Bonded

Chapter 3: Shit Happens Real Fast

Finch took two steps out of the bunk room and stopped dead in his tracks.

"What the shit."

"Finch!" Race grinned from where he was standing on the banister, balancing precariously.

"You're gonna break your neck, Racetrack." Finch stated.

Race just smiled wider. "Care ta join me?"

"Why not." Finch chuckled, climbing up next to Race and leaning against the wall with his legs stretched out along the banister.

"Albert!!" Race yelled down.

The boy looked up. "Whaddaya want, ya piece o' shit?!"

"Get up here!" Race grinned.

"Would it kill ya ta say 'please' every once in a while?!" Albert shot back, even as he jumped off a chair and onto the banister, latching onto the bars tightly.

Race blew a raspberry at him, which prompted Albert to do one back, then Race again, then Albert, until they where having some sort of raspberry-blowing standoff, while Finch just chuckled fondly.

"Ok, settle down, children." Finch said teasingly.

Race pretended to think about it. "Hmm... no."

"We ain't kids!" Albert declared dramatically.

Finch laughed. "Sure, you're not."

"I'm gonna jump out a window!" Race announced randomly, bounding off the railing and into the bunk room.

"Just do it on the first floor!" Albert yelled after him.

Finch shot him a look that said, 'what the actual fuck'. But Albert just shrugged, eyes flitting to the bunk room door.

"Go on, Al." Finch said, inclining his head to where Race had just disappeared. "I don't mind."

Albert flushed slightly and hopped over the banister, grinning brightly. "Thanks, Fin."

Finch watched him go, a random wave of sadness washing over him, but then Al glanced over his shoulder and grinned at him — a full grin, not just a smirk — and it was suddenly worth it.

Damn that smile. Damn that boy.

*-_-*-•-*-_-*

Finch was on the roof. Again.

Not the lodging house roof, mind you. The roof of the office building next door.

He had hopped the gap between the buildings and climbed up the fire escape to the roof of the — much taller — building.

It wasn't all that uncommon for him to be up there. He liked being up high. Trees were his favorite, but there weren't too many of those, so he climbed buildings.

Finch was reclined on the roof, watching the sky go dark, when he heard someone coming up the ladder. He wasn't at all surprised to see Albert's head poking over the ledge.

"Hey, Al."

Albert pulled himself onto the roof, panting heavily. "Hey, Fin... *huff*, Why'd ya... hafta pick... such a tall... building?"

Finch couldn't suppress a smile and he inclined his head towards the sky. "S'got a nice view."

Albert propped himself up on his elbows, sweaty hair sticking to his forehead, and looked out at the setting Sun.

"S'beautiful." Albert murmured.

Finch nodded, but there was an ever present sadness in his eyes. "Wish I could see 'em."

Albert turned his head to his friend, eyes squinted in confusion. "See what?"

"The colors." Finch said wistfully, still looking at the sky. "I miss seein' 'em."

Realization flooded Albert's face and he nodded slowly. "Your soulmark?"

"One of 'em." Finch replied easily. "Got two."

Albert blinked. "Really? Me too."

"Yeah?" Finch finally looked at him, smile lopsided. "What's yours?"

"I got a name on my ankle," Albert tapped the spot for reference, "and a sentence on my wrist. What about you?"

Finch leaned back again. "Well, I can't see color, and I got a sentence on my wrist."

"What's it say?" Al asked curiously.

Finch punched him playfully. "Don't think I'm allowed to tell you that."

"Yeah, probably not." Albert conceded, relaxing onto the rooftop. "But what's it like at least?"

Finch took his time answering, glancing at the words again. It's Race. "It's... short and confusing."

"Like Boots?" Albert offered, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards into a smirk.

"Yeah," Finch laughed, "just like Boots."

Finch nudged his friend. "What about you? What's yours like?"

Albert absentmindedly ran his fingers over his wrist. "It... I don't know. I don't see how it could break my heart."

They sat in silence for a long time after that, Albert watching the colors fade from the sky, and Finch watching the light fade.

"Finch..." Albert started, resolutely not looking at him. "Can I talk ta you about something?"

"'Course." Finch replied immediately, head turned to look at his friend. "What's goin' on?"

Albert sat up abruptly, running a hand through his hair. "Look, ya gotta promise not to hate me. I thought about goin' ta Romeo but he'd tell Specs, and I don't want his logic thinkin' and you're the only person I'd trust and please don't think bad o' me, I-"

"Al. Al, calm down." Finch sat up too, sliding a hand onto Albert's shoulder. "It's okay. I'm not gonna hate you. I couldn't. Now what's goin' on?"

"S'bad, Fin." Albert said quietly. "I did somethin' I shouldn't have."

"Al did you kill someone?" Finch asked with a straight face.

Albert jerked backward. "WHAT?! NO!"

"Then it can't be that bad." Finch said easily, a shadow of a smile on his face. .

Albert shook his head. "I fell for someone."

"That's what this is about?" Finch almost laughed. "Albert, you know I don't care you're queer. None of us do. You seen Specs and Ro? Or Mush and Blink? Or even-"

"It's Race."

Finch's heart stopped.

Oh.

So that was what those words meant.

Nothing terrible had happened to Race.

No.

But this hurt so, so much worse than what he could've ever imagined.

And he suddenly registered that they had been sitting in silence for a little too long.

"I-... uh," Albert cleared his throat uncomfortably, eyes darting from his fidgeting hands, to a nearby building, to the sky again. "I didn't mean for it ta happen. I didn't ask- I-I didn't want-"

Finch snapped into action at the sight of his friend — 'Soulmate,' his mind supplied helpfully — in distress. "Hey, it's okay, Al. Ya don't needa explain yourself. You didn't do nothing wrong."

And the way Albert looked up at him, like a heavy weight had been lifted off his back, was enough for Finch to know he'd done the right thing, no matter how wrong it felt.