BRANCE + RINNEY

rinney - half empty glass, beer stains on the carpet

Finn hadn't been by himself for long, maybe an hour give or take. His shoes had long dried with mud, threads of grass and wilted flower stuck to the soles of them. His hair was burned a light shade from the sun, his skin one in the same with patches of cherry red ducking under the coats of freckles.

His dad, a sorry man with liquor etched onto the buds sewn into his tongue, kicked him out for the day. Something along the lines of how Finn needed to learn to be a man, to take a punch and throw one back. What a joke that was.

Finn dipped his shoes into a puddle as he walked, his socks turning sticky with the bitter cold pouring over them. He didn't mind and continued on his way, crossing paths of many adults and kids on bikes as he strolled past neighborhoods.

"Finney! Hey, over here man!" The voice bounced through Finn's ears, a tone that was familiar kissing the center of the drums stuck inside them. Turning around, Finn smiled and waved.

"You walk too fast." Robin's jogging came to a stop and he placed his hands on his knees, his back hunching over as his chest heaved with raspy exhales. Finn laughed at the sight, crossing his arms as he squinted away from the afternoon sunlight. "What, what are you doing out here by your lonesome?" Robin stood straight, a smile messily glued to his face as he shielded away sun with his hand. "Dad kicked me out, same old same old." Finn continued to smile when Robin did not. "Your old man's an asshole, you should come over to mine. Mamá's making gazpacho later. You like that, right?" Finn nodded his head, curls bouncing and curving around his eyes as his smile grew. "Yeah, always."

Robin nodded his head and began to walk away, only turning around when he realized Finn wasn't trailing near his side. "You comin'?" Finn rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and picked up a slight jog to catch up to the other boy. "Course I am."

Robin's home was always warm, the complete opposite of Finn's. The walls were painted an ivy green, coated with an extra layer of paintings and aged marks. The floors were a deep honey shade, splinters of wood poking out near the doors. The entire home smelled of spices and vegetables, wafting from the kitchen where the static of a radio and the silk-sound of Isabel Arellano could be heard.

"She sings nice." Finn slid his shoes off on the porch, smiling at Robin who held the door for him. "Thanks." Robin nodded his head at the gratitude, closing the door after the both of them made it inside. "Papá used to say she was a star, his light in the sky and all of that." Robin did a wave of his hands which Finn laughed at. "That's cute." Robin smiled, the reflection of a family portrait lingering in his eyes before he turned his head.

"¡Mamá, Finn está aquí!" Finn braced himself as the sound of hurried footsteps rushed towards him, warm hands cupping around his face and red-painted lips peppering across his cheeks as Isabel embraced him. "¡Hijo mío! ¿Cómo has estado? ¡Oh, mírate, estás tan flaco! Ven, la comida está en la mesa para ti." Robin blew out a sigh as Finn was dragged away, a nervous giggle tumbling through his lips as he rounded a corner.

The dining table was lined with food, as mentioned. Finn could feel himself salivating, stomach flipping in rings of pain as it growled for him to make a move towards the plates. Robin grabbed him by the hand, calloused fingertips rubbing circles as he whispered affirmations. "Take your time."

"Voy a recoger a tu tío el taller, sé un buen chico." Isabel ran a hand through Robin's hair as she spoke, a loud laugh erupting from her when he swatted her hand away. "¡Mamá!" Isabel ignored the boy's sounds of complaints as she moved over to Finn, her lipgloss leaving a light print on his hair as she kissed over it. "Los amo chicos, ¡adiós ahora!" Robin rolled his eyes and muttered out a sentence of how both he and Finn loved the woman as well.

The front door shut after that, silencing the home quickly.

"Sorry about her, you know how she is." Robin rubbed a hand over his face and slouched into a chair, Finn following suit although he adjusted himself into a straighter position. "It's fine." Finn went to scoot a bowl closer to him, hands fiddling against it, before Robin placed a hand over his. "Can we, could I pray? Is that alright with you?" Robin fidgeted in his seat, the wood of it creaking as his back settled against it. "Course." Finn took Robin's hands in his and closed his eyes. The floor is yours.

"Shit I, sorry, I don't know how to properly do this but, I have a wish, a prayer. There's a lot going on, a lot I can't see, a lot no one can see. But, God, I know you can see it. If it's not in your plan for me to do anything, okay, but I need you to protect Finn. I love him, I really do. I mean, he's my world man. God, sorry. Just, keep your hand over him. Shelter him. Shower him with love when I can't, if you have the power to do that. Oh and, make sure my mamá and tío get home safe please. Thank you. Amen."

Robin opened his eyes with a blow of his breath, eyes catching sight of Finn's tear-glazed ones. "What's, why are you crying? Did I say something wrong? We could redo it, let me see your hands." Robin reached his hands out again, making Finn laugh. "No, it's not that. I, I love you too Robin. It's just, no one has ever said anything about me like that. I really do love you." Finn smiled, a compliment to his features and sun-bleached hair. Robin smiled too and placed his hands softly on the table.

"I'll start praying for you more often then."