with, he would say nothing.

Today he chose to remain quiet, at least for the moment. He just did that thing where one corner of his mouth quirked up. That was the look that said he didn't quite believe me, but that he was glad that both of us were safe now. It was that tiny gesture that gave me strength. "I'm going upstairs to talk to him right now."

The smile I got from him would have made anything in the world worth it. "Ok. I'll be here."

Every step up the basement stairs felt like a million, but I kept going. I owed this honesty to Finn, and to Dad as well. It still wasn't easy, though.

No one writes songs about the ones that come easy.

To distract myself, I tried thinking of a song that might describe Finn and I's relationship. Not one song came to mind. This wasn't a happy fluffy Taylor Swift relationship, but nor was it a dreary Adele one. It was just what it was, nothing more or less. Maybe I could write my own.

Dad was still in the kitchen, doing some paperwork for the garage. "You're back awfully quick. Finn took it alright, didn't he? Do I have to go have a talk with him?"

Like Finn would respond to anything Dad said. They were doing better together, but not well enough that I would ever consider it a good idea to put them alone together. "There was nothing to take. I'm sorry, but I'm not breaking up with Finn. It's not happening."

He sat back. "Kurt, we talked about this. I know that it's not what you want, but it's what's for the best."

"No it isn't. It's what's easiest for everyone, no one is denying that. But it's not what's best." My voice wavered, even though I wanted it to be strong.

"Is that what Finn told you?" He wasn't freaking out, which I took as a good sign. Maybe we could still get out of this intact.

"Uh-huh. I did exactly what you told me to, and explained it the way you did. But he didn't buy it." I left out the dark look that I had gotten, and the fact that Finn had immediately known the difference between my words and Dad's. I knew Finn well enough not to be afraid of his moods and glares, but they could be quite intimidating to those who didn't know that he was a big teddy bear inside.

Dad was still giving me the eye, so I felt compelled to keep going. "I mean, he's half of this relationship, so I feel like his opinions should count for more then yours."

Really, that was what it all boiled down to. Finn had made his choice, and his choice was me. It was a heady feeling. I had never been someone's first choice, or really anyone's choice at all, in my life, and now I had Finn.

"I guess there's nothing else to say about it then. You're both big boys and almost adults. You're old enough to make your own choices, and to live with the consequences. But at least tell me that the two of you agreed to keep it quiet for now."

"We did. Are you mad at us?" What I really meant was 'are you mad at me', but I didn't quite have the courage to say it.

"Of course not." He pushed the chair back and held out his arms, which I threw myself into willingly. "I love you, and I love Finn. If this is 100% what you both want, I'm not going to try and force you apart. I just want what's best for both of you."

"We're what's best for each other. I can't explain it any better then that, but me leaving Finn now is going to mess everything up, including him." It was easier to stand my ground now, knowing that I had already won.

Despite his words, I could tell that he didn't really like this. He would back off and let us to what we wanted, but there was an undercurrent of him thinking he knew what was best.

I had to give him credit for not saying it, though. This entire thing had made both Finn and I grow up very quickly, and it I think it's hard for him and Carole to accept that we aren't just average 17 year old boys.

And just so we're clear? I had never been average and don't think that I would like to be, but I would give anything for Finn to be the average boy he was. Then we might be starting school together next week, where I would have to listen to his bitching about Rachel, whom I'm sure he'd end up with anyway, and I could admire him from afar.

"So, go tell your boyfriend that things are fine and your relationship meets with my approval. Carole and I are going to have to have a serious discussion about what is and is not appropriate, but that's for the future."

The thought of them discussing my sex life was mortifying, but I was glad for the escape. The steps that had been so daunting just a few minutes ago melted under my feet as I raced down them. Finn was exactly where I had left him, solid and quiet. He was curious, but he wouldn't ask.

"I told him that I wouldn't break up with you. He agreed that I didn't have to." The words came out in a rush, but he got them and visibly relaxed.

"Good. Come back over and we can make out again."

Finally, something today that I actually wanted to do! Before I did, though, I had to ask one question. "Hey Finn? If we had a song, what would it be?"

He didn't even pause. "The Shrek song."

I had to go back and think about it. "I'm a Believer?"

"No, the other one from the second movie. You know, Accidentally in Love? You're my accident, but a really, really cool one."

It was hard to tell if he had pulled that song out of a hat, or if he had actually thought it out. "You know that I love you even when you tell me I look like Shrek?"

"Would you rather be Donkey?"

"Would you rather not get any making out tonight?" If I let him keep going on this vein, it would last all night, until everyone he knew was a character from the movie.

A quick distraction almost always works for him, and Finn's focus came roaring back to me. "No. I would very much like to make out now, please."

Sometimes he has the weirdest syntax. "Ok, then no Donkey's or Shreks?"

He gave an aggrieved sigh. "No Donkey, and no Shrek and yes making out."

"Come on, then."