Static

~This is home~

The halls were quieter than usual, like the whole school had finally taken a breath and let it go. End-of-year posters peeled off walls, lockers slammed shut one last time, and teachers gave lazy smiles as they counted down minutes, not just for summer, but for peace.

Finney walked through it like he wasn't sure what to do with the stillness. After everything, after months of chaos and bruises and silent hallways that knew too much... this felt strange. Good, but strange. Like standing in the sun too long when you've lived in shadow.

People smiled at him now. A few nodded. He even got a half-hug from Gwen, which meant more than it looked like. But there was still something buzzing under his skin, something unsettled. It didn't go away, not completely. He wasn't sure it ever would. But it was quieter now. Manageable.

He found Robin under the bleachers. Predictable. Robin always said it was the only place you could hear your own thoughts. Finney wasn't sure if he believed that, but it didn't matter. He'd follow Robin anywhere by now.

Robin looked up when he approached, one brow raised. "Took you long enough."

Finney sat down beside him, close enough to touch. "Had to avoid Sofia and Gwen trying to make me sign their yearbooks. I think Gwen still wants revenge for throwing her pen across the science lab."

Robin snorted. "She'll live."

They sat in silence for a second. Not awkward, not heavy. Just... comfortable. Like they finally got here, to the quiet. Together.

Finney let his gaze wander, up to the spaces between the wooden slats, where light filtered in dusty ribbons. His heart felt weird in his chest. Not heavy. Not anxious. Just full. "I didn't think I'd make it through this year," he said softly. "But I'm glad I did."

Robin turned to him, something serious flickering in his gaze. "I'm glad you did too."

"And I'm glad you were there."

Robin didn't smile, not at first. He reached out, brushing Finney's hair back with fingers that didn't shake. Fingers Finney remembered clenching into fists, shielding him without question. "I'd do it all again if it meant I still met you."

Finney blinked, lips parting. He wanted to speak, to say something clever or grounding, but he couldn't. His throat was tight. All he could do was look at Robin and hope he understood.

And then Robin leaned in. The kiss was gentle, real. Not rushed. Not desperate. Just full of everything they hadn't been able to say. The kind of kiss that settled things. The kind that made Finney feel like maybe this was home, even if he didn't know what that meant yet.

Robin tasted like summer and rain and a little bit of forever. Finney kissed back slowly, with care, like if he pressed too hard, the moment would crack.

When they pulled back, their foreheads touched. Finney laughed softly, breath brushing Robin's lips. "You're such a sap."

"Only for you," Robin replied.

And in that moment, under the bleachers, surrounded by the quiet end of things and the louder beginning of something else, Finney believed him.

Outside the front of the school, Bruce stood with his hood half up, hands deep in his sleeves. The weight of the year still pressed against his ribs, bruised, but healing. He looked down the sidewalk once, twice, like he wasn't sure Vance would show.

But Vance always did.

He came up without a word, stepped close, and reached up, tugging Bruce's hood down gently.