Secrets Between Us || Finn & Rye
It occurred to Rye somewhere around the time that the bartender handed him a second drink and Finn’s third— fourth? More? He’d lost count—that he really shouldn't be surprised how he ended up here anymore. Pretty often, as of late, Rye would end up somewhere with Finn, both drunk, the latter seeming to be much more so, and something unspoken hanging in the air.
Rye felt guilty over it, not entirely sure if it would always be this way now. Since they weren’t children anymore, unmarked by war and its effects. Before rumors of a bastard child were being whispered in Court as well as back alleys. Before Rye had disowned his brother; not publicly of course. But to those that knew Oberon’s true side. Robin, the Nighthawks. The only people that knew secrets Rye wouldn’t dare let himself get drunk enough to spill. If one of the two was going to break over their respective secrets, Rye sure as hell wasn’t going to be the first; too many other lives were tied to his. That was why he limited himself now during these outings to only two drinks. If Finn pushed—well, Rye knew the bartender, and knew he could get her to claim a glass of juice was some mixture of a drink she’d been ‘experimenting’ with. Not a drop of alcohol, but by then Rye was always betting that Finn had had too much to notice.
Guilt and secrets aside, Rye let himself enjoy these nights with Finn. Always, for at least a few short spans, a few minutes at a time maybe, when Rye slurred and stumbled over a simple phrase and sent Finn into a fit of laughter as he tried to choke out what he meant to say, or when Finn was attempting to flirt with someone at the bar, sometimes just then, he could pretend it was like before. Cousins, carefree and unscarred by war, not caring about what happened outside of the tavern walls.
Making his way back over to Finn, an easy smile tugged at his lips. He misjudged the distance though, and bumped into Finn’s back, laughing at himself a bit as he held the drinks high to keep them from spilling. “I was only gone for a minute, I hope you didn’t manage to get yourself into trouble yet,” he teased, before lifting one of the glasses to take a sip of his drink, and pressing the other towards Finn.
@corvuspuellus