Woes of the Wingmen

№ 8:

CW: Mentions of (C)SA, molestation.

December was here. And they were supporting Donna at her Christmas Choir concert. It was going relatively well (but too quiet for Vance and Bruce's tastes). Until Vance heard some others behind him whispering.

"Isn't that the kid who escaped?"

"He killed the Grabber? He seems too small to have strangled that guy to death."

An emotional trigger in him got pulled.

"Don't you think that's fucking rude? Especially at a concert where you're not supposed to be talking."

Two guys rolled their eyes at him and laughed. Ignoring him. He couldn't care less as long as they shut up.

Donna was singing with her women's choir but noticed the three boys talking to each other. And Vance seemed more pissed than usual. Ready to blow up at someone.

...

After the concert, Donna met up with Finney in the hallways.

"Congrats, Donnie, can I call you that?" Robin said.

"Why not?" She shrugged her shoulders and laughed.

Bruce noticed Vance being mad earlier and decided to try and cheer him up. By putting his arm around his shoulder and pulling him.

"So, Vanny, what were you so pissed about earlier?"

"Bruce calls you 'Vanny?'"

"Yeah, I can, Amy," Bruce said and bumped shoulders with Vance. He only smiled in response. Finney and Gwen looked at each other as if they realized something.

F: They're particularly close. And affectionate with each other. They're not like, into each other, are they?"

He shook off the idea, in what world would Pinball fucking Vance be gay?

"Finn."

"Yeah, Donna?"

"We need to talk in private."

He looked back at their friends and Gwen, confused. But followed her anyway. They went to a quiet spot, in the commons.

"What is it?"

"Finney, I hate to ask but, what exactly happened with him?

"With who?"

"The Grabber."

His breath shortened. He hated talking about it, and so did the other boys. So it was never brought up again.

"What do you mean?"

"Why didn't he just kill you? Why would he keep you guys alive?"

"How would I know? I'm not a perverted psychopath."

Her brown eyes went wide. That told her everything she needed to know. He seemed shocked at what he just said and wanted to take it back.

"Did he keep you guys alive because he wanted to molest you?"

He couldn't say much so he said, "Yes." His head dropped. He was so overcome with shame. He hated being vulnerable like this. Even thinking about it made him filthy.

But she hugged him, and he was put off guard. But he accepted it and dropped to the ground. Putting his back to the wall. He leaned on her shoulder and cried. Which transformed into sobs. He hasn't cried like this since that hopeless day in the basement.

Her arm was around him and she rubbed his arm with her hand. She figured that she would reassure any potential thoughts.

"You are not dirty for what he did to you. It's not your fault. He is a monster, he is...a devil straight from Hell. And don't think he took your virginity either. Sex is, it's something you do with someone else. Not to them. And that counts for having it the first time. What happened to you, to all of you, was horrifying. I'm glad he's dead. Because if he wasn't..." He wiped his tears and looked at her, eyes puffy from crying.

"I can't guarantee that I wouldn't be sitting in a prison cell for murder." She said it as a dark joke but there was something even darker within in her eyes. Protective, possessive, aggressive.

He laughed, and she laughed a little with him. Not much, since she knew she wasn't completely joking.

"Finn?" Gwen asked, with the others behind her. Even their dad was with her. He immediately got up, incredibly embarrassed that anyone found him like that.

Robin looked over at Donna. They didn't exchange words but he knew just from her expression that he had just told her what happened to Finney. What happened to all of them. And her face darkened and her eyes burned up with hellfire. She was angry, at the Grabber. At Albert Shaw. And he knew damn well she would curse his name even in the afterlife.