"I didn't fucking knee you in the balls." Finn managed, slowly getting up. He winced from the pain but managed to get up. He spat on the ground, getting rid of the blood in his mouth. Still breathing heavily, he forced himself up. His hands balled into fists again as he stared at Raihn. He was ready mentally to keep going, but physically if he tried his body could betray him. Looking down at his knuckles, his eyes widened at just how bad they looked. Opening his fists, his hands began to shake. "Mierda" He muttered under his breath. Looking up, he finally really saw what Raihn's face looked like. Swallowing thickly, he stepped back a bit.

(Sorry oh my god)

Raihn scoffed at Finn's words, rolling his eyes with a sharp huff. After all the punches Finn had thrown at his face, any lingering guilt Raihn might have felt had been thoroughly erased. Lifting a hand, he brushed at the blood smeared along his lip, hissing softly at the sting when his fingers made contact. "Yeah, shit is right..." He muttered under his breath, catching Finn's mumbled words. His eyes never left Finn, sharp and calculating as he watched realization start to creep across his face. He saw it in the subtle shifts of his expression and the way he stepped back like he couldn't believe what he'd done. Raihn let out a low, irritated breath and pushed himself to sit up fully. With a grimace, he planted one hand firmly on the ground and slowly worked to pull himself to his feet. The second he shifted his weight onto his injured ankle, a sharp jolt of pain shot through him, forcing him to wobble unsteadily. Damn it. Of course, his walking stick was out of reach, why would anything in his life be easy? Biting back a frustrated growl and balancing himself as best as he could he let his gaze turn to the river. He wanted to get a better look at his face, to assess the damage that had been done, but with his ankle in this state, what the hell could he even do about it?

Breathing in shakily, Finn kept his eyes on Raihn. He watched as the male struggled to get up, and he looked back at his walking stick. Finn wasn't going to it, if Raihn didn't want to be treated like a charity case then he could do everything on his own from now on. Pushing any words said by Raihn aside, he looked down at the ground. "I kissed you, be-" Finn started, his voice quieter now, "Why do you think I kissed you dude." Finn said, raising his voice. Surely Raihn couldn't be that dumb, or could he? Maybe Finn would have to spell it out for him. The pain in his balls was still lingering, but it was much more bearable now, surely he'd have a bruise there. His face was also hurting, but not as much as he assumed Raihn's face did. Finn got in a few nasty hits, making him feel slightly guilty now. Stepping closer by just a smidge, he had a different look in his eyes, remorsefulness. His eyes quickly fell down to his bloody and bruised knuckles, a reminder of the pain he had just inflicted on Raihn. Raihn did fight him back, but Finn swung first.

Riahn's eyes shifted toward the walking stick lying on the ground where he had left it. He drew in a slow and measured breath before attempting a step toward it. There was no way in hell he was going to ask Finn for help, not after everything that had been said in the last several minutes. Finn had made it clear he was sick of taking care of him, and Raihn was just as tired of being treated like some kind of burden, like a charity case. He'd sooner fall flat on his face than let himself rely on Finn for anything, especially now.

`

The second he put weight on his injured ankle, a sharp and searing pain shot through his leg like fire. It hit so hard and fast that his ankle nearly gave out, and he stumbled, just barely managing to catch himself and stay upright. Cursing under his breath, he clenched his jaw at the idea of walking to the stick abandoned him entirely. Crawling also crossed his mind, but the thought of doing that in front of Finn made his stomach churn with irritation. Frustrated, Raihn let out a sharp sigh. When Finn spoke, his voice broke through the tension and scattered Raihn's thoughts, pulling him to the present. Turning his head he flicked his green gaze to Finn as the other man spoke. His brows furrowed at the question, his mind turning over the words as they settled uncomfortably in his chest. "Why?" He repeated, his tone clipped before he shrugged. "I don't know. I'm guessing you wanted another quick hook-up." He answered, his voice edged with sarcasm, though he wasn't entirely sure he believed his own words.

Finn's brows furrowed a bit at Raihns answer. "No Raihn. I," Finn couldn't finish the sentence, and it killed him. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he turned towards Raihn. "I like you." Finn said quickly, regretting it slightly as soon as the words came out of his mouth. He could say more, but he bit his tongue. Waiting for Raihns reaction would be the best option instead of rambling on. He grew quite hot within a couple of seconds, so he turned around. His brain was yelling at himself for opening his mouth and saying such a thing. It was true, but Raihn had made it clear he didn't feel the same way. Saying anything increased the risk of getting rejected even more, so that's what Finn was anticipating. The whole fight was pointless, it felt good to get any pent-up anger out but hurt knowing he took it out on Raihn. Why? Why would he do that? Many thoughts ran through his mind, making his breath quicken a bit.

Raihn hadn't known what to expect after answering Finn's question, but hearing him say that he had kissed him because he liked him? Yeah, that definitely hadn't crossed his mind. The surprise, he was sure, was written all over his face because, for a moment, all he could do was stare ate Finn. His brain struggled to process the words he'd just heard, to make sense of what he'd just been told. Finn... liked him? Was that even right? Had he somehow misheard? When Finn turned away, something Raihn's chest tightened uncomfortably, the weight of the moment pressing down on him like a heavy fog. "What?" He managed to whisper after a beat, his voice barely audible. Blinking, Raihn tried to force his thoughts to catch up. "But... I mean why? You hardly even know me..." He added, his tone laced with disbelief and the faintest trace of confusion.

((Sorry this is so short. >.>))

Upon hearing Raihn's reaction, Finn's heart only sped up and his breathing along with it. Deep breaths Finn. Closing his eyes, he took a shaky deep breath in to compose himself before turning around. "Doesn't mean I can't like you already." Finn replied a bit snippy, but he was quick to look sorry. "I just haven't, nevermind." Finn said, quick to stop himself from opening up further. He didn't want to embarrass himself any further or make matters more awkward or tense. Finn was slightly confused about his feelings as well, but it didn't make them any less apparent to him. Letting his shoulders drop, he looked down at the ground, focusing on his knuckles again.

Raihn kept his eyes locked onto Finn and tried to steady the wild thrum of his heart. He watched the way Finn's shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath, the subtle motion grounding him in the chaos of his own emotions. When Finn turned back to face him, Raign caught the tone in his voice, sharp and perhaps even irritated, but he let it slide. It didn't matter. What mattered was the honesty behind his words, the way they felt so raw and real. He wanted to deny how those words affected him, but the truth was, he couldn't. He was happy, thrilled even, at the idea that Finn liked him. He shouldn't have been. His life no longer left room for roots and didn't allow him the luxury of staying anywhere long enough to make something of a moment like this. And yet, here he was, clinging to the idea anyway. "You just haven't...what?" He asked, his voice quieter now, but edged with something raw and unspoken. He didn't know why he wanted, no needed, to hear the rest of what Finn had been about to say, but the question hung in the air between them, heavy with everything he couldn't bring himself to admit.

Swallowing, Finn looked back up at Raihn, hesitant to say what was on his mind. He was quiet for a couple of beats as his gaze fell onto Raihns lips. Once he noticed, he was quick to pull his eyes off of Raihn. "I just haven't had this feeling in a while, so keeping it in is hard." Finn replied, his voice just above a whisper. Finn then again fell quiet, slightly scared to say anything more. Raihns reaction wasn't as bad as he expected, in fact, it was a good reaction he'd say, for now at least. Taking another deep breath, his eyes then again fell down to Raihns lips for a moment before examining the cuts and bruises on his face. He still couldn't believe he had done that to him, and he felt extremely bad now. Looking down again nervously, he wasn't so tough now as he would be in most situations. Finn didn't handle rejection well, because he hated being embarrassed like that.

Raihn watched Finn carefully, catching the hesitance in his eyes and the way his gaze flicked to his lips before darting away again. That little moment, so brief it might've been missed if Riahn wasn't paying attention, sent a subtle warmth rushing through him. And he surprised himself by feeling something dangerously close to hope. When Finn finally spoke, Raihn's breath hitched. The words were quiet, almost vulnerable, and they tugged at something deep inside of him. Honestly, he had expected Finn to shut him out or brush this off, but instead, he was being honest. And that honesty hit harder than any punch ever could. For a long moment Raihn said nothing, he simply let his eyes search Finn's face. He saw the guilt lingering there and the nervous way in which he looked down, as well as the subtle crack in his bravado. Finn wasn't as guarded as he wanted to seem, and Raihn realized at that moment that he wasn't either. "Finn..." His voice was soft, but there was something steady and grounding behind it. He shifted where he stood, his ankle throbbed in protest. Despite the pain, he didn't look away, didn't want to let even a second of this moment slip by. "You're... not the only one who's been keeping things in." He admitted quietly. Where this sudden courage came from, he wasn't sure. Maybe it was the way Finn looked at him, or maybe he was just too damn tired of running from every chance at something real, but Raihn let the words tumble out.

`

"I didn't think you... felt the same way." He said, his voice quiet. "But if you do..." He tailed off, unsure of how to finish until he realized that he didn't need to. His chest felt like it might cave in as he reached for Finn, a shaky hand brushing against his sleeve to urge him closer. It wasn't much, just a hesitant touch and a silent invitation, but it felt as though the tension in the air thickened all the same. His heart hammered against his ribs as he leaned forward just enough, closing the distance between them. "Tell me to stop," Raihn murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. He wasn't sure what he wanted more in that moment. For Finn to tell him to stop as he had asked, or for him to allow this. Letting his eyes lock onto Finn's he hesitated for only a second before he tilted his head slightly and let his lips brush Finn's in a soft and tentative kiss. His busted lip stung at the contact but he ignored it, instead letting his mouth linger against Finn's. The kiss wasn't rushed or desperate, just a quiet moment of vulnerability, a quiet moment of letting himself take the risk he'd been too afraid to take before.