The Black Phone Oneshots!

Outside it Starts to Pour (Rinney, fluff)

Keeping this one bc I forgot I can just edit chapters *insert buff arm emoji*

He lost his rhythm long ago, whatever prayer he was supposed to be reciting lost in the abyss he calls a brain. His thoughts in favor of thinking about the boy around his age sat across from him. He can hear the rain pattering against the stained glass, his hands are still clasped as he searches for something else to think about while the faint words in the form of prayers are being muttered, whispered, around him.

The rain patters against stained glass, his hands stay clasped, words being muttered around him.

He lost his rhythm long ago, whatever prayer he was supposed to be reciting lost in the abyss he calls a brain. His distraction is a boy around his age, Finney learned to read lips when he was younger because his mom had temporary hearing loss and he picked it up because it seemed easier than sign language when he was eight.

Granted, the reading use is useless when you aren't the one with hearing loss, eight year old Finney didn't really pick up on that. His mom still appreciated the effort, though, so it's the thought that counts?

Which, he lost the skill a bit ago, but it's coming back in full force as the other's lips part around silent words meant for no one but Finney. Some are not eligible, possibly a different language but he can't get himself to dwell on the possibility for long since Gwen's tapping his shoulder for him to get up.

"Who are you death staring?" Gwen asks, whispering so their parents don't overhear from their stance just a few feet to the right. Or left? Finney never could tell the directions easily. "There was a guy, he started it," Finney replies, matching the whispering tone. "Finn, you can't blame everything on five-year-olds," Gwen sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose at her brother's antics. "No, Gwen- he was our age," Finney corrects, he doesn't death stare children anymore, and he's offended Gwen thinks otherwise.

Gwen pauses before facing her brother properly.

"Someone willingly looked at you?" Gwen questions, sounding genuinely curious like this information is just absolutely shocking news. "Haha, very funny," Finney mocks, rolling his eyes. "No, but, seriously. He wasn't even praying, I swear, he was just staring at me," Finney confides, being a gay teenager isn't easy and he is hurt that Gwen is poking fun. "Were you praying?" Gwen questions, raising an eyebrow.

Finney opens and closes his mouth, "Well– No, but I don't see how that's even hardly relevant," Finney responds, turning his body away from his sister but keeping his gaze focused on her. ""Wonderful answer, what happened to being all goody-two-shoes?" Gwen asks, curious.

Finney doesn't answer, just moves to go catch up with Griffin who started on his way out of the church already.

"I hate that new guy," Finney confesses to Griffin, accepting the arm that gets loosely slung around his shoulders. "Rob?" Griffin inquires. "Yeah, you know him?" Finney replies. "He's the new pastor's nephew, our age, and he seems sweet. What's giving the ick this time?" Griffin asks, he's used to Finney making assumptions about people rather quickly but this one he didn't even get a word in to.

Finney gathers it all up.

"He just gave me the stink eye, doesn't seem very sweet to me," Finney settles, deciding if he went through with saying everything then Griffin might accuse him of jealousy. Or worse, a crush.

Griffin hums in acknowledgment, staying silent for a moment.

"Well, maybe, just maybe, you gave it to him first? Because you have a habit of doing that," Griffin attempts to reason, and Finney barely even scratches the surface of that idea before he's turning it down. "Nah, I've gotten better about it, I wasn't," Finney replies, he's not lying. He didn't.