𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂, 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯ᴬᵁ

[ 032 ] - Just To Do It All Again.

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Trigger Warnings for this chapter -
Self doubt, implied child death, implied murder, the grabber, moose, angst I guess?.. I think that's it..

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That was all it took to make Robin speak up, the boy immediately smiling, "actually I agree with them. We're gonna all sleep in your bed tonight, Cariño. Sorry, can't get out of it, it's a best friends sleepover that you desperately need"

"You're meant to be on my side, Rob" Steve argued lightly as Robin simply grinned wider at that as he gave Finn a gentle nudge towards the bedroom, speaking determinedly, "I am on your side, Finn. And that means I'm sleeping with you and the other boys in your tiny ass bed. And you're not getting out of that one either."

"You're so mean" Steve mumbled as he moved towards his bedroom while the boys were all quiet as they listened to Steve's light grumblings, all of them simply chuckling affectionately at his complaints making Robin laugh and shake his head, "you're actually kinda cute when you get all grumpy, Cariño."

"Shut up, Estúpido" Steve mumbles as he blushes lightly which only seemed to encourage Robin, "you also get extra cute with your hair all messed up and your cheeks all pink like that.."

"Why are you like this?" Steve sighed as he looked back at Robin who just laughed at Steve's question, before saying quietly in an even more teasing tone, "like what, Cariño?"

"Robin" Steve whined out quietly and Robin couldn't seem to stop himself, he just kept teasing Steve, his voice filled with affection as he said quietly, "aww, you're not helping your case here, Finn.."

"If I go to sleep will you stop?" Steve asked making Robin go quiet as he processed Steve's question, before finally speaking again, "yep. If you go to sleep, I'll stop. I'll stop teasing you if you just actually go to sleep, Finn."

"Wish you did that back then" Steve muttered to himself as he entered his room making all the boys quiet as they listened as Steve muttered to himself quietly.

Robin suddenly sighed though, clearly having heard Steve's words since he was the closest and he looked down sadly as guilt filled him at how his Finn wished he'd done these things back then, how he clearly felt like he hadn't been good enough for Steve, like he'd failed him somehow..

"If I could go back, I'd do it all over again, Cariño. And I'd do it much, much better. I'm sorry, Finn.." Robin tells him quietly making Steve look at him in confusion, "Do what better exactly?"

"Everything, Finn. I'd just.. take care of you better, you know? Make sure you knew how treasured you were, how much I cared about you. Make sure you knew how loved you were. Make sure you didn't feel alone... I'd just- I'd do it all over, but better this time" Robin said quietly, pain and guilt filling his voice.

"You were perfect the first time, don't you dare change for me, you're perfect, Estúpido" Steve stated making Robin look utterly thrown by his words, clearly not expecting to hear Steve say he thought he'd been perfect.

The other boys watched them silently, not wanting to ruin the moment between the two of them and Robin finally managed to speak, "I wasn't.. I never did any of that.. I wasn't there for you. I wasn't perfect.."

"You beat up Moose for me.. and don't you dare try and play it off, i know it was cause of me" Steve tells him making Robin go quiet once more, his eyes widening before he finally sighed and then spoke quietly, trying to sound confident, "yeah.. yeah, I beat him up because I was sick of him hurting you. But that's all I did, Finn. I didn't do anything else.. I just hurt Moose and left it at that and I should have done more.."

"..that was good enough, Robin, more then anyone except Gwenny had ever done for me, so yeah, you were perfect, Chico Pájaro" Steve told him gently.

Robin's eyes widened at that, shock and disbelief filling him as he heard Steve's words. He was utterly stunned by the realization that he was the only person, except Gwen, who had protected Steve from his old bullies.

That knowledge felt like a knife being driven straight through his heart making Robin's eyes fill with pain as he suddenly spoke up quietly, "You deserved more than that though, Finn.. you deserve so, so much more..."

"you deserved more than what you got, me? I'll be okay" Steve tells him with a small smile making Robin feel like an idiot, he was an idiot.. "Please.. don't try to make me feel better. You were the one that was hurt, not me"

"And you're the one that's not here anymore Robin, I'll be okay, I promise you" Steve spoke softly making Robin's heart break more, a choked whimper was heard as tears finally began to fall silently down both of their cheeks.

Robin tried to speak through the tears, his voice broken but he finally managed to choke out, "I didn't mean for that to happen, Finn.. I was supposed to protect you, not leave you.."

"..that- The Grabber wasn't your fault, Robin.. your death wasn't your fault and what I went through, what I did, that wasn't your fault either" Steve told him honestly as he wiped at his own tears making Robin's resolve finally break as his tears started to fall faster.

He began to sob, standing there openly crying in front of Finney... he couldn't stand the thought that he didn't blame him, in fact, it only made him feel worse... he hadn't done anything to earn that, he felt like he didn't deserve the kindness his Finn was showing him right then to make him feel better... "but it was, Finn.. I left you.."

"And you're still technically here. You and the others helped me get out of that basement and I'm fine, see?" Steve told him, gently poking Robin on his nose.

Robin choked back the sobs in his throat in an attempt to speak, finally managing to force an answer through the tears, asking desperately, "but you're not fine, Finn.. you're not.. you're still struggling..."

"Then I will be fine, Robin.. I have the boys.. and I have you.. because you're always with me, Robin.."