Matt just shakes his head again, as if Finn is potentially the stupidest person he has ever spoken to.
"Fine then," Finn says, "you ever think he might break mine?"
Matthew lets out a snort of laughter but then his brow furrows when he realises Finn isn't joking.
"Charlie's not a heartbreaker," Matthew replies, "he wouldn't hurt a fly."
"Charlie doesn't know what he wants," Finn points out quietly, "it doesn't matter if he wants to hurt me, it's not going to stop him from doing it."
This is what Finn has been worried about all along. Because he knows he's placing himself in a dangerous position. As long as Charlie doesn't know what he really wants Finn cannot be sure that one day he won't want to end this all. Finn isn't sure how long it might take, Finn could hold onto the hope of them lasting before Charlie realises that this isn't what he really wants. All it might take is one call from Charlie's father and everything might come crashing down. Finn knows it isn't fair for him to ask Charlie to give up everything but until Charlie does, Finn's always going to have some doubts about how long the two of them can last.
"You're still mad about him aren't you?"
"What do you mean still?"
"Please Finn, I know you've liked him since way back."
"What?" Finn sounds surprised, he thought he'd managed to conceal his feelings well.
He'd always tried to tread carefully around Charlie, not knowing how Matt might react to finding out his best friend liked his little brother.
"You remember that party three years ago? The first one I let Charlie come to?"
Finn nods and can feel his heart start to race. He remembers that party very well. The hot press of Charlie's lips against his, the feeling of their hearts beating against one another and their skin brushing. He can still remember how Charlie smelt of strawberries and cider, how every kiss was scorching, how Finn was pretty sure he was going to die from delirium, how he was pretty sure he was going to die happy.
"I saw you two," Finn stills slightly when Matt says that.
"Saw us doing what?"
"The two of you were stood in the kitchen and Charlie had turned away to do something and you were looking at him like you couldn't believe he was really there, fuck I'd never seen anyone look as amazed as that. I put two and two together and it didn't take me long to remember all the times you used to beg me to ask Charlie to the parties and how you used to go out of your way to talk to him whenever you came over to the house," Matt pauses briefly, "Anyway why did you ask what I saw you doing? What did you do?"
"Nothing."
Finn's answer is too quick and too short and Matt raises his eyebrows questioningly.
"Oh my god," he says, "I would ask but he's my brother and you're my best friend so I really don't want to know."
Finn can't help but notice the way that Matt says 'you're my best friend', present tense. It's so nice to have Matthew back in his life, for things to go back to normal so easily. Maybe the Martin brothers are just meant to be in Finn's life.
"You didn't mind that I liked him?"
"You can't help who you like," Matt points out, "and it's not like anything was ever really going to happen between the two of you with our Dad around. I guess that explains a lot though if the two of you are getting back together."
"Explains a lot about what?"
"About Charlie and his Dad?"
Finn's expression remains puzzled and it quickly becomes clear to Matt that Charlie must not have told him about considering cutting their Dad off.
