Querencia (Sean x Finn)

Chapter Six

Daniel started playing with Chris outside more than actually going into his house. Sean and Finn joined them, Daniel excitedly introducing them as boyfriends. Chris was curious but ultimately accepting, bringing them into his world of justice and superheroes.

Playing outside like that made Finn feel young again. It brought him back to those single moments when things weren't fucked up and he and his brothers would play. This time though he was the older one, the one that's gotta look out for the little ones. He liked that, liked being a protector.

His thoughts were brought to halt when he was pushed into the snow. "Gotta pay attention to your surroundings, Swift Blade. We almost lost the battle against Mantriod." Sean said, or rather, Silver Runner. He had Finn pinned to the ground, his dreads falling loosely into the snow through is beanie. He smirked up his boyfriend, for the moment forgetting about the kids playing in the background.

"Apologizes, Silver Runner. How 'bout we kiss and make up?" Sean looked like he liked the idea as he swept down and kissed Finn full on the lips. It lasted for about ten seconds before snowball hit them both right on their faces. Daniel's laugh echoed as he held onto Chris for support, his blond friend laughing along with him.

"Oh, that's it. I'm gonna get you, Daniel!" Sean was off Finn in a flash, chasing after Daniel all around the yard. The young adult sat up and just watched them, his smile happy and never ending. A small presence sat down beside him, and Finn could tell from the corner of his eye that Chris was a little nervous.

"I promise I'm not as scary as my tattoos and piercings make me look." Finn joked, amused by the way Chris shook his head, like that was the very last thing he meant.

"I'm not.. not scared of you. You just got a few shapes on your face.. nothin' scary. More like a super hero mask than anything." Chris smiled, a small but geunine one.

Everything about him seemed small, so innocent. Which was why Finn got a little sad when he remembered what happened yesterday morning. He made sure it didn't show though. He didn't wanna make him uncomfortable.

"You think so? Thanks, bud."

Chris nodded and brought his attention back down to his hands, he was forming a pretty good sized snowball. Finn silently hoped he wasn't gonna get hit again.

"How did you get the scar on your nose?" The question kinda caught him off guard. Finn wondered briefly if he should just lie. It'd be so easy. Just a slip in the shower. But for whatever reason, it didn't feel right lying to the young boy beside him. He looked down at the blond and gave a weak smile.

"My dad pushed me and I smashed my face against something sharp, some metal piece in his garage. Was gettin' on his nerves, I guess." He watched as Chris' eyebrows furrowed, his eyes back down to the ball in his hands. Sean was still chasing Daniel for the heck of it, their laughter fading into the background as Chris talked, his voice quivering like he was holding back tears.

"Are all dads like that?"

"No, kid, they're not." Finn sighed as he thought about Mr. Diaz. He was a good father in every sense of the word. "Dads are supposed to protect their little ones. Not hurt 'em. You understand?" Chris nodded slowly as he started working on another snowball.

"My dad, he.. used to be like that. Then my-..my mom died. He changed. Started, uh, drinking. He gets mad easily when he drinks." He explained as he put the slightly smaller snowball on top of the bigger one. Finn dug around the snow and pulled out two little twigs, "Here." Chris gave him a smile as thanks as he placed them on either side, giving the tiny snowman arms.

"From one bruised kid to another, I wanna tell you that it's gonna be okay. You're strong, Chris. But there's no shame in getting help, if you think you need it. Sounds like your dad may need some help, too." He added the last part lightly to make sure he didn't cross any lines. But he meant every word, knew from experience. Chris' situation seemed a little different from his, he wasn't stuck like Finn was, he could probably get out. But according to Chris, his dad used to be good to him. The boy was no doubt clinging to that. So maybe he was a little stuck after all.