Page 44 of Finn's Solace

He climbed out of the closet without a word, and I followed after him to find him standing halfway between the closet and the bed, his hands fisted in the t-shirt he was wearing. It wasbig enough to reach his mid-thighs, and if the situation were different, I would've taken a moment to admire the phenomenal view.

Instead, I walked up to him and pulled him into a tight hug. He stayed frozen, and I rubbed his back, then pressed a kiss against the side of his neck.

He shuddered, then threw his arms around me, hugging me back tightly as he tucked his face against my neck.

"I got you," I murmured softly, holding him close. "I got you, I got you."

I could feel his tears against my skin, but he didn't make a sound, which broke my heart a little more. How many times had he cried like this? Hiding his face and silently letting the tears flow. Did anyone in his family have any idea?

"I'm sorry," he choked out after a while, I pulled back, then reached up to cup his face with both hands. I wiped away his tears, then leaned up to press a soft kiss on his lips.

"You have nothing to apologize for," I murmured against his lips, and he made a sound of protest.

"I freaked out. I made you sleep in the closet, for fuck's sake."

"Wasn't the first time we did it, and I don't care if it's not the last. You're mine, Finn, which means all your pain and fears are mine to share too."

"It's not fair," he mumbled, and a few more tears fell from his eyes. I wiped them away again, then took his hands in mine and led him to sit on the edge of the bed. Joining him, I pulled him into my side, holding him close as I kissed his cheek.

"It wasn't fair that you had to take care of your baby brother and sister when you were a kid yourself. This? This has nothing to do with being fair or unfair. You're my mate, and if you need me, I'll always be here for you. You don't have to deal with any of it alone if you don't want to. All you have to do is let me in, and I'll be there for you whenever you need me. I promise."

Finn met my eyes, his glassy with tears and still sparkling so beautifully. He gazed at me for a long moment, and I hoped he saw whatever he needed to see on my face. Even if he said no, I wasn't going to abandon him. I was going to do all I could to take care of him, but it would be so much easier to do if he wasn't fighting me on it.

Seventeen

Finn

I couldn't believe I'd had an episode at Levi's. Last night had been so beautiful, and then I'd messed everything up.

I'd made him sleep in the closet, and he'd done it because I asked. Not just that, he wasn't even annoyed with me about it. Instead, he wanted to support me. He wanted to stay.

For a long time, I'd believed no one would make that kind of effort for me. My birth parents certainly hadn't. They'd stopped caring for me the moment I learned to feed myself, and my siblings even earlier, because they knewIwould feed them, even if I had to use my share to do it.

When even that had gotten to be too much for them, they'd abandoned us at the side of the road. They must've been basilisks themselves, and they must've known what would happen to us when we turned eighteen. They still hadn't cared.

The foster homes hadn't been any better. Most of the 'parents' had taken one look at the way I took care of my siblingsand decided I was parent enough and they didn't need them. No one had ever wondered ifIneeded someone to look afterme.

Not until I met Dad and Papa. They cared. They had from the beginning, and it hadn't changed even after I accidentally turned Papa to stone on the night I turned eighteen.

Still, a part of me had always worried that if I let go, if I actually tried to depend on them as much as I wished I could, they would disappear too.

But here was Levi, offering me everything I'd ever wanted if I could just let him in.

Other than my dads, he was the only one who'd ever seen me as someone who needed to be cared for. He'd looked after me when we were younger—it was probably why I'd had a crush on him—and he was looking after me now.

"Gin?" he whispered, and I sighed. I hoped this moment wouldn't come back to bite either one of us in the ass.

"Okay," I said in a barely audible voice, but Levi heard me anyway.

"Okay?"

I nodded, and he pulled me closer, then made a sound of frustration. Before I could react, he slid an arm around my middle and pulled me up and into his lap.

I sucked in a sharp breath, then sank into him as he wrapped his arms around my middle. Laying my head against his shoulder, I closed my eyes and just...breathed.

"If I could go back in time, I'd stop myself from running away. If I hadn't, I could've been there for you all these years. I could've taken care of you."

"Or you'd be dead and I'd have no one," I murmured, and his arms tightened around me.

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