Fin Fair let out a long sigh as he zipped up his graduation gown in front of the mirror. He picked up his cap, frowning at the tassel: left to right or right to left? Normally, he'd ask his dad, but with the man sick in bed, Fin didn't want to disturb him. Of all days for a fever, it had to be graduation. He knew it wasn’t his father’s fault, but the absence left him feeling hollow.

After the…incident…at prom, he’d thrown away the shirt and shoved the rest of the suit into the back of his closet. He tried not to associate what happened with the suit his father had worked so hard to buy, but part of him couldn't help it. He hadn’t told his father; hell, he didn’t know if he’d ever have the courage. Your pathetic, apparently gay son, drunk on spiked punch and helpless against his high school bully.

He hadn’t even told his father about falling for a man. Fin pressed a hand against the mirror, frowning. He’d never wanted to keep secrets from his dad. Somehow, someday, he’d tell Robert Fair everything, even if it killed him.

Thoughts of the man he’d fallen for surfaced, and Fin clutched his gown over his heart. Alistair had been kind and patient these last months, giving him space to heal or at least to try. Had he truly moved past the prom incident or just buried it deeper? He wasn’t sure, but he refused to let it ruin him.

Fin straightened his posture, took a steadying breath, and headed downstairs. As he opened the front door, a wheezing cough behind him made him pause.

"Wait," Robert said from the doorway. He stood there in a thick black robe over pajamas, fuzzy slippers on his feet. "Can't I at least see my son off on his big day?" His voice cracked with emotion.

Fin rushed over and hugged his dad tight, ignoring the weak protests and attempted distance.

"I’m really sorry I can’t go, sport," Robert said, voice thick with regret.

"Get some rest, Dad. The Kiernys will take lots of pictures, I promise," Fin called, hurrying to the door with his cap in hand. He paused for a final smile, hiding his tears. What graduating teen didn’t want at least one family member cheering them on? For Fin, his dad was everything, even if only in spirit.

Jack’s family eventually lifted his spirits, cheering for both boys at the auditorium, especially when they crossed the stage. Fin was deeply grateful to have grown up with the Kierny family.

Getting out of the auditorium was nearly impossible; they kept running into classmates and families eager to talk. When they finally escaped, they were stuck in a sea of honking horns and celebrating teens. Still, Fin and the Kiernys laughed through it all, just as happy as the rest.

Eventually, they made it to the community center for their co-party. The night before, they’d decorated everything in green and white, the school colors. Jack’s mom had arrived early to turn on the crockpots and lay out cakes and cream cheese mints. Balloons and crepe streamers were everywhere, graduation decorations of every kind. Jack grinned, thinking it looked like a party store had exploded, and he loved it.

"Everything looks great!" Fin said as he wandered through the decorated center. He and Jack had left their caps and gowns in the car. Lee had promised to join the celebration but the pink-haired unicorn was still nowhere to be seen.

Jack sidled up to Fin. "Hello, graduate." He threw an arm around his blond friend. "We did it! We conquered the beast known as the public education system."

"The basics, anyway," Fin agreed, grinning as he half-hugged his taller friend. Then he caught sight of Lee. "Whoa…" he breathed. He’d only ever seen Lee in casual clothes, but tonight the unicorn had gone all out. Fin couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Lee’s pixie cut swooped stylishly to the side, eyeliner ringing his eyes, two black studs in one ear. He wore a wine-colored choker to match his leather pants, a white asymmetrical shirt torn and meshed at the sides, and deep brown boots laced with burgundy.

Jack nudged Fin in the side. "Are you having a stroke? Do I need to call an EMT?"

Fin yelped, snapping out of his trance. "Sorry, I, I mean, Lee…" he stammered. "He’s wearing dark red leather pants!" was all he could manage.

"Unf. What else is he wearing?" Jack said.

Fin cleared his throat. "Dark brown boots, a white shirt with rips in the front and back, mesh on the sides, and a dark red choker," he added.

Jack let go of Fin to casually cover himself. "I want to feel him," he said.

Fin waved at the unicorn, nodded toward Jack, and slipped away to one of the tables to give them some privacy.

Lee strutted up to Jack like a model on a runway, though the human could see none of it. He took Jack’s wrist, guiding him to a private corner, then placed both of Jack’s hands on his leather-clad hips. "This is a special occasion, after all." Lee leaned up, pressing a kiss to Jack’s lips. "Congratulations, big guy."

Jack found Lee’s lips and claimed them in a kiss that left them both breathless.

"Damn, I wish I could see you, baby," Jack said. "You sound so fucking hot." The human pressed his body close to Lee's, his erection obvious. "Just thinking about it does this to me. If I actually saw you I'd probably cream my pants."

A shiver rolled down Lee’s spine at Jack’s reaction. He pressed the letters for 'later' into Jack’s hand, then shifted forward, thigh pressing into Jack as he nipped his neck. "Consider it my congratulations present."

"Fuck," Jack breathed out on a sigh. "You make me want to skip the party and find a bed to drag you to." He allowed Lee to take his hand and lead him back out to the central area of the room, though he had to stand behind the dessert table for a few minutes until his erection settled down.

People came and went from the party, some staying longer than others. Many had other parties to go to. Jack enjoyed seeing his extended family, even his Great Uncle Louis, who took great joy in getting Jack's dad's blood pressure up by playing devil's advocate in every conversation. Jack was just happy no one was drinking. A drunk Great Uncle Louis was likely to get someone to punch him.

The party was lively. Fin and Jack talked and laughed too much, ate too much cake and nachos, and fielded congratulations and teasing from friends, family, and even a few of Jack’s old flames. But around eleven, Fin’s thoughts turned to his ailing father, and he quietly asked Jack’s parents to take him home.

As the party wound down, they packed up leftovers and did a whirlwind cleanup with help from Jack’s extended family. By eleven-thirty, everything was loaded, locked up, and the keys dropped off. Jack fell asleep on the drive, reminding Fin of when they were kids. When they pulled into the Kierny driveway, Jack yawned, hugged Fin one last time, and agreed he could grab his presents from the trunk the next day. The blond walked the short distance home while Jack, still groggy, helped carry crockpots inside.

Lee was rather proud of his two favorite humans for having reached a milestone in their lives. As the Kiernys put things away in the house he snuck his way into the teenager's room and waited patiently for him at his desk. He made sure to turn the laptop on so they could talk.

The first thing he wrote on the document was 'I am quite proud of you both. Congratulations on graduating. You both deserve it.'

"Aww, thanks, baby." Jack slid into the chair and pulled Lee onto his lap, letting the unicorn type while he cuddled him. He’d gotten good at working around his invisible boyfriend. "Usually the grad gets the gifts, but I have something for you." Jack smirked. "Want it now or wait until tomorrow?"

"A present for me?" the unicorn said. Excited at the prospect, Lee typed 'NOW' in all caps.

Jack laughed and slid open a drawer of the desk. A little velvet box sat inside.

Lee glanced from the box to Jack. "What’s this? If it’s jewelry, I hope you didn’t spend too much…" he said, then typed, 'Not too expensive, I hope?'

"I saved up helping at my sister's mechanic shop, it's all good," Jack said, smiling as the little box floated in the air. "Go on, open it."

Lee bit his lip and slowly opened the box, knowing how odd it must look for Jack to see a floating box in midair. Inside gleamed a white gold ring, set with a pale pink gemstone flanked by two sparkling stones.

"The middle one is a pink sapphire," Jack said. "The others are rhodolites. I-I hope it fits..." The brunet sounded uncharacteristically nervous.

The ring was stunning, unlike any gift Lee had ever received. Though his family wasn’t royalty, Lee had learned to value meaning over status. This ring meant everything. He slid it onto his finger for Jack to see, letting it glint in the light before the magic that hid him from the human world made it vanish.