Spin

Thirty

[RORY]

"It is so lovely to see your face."

Anna engulfed me in a hug that confirmed the pleasantries were sincere, rocking me back and forth in the cramped pub. Christmas had quietly come and gone and the days since had blended into one another, ebbing and flowing with Finn's moods. When Anna texted to see if I wanted to go celebrate 'Three Pint Thursday' at her favorite spot, I didn't walk – I ran.

"Look at you in a bloody Peregrine knit like a local," Anna giggled as we both squeezed into the booth, pinching the arm of my sweater between her fingers. "He's successfully converted you, good on him."

"Not quite," I shook my head with a laugh, setting my coat atop Anna's on the seat. "It's Finn's, I just stole it because it was the warmest thing I could find."

"Speak of the devil. Didn't you say he'd be joining us?"

I bit my tongue for a multitude of reasons, knowing it would be pointless to give her the full download.

"He's at the studio but said he will if he gets out early."

"I won't hold my breath."

I merely smirked, not wanting to add fuel to the fire.

Finn had taken the week off, but I quickly realized I wouldn't be spending it with the Finn I knew – playful and easy and warm. No, he'd been lost in his head, distracted and withdrawn. I knew the stress and pressure of it all was getting to him but I hadn't realized just how badly.

Emotions had been high on Christmas Eve and I woke up the next day with every intent to make the holiday so special. I'd ordered room service and filled the jacuzzi tub with bubbles before Finn had even peeked an eye open, making him close his eyes as I guided him to the bathroom.

Though he was temporarily charmed by the gesture, his eyes were naturally drawn to my naked body next. I watched in confusion as his expression shifted, throwing me off.

"What the fuck are those?"

"What?"

He stepped closer, eyebrows furrowed. He reached out with the pads of his fingers and I followed their path, seeing the light purple and blues scattering my upper thighs and hips. I merely chuckled, but it wasn't reciprocated as he ran his fingers over the skin – so lightly I could barely feel it.

"Rory..."

"Finn, relax. We were a little rough, that's all."

"No, I was rough. I'm...are you okay? You have to tell me if I'm hurting you, Rory, that's not–"

"You weren't hurting me," I laughed to prove my point, shaking my head. "It's normal. You should have seen after our last big fight, on the dresser. My ass was bruised for weeks."

He was not amused.

Though a small blip, it had set the tone for the next coming days. On top of everything work and family-related that had been consuming him, he was treating me like a fragile child, too afraid to touch me or make a wrong move. He rejected any of my advances and sad as it may be, it was the longest we'd gone without any sort of intimacy – while being in the same location – in the entirety of our relationship.

By the 30th, I was tired of Finn's moping around so when Jack texted saying he had a song idea and wanted to steal him for a few hours to head to the studio, I encouraged it. It had been far more than a few hours but I had actively chosen to ignore that when Ace texted me a picture of Finn fucking around with Jack donning a wide, real smile.