#yyadvent

"Suzy? Suzy!?" Arin called up the stairs to his wife, holding one daughter on his hip as the other followed quick behind them. "Suzy!" He exclaims as he walks into her work room, shes doing her make up and has one eye done so her look of surprise as she storms in with the whole rest of the house is even more giggle inducing to their youngest who peers at her from behind her dad.

"Yes! Arin?" She mockingly tells back and waits confused and just the slightest bit alarmed. Nothing seemed to be dramatically wrong even though the daughter in his arms pouting pretty fiercely. She was also pretty old to be picked up and carried at nine but Arin could manage it and has holding her tight right now.

"I'm going to go down the road and fight some gay dads, I need it to be on the record its cause their bratty little kid and not because they are gay." He says and holds Lilly a little tighter. His wife sighs and puts her stuff down after quickly finishing her winged liner.

"You're not going down the street to fight any dads." She says smiling up at him as she got closer and rubs her daughters back. "One of you stop frowning long enough to tell me what happned." She requests and they both look at eachother then to Suzy.

"Rue said I'm just getting coal this year cause Santa doesn't like me." She says and sniffles a little bit. "Said I'm too mean for presents." She adds which Arin huffs at, his lips a tight flat line under his mustache to keep himself from cursing.

"My little Likly is a sweetheart! That Santa adores!" He says and grabs her in again to give her a big squeeze. Suzy looks at him in disbelief shaking her head.

"You don't go fighting Joey and Cry because Rue said something rude." She said and pulled out her phone, getting Facebook up and going to a neighborhood mom group she kept getting reinvited to buy at least it be useful now. "You don't go fight them cause then they're martyrs... you start a rumor with the anti pageant moms that Rue is being forced to wear fake teeth and go see what happens at the next PTA meeting." She says and shows her husband a messages she sent. He starts to grin and put Lilly down to kiss his lovely wife.

"You're a wicked genius."

Finn didn't really know what to do with himself sometimes with how quiet the Greek court could get. Might as well go for a classic New Years resolutions and hit the gym. He couldn't do it as Rose though. He had to run the risk to go to the gym in basket ball shorts and a muscle top to be comfortable. He could do this, he could even cover himself if worse came to worse. He think about who was even left he really had to keep convinced.

Rosanna probably would never challenge Rose even if she read Jude's file front to back. Suzy was of not of interest, and the rest of alpha were old friends. Schlatt and Max were like two sides of the same coin, both knowing but both unbelievable if they tried to tell anyone else. Wilbur was blissfully indifferent, all other thetas were not of interest, most of them old dog. Same with almost all of Gamma, even the ones who knew like Matt and Ryan were not viable men of interests.

"Finn!" the shout snapped his brain out of it less like a trace and more like a rubber band, losing his focus on not just his thought spiral but the excirsize he had been doing. "Rest is over princess, let's go!" Arin taunts him, hitting him on the side of his arm with the target pads on his hands before holding them back up in front of him. "Jab!"

Finn lays in bed on his stomach, face turned out to the edge until the sun light screaming in for the late afternoon hours starts to disturb him. With a groan he turns his head in the other direction, feeling a whirl that starts to stir him, but not enough to open his eye yet. Enough to be aware that his hair was drapped over his own face and that he hadn't braided it last night. He probably missed a lot of his usual routine last night, he was unusually drunk. He starts to wiggle his toes and take deep breaths, trying to come back to life.

As he starts to move so too does the other side of the bed, another body slowly coming back from the other side of the veil. Finn's eyes flutter open, but can't make out the other undead through all his hair. He slowly get up on all fours, moaning and groaning, taking steady and labored breaths. He crawls over and puts a hand on ither side of him, smiling down at Ethan as one opens to peek up at him before closing again, but he starts to smile. Finn smiles too, laying his chest on Ethan’s and nuzzling his face into his neck. It blocked the light wonderfully and it surrounded him with the scent of Ethan left over cologne and sweat from the night before.

"I don't want to do anything for a week." He speaks softly, slowly, his voice is hoarse, but he chuckles softly at the end. "Maybe take a bath, but nothing more."

"Nothing more?" Ethan copies Finn's accent as his arms wrap around the others body. "Can I feed you?"

"Yeah I'll eat." Finn chuckles, laying his palms to Ethan’s chest to feels his heartbeat and his breathing.

"And drink of course."

"Of course."

"So there's room for negotiation is what I'm hearing." He comments starting to feel out Finn's form and peicing together he had a botton up shirt on that was open, briefs, bot nothing else. Ethan could feel for some reason he had his slacks on, but they were undone, and one sock.

"A little bit, but not much." Finn shrugs, a hand moving up to run through his hair.

"So do I have to clean up all on my own?" Ethan teases, snapping the band on Finn's waist, pulling a whine from him.

"I never want to host again, ever." He groans and finally blinks his eyes open. Ethan shivers feeling his lashes on his neck.

"I can hier a cleaning service." Ethan suggests and Finn starts to kiss his neck with appreciation. "I'll call later." He sighs happily and grabs him by the butt to pull in closer, welcoming the kisses.

"You always know the riggt thing to say." Nfinn chuckles kissing up to his cheek, and chin, and to his lips. Gentle, slow, and with a smile on his lips.

"Deep down you'll always be Rose." He teases between kisses, given a pause in return. He opens his eyes finally to look up at him, confusion on his face, trying to decide if he should be hurt. Ethan feels a little worry creep in, knowing the silence was his chance to explain that Finn was giving him. "Babe, I fell in love with you when you were Rose. I told you, you don't have to feel any shame. You never made me feel shame..." Finn starts to look soothed as soon as Ethan mentions how he loved him. After just another moment the kisses returned.

"Rose wasn't so bad."

"No she wasnt."

"I should honor Rose."

"How so?"

"We'll you're hiring a cleaning service so I don't have to do work, I should reward you the way she would want me to." He smirks at Ethan as he rolls cautiously off of him, laying on his side with dainty placement of his hands and bat of his eyes. "While they clean our home, you can ravish my body."

"Oh boy," Ethan is grinning, scotting into Finns side and laying his head on the pillow next to him. "I'm honored, but I think I'm too tired for ravishing." he pouts, Finns fingers already combing through his hair again. "Can I make sweet slow love to you for now? ... maybe eat you out?" Finn can't help but laugh,putting his hand over Ethan’s and turning gently shaking his face a moment.

"If you must."

Finn had wondered what they would be doing back on campus right now if they had decided to go home earlier. Part of him regretted agreeing and planning to stay as long as they did, but their plans wern't without their charms. Not much different than a party they would probably be having back in Montana, but it hit different being out in the woods by a shimmering lake. It was cold but Matt and Ryan had bought Finn all he needed to be warm and well dressed. Of course they bought for something for him be Rose in, so that's what he stuck to for the party.

The party Matt and Ryan assured her would be fun and that they would keep her safe from all the concerns she had. They said it was the kind of party everyone should go to at least once and they were happy to be her first. Surely they would be, and she suspected a few time on this trip they even tried despite the charade they were supposed to upkeep now that they were staying with Matt's family.

Once things had gotten a little weird during the room trade off. They had drank and smoked and decide to spend some time as 3 guys instead of all of them having to play their rolls to maintain their sanity and group moral. Finn didn't remember how they got there, why he was laying on Matt's chest or why he even let Ryan climb on top of him, but he hummed against his lips when he kissed him. He lets Matt's hand slide into his hair when they kiss, his own hands pressed to the others chest. Maybe the only thing that breaks the spell and saves his dignity is the sound of footsteps overhead. Matt's family wasn't even sleeping. Despite both if them trying assure Finn he didn't have to leave even if they stopped, he had went to bed in the other room for the night. He wasn't sure why he was so reluctant to let anything go too far with any of the boys who chased eachother around and swapoed spit in Greek row, but he did have an idea.

Now at the party , she wasn't really being paid any mind at the moment. Most people were catching up with friends who went off to different colleges, already had seasonal links or partners they brought home. Some new girl was strongly not the top priority as midnight rolled in. That was fine, she was enjoying the view by the fire, checking her phone once in a while but trying to conserve the low battery so using it sparingly. She doesn't realise Matt and Ryan had found their way back to her until they were both at her sides as the countdown began.

Ringing in the new year sat on a fallen tree with friends by a fire was pretty decent. It was even nice when they both kissed him on the cheek and thanked him for being there. They really were sweet under all the layers of asshole they hid themselves under. It only stung a little seeing them kiss at midnight, really kiss. Seeing them commit another year to eachother them in there. No question about it. He pulls out his phone to make himself stop staring, to free his mind of fixating on it.

[Text Rose: Happy New Year! 🎉 what's the future like?

Finn smiles at the message, feeling a rush in his stomach that Ethan made a point to message even though he wouldn't officially be in 2024 for another two hours. Feeling a sense of relief he was thought of even from so far away. Even from last years.

[Text Ethan: Fucking sucks dude, robots take over 😔 You gotta hurry man, you gotta find a way to stop 2024 from coming 🤖🔫🙁 fighting for my life out here

[Text Rose: skdkfkdlslsls

ohh noooo! 🥵

wait

😱

yeah that's what I meant 👀

Finn chuckles at the stupid corny ass exchange but rereads it while he pulls a pen from his pocket and takes hit. He starts to reply but looks to the pen as he exhales. Its great quality, but much more expensive than it needed to be to get the job done. Maybe he thought if he got an expensive one Rose would stop stealing it, but she just started borrowing it instead. There was no way to deny it was his when it wasn't so generic. Not that he ever believed her anyways. He puts it back to his mouth to take another hit but just sits with the smooth plastic against his lips for a moment. It's not the first time he's thought about how Ethan’s lips had pressed against it first. He takes the second hit a little slower and breaths it out the same while he sends one more message before his phone dies and hes forced to permanently be present at this party.

Not even the campus drug ring was stupid enough to go hang out in an abandoned building in a deep winter blizzard. Matt and Ryan had turned down the request to distribute or host. They didn't want the company if it became too dangerous for people to leave. Wilbur was even turned down, and taking the hit to his ego, he started to seek out other company. Finn happily takes the bait and ends up with Wilbur's lanky frame sprawled out on his bed, arms crossed under his head, and one leg over Finn's lap.

Finn listens to him talk about stories from the road between sniffles while he plays a game on the tv. It's easy to just let him talk, he doesn't require much attention, which is nice right now as he started to get sleepy. Wilbur seemed to be staying up for him anyway, trying to entertain him since they were together. His lids were heavy and his speech was muddled with yawns and dead ends and he felt kinda bad about it. He gets up to get ready for bed, figuring Wilbur would be staying, since the snow was really coming down now.

"Are you going to sleep?" Wilbur asks sitting up as Finn braids his hair at his desk in front of a mirror. It seems like in the past five minutes it's the first time he realized that Finn was doing anything different.

"Yeah, I'm exhausted. Nearly four anyway. You're staying I'd take it?'?" He asks throwing his hair over his shoulder and picking up some clothes off the floor to change into that would be warmer and more comfortable. As he has his shirt off he hears the other start to shuffle and glances over his shoulder to see Wilbur fumbling out of his shirt. "Oh, oh uh, I'm not- I'm not trying top be-"

"No I know, yeah, I just... I thought you'd just, you could wear mine to sleep." He offers and holds it up with the look of a puppy who has brought you your own slobbered-on slipper. He meant well, but he feels like maybe he got something wrong.

"Oh... yeah okay." Finn's cheeks are kissed pink as he takes it and pulls it on, running his hands over the worn-in fabric as it falls over his body. It smells like Wilbur's cologne and is already warm with his body heat. He looks up quick to realize Wilbur had been watching him. "Um, I uh- do you want something else to put on?" Their eyes both do a dance of locking with each other and looking each other over for a quick moment.

"Do you want me to put something else on?" He asks with a tilt to his head. Finn shook his with a purse in his lips, both of them shaking hands to play this delicate game of chicken.

"As long as you're comfortable." He shrugged, letting his eyes fall over the other's body before crawling over him to get into bed. They meet nose to nose and share a laugh as Finn's hands lay on his chest. Like touching had broken the tension between them. Like remembering the other was real reminded them of being friends ruined the sexual tension, for now. "If you get cold you can put my shirt on."

"Or I could just snuggle up to you." Wilbur taunts, pinching at Finn's side.

"You came over here looking for a good snog, haven't you?" Finn giggles, taking Wilbur's arm from his side and pulling it over him as he backs up into him until their bodies are flush together. For the first time in hours Wilbur fall speechless and just lets things happen to him. He doesn't fidget or try to fill the empty air, he pulls Finn into his chest and the covers are pulled up over them both. He finally lets himself melt under the soft glow of fairy lights and take a deep breath of air perfumed gently by remnants of Rose on Finn's skin. He wouldn't admit he aimed to hold someone else that night, but his body wasn't totally over its craving. Finn's wasn't unappreciated, but he can't help thinking of someone else as his eyes close and he starts what becomes several hours of trying to drift off.

Finn holds his phone with the screen dimly lit, checking his messages for the last time that night, a small smile on his lips despite the little ache in his heart.

[Text Rose: alright, I'll talk to you in the morning <3 Sleep tight! Stay warm out there without me ;3;]

{Text Ethan: Sleep tight uwu sorry I couldn't come over, but we'll hang soon, promise}

[Text Rose: oh don't worry! I kknow it was last minute anyways Thanks for texting all night, I love talking to you

I love talking to you

Rose and Ethan had been wandering in the woods for quite some time. She couldn't quite recall how long or how they got there but the trail they had made to lead them home had disappeared. She can't even remember what the trail was made of.

She knew things couldn't be so bad when she looked to her side and saw Ethan there, his hand in her's his smile sweet even as concern touched his eyes. She had to keep him safe. He couldn't get hurt.

She feels such relief when a house finally appears up ahead. "There!" She pulls him with her in a sprint until the house comes into focus. Dread starts to creep its way in. She didn't know why, she couldn't place it, but she was stopping in her tracks. He kept pulling though.

"Rose come on! Come on it's a candy house!" His excitement lit up his face as it always did, And as it often did, it calmed the worry in Rose's stomach. They both run to the Gingerbread house and take it in with soft sighs hand in hand before starting to eat from its offerings. Frosting decor and cotton candy bushes. Chocolate gravel and red vines growing up fences. She realized after her first few bites how long it had been since they had eaten and looked to Ethan grateful that they found something to fill their stomachs. That he'd be okay.

"Oh heavens!" Both their heads snap to the new voice. Their hands are sticky and mouths full. "Oh children, I'm glad you like my sweets, but that's nothing to fill your empty tummies with." Rosanna. Rose should have known this was her house.

"We're sorry." Ethan mumbles as he leaves what he was eating to stand at Rose's side again. He takes her hand as Rosanna gently takes his face in her hands. She smiles warmly at him before leading them inside. "You have no need to apologize, Ethan. You know you're always welcome here. And you're friends of course." Rosanna's eyes pierce through Rose from across the table they sit at. There's food spread in a grand and plentiful display, but Rose reaches for none of it. She didn't feel like it was for her.

"Finn, why don't you eat?" Rosanna asks, and Ethan's gaze joins her in boring holes through her.

"What? Finn?" Ethan looks him over, disgust curling his features into a sneer. "What are you doing here?"

Finn feels the dread rush back to him, reaching for the ends of his hairs to play with as he tried to talk his way out of this but can't find them. His hands only find his hair when they are flush to his head. "Wha-? No.. No my hair is-!" Finn stands but finds Rosanna and Ethan both standing in front of him. He looks around but can't find the door to leave so he's frozen in place with no plan of exit. "I can explain."

"I've heard too much from you already." Ethan was not full of light anymore. He was not sweet an gentle as always. He was leaning over Finn as he grabbed his arms, his hands still sticky, unreasonably sticky. It coated Finn's skin in the rancid texture. He feels it even his incredibly short hair.

"Oh Finn, you haven't told him? There's nothing I can do to help. This is how it goes." Rosanna sighs and watches the struggle from the side of the room. Finn trying to pull his limbs free but Ethan always getting a new grasp pulling him down, his whole body heavier with the fight.

Rose dressed cute to go out with Ethan, finally feeling like the day after Christmas was unimportant enough to take up his time. Boxing day wasn't really a thing here, but the after Christmas day sales were solid. And Ethan had a really cool car, but it was a bonus on top of his company.

Finn felt a little more daring with him recently and demands to hold his hand while he drove by reaching a grabby hand out, palm up, until he took it. He loved the goofy little laughs Ethan let out when he gave him a little more affection than usual. His face would get so pink and the cool guy facade he had been trying to build melts unted her gentle touch.

She lets him hold it while they walked the mall and she asked him to pick outfit out for her to try. He often didn't grab the right sizes, just picking the first ones on the racks, but he picked some solid looks and told her She even talks about real feelings she's been having, and he was even receptive to them! He was on his way to a reward.

It was towards the end of their stroll that the failure siren song of fragrance pulls them to the lush store. Ethan’s hands are full with bags of things they both had bought but Rose takes them and puts them down to pull him to a tester sink that a bath bomb that explodes flower pettles has been dropped into. The water is swirls of pink and glitter and her eyes are lit up at it. "You're going to get this for me." she says confidently still holding his hands. He chuckles. "Two actually, and some sleep lavender power, and one of those cute music box bundles." She looks to him with a smile, and his eyes playfully narrow.

"Be for real right now." He chuckles even though he is definitely going to do it behind her back and give it to her later even if he told her no now.

"No cap."

"I already got you a Christmas present. As a matter of fact-" He starts to look to the bags they had accumulated together and realise he paid for a lot of her things already.

"Becaue if you do, I'll get you this." She leads him again over to another table and takes fresh tester to show in her hand before pressing it to the skin on his inner arm. She holds it there as they talk.

"Just this one thing?"

"This is a massage bar. You use your body heat to slowly melt the oil so you can rub it all over your body." She speaks low, looking him riggt in the eyes the whole time, so when they trailed down to his arm, Ethan’s gaze followed. He watchesand feels as she slides the ball like bar smoothly over his skin, leaving a slick trail over it. She puts the bar back and rubs small circles over on of his tattoos, minding her long nails until she wanted specifically to entice his skin with them. "Works best with a partner." Her eyes flicker back to his. "This one's called bon bon... because it's edible." She brings a finger she used to rub the oil over his arm up to her mouth and licks it quickly with a raise of her brows, and a smile.