Fin

[goodfellow]

continued from here

Robin smiled to himself as he walked around and sat behind the desk. "Come in."

Comments

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin rolled onto his side to watch him, then slowly sat up.

"If we sit on the balcony and smoke, will anyone see us?"

[goodfellow]

"Probably not," Robin shrugged, and came over with a glass for Fin, before returning to grab the cigarettes. "Though even if they could, I don't really give a shit. This balcony faces inward, not to the street."

[prince_of_nymphs]

"Just don't fancy finding myself splashed all over some trashy website," Fin admitted quietly.

[goodfellow]

"Want me to get you a hat and sunglasses?" Eliot asked, smirking a little as he turned back towards him.

[prince_of_nymphs]

"So I can look especially ridiculous in the photos?" Fin joked, shrugging, then offering a smile. "No, that's alright. Wouldn't happen to have a robe in here though, would you?" he asked as he stood and stretched.

[goodfellow]

Robin threw open a closet. It was a small walk-in, filled with a combination of costumes, suits, and yes, robes. He pulled out a plain plush white robe and tossed it to Fin, a policeman's uniform and a lace nightie swinging next to it.

Robin liked being naked, but it was a little chilly outside so he grabbed a red kimono-style silk robe for himself and slipped it on.

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin quirked a brow at the uniform, then chuckled as he pulled the robe on and fished his cigarettes out of his pocket.

Heading outside he made sure the robe was cinched tight before lighting up and offering the pack to Rob.

"It's still sort of strange being back in London. I mean, really strange being thrust into this new life, but... Well, I suppose you know what I'm trying to say, yeah? It's still feels strange not to wake up in that little cottage on the beach.

[goodfellow]

Robin's robe, on the other hand, was cinched loose; a stiff breeze would easily reveal everything.

He took the cigarette and held it out for Fin to light. "Not for me, pet. That amount of time was hardly a flash in the pan for me. Though still, thank god it's over. Pucks do not thrive in captivity."

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin lit it, then fell silent for a moment.

"I still miss it sometimes," he confessed after a beat.

[goodfellow]

"I'm not judging you for that," Robin said, "but I don't share the sentiment in the least." Then he took a long drag on the cigarette and blew a ring of smoke into the air above them. "Though sometimes I think Prometheus enjoyed the peace and quiet."

[prince_of_nymphs]

"I suppose we can all be thankful that it hasn't separated us," Fin noted. "This would all be much harder for me to swallow had I been on my own again, and it sounds as though you'd have missed your... Lover? Boyfriend? I've never been clear on what you are to one another."

[goodfellow]

Robin shrugged. "When you're as old as we are, there aren't really appropriate labels anymore. But this is the longest amount of time I've ever spent with him, consecutively. Usually there'a a few decades in between." He paused. "Sorry, I realize I don't even know if you really know him. But I guess it was a small island, everyone must have run into everyone."

[prince_of_nymphs]

"He made me tea once, said I looked like I had moss in my blood. ...I think he was being nice," Fin shrugged.

[goodfellow]

"He's not exactly warm and fuzzy," said Robin. "But he did bring fire to humans, and then spent a lot of time being tortured for it, so he probably gets a pass for a lot."

[prince_of_nymphs]

"Like, metaphorically, you mean," Fin replied. "I mean, I know he's old, like you're old, but all that stuff... I mean it's stories."

[goodfellow]

"I do not mean metaphorically," Robin said matter-of-factly. "His name is Prometheus. Didn't you learn about him in school?"

[prince_of_nymphs]

"Yes I- But come on. I mean, I'm not saying he's not who he is, just, you know, some of that isn't literal, right? I mean how do you give fire to man? It's a metaphor, right?" Fin replied. "You don't actually have hoofs after all," he added.

[goodfellow]

"Well I confess I wasn't there," Robin said. "But the torture was real, at least. It made him quite mad. For a very long time. Still comes out every once in a while."

[prince_of_nymphs]

"Sounds dangerous, Robin," Fin noted, concern creasing his features as he paused to sip his drink.

[goodfellow]

"Yes," Robin said, seeing no point in denying it. "He threatened to cut my dick off once. Though that was... gosh, almost half a decade ago. Still, I do a lot of dangerous things. And I've certainly had more dangerous lovers."

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin visibly winced at that, the thought of that sort of violence making his stomach turn.

"Like who?" he asked quietly.

[goodfellow]

Robin looked at him for a second. "This is upsetting you," he said, a touch of surprise in his voice. "There's no need to talk about it."

[prince_of_nymphs]

"It- Well yeah, of course it upsets me," Fin replied, stubbing out his cigarette. "I don't like thinking about people hurting you. ...I'm not judging though. I mean- Maybe you like it, or... Or, like, sometimes you don't really have a say, right? Sometimes things just happen and you get on with it," he shrugged, though the way he said that last part was almost as if he was searching for reassurance himself.

[goodfellow]

Robin was quiet for a moment and then said, "I know that it's very difficult to comprehend a sense of scale when it comes to me," he said. "I can hardly do it myself, and I've lived it. But in my many, many years I've encountered many creatures far more powerful than I am. Statistically, it would be very unlikely that I'd never experienced the kinds of things I suspect you're imagining. But I can at last tell you that when it comes to when I've been hurt during sex, it's most often been with my wholehearted consent."

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin nodded, falling silent for a long moment.

Eventually he spoke again though, wetting his lips with a nervous flick of his tongue. "But, when things like that did happen, did... Did you-"

He cut himself off, not wanting to dance around the topic. Not with Robin. It was something he didn't dare talk to Hex about, or Greg, or even Eliot, but Robin, he thought, might be safe ground.

"In navigating this new life I've encountered some people who just expect certain things, and based on what I learned about the other Fin, I know it would be out of character to decline now. ...When declining is even an option. So... I'm getting on with it, but- How did you manage after? Assuming we're talking about the same sort of thing, I mean. Because I'm not certain that I really am. ... Managing, that is," he finished awkwardly.