WARNING*- Mature content, including vulgar language, talks/ attempts of suicide, and trigger themes.

~•~•~•~

The Quinn house was small and built of brick with a large roof that made the house look taller than it actually was. It was white with small blue shutters that gave the outside of the house a more homey vibe.  But its age showed as vines grew up the sides twirling through windowsills and surfaces, with moss growing between the rims and the cracks on the bottoms of the walls. 

However, the outside of the house is not what made Finn feel warm and slightly fuzzy with a smile only meant for five year olds on Christmas.  No, that was the inside of the house. 

The place where couches stuffed so tightly with cotton that the seams started to tear but still looked perfectly stitched. Where lavender scented candles lined the shelves with the smell of freshly baked brownies floating in the air.

The place where pictures of Lydia and her brother Dylan ran and played as children from imaginary monsters and forts made of pillows that were really castles with imaginary volcanic lava surrounding it.

The place where Lydia's indie albums that she made sure no one in her classes knew played in the background as Dylan sat on the white and blue rug in front of the tv playing GTA, one of the many video games that lined his wall.

The place where Finn realized he was in love with Lydia when she first told him she loved him while sitting on the edge of her bed.  Where Finn quickly realized that she didn't mean it in the way he wanted it to, but it was still good enough for him.

The place where Finn sat down on the couch in the living room in the spot right next to Lydia's favorite love seat and he sighed and called it his second home, but now he wasn't so sure where his first home was.

Finn had always thought of the Quinn family as his own. Because as a kid, this was the only place he felt truly safe and completely at home.

But lately Finn stopped; he stopped making an appearance at the Quinn home. He stopped picking up a freshly baked brownie before school. He stopped playing video games with Dylan on the giant tv after school.

Finn had stopped coming home.

It took Lydia a moment to pull her house keys out of her pocket. She had always buried them deep in her pocket so she had more room for money or anything she needed space for.

Lydia's hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and the rest hung loose against her back. There was something warm in the air and it made Finn's toes curl.

The familiar scent floated through the air making Finn smile in delight knowing Lydia's mom was making her famous brownies with sprinkled of white chocolate chips baked into the center.

"Mom made brownies just for you. She doesn't make them much anymore, but when I told her you were coming for dinner she just had to make them again." Lydia smiled with a small giggle while turning the key as the door slowly creaked open, showing how old the house truly was.

Lydia's hair fell into her face as she pushed the door open and a smile appeared on Finn's face as he stepped into the house. The familiar pictures still stood on the pearl white shelves hanging from the wall.  There were small sprinkles of dust around it and a couple pictures of Dylan and a brunette girl smiling and laughing with vibrant colors of icing smeared around their face.

"Who's that?" Finn suddenly asked pointing to the brunette grinning with Dylan in the frame.

"Oh, that's Brielle.  She's Dylan's best friend, she's really sweet." Lydia replied dropping her jacket on the couch near the door.

Th distant sounds of the tv sounded in the background from the living room.  The sounds dimmed and the familiar mop of golden brown hair appeared in the hallway in front of Finn.

"Hey man!" Dylan's grin was small but filled with aura that screamed 'I missed you'.

"Hey Dylan,  I haven't seen you in a while." Finn smiled but was suddenly cut off by Lydia's voice.

"Before Dylan becomes an asshole and steals my friend. Finn, my mom wants to see you." Dylan rolled his eyes as Lydia pulled Finn through the hallway and towards the kitchen.

"I can't steal what you don't have!" Dylan yelled from the hallway as Finn chuckled.  Lydia simply pulled up the finger at her younger brother and left the room.

"Finn! Honey, I haven't seen you in ages! Where have you been young man?" Lydia's mother screeched patting Finn's shoulder.

It seemed as if she was checking if Finn was okay. Finn furrowed his eyesbrows before slowly stepping away from the woman with a smile. "I'm fine, Mrs. Quinn."

Mrs. Quinn was a warm soul with a heart of gold. She wore a red apron with a vibrant green oven mitt in one hand. She smelt slightly of perfume and cookies as Finn hugged her.

Mrs. Quinn reminded Finn of his own mother. They both were kind women with a mentality to help people and they both would not leave the kitchen for anyone or anything.

"Well Finn, I know that your sister's birthday was only a couple days ago so I just wanted to make sure." Lydia's mother sighed causing Finn to send her a reassuring grin.

"Really Mrs. Quinn, I'm fine."

"Well anyway go play that new war game with Dylan. Whatever you young men do these days." Finn chuckled slightly as a glare settled on to Lydia's face.

"Mom, Dylan has his own friends."

"Yes, and one of those friends is Finn." Mrs. Quinn snapped making Lydia groan before nodding towards the living room.

"It's okay I'll only take a few minute." Finn whispered before following the noise of gun shots and yelling from the game of war that meant more than it should've.

~•~•~•~

The soup that sat in front of Finn smelt of chicken and peppered onion that made Finn's mouth water. It had been almost three years since Finn had eaten a cooked meal made by Mrs. Quinn.

It had been almost three years since Finn's mother died.

Three years since Finn's hell started.

Three years since Finn forgot what it was like to be happy.

"Dylan! Finn! The food's ready!" Mrs. Quinn called from the kitchen. Her voice sounded husky from old age but still full of comfort and light like a mother would have.

"One minute mom! I'm just about to beat Finn," Dylan mumbled the last part before Finn let out a sarcastic laugh.

"Sure you are." Finn smirked before yanking the controller back and punching the blue button on the side. The character pivoted on his foot and stabbed Dylan's character right in the heart.

"What the fuck! You killed me!" Dylan yelled making Finn laugh even harder.

"Dylan, language!" Mrs. Quinn yelled from the kitchen.

"Sorry mom!" Dylan responded before flipping Finn off.

"Not all of us can be winners Dylan," Finn smirked as Dylan rolled his eyes. "Plus I'm like three years older than you, which gives me a slight advantage."

"You being older has nothing to do with your skill in gaming. Your skill in gaming however, has everything to do with how much of a geek you are." Lydia spoke with a giggle making Finn jump and turn his head towards her at the same time.

"I am not a geek," Finn stated sternly trying to suppress his smile as he spoke to Lydia.

"Tell that to the stack of Star Trek movies in your room." Lydia smiled once more as Finn rolled his eyes.

"That's not there because I'm a geek. It's there because I have a strong appreciation for the classic that is Star Trek." Finn defended knowing Lydia would retort back.

"Okay Obi-Wan."

"Hey! That's from Star Wars, not Star Trek!" Finn practically screeched making Lydia be the one to roll her eyes.

"Same thing," and as the words left her lips Finn and Dylan's mouthed dropped in shame.

"You're the worst sister ever," Dylan sighed before standing up while dropping the game remote. "Well, it's good to see you again Finn maybe we can hang out again sometimes? And I'll beat your ass next time."

"Yeah, that would be nice. You know, to beat your ass again." Dylan glared at Finn's victorious smirk before making his way back up the stairs he emerged from and back into his room.

"Dylan! Young man, you better not be smoking weed up there! I don't know if that smell yesterday was from your father's ass or your joint that I know you hide under your bed, but I better not smell that scent ever again mister! Dylan, do you understand me!" Lydia's mother stepped out of the kitchen, her voice echoing through the house making Finn and Lydia's eyes widen in amusement.

Lydia's giggle was vibrant with light and it made Finn stop. Finn stopped and stared for a second. A mere second that spanned across galaxies and galaxies of freckles that covered Lydia's face with small flecks of gold that made the Milky Way look like a mere spec of light.

Finn didn't know how to describe the feeling that overcame his senses with pure light. Finn had always thought that Lydia's smile was contagious and that every time she laughed Finn would smile with her because of the beauty that surrounded the air around her. But Lydia's smile wasn't contagious at all. No, Lydia's light was what was contagious.

It surrounded her and spread through the darkness. It spread until it touched Finn's heart with a its flecks of gold and brightened the shadows that surrounded Finn's heart.

And when Finn closed his eyes and imagined being happy, all he saw was Lydia. All he saw was her long brown hair and her bright turquoise eyes that made his veins pump and cheeks flush. All he saw was her smile and all he heard was her laugh.

Because Finn was in love with Lydia.

And Lydia was his happiness.

~•~•~•~

"Dylan, can you please pass the salt?" Lydia looked utterly aggravated having gone through the same sentence for the umpteenth time and Dylan would still not budge.

Dylan was always one with pride. He took his pride seriously and made sure he lived up to his word and was never wrong.

But with pride came stubbornness and that was Dylan's downfall.

Although Dylan was merely just refusing to give Lydia the salt due to pride, Finn could remember other instances where Dylan would never give in no matter what.

"What's the magic word?" Dylan smirked making Lydia's jaw tick.

"Dylan stop frustrating your sister and pass her the salt." Lydia's father said with the look of pure annoyance.

"Not until she says the magic word."

"She already said please." Mrs. Quinn said looking just as annoyed as her husband was.

"That's not the magic word." Dylan's smirk turned into something wicked as his eyes glistened with amusement. "Say it Lydia."

Lydia looked utterly annoyed and frustrated to say the least. Her eyebrows were furrowed into a venomous scowl and her eyes were dark with a murderous glare and suddenly Finn was glad he was sitting the furtherest from her.

"Dylan, give me the salt or so help me god I will let the photos that you hide on the secret file in your phone leak all over the internet." And that was when everyone went silent and their eyes widened as the silence deepened.

"Dylan I know your sister should just say the word you want her to say but then again I don't think you want those photos getting out sweetie. They are pretty embarrassing, and that's saying something coming from me." Mrs. Quinn cooed making Dylan's jaw suddenly harden and Lydia's frown turning into the same devilish smirk Dylan once held.

Finn could see the gears turning in Dylan's head. He knew Dylan was fighting himself to give in due to his humongous pride issue but Finn remember when the photos Lydia was talking were taken and Finn knew Dylan never wanted those to get out.

"Fine," Dylan said before slapping the salt into Lydia's small hand as she giggled along with it. Finn wondered why Lydia didn't just say the word 'moist' because everyone knew Dylan had been obsessed with the word since the sixth grade.

"By the way, I hate you."Dylan whispered making Finn laugh to himself.

"I know," Lydia smiled before splashing the salt onto her soup. The soup bubbled and steam rose making the air around Finn smell of pepper and tomato and it made Finn's jaw harden on instinct.

Lydia giggled once more and Finn suddenly smiled again noticing just how much her brother truly made her laugh.  Lydia's smile was radiant as always but their was something about her smile that reminded Finn of his sister.

It was full of amusement, love, and happiness.  The kind of happiness that came with the people that touch hearts.  With their hearts of gold, the people that can turn even the deepest frowns upside down.  The people that could turn even the darkest day into the best days of our lives.  The people that make you laugh for hours and hours to the point your stomach starts to hurt and your eyebrows hurt from being stuck in a crinkled position.

family.

And as Finn sat and talked with Lydia's family he smiled realizing that they were his family too.

~•~•~•~

I finally updated which is awesome because I haven't updated in like three weeks (which is a lot for me).

But I'm super excited because the summer is coming next week and I'll be writing about every single day because of the tremendous issue of the absence of my social life.

Lmao

This summer I'll be starting my fan fiction Terminal Choas which is a stydia fan fic from TeenWolf because it's my guilty pleasure so go check it out if you like TeenWolf!!

If you don't like TeenWolf that's cool too! Go check out my other story that I'll hopefully start this summer called Beware The Broken Girls!!

Hope you liked the chapter!

~ moe