Author's Note: Well, it's time for a scene from the Breakout Couple...Lana and Finn. I really didn't have them fated, in the original plot. But damn, they are entertaining! The second half of the chapter is Lana and Sean, alone for the first time in the novel. You finally get to see their REAL dynamic. This was a great chapter to write!

Song for this Chapter: Repercussions by Bea Miller. Lana's song, obviously.

Lana beeped her car horn at her handsome boyfriend, who stood on the side of the road near her dorm. He looked perfectly casual in his fifty dollar t-shirt, designer khaki shorts, and his twenty thousand dollar smile. What was odd was the way his thumb was extended in hitchhiker pose.

She was sure he'd never hitched a ride in his life.

Before she even fully stopped, he was jerking the door open. Throwing himself into the seat, he gave her a swift kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks."

"What are you doing?"

"Practicing my homeless skills," he joked.

Lana ignored his poor joke. After Ostara, Finn had come clean about his godspawn status, including how his family wealth was tied to their service in the Pantheon. Finn was sure he would lose everything, if he went against Mercury. And yet, he was equally sure about switching sides, and that his double agent status couldn't last long. He was morosely fixated on his "ruination."

Lana was more worried about his life than his portfolio. Mercury was furious with Finn all the time lately. But maybe, just maybe...that dog didn't hunt. So far, nothing about Finn's circumstances had changed, except he had a phone with Mercury's harsh voice in his ear constantly.

"I meant, where's your truck?"

"It's too damn big to park anywhere but the main lots. So I just walked down here, but you weren't where you were supposed to be." Seeing her lack of comprehension, he added, "I thought we had a lunch date...in your room." he raised his eyebrows but there was no anger in his tone, just inquiry.

Lana grabbed his arm in apology. "Dammit, Finn, I'm so sorry. I totally forgot. Dru called me to check in on Hearne, but then Carrie sent me away to check on Sean..."

"Doesn't matter, you're here now."

As she parallel parked the car on Main Street near Malone's, Finn pulled her into a series of kisses that alternated between her lips, her jaw, and beneath her ear, while he breezed over her breasts and her crotch with light touches. Lana felt her insides melt. Between classes, Finn constantly reporting to Mercury AND Cernunnos, Lana constantly reporting to Cerridwen and helping to take care of both Sean and the Horned God, they hadn't seen each other for more than a consecutive half hour in weeks.All of their interludes had been like this...brief, heated, and most ended satisfying—but she missed the lazy nights in his bed at the Chevron. She deepened their kiss, running her hands over his head, mussing his perfectly gelled hair. He groaned and reached a hand underneath her, pulling her across the console into his lap.

"I didn't mean to stand you up, baby. You wanna just do it right here, right now?" she teased him. "I don't give a fuck who's watching." She waved at Grace, who was exiting the drug store with a plastic bag full of purchases, and a Red Bull.

"Get a room," Grace sing-songed exuberantly, tapping the trunk of Lana's ten year old Honda Civic.

Lana planted a hand on the window in acknowledgment, and Grace tactfully put her hand against the window, but chugged her Red Bull to avoid looking in. Then, her short dark bob was swinging as she skipped down the street.

"Grace is adorable," Lana noted between kisses.

"Fuck Grace," Finn growled. "I'm not sharing you, even with a girl."

"Shut-up," she giggled.

"Actually I approve of Grace's thoughts at the moment. We need a room right now," he murmured, still kissing her. "Christ, Lana it's been days. Fuck all these responsibilities. Let's go to your dorm, okay?"

"I can't," she sighed, forming words between their frantic kisses. "I told Carrie I'd check on Sean."

"I need you to check on me, Darlin'" he gave her mouth one more probing plea with his tongue.

"Finn..."

"Yeah, yeah, blind brother trumps Roman lover. I get it."

He opened the passenger door, boosting her out, and grabbing both her bag from the back and her keys from the ignition. He was out of the car in a second, protectively shuttling her off the street and onto the curb. She smiled, shaking her head at the evolution in their relationship. When they first met, they tried to outdo each other to see who could treat each other with more contempt. She was pretty sure she had won that battle. But, now it seemed like Finn was waging a new war...trying to kill her with kindness.

"Actually I don't get it," he grumbled. "I've walked in on Mercury in divine form three times. The blindness never lasted more than a few hours, after his divine healing. Why is Sean still blind?"

"Hearne and Carrie think it's weird, too. But they swear, he'll get his sight back eventually."

"He will," Finn promised.

"Thank you, for understanding," she said demurely, as he settled her bag on her shoulder and latched her keys onto the carabiner on her backpack.

"You're welcome. In the end, my good grace is all I'm going to have to impress you. The Romans are going to bankrupt me, you know." He winked and flashed her a false grin, but she saw the question in his eyes.

She leaned forward at the waist and whispered in his ear. "That's not all you have. The way you sex me is very impressive, too. They can't take that away from us..."

He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her into his body. Lana was surprised by the fierceness of his grasp. He was gradually showing her more and more of his true strength, she guessed.

"No, they can't. But we won't be able to live on love, Darlin'. And I want more for you than...instability," he whispered hoarsely.

Lana was both amazed and concerned at Finn's recent attitude. She was amazed that he always considered her a part of his future now, but it terrified her, too. She wanted James now, and for as far as she could see. But how could she let him believe in the long-term?

"I'm not worried, Finn," she lied. "Have a little faith. Besides, Cernunnos and Cerridwen are going to change things. Who knows what might happen." Honestly, they were probably her only hope for a future. Who but the gods could change her fate?

"Hmmmm, you think?" he asked, genuinely asking. "Seems to me like they are moving in the wrong direction."

Lana pulled away. "Don't start, Finn."

"You know I'm right, Lana."

"Actually, I don't, Finn. I know you are Team Cernunnidwen, but I trust that an ancient god and goddess can navigate their own love lives without the interference of us mere mortals."

He chuckled. "Hey...I'll give you five thousand dollars if you call Hearne and Carrie Cernunnidwen to their faces."

She snorted.

"What? I'm good for it...at least presently," he joked darkly. His phone rang and Lana sighed. It was probably Mercury. It was always Mercury.

Finn confirmed her suspicion by flashing his phone toward Lana to show her Mercury's name.

"Ignore him," she pleaded.

"Ahh, but I have good news for him, for once. I have to appear to deliver sometimes. You should go take care of your brother," Finn said, emphasizing your brother with mild resentment, as he always did. There was good reason Lana and Sean kept their sibling relationship secret, as she had explained to Finn. But he was still pissed that they had dated for months before she told him-letting him linger in uncertainty about the nature of Lana and Sean's relationship.

"Yeah, boss," he said neutrally into the phone as he swung away down the street, then, thinking better, hurried back, putting the call on mute. "You. Me. Nine pm. My place. Dinner. Netflix."

"Sex, you mean."

"No, really...Netflix. There's a documentary about Nietzsche."

Lana laughed.

"Sex too, obviously." he said hurriedly.

"If you can get away from Mercury..."

"If you can get away from Cernunnidwen. And your brother. And your schizo roommate."

"Shut-up, she's not crazy. It's not her fault she...remembers. We probably all have past lives, don't you think?"

"Hmmmm...you wanna talk eastern philosophy?" he murmured. "Sexy."

He pecked her lips, gestured to the phone and unmuted the call. "Of course, I heard everything you said. Two thousand, just like you wanted...I'm heading down to Asheville to take delivery now. Distribution might be a problem, we won't be able to use the May Day Festival as planned, but I think you'll like the reason. The Board is canceling it this year. The repairs to the stage can't be made in time, and without the concert the festival is not profitable...Yeah, huge victory..."

He backed away from her, listening to Mercury's response. "Nine," he mouthed wordlessly at Lana. And then, with a tiny squinting of his eyes, he mouthed very deliberately, "I love you."

Lana's heart nearly stopped. That was the first time he had ever "said" it. It was so Finn to roll it out casually, in a moment where she couldn't really respond. "Nine," she said softly, and he winked, turning away down the street, but with more spring in his step than she'd seen since Ostara.

As she watched him stride away, she didn't care anymore—if they were too young to be in love, if Finn lost everything, even if she was supposed to be babysitting Sean—she didn't care about the consequences. Life was too short.She needed him right now, like he needed her. And she needed him to know. And like everything Lana had ever really wanted since Sean had shared his vision, and she accepted that she might die young, it felt so...urgent to do it right now.

As Finn pocketed his phone, she sprinted down the sidewalk after him, and grabbed his arm. He turned, surprised.

"I love you, too. And I can't wait until nine," she gasped, as she drew him back down the street. The smile that spread across Finn's face was the most genuine she had ever seen.

She had Carrie's keys to Malone's. The bar didn't open for another two hours; not even Tom was there yet. When she opened the door, she led Finn silently to the storeroom. It was dank, smelly and dusty, and sober as she was, it made Lana rethink patronizing the place. The floor was sticky and the warped storeroom door wouldn't stay closed.

She banged it several times impatiently before Finn shoved an old partial keg in front of it. The keg was dirty; he looked at the grime on his hands as Lana whipped off her shirt.

When she leaned against a stack of boxes, wiggling down her panties from beneath her denim shirt, and hopped to avoid dragging them on the filthy floor, she noticed Finn had his hands in his pockets, watching her struggle with a scowl.

She knew that look—it was his this-is-not-an-acceptable-situation look. He'd assumed that look several times before. Twice when he took her to a trendy restaurant in Asheville and the food was cold, and once at a club when the bouncer had pretended like he was going to deny her entry because of her ripped jeans, when in actuality, the dude had been flirting with her.

Fuck his snobby standards. He had to learn to compromise. She gestured for him impatiently.

"Come here," she purred.

"Are you sure? It's not exactly the Ritz, Darlin'..."

"Please...James." She knew it meant something to him when she said it...everyone else at Sabit called him Finn. He smiled, but it didn't extend to his eyes, because he was still scanninng the dusty boxes and the sticky floor. Lana knew he was looking for the cleanest spot, and she also knew, there wasn't one. Goddamn James Finn for turning suddenly romantic. She was panicking. She was no innocent, but she'd never had to seduce him, when it came to sex.

Closing her eyes, she blew out a slow breath, stoking her courage to say the kind of thing he had never needed her to say before. "James...I need you. I need you to put your cock inside me right the fuck now."

His whole frame stiffened at her whispered words. He wiped his hands on his pants and crossed the space between them in an instant, catching her up in his arms, He grimaced, shoved some boxes out of the way, picked her up like she weighed nothing, and put her against the wall.

"Did you mean it?" he whispered as she fumbled with his pants. "Not what you just said. What you said before?"

"Yes," she said breathlessly. "Did you?"

"Of course. I said it first, didn't I?" he grinned.

"Technically, you didn't say it. You mouthed it. Now would be a good time to do it right," she teased as she freed him from his pants. He lifted her easily with one hand, sliding into her.

God, he fit her like no other boy ever had. She moaned in approval. He laced their fingers, and kissed her wrist.

"Well, since I get a do-over...not now, okay? Not rushed, up against the wall in this filthy mess. I'll tell you later, when it's nicer...when I lay you down on clean sheets. Something you'll want to remember."

Then he pinned the hand he'd just kissed to the wall beneath his. With his godspawn strength he lifted her butt one-handed, thrusting powerfully as he lowered her to meet him.

What did he think—that this wasn't something to remember?

"No...wait..."

"Wait?" he grunted, as he thrust again. She moaned in encouragement. She did not sound at all like she wanted him to wait. "Wait?" he repeated, thrusting again. "It's a little late, Darlin'..."

"I meant...I want...to...to say...something," she panted.

He grinned and kept moving her up and down, rolling her hips forward off the wall to meet him. "Go ahead." Thrust. "If you can." Thrust. "I'm all ears." Thrust.

"If you love me...then, love me... even when life...is...messy..." Thrust. Pant. "I love you...in this dirty room." Thrust. Gasp. "I love you...on ...mmm...on your...fancy sheets." Thrust. Fuck! It was so hard to make a speech with him going so deep inside her, "I love you, Roman or Celtic." Thrust. Oh, god. She was going to come before she finished her thoughts, but the last one was important. "Finn...I love you rich or poor." Thrust. Oh, god!

"Okay, I get it," his eyes were earnest as he stilled inside her, pinning both her hands with both of his, drawing back so that she could him clearly.

"I love you, Alanna. I love you crowned with gardenias and poured into black leather. I love the Priestess and the Hellcat.I love you holy and I love you drunk." He ran a hand over a dusty box and marked her face with dark smoot, "I love you tidy or messy. However messy it gets, I love you, okay?" he nodded, as if trying to convince her.

She needed no more convincing than the way it always felt between them. She nodded back. "Okay."

He pressed his mouth over hers in the gentlest claiming—a completely opposite sensation to the powerful thrusts he renewed. He eased her up and slammed her down, both hands squeezing her hips now, pressing closer and deeper with each movement.

She felt the overwhelm inside her brain first. She dropped her head on Finn's shoulder, surprised at the sound of complete release she was making. Finn encouraged her with a completely satisfied sound of his own, as he continued to move with control, making it last for her. She gave herself over to the waves of feeling. She'd never made love with anyone like this before...never felt anything this sustaining and powerful.

"Darlin'," Finn's voice was tight, he was so close himself. "What the hell is that green light?"

She opened her eyes. The room was glowing softly. "Real. Love." she choked through her shaking.

"Fuck yeah, it is," Finn forgot his control and thrust almost harder than Lana could bear, and everything exploded green around them.

Half an hour later, after a tender goodbye to Finn, a renewed promise of nine pm and Netflix and clean sheets, a re-ordering of herself in Malone's bathroom, and a grabbing of two coffees from the shop next door, Lana paused outside Carrie's room above Malone's. Sean was singing and playing the guitar. He sounded amazing—like he didn't have a care in the world.

She unlocked the door and went in. He didn't even break his rhythm as she dropped down on the futon with him, and sipped her coffee. He just kept singing, his voice so smooth and sure. Lana was amazed at this new talent Sean had discovered within himself since their childhood, but it wasn't really surprising—their dad was a musician.

Lana closed her eyes, listening to his voice. Lana could hear the undercurrent of magic that was his Witchtimbre, but thank god, she was immune to it. Carrie said it would get stronger though, and then eventually it wouldn't just be about turning women on, but that he might be able to compel people with his voice.

Lana wondered what would happen if his sight didn't return. Sometimes people claimed that other senses got strong. Would it make his magic—his Witchtimbre stronger? Probably.

Sean finished the song with an abrupt cord and slapped the guitar, putting it aside. "I smell coffee. Where's mine?" he said putting out his hand. Lana met his hand to his cup, and folded his fingers around it. She held his hand a little too long, and he felt the tremor of her silent sob.

"Alanna," he said gently, patting her leg. "It's okay. I'm okay." He stared into space, not even pretending to look at her, since he couldn't see her. In three weeks' time, he was already adopting the mannerisms of a person who had lived their whole life blind. Lana couldn't understand how he could be so okay with his. It was like he wasn't upset at all.

Lana bit her lip. It wasn't like her to hold back with her twin. She never had, before this injury. But Sean had always been the stronger twin. Stronger in magic, when they were kids, and stronger in character since they had been reunited at Sabit. She'd always felt free to tell him exactly what she thought, because she knew he could handle it. But he'd never been blindsided like this—literally losing his sight by glimpsing a goddess in her true form and losing Dru in the same day. She honestly didn't know if his blindness was still a physical problem or just in his head at this point. Carrie said he should be recovered by now, and she'd tried every healing spell she knew. Lana had asked Hearne if he could intervene, and he'd only said, "The lad will heal in his own time, Alanna."

"Whatever you're thinking, just spit it out," he said, after a long swallow of coffee.

"Did you write that song you were just singing?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"It was really good, Sean. You could record that, you know. Dad would help you..."

"Yeah, maybe. Thanks."

A long moment of silence.

"That's not what you were thinking though," he finally added.

"I'm thinking you need to get the fuck out of this room," she said. "Let me take you home, Sean. Let Maeve—"

"Hell no." He said calmly. "I don't need Maeve getting involved."

"Well, you need some kind of intervention. Because you are not getting your vision back, and you should be totally healed by now. No one has ever gone permanently blind from brief