BRANCE + RINNEY

Rinney - Almost Allowed (2)

Robin picked himself up from his bed, eyes stinging harshly from crying the previous night. Had his dad really left? Was it his fault? The questions seemed to circle the boy's brain, overpowering the rest of his senses. He was unconsciously pacing around his room, hands squishing the sides of his face tightly. He bumped into his dresser, sending a picture lying close to the edge down onto the floor below, immediately shattering the glass holding it in the frame. Robin cursed, quickly picking up the remnants of the photo's frame. His eyes softened when he saw who was in the picture.

It was him and Finn, their first sleepover all of those years ago. They looked tiny in the picture. Less informed about the world than they are now. Robin wanted to cry about it, throw his head into his pillow and not come back up until his lungs felt ablaze from lack of oxygen. He picked the broken picture up, placing it on its front side on his dresser once again. He paid no more attention to it, cleaning up the rest of the glass on the floor and throwing it into a nearby bin.

Robin left his bedroom a short time after, eyes heavy from crying before bed and lack of sleep. His mother was leant against the kitchen counter, eyes gazing intently at the brewing coffee in front of her. Robin coughed softly, immediately catching her attention. She smiled sadly at him, leaning upright and signaling for him to sit down with her. He obliged, gnawing on his lower lip in nervousness.

"Mama, please. Tell me what happened yesterday. Where did dad go?"

The boy's mother sighed, rubbing her hands together slowly as if she was going to reveal some big secret she had been keeping for years.

"Dijo que no podía manejar tu estilo de vida. Le dije que se hiciera hombre o se largara. Eligió este último."

Robin's eyes traveled down to the table he was sat at, chest heaving softly as his mother's words repeated in his head. He left because of you. So selfish.

The boy's mother reached a hand out towards her son, attempting to hold his hand that lay limp on the table. He stood up, backing away from the physical contact with blank eyes.

"I have- I need to go. I'll be back soon."

Robin once again left the house, his mother once again pleading for him not to.
———-

Robin was sat in a swing, softly pushing himself back and forth as his eyes scanned over the other children playing in the small park. He ignored the feeling of yearning he felt deep inside of him, secretly wishing he could feel as free as the younger ones.

"I'm sorry sir, but can me and my friend swing there?"

Robin looked down, smiling softly as he saw two boys staring up at him with wide eyes. He quickly got off the swing, motioning for them to sit and use them. The yearning he felt came back full force, this time without being pushed away. Robin was yearning not only for freedom itself but for freedom to be with the one he loved. Freedom with Finn.

Robin left the park, turning left towards the cemetery. He had no one to visit there, but he liked to admire the flowers people would leave to honor those inside of it. Robin walked around the outside gates, eyes briefly gazing over the grey headstones lined across the inside grass. His heart skipped a beat when he saw an all too familiar boy placing a single white rose in front of a large, cross shaped headstone. The boy wasn't crying, but his posture was a bit slouched. Robin wanted to turn away from watching the boy, afraid he'd be caught staring and thought of as weird or grotesque in an emotional sense. Before he could get the chance to do so, the boy he had been looking at turned around, eyes widening in the smallest amount when they met the other's. Robin turned quickly away, walking down the sidewalk once more. This time, warm tears pooled in his eyes and dropped down with a sense of grace, softly tickling the edges of his nose as they passed by.

"Robin! Robin, stop!"

Robin halted himself, not having the energy to keep running from the one calling his name. In front of him, a poster board was hung on the side of a building, the words 'Be True to Yourself!" in bold black letters painted on the lower portion of it. He frowned at the sight, conflicted feelings making his heart beat rapidly in his chest and through his ears.

"Robin. What- are you okay?"

Robin turned towards the boy, deja vu hitting him with the force of several delivery trucks. He nodded his head at the question, mouth not making an effort to open and properly respond.

"I'm sorry. About your dad. He-"
"He left last night. Couldn't stand to be around me any longer. You don't have to apologize."

Robin winced at his own words, the thoughts in his head now becoming reality. Finn winced as well, feet awkwardly pressing into the earth beneath them.

"Does this mean you'll go back to being yourself. I- we all miss you. I miss you."

Robin gave a small smile at the words, shoulders shrugging in response to them. "I don't know Finn. There's- it's too much right now." Finn gave an understanding nod, hands tapping at the sides of his pants. "Okay. Well, I'm always here. Bruce and Vance as well, but I-" The boy cut himself off, pink dusting over his pale cheeks. "I know Finn. I know." The boy nodded once more, turning his back to the other as he began to walk away. Before he was too out of sight, he turned around once more, a smile adorning his face and making his freckles seem just a bit brighter in color.

"I love you Robin!"
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