Glee 1. Don't Cry

**Home Sweet Home**

Chapter 1: Don't Cry

_"Talk to me softly  
There is something in your eyes  
Don't hang your head in sorrow  
And please don't cry  
I know how you feel inside I've  
I've been there before  
Somethin is changin' inside you  
And don't you know..."_

_

* * *

_

Finn stood over his bed, unpacking all his belongings, unsuccessfully trying to fold them, and stowing them away randomly into the dresser across the room. The space itself had been rightfully restored to its original white on white tone; Finn insisted to Kurt that he liked the room better this way. They agreed that sharing a room wouldn't be so bad as long as the soprano would give him some space. Their beds were by opposite walls and there was no divider between the rooms. Finn felt terrible when Kurt asked if he wanted one again. After the whole red dress incident, Kurt told his dad how Finn stood up for him, and he allowed Finn to come back to live with them; though Burt still gave Finn the evil eye whenever they were alone, so Finn steered clear of the house when no one was home and made sure Kurt came home with him from wherever they were. It had only been a week he was home and Finn was still a little overwhelmed. Kurt tried to help him, but only when it was necessary. He tried not to make direct contact with him; although, it never worked out.

"Finn Hudson, what do you think your doing?" A high-pitched, but undoubtedly male voice broke through the quiet. Finn looked up questioningly at the boy, who was walking over to him, "Your doing it all wrong. Your supposed to fold the arms together, and then fold it over. God, you're such a **boy**!" He almost said boy like it was offensive.

Finn rolled his eyes and continued crumpling his clothes, "Sorry, dude, I don't fold clothes." He smiled when Kurt winced at 'dude.'

"Oh, just give that to me! All your clothes will be wrinkled when you wear them. Do you want to go around looking like you just rolled out of bed?" Kurt pulled the bag of clothes over to him, taking out some of the pants, and grabbed the shirt out of Finn's hands. He began folding them all.

"You really don't have to-"

"Please! We're practically brothers now, Finn. I can't let you disrespect your clothes like that."

Finn laughed and sat on the bed, watching Kurt sift pointedly through his boxers. His cheeks held a slight blush. "Well I never knew that clothes had feelings nowadays."

"Oh, they do, Finn," His eyes held a predatory gleam as he looked over them, "they really do…" He trailed off and continued to pick out the clothes, putting them in color-coordinating piles. Finn just watched him without giving any input. His sinuous arms worked quickly at the articles, turning them right side out. His face was both concentrated, yet not really there. Finn wondered what was going on inside his head. "I'm appalled at your lack of fashion," he continued, looking disgusted with his clothes, "It's really depressing when I think about it. With your fashion sense…I can't believe your actually going to be my brother."

With that he looked up at Finn with a slight frown. He placed down the underwear he was folding, for once without being embarrassed. Kurt sat next to Finn shifting over when their thighs touched accidentally. He looked towards him, "Are you okay with this, Finn? I mean, I know your uncomfortable still, but I really do want this to work out."

Finn shrugged carelessly, "I'm dealing… I guess I'm just trying to get by right now, you know? I just feel like everything's so unreal. Don't get me wrong I'd love to have a brother; I've always wanted one. It's just coming at me really fast, and I feel like I'm not ready, but like I said, I'm dealing…" He put his hands over his face and nervously rubbed at non-existing dirt, sighing slightly. Then, for the first time in a couple days, Kurt placed his hand on the back of his shoulder and rubbed a small circle. Finn twitched, but didn't protest. He sat there and absorbed the momentary compassion coming from his friend. Kurt let his hand fall between their legs.

They sat in silence for a few seconds until Finn did something without thinking; he took hold of Kurt's hand and interlocked their fingers. He looked at Kurt, who was now tensely staring across the room. Finn squeezed softly, and Kurt turned his head slowly. "I know that you like me and all," Kurt blushed, "but I want you to know that even though I'll never feel that way about you, I'll always be here. And I'm going to try to be the best brother I can. I may not be able to do the fashion stuff, or clean my side of the room, or teach you how to do 'things' with guys," Kurt's blush deepened. Finn held up their hands, "But I will always be here for you, so if anything's ever wrong, just tell me, okay? Especially if you have anymore trouble with Karofsky." He felt his body tense at just the name of the piece of scum.

Kurt sat speechless, and he just nodded letting his hand fall out of Finn's tiredly. He got up and continued to fold Finn's clothes again. His face was flushed, and there was a touch of a smile gracing his face. "Thanks," he whispered hoarsely.

Finn got up with a grin, "I'm going to take a shower." Finn grabbed a t-shirt and mesh-shorts out of one of the newly-folded piles, "And Kurt," he looked up from his work, "Would you want to go to the mall tomorrow? I think I need some new clothes…"

Kurt's face brightened immediately, "Is that even a question? I'd love to! Oh my god, we have got to get you a new jacket and maybe some more varieties of sweater's, oh and skinny jeans. You could have the legs for it, even though your posture might not hold it up, but we'll fix that…" Finn laughed outright and listened to Kurt bashing his sense of style. Tomorrow was Saturday.

"Okay, okay," he said with approval, "Whatever you want. Umm, can I take a shower now?"

Kurt smiled, "No you're not allowed, Finn, you must forever suffer smelling bad and being dirty…" Finn pouted jokingly, "Go ahead, stupid." Finn smiled and ran into the bathroom.

* * *

It was 10:30 by the time Finn was done in the bathroom. He noticed Kurt conducting his nightly skin routine in the corner and disregarded it unquestioningly. Throwing himself down onto the bed, he almost immediately wanted to go to sleep; he was exhausted. Like usual though, thoughts invaded his head like a never ending typhoon of disaster, but not all thoughts were that disastrous.

He thought about Puck and Quinn; how she was actually allowing him to name and meet the baby when it was born, when he had dreamed for months to do the same. It wasn't like he cared, well he did, but he was over it now. Puck was pretty much his friend again with the occasional conversations between them, but it never lasted too long because they ran out of subjects. He still wouldn't speak to Quinn. Finn just didn't want to get involved with all her baby mama drama anymore. He was mostly just focused on Glee these days since sectionals were coming up. Practice was like a trip to hell lately with all the dancing they had to learn and yelling they had to endure from a frustrated Rachel Berry. It was true, he had a major crush on Rachel, I mean who wouldn't, her body was smokin' but lately she was the biggest bitch. I guess it was just her way of letting out her anger for all the pressure she was under though, plus the fact that her asinine ex-beau had jumped ship back to Vocal Adrenaline and her mom was also their coach. That's a lot to take in, right? So, he obviously wasn't getting any from her for a while.

Finn pulled his pillow over his head and breathed in the scent of fresh detergent. Then, he sat up and threw it at Kurt, who was still conditioning his face. It hit him square in the back of the head and made him topple forward slightly, dropping the cream bottle in his hand. He turned around furiously.

"What the hell, Finn?"

Finn laughed, "Are you done yet, man?" And then, there was Kurt, his soon to be brother. These past few days, they were almost inseparable, besides the fact that they wouldn't go near each other, yet there was this connection there. A strange link had formed between them. An occasional smile shared, the meeting of the eyes, shy glances, and being paired in Spanish helped a lot too, since they did their homework together nowadays. Finn wanted their family to work now that he realized how much the four of them, Burt and his mom included, needed it. Anyway, back to the main dialogue.

Kurt was glaring at him harshly, "Give me a minute, _dude_!" He spat out dude like an insult and turned around swiftly, continuing on his face. Finn smirked secretly.

"I just want to watch a movie," he got up and walked over to the shelf of DVDs, "What'cha you feeling tonight? Horror, comedy or in between?"

He heard Kurt sigh dramatically, "I was thinking of something more along the lines of _Remember the Titans_. At least, for your sake, you won't fall asleep on me this time."

Finn pulled out the DVD case, "I so did not, man, I was just resting my eyes; the TV was bright, okay? And sorry that the friggen' fiddler roof man movie made me want to punch a baby. I mean, who plays a fiddle on a freakin' roof without falling off?" Hurt didn't comment at that.

He popped the movie in as Kurt was settling himself on their settee. According to Kurt, they needed a huge TV and living room set for Finn to settle in properly. He picked up the remote and sat on the opposite side of the couch, lazily lounging with his feet sprawled onto their coffee table. Kurt pursed his lips and glared out of the corner of his eyes. He as curled up, feet tucked under him, and blanket around his shoulders. He pressed play and skipped the previews; then, he hit the play button again when they reached the main menu. Finn got really confused how turning on a movie was such a process. The more he thought about, the more his head hurt. Whatever, the movie was starting.

They watched with sad smiles, mostly on Finn's part, with the remembrance of their football days, laughing at the funny lines and especially Sunshine, Kurt's favorite character, and cheering at their wins. As always, in almost every movie, Kurt started crying loud and obnoxiously when Gerry was in the hospital and him and Julius finalized their friendship and accepted their teammates fully. The crying got louder at the funeral scene. Like usual, Finn got up and retrieved the tissue box from the bathroom and handed it over to Kurt with a grimace, getting a mumbled 'thanks' in return. It wasn't like he minded Kurt crying, nor was it that the high pitched girly whines he admitted, Finn just couldn't stand seeing his friend/brother so upset without being able to help. Just seeing his red and puffy eyes, flushed cheeks, and frowning face made Finn's eyes glisten slightly. He rubbed his eyes, feigning tiredness to conceal his tears, and turned off the TV. Kurt's crying had subsided to sniffles and hiccups. He blew his nose noisily and dragged himself over to his bed, as Finn did the same, shutting off the lights.

"Goodnight, Kurt," he said after he got settled in.

Kurt spoke very lightly, "Night, Finn Hudson."

Finn smiled slightly at the given name. He curled into his warm sheets and little by little drifted into a dizzying slumber. That night, Finn's dreams held visions of Kurt and him in the movie, with Kurt in the hospital bed. Finn was crying, but the scene swiftly changed to that of him and Kurt drinking iced tea on the beach and tanning. Both dreams made his head hurt…

* * *

So, what do you think? Like it or hate it? Tell me please!

There will be romance in this story don't you worry, I'm just not sure between who yet. But, there's definitely going to be a developing Finn/Kurt romance, a bit gradually.

Please review! Thanks for reading3


	2. Watching The Clothes

**Home Sweet Home:**

Chapter 2: Watching The Clothes

"_The dirty whites,_

_Mmm, getting whiter._

_The dirty colors,_

_Getting brighter._

_The dirty delicates,_

_Do the final rinse._

_There goes my Saturday night,_

_I go without a fight._

_Watching the clothes go 'round…"

* * *

_

When Finn awoke the next morning, he was in a state of true delirium. He hadn't even opened his eyes before he stumbled his way to the bathroom, tripping on the corner of his bed and walking face first into the wall. His bladder was about to burst, and just thinking about the iced tea from his dream was killing him.

Finn lifted up the toilet seat and pulled down the front of his shorts. He sighed as his urge was relieved for a good ten seconds. As he was reaching for the toilet paper while still holding himself in his other hand, he saw Kurt walk in rubbing his eyes inadvertently. Still in his fevered morning state, Finn stood there dumbly frozen.

Kurt finally opened his eyes and saw Finn's condition; his face immediately turning bright red and eyes widening dramatically, "Oh shit, oh shit! Sorry, Finn, really! Oh my gosh, oh… god… sorry!" And then he quickly sprinted out of the bathroom.

Finn stared after him and shrugged without fully comprehending yet what happened. He continued with wiping himself and pulling his shorts back up; he then washed his hands and walked back to his bed, falling like a lump upon it. The digital clock on his bedside table read 7:00 in bright red type. He groaned softly and pulled his blankets back over him. He felt a rush of air as what he guessed was Kurt ran past his bed and slammed the door of the bathroom. Finn bit his lip thoughtfully, while he fell back into a light sleep.

* * *

It was now 10:00. Finn, decked out in a hackneyed McKinley high sweatshirt and jeans, was leaning against the kitchen counter with a slightly burnt piece of toast in hand. He looked at the clock on the stove, uninterested in anything else but the time. Kurt had been getting ready for three hours already since he had probably started at seven when Finn fell back asleep.

His face burned when he thought about Kurt walking in on him, but he forced it down. What did it matter really? Just because Kurt saw his package doesn't mean he should care, right? It wasn't that big a deal…seriously. He was okay with it, yeah.

He jumped suddenly when he heard a door slam close. Kurt walked in, his usual arrogance in his stride. He ignored Finn completely and grabbed a travel mug from the cabinet; then, he made instant coffee from his dad's expensive Dunkin' Doughnuts coffee machine. Finn noticed his attire with a miniature smile. He wore an obviously designer blue dress shirt with a silver, sparkly show-vest and a black tie. His legs were fashioned in the tightest black skinny jeans and his hair adorned with a black tweed cap. Kurt also wore chic suede high-heeled boots, which made him only a half a head shorter than Finn, as compared to his usual chest height.

Finn wondered why Kurt always dressed so outrageously. But, somehow, it was fitting, and Finn liked it a lot. Not at all in _that_ way, no, he just loved how he was the only guy he knew who could pull it off besides some famous dude. His style was just one of a kind. He spoke suddenly while Kurt was opening the fridge next to him, "You look _really_ nice today, Kurt." Then, he really felt like slapping himself.

Kurt did a double take from the fridge, almost dropping the milk he was holding, "Uhhh…thanks, Finn." He said it slowly looking confused and vulnerable.

Finn just awkwardly looked away. He grabbed Kurt's keys off the counter, "I'll be in the car." As he speed walked out of the house, Kurt called out, "I'm driving, Finn!" He responded with a loud 'Okay.'

Sitting in the passenger seat, Finn was flipping through the radio stations. All of a sudden he heard familiar music.

…_I'm 15 for a moment_

_Caught in between 10 and 20_

_And I'm just dreaming_

_Counting the ways to where you are …_

It was 100 Years by Five for Fighting. Finn grinned delightfully. He remembered listening to them when he was little. Him and his mom would sing this song non-stop, whenever they were driving somewhere. He started to sing along under his breath.

"_I'm 22 for a moment_

_She feels better than ever_

_And we're on fire_

_Making our way back from Mars _

_15 there's still time for you_

_Time to buy and time to lose_

_15, there's never a wish better than this_

_When you only got 100 years to live…"_

He understood the lyrics completely. Finn had his whole life ahead of him, so why was he always so worried about everything else? He was just a kid when you thought about. He shouldn't be dealing with a pregnant girlfriend with his best friends baby. Yea, he was glad that was over with. He also had so much more to be looking forward to just now, like Regionals and spending time with his new family, or just spending more time with his new and almost brother. Finn tapped his fingers on the armrest in rhythm with the song. He just needed to live his life right now and be who he wanted to be, not what others wanted.

Kurt got into the car now, and he quickly changed the radio station. Finn looked scandalized, jaw dropping and glare focused full on Kurt. He didn't notice though, only pulling out of the driveway and singing along to Lady Gaga. Finn continued to glare out the window their whole way to the mall.

* * *

They were now walking uncomfortably around the mall with each other, Kurt looking totally psyched and at home, and Finn pulling a terribly misplaced face.

He hadn't realized that shopping with Kurt would entitle going into all the designer stores and trying on extremely tight clothes in front of him. They had already tried Banana Republic for some more formal clothes, but that hadn't worked out because Finn had ripped one of the jackets, down the back, while he was trying it on in the dressing room. He dropped the garment in the cubicle and ran out of there as quick as he could, Kurt's hand in his. Kurt complained after that, so Finn got him an organic vanilla bean frappucino to shut him up. Though, Finn realized that his kind gesture was interpreted differently by Kurt, and he had blushed and stuttered for the next five minutes. He almost regretted it, but when he looked over and saw the excited look on Kurt's face next to him, he smiled slightly; he was like a lovesick puppy, it was cute in a total babyish way. Finn got nervous with that thought and skimmed the store names with his eyes to preoccupy himself.

"Oh, Finn, there's Forever 21," Kurt exclaimed loudly, catching the attention of some hot girls passing by. They giggled and Finn blushed. He tugged Finn's arm and led him into the store.

Not even five seconds had passed since they walked in and Finn just stared dumbly, "Um, dude, this is a girls store."

Kurt frowned thoughtfully, "No, there's a men's section too. Over there!" He pointed towards the left side and Finn noticed all of the tight fitting trendy garments. If he wasn't with Kurt he would have totally screamed 'gay with a capital G,' but he refrained from doing so in front of him. He just put on a fake smile and oh-ed quietly.

He forgot this fast when a preppy-dressed blonde girl walked over to them with the stores logo and a headset on. Finn smirked in appreciation; she was really sexy in a catholic school-girl sense. She smiled widely at Finn, "Do you two need any help, today?"

Finn answered smoothly, "Actually, yeah, I'd really like-"

Finn didn't finish because Kurt grabbed his arm roughly and stepped forward. He looked kind of angry. "We're fine, thanks. We don't need any of _your_ help," he ground out tight-lipped.

The girl stepped back, her smile faltering. She looked back to Finn sadly, "Oh, well, if you and your boyfriend need anything, just let me know, okay?" She turned and walked away.

Finn held up his hand faintly. "No, wait! He's not my boyfriend…" But, she had already walked away. He twisted towards Kurt glaring softly, "Thanks a lot, man. That girl was actually hot!"

Kurt pouted and miserably turned his face down. He whispered innocently, "This is supposed to be _our_ shopping time together, Finn. I thought we were spending time as brothers. Not flirting with random girls."

At the word 'brothers,' Finn immediately felt guilty. He was right; this was their time together and he shouldn't be focusing on silly things like that. He's the one that made the plans after all. He bit his lip. "Sorry, Kurt. You're right; let's just find me some clothes now." He missed Kurt's wicked smirk when he turned back towards the variety of clothes.

He allowed himself to be pulled around while Kurt threw random outfits into his arms. Then, he was hauled over to the dressing rooms and being thrown into a stall with Kurt. Finn overlooked Kurt inexplicably.

Kurt rolled his eyes, "Take off your clothes."

Finn's eyes bulged, "What? Dude, we've talked about this, I don't like you like-"

"As if, Finn," he interrupted harshly, "You obviously don't know how to properly dress yourself and I'm not letting you look like a fool in front of the whole store. You'll look like a fashion travesty in even the eyes of a homeless man!"

Finn cocked his brow; he didn't know if he was being insulted or not. He shook his head, "I'm not getting undressed in front of you." His word was final.

Kurt glared before walked up to him, an estranged gleam in his eyes. Finn didn't like it. He stumbled back a step before Kurt had his hands on the hem of his sweatshirt and was pulling it over his head speedily. Finn struggled slightly, but lost energy when he felt one of Kurt's hands brush over his abs lightly. He shivered, uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Stop!" He yelled lightly. Kurt stepped back. "I'll do it…"

He pulled off the rest of his clothes until just his boxers were left. He caught Kurt's eyes wandering and looked at his feet with interest. "Let's get this over with…" And they did.

* * *

Thanks for all your lovely reviews guys *blushes* You sure know how to motivate a girl Anyway, this is kind of just a quick update (my version of quick lol) I didn't really get to write all that I wanted for this chapter, but I'll just continue with the same day in the next chapter. Perhaps a dinner, which Kurt totally interprets as a date? ;) haha I tried to just make this chapter light and funny. If your disappointed, let me know cus I know I could've written more, but review for my finals have been tough this past week and I'll be updating much more in a week or so, since schools officially over then. So, thanks again!

P.S. I know nothing about fashion or anything so don't get mad at the lack of clothes talk haha all that stuff confuses me! I just choose random clothes i think are cute and have no idea what the names are. I even had to look it up to find out what a tweed cap was lmao wow i'm a noob :)

Review if you want more please! And if you have any suggestions or things you wish to see happen, feel free to tell me and I just might add it into my story eventually! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	3. You and I Collide

**Home Sweet Home:**

You and I Collide

* * *

Complete ecstasy. That was what Finn felt when they finally walked out of that pit of hell called a mall. How people could be surrounded by so many products and clothing all at once still stumped him profusely, and he didn't even know what profusely or stumped meant! It sounded pretty sophisticated though. Anyway, he was lucky he wasn't having a total mental break down because of that horrifying experience. Well, it wasn't all that horrifying because he still managed to spend time with Kurt, but one things for sure, he was not under any circumstances entering another mall for a really long time! Like _really_, **really** long.

Finn felt like kissing Kurt's car when they finally got in it. He laid his head back with a heavy sigh. Kurt looked over at him. He snapped moodily, "Now what's your problem?"

Finn just shook his head while still laying down pressing the radio dial and listening as a distantly familiar song came on. He caught Kurt going to change the station, slapping his hand away softly, "Don't, I know this song."

"I don't though…"

Finn ignored him and let the lyrics wash over him.

_The dawn is breaking_

_A light shining through_

_You're barely waking_

_And I'm tangled up in you_

_Yeah_

_I'm open, you're closed_

_Where I follow, you'll go_

_I worry I won't see your face_

_Light up again_

Kurt listened in begrudgingly and drove down the parkway towards home. Finn began to sing along at this point:

"_Even the best fall down sometimes_

_Even the wrong words seem to rhyme_

_Out of the doubt that fills my mind_

_I somehow find_

_You and I collide_

_I'm quiet you know_

_You make a first impression_

_I've found I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind…"_

He heard Kurt cough chokingly when he finished the verse. It was probably the lyrics. Even Finn knew that he was always on Kurt's mind, but Finn didn't mind much since they got along so well now. He felt he could deal with his little crush as long as Kurt controlled himself. He continued with one more verse lightly.

"_Even the best fall down sometimes_

_Even the stars refuse to shine_

_Out of the back you fall in time_

_I somehow find_

_You and I collide…"_

They pulled up to their house finally. Finn got out and opened up the trunk with Kurt in tow. He pulled out the six bags of clothes; it was like carrying bricks, and it was all for him. He handed Kurt two, thinking he couldn't handle any more weight on his small frame. Finn slammed the trunk shut.

While putting the bags in the basement, they both stayed quiet contemplating what they'd do next. Finn was thinking maybe a movie, his treat (since Kurt bought him all of his new clothes at a staggering sum of $685), but they had watched a movie the night before. Then, he thought of something after his stomach growled loudly. Kurt raised a brow at his concealed stomach with a tiny smirk upon his lips. "You okay, big guy?"

Finn's cheeks heated, "Yeah, man." He stuttered, "H-how about we go out to eat? My treat I swear."

"And where, may I ask, will this little engagement be arranged?" Finn didn't like the strange gleam in his eyes.

"Um…you can choose, dude. Whatever you're up to," he glanced up the stairs, "I'll be upstairs."

When he went to leave, Kurt's arm held him back. "You don't think I'm letting you wear that, do you?" He sounded appalled. Finn swallowed back a groan. No way in hell was he putting on another article of clothing today. But, it seemed Kurt had other ideas.

* * *

Once again, Finn found himself standing in the kitchen, this time Kurt was already with him though. He pulled at his tight collar uncomfortably. He was dolled up in a plain red dress shirt and black, kind of tight, slacks. Kurt smiled appreciably at his handiwork.

Finn shifted his eyes, "So, um, did you decide where you wanted to go?" He cleared his throat timidly.

Kurt's crazed smile widened, but his eyes softened, "Yeah, I was contemplating if we should go to that new restaurant in town. It's called _Bouche de Paris_; it's French cuisine, and I heard it's pretty agreeable with the palate."

Finn wondered what his last sentence meant. _Agreeable with the palate_, nope, he never heard that line before. He was going to have to ask for vocabulary lessons from Kurt one day; he said really big words and always sounded smart. He saw Kurt looking expectantly at him, both eyebrows raised peculiarly. "Oh…uh, yeah…sure, Kurt. Whatever you want." He smiled with a nod and walked towards the front door, headed out for the second time that day.

* * *

He sat across from Kurt in a far corner of the restaurant. They chose to sit far away from the prying eyes that thought they were together for different reasons. Thankfully, no one they knew well was there tonight.

The table was lit up with a single white candle in the middle; the whole place was dimmed as well, with red table clothes and elegant utensils on the side of fancy square shaped plates. It was a very formal eating-place; Finn was grateful for Kurt's outfit choice now. He looked down at the menu and grimaced. It was a jumble of French words and foods that he had no idea how to read. He stared at the mess of language for a little while longer before looking up at Kurt, who had and was still staring at him since they sat down. Even in the dim lighting, Finn could see the blush upon his cheeks. He snapped his fingers in front of Kurt's face and whispered harshly, "Dude, stop!" Kurt seemed to have known what he was doing suddenly and shook himself out of his lustful stare. He just looked embarrasses now. He continued on unwillingly, "I need your help; I don't understand a thing this says. What should I get?"

Kurt frowned, "Well, what are you in the mood for?"

"Meat. Maybe some salad too."

"You want chicken, right?"

"Wow, yeah, man. What are you, a mind reader?" He looked amazed.

Kurt rolled his eyes, "No, Finn."

The waiter came over. He smiled brightly, "What may I get you lovebirds this evening?"

Finn's eyes widened, his mouth opening to respond, but Kurt beat him to it. "I would like the Ratatouille with the house salad on the side and my _brother_ wants the poulet dans la sauce d'herbe blanche and the house salad as well."

He put an emphasis on the word brother. Finn nodded accordingly. The waiter just looked flustered after he took the orders. He looked between the two of them a couple of times, "Oh god, I'm sorry. I just… I thought with you two sitting together like that… I mean…I'll just go put your orders in."

Kurt waved him off. He responded snobbishly, "Yes, you should get to that." Then, he looked towards Finn and spoke through the side of his mouth, "People these days," and rolled his eyes. Finn just pouted in his seat.

"Why does everyone think I'm gay today?" he whispered disbelievingly to himself. His face become paler, "Oh no, Kurt," he waited for Finn to carry on, " do I look gay to you? No harm intended."

Kurt looked disbelievingly at him, eyes wide and blank; then, he laughed strenuously, sounding a little hoarse. His face was unsure now, "No, Finn. Not at all."

Finn let out a gust of air, relieved. He looked around the room uneasily. Seeing nothing of interest, he turned back towards Kurt. He was texting on his blackberry. Finn never understood why people needed such cool phones; I mean, yeah, they were cool, but you only really needed them to call people or text for cheating on tests. That's what Finn used his for. He pursed his lips thoughtfully. He'd had the same phone for three years now, just a plain Motorola flip open phone, nothing fancy. He kind of wanted something new now that he thought about it. Finn's thoughts were broken by someone clearing their throat, "So, Finn, how's your sport going lately?"

"Uh…baseball's good, you know? You just gotta love it. I really just like batting though, it's better than being in the field."

Kurt smiled and nodded. Finn knew he had no clue when it came to sports, "Yeah…" He trailed off uncertainly. Finn's eyebrows knitted in confusion. What was Kurt saying this for? Better yet, why was he being so quiet for once? He _never_ talked about sports. He felt like something was wrong.

"Yo, Kurt, you got something on your mind?"

"Not, not at all, why do you ask? Does it look like I have something on my mind?" He spoke quickly, almost nervously.

Finn nodded slowly, "Yeah, you look kind of nervous, and your face is pale, and your hand is gripping that fork so hard you're probably gonna start bleeding. So, I think something might be on your mind."

Kurt unclenched his hand from around the fork and pushed it into his lap. "I'm perfectly fine, Finn. Never been better, I swear." His smile was fake. Finn saw straight through it. He reached across the table, grabbing Kurt's other hand still on the table. He saw Kurt's face darken in the muted lighting.

"Kurt, you know you can tell me when something's wrong. I told you yesterday, man."

Kurt shook his head, lips tight and eyes wide as saucers. "No, really, I'm alright. I'm just really tired." Finn still didn't believe him but let it drop. He squeezed Kurt's hand and pulled away somewhat reluctantly

Their salads arrived, laughably carried by a different waiter. Finn dug in quickly splattering some dressing onto the tablecloth, some dribbling down his chin. He glanced up offhandedly; Kurt's face was absolutely revolted. He chewed slower and straightened up under his scrutinizing eyes. Swallowing a chunk of lettuce, he wiped his chin with his napkin and picked up his glass and drank a gulp of water, trying to look delicate. Kurt looked particularly less disgusted and began eating his salad with dainty manners. Finn followed suit. They continued the rest of their meal in mostly silence, a small comment on the food occasionally. There were still extremely weird glances and stares by Kurt. Finn disregarded them fretfully. The atmosphere was content and peaceful; Finn liked it this way, it felt right, so he didn't want to disturb it.

When it came time to pay, Finn looked at the bill with dismay; he wanted to slam his head on the table repeatedly, but decided against it. Why had he suggested he pay again? Oh yeah, Kurt spent $685 on him. Shit, his piggy bank was going to hell anyway. He mumbled a string of profanities as he secretly pulled out $200 and stuffed it into the black bill holder. Kurt seemed eager about something.

"How much did it cost, Finn?"

He grumbled lowly, "Don't worry about it." He stood up from the table, Kurt assumingly followed behind. Finn stepped out into the semi-cool night air. A faint scent of oil and cigarette smoke filled his nose when he breathed in. Summer was coming soon, he could feel it. He held out his hand in front of Kurt and spoke impatiently, "Keys."

Kurt let out a snub of laughter, "No way. You are not driving my baby." He tried walking past Finn nonchalantly, but unsuccessfully. He grabbed his waist and pulled the keys out of his half-brother's hands. Kurt protested with high-pitched whines. Finn just smiled and got behind the steering wheel. He turned on the radio, for once willing to listen to pop music. He needed to forget about his sudden bankruptcy. He started singing with a girly voice to Kurt.

"Maybe I need some rehab

or maybe just need some sleep

I got a sick obsession

I'm seeing it in my dreams

I'm looking down every alley

I'm making those desperate calls

I'm staying up all night hoping hitting my head against the wall…"

Kurt cracked a smile out of his pouting state over the loss of his driver's seat. Finn grinned in return focusing back on the road. He continued singing. Kurt joined in harmony; his voice actually playing the part correctly.

"What you got boy, is hard to find

I think about it all the time

I'm all strung out my heart is fried

I just can't get you off my mind!"

Kurt pointed at Finn, complete theatrics tuning in. He started dancing in his seat. Finn laughed trying to concentrate on the road at the same time. Kurt had an invisible mic in his hand now. Finn listened to the soprano excitedly.

"Because your love your love your love is my drug

your love your love your love

I said your love your love your love is my drug

your love your love your love!"

He saw Kurt really getting into the part. For once, he was deliberately messing up his hair and pulling at his clothes, letting loose for the first time in front of Finn. He liked this, no, he loved this side of Kurt. He seemed more relaxed, not so uptight, snobby, and controlling. He wished Kurt acted like this more often. Kurt looked at him desperately acting like a love sick Ke$ha. It was similar to his usual looks at Finn though, yet Finn liked it for once. This time, it didn't scare him, it only made him snicker.

"Won't listen to any advice

momma's telling me I should think twice

but look into my own devices, I'm addicted its a crisis

my friends think I gone crazy

my judgments getting kind of hazy

my sneeze is gonna be affected if I keep it up like a love sick crack head!"

They pulled into the driveway now. Finn turned off the radio and sat back. Kurt panted heavily and tiredly looked at him. he was slumped lazily in his seat. Finn reached over and ruffled his already massy hair. Kurt slapped his hands away playfully. Kurt giggled, cheeks flushed and clothes ruffled slightly.

"You do look like a crack head; I'll give you that."

Kurt stuck out his tongue, but then laughed in response. Finn didn't even hear what he said next as Kurt tried to pat down his hair in the pull down mirror. Only one thought ran through his mind. It was random and downright creepy, and it haunted him the rest of the night.

Kurt was really beautiful.

* * *

Yay! New chapter done! Sorry it took like a week, but that might just have to be my pacesetter because I'm an extremely lazy person. And I think this is the most I've ever written for a chapter. It was SIX pages, though that may not seem like a lot to you guys, it is to me! Anyway, I enjoyed the end of this chapter the most. One thing, I do not have a beta and occasionally I'll look over what I've written, so if my grammar or spelling is off, sorry, I'm still really lazy :P

**Challenge:** tell me your favorite line or sentence from this chapter! :D

Please review, it's greatly appreciated for improvement and feedback. Oh yeah, flames are not accepted, only constructive criticism if you have a problem! (I haven't gotten any yet though so I'm not that worried) Thanks for reading! I love you guys333


	4. It's Been Awhile

Warnings: Language

**Home Sweet Home**

Chapter 4: It's Been Awhile

"_And it's been awhile_

_Since I've gone and fucked things up just like I always do._

_And it's been awhile,_

_But all that shit seems to disappear when I'm with you. _

_And everything I can't remember._

_As fucked up as it all may seem,_

_The consequences that I've rendered,_

_I've gone and fucked things up again…"_

Finn got little sleep last night. Nightmares of his roommate clouded his head every time he dozed off. Kurt was still sleeping, thankfully, as he sat on the edge of his bed. He had been staring at him for the past fifteen minutes. It was kind of creepy, but it hurt too much to look away (he had no idea why). His eyes drooped closed for a second, but he shook himself out of it and stood up in retaliation; no more sleeping! If he did, well, he was too scared he'd start spewing his momentary insanity to the already hopelessly-in-love gay boy. Not that Finn had any problem with him being _gay_, no way, just him being gay _towards Finn_. But, he guessed that was sort of his problem too now. No, it wasn't, never-mind. He just hadn't hooked up with anyone in a really long time; that was it. His lack of action was messing with his head. This could be fixed. Fuck these stupid thoughts. Finn groaned lightly and pulled on his Sunday sweatpants. Yeah that's right, Finn had specific sweatpants that he wore every Sunday. Kurt says it's unsanitary because he waits a month before washing them; Finn says it's naturally clean since there are people out in the world that wear the same clothes every day, like in Africa or some other third-world country. Sundays were his stay-at-home-and-relax-all-day-in-front-of-the-TV days.

When he got up to the kitchen, Finn was met with Burt sitting at the table drinking a cup of Joe and reading the morning paper. The usual feeling came over his body: his heart started beating faster, his palms and back started to sweat, and his stomach had these weird clenching feelings, making him feel like he really had to go to the bathroom. Finn tried to casually slip past him, but he grabbed his arm as he stepped by the table. Finn squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose while he sat across from him.

Burt was glaring at him head on. He grimaced behind his fisted hands. "How's the room going, buddy?"

There was the other thing; ever since the whole room freak-out, Burt had a habit of calling him "buddy" with a bite.

"I-it's been g-good," he gulped back a ball of air and forced out a smile, "We've been getting along f-fine. Um, I took Kurt to the mall yesterday."

Burt looked skeptical. He questioned him shortly, "Oh really?"

Finn nodded and looked down at the table breaking eye contact, "Yeah, uh…then, I took h-him out to eat at that new restaurant in town."

"Hmm…sounds fun…"

Finn then felt the bile turning in his stomach uncomfortably. He didn't even know why; he guessed he was just really nervous. "Y-yeah, it was. So…where were you and my mom all day yesterday?"

He grunted and he stood up with his mug. Finn didn't look up. "We went out."

He had a feeling that was the only answer he was going to get. Finn let out a breath he was holding back erratically, but quickly sucked it back in when he felt a tight grip on his shoulder. He sensed the closeness of his almost step-dad.

"One more thing, buddy. We're not over the whole fag deal._ I'm_ not over it. I don't believe your bullshit for one second, so sucking up won't work with me. Kurt might give you mercy, but I'm not the forgiving easy type. You make one more slip up, one more stupid mistake, and it'll be my _fist_ in your _face_ next time." Burt growled out his whole speech into Finn's ear and then up and left the room.

Finn sat there absolutely breathless. He stumbled out of the seat and ran downstairs to his safe-haven. He bit his fist and screamed quietly pacing the room. Kurt wasn't there, not that Finn really realized it, distressed as he was.

"Shit. Fucking shit. What the hell was I thinking? Holy fucking hell, stupid brain! Going alone to talk to Kurt's dad. Why the hell am I such an idiot?"

Finn pulled at his hair roughly and sat on his bed groaning; his head was aching terribly. He was somewhere between angry and scared, but he'd never admit that to himself. His fist slammed down on the stand next to the bed, smashing some glass figurine into tiny shards. Some imbedded themselves into his hand. Finn yelled out; tiny glass shards _hurt_.

"Ouch! Fuck this. Who the hell am I kidding? I'm such an asshole!" He slammed down his hand on the glass pieces again, but then regretted it when a shock of pain ran through his right arm. He yelped again.

That's when Kurt came out of the bathroom, "What the hell is going on out- Finn? What the hell are you doing?"

He ran over to Finn, wide eyed and scared. He tenderly took Finn's hand in his and turned it over, observing the glass sticking out of the bloodied and ripped skin. Then, he looked up at him questioningly; his eyes were saying, "what the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Finn just shook his head, scoffing and looking away. He had no reason to be angry with Kurt, but he needed someone to blame for these feelings. His words came out harsher than he expected, "It's nothing! Just leave me the hell alone!"

I pulled my hand away, but Kurt wouldn't release his grip. He glared at me, "No way. I am_ not_ letting you get away now. Tell me what's up or else…"

He tried to pull back his hand again unsuccessfully, snarling under his breath. "Leave me alone, please…" Finn begged him, teeth clenched. There was so much anger, plus pain, running through him and now he was starting to get confused because Kurt was so close.

He pulled Finn up by the arm and led him over to the bathroom. Finn hadn't noticed he was wearing his fluffy robe; it only made him angrier. His body was pushed onto the closed toilet seat and left alone while Kurt rummaged through the medicine cabinet. The floor suffered against his hateful glare until his head was pulled up to look into the curious eyes of Kurt Hummel kneeling on the floor before him. He picked up the right wrist and flipped it over. There was a peculiar pair of tweezers in his hand, but Finn had yet to react before they were assaulting his battered hand and plucking out pieces of glass. He hissed with his hand twitching periodically. "Stop-"

"Shut up, you baby! It's your fault. Suck it up," Kurt reprimanded gently, "Now, care to tell me what brought this on?"

"I'm fine," Finn said sharply.

Kurt laughed mockingly at him. "Fine? Really? Because fine doesn't smash its hand repeatedly on sharp shards of glass from shattered objects."

"It was your dad," Finn blurted out suddenly. Shit, when will he finally learn to just keep his mouth shut? Kurt snapped his head up at Finn, surprised and was that almost a knowing look in his eyes?

"What did he do?"

He proceeded to tell him what his father said. During the speech, his face morphed from a range of emotions: confusion, disbelief, hurt, pity, and finally complete anger. He was so distracted that he pulled at Finn's skin roughly while taking out some glass. Finn yelled out drew his hand back sharply. Kurt apologized repeatedly. He shakily replied with an, 'it's okay,' and gave his hand regretfully over to him again.

"…I can't believe he said that." He sounded livid to his ears. He wouldn't even look Finn in the eyes.

He sighed, "Well, he did…"

Kurt didn't answer. He held the cut up appendage over the trash bin and poured peroxide over it carelessly. Finn gasped disapprovingly, but bore the pain nonetheless. Next, he wrapped gauze carefully around the cuts. Finn inspected it cruelly as Kurt got up; it was just his bad mood making him act so callous.

He went to walk out, but stopped in the doorway, "I'm sorry for my dad's behavior. You didn't deserve that. I'll talk to him later."

He stared disbelievingly at his back, somehow thinking he could feel his gaze, "No way, Kurt. I did deserve it; don't say that I didn't. I'm the one who should be sorry. Please don't mention it to him…" Finn knew if he did, he'd be in even deeper shit with Burt. Plus, he liked his face how it was.

Kurt threw a piteous glance behind his shoulder. His only comment was, "If he says anything else, tell me." He left Finn alone with his thoughts.

When he walked back into their room, Kurt was gone. Immediately, Finn panicked, thinking he had gone to question his dad already. After he thought that though, he felt horrible that he couldn't even trust Kurt's words. He wouldn't do that; especially to _him_ of all people. Finn slouched into their couch and flicked on the television. After about fifteen minutes of watching college football, he went out like a light.

* * *

Luckily, sleeping was dreamless for once. His latent state consisted of bursts of color, like a projection of art, and only the sound of his own breathing in his head. This lasted for what seemed like only a few minutes for Finn, but he was roused back into consciousness by the sensation of someone sitting next to him. Wait, add to that, someone's tiny hands shaking his shoulder lightly too.

He opened his eyes squinting through the bright lighting of the already blindingly white room. Kurt was the one who woke him. He realized this while trying to sort the blurriness from his vision.

He croaked out a slurred question, "What's up, man?"

He didn't look up at Kurt's face. "It's dinner time, Neanderthal, get up." That was an order; he felt it in his voice. Did that mean Kurt was still upset from before? Not that Finn wasn't, he just kind of accepted what happened.

He got up into a sitting position and stretched his arms over his head, cracking his back a yawning volubly. "What time is it?"

Kurt stood up, "5:30." He left the room without another word.

Finn didn't understand feelings, well, he didn't really understand many things at all, but Kurt felt really sharp right then. Sharp meaning stiff and tight-worded. As far as he knew, that wasn't really Kurt's style. Something was definitely up, and he was going to find out.

* * *

The smell of his mom's famous spaghetti and meatballs filled the air of the kitchen. Finn saw his mother's head leaning over the pot of sauce to scoop some out, so he bent over and kissed the top of her head. She turned around startled, probably expecting Burt. She laughed when she saw it was Finn.

"Honey, you scared me. What's with the sudden affection though?" She smiled knowingly.

Him and his mom were always close. They had their ups and downs, and they always knew when the time for care was needed. Finn was okay with her nicknames and her kisses, and he showed love right back.

"Aw, you know, ma. I just miss you lately." He took the ladle from her hand and piled some food on a plate handing it to her, "There you go."

"Thanks, baby." She kissed his cheek and walked over to the dining room table.

He guessed the Hummels weren't that loving in front of people because they looked at him like he'd grown two heads when he kissed his mom. That must've sucked for Kurt, to live without the warmth of his mother, yet somehow he was always so strong getting by. It was an admirable quality.

He got himself a plate and sat down next to Kurt, their parents on either side of the table. When he went to pick up his fork, Finn was met with some interference. His wrapped hand made it difficult to grasp the utensil. He looked sheepishly around the table. Burt just squinted his eyes at it, like some offensive insect just took up space on his table, Kurt rolled his eyes, and Finn's mom looked concerned.

"What happened to your hand, Finn?"

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "Just cut it up after I dropped a glass this morning. I tried to pick up the pieces, and then Kurt helped me out." He smiled encouragingly at Kurt, begging him to back up his story with his eyes.

Kurt swallowed a mouthful of food and cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, while we were downstairs, orange juice; I mean, the orange juice was in the cup and dropped. Umm…" He trailed off stupidly. It seemed Kurt was horrible at making up stories.

Finn's mom believed it though, nodding her head, "Oh. Well, be more careful next time."

"Yeah, buddy, try not to do that again." And Burt just had to have his input.

Kurt and Finn both looked at each other simultaneously out of the corner of their eyes apprehensively. Finn made no comment and finished up his dinner.

* * *

They were back downstairs again; the two of them studying or finishing up worksheets. Finn beckoned Kurt over to his side of the couch they were now sharing. Kurt sighed exasperated.

"One more thing, dude, I promise," he gave Kurt the puppy dog eyes and pout. Kurt nodded waiting for the question. "How do you conjugate this word? It's so long!"

Kurt laughed shortly, "To love, Finn? We learned that like last year! I am not helping your dense head with something so simplistic. Look it up in your textbook." He turned back to his trigonometry page.

Finn groaned and whined for the next half-hour, earning no response from the soprano. Finally, he decided to give up, and decided to copy off of Brittany tomorrow. She was so much better at Spanish than him. He looked over to see what Kurt was up to and got an answer for his silence. Kurt had fallen asleep on the armrest of the couch, textbook still open in his lap and head resting on his arm. Finn smiled softly. He understood because it was, he looked over to the clock, 10:00, and they had stayed up late the night before. He got up as quietly as he could and piled up their schoolbooks. He picked up the textbook from Kurt's lap cautiously, trying not to disturb him. He stopped himself after he closed it, noticing the ever so innocent face of his almost step brother. It wasn't Kurt he was looking at, he was looking at a younger, more naive person; one who didn't have to deal with the hardships of high school, or being constantly picked on for his sexuality, or living without a mother for his whole teenage career. Finn had an urge to hug the small-framed boy, but he held himself back. He wondered if Kurt was a heavy sleeper because somehow he had to get him into bed without waking him. If he did wake up, Finn would feel really bad, plus Kurt got cranky when anybody disturbed his beauty sleep.

He slid one arm behind Kurt's back and one beneath his legs meticulously glancing up to see some sort of reaction. There was nothing but a small intake of breath. He hoisted up Kurt gradually, cradling the surprisingly lightweight boy in his arms. His head lolled to the said, and his hand grasped onto Finn's shirt. Finn laid him down on his bed, pulling back the covers from underneath him, and tucking them around Kurt. He instantly clung to the blankets, wrapping them around him like a cocoon and turning over. There was a short instance where Finn leaned down, almost as if to kiss Kurt's soft-looking forehead. He pulled himself back worriedly. What was he thinking? Kurt was gay. Kurt was gay _for Finn_. If he woke up to Finn kissing his head, he would absolutely get the wrong idea.

He tried to pass off the instance as a burst of brotherly love. His head just wouldn't let it go though. A guy would never kiss his almost brother's forehead while he was sleeping. At least, Finn didn't do that. You wouldn't do that to your so obvious gay brother either. Inside it didn't feel like brotherly love either; it was much more complicated than that. In spite of that, he couldn't figure out where his impulse had come from. It made his head hurt like usual when he thought about one thing too much.

There was another thing too. Why was Kurt acting so cold to him this afternoon? He almost seemed guilty about something, maybe his dad's god-awful behavior got to him. Finn was still shaking from that experience. How could he get Burt to believe he was sincere? He needed Kurt's help for sure. But, before that, he needed to know what was up with Kurt. God, so much to do…

He crawled into bed and cleared his mind of all fretful thoughts. He was in the vast confines of his mind, soundless and fresh. It was soothing. He let his color filled consciousness roll over him falling into a light slumber.

Finn had another weird dream that night. Burt had taken out a shotgun and Kurt cried for his dad to stop his nonsense. Somehow they ended up running away to New York City with each other. Finn was still at a loss as to why all his dreams were so fucked up lately.

* * *

A/N:

So, that was my next chapter of Home Sweet Home. How did you all like it? I hope you all noticed the wonderful mistake-free writing. This is all thanks to my new beta DisappearanceOfAdalia. Please give props to her! She was very helpful with my typos and grammar/punctuation errors. She's very good at what she does, so if you need one, I suggest requesting her aid. If you actually read these authors notes at the end of chapters, type the word noble at the beginning of you review. I'm just curious :)

Also, please review after reading, it's greatly appreciated and it motivates me to write more!

**Challenge:** tell me your favorite part/line yet again!


	5. Guilty

Home Sweet Home

Chapter 5: Guilty

"_We are all guilty_

_Not being all we should be_

_Look at your own self and see_

_His voice cut through the war in my head_

_Screaming something I could understand_

_And somehow he knew me when he said_

_Is there anyone who's desperate_

_For anything more than hell…"

* * *

_

Monday was neither a good or bad day for Finn. It consisted of a well established and overall boring schedule that when abided by left him with no troubles or complaints (besides the bored issue). Here's how it began:

Kurt's alarm would go off at 6:30 A.M. leaving them an hour and a half to get ready for school. Finn really didn't need that long, so for the first half hour, he would either watch the ceiling hazily and muse absentmindedly, or he would watch Kurt rush around as if he was in a rabid fashion crazed race while he stared hazily and mused absentmindedly. His muse was based on Kurt's actions of that particular morning.

'_Why is his closet so huge? What guy actually owns that much clothes? He could probably fit an elephant in there and it would still go unnoticed around all that stuff. Oh, that's a shiny shirt though. Shiny things are really distracting. God, he has got to stop looking at his ass in those skinny jeans. Uh girl's butts, so round and curvy, that's what he was thinking about… What is that, a messenger bag or a man-purse?'_ Finn shuddered. Kurt walked into the bathroom and slammed the door behind him. How it took a boy a half hour to pick out an outfit was truly a wonder and made his head hurt. Then, Finn realized he should probably go to a doctor since his headaches have been so frequent lately.

Sullenly, Finn slid out of bed after noticing that it had reached 7 o'clock. When he reached his dresser however, he saw the bags of clothes bought this weekend sitting innocently and abandoned on the side. They made him grimace thoughtfully. To wear or not to wear, that was the question. He pulled the closest shopping bag over, the logo of Metropark® across the side. Filled to bursting as it was, Finn pulled out at random. He fished out a black sleeveless hoodie and a plain red long-sleeved shirt. After he dressed his top half up, he picked up the least outrageous, but still pretty tight, skinny blue jeans in the bag. Reluctantly, Finn topped off the bizarre ensemble with a black hat. The mirror of Kurt's vanity practically screamed, "Who's the new gay-boy in town?" Finn puffed out hot air and knocked on the bathroom door.

Already, this Monday was starting out different; the schedule was terminated from that point. Finn never asked Kurt for anything in the morning, especially not fashion advice. He felt like gagging, but not wearing the clothes would kind of be insulting, right? They were so expensive and Finn hated feeling guilty about things.

Beyond the door, he heard a faucet turn off, some fumbling around, and a tiny "Ouch!" before the door was aggressively yanked open by an irritated Kurt. He was most likely disturbing one of his many facial routines of the day. His look of annoyance quickly faded into that of shock as he observed Finn's body attentively. One of those lustful gazes overtook his eyes. He almost seemed about ready to laugh when he looked up at the hat, but covered his mouth with a hand. "Um – ha – May I ask who you are and where Finn Hudson is?"

Finn blushed, awkwardly standing before him. "It is me, dude! Just…I was wondering…I don't know if this is cool? I mean, does it match and stuff…" he trailed off with embarrassment. Kurt had the ability to make him feel extremely dumb under his watchful and condescending eyes.

Kurt giggled. "I would have to say it's absolutely stunning, bro," he said jokingly, "How'd you manage creating that?"

He rubbed his neck and bit his lip. "I just pulled out random stuff really."

Kurt frowned, "Lucky guesser…"

Finn nodded slowly. Then, Kurt pulled him into the bathroom and took off the hat. "Nice fedora, but you need a little hair therapy too."

"Fedora?" Finn questioned.

Kurt sighed dramatically, "The hat your wearing, dimwit."

Finn ignored the name and allowed Kurt to play with his hair, sitting on the toilet seat yet again under Kurt's scrutiny. He pulled out a bottle of gel. "No, man, come on…" He whined loudly when Kurt started running his slimy fingers through his hair.

"The element of surprise is what you always have to go for," he said, like when he was on the football team, "We both know your going to take off that hat the second you see your retarded jock friends, but you can't leave your head unnoticed. Every moment of your life is-"

"An opportunity for fashion, yeah yeah, I've heard it about a hundred times…" Finn rolled his eyes.

Kurt patted his cheek (Finn scowled) and stepped away to admire him. "Good to know my words are finally getting through your head," he smiled and went back to his own daily routine. He wiped some gel off his cheek thoughtlessly. Finn got up and stood next to Kurt. He began to brush his teeth while secretly checking out his new do. It wasn't that bad, just a couple of side sweeps in different directions; he could deal with it. Finn sprayed some Axe on and put his hat back on to wrap up getting ready. He didn't look back at the mirror and went to get his backpack. Kurt put on some Strawberries and Cream perfume and smiled gleefully to the mirror.

7:45

Finn popped a Pop-tart in the toaster and waited for the timer. He watched Kurt make his "specialty" overly sweetened (though organic, Kurt says) and fat-free milk coffee like a professional. He, on the other hand, liked his coffee black, no sugar, no milk; it didn't taste very good, but man he shot straight awake for hours after a dose of it. Plus, he had no after-sugar-rush from the sweetener. He started drinking it after the whole vitamin incident with Glee because he needed something to keep him awake in place of the drugs. Then, he stopped because his mom said it stunted your growth. That's probably why Kurt was so short; he must've been drinking it his whole life. Kurt's small features suited him though. They were kind of cute… you know, miniature. He guessed he was a little hot too in his own ways. Especially his ass- _Alright_, stop right there, Finn! He couldn't even think about his_ friend_ who's a _guy_ for one second without saying something totally perverted!

Finn made a strange face and moaned in horror. Kurt turned towards him. "What's your problem?"

He was startled out of his thoughts. "Nothing," he said quickly, "Just thinking."

"Really? About what?"

_Crap_, he thought. "You," he blurted out. _What the hell?_

Kurt's mouth opened and closed like a fish before he made up his mind, "A-And why exactly are you thinking about me?"

"Uh, I don't know," he tried to make up a story, "Y-You're clothes! Yeah, your clothes, there uh-odd…" Kurt looked a little upset. "In a good way!" he added swiftly.

Kurt nodded, accepting the answer a bit gloomily. Was he expecting more? Finn couldn't tell him the truth; he'd be dead the moment he said it.

Finn nodded back and bit off a piece of his Pop-tart. They headed to the car together.

* * *

He wouldn't get out of the car. All the football players were waiting by the dumpsters for Kurt's daily toss, and if they saw what he was wearing, they would surely throw him in as well. Instead, he sat and fiddled with his "fuh-dor-a," or whatever the hell Kurt said it was, in his lap. Kurt was right again; he definitely wouldn't be caught dead wearing such an outrageous hat.

Kurt sighed for about the sixth time. "How much longer do I have to sit here?"

Finn looked towards him. "Until they leave. You're not getting bullied on my watch."

"Look Finn," Kurt began, "I appreciate you being so protective because of your obvious guilt of being malicious towards me, but I'm a big boy. I can handle myself."

Finn ignored him and watched the football players joke around with each other. Sometimes he missed the days when he was the top of the school and he could just do what he wanted. There was a sense of longing for the times when he could just throw slushies in people's faces without care, but now he was the one being slushied along with his fellow gleeks. It was for the better. He never liked bullying innocent people; it wasn't fair. You know the saying "Pick on someone your own size?" He believed in it, and since no one he knew even came close to his stature, he shouldn't pick on anyone.

Kurt reached over to open his door. Finn pressed the lock button on the car.

"What the hell, Finn?" Kurt yelled incredulously. "Unlock the car! I'm going to be late to a meeting with Mercedes; I have to walk her to class!" He pressed the unlock button, but every time he went to open the door, Finn locked it again. "Now you're just bordering on ridiculous. Let me out," he said angrily.

"Man, calm down!" Finn yelled back, "I am not letting you get hurt." He glared back into Kurt's blazing blue eyes.

"I won't get hurt! I've gotten thrown in plenty of times. Specifically, I remember _you_ being the one to egg them on a while back!"

Finn felt like he was just slapped in the face, yet his cheek didn't have the usual sting in it. No, it was this piteous guilt and self-loathing that spurred the sensation. It was totally rude and offensive, but also true. Finn stayed quiet and stared out towards the football field on his side of the car. Kurt must've realized he said something wrong because he tried to apologize.

He stuttered out, "Oh-No, Finn. I didn't mean…w-what I meant to say was…" But he had nothing to say.

Finn unlocked the doors and whispered, "Get out."

"What? Finn, please, I didn't know what I was saying. Let's just talk about this-"

"Get out!" Finn yelled, slamming his still bandaged hand against the dashboard. "You said you wanted to get out, so get out!" He glared at Kurt who was now practically cowering in shock and fear. Worry showed through his features as well.

Kurt scrambled to get his belongings together and jumped out of the car. Finn watched as he neared the dumpster. He was still angry, both with Kurt and himself, but he was apprehensive as to what the jocks would do. Azimio grabbed his shoulder when he tried to slip past and Finn readied himself for a gruesome dive, but was astonished to see he was wrong. He could make out they were talking to him. However, he was never good at reading lips and too far away to hear them. He saw Kurt nod multiple times with a pale and frightened face. He then walked away free at a brisk pace towards the school.

Finn reluctantly got out of the car, sans hat, and followed Kurt. He was stopped, nevertheless, to face his teammates sarcastic faces. He smiled lightly, "What's up guys?"

Karofsky stepped forward with a grin, "What's up? You hear that guys? He asks what's up." He gestured to the guys who laughed mockingly.

Finn's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "Um, is something wrong with that?"

Azimio spoke now, "No, not at all! Just the fact that you look like the fairy de-virginized you up the ass is wrong enough. What the hell are you wearing, dude?" All the guys called out behind him rudely.

Finn frowned, a little insecure now. "What the hell are you guys even talking about? He's my brother, or at least something like that. And I'm not gay, so cool it! We just went shopping this weekend and-"

"So you shop with him now?" Karofsky challenged. "That little faggot's got you wearing his clothes too?"

Finn stepped forward warningly, "Don't use that word!"

"Or what? You gonna throw a punch, Hudson? Cus' I've got a whole team behind me." All the guys nodded.

Finn stepped back, subdued by the threat, "Whatever, I don't need this right now." He went to walk away, but was pulled back again.

"No, what you do need is a lesson. Hanging out with _faggots_ is _not _cool, dude," Karofsky growled into his ear. With that, a couple of guys from the team picked him up while he struggled and yelled out. Though they staggered under his weight, they managed to throw him down into the thankfully empty, but still putrid, dumpster.

Finn landed on his shoulder and hit his head hard against the bottom. That was going to be two huge bruises. He laid there listening to the hysterical jocks walking away. He felt humiliated, mortified, harassed, and every word that described this total embarrassment. He also felt like he was in the wrong. Kurt had probably felt this same feeling a hundred times more than he had. Most of the time, Finn was the one who stood there and watched; he didn't like it sure, but that didn't mean he didn't laugh about it later in the locker rooms. How did Kurt manage to stay so strong? Finn would've lost his cool after just the first time, but that was back then. Now, he knew what it was like to be one of those losers, to be an underdog. You had to accept it and move on. He wished things could change for once. Finn didn't want Kurt to ever feel this way again.

Unknown to him, Kurt had watched from the front windows as he was thrown in. He looked miserably on. There was nothing he could do.

* * *

By the end of third period, the stench of dumpster had almost worn off, or Finn thought at least, unless he was just getting used to the smell by now. Everyone around him either didn't seem to notice or felt too bad to comment. Not that he cared, but when girls avoided him, he felt less manly and macho, and with his slightly homosexual thoughts lately, well, it didn't really help.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Finn must've fallen asleep because he didn't remember a single thing that happened that math period. He had glee club 4th period, lunch 5th, and Spanish 6th. All of which he shared with his almost-brother.

He opened his locker and swapped some books, simultaneously watching Kurt at his own locker down the hallway. He closed his locker and leaned against it, faking tiredness to continue watching Kurt. He was fixing his hair in his mirror, adding what looked like hairspray and pulling out some books. Finn sighed inwardly, why did he have to take so long? He was nothing more than an open target right now.

Finn knew something bad was coming the second Karofsky and Azimio walked passed him, both holding blue slushies and wearing equal grins. They eyed him when they passed, but were headed straight towards Kurt. Then, it was like everything was in slow motion. The two jocks slammed Kurt's locker shut, startling him out of his hair touch-up. They laughed and said some cruel words while Kurt dejectedly stared at the slushies already determining his fate. Finn sprinted towards them while they pulled back their arms to fling the icy liquid. Kurt squeezed his eyes shut and tried to cover his hair. Right while the slushie was flying out, Finn jumped into the line of fire, taking the freezing drink to the head. It dripped down his shirt and face and seeped through his hair. There was a collective amount of gasps around him, the loudest coming from Kurt when he grasped what happened. Karofsky and Azimio laughed, "Protecting your boyfriend, Hudson?" They high-fived and walked away.

Finn didn't move, but not just because he was afraid of getting corn syrup in his eyes or because of the mocking laughs of the other students; he didn't want to see Kurt's face. He listened for a reaction from him, yet was shocked to feel himself being led somewhere. A door was opened and closed and locked behind him. He was left for a moment and then felt Kurt's soft hands dabbing a paper-towel against his eyes and along his cheeks and forehead. Finn licked his lips, unconsciously tasting the blueberry flavor. The towel rubbed over his lips lightly, followed by the slow trail of a thumb across them as well. They tingled when Kurt rubbed them. He opened his eyes to stare into Kurt's curious gaze. Not willing to break the silence, he continued to allow Kurt to wipe his face clean.

He was reminded of the time they fought over Kurt trying to clean the Kiss makeup off his face. That time he had freaked out at just the hand coming towards his face, worried that he might catch some gay disease. Only now did he understand how ridiculous he was being.

At the moment, he was content; he couldn't bring himself to push away the fragile boy. His face was really close to Finn's. He puffed hot breath onto his cheeks softly. Finn noticed the sweet pink rosiness on his cheek bones. Kurt's eyes were dilated slightly, insinuating a whole other thought process going through his mind. Finn reacted to this strangely; his pants tightened somewhat, but he fondly imagined the mailman. It was no big deal.

Kurt pulled away the paper towel and rubbed his hand over a sticky cheek. He grimaced slightly at the texture. Kurt pulled over a folding chair from the corner.

"Sit," he whispered.

Finn complied and watched him wet a new paper towel. He hunched over gawkily trying to wipe his face again. Finn cracked a smile. "You can sit. You know… If you want to…"

Kurt blushed, surprised at the compromise, but acted on it, sitting on Finn's lap sideways. He cleaned his face with utmost concentration.

On the other hand, Finn was cursing himself for suggesting it. There was nothing wrong with it. Kurt wasn't heavy and he wasn't doing anything particularly perverted. It was really his own mind complaining. He felt Kurt's butt through his jeans, his perfectly rounded and god-like butt. His pants felt tighten yet again. If these thoughts weren't completely gay, then he didn't know what was. He'd never really thought about a guy like this though, so he wouldn't know. He breathed in raggedly. His body was stiff and edgy. Kurt smelled like vanilla and strawberries. It was probably from his shampoo. It was intoxicating. Finn hoped to God he wouldn't say something spontaneous and stupid. Kurt said he did it a lot.

"You smell good," he said. Then, he closed his eyes in idiocy. Where did he come from, seriously?

Kurt rose his eyebrow with a faint blush, "Um…Thanks? That slushie seep into your head or something?"

Finn shook his head no, "N-Nevermind. That was stupid of me to say…"

"No," Kurt corrected fast, "It was fine, really, I like compliments."

His cheeks reddened. He let Kurt clean off his neck and unsuccessfully try to wash the blue stain out of his shirt.

Kurt huffed frustrated, "I think this one's a goner for sure. Damnit, those stupid Neanderthals know exactly how to ruin a perfect outfit."

"It's okay. We can use that stain remover you have, right? And blue on black is not that noticeable," Finn negotiated.

"You're right I guess, but it's still horrible…" Kurt finished off. Then, he told him to lean backwards so that his head would rest over the sink. Out of his bag he pulled those travel shampoo and conditioners, almost empty from all the times he had to use them in school. That prompted another surge of guilt through his gut.

At once, Finn felt Kurt's magical fingers working through his hair. They were like a sinuous comb working through his sticky and slightly gelled hair. Finn sighed loudly gaining a momentary pause from the boy above, but it started again nonetheless, and Finn relaxed his neck on the brim of the sink letting Kurt's ministrations sweep over him. Before he knew it, Kurt was done and toweling his hair. Kurt grabbed his hand and pulled him up. His hand was warm and tiny in his giant one. They fit together perfectly. Finn reluctantly let go. There was still a side of him that told him his thoughts lately were not normal, and Finn didn't want to encourage Kurt anymore.

Kurt spoke timidly, "Thanks for saving me before."

Finn grinned a little, "I told you I would watch out for you. Us brothers need to stick together."

Kurt's developing smile faltered. "I saw you this morning…"

"What are you talking about?" Finn's smile started to fade. He had a bad feeling about something.

"This morning…after we fought, the guys talked to me. Told me they were going to give me a little break from tossing and I agreed unquestionably; I would be crazy not to. So, once I was safe inside, I waited to make sure you came inside. You just looked so angry…" He trailed of reluctantly "A-And then, I saw the guys hassling you and watched them…throw you in the dumpster." Kurt wouldn't look him in the eye.

Finn was bemused. "S-So, you didn't help me…because why exactly?"

Kurt croaked out, "There was nothing I could do."

"Nothing you could-" Finn started accusingly, but said something else instead. "Dude, I would stick my neck out for you in a heartbeat and you just watched me-" He made a disgusted noise and grabbed his hair frustrated. "What the hell, man?"

Kurt winced, but began to get fired up, "I would've gotten thrown in too, you know! You're the one saying you want to protect me, right? You should be happy I stayed away like you told me to; you would've just had another piece of guilt on your shoulders! Protecting me entitles you getting shit, too, so either get ready to deal with it or leave it alone." He breathed in heavily, not expecting such a long speech to escape his lips.

Finn sucked in his words like a vacuum. He already knew that guilt this morning and realized it only would've doubled if Kurt had gotten hurt too. He really did have to face all the obstacles like Kurt was saying. He looked towards the floor solemnly. Kurt cleared his throat and gathered his belongings. As he went to leave, Finn called out, "What am I supposed to do?"

Neither of them turned around to see each other. "Think about what you're getting yourself into. If it's really what you want to do, then you have your answer, but if it's not…" There was a space of silence. "Don't let me be your pity fallback. I don't have time for your mindless sympathy." He left abruptly.

Finn stood there shell-shocked. Whenever Kurt spoke, it had this effect on him. He knew what words to say to get to him in all the wrong places. Finn's heart beat faster, attracting his hand to grip his chest. He decided to do precisely as he was told. He sat down and thought about what Kurt said.

* * *

And there you go my readers and reviewers! Sorry it took so long to update! I was on vacation with family in Pennsylvania. I love that place so much, even though it has no internet to stay connected, so that is why my chapter is so late. Anyway, this is officially my longest chapter to date *props to me* LOL And a special thanks to my wonderful beta DisappearanceofAdalia who gratefully fixed my chapter up to perfection in less than an hour I'm sure. Thanks for that!

Please, give me some feedback readers and tell me what you think should happen next. I seriously need some help with that also! SO...

**Challenge: **Once again, tell me your favorite line or part AND do you think Finn should continue helping Kurt out (awwww so sweet) or leave him to be bullied (dun dun dun! DRAMA) HAHA

(PS: I'm thinking of writing a one-shot hardcore lemon and it's in the making already. Not sure if I'll post it or not, but if I finish it and some of you like the idea I might just show you guys. :)

Title: Hot Mess

Summary: Finn comes home a complete drunken mess and Kurt is left alone to take care of him. But, when Finn asks some awkward questions, some things lead to another and...

That's it! lmao)

REVIEW AND THANKS AGAIN GUYS! YOU ARE ALL SO AWESOME!


	6. Choices and Decisions

**Home Sweet Home:**

Chapter 6: Choices and Decisions

_"You got to make up your mind_

_Life, Choices and Decisions…_

_To follow or to lead_

_Or do you just pretend?_

_To pause or to proceed_

_The choice is yours my friend…"

* * *

_

It must have been hours that he sat there in the bathroom, but in retrospect, it was only around fifteen minutes. Fortunately, no one had entered or else they would've thought he was a major creep. His thought process had been going a mile a minute.

What was he supposed to do? He wanted to help Kurt; no, he needed to help Kurt. Not only because he's his friend and almost-brother, but if anything bad happened to him, Burt will blow Finn's brains out with his 55 caliber. But then again, the guys on the team would throw his ass in the dumpster every day. He'll get so much more shit than he usually does. Fuck, why does he always get stuck in these impossible situations? Finn paced the room, frustrated, then brainstormed a bit.

It suddenly occurred to him that he had to start with the source. But what was the source? After a few more moments of thought he realized he needed to figure out the real reason he wanted to protect Kurt. Besides, deep down inside, he felt like those previously mentioned reasons to help Kurt weren't good enough. Or, rather, they just weren't accurate. Something else was motivating these odd bouts of heroics, but he couldn't figure it out. Was it pity, like Kurt said? Kurt had also mentioned he didn't want Finn's pity, though. So, what could it be? Kurt was familiar to him; they were friends. And before the whole parent trap, even before the Quinn baby debacle, they had gotten closer, become more in sync. It might have just been Kurt's obvious infatuation that pulled Finn in so much. Although, why would he himself be drawn in by the boy's affection? Wasn't that kind of…gay? Finn shook his head to himself. X Where was he? Oh yeah, the football team and hockey players would beat him to a bloody pulp, literally, if he kept up this "protection". What would happen if he left it alone though? Kurt would potentially become very hurt and mad at Fin, and he'd have to deal with dumpster tosses, slushy facials, punches, shoves, and who knows what else? Could he really tell himself to just stand there and watch?

Finn looked into the mirror and found a confused and frightened teenage boy there. He was thinking too many things at once (one thing was usually more than enough to think, for Finn). It could be decided later; he just needed some time. Finn walked to the choir room as steadily as he could, glancing off-handedly at a clock, only to realize he was a full half hour late. was going to throw a fit. Shit. Peeking through the window, he noticed Schue retrieving something from his office. What a lucky break! Finn slipped in and closed the door quietly behind him. Everyone turned their heads at the perceived intrusion. Brad, the piano guy, rolled his eyes and turned away. He hated the Glee Club too much to care about a lateness. In fact, the less time in their company, the better. Silently, Finn put a finger over his lips, signaling to his classmates. Everyone shook their heads, rolled their eyes, or turned away knowingly. The only one who seemed to care was Rachel, who was furiously glaring at him. Rachel's opinion really didn't matter right now, so he ignored it.

Finn ducked down passed the windows of the office and scrambled into a seat. The only one available, ironically, was the one between Kurt and Rachel.

"Nice of you to join us, Finn," Mr. Schue called out from behind him.

Finn jumped and turned around in a startled manner, "Mr. Schue... Hey."

He didn't look very happy. "Take a seat, please. We were just discussing what songs we might want to sing for Regionals."

Finn nodded and fell awkwardly into his seat. He felt both Kurt and Rachel eyeing him and shrugged it off, trying to pay attention. The repeated mentions of Regionals struck a familiar chord in him. The rest of the period was spent listening to endless ideas and suggestions of music, offset by complaints and disagreements, most of them from the boys (excepting Kurt).

At the end of practice, Finn scrambled out of his chair and tried to leave before Mr. Schue-

"Finn, can you come talk to me for a sec?" he called out, "You too, Kurt."

Finn and Kurt both stopped and glanced towards one another unsteadily, not sure as to what was going on between them yet. They both followed Mr. Schue into his office. He rounded on them both.

"Will you guys care to tell me why you were both late to practice? You were fifteen minutes late, Kurt. Finn, _you_ were a full half hour late. Usually, I'd let it slide, but Regionals are coming up fast, guys. We need all the time we can get."

Kurt listened, an appropriately chastised expression plastered on his face. Finn, however, stared shamelessly at the floor. Being reprimanded didn't sit well in his stomach. He interjected Mr. Schuester's tirade with, "Sorry, Mr. Schue, Kurt and I ran into a bit of trouble."

Kurt cut him off. "A slushy facial war, actually, during passing. Finn took the hit for me, and I offered to help him clean up."

Mr. Schue slipped into concerned teacher mode. "You guys should have came and got me if you were being harassed."

Kurt scoffed, "Mr. Schue, if I may be so bold, there is really nothing you can do. You just have to accept that being in Glee club is like being on the bottom of the food chain. We're the prey, and getting an adult to help will just make us bigger targets, which most adults don't seem to understand for some bizarre reason."

The teacher looked visibly deflated. Kurt made his leave while Mr. Schuester bit his lip and ran his fingers through his hair. Again. Finn stayed behind.

"Sorry, Mr. Schue. Kurt's not in a very good mood today," he lied, "but I'm really sorry that we were late too. Slushies aren't easy to clean off. Even though they're made mostly of water. You'd think they'd be easy to clean off but-"

Mr. Schue leaned back against his desk, interrupting before Finn could get lost on his tangent. "No, it's fine, Finn. Thanks for being honest." Finn took that as his cue to leave. "Wait," Finn turned around, "You and Kurt are living together now, right?"

He nodded unsure as to where this was going.

"Just…Watch out for him okay? We all know act Kurt puts up in front of everyone, but we also all know he needs help sometimes…"

Finn smiled his little half-smile that was sometimes also kind of a half-frown. This was one of those times. "I know," he said, and left the room.

* * *

The lunchroom was jam-packed full of students. Looking around, Finn had limited choices of where to sit. In all honesty, sitting with his fellow Glee clubbers didn't sound very appealing today, considering he didn't quite enjoy being under the watchful glare of Kurt. He noticed Puck, Brittany, and Santana sitting a few tables over, though. Finn grimaced at the less than satisfactory choice of seats, but shuffled over towards Puck and the two cheerleaders.. Puck tensely stared when he sat down, Brittany grinned dopily, and Santana's lips curled into a characteristic scowl. She still looked pretty hot, even while wearing such an ugly expression.

"Hey, guys…" Finn mumbled.

Brittany was the only to answer, "Hi, Mr. Finnegan."

Finn rolled his eyes and smiled at her. You just had to love her, despite the less than brilliant things she said.

"What's up, man?" Puck finally spoke up, although timidly. Good. Puck better be scared of him. They

still weren't on very good terms. Although in this case, beggars can't be choosers.

He chewed his sandwich thoughtfully then spoke around his food, "Nothing… Same old…"

Puck nodded and half-smiled, "Why aren't you sitting with the losers today? Isn't your bro over there?"

Finn glanced at the other table, all of the occupants laughing at something Mercedes said while she smirked. Kurt's face was bright as a cherry. Cute. Finn nearly jumped at his own Brittany-like choice of words and turned around guiltily, imagining Puck could hear his thoughts.

"Ah… No reason, I'm just not in the mood today, you know? I love them, I really do, and Kurt, well I guess he's my "brother" and all, but we've just been fighting over stupid shit. All the time. We need some space, I guess."

"Aw," Brittney cooed, "Baby hands is being a meanie?"

Finn stared at her blankly for a second. He shrugged, "No, more like we're trying to figure stuff out and it led to a fight."

"Wait, you're being mean to baby hands then?" Brittany blinked. Finn had no idea why she was calling Kurt "baby hands", but thankfully Santana put a hand on her shoulder to divert any more questions.

"So, what's really up? Hummel having his queer time of the month?" Puck asked while staring at the cheerleader's table.

Finn glared at the distracted teen. "No," he bit out, "It's something else…" When he trailed off in such a confused voice everyone's attention was back on him immediately sensing how distressed he was. Even Santana looked curious. "Well, me and Kurt have been discussing his being bullied and stuff…and I told him I would help him out." Finn proceeded to tell them everything that happened this morning and how he was confused as of what to do.

Puck guffawed in response, "Dude, you have a status to keep up. Why the hell are you takin' the heat for Hummel? You just got to tell him that this whole defending shit ain't workin' out. It's as simple as that… Now, if you'd excuse me, the Puckosaurus sees a hot piece of ass." He left practically drooling behind a petite brunette cheerleader. He remembered her name was Kendall.

Brittney looked sad. "Poor Kurtis! You should really teach him martial arts, Finn, and make him wear an umbrella hat to school. I heard it keeps water and ducks out of your hair." She left too without another road.

Santana disbelievingly stared at the clueless girl. The lunchroom was emptying out slowly. She looked at Finn, who stared at his half-eaten lunch dejected.

"Listen, Hudson," she said, pulling her seat closer to his, "If you tell anyone I said this, I'll make you wish you never had _cajones _for me to kick in the first place, they'll hurt so bad. But when it comes to my opinion, I think you should help Kurt out. The poor kid gets shit all the time even though he's a Cheerio now. I look out for my teammates. And Coach Sylvester looks out for her Cheerios. I might seem like a heartless bitch half of the time…" Finn gave her a look. "Alright, all the time, but that's a front. My reputation as a bitch is as important as Puck's reputation as a badass. If Kurt is really your friend, and he means a lot to you, then you should be willing to do anything to help him. Not to mention he probably won't talk to you again if you listen Puck's asshole idea. You should talk to him when you get home later." Santana almost looked as though she was about to hug him just before she left, but Finn guessed that she'd already put her reputation in jeopardy by sharing her opinion, and didn't want to risk it any more.

* * *

The real moment Finn made up his mind followed a long period of staring at Kurt's head in Spanish. He was just about to go over to Kurt's locker and tell him when he realized there was no Kurt there. It was weird because he could have sworn he saw Kurt leave the classroom. Finn walked down the hallway, scanning the crowd but not catching a single glimpse of the boy. Maybe he already went to his next class? Kurt always went to his locker after Spanish though. He was still contemplating when a wave of pain crashed over his stomach, realizing his bladder was full to bursting right now. He ran off to find a bathroom.

* * *

3:15

There wasn't much to be said during the car ride home, the silence was left unbroken by noise or music. It was not broken till the second they walked in the door and simultaneously said, "Well, I'll be downstairs."

Finn repressed an urge to laugh and examined Kurt's owlish expression, finally deciding to lead the way to their room. He crashed right on his bed, stretching across the designer comforter. Kurt aptly set up his school books in front of the couch, probably planning a study night for their "important" Spanish test tomorrow. A shiver ran through his body. That was a test he'd surely fail. Spanish… Why did he feel like there was something he'd forgotten...? Wait!

"Hey, Kurt, where'd you go after Spanish today?"

Kurt seemed surprised turning around and eyeing him suspiciously. "I went to class," he said as more of a question, "Why?"

He shrugged, "Nothing, I was…uh, just looking for you afterward because usually you go to your locker."

"Hmm," Kurt nodded and went back to setting up his arrangements, "And why would you be looking for me?"

His heart picked up pace suddenly and his head felt light and airy. For some reason he was nervous. "I just wanted you to know that I made up my mind," he finalized. He walked over to Kurt and pushed him down onto the couch by his shoulders. Kurt was taken aback and slightly bothered, but not in a bad way. Whenever Finn took charge, Kurt felt a surge of emotion run through his veins. Finn, however, was clueless as to what Kurt was thinking. He sat on the end table in front of him, rubbing his hands over his thighs out of habit. Kurt thought it was adorable, but he _was_ still angry from this morning. No, Finn's loveable tendencies wouldn't even change that. Finn continued, "So, Kurt, you're my friend. And you know I would do anything for my friends, even if it would ruin my rep. Seriously, dude, I honestly love you…" Kurt's heart skipped a beat at the distant words. "You're one of my best friends these days, so I'm sorry if I can be a little bit too protective, but if anything happened to you, I couldn't live with myself. You're…you're my brother, okay? So, if it means I have to get my ass thrown in the dumpster or my face slushied or whatever else they throw at me, I'll do it…because I want to do this for you. For us."

Kurt was speechless, awed and staring at Finn's honest expression. In a burst of enthusiasm, he threw his arms around Finn and embraced him tightly. For once there was no sexual desire or tension, just the pure need for a brother's affection. He _needed_ this reassurance. _They_ needed _this_ relationship.

Finn wrapped his arms around Kurt, holding him close, and breathing in the still fresh scent of strawberries. They basked in the warmth and love surrounding them.

Kurt was the one to pull back first. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to be a burden or ruin your…"

Finn put a finger over his lips, "I am surer than ever, Kurt, I _really_ want to do this." He smiled in encouragement.

Kurt nodded back with a small grin himself. "Thanks, Finn. It means a lot to me."

Finn thumped his shoulder lightly and got up. "So, what are you setting up for?" he questioned while heading over to his bed again, sitting on the edge and fingering his alarm clock.

Kurt moved around some cushions. "Oh, Mercedes is coming over in a little to watch a Streisand marathon and study…" He looked up at Finn, "Are you okay with that?"

He nodded, masking his surprise. Since when did people ask his permission? "Yeah, of course, I was planning on watching a game upstairs anyways."

Kurt grimaced. For some reason, whenever Finn wanted to watch a game, he got kind of grossed out. Even during their old football practices, he looked like he was ready to high tail and run off the field. Kurt was so adorable in his uniform. He looked like he was drowning in all the pads and gear he was forced to wear. Finn laughed at the recollection. Then, he got a weird stare from Kurt and he coughed awkwardly; mumbling something about getting a snack, he went upstairs.

* * *

I know I've kept you guys waiting, and I have no excuse but to just say that I've been **_very_** sick this summer. Sick as in, bed-ridden, most of the time. Please, if you feel the need to reprimand me go ahead, but just keep in mind that I am taking responsibility for this. The chapter is short, but it's what I got done. If you liked it, tell me. If you didn't, well...say what you want, say what you need. I don't mind. I feel horrible leaving you guys hanging like that, so I am sincerely sorry.

I want to thank my lovely and patient beta, who has worked so hard on perfecting this chapter after I royally screwed it up. Thank you again!

(The lack of funny lines may be because I've been in a morbid mood this summer, sorry)

Please review!


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Glee, Friendship, Romance