Whumptober 2022 Oneshots + Alt List Oneshots

Prompt 14.5 : Protective

Fandom : The Black Phone (movie - 2022)
Pairing : Finney/Robin
Chronology : Pre-canon
Headcanons : Dyscalculic!Robin, FTM!Finney

Robin was very protective of Finney. Not in the sense that he guarded the other boy from every little thing, no. Part of his being so protective was that he wanted to make sure Finney could defend himself if something ever happened and he wasn't there. With that in mind, he couldn't help but stand up for the guy. That was his friend, goddammit. So what if he was a little sheltered or didn't have a dick or any of the other things the kids in the halls teased him for? It didn't affect them.

"You're really protective, you know that?" Finney asked one afternoon as they worked on their homework together. Robin usually went home with him after school so they could do homework together since he needed help with the math portions. It wasn't his fault, really. The numbers just floated around on the page and he couldn't decipher what he was looking at on his own. Besides, it's not like Finney minded. He enjoyed Robin's company.

"Well, yeah" Robin confirmed, not picking up on the teasing tone that had seeped into Finney's voice with the question. "You're my friend. I don't want people to fuck with you. but you do need to learn how to stand up for yourself too, you know"

"Yeah" Finney agreed with a sigh as he finished off one of his equations and went to checking it. "It's just... Hard. I'm not like you, Robin"

"You shouldn't be like me" Robin told him. "Sure, most people leave me the fuck alone, but that's a double-edged sword, Finn" he explained. "A lot of people avoid me because they think I'm scary" he admitted. "You're probably my only real friend"

"I refuse to believe that"

"It's true!" Robin insisted. "Yeah, I got a few other friends here and there but I'm not close with any of them... Not like I am with you"

"You like me" Finney teased, getting an eye roll in response.

"Whatever" Robin dismissed. "What number is this?"

"Oh, uh, fifty-two"

"Thanks"