Blackburn was cool in temperature, the vibrant orange and green leaves that decorated its surrounding trees and shops, adding to autumn's festivity. Finn tugged his beige sweater down and bit anxiously into his lip as he trekked down the road toward the 'Sugar and Spice' cafe.

Behind the shop's glass doors were cream-colored walls- contemporary lights dangled from the ceiling, and each table was decorated with lime green and ash-colored chairs. The wooden floor underneath was a mixture of chestnut and tan slabs, laminated and pristine. As he sucked in a chilled breath and pushed the glass doors apart, he was greeted by a plethora of welcoming hands and hugs.

The celebration died down as he forced a crooked smile, adjusting his now foggy glasses. They'd already changed their tables and seats to make room for everyone in their group, their eyes shifting toward one another as he sat in his chair.

"Still, dealing with Alistaire, hm?"

"We're fine..." As Finn adjusted himself in his seat, he caught sight of his childhood friend- his wide eyes the color of the ocean. He'd known Riley Jaimes since grade school, and he hadn't changed a bit. Pink locks of hair were clipped behind Riley's ear as he swung one leg over the other, his feminine frame complimented by his lovers' masculinity. It would've been nice if he could go out with Alistaire like that.

Exchanged glances of disbelief were shifted between his friends as they all took a seat around him, Finn's nimble fingers tapping anxiously against the wooden table. Their meetings were more or less just get-togethers to discuss their lives, but they all had a habit of focusing on Finn.

As the menus were passed around, Finn leaned back in his seat and pursed his lips as his phone chimed. Not once, not twice, but three times. Another shift of discomfort among his peers made him uneasy as he checked his message. A simple check-in from Alistaire, nothing malicious or threatening.

"Do you need to take that?" Another voice broke his train of thought as he jolted his attention from his screen to his ex. His husky voice reminded Finn of Alistaire's, and the way it washed over his skin made him uneasy.

"I'm fine; he just wanted to make sure I arrived safely." Finn flashed him a quick glare and stuffed his phone back in his pocket; Liam's suggestive gaze was starting to irk his nerves. Their relationship was awkward ever since they'd broken up; Liam's one-sided love often got in the way of their friendship.

He reached for Finn's hand and blushed as he snatched himself away.

"I said, I'm fine!!" Finn snapped, his round-rimmed glasses lopsided on his nose as he shouted. The neck of his sweater fell as he glared at the raven, the purple and blue bruises on his neck now exposed.

It would've been better if he stayed home, spent the day with Alistaire, but instead, he was out with his friends and ex, who loved to over-analyze him. The air surrounding him grew thick as he jerked the rim of his sweater back up to his chin, his cheeks now flush with embarrassment.

"Finn," Riley interjected, "He's just concerned like we all are."

"I don't need your concern when I'm saying I'm fine! I'm not helpless!" His heart was pounding out of his chest as he defended himself, the heat in his face making him tremble. With a quick jerk backward, he was out of his seat and headed down the street, a distorted arrangement of voices calling out to him.

Around the corner, he found himself standing in line for bubble tea, his thumbs twiddling anxiously around one another as his eyes scanned the crowds of people in passing. A lazily dressed male took the next place behind him, his chestnut-colored hair falling in thick tufts over his forehead.

"You need something?" The male lowered his viridian gaze to a sharp glare, the aggravation in his tone quite obvious.

The scent of tobacco on the brunette's breath made his nose shrivel up as he locked eyes with the stranger. Finn didn't realize he'd been staring at him, but rather, he was thinking about how to order his tea. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking." He gave the male an apologetic smile and turned to face the front.

"If you can't choose, you should try the iced fruit milk."

The brunette pushed past him and made his way to the counter, ordering two cups of the flavor he just suggested. "I hope you don't mind me doing that?" he asked, as he placed his money on the counter.

"I could've paid for my own-"

"Who said I was buying one for you?" The shit-eating grin plastered on his face made Finn blush from embarrassment as he grabbed his order.

Yet another mortifying moment to add to his folder of insecurities- he gave the brunette a halfhearted smile and adjusted his glasses before leaving. As Finn crossed the street, he hummed and adjusted his sweater before pulling his phone from his pocket.

"Hey!"

The sound of footsteps stormed in the background as he unlocked his screen, disregarding the commotion behind him.

"Son of a-" Grabbing into Finn's shoulder, he jerked him around and huffed, his outfit still a ruffled mess. "It was a joke!"

"Embarrassing me isn't a joke." Finn grabbed the cup and wiggled his nose, stuffing his phone in his back pocket as he continued walking, the brunette by his side.

"Are you going to ask me my name?" he questioned in between sips of his milk tea.

A faint smile formed on Finn's lips as he joined him in tasting the beverage. It was pretty good. "You were the one who took an interest in me."

"Do I look like someone who took an interest in you?" Another chuckle lightened the atmosphere as they continued their walk, Finn's eyes focused on the leafy sidewalk.

"You don't have to look like it to do it." It was nice to normalize an otherwise awkward situation, but if he was seen by Alistaire, he'd be in trouble.

"Name's Embry, yours?"

"Finn..."

As he playfully nudged Finn in his side, he took another sip of his milk tea and flipped his chestnut hair to the side. He caught sight of the discoloration around his new acquaintance's neck and fixed his eyes on his beverage. "So, Finn, what do you do for work?"

"Animal care," he mumbled. Upon glancing up at Embry, Finn blushed and gripped his plastic cup close. Embry was heavily pierced, and his body was evenly toned- he looked like a delinquent. "What do you do for work?" he asked, trying to calm his mind.

A nervous chuckle escaped his thin lips as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I've been bored at home, so I want to do something fun. I've been looking around."

Just as Finn parted his lips to respond, his phone chimed three times, and he pursed his lips, pulling his device from his back pocket. Alistaire was demanding he come home, and the tone in his texts was more than threatening had he refused. "I have to go... but it was nice."

He turned on the balls of his feet and started sprinting toward the train station.

⍝⍝⍝

Underneath, his eyes were puffy as Alistaire wiped Finn's tear stricken cheeks, another backhand to his face sending his glasses crashing against the floor. Alistaire's fingers were intertwined with his hair, jerking his lover's blemished face to his own as he sneered.

"Who was he?!" He was seated in the comfort of his couch, Finn's slim frame a wobbly mess between his legs. He tugged the blonde's face upward to his own once more, smirking as a stifled groan escaped Finn's lips. "Are you going to tell me who he was?" Alistaire pressed his lips against Finn's forehead and hummed as he waited for a response.

"He was just a stranger in passing!" Between the stinging in his face and the pain in his knees, he wasn't sure what hurt worse.

"And you thought I wouldn't find out, is that it?" Another venomous kiss was pressed against his forehead before Alistaire yanked him upward. "Let's go get you cleaned up, hm?"

He gave Alistaire a silent nod and picked up his glasses; both lenses shattered. "My glasses are cracked..."

"I guess you won't piss me off anymore."

"I need them to see..."

"To see what? Other men besides myself?" he snapped.

"I need my glasses to see in general!!" Finn's eyes burned as he shouted, the dryness in his throat making his voice crack.

The fear in his mind seemed to upset his stomach as he darted upstairs to the restroom.

One dry heave followed by another, Finn gagged over the toilet- gripping the seat as he tried to empty his stomach. Alistaire was standing over him, his hands pulling back Finn's hair as he made another attempt to hurl.

"Is anything coming up?"

Finn managed to shake his head 'no' before dipping back into the toilet- the acid in his throat brought tears to his eyes as he upchucked his drink from earlier.

"Oh, I guess something did come up..." Alistaire rubbed his boyfriend's back and chuckled. "Did you get everything out?"

Pushing himself to stand, Finn, cleared his throat and meandered toward the bathroom sink to rinse out his mouth. With water sloshing around his mouth, he focused his blurry vision on the mirror, eyeing the brunette behind him. Alistaire was grabbing gauze sponges and medical tape, placing them on the counter next to Finn.

As he attempted to move around Alistaire, he winced as he was pressed into the counter- a sloppy kiss pressed into his cheek. "Think you can manage to hold still while I patch you up?"

"If I can't, will you backhand me?" With a roll of his eyes, he lazily slumped against the counter and focused his attention on the navy blue shower curtains.

A chuckle burst from Alistaire's lips as he placed another wet kiss on Finn's cheek. "Would you like to test that theory?"

"I would like to be on time for once."

The sass in Finn's voice made his mood turn from semi-sweet to bitter. "On time for what? You already went out for the day." He bit into the side of his cheek as he waited for his lover's reply.

Before Finn could respond, his bruised cheeks were in-between Alistaire's broad fingers, his lover's nails digging into his skin as he glared at him through the mirror. "I asked you a question, and I expect an answer."

"Work... I work, Alistaire." With a shaky huff, he frowned and watched his reflection with disgust. This was the face of somebody that desired nothing more than pain.

⍝⍝⍝

Two hours into work and he'd gotten his fill of dramatic stares and questions. His cheeks and arms were patched with gauze- the poorly placed medicinal tape curled over in hopes of letting his bruises breathe.

"Does anyone named Finn work here?" Liam's voice was dry as he choked out the words, his auburn eyes scanning over the employees impatiently. As he struggled to catch his breath, he held down a cough and tapped his fingers anxiously against the seams of his pants.

Finn felt his face flush as he took cover behind a support beam, instinctively furrowing his eyebrows.

As he encountered him, the pureness in his face made Finn shiver and briskly turn on his heels to shield his face. "How'd you find me?"

Liam rubbed the back of his neck and lowered his gaze unto the blonde before him, an anxious chuckle escaping his lips. "Luck, I guess?"

"But you asked for my name specifically."

He rolled his eyes and huffed. "It was a mere coincidence, that's all," he grumbled and folded his arms over his chest as he fixed his gaze on the rabbits to his left. "It smells like dirty laundry in here."

"You're welcome to leave and not come back." Finn snapped.

Liam arched an eyebrow and grinned as he scratched his cheek. "Did I push your buttons a little too hard?"

"You're going to get me in trouble; please leave."

"If that was the case, the woman at the front desk wouldn't have let me in. I'm a customer."

"You're a nuisance..." Finn gave him a crooked smile and pushed his index finger against the bridge of his nose. He forgot he wasn't wearing his glasses.

"You're not wearing your glasses?"

"I-"

"Where are they?"

The sudden coarseness in his tone made Finn bite into his bottom lip as he struggled to come up with an answer.