(Author's note: The first fifty thousand times I watched 2x08 Furt, I completely ignored the Sue-Marries-Herself storyline. And then, the other day, I watched it for the fifty-thousand-and-first time while washing dishes, and I had an a-ha about how I could adapt that scene with Sue and her sister and her mother, for Aaron and Timmy and Sarah in the Donutverse.

Nearly the whole cast of characters shows up for the wedding, including Beth! There's also modified quoting from the Santana/Rachel/Finn dialogue from the wedding. Warnings here for the usual D/s and consensual servitude, as well as m/m/m sexual interactions. -amy)

"Tatenui's calling you," Sarah said over her notebook.

Kurt didn't look up from his French homework. "No, he's not."

"No, I'm serious, he is." She lowered the notebook. "Why are you avoiding him?"

Kurt sighed. "Because he's going to make me talk about what happened with Dave. And I'm not willing to pull focus from his wedding."

"Why don't you tell him that?"

He had to think about the answer to that question for long enough that Sarah reached over and hauled him to his feet. His French book fell to the floor. "Hey!"

"No lying, no hiding," she insisted, and gave him a push toward the stairs. "Counts for parents too. Just do it already."

"Kurt?" they both heard from downstairs.

"Coming," he called back, and scowled at Sarah, but she'd already retreated behind her notebook and wasn't looking at him.

His dad was in the room behind the kitchen. In his mind, Kurt thought of the upstairs landing with the green couch and the piano as "the family room," but he wasn't sure what to call this other room, the one with the fireplace and his dad's enormous television and the newer furniture.

"Is this the den?" Kurt wondered. "Maybe it should be the romper room. Oh, or maybe the lounge. Could we call it that?"

"Whatever you want, Kurt." His dad patted the couch cushion beside him and muted the television. "C'mere. I'm not mad anymore, I just want to get a few things straight about what happened at school."

"I'm not sure what else you need to know, Dad." He avoided looking at him. "You saw what happened with… Karofsky."

Burt shook his head. "Yeah, and since when do you call him that anymore? Last I heard you two were getting along great. Friends, even."

Kurt just shook his head and kept his eyes on his lap until his dad sighed.

"Can you at least tell me the truth about what happened to your wrist freshman year? Because you told me you broke it falling off the fountain at Schoonover Park."

Kurt's hand went automatically to hold the wrist in question. His memories of the event were crystal clear, from the horrible words Azimio had said, to Rick's feint with his hockey stick, but he couldn't bring himself to put words to the visuals.

"It was a mistake," he said in a monotone. "Nobody meant to hurt me. They were just messing with me, making me feel… it was like everything they did, designed to subdue me, to keep me under control. Because D—Karofsky and his friends couldn't handle anything that subverted their norms about what the masculine heterosexual world was supposed to be like. And the school…" He shrugged.

"Yeah, I heard what your principal said. Our hands are tied. Well, we did something this time." His dad frowned. "Only I get the idea this was just a band-aid on the problem. What about Karofsky's friends? They're still there, ready to terrorize more kids."

Kurt nodded. "It's the fear that's the worst. I never know when it's coming; I can't concentrate. I don't feel like I'm part of school at all."

His dad looked so sad. "Well, I want to try to do something about it, for you and for all the kids who might be targeted."

He let his dad hug him, and the tears he shed were real. The worst thing was, his dad was right. They hadn't solved anything by taking Dave out of school, not for Blaine, not for the remaining targets, and certainly not for Dave himself.

"Maybe we wait until after the wedding?" Kurt said.

His dad nodded, his expression troubled. "After the wedding. But that doesn't mean you get to forget about this. It's not going to go away, for you or anyone else, without some effort. Can you promise me?"

Kurt squeezed his hand and tried to smile. "I promise."

When the doorbell rang and Finn opened the door on Friday afternoon, he was startled to discover Timothy and Jacob standing on the porch.

"Hey," he said, grinning, and held the door open while they brought their bags inside. "Are you—uh, you're here! For the wedding?"

"Hey, Finn." Jacob shook his hand with a smile. "Yeah, sorry for the surprise early arrival. I guess nobody told you we were flying in today. I called your mom, but she said she wouldn't be home when we arrived."

"Sarah," Finn called up the stairs. "Your brother's here." To Jacob, he added, "No, it's cool. Nobody tells me anything. Kurt's totally in charge of this wedding. I think they're picking up my mom's dress, or maybe it was the flowers?"

Timothy didn't make a move to shake Finn's hand, but when Jacob cleared his throat, he startled, then redirected his gaze from the vaulted ceiling of the entryway to Finn's face, putting on a mechanical smile. "Thanks for letting us in. Where should we put the bags?"

"I guess you'll be in—uh, in the guest room." He beckoned them to follow him up the stairs. It's not Blaine's room anymore, no matter how much you think of it that way. Sarah met them at the top of the landing, and Timothy hugged her with apparent ease.

"How was the flight?" asked Finn. "You guys aren't touring with Adam right now, are you?"

"Nope. Adam took Andrea and went to Europe without us." Jacob brought up the rear behind Timothy. "Which means I'm technically out of work, but Adam's paying me a stipend to watch his house, so, hey, free board."

"Well, you look good." It was kind of a meaningless statement, but they both really did look a lot better than they had when he'd seen them last at Tessera last February. He led them down the hall and gestured into the empty extra bedroom behind Puck's. "Me and Sarah are the only ones here right now, but Kurt and my mom and Burt will be home soon."

"What about Puck?" Jacob's voice floated out from behind the door, but Finn stayed in the hallway. He wasn't going into that room, not if he could help it.

"He's with Lauren until after dinner, making the wedding cake." Finn paused, turning to Sarah. "How much do they know about what happened with Puck?"

She shrugged. "I told Timmy most of it. Everything Dad did, anyway."

Timothy leaned against the door frame and sighed. "I think in this case, we can't even say he means well, but I think he actually did think he was doing the right thing?"

"Which is no excuse," Jacob added firmly, coming into the hall to take Timothy's hand. "He had no right to convince Puck he needed changing."

"Yeah." Finn ran a hand over his head. "He's doing better, thanks to Lauren. She's Irene's apprentice, and she's giving him a lot of, uh, support?" He watched Jacob's face as he spoke, and saw understanding pass over his features.

"Of the corporal variety," Jacob guessed.

"Yeah. It's definitely helping him get through his day, and he's happier, but there's still a lot of stuff he can't do with us without feeling sick."

"I'm glad he's improved." Timothy paused, then added, "Dad found out about the wedding. He wants to come."

Sarah's eyes got big, then small. She glared at Timothy in obvious outrage. "What the fuck?"

Timothy waved a tired hand. "I told him he's not invited."

"You'd better tell him if he even sets foot in that church, he's going to get punched in the face by at least three people." She took two handfuls of her own hair and growled at the ceiling. "How many times do I have to—" Then she wheeled to face him. "No, you know what? Let him come to the rehearsal tomorrow evening. Get it out of his system."

"You're going to give him another chance?" Timothy looked appalled, but Sarah shook her head.

"No. I'm going to let him know exactly why he's not invited. And I'm going to do it surrounded by backup. You guys. You're my family." Sarah's lips tightened in determination. "I can do this. Come on, I'm making vegetarian lasagna tonight, special for you, Jacob."

While they sat in the kitchen making conversation, and Sarah boiled noodles and layered them in the pan with ricotta cheese and sauce and mushrooms, Finn had plenty of time to watch the dynamic between Jacob and Timothy. Timothy was as calm and engaged as Finn had ever seen him. Jacob's redirections were frequent but subtle, and Timothy didn't seem at all bothered by them. Finn felt a stirring of envy. He's got his Top. His Top's taking care of him.

Kurt and his mom arrived next with the wedding dress, and although Kurt seemed preoccupied, he was clearly happy to see Jacob and Timothy. He gave Finn a distracted kiss and slid into the seat beside him.

"Hey, Timothy," his mom said, "before I'm swallowed up by wedding details, I wanted to make sure to ask you about something Sarah's social worker mentioned. Your mother had a brother, right?"

"Uncle Samuel," Timothy said, nodding. "We didn't see him much growing up, but he would come for our birthdays, Passover, that sort of thing. Honestly, he was so sick by the time I left Lima, I thought for sure he'd passed away, but when I was dealing with Ma's probate, I found out he's living in an assistive care facility in Dayton."

"No way," Sarah said, her eyes big again. "Ma said he died, years ago."

"Yeah, well." Timothy made his distinctive shoulder-shrug. Jacob moved in a little closer beside him, and Timothy's restless movements stilled. "Maybe she thought it was easier for you not to know he was still alive. You probably don't remember how much yelling there was every time he came around. Uncle Samuel was gay, too."

"We may need to talk with him, if he's healthy enough." His mom gave Sarah a little smile. "That is, if your father decides to contest your adoption."

Sarah's eyes lit up. "Hey, you and Tatenui are getting married, so—does that mean I get adopted by both of you?"

Finn kept his eyes on Timothy as his mom explained the details, but he couldn't see any anxiety or concern on his face. When Sarah returned to check on the lasagna, he nudged Timothy's arm.

"This okay?" he asked quietly. "Us, taking in Sarah?"

"And Noah?" Timothy said. "Yeah, it's good. I think after Ma died, I was hoping Dad might pull it together enough to…" He grimaced. "Not so much. But this, it seems like the best thing for everybody."

Finn nodded. "Here's hoping."

Timothy's eyes slid to the floor. "I'm—I'm really sorry about what happened. Maybe if I'd been more realistic about the kind of person Dad really is—"

"Hey," Jacob said. His voice was mild, but Timothy cut himself off abruptly, and he sat there, staring off into whatever memories plagued him.

"I think Puck was hoping he was different, too," said Finn. "Like, the time they spent together, that meant something to him. Even though it was hard. You weren't the only one who got duped. You don't have to blame yourself for that."

Timothy nodded, twisting his hands together on the counter. "I understand more, now. About why Noah did the things he did. And Dad, too."

His mom spoke up, keeping her tone soft. "What helped you figure it out?"

"Uh…" He glanced at Jacob out of the corner of his eye. Jacob inclined his head, and Timothy smiled, relaxing. The smile made him look even more like Sarah. "Therapy, partly. And talking with Gaga, and Adam, and being with somebody who made sure I knew he wasn't going to bail when things got confusing."

"Commitment is a game-changer," his mom agreed, looking pointedly at Jacob. "I'm happy to hear you have that."

"It's okay," Jacob said in an undertone, tapping on Timothy's arm. "You can talk about it here."

Timothy looked up at the ceiling. "Jacob gave me a collar. That helps too."

Finn felt Kurt stiffen beside him, but before anyone else could say anything, Sarah asked curiously, "You mean the kind of collar that's like a ring?"

Jacob smiled at her. "Something like that kind, yeah."

"Are you going to have a ceremony?" Sarah went on, as Finn watched his mother turn scarlet. Confidentially, she added, "Lauren told me sometimes people do."

"Maybe," Timothy said. "I'm still getting used to the idea of having one. Sometimes I get scared."

That was such an unusual admission from Timothy that even Jacob looked surprised. He slid an arm around Timothy's waist, and Timothy moved in closer beside him.

"Like you did at Tessera," said Sarah. "When you ran away and cut your hand."

"Yeah. But I'm not doing that anymore."

"No," Jacob affirmed. "You're not."

Kurt opened his mouth, but it took him a moment to form words. "Did you ever—have you been in a relationship like this before?"

"Not the kind that would have a collar in it, no," said Timothy. "Really, not any kind. The men in my life haven't been the kind to stick around. And I've never felt like I wanted them to."

"I always wanted to get married," Kurt said wistfully. "Since I was a little kid. I had so many fantasies of walking down the aisle with—well." He let out an embarrassed giggle. "Back then, it was mostly with Rider Strong from Boy Meets World."

"Hey, for me it was Donny Osmond," his mom said, grinning back. "And Greg Frankel, the boy across the street."

"I had the biggest crush on my soccer coach," Timothy admitted. "Cooper Anderson. If I didn't know I was gay before I met him, I sure did afterward."

"Cooper Anderson." Kurt's face had turned white. He put a hand to his mouth. "You—did he have a little brother?"

Timothy's brow furrowed. "I don't remember. Maybe?"

Finn watched Kurt's face go through contortions as his own stomach flipped. "Kurt," Finn protested, "Blaine doesn't have an older brother."

"No, I know, but—but he said, at the Lima Bean, he said he did. That he does." He stared up at Finn. "And he said his name was Cooper. That he was eleven years older and lived in Los Angeles."

"Oh," Finn said. He swallowed, feeling suddenly faint under the weight of all the things he wasn't sure about Blaine. "I guess that could be true?"

He could see Kurt wrestle with his own uncertainty all through dinner, which was delicious. Even his mother, in the midst of her own multitude of things to think about, noticed Kurt's preoccupation. He watched her pull Kurt aside while they were clearing the table, the concern on her face as they spoke quietly together.

"What did she want to know?" he asked Kurt as they climbed the stairs to the second floor after dinner.

"About Blaine at the Lima Bean. I don't think she really thought about how that might be, for us to be studying together on Sunday nights and for him to just—not know me." He drew Finn down the hall into his room, leaned against the door to close it, then bit his lip. "Finn… I have no idea what I'm doing with Blaine. Maybe I shouldn't—"

"What? No!" Finn took his hand. "Baby, he needs you. You're the only link we have to everything good in Blaine's life. All the things his dad says he can't have. You have to convince him that he can." He gave Kurt an encouraging smile, and Kurt smiled faintly back. "Even if you're doubting yourself right now, remember that I'm sure you can do it. And Puck, too. We believe in you."

Kurt leaned his forehead against Finn's chest, letting out a shaky sigh. "I think sometimes I forget that I'm really not doing this alone. That I can ask you for help, even."

"You can." Finn hugged him, then drew his face up to look into his, and kissed him. "You always can. But I don't think you really need to. You just need to remember how awesome you are, how smart and strong and in charge you can be."

Kurt let out a disbelieving laugh. "I really don't feel like that right now."

"Then act like you do." He nudged Kurt's shoulder. "You're an actor, right? Play the part, even if it doesn't feel like anyone will believe you. Trust me, I understand."

He ran his hand along Finn's stomach, sliding his fingers under Finn's t-shirt to rest on his warm skin. "I never considered that you were being anything other than exactly who you really are. Especially when—" His voice dropped to a whisper. "—when you're in charge of me."

"No, baby." Finn ran a finger along Kurt's jaw, watching his eyes flutter and close. "When I'm with you like that, I don't have to pretend anymore. I'm just responding to you, giving you what you need. It's easy." He tilted his head. "You think you might want that tonight?"

"Ohh," Kurt said, halfway between a sigh and a groan. "I really would. If you think Noah would tolerate it."

Finn shrugged. "Either take him down and cuff him, so he has no choice, or offer him the option to decide if he can handle it. Which one do you think would be better?"

"Honestly?" Kurt gave him a wry smile. "It depends on how far down he already is when he gets home. I mean, you've seen him this week. I don't think he's been out of subspace long enough to have experienced sub drop."

"Good point." Finn drew him back into a kiss, longer and dirtier this time, pushing him up against the back of the door with the weight of his body. By the time they broke apart, Kurt was making very unsubtle thrusts into his hip. "As long as you're sure you don't have anything more to do tonight for the wedding? Go ahead and shower and start your moisturizing. I'll bring the tools into your room, then wait downstairs for Puck to get home."

"Yes, sir," Kurt whispered, smiling. He already looked a thousand times better than he had at dinner. Finn gave him an approving smile before leaving him to his evening routine.

The cuffs and collar were still in his bedroom, but Finn paused as he considered what else Puck might possibly be ready to handle in their presence. He knew pushing him was almost always better than not pushing him, which made it easier to choose to act. He took a few more specific items from the drawer beside his bed, then returned through their shared bath to deposit the items next to Kurt's bed. Kurt's eyes widened as he saw what they were.

"Are you sure?"

"No," Finn admitted. "But I think I'd rather end up being wrong than make him wonder for one second if we care enough to keep trying."

Sarah had managed to lure Jacob and Timothy into a game of Monopoly while his mom and Burt went over the schedule for Friday afternoon's rehearsal. Finn wandered restlessly until he heard the garage door opener working in the back of the house, and went to meet Puck at the door.

He took one look at Puck's dilated eyes and flushed face, and felt a pleasant sense of calm settle over him.

"Noah," Finn said quietly. Puck's eyes snapped to his, attentive and willing. He smiled, hoping he was conveying the right amount of platonic approval.

"Sir," Puck replied, his voice low.

"Jacob and Timothy are here. You think you're up to interacting with them? It's okay to say no."

Puck didn't always respond well to options, so this was as much a measure of his ability to make rational choices as it was an actual choice. He only hesitated a moment before saying, "Yeah, I think I can do that."

"Okay. We'll go up to bed right after that. Kurt's waiting for me."

He watched Puck thinking that statement over as they went into the dining room. Puck did actually seem capable of casual conversation with his brother and Jacob. Finn watched both Sarah and Jacob give Puck appraising looks, but neither of them commented.

Then Puck paused in the doorway to the kitchen, looking over the stacks of dishes still not washed, the sticky lasagna pan, and then back at Finn. "Okay if I finish this up first?"

"Hey, Puck, don't worry about it," called Burt from the den. "I'll take care of those dishes later."

Finn swallowed a curse as he watched Puck begin to shrink, retreating inside himself. Quickly, he shot out a hand and gripped Puck's wrist, hard, making him gasp, and towed him around the corner, out of the view of either the den or the dining room.

"Who's in charge?" he demanded.

"Lauren," Puck whispered, his eyes rolling like a horse about to bolt. Finn sighed to himself.

"Here. Who's in charge, here."

"You?"

"That's right. So listen to me when I say you will do those dishes and clean the kitchen, to your own satisfaction, and only then will you go upstairs." He balled his fist in Puck's shirt, tugging him closer to stare into his eyes. "Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it." He looked somewhat wounded by Finn's tone, but much calmer, and went right into the kitchen to begin.

Finn moved into the den to intercept Burt before he could say anything else to Puck. They stopped their conversation, clearly startled to see him there.

"Look," he said under his breath, "can I just say I know you were trying to help? But what you just did, that's exactly the opposite of what you need to say to Puck when he's doing work around the house."

Burt sighed, running a hand over his head. "Yeah, I know. Kurt's explained this before. I just don't think I can—"

"You have to," Finn insisted. "This isn't about making him happy. It's about giving him what he needs to get through each day, each hour, so he can figure out how to start to heal from what happened. If he feels safe enough, he takes risks. Sometimes they don't work out so well, but he is getting better." He appealed to his mom with his eyes. "He is. But we can't sabotage that by driving him back into a place where he's not sure if he's doing the right thing. He has to know he's good. Of all the people in his life, Burt, he needs to hear it from you, more than anybody. That he's a good boy."

"God," muttered Burt. He sounded defeated. "Yeah. Okay. I get it." He gave Finn a piercing look. "I think you've got a calling as a therapist or something."

Or something. Finn could see his mother trying not to laugh, but he just grabbed Burt's hand and said, "Thanks. I know it's hard, and weird, but—thanks."

With casual intent, Finn went through the kitchen without looking at Puck and sat down at the table, but he needn't have bothered. Puck was oblivious to anyone or anything else around him, deep inside his work.

Jacob and Timothy had largely abandoned the Monopoly game and were both watching Puck, Jacob with curiosity and Timothy with confusion.

"Is he okay?" Timothy whispered.

"Duh," said Sarah loftily. "Noah's better than okay. He's, like, in a trance. He gets this way when he's cooking sometimes, too."

"Domestic servitude," Jacob murmured. "A lifestyle slave. He's textbook, Finn. I've seen him with Adam, but I had no idea."

Puck barely acknowledged the others in the room, even after the kitchen was spotless. Once he'd finished sweeping the floor, Finn took him by the arm and led him upstairs. "We'll see you guys after school tomorrow at the rehearsal," he said to the others.

The whole way up the stairs, Finn was feeding him compliments, such a good boy, did so well, you're doing exactly the right thing, and with each repetition, he moved a little bit slower and breathed a little more erratically. By the time they were at the top of the stairs, he was whimpering.

When Puck entered the bedroom and saw Kurt sitting at his dressing table, he let out a cry, and went straight into his arms. The expression on Kurt's face made Finn's heart feel like it would burst open.

"Noah," he breathed, resting a hand on his head. He looked up at Finn in bewilderment, but Finn shrugged, mouthing no idea. Kurt just sighed, gathered him up, and sat down on the floor where they were, holding him loosely on his lap.

Finn brushed his teeth and removed and disinfected plug number sixteen, all the while watching and monitoring his boys out of the corner of his eye, but Puck seemed content where he was. Finally, he picked up the first tool from the table beside Kurt's bed and walked over to crouch beside the two of them.

"Noah," he said gently, touching Puck on the shoulder. Puck stirred, but did not respond. "It's time for me to take care of Kurt. You're going to lie down on the bed. I have a—a blindfold for you. Come with me."

He clasped both Puck's hands and pulled him to his feet, walking him over to the bed, then proceeded to undress him, keeping his hands to himself as much as was possible. All the while, he was murmuring praise, keeping up a constant flow, until Puck was loose and pliable in his arms. Puck didn't object when Finn put the blindfold on him, or when Finn buckled his collar around his neck. Then he took a long, steadying breath, and picked up the next tool.

"Noah," he said, attempting to maintain that same calm tone with which he'd been praising him, "I'm going to put this cock ring on you now."

"Oh," Puck said, sounding both bewildered and anticipatory, "yeah, okay. I could probably use one. I didn't come yet tonight."

Kurt took off his robe. It was obvious how much the conversation was affecting him, but all his attention was on Puck. "Did—does Lauren usually do something that makes you… do that?"

"Just when she flogs me," he said. "But I'm not really around when it happens, so she told me not to worry. Only my back's still healing, so she didn't tonight."

Finn gave up trying to understand Puck's statement. He went as quickly as he could, buckling the leather straps around Puck's cock and under his balls, snugging them up tight to his stomach. When he was done, he realized he'd been holding his breath, and let it out.

Naked, Kurt knelt on the bed beside Puck, quivering with the effort not to touch him. "Did you, um… did you finish the wedding cake, Noah?"

"Almost. I'll frost it tomorrow, after the game." He sounded detached, not proud or worried. "It'll be ready for Saturday."

"That's good." Finn watched Kurt's eyes drop closed, then roll up toward him, desperately begging. "Finn, please… I need you to cuff me to the bed. I don't think I can keep my hands off him."

Puck rolled toward Kurt, his body tense with listening. "Do you want me to—may I hold his hands down for you?"

"Oh, god," Kurt moaned. Puck didn't move, but his hands splayed on the bed, waiting, ready to obey a command—Finn's command. Finn had to take a few long moments to run through the relaxation routine Carl had taught him so long ago before he had enough self-control to go on.

"You may." He was kind of proud at how even his voice was. He helped Kurt settle onto his knees, then placed Puck's hands securely on Kurt's wrists, above his head. Now Kurt was the one whimpering. Puck, on the other hand, appeared absolutely calm.

"Baby," Finn murmured into Kurt's ear, watching him writhe. "Are you ready?"

"Please," Kurt begged again.

He considered putting on some music to mask the sound of the suede flogger, but decided it wasn't necessary. The only person upstairs who wasn't already doing similar activities was Sarah, and she'd assured them many times she was fine with sleeping while wearing earphones. Not that those are bad sounds, she'd said, to Kurt's utter embarrassment. Finn thought with longing of the unfinished soundproof room, waiting for them in the basement. Then he rested the flogger's tails against Kurt's quivering back, and began.

Kurt's responses were not surprising, but Finn was keeping his attention on Puck. He didn't move his hands off Kurt's wrists, though he did adjust his grip a few times to allow Kurt to shift his position. Every time Kurt made a noise, Puck made one, too, but Finn didn't realize he was saying words until Kurt was well on his way into subspace.

He leaned in closer, touching Puck's arm. "What was that?"

Puck turned his head toward the sound of Finn's voice. "He's a good boy, isn't he?" he said. He sounded pleased. "He's your good boy."

As Finn staggered backward in surprise, Kurt began to cry quietly. Puck, murmuring sounds of comfort, leaned his cheek against Kurt's back, the blindfold pressing against Kurt's reddened flesh.

"He is," Finn said, once he'd regained his voice. "He's… my good boy."

"Good boys get whatever they want," Puck whispered, and smiled as Kurt moaned beside him.

Finn brushed the sweat off his forehead, feeling his pulse spike. When he placed two fingers on Kurt's neck, he was not surprised to feel Kurt's was just as rapid.

"Well, then," he said, feeling giddy. "I wonder… what does my good boy want?"

There was no guarantee Kurt would be able to make a choice in this state, but Puck surprised him again as he said, completely casually, "Could you use that flogger on me?"

"Oh," said Finn, just as Kurt gasped, "Yes, that's what I want."

Finn just stood there with the flogger loose in his hand and watched as Kurt rose up onto shaky knees and helped Puck stretch his hands out above his head. He fastened his hands around Puck's wrists, gazing up at Finn with tear-stained eyes.

"Please," he said for a third time.

Finn hesitated at the not-quite-healed stripes on Puck's back. With extra care, he raised the flogger and trailed the tails along Puck's skin, from his neck to his thighs. Puck shivered. Whatever he was feeling did not appear to be bad. This time Finn let the tails land with a gentle thud.

"So good," Kurt crooned, and Puck's hips thrust into the bed as he moaned quietly. Finn shifted a little further away to get a better swing before continuing. Every slap elicited another deliciously erotic sound from Puck.

"Any idea how this might end, Kurt?" Finn asked. He'd abandoned any attempt to keep his voice from shaking.

"Your guess is as good as mine," he said, with a wobbly smile.

But the impact of the flogger was evidently having some kind of effect on Puck, because soon, the sounds diminished, then stopped entirely. Finn paused.

"Is he asleep?"

"I'm not sure." Kurt moved his hands away from Puck's wrists, and he curled onto his side, his breathing even and slow. "I don't think so? But maybe we should stop, anyway."

Finn let the flogger drop to the floor, and without bothering to ask permission, he lifted Kurt off the bed and into his arms. Kurt made a little squeak and hung on, but didn't appear to be upset by this development.

"You," whispered Finn, "are incredible. That was—the fucking hottest thing I've ever seen. The two of you…"

"Yeah," Kurt whispered back, his eyes shining with joy and tears. "The way he asked for it, god. I was so proud."

They stumbled together through the bathroom into Finn's connecting bedroom and landed on Finn's bed, straining to kiss and touch and stroke every part of one another. There was no time for negotiation. Kurt's hand, wrapped around his cock, brought Finn off on Kurt's stomach within minutes, and Kurt made about ten breathy thrusts against Finn's hip before gasping, "Oh my god, Finn—"

They lay there, sweaty and disoriented, for another thirty seconds. Then Finn forced himself to rise up, lifting himself to his feet.

"He shouldn't be alone," he said, and Kurt nodded agreement.

But Puck was still quietly resting where they'd left him. He made a soft noise when Kurt climbed into bed beside him, but did not move very far, except to snuggle deeper into Kurt's arms. Finn turned off the light and pulled the sheet over the three of them, dropping into sleep almost immediately.

It was dark when he woke to the sensation of weight and pressure moving against him, and desperate gasps of need against his chest. Finn reached down to feel Puck grinding the leather cock ring into his thigh.

"Noah," he whispered, and the movement ceased. After a moment, Finn slid his hand down to cup Puck in his hand, making him whine.

"Can't," he said, his voice choked.

"Noah," Finn said again. "You were such a good boy tonight."

He stayed where he was, panting. "Thank you."

"What do good boys get, Noah?"

Puck did not move. Finally, he said, in a very hesitant voice, "Your mouth."

Very slowly, Finn moved the sheet aside and positioned himself between Puck's legs. He carefully unbuckled the cock ring, tracing the spots where the buckle had dug into the flesh with the tip of his finger, then took him between his lips, tracing them again with his tongue.

Even before Finn drew back to taste him again, Puck was already coming. His entire body was tense with the effort to remain still as Finn sucked him off. Kurt was quiet, sleeping peacefully through the whole thing.

"You okay?" Finn asked.

"Yeah." A little at a time, Puck's breathing slowed, and he relaxed onto his back. Finn reached out and removed the blindfold. It was so dark in the room, Finn imagined it barely made a difference. He let out a long sigh. "Yeah… I'm okay. That was okay."

"Thanks. For letting me."

Finn listened until Puck's breathing evened out into the patterns of sleep before letting himself dwell on the sounds and images from the evening. It felt a little embarrassing to take his own cock in his hand and jerk off, wedged up against the wall to avoid disturbing anyone else, but figured it was better than waking up with a hard-on that Puck wasn't going to want to see in the morning.

One step forward, he thought, and went back to sleep.

Timothy felt Jacob's hand on his shoulder and stopped his jiggling leg before he realized he was jiggling it. Jacob's approving pat brought his tension down a notch, but he still couldn't help glancing around the church every few seconds.

"He said he was going to be here before four," he said again to Jacob.

"He's usually late," Jacob pointed out again.

Timothy tugged on his tie. "Why did I have to wear this for the rehearsal?"

"Because you dress up like you would for the real thing when you rehearse." Jacob handed him his cup of water and Timothy took a sip, handing it back.

"Churches freak me out."

Jacob sighed. "Everything freaks you out, niño."

It wasn't exactly true, but Timothy knew Jacob's precision when uttering statements tended to be significantly less than his own. He glanced at the door again.

"So you never wanted to get married?"

Timothy narrowed his eyes at Jacob. "No. Gay marriage is illegal in forty-four states."

"But a ceremony. You never wanted that?"

"I wanted to finish college and get a job that would pay my bills."

"And you did that," Jacob said, nodding. "You still make more than I do in a year."

He noticed his own leg jiggling and stopped it before Jacob could touch his shoulder. His dad still wasn't at the door. "I think you should ask Adam for a raise, then."

"You're assuming I'm going to keep working for him?"

"Yes." Then he paused and looked at him again. "Are you implying I should not assume that?"

Jacob touched his leg, which was not moving, so Timothy decided it was because Jacob liked touching it, not because he was doing something wrong. "I'm going to do what I was planning to do before I started working for him. Unless Angela's not available to go on tour with him next year, it makes sense for me to go to Virginia and take advantage of my deferred enrollment."

Timothy thought about all the things Jacob had told him about the FBI training program at Quantico. "We would be apart for nearly five months."

He nodded. "I already talked to Gaga. She said she could use you on the next leg of the Monster Ball tour."

"And then what?" Timothy heard his own voice come out higher than usual.

"Then I'd look for a job."

"A job where?"

Jacob chuckled. "Maybe in one of the six states where gay marriage is legal?"

Timothy stared at Jacob for so long that Sarah ended up spotting their dad first. She took Timothy's hand and tugged him out of the church pew, striding down the aisle toward their dad. He waved, smiling at them.

"Look at you," his dad said, nodding approvingly at Timothy's suit. "Gray's a good color on you, Meemee."

"Gray's not a color," he said. Then, as though Jacob were standing beside him and touching his arm, he added, "Hi, Dad. How was your drive?"

"Traffic's a bear on Friday afternoon." He considered Sarah. "You know, Sissy, I'll bet people say you look mannish. But you know something? I think it's perfectly all right for a woman to be handsome. Takes all kinds. Come on, give your dad a hug."

"Please don't call me that," she said. Timothy could tell she was making an effort to keep her voice civil. "So what are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" He frowned. "You said I could come."

"Yeah, but I couldn't think of a reason you would want to."

He moved toward an empty pew, keeping his eyes on Burt and Carole and the minister at the front of the church. They sat beside him. "Look, I know it's been a hard time these last couple months, but I wanted to get back here and be a father to you kids again. And Sissy, I have to ask you, what are you doing taking part in this ridiculous wedding? You have a family."

Timothy felt a pang of unease as he remembered saying nearly the same words to Sarah, a year ago on the sidewalk in front of Burt Hummel's old house. Her sour expression didn't change.

"They're part of it," she said. "Tatenui and Carole and everybody. I am going through with this wedding. And you are free to accept the invitation or not."

"Are you inviting me?"

"I'm inviting you now."

"Well, I am accepting. Don't get so huffy. And I hope the real wedding is more exciting than the rehearsal." He stretched his legs, putting his arms behind his head as he surveyed the three of them. "You know what, Sissy? This is nice. There's nothing like spending time with my kids."

"Then why did you leave us?" she asked flatly.

His eyes got wide for a moment, and he stammered, "Well, I was—busy. I was busy working, to make money to support you. I had to leave Lima to find work. You got the birthday presents I sent you every year, right?"

Sarah's expression didn't change, but she replied politely, "Yes, I did. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The question burned in Timothy's stomach like an accusation, even though Sarah hadn't directed it at him. Why'd you leave us? He'd been the one to take off first, after all. And maybe, if he hadn't, his dad would have stayed home. But he knew then the questions would have simply been different ones. Why'd you stay when you so clearly hated us? Why did you apologize every morning and fall back into the bottle every night? Why weren't we good enough the way we were?

Suddenly his dad sat up, staring across the church at Noah, who'd just emerged from the reception hall. His cheerful veneer slipped to reveal the anger, always so quick to stir, below the surface. "What in the G.D. hell…?"

Timothy thought Noah looked handsome in his waiter's tuxedo, but it was clear his father didn't agree. Noah waited out of the way of the wedding party as they retreated to the chapel entrance to rehearse the timing again. When Burt walked by, they could hear him say, "Dinner's ready when you are. I can hold it up to twenty minutes, no trouble."

"That's fine," said Burt. Then he slowed, paused, and touched Noah's arm, looking into his face. "I mean… you did a good job. You're a—a good boy."

Noah visibly flushed, ducking his head. "Thank you, sir," he said, scarcely loud enough for them to hear.

Timothy pressed a hand on his father's shoulder as he attempted to get up, making a sound of protest.

"That's enough," he murmured. "Come on, Dad. It's time for you to go."

"This is insane," his father snapped, pointing at Noah. "I'm sorry, but that is crazy. This whole thing is crazy. I didn't come all this way to watch this bullshit happening—especially not as I'm walking out! I wanted to have a special moment with you kids!"

"We've had lots of special moments, Dad," Sarah said through gritted teeth. "You just weren't there."

His father glared at her. "I resent that. And I also resent the fact that you are keeping me in the background at this three-family wedding—which, I am sorry to say I still think is bizarre!"

Sarah rose to her feet, her face suffused with all the frustration and anger she'd harbored. Timothy knew better than anyone how long she'd held it in.

"You know when I finally began to like who I am?" she demanded. "When I stopped trying to please you. So Noah and I had to learn how to become our own family. You can't just waltz in here after all this time and start calling the shots. You're a bully, Dad."

"I am not!" he said, clearly taken aback. Noah, Finn, Carole, Burt, and the minister all turned where they stood, watching the exchange with varying levels of concern. Timothy gathered up his courage.

"She's right," he said. His father swiveled around to face him, his face red with outrage. "I cannot remember a conversation with you where I didn't walk away feeling worse about myself."

Timothy watched his father's forehead wrinkle into a comically indignant expression as he turned back to Sarah. "Well, you know what? I'm disappointed in you."

"And I'm sorry to say, Dad," Timothy added, "you are no longer invited to the wedding." He gestured at the door.

His father looked stunned. "But—what about the rehearsal dinner?"

Sarah gave him a determined push. "I bet there's a bag of McDonalds with your name on it at the drive-thru right now."

Without another word, their father walked out the door. Noah watched him go, then drew up to stand beside them.

"What just happened?" he demanded.

Sarah flung her arms around him. "You look beautiful," she said into his vest.

"You're beautiful," Noah said, hugging her back with a confused smile. He looked up at Timothy, questioning with his eyes.

"I think we can bet he won't be at the wedding tomorrow," Timothy said. Noah nodded again, in relief this time, then hugged Sarah tighter.

With careful steps, Timothy made his way across the rear of the chapel to sit beside Jacob. He placed his shaking hand into Jacob's steady one.

"Mi niño, mi benito niño," Jacob whispered, as Timothy's tears began, "estás bien. Estás bien."

Finn held the tie in front of his shirt, looking helplessly into the mirror. He wondered if Kurt would be more angry with him if he tried to tie it himself and did it wrong, or if he interrupted Kurt's last-minute wedding management to ask him to do it for him.

Blaine would know how, his brain whispered at him. Bow ties were Blaine's specialty. For the millionth time, Finn held still while the missing-him sensation surged through him and left him aching.

"Never learned how to tie a tie?"

He looked up to see Santana standing there, smiling sardonically at him. He shrugged, smiling back.

"Not as well as Kurt would. He's a little busy right now."

"Sit down, Frankenteen." She carefully wrapped the tie around his neck. "I'm guessing you know this wedding is going to put you perilously close to being found out."

He shrugged. "What's your point?"

She slapped his shoulder. "Stop moving. My point is that you dancing with Kurt is dangerous. If you were honest and told people that we did it last year, you would have the cover you needed to stay on the straight and narrow."

"Maybe," he agreed, "but I can't do that. And, honestly, I think the only person who doesn't already know you and Britt and I had meaningless sex is Rachel."

"You're saying if she found out, she'd break up with you." Santana raised one eyebrow. "And this would be bad because…?"

"Because I care about her and I don't want to hurt her feelings?"

She gave his tie one last brisk tug. "Okay, what happened to all this talk about honesty? Because telling your girlfriend the truth is the last thing you're doing here."

He frowned. "Oh, stop it, Santana. She doesn't want me to call her my girlfriend. And she's not a beard, or anything else pretend. Just because you don't understand our relationship doesn't make it any less important to me."

"Hey." They both looked up to see Rachel watching them uncertainly. "What are you guys doing?"

"Nothing. I was just leaving." Santana strode loftily past Rachel on her way out, but Rachel continued regarding Finn in concern.

"I saw Noah's father here yesterday?"

"Yeah, but he's not invited today. We had to bring him here to make him realize it. Sarah took care of it." He sank down to sit in the chair, resting his aching head in his hand. Rachel moved in closer, touching his shoulder.

"You're so tense."

"Weddings will do that, I guess."

"I can leave you alone if it'd be easier. Maybe even more tense than one best man speech and a dance with your boyfriend might warrant?"

He laughed. "No, you don't have to leave. It's… well, it's a lot of things. Puck and Kurt and Blaine and Dave and everybody."

"That's a lot of people to worry about. No wonder you're distracted."

Yeah, I didn't even mention your father, who made out with me and gave me this awesome whip last week. He touched her red dress. "Not so distracted I'm not going to tell you how pretty you look."

"Yeah?" she said shyly, smoothing the red satin.

"Yeah. You look amazing." He watched her hesitate. "What?"

"I… I just really love you."

Finn found himself smiling in surprise. "I love you, too, Rach."

"This dance you planned for Kurt. I think he's going to be touched. It's obvious how much you love him, too."

He nodded. "I really do. And?"

"It's just…" She shrugged, resting her hands on his chest. "I keep being surprised every time I remember it's even possible for somebody to love more than one person? And seeing the evidence, that makes me feel… I don't know. Hopeful? A little less scared?"

"That's good to hear," he said. He kissed her cheek, watching her blush.

"I was thinking about what Kurt said to me. About not being his competition? That what he has isn't a threat to what we have, that it's not more or better, just different." She smiled, looking at the floor. "I kind of like being special in some way, though. I'm the only girl in your life."

"Yep," he agreed. "You're my girl. I mean—" He held out a hand as her eyes flew open. "I don't mean it like that. We're not—I'm not going to…"

"It's okay, Finn." She touched his face. "I don't mind. I can be… your girl."

This time, when she kissed him, it was on the lips. He felt the potential surge through them, and she made a little surprised oh as he deepened the kiss before letting her go. She was breathless, staring up at him with wonder.

Like Blaine, he thought, and swallowed.

"Finn," she said faintly, and he shook his head.

"Let's—I have to get out there," he said. "Shelby's going to be here soon with Beth, and I—I should go."

Kurt found Finn wandering the halls in confusion. "Did the caterer find Noah?" Kurt demanded.

"I don't know," he said. He rubbed his lips and looked at his hand, smudged with lipstick. "Shit."

"It's okay, we're still early." Kurt looked at him more closely. "Are you okay? You look—"

"I'm fine," he assured Kurt. "You go do your thing. I'll… I don't know. I'll find something to do."

Something turned out to be standing by the door, greeting guests as they arrived. He was glad to see several of his mom's brothers and sisters and their spouses and kids, including Uncle Charlie and Aunt Sally. He knew his mom's family hadn't always been so welcoming of her wild behavior growing up. It seemed that Puck's awesomeness at their recent family reunion had made an impact.

Shelby came striding in with the baby carrier, and someone unexpected on her arm. Finn grinned in surprise at Davis in a sharp tuxedo.

"I knew you two know each other," he said, hugging each of them in turn, "but I guess I forgot it again."

"I'd hope we know each other," Davis laughed. "We were married for four years. You feeling ready for that dance, Finn?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Then he turned to Shelby, who was lifting Beth out of the carrier, and felt his heart stutter. "Oh, wow."

"Been a while since you saw her, huh?" Her eyes twinkled at his poleaxed expression. "Seven months isn't such a baby anymore. Here."

He stammered as she placed Beth into his arms, thinking for a wild moment that he'd forgotten how to hold her, but quickly realized it was going to be okay as his arms remembered the trick of supporting her head and balancing her against his chest. "She's so big," he marveled. Beth watched his face with interest, and as he smiled, she smiled back. "Oh—wow."

"You're a goner," Davis said, patting his shoulder. "Enjoy, Finn. Just bring her to me after everyone has had a chance to ooh and aah over her. I'm on baby duty for the evening."

"You?" Finn blinked at him in surprise.

"Me," he agreed. "Trust me, I'm a goner too."

Beth put a hand on his nose, making adorable commentary. Finn was so distracted that he almost missed Andi and Laurie guiding Duncan and Cory through the door.

"Brad's parking the car," said Laurie. She kissed him on the cheek and reached for Beth. "Look, Duncan, it's your baby. Puck hasn't brought her over in ages."

Duncan was bigger than he had been the last time Finn had seen him, too, although turning from three and a half to four wasn't quite as dramatic a change as four months to seven months. All the adults in the foyer paused to smile and go awwww as Duncan gave Beth a big hug. Cory stayed silent and removed, watching from behind Andi's tuxedo pants.

"She probably doesn't remember me," Finn said to Andi as he reclaimed Beth from Laurie. This time she grabbed Finn's ear.

"Who, Cory? Sure she does," said Andi. "You're the one who gave her the plastic ornithomimus last Christmas. Carries it around with her everywhere."

"Daddy made her leave it in the car," said Duncan.

"She's a girl," Cory shot back. "And she's in my pocket."

"Of course she is." Andi rolled her eyes, tugging her white-haired daughter with her into the church. "Tell Brad he's singing after us, okay?"

"Brad is singing?" Finn repeated, but they were already gone. Beth took hold of Finn's bottom lip. He managed to detach her fingers before they did any real harm.

"As I live and breathe," said a familiar deep voice, attached to a slightly less familiar face. The man smiled at Beth before he even looked at Finn. Finn tried to remember where he'd seen him before.

"Oh, you were in RENT," he said. He held out a hand, and the man shook it. "I'm Finn."

"I remember," said the man, with a nod. "I'm Darius. And this little button, she's looking more like her papa every day."

"You're a sucker for the babies, darlin'." Toby shook his head fondly at Darius, pausing beside him before giving Finn a half-hug. "I'll leave them to you. Finn, it's been a dog's age."

"Hi!" He watched the way Toby stood close to Darius, touching his arm with familiarity. "Are, uh, you looking for Mr. Schue?"

"We'll see each other soon," Toby said easily. "How'd the choreography for the dance turn out?"

"It was—wait, how do you know about that?"

Toby laughed. "I gave Davis a hand."

"That is awesome. I had no idea." He hugged Toby again, making Beth squirm. "Sorry. Kurt will think it's that much cooler, coming from you, too."

He thought he heard Darius snickering about giving him a hand as they walked away, and Toby smacked him on the arm, protesting, "Not like that," but Finn was already distracted by Beth's new round of babbling. He watched her face in fascination as she talked.

"Pretty soon you're going to be saying actual words, Thumper," he told her. "Jeez. That's going to be so weird."

"Seems like only yesterday, I was saying the same to a different baby," said Irene, giving him a smile.

"Oh, god," he blurted, staring at her. "I mean—I'm sorry, that sounded really—uh." He glanced behind him up the aisle into the chapel. "Does Burt know you're here?"

Irene shook her head, chiding him. "I should hope so. He invited me."

She was wearing a sparkly purple dress and glamorous makeup, giving her an entirely different look than he was used to. "You look really beautiful."

She smiled again—twice in one day, he thought, feeling dazed—and gave him a gracious nod. "That's better. And you look very handsome. Quite the best man, Finn."

Beth was starting to fuss a little when Frances came through the door beside her parents. Mrs. Preston cooed over Beth, and Mr. Preston asked Finn about the house, but Frances looked more determined than he'd seen her look, maybe ever. He managed to corner her while her dad was hanging up their coats.

"You okay?" he asked under his breath. "What's up?"

"I want—I have to go with you to see Blaine," she said.

"Blaine?" he echoed. "Frances, I'm not allowed to see Blaine."

"Well, whoever goes to see him. Kurt, or Puck. I have to see him. He's not answering his phone, and—and I'm worried about him."

Finn suddenly remembered Blaine used to babysit Frances. "I didn't realize the two of you even talked on the phone."

"Yes, we talk all the time. Except recently, he's stopped calling me back, and I don't know what's happened. Can I please…?"

"Francie," her dad called. "They're going to start soon."

She gave him a desperate look, and when he nodded, she mouthed thank you. Then she followed her parents into the church.

Finn closed the wide double doors to the outside as the last guests entered. He found Davis standing in the back of the chapel, ready to receive Beth. "I'll try to keep her quiet during the ceremony," he said. "Break a leg."

"Finn," Rachel hissed frantically from the hallway. He saw everyone in Glee queued up behind her. "Come on! You're on first!"

What's on second, he thought, trying to contain the laugh that threatened to bubble up in his chest. The truth was, he felt remarkably calm. They were there to celebrate his mom's wedding to the best possible guy for her, with all of their friends and family around them. Finn usually trusted his instincts, and his instincts told him this choice was nothing but good.

He gazed at Kurt standing with Mercedes, and Puck with Santana, waiting for his cue. Taking my lead. Then he nodded at Rachel, and squared his shoulders. "I'm ready."

It's a beautiful night, we're looking for something dumb to do
Hey, baby, I think I wanna marry you
Is it the look in your eyes, or is it this dancing juice
Who cares, baby, I think I wanna marry you

- Bruno Mars, "Marry You"

I'm not really known for having a way with words. Uh… you know when you're a kid, adults will tell you a lot of things. But one thing they neglect to mention is how…sad life can be. I lost somebody I loved very much. But Kurt…he lost his mom. And that killed me. Well, we got by, but looking back? I-I want to apologize to you, Kurt. What we were living just…wasn't living. You know that saying, that when God closes a door, he opens a window? Well, sometimes out of nowhere, he'll do you one better, and he'll kick a whole wall down. He grabbed me by the shoulders, and he pointed me towards this woman right here. And he said, "There she is. Go get her." You're everything, Carole. Words can't describe you. You're everything. And I will love you till the day I die.

- Burt's wedding vows from 2x08 Furt, unedited

Oh, hey… I'm lucky. Most women, when they get married, they get one man. I get three. One of you saved me from my wardrobe, the other from my cooking. And Burt, you just… saved me. I've never met a more giving, accepting man in my life. You've provided me and Finn an opportunity to start again, to create this whole new life together, all of us. Kurt, you are an amazing person. I'm not only getting a son, I'm getting a friend. Finn…I know you were resistant at first, but I am so proud of you. I've watched you grow into a man. You've always been friends with Puck, and Sarah, but I think I'm most proud that you've also become a brother to Kurt. We are five people, becoming a family. I don't think anything could make me happier.

- Carole's wedding vows from 2x08 Furt, with minor Donutverse edits