Chapter Text
Finney had been struggling with his feelings for Robin since they became friends. His gut would always do that weird happy tightening thing when they were together, his heart raced when Robin smiled, and Finney had no idea why he had those feelings.
That was, until he eavesdropped.
Finney was pretty sure the day that his dad beat him and he’d pathetically ran to Robin’s for help would go down as the second worst day in his life, only topped by the day his mom died. He hadn’t wanted to beg for help, but his dad had never hurt him that badly.
The wound in his head had dripped blood into his eye and Finney was genuinely terrified that some kind of irreversible damage had been done. There was no way Terrence would be calling for help, so Finney had to go find it himself. Much to his relief, he was immediately brought in by the Arellano family and they all did something to help him.
Mrs. Arellano had helped him clean his wounds, Ernesto and Hector both offered easy conversation, and Robin never left his side. Outside of Gwen, no one had ever shown Finney that kind of care and support. The night wasn’t great but it had slowly gotten better.
Then, Finney overheard Ernesto and Robin in the kitchen when he went to ask where the floss was. It sounded like they were in the middle of a somewhat tense conversation and he didn’t really want to interrupt. His heart jumped to his throat when he heard Ernesto say that Robin liked Finney.
It was obvious that it wasn’t in the friendship way but in the crush kind of way, especially with Robin shushing his brother and saying it wasn’t that easy. In listening to that brief conversation, Finney suddenly realized what the conflicting feelings he’d had were. He’d only had one crush before and it wasn’t that strong, so Finney didn’t blame himself too much for not realizing sooner.
Still, it kind of came as a shock but it did make his second worst day of his life shift into one of the most scary but exciting days in his life.
Finney had a crush on Robin and hadn’t realized it, but Robin felt the same way. Still, he knew Robin was right in telling Ernesto that it wasn’t that easy. The two of them having feelings for each other wasn’t the main challenge; the real problem was the rest of the world and how they’d be treated if it ever got out.
Everyone always called Finney queer and he had never outright denied the allegations but he hadn’t thought they were real for himself either. If he’d denied them, no one would’ve believed him anyway. Maybe he wasn’t even gay; maybe Robin was just special.
Finney didn’t know if it was something he’d ever discover.
Over the past month, he’d gotten more affectionate with Robin since he knew the other boy’s feelings for him. Plus, he could kind of tell that Robin was a touchy person but tried to hold it back. It was kind of cute and funny to see Robin’s reaction to Finney leaning on him or subtly showing affection; usually he seemed like he was caught between disbelief and trying not to overreact so Finney wouldn’t put a stop to it.
Robin probably thought he wasn’t obvious with his reactions, but Finney could read him like a book.
In the last month since Finney eavesdropped on the conversation, he never mentioned it. To him, even if he said something, it wouldn’t make a difference. Boys weren’t allowed to date other boys and it would make both of their lives a living hell. While Finney thought it was funny how Robin was always a dive-in-first-think-later kind of person, they couldn’t do that with this.
Telling Robin he felt the same way was almost pointless. They couldn’t be together and they’d both have to sit with the knowledge and never be able to act on it. The reality was depressing; Finney wished he could just tell Robin what he heard and that he felt the same way so they could hold hands and be together in the way the boy and girl couples at their school could be.
It would never be their reality though and it wasn’t fair.
Finney was laying on his bed, reading a book. It was the start of the holiday break, which meant he could relax because Terrence wouldn’t be home until later and Finney didn’t have to rush to get out of the house. Most mornings, he and Gwen would hang out and eat breakfast before making their way to Robin’s.
Sometimes Gwen would go to another friend’s house, but she’d become closer with Ernesto because of Finney’s friendship with Robin. The two were pretty different, much like Finney was with Robin. Like them, though, the younger two still formed a close bond.
“Finney?” Gwen asked, opening the door to his room. She was still in her pajamas, her hair messy from sleep. “Have you looked outside?”
“No,” Finney said. He kept his curtains closed since he had a hard time sleeping unless it was completely dark, so the only light in his room was his lamp.
Gwen went over to his curtain and opened it up, showing heavy snowfall. “I have a really good idea,” she said, grinning as she looked out the window. “If we go to Ernesto and Robin’s right now then it’ll be too icy to walk home later. I can call Dad tonight and tell him, he won’t get mad if it’s me, and we’ll be able to stay there until it clears up.”
Finney immediately got to his feet at her idea. “Go get ready,” he said urgently. “We have to go before it gets too bad out there.”
Gwen vanished from his room, a giddy laugh leaving her as she made her way back to her own space.
They were ready within ten minutes and opted for skipping breakfast. Even if they ate, Mrs. Arellano would insist they were too skinny and make them food anyway.
Finney hadn’t told Gwen about his self-discovery. He trusted Gwen with everything but this scared him. It wasn’t normal for him to like Robin even if he didn’t think it was something bad. He was surprised that Gwen hadn’t picked up on it, if he was being honest. Finney wasn’t great at lying to her and she was more perceptive than the normal person.
“Are you okay?” Gwen asked on their walk to the Arellano household. “You’re being quieter than normal.”
“Fine,” Finney said. His gaze was fixed on his feet to avoid slipping and keep the snow from landing on his face too much. It was a little windy and he could feel and see snowflakes coating his eyelashes, but he tried to prevent it as best as he could.
Gwen made a humming sound. “You sure? You’ve been acting kind of weird lately.”
“Weird how?”
“Like, moping whenever you don’t get to hang out with Robin after school and getting all weird whenever I ask about him.”
“That’s not true, I’m completely normal about Robin.”
Gwen gave him a dry look. “Super normal, for sure.” She grabbed Finney’s arm and stopped them both from walking and nearly made him slip in the process. “Finney, you know I like to judge everyone except you.”
“Well, yeah, because there’s nothing to judge me for.”
“Finney.”
“What?”
“Do you like Robin?”
“He’s my best friend, obviously I like him.”
“Not like that. Like, do you have a crush on him?”
Finney’s heart pounded against his ribcage. He wasn’t scared of Gwen knowing; there was nothing that would break their bond and he knew she’d call him out in a second if he tried to lie. “I can’t tell him.”
“What if he likes you back?”
“He does, I heard him tell Ernesto,” Finney admitted. “But it’s not as easy as us just liking each other. It’s not allowed.”
Gwen shoved his shoulder and made him almost slip again. “So you know he likes you but won’t tell him that you like him? I thought you were smart.”
“I am smart.”
“Apparently it’s limited to books.”
Finney scowled. “I can’t like him, Gwen. It’ll ruin both of our lives in school-”
“Because you both have crazy high social status, huh?”
“Shut up.”
“Finney, he makes you happy. I’ve never seen you as happy as when you’re around him and I know you obviously don’t want to make it known to everyone in school, but you can just keep it to yourselves, right?”
Finney shook his head. “What if dad found out? Or Robin’s mom? Dad would try to kill me and Robin shouldn’t have to deal with his family hating him.”
“I don’t think it’s possible for Robin’s family to ever hate him for that, they probably already know. And if Dad found out, you could just move in with Robin. Easy fix.”
“Still not that easy.”
“No, but I think it’s worse to never say anything because you’re scared.” Gwen pulled on his arm, deciding to keep walking. “You think Mrs. Arellano will make hot chocolate? I haven’t had good hot chocolate in forever.”
Finney laughed at how quick she could switch up. One second she could introduce the most serious conversation of their lives, the next she’d be making a joke about something completely different. He knew Gwen wouldn’t judge him or hate him for who he liked, but her tranquil mentality was always a golden reminder.
~~~
Getting in trouble at Robin’s house was worse than detention. They’d been sitting in silence, working on addressing Christmas cards for all of Robin’s out of state family for the last hour.
Finney wasn’t even the one who got in trouble; he was just an accomplice to the horrible duo that was Robin and Gwen. Those two decided that a snowball fight outside wasn’t enough and chased each other inside the house. Both Finney and Ernesto watched it happen but didn’t stop it.
Mrs. Arellano was never one to yell, but she did scold them. Not so much Finney and Ernesto since they weren’t directly involved, but Finney secretly believed that if she hadn’t put a stop to it that soon enough they would’ve joined in. So, the result was Gwen and Robin mopping up the melted snow and then all four of them had to help address Christmas cards. Each of them had a list and Robin complained about how many family members they had, which earned him another scolding.
Finney didn’t mind busy work; if Mrs. Arellano had asked for help with the cards, he would’ve done so without hesitation even if they weren’t in trouble. None of them were talking. There was no rule against it, but they all wanted to get their cards done and Ernesto kept complaining that he couldn’t focus when they were talking.
About halfway through his list, Finney felt something nudge his arm. He didn’t even try to bite back his smile and snatched the piece of paper pressing against his forearm.
Hi :)
Finney rolled his eyes at the note and scribbled his own note before sliding the paper back toward Robin.
You know you can just talk to me, right?
Robin tossed back the paper after a quiet few minutes of writing.
This is more fun :D it’s like when we first met and you had no friends and I saved you from a life of boredom. Also if we talk, Ernesto will complain and I don’t think I can listen to him whine again
Finney huffed out a laugh and caught Gwen’s eye. He blushed when he saw her smirk, as if she knew what they were doing.
Both of them are staring at us though, I think they know that we’re not actually writing addresses. It’ll be quicker if we just finish the cards instead of getting distracted, won’t it?
Robin let out a dramatic sigh and bumped his ankle against Finney’s under the table. It wasn’t hard, but it was obvious that there was some kind of frustration that Finney wouldn’t play along.
“Did you know writing notes is a key indicator of flirting?” Gwen asked innocently.
Finney stared at her, frozen, and he could see Robin blushing from the corner of his eye. “It’s actually just a way to non-verbally talk to people,” Finney said as his face heated up.
“No, she’s right,” Ernesto added. “It’s super intimate to handwrite instead of just talking. It allows for emotional articulation that means more because you’re writing out your feelings instead of just saying them.”
“Well, we were actually writing about you complaining every time we talked,” Finney said, scowling at Ernesto. “So, you’re wrong.”
Ernesto raised an eyebrow and looked between the two. “Okay, whatever,” he mumbled before returning his attention to his own address list.
Finney continued to glare at him and then at Gwen, who just shrugged. He was confident the two were sharing information about their older siblings liking each other but refusing to say anything about it. They were horrible people, both of them. Both were obsessed with drama, even if Ernesto hid it better, so Finney was confident they were going to spend the blizzard trying to play matchmaker.
Not that Finney wasn’t happy to be stuck at Robin’s, but he didn’t plan on those two getting involved.
“They’re so annoying,” Finney said once they’d finished the cards and escaped to Robin’s room. “Why’d you tell me to invite Gwen over?”
Robin flopped onto his bed across the middle of the mattress so his legs were hanging off the side. “You both showed up unannounced.”
“I can leave.”
“You’re so dramatic.”
Finney laid down on the bed longways so he could lay his legs over Robin’s chest. “I’m dramatic?” He glanced down, feeling the familiar satisfaction swirling inside him when he could see Robin’s blush. “You were the one who started passing notes. According to Gwen, that's some dramatic romantic gesture, right?”
“Apparently,” Robin mumbled, his blush darkening. “If I was ever gonna do a romantic gesture it would be way better than that.” His words sounded stiff and uncertain, like he was anxious that Finney knew.
Which, in fairness, he did. It struck Finney that Robin obviously didn’t know he reciprocated the feelings and hearing both of their younger siblings allude to it was probably petrifying. It was cute to see his reaction, but Finney did feel for him. He’d probably be a train wreck if he had to handle the same thing and didn’t have all of the information he did.
Maybe he was just as horrible a person as Gwen and Ernesto, but it wasn’t like he could just tell Robin. He’d already made a mental list of one thousand reasons why it was a bad idea. There were only about two actually valid reasons, but that didn’t matter. Besides, he heard Robin say that it wouldn’t work out and it wasn’t as easy as just liking each other and he was right.
It still made Finney’s heart squeeze in a forlorn, longing way. He’d never really liked someone enough to see himself as a hopeless romantic, but Robin was different. Robin had always been unique since they met and was the kind of person that Finney felt like maybe it would be okay to take a chance on, but there were plenty of reasons why he should hold off.
Maybe.
“What would your grand romantic gesture be then?” Finney asked. He was pleasantly surprised by how steady his own voice was despite the unease he felt.
Robin didn’t look at him and kept his gaze on the ceiling. “I don’t know, something better than passing notes.”
“But notes make it easy,” Finney argued. “Like, you can do the super classy ‘do you like me’ note and then not put an option for ‘no.’”
That made Robin laugh and he relaxed a bit, finally turning to look at his friend. “That’s how you would make a move. Too scared to be forward, huh?”
“Are you? Who do you like? You got a crush at school? I can wingman you.”
Finney was being mean, he was well aware of that. It wasn’t like he could blame being oblivious or actually not knowing because he already did. Plus, he knew that Robin couldn’t lie. Even if Finney knew who Robin’s actual crush was, he’d still be able to easily call his friend out because Robin was a really bad liar.
“Not important,” Robin cleverly said, skipping the subject all together. “You’d be a bad wingman.”
“Fuck off, I’d be so good at it.”
“Neither of us has any other friends, Finn.”
“But if we did then I’d be good at it.”
Robin stared at him incredulously. “You don’t like to talk to anyone except me.”
“I like to talk to Gwen and Ernesto.”
“They don’t count.”
Finney rolled his eyes. He really liked Robin and knew him well, but Finney sometimes overlooked how clever he was. There had never been any doubt in his mind that Robin was smart despite his academic struggles, but moments like this just showcased how street smart he was. Somehow he knew the right path to change a subject and talk his way out of things. It was always subtle and smooth and Finney knew he couldn’t keep prodding because he’d expose himself.
Not that he’d be facing outright rejection if he admitted to it, but Robin didn’t actually want to be with him because it would be too hard. He’d said it himself. It would be one of those awkward ‘I like you, too, but…’ situations that were resolved at the end of a romcom. But, this wasn’t a romcom and they were both boys, so the situation would end there and they’d have to go about their lives acting like the conversation never happened.
“Do you like anyone?” Robin asked. His voice was softer than usual, almost whispering.
Finney had been convinced that Robin didn’t have the ability to whisper. Apparently he was wrong.
“Eh, not really.”
“Not at all?”
“Not in a crush kind of way.” Finney shrugged. “The girls at school are nice but they’re just not really my type, I guess.”
Robin seemed to freeze in real time. A million emotions ran through his expression: fear, unease, hopefulness, enthusiasm, and self-doubt.
Finney could read them all. Since they’d become friends he had learned how to read Robin, but it was never that difficult because Robin had very strong reactions. If he didn’t know that Robin liked him before, he’d definitely have suspicions. Or, maybe not, since he never really picked up on it until he eavesdropped.
Maybe he was just oblivious.
It wasn’t like he’d had super strong crushes before or experienced someone liking him like that.
“What’s your type then?” Robin questioned, still using that quiet, barely-there voice.
Finney shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“So you know they’re not your type but you don’t know what your type is?”
“Wow, right on the money,” Finney said sarcastically. “I don’t know how to describe my type. I’ve never really liked anyone before so it’s kinda difficult to know, like, what the key words are.”
Robin rolled onto his stomach for the sole purpose of being able to give a deadpan look. “How did you manage to make talking about your type nerdy? ‘Key words?’”
“It’s super normal to have key words for things!”
“Yeah, nerdy things.”
Finney dug his toes into Robin’s side in retaliation for the comment.
The action made Robin yelp and slap his foot away before he moved to lay beside Finney to escape any more attacks. He flicked the center of Finney’s forehead. Not hard enough to cause any real pain, but enough to make him gasp and act like the action was the most horrible thing he’d ever experienced.
“You didn’t answer what your type is,” Finney complained as he rubbed the spot on his head where Robin had flicked him.
“Neither did you!”
“Because I don’t know the key words! You go first and then I’ll use yours as inspiration.”
Robin gave him another look of disbelief. “Why are we friends?” he asked without the intention of an answer. Unfortunately for him, while Finney was very much an introvert, he was accustomed to Robin and always happy to offer a sarcastic answer to a rhetorical question.
“Because you were failing math, obviously.” Finney playfully elbowed Robin’s arm. “And you needed an excuse to get into more fights.”
“I never need an excuse to get into a fight,” Robin shot back. “Do you like people who are taller than you? Because I think you’re going to end up being short as hell, so it might be a good consideration.”
“Fuck you. You’re going to be shorter than me, I guarantee it,” Finney argued. “I hope Ernesto ends up being taller than you.”
“I should end our friendship just because you put that out into the universe.”
“Try it, you’ll be bored in a day. Now, key words, go.”
Finney considered that maybe he was making himself look somewhat desperate, but he kind of was. He kind of wished Robin would just bring it up but the likelihood of that was low. Robin didn’t have the background information that would give him the confidence to bring it up.
Robin huffed out a laugh, his face getting flushed once again as he thought about it. “Uh… I don’t know. Like, looks or personality?”
“Which do you care more about?”
“I mean, obviously the personality,” Robin said. He stared at Finney for a second too long before averting his eyes. “But, you know, I kinda gotta be attracted to them, too.”
“So tell me both. Start with personality.”
Maybe he was self-obsessed and stroking his own ego, but Finney really wanted to know. If Robin said good things, then he was basically indirectly saying that was what he saw in Finney. Yeah, maybe he was a little egotistical.
Robin pursed his lips, thinking for a second. “I mean, I don’t think I’d ever be into someone who’s boring. I like banter and fun arguments and debates and stuff so they can’t be boring. Sarcasm is fun, but I also want them to be able to be serious and sweet, you know?”
Finney didn’t point out that Robin never specified the gender of the imaginary person he was talking about. He knew that Robin liked him so it didn’t really throw him off, but he wasn’t sure if Robin was aware of it. Maybe it was on purpose to bring on questions.
“Sure, that all makes sense,” Finney said. “Would you want them to be able to fight like you do? Or just cheer for you when you fight?”
“I think they can fight even though they won’t.”
Finney furrowed his eyebrows because that didn’t sound like an actual answer to his question. “Wait, are we talking about hypotheticals or not?”
Robin looked caught off guard, like he hadn’t realized what he said. “I’m hungry, let’s go get food,” he said, abruptly trying to change the subject. “Stop interrogating me, Finn, you’re going to steal all the things I said because you can’t come up with your own.”
Finney let the topic drop. He couldn’t keep going without eventually exposing himself and he didn’t really want to make Robin uncomfortable or freak him out with all of the questions. So, he resigned to following Robin down the stairs and allowing their conversation to take on a more general topic that didn’t have them blushing or lying.
~~~
Finney had been at Robin’s for four days and the snow was showing no signs of letting up. It was on and off, and the news channel was calling it the worst storm that Denver had seen in years. Driving was barely an option and the plows couldn’t get through.
Thankfully, Mrs. Arellano loathed not being prepared. When Finney and Gwen arrived the first day, she had Hector take out his truck and they piled it with food and supplies. With the amount of stuff she purchased, Finney suspected they could go a full two months without being concerned about running out.
It was the best four days in Finney’s life so far. Every day he got to wake up next to his best friend, eat breakfast in a loving, supportive home, and not be scared someone would snap at him for no reason. Even helping out with chores was fun even if Robin groaned and complained whenever they had to fold laundry or unload the dishwasher.
The complaints were never that serious; Robin always helped out and did whatever task he had really well.
As Finney suspected, the biggest downside was being trapped in a house with Gwen and Ernesto. The two kept alluding to romantic gestures between Robin and Finney, no matter how abstract and ridiculous they were. Every time they said anything, Robin looked like he was going to pass out and was absolutely mortified. He obviously thought he hid it well.
It was grating on Finney. He’d confronted Gwen on the second day and she insisted they weren’t saying anything that was revealing. It was a bad, blatant lie, and it was too obvious that she and Ernesto were scheming. Did she actually think Finney wouldn’t pick up on it? They’d spent almost every single day of their lives together.
Soon enough, Finney was going to crack. He wanted to be honest even if it was going to result in that really unfortunate ‘I like you too, but…’ scenario he was dreading. A big part of Finney believed it could work out, that they could keep it a secret and it would be okay. The other part of him worried that Robin’s family, outside of Ernesto, didn’t know and would outcast him for it.
They were kind of religious and Finney had heard Gwen say that some religions didn’t support any relationship that wasn’t between a man and woman. Maybe not all of them, but Finney wasn’t religious so he wouldn’t know. Regardless, he didn’t want to be the reason that Robin created bad blood with his family.
It seemed unrealistic because they were good people, but Finney’s dad had been good before his mom died, too.
As usual, Finney was awake first.
The second the light came through the window, his rest ended. He couldn’t sleep well unless it was completely dark but Robin liked the curtains opened and it wasn’t Finney’s space to change. If he voiced it, Finney was convinced Robin would immediately accommodate, but he didn’t want to do that.
Not when Robin was already opening his home as a safe haven so Gwen and Finney could avoid their dad.
Gwen had called a few times to check in, assuring their dad that they were both okay and couldn’t get home because of the snow. It wasn’t a lie with how high it was piling up, but they also hadn’t put any effort into trying.
Finney slipped out of bed, making a half-hearted effort to be quiet. It wasn’t too crucial; Robin was a pretty deep sleeper and wasn’t keen on waking up early in the way Finney had conditioned himself to.
The worst part of getting up was the loss of contact.
Since the night that Finney came to Robin’s to seek out help after his dad’s attack, he and Robin fell into a normal routine of sharing the bed. He wasn’t sure which one of them initiated it on any given night, but by the time he woke up, Finney noticed that Robin almost always had an arm around him and they were pressed against each other.
Finney didn’t know if Robin was aware of it, but neither ever brought it up. If he did, Finney worried that Robin would be humiliated and insist they go back to switching off who gets the bed each night. And, if Finney were to argue that he didn’t mind, then he’d have to admit that he eavesdropped and reciprocated the feelings.
The house was a little chilly with it being early in the morning and the loss of warmth when he got out of bed. Finney yawned as he opened the closet door and took out one of Robin’s sweatshirts to wear. There were a surprising amount of them considering that it was a fight to get Robin to wear a jacket even with the blizzard. Every time they had gone outside, Robin insisted he’d be fine in just a long sleeve shirt.
At school, it was the same thing. Even with the cold temperatures before the blizzard rolled in, Robin would just wear a long sleeve undershirt and a t-shirt. Sometimes he just wore his t-shirt and Finney couldn’t help but lecture him about how Robin would probably get a cold. It hadn’t happened yet, but someday.
Finney pulled Robin’s sweatshirt on, breathing in the comforting scent. He was still kind of tired and would probably take a nap later, but he didn’t want to just lie around in bed. It was nine in the morning and Robin would probably sleep until noon if he could, but Finney wasn’t one to sleep in that late. He never could relax enough to sleep that long at home and it wouldn’t miraculously change even if he felt safe.
The house was pretty silent when Finney made his way downstairs. He could hear the TV on when he got to the bottom of the staircase and saw Mrs. Arellano watching the morning news on the recliner. The scent of coffee wafted through the air like it had every other morning that he and Gwen had been there.
Gwen had been sleeping in the guest room downstairs, and Finney briefly checked on her like he always did when he woke up. Much like Robin, she’d sleep in until noon if she could. When he confirmed that she was still sleeping and soothed the internal anxiety he always had about her wellbeing, Finney went to sit in the living room and watch the weather channel. He liked spending time with Mrs. Arellano; usually being around adults one on one made him uncomfortable.
The snow was still piled up outside even though the sky seemed clear.
“It’s supposed to start in a couple of hours,” Mrs. Arellano said when she saw Finney looking out the window. “They’ll probably try to plow again. Thankfully it’s winter break so you’re not missing any school because of the storm.”
Finney sat on the couch and pulled the blanket resting along the back over his shoulders. “Do you think the plows will work?”
“With the snow starting again? No, I don’t.” Mrs. Arellano stood up and took a long drink of her coffee. “Vamos, help me with breakfast.”
Finney considered himself to be useless in the kitchen.
That was, until he started hanging out at Robin’s more and more when they became friends. On nights when they were done with homework, which often didn’t take them long, Mrs. Arellano started teaching Finney some basic things about how to prepare food.
Finney kind of suspected it had a lot to do with Robin always bringing him a share of his lunch. He had gotten to know Mrs. Arellano well enough to know that she would want to make sure that Finney could take care of himself if necessary. That being said, Finney had really started to believe it when Robin said that his mom would take Finney and Gwen in if it was an option.
Finney had been treated like family since the first day he came over.
Even though being around a new family dynamic had intimidated him at first but it was easy to adjust. The Arellano household was always filled with love and comfort as opposed to the eggshells Finney always walked on in his own home.
Finney got started on peeling potatoes which was one of the few things he could do in a kitchen without almost cutting or burning himself. He’d tried to cut stuff up before and almost lost a fingertip. It stressed Robin out to no end and he quickly traded tasks with Finney to prevent any kind of limb loss.
“Did you sleep alright?” Mrs. Arellano asked as she skillfully sliced up an assortment of peppers almost without looking.
Finney hummed, his face heating up as he thought about how he’d been sleeping pressed up against his best friend every night for the past three nights. “Yeah, I did, thank you. Did you?” he asked politely.
Mrs. Arellano gave him another kind smile. “Yes, thank you. I hope Robin doesn’t kick you when you sleep, he used to always sleep so restlessly. He and Ernesto shared a bed until we moved and got a bigger house and it was a fight every morning about Robin kicking.”
Finney hadn’t realized that she knew they shared the bed. It didn’t sound like she minded, but it still caught him off guard for a second. Before he responded, he heard someone else entering the kitchen and turned to see Ernesto.
“He doesn’t always kick,” Ernesto said, yawning and sitting at the kitchen table. “Either he’s clingy or he kicks, and I had to share with him when he wanted to kick.”
Finney still had his suspicions that Ernesto knew the reciprocated feelings between himself and Robin that hadn’t been discussed. The way he subtly brought it up without being too revealing and the whispers between him and Gwen were enough of a clue. He didn’t glare at Ernesto outwardly; he’d have plenty of time to glare throughout the day.
“Well, he doesn’t kick me,” Finney said, brushing the skins of the potatoes into a bowl. “Maybe you started it and didn’t know.”
Ernesto narrowed his eyes. “Does he cling to you instead, then?”
“Leave him alone,” Mrs. Arellano scolded, saving Finney from complete humiliation. “Go switch the laundry and then come help, vale?”
Ernesto mumbled under his breath before doing what he was told.
Finney’s face was still burning; it had gotten worse with Ernesto’s commentary, but Mrs. Arellano was kind enough not to comment on it. He was sure it was obvious so he appreciated that it went unacknowledged. He continued to peel the potatoes and then was moved to shredding cheese because everyone wanted to actively keep him away from using a knife and risking a cut.
It was a little embarrassing but ultimately a fair analysis.
When Ernesto rejoined them in the kitchen, he was the one assigned to cutting things up because he wasn’t the same clumsy risk that Finney was when cooking. Surprisingly, there were no complaints. From Finney’s perspective, there always seemed to be something for either Robin or Ernesto to mull over, even if they weren’t serious. It was definitely a side effect of growing up in a loving, supportive home.
“I don’t know how they sleep in so long,” Ernesto commented when all of the food prep had been done. He sat down at the kitchen table and opened the book he’d brought down but couldn’t read because he got roped into helping. “Like, humans are naturally supposed to wake up when the sun rises.”
“It gets us out of doing dishes,” Finney pointed out as he sat at the table across from Ernesto.
“That’s not my point.”
“What is it then?”
“They’re both weird and unnatural.” Ernesto went to his book and didn’t notice the newcomer in the kitchen until he was flicked in the back of his head. His head snapped toward the direction of where the attack came from and he groaned in annoyance when he saw his brother. “I’m not taking it back, I don’t care if you overheard me.”
Robin didn’t look too bothered and sat down at the table with the other two. “I didn’t think you would. Verbal abuse is your love language, don’t ever get into a relationship.”
“I’m not verbally abusive!”
“A little bit,” Finney said in agreement with Robin. He caught the glare being aimed at him. “It’s no offense, you and Gwen are both really creative when it comes to your insults.”
“It’s too early for you all to be arguing already,” Mrs. Arellano said, interrupting what would definitely be the start of a verbal war. “Finney, Robin, go tell Hector that breakfast will be ready soon.”
Robin pouted. “It’s cold out.”
Mrs. Arellano didn’t have to say anything. She just stared at him with a raised eyebrow and her hands on her hips.
Robin folded in seconds. He got up and grabbed Finney’s wrist, dragging him back toward the stairs so they could get dressed.
Both of them had preferred clothes to wear when it snowed that had been dried and were in his room. The ones Finney had were the only clothes that he actually brought with him; every other article of clothing he’d been borrowing for the last four days and he almost felt embarrassed by how much he liked it.
“I just woke up and I’m already being sent away by them,” Robin said. He flopped back on his bed and sighed dramatically like he’d just been outcast by everyone in his life. “Why do they hate me, Finn? What did I ever do to them?”
Finney gave him a judgemental look. “Your uncle lives two houses away. We’re going to be outside for ten minutes at the most and then coming back to a free meal,” he deadpanned, slipping on his snow pants. “Are you gonna wear anything warmer? You were the one who just complained that it’s cold.”
Robin was only in a pair of jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt. Even though it wasn’t snowing, it was freezing outside and he was wearing no protective layers. At this point it wasn’t surprising but it was always a little concerning.
“I just don’t wanna go and this is as many layers as I can tolerate,” Robin said, pulling at one of the sleeves. “Weren’t you the one who said we’re not even gonna be out there that long?”
“It’s still cold.”
“To you. People who are built and have muscles like me don’t get cold.”
“What’re you gonna do, fight the snowstorm?”
“Yeah, and I’ll win.”
Finney blinked a few times in disbelief. He didn’t change out of the sweatshirt he’d stolen borrowed since they weren’t going far and he could put his heavier jacket over top. He caught Robin watching for a brief second before averting his eyes and acting like he hadn’t been staring.
The bitter cold cut through Finney’s jacket as soon as they stepped outside. It wasn’t snowing again but it was windy and icy. Parts of the sidewalk had been cleared throughout the week (Finney and Robin had been roped into helping Hector the day before to clear the two blocks between their two houses) but snow was dusting over the pavement from the wind. The ice was the worst part, forcing them to walk slow so they didn’t fall.
“They hate me, Finn, they want me to get hypothermia,” Robin complained.
“You’re the one who decided not to wear a jacket,” Finney said, not feeling too bad for his friend.
Robin gave an exaggerated sigh. “So you hate me, too?”
“Obviously.”
Finney wasn’t paying attention since he was focused on getting to Hector’s, so he didn’t expect the shove from Robin. With the ice and wind, he stood no chance and landed in the thick snow lining the sidewalk. He wasn’t wearing gloves which made his hands freeze and he cast an offended glare toward the person who pushed him down. Robin was giving a cringed look, clearly not having intended to actually make him fall. He held out a hand to help Finney up, but Finney was out for revenge and pulled him down.
“Finn, what the fuck?!” Robin exclaimed, trying to get up and falling deeper into the pile.
Finney got himself up and brushed the snow off. “You started it.”
Robin huffed and dug himself out. He stood up and brushed himself off. There was snow all over him that didn’t come off because he wasn’t wearing the right kind of clothes for snow, making it slowly melt on his shirt and his skin was tinted red from the cold. Snow coated his cheek where he’d fallen and it glistened in his hair.
Finney reached over and brushed the snow off of Robin’s cheek. His hand lingered on the cold skin before he quickly pulled it away, his own red cheeks having nothing to do with the cold. He averted his eyes and turned to continue walking.
Robin followed, also looking a little redder than he had previously. “You really want me to get hypothermia, huh?” he asked in an attempt at a joke, but the humor wasn’t there like it usually was.
Forcing a laugh, Finney kept his gaze at the ground to act like he was trying to keep from slipping on the ice. He subtly glanced over and saw Robin wiping the melting snow off of his hand on his shirt. His heart was in his throat when he reached over and slipped his hand into Robin’s. It was a timid movement and he was ready to pull away any second if there were to be a negative reaction.
Even though it obviously surprised Robin and made his whole frame tense for a brief moment, once the contact was firm and intentional, he melted into it. He let Finney lead and lace their fingers together, never once showing he had any intention of moving away.
Maybe it was the cold getting to Finney’s head, maybe it was his crush being too powerful. He didn’t know, he didn’t plan to initiate something like that, but he also didn’t regret it. And, Robin wasn’t pulling away. Neither of them talked about it; they continued their walk in silence and let go once they knocked on Hector’s door.
As soon as they were back at Robin’s, Finney watched, humored, while Robin frantically ran to jump in the shower and claimed he was seconds from frostbite. Since his snow pants and jacket did their job, Finney just took them off and put them in the laundry room before sitting down for breakfast, the rest of his clothes still dry. As he claimed his spot at the table, Gwen reached over and touched his hair.
“Why’s your hair wet? It’s not even snowing.” Gwen was still in her pajamas and her hair was done in two braids that were slightly frizzy because she slept with them in. They were intricate, having been done by Mrs. Arellano the day before.
“Robin pushed me into the snow,” Finney said as he dished himself a plate of food.
Ernesto paused as he was about to take a bite of his food. “Did you push him back?”
“Obviously,” Finney answered. “Why do you think he’s going to go shower? I told him to wear more layers.”
“Classic sign of caring about someone,” Gwen said, nodding solemnly. “Telling them how to take care of themself.”
Finney gave her a skeptical look. “Yeah, so? I care about my best friend, that’s kind of normal.”
Gwen and Ernesto exchanged a knowing look between the two of themselves, one that Finney didn’t feel like speculating about. It was pretty obvious it was about himself and Robin and their refusal to admit that they like each other. The younger two had been relentless for the last four days and showed no signs of stopping. Their subtle implications, random fun facts about love languages, and expressions always had Robin frantic and Finney rolling his eyes.
Right now he couldn’t roll his eyes; Finney didn’t want more attention. He was thinking about how he held Robin’s hand and it was making his face heat up. It wasn’t something he could go without talking about; at some point, Robin would ask. As nervous as he seemed to be when Gwen or Ernesto implied there was something between himself and Finney, Robin was blunt and would definitely ask why Finney had done that.
“You’re really red,” Ernesto pointed out. “You okay, Finney?” He sounded innocent and curious, but Finney knew better.
“I was out in freezing weather. I’m cold,” Finney said quickly before digging into his food.
Thankfully, Mrs. Arellano and Hector chose that time to sit down and dish up their own plates so the conversation was interrupted. It gave Finney a tiny bit of breathing room, even if the younger two were still side-eyeing him. Robin came bounding down the stairs not long after in a dry set of pajamas with damp hair cascading over his shoulders. He threw his wet clothes into the laundry room before sitting in his spot next to Finney and brushed their shoulders together.
The touch was intentional; there was enough space between their seats that there was no reason they’d accidentally bump into each other. It made the side-eyeing from Gwen and Ernesto feel that much more obvious and Finney’s face more red.
“I want to make a tres leches cake,” Ernesto said. “Can we, Mamá?”
Mrs. Arellano hummed. “Está bien, after all of breakfast is cleaned up. Robin, Gwen, you get to clear the table and do dishes.”
“I had to brave the cold to get Hector over here!” Robin exclaimed. “Gwen can handle it.”
“I went with you and I helped make breakfast,” Finney said in response, kicking Robin’s ankle under the table.
Robin scoffed. “You helped prepare the stuff to make breakfast. If you were allowed near the stove then we wouldn’t have a house left.”
Finney glared at the laughter that echoed around the table, even if he wasn’t taking it that personally. It wasn’t his fault that his dad never taught him to cook. He had other skills; he could do math and Robin couldn’t without someone helping him, so at least he was nice enough not to comment on that. Well, and he knew Robin was genuinely insecure about his academic challenges whereas Finney couldn’t care less about not being able to cook.
It wouldn’t be fair to target Robin like that.
“Yeah, you can try the cake when we’re done with it.” Ernesto offered Finney a small smile. “But you should definitely stay out of the kitchen.”
Finney scowled at him, which somehow made Ernesto’s smile even brighter. He helped clear the plates before going to the living room and sitting down on the couch, trailed by Ernesto. Every morning that he helped with preparing for breakfast, he, Ernesto, and Hector would watch the morning news while Gwen and Robin did their part to clean up. By then, Mrs. Arellano usually disappeared to her room to go about her own morning routine that always came after feeding her family.
“I thought you were making a cake,” Finney commented when Ernesto sat on the couch beside him since Hector stole the recliner and turned on the TV.
“Yeah, after Robin and Gwen do the dishes from breakfast. I’m not getting pulled into that,” Ernesto said with a scoff.
The news, as expected, was still focused on the ongoing snowstorm. Snow wasn’t new for their neighborhood at all, but usually it melted a lot quicker and happened later in the season. This much snow in December was new but Finney certainly wasn’t complaining about being snowed in at Robin’s. Maybe the world wasn’t all that bad and the god that Gwen always prayed to had finally decided to show some mercy.
Finney was kind of tired from waking up and the walk to Hector’s. It wasn’t far, but through the snow banks and over the ice was tiring. He felt himself zoning out a little bit while watching the news and fighting off sleep. Occasionally he heard bursts of laughter from the kitchen and wondered if Robin and Gwen were having a water fight while doing dishes.
He was proven right when Robin entered the living room and squished himself into the free space on the couch in between himself and Ernesto and draped himself over Finney’s side. It made Finney grimace to feel the wet shirt create dampness on the sweatshirt he had on, but he didn’t push Robin off. He caught the surprised look on Ernesto’s face, but the younger boy suddenly became more interested in the TV when he realized he’d been caught.
Maybe Ernesto didn’t expect Robin to initiate anything? It would make sense; Ernesto knew that Robin liked him and probably knew Finney’s feelings because of Gwen. As much as Gwen wasn’t one to expose him often, Finney suspected she’d be more than willing to pass information with her friend so the two could get Robin and Finney together.
“Your shirt is wet,” Finney said.
“Gwen is mopping the kitchen,” Robin said but didn’t offer any context as to why. “The kitchen is clean though, Ernesto. Ve a hornear tu pastel.”
¿Así podrás estar a solas con Finney?” Ernesto asked dryly.
Finney didn’t understand anything outside of his own name, but whatever was said had Hector burst out laughing and Robin going bright red. He didn’t ask; he just watched his friend get up and chase Ernesto out of the room. The whole time, Robin was shouting in Spanish and Ernesto was cackling like a villain.
“What’d he say?” Finney asked Hector.
He liked Hector; when they first met, Finney had been intimidated by the man. Since he was a bigger guy, he immediately made Finney think of his own father who was always scowling and short tempered. However, the more time spent with the Arellano family, the more he got to know Hector and understood why Robin admired him so much.
Even though Robin and Ernesto’s dad had died, Hector had been there as some kind of father figure in their lives. He never tried to step in and claim that spot, but he was someone they relied on and had that protective spirit that Finney saw in Robin.
Finney wished his own dad was protective in that way. He wasn’t jealous of Robin’s good fortune and supportive family, but he longed to have that in his own life. Of course, he knew he could get that love from Robin’s family and they were more than happy to give it, but Finney wished that he could have it all the time and not just when he was with his friend.
“You can ask Robin,” Hector said, still chuckling. “That chaparro would try to kill me if I told you.”
“I won’t tell, I promise.”
“I believe you, but he’d know. He’s overly aware when it comes to you.” Hector had a knowing smirk on his face.
Finney furrowed his eyebrows. Did Robin’s family know he liked guys? Everyone had indirectly alluded to it in some way over the past four days, even though the biggest proponents were Gwen and Ernesto. Even Mrs. Arellano had cast knowing smiles when Robin got flustered.
Maybe telling Robin that he reciprocated the feelings wouldn’t be the end of the world? Or, maybe Finney was unhealthily self centered because he’d gotten more attention in the last couple of months when compared to the last six years. Yes, that had to be it; no one was actually implying anything, he was just a narcissist.
Robin returned to the living room, looking annoyed. “Hector, tell my mom that Ernesto deserves to get his ass kicked.”
“Aren’t you the one who stopped other people from going after him?” Hector asked, entirely unfazed by the whole situation.
Finney wasn’t fazed either; he’d been around enough to know that this was a weekly occurrence. The two would argue, typically in Spanish, and Robin would chase his brother until Ernesto hid behind their mom and she’d scold them both for petty arguments. Finney was pretty sure that Robin wouldn’t actually ever do anything to hurt Ernesto and it was always an empty threat. It seemed like Ernesto had the same mindset, since he was always cackling when he ran off.
“I don’t want other people going after him,” Robin complained. “He needs to be humbled, though.”
“I don’t think anything he said was wrong, sobrino,” Hector said.
Robin flipped him off, color painting his face. “Come on, Finn. Hanging out down here is gonna make you lose your brain cells.”
Finney got off the couch. He’d seen all he needed to know about the continuous storm and he’d much rather hang out with Robin instead of sitting in the living room when Hector wouldn’t tell him what was said.
“I can’t believe I’ve had to change my shirt twice before noon,” Robin grumbled, changing into a new pajama top. He wasn’t bothered by the mismatched set and tossed the damp shirt into his hamper.
“Both of those times were your fault,” Finney said before laying down on Robin’s bed and pulling the covers over him. “I’m so tired.”
Robin unceremoniously laid next to him. He never seemed to care about landing softly and fell hard enough on the bed that it made the mattress springs squeak as he got comfortable. The jarring movement made Finney roll his eyes while Robin just smirked and pulled the blankets over himself. Finney huffed since Robin’s movements resulted in him stealing most of the blankets.
“Share the blankets, asshole,” Finney said, trying to tug them back. He almost succeeded until Robin rolled himself into the blankets.
“Get your own, I’m freezing,” Robin shot back, nestling himself under the blankets in a makeshift fabric cocoon.
“Your fault.” Finney tried again to pull the blankets back.
When he was unsuccessful, he accepted his fate and dramatically turned away from Robin. Eventually his friend would give in and feel bad for him; Robin always gave in with Finney. As he assumed, after a few minutes he heard rustling and then felt half of the blanket thrown over him.
Finney smiled to himself and turned over to face Robin again. He hadn’t noticed how close Robin was, so when he rolled they ended up chest to chest. Immediately, Finney felt his face heat up and could see Robin’s was the exact same. Still, neither moved away. It was awkward; both were avoiding eye contact and refusing to say anything even though they both refused to make any movement to break where they were pressed against each other.
“Finn,” Robin eventually said. “I’m gonna fall off the bed.”
“Oh.” Finney scooted back.
Humiliation coursed through him for a brief second since he made the instant assumption that Robin hadn’t wanted to be that close to him and it was only because he was trying not to fall. He was proven wrong in seconds when Robin moved closer once more. They weren’t pressed as close as they had been, but they were too close for it to be anything but intentional.
Robin timidly placed one of his hands on Finney’s side, looking more terrified than Finney had ever seen him. That wasn’t Robin’s personality; he was the kind of person who exuded confidence wherever he went and never seemed thrown off. Except for times like these.
“You’re… you don’t think this is weird, right?” Robin asked. There was a shake in his voice, like he was on the edge of a panic attack.
Finney smiled hesitantly, heart pounding against his ribcage. “I eavesdropped on your conversation. Last month.”
“What conversation?”
“The night when I came here because of my dad?” Finney said, and he could see the second that Robin realized what he was talking about. “Wait, don’t freak out!”
Robin looked like he wanted to vomit but he stayed quiet and didn’t move.
“I… I like you, too. Like, in the crush kind of way. And, like, I know you told Ernesto it wasn’t that easy and you’re definitely right because, like, you could get in trouble with your mom and Hector and my dad would want to kill me, so we don’t really have to do anything about it but… yeah, I wanted to tell you at least.”
Robin was blinking and dead silent, like he was struggling to process what Finney was saying.
The silence was too much for Finney, so he continued to ramble. “I knew telling you would be one of those rejections where we like each other but know it wouldn't work but these last four days have literally been the best days in my entire life and I wanted to tell you and I don’t want things to be awkward or make our friendship feel different, so we can just pretend this never happened because it can’t work. But, yeah, that’s why I held your hand this morning. And why I said we should share the bed.”
Robin kept staring at him.
“Could you please say something?” Finney asked, almost pleading.
“You know my brain doesn’t work quick,” Robin said. “I’m trying to process Finn, don’t rush me.”
Finney fell silent.
Robin spoke up after a few more minutes. “Okay, I’ve thought all of this through and you’re dumb.”
“What?”
“Well, my mom and Hector know I like guys, so I’m not gonna get in trouble. You’re smart and apparently have known I like you for a month. Haven’t you been paying attention to them being assholes and, like, obviously making references to it?”
“I thought I was being self-centered.”
Robin stared at him in disbelief. “So you’re book smart and have no common sense, got it.”
“I never had a friend before you!” Finney exclaimed. “The jump from friend to crush was a lot, how was I supposed to know?! What if I misread the conversation and you didn’t even actually like me?!”
“You’re actually dumb, Finn. I said you were smart, I take it back. Maybe you did lose those brain cells downstairs,” Robin said, poking the center of Finney’s forehead with his pointer finger.
Finney slapped his hand away. “Shut up.”
“Also, why would I reject you? We like each other, why can’t we do anything about it?”
“You told Ernesto it wasn’t that easy.”
“I was talking about telling you, idiot.” Robin dodged Finney’s hand and poked his forehead again. “I didn’t want to tell you because I was scared you’d be grossed out by me and not want to be friends anymore. And, well, I didn’t want to be outed or anything and have everyone at school outcast me.”
Finney huffed out a laugh. “Come on, the outcast life isn’t that bad. I handled it for fourteen years.”
“Finn, you got bullied pretty much every day.”
“That was the only downside.”
It was a lie; there were a ton of downsides to having no friends. There had never been a time in his life where Finney had been so happy as he was now that he had Robin as a friend. It had a lot to do with who Robin was as a person, but knowing he wouldn’t be alone when he walked into a lot of rooms was the biggest comfort in his life.
Robin smiled at him, knowing that Finney was lying. “I really like you.”
“I know.”
“Say it back.”
Finney couldn’t hold back his smile. “I really like you, too.”
“Nice.”
“That’s your response?”
“Yours was ‘I know.’ Mine was far better,” Robin quipped. “Finn, I don’t want to just be friends. I know we can’t tell anyone at school and you can’t tell your dad, but we’re safe here. Like, we can pretend there but we don’t have to do that here.”
Finney stared at him in silence like Robin had just done to him.
“Please say something,” Robin begged, mimicking the words from earlier.
“Processing, dipshit. Isn’t that what you said?” Finney shot back, flicking the center of Robin’s forehead. “What if we break up and I have to go back to having no friends?”
“How about we just don’t break up then?”
Finney rolled his eyes. “Be serious for a second.”
“I am!”
“There’s no way you can say that in a year we won’t realize we’re not right for each other or something.”
“You’re wrong,” Robin argued. “You’re gonna be stuck with me for the rest of your life. It’s like we’re soulmates or something, you know?”
Finney could feel his face heating up at the comment. Even if he felt that subtle feeling that maybe there was something cosmic between them, some kind of universal force that made them click together. From the moment they actually met, their friendship had been easy. Going further than just friendship would be easy, too.
“Alright,” Finney murmured.
Robin’s expression lit up the whole room. “Really?”
“Don’t get too hyped up, I demand to be taken on a date first. After that you can call me your boyfriend.”
“Nope, you said yes, we’re dating now,” Robin said, nearly launching himself at Finney and hugging him. “You would’ve already gotten a date if you had told me you eavesdropped a month ago.”
“I needed to process.”
Finney didn’t bother trying to push Robin off of him, even though he was kind of caught off guard and not expecting to be on his back. Regardless of how strong Robin was, he wasn’t very heavy so it didn’t bother Finney in the slightest. He reached up and pushed some of Robin’s damp hair away from his face.
“For a whole month?”
“Well, there were other things going on, too. I had to do homework and tutor.”
“So you had to do schoolwork first before you could think about whether or not you liked me back?”
Finney scoffed. “First time having a friend and crush,” he reminded Robin. “What do we do now?”
“I don’t know, I’ve never been with anyone,” Robin said. He rested his chin on Finney’s chest. “Nothing is gonna change that much, you know? You’re still my best friend.”
“Yeah, maybe now you just won’t get super freaked out whenever your brother or uncle teases you, huh?” Finney asked, laughing when Robin rolled his eyes. “That should be a relief, I’m being supportive.”
“I regret liking you. Never mind, you’re right, we’re breaking up.”
“Wow, couldn’t even stand me for a full five minutes?” Finney sighed dramatically. “Quitter.”
Robin flicked the middle of Finney’s forehead and got off of him. “You showed me the real you, Finn.”
They laid on their sides and readjusted the blankets so they could face each other. Calm moments like this had been few and far between in Finney’s life before Robin abruptly entered the picture. So many emotions coursed through him and he couldn’t believe how lucky he was at the same time. Never in his life did he think someone would want to be his friend, much less be in a relationship with him.
It was as scary as it was exhilarating.
As Finney started to drift to sleep, he could feel Robin shift closer and cling onto him. Usually when that happened, Finney was already asleep and Robin’s movements were much more subtle and careful. Now, he didn’t hide what he was trying to do and made himself comfortable while holding onto Finney.
They were almost asleep when the door to the room slammed open.
Finney shot up but Robin remained laying down, arms still wrapped around his waist.
“Yes!” Gwen cheered when she saw their close contact. “Finally!”
Ernesto looked just as excited. “Did you finally tell him?!” he asked Robin as he leaned over the end of the bed.
“What if I didn’t and you just exposed me?” Robin shot back, snatching Finney’s pillow away and throwing it at his brother.
“No, you two would not be that close unless someone confessed something,” Gwen said, rocking between her toes and heels like she needed a way to let out her energy without running around the room. “We’re right, aren’t we?”
Robin groaned, pressing his face into Finney’s side. “Make them go away.”
“We need help,” Ernesto whined. “There’s a lot of fruit we need to cut up, come help us.”
“You told me to stay out of the kitchen,” Finney reminded him.
Ernesto huffed. “I was mostly talking to Robin. You should stay out of the kitchen.”
Robin sat up and slipped his hand into Finney’s. Both Gwen and Ernesto looked like they were going to spontaneously combust when they saw the movement, eyes locked on where Robin and Finney were holding hands. They seemed even happier when Robin got out of bed and pulled Finney to go with him.
“Come on, Ernesto will cut his finger off,” Robin said. “You can sit at the table and just not touch anything.”
“I feel so cared about and valued,” Finney deadpanned.
Robin squeezed his hand. “Obviously,” he said, flashing one of his familiar grins that made Finney’s heart beat faster. “I’m the best thing that ever happened to you.”
Finney didn’t have to agree out loud. He had plenty of time to tell Robin all of his inner feelings. With Robin, he didn’t have to pretend he was someone else or hide anything. He could just be himself and that was the most surprising and comforting piece of knowledge Finney had ever managed to come to.
Maybe Robin was right; maybe they were soulmates. Finney didn’t know and he didn’t dwell in the moment. Their relationship had just started and they had all the time they needed to figure it out.