#hinch

Creak

The door slid open, noise echoing through the otherwise silent room.

The man in the doorway looked around, but couldn’t see anything within the darkness of the house.

The hour was quite late, around 3:45 in the morning. Finch had just gotten back from a week-long mission, exhaustion written all over his features.

Putting his shoes away, he didn’t even bother taking his hat off before immediately collapsing on the couch. He shouldn’t be awake at this time, but some things can not be helped, this was one of those times.

It had been too long since he got to lay down and take a breather. It felt strange to do so after nonstop movement, but it was a welcome change of pace.

Heavens knew he needed it anyway.

He should probably eat, but his muscles were too sore to even think about getting up and grabbing something, let alone having to look around in the dark.

It was late, anyway. He may wake up Hacker with too much ruckus.

It’d been a while since he got to talk to Hacker..

His..fiance. 5 months earlier, the taller decided he wanted to take their relationship to the next level and took his chance when they were alone after an outing. It was clearly planned for a while, the ring picked perfectly to his size and liking.

It wasn’t all too flashy or big, but clearly not an ordinary run-of-the-mill one, perfect for his tastes.

He really knew what to look for.

It was meant to be a regular week for them earlier, but that was until lord Dream himself requested Finch’s presence urgently.

Neither of them knew the reason or how long he’d take, but it was expected to not be longer than maybe a few hours at most, a day if overkill.

But here he was now, back after a week.

One where he completely disappeared.

He didn’t check his phone during those few days, both lacking the ability and chance to.

He wonders if Hacker said anything about it..

It’s not the time to think about this, he should change.

Letting out a sigh from his lips, Finch sat back up, pausing momentarily to calm his head as it suddenly decided to make his life harder and feel like it was about to explode. Hacker would have loved to make jokes every time he said his head was pounding the last few days.

It felt oddly strange not to have someone laughing at every other word he said that could be misinterpreted.

He had gotten too used to the other’s presence, hadn’t he?

..no clue if that was good or not, but it wasn’t time to worry about that.

Finally mustering up the energy to get off the couch, he stood and decided to go to the closest bathroom in hopes of at least managing to wash his face before getting some much-needed rest. The last thing that mattered at that time was if the lights were on or not; Finch was very aware he looked like an absolute mess but didn’t have enough energy to care, not one bit and not at this hour.

The bathroom light flickered dimly as Finch entered, casting shadows all around him. The mirror reflected a face marked with exhaustion, dark circles beneath tired eyes. His hair was more messy than he’d usually leave it to be, uniform slightly wrinkled. As the water ran, he cupped his hands and splashed it on his face, the cool sensation felt refreshing even with the weariness that weighed him down.

Leaving the bathroom, he finally made his way to the room he and Hacker shared. The hallway felt longer than usual, each step echoing in the silence of the dimly lit apartment. Finch found himself leaning on the wall for support almost the entire time, his legs protesting the effort.

Leaning against the wall, Finch began to regret not just staying on the couch. The warmth emanating from the room felt inviting, but it was too late to go back now. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open, ready to face whatever awaited him on the other side.

The door creaked open, revealing the unlit room in all of its messy glory. It wasn’t a surprise to see some of his belongings lying around, it would be safe to assume the other got lonely and missed his presence. The cold air from the window hit him in the face immediately, causing him to shiver a little bit. It seemed like Hacker forgot to close it before going to sleep that night.

As his eyes adjusted to the room and its lighting once again, he noticed a figure sitting by the edge of the bed staring right at him. A rhythmic tapping sound echoed through the space, only stopping when their eyes met.

This should have been expected, Hacker has never been one for a normal sleep schedule and he wasn’t there to enforce one on him either. It probably spiraled out of control while he was gone.

The sound of the tapping wasn’t easy on the headache, but before Finch could get a word in, the other spoke up.

“Looks like you finally decided I was worth seeing again?” Hacker asked, words laced with spite.

Wonderful, this wasn’t going to be fun. The tapping had finally stopped, which was a relief at the very least.

”Hello to you too, Hacker," Finch managed, though the words escaped his lips in a monotone whisper. The energy required to sound out any warmth or emotion into his greeting seemed beyond his grasp at the moment, he was barely capable of processing what he heard and getting himself to say a thing at all. His initial dream of collapsing onto the bed and slipping into much-needed unconsciousness now felt like a distant fantasy, shattered by the tension that hung in the air.

The blond man, sensing Finch's mood, got off the bed and approached him cautiously. His tone shifted from stern to a more pressing concern.

"Where were you?"

Finch met Hacker's gaze with a wearied expression, his eyes heavy with fatigue. He then glanced back at the clock on their desk, a silent acknowledgment of the ungodly hour that had unfolded in the silence of their shared space. Neither of them should have still been awake at that time.

"Why are you awake? It’s 4 in the morning. That’s really not good for you, we ta-"

"I asked you a question, answer me," Hacker interrupted, his demanding tone hinting at the weight of whatever had transpired during the other’s absence. The room, illuminated only by the new soft glow of the desk lamp Hacker turned on moments ago (Finch doesn’t know how he missed that), felt suspended in a quiet tension, both men standing in the middle of a conversation that seemed to get them nowhere so far.

“Hacker-”

“I’ve waited for days wondering where you were. You didn’t respond to a single text. I'd have preferred you left me on seen; I’d have at least known you were ALIVE-”

“Can we please leave this for the morning? You need to rest. I c-”

“You don’t just- get to do that! You don’t get to disappear for a week and not answer my questions when you come back Finch.”

The words hung heavy in the air, each sentence a weighted accusation that Finch felt like built up to a feeling of guilt that was growing with each second. He stood there, caught between the exhaustion and the emotional storm in Hacker’s eyes.

At this point, Hacker's frustration seemed to overcome the concern he felt. Was it that? Had they merged? Finch couldn’t tell.

He had never found himself feeling so conflicted over anything. The walls seemed to close in, the silence amplifying the gravity of the situation. It felt slightly difficult to breathe, why had he not thought of this? Finch’s shoulders slumped, and he ran a hand through his disheveled hair, searching for words that could at least break some of the silence between them. Yet, the weight of the unspoken lingered, his tongue feeling heavy.

Hacker's frustration began to morph into a deeper worry as he took in the sight of Finch. The lines of exhaustion etched on Finch's face spoke volumes, and beneath the weariness, Hacker caught a glimpse of something else – vulnerability. That was enough to shake whatever he had built up, any anger that might have felt at that moment fading away.

The other never showed vulnerability. He was raised a soldier and never grew out of that, never allowing himself a moment of fragility or one second of relaxation either.

"Finch," Hacker's voice softened, concern (or perhaps regret?) replacing the anger that had fueled his previous words. He took a step closer, his eyes searching Finch's for some explanation that could quell the rising anxiety within him. The ‘flame’ was smaller than usual, from what he could see it was a light blue instead of the usual yellow or white.

"I get that you've had a tough week, but you can't just shut me out like this. What happened?"

Finch hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor before meeting Hacker's eyes again. Every cell in his body had been screaming in protest to his movements, it took everything in him to stay standing the entire…20? minutes they had been arguing if it can be called that.

If he wanted it to end, Finch knew he had to at least say something to calm the other’s nerves.

"It's complicated," he began, voice still as blank as it was before, but now carrying a hint of desperation "I didn’t expect it to last this long, but it turned out the mission I was deployed on was given to us based on mostly false information. I had to figure out what to do on my own with that."

Hacker's expression shifted to a mix of empathy and frustration, it was more like childish annoyance in a sense. "Well then whoever gave that information should’ve been the one dealing with it, not you. I was alone for so long waiting for you to show up in what you said would’ve been 2 days, did they really not have anyone else to help or anything?” he complained.

Finch nodded. The room felt quieter, the tension slowly dissipating as the atmosphere got lighter. At the lack of another response,Hacker finally let Finch’s shoulder go and dragged him towards the bed, realizing how likely it was that he didn’t rest during that entire ordeal.

"We’ll be talking about it tomorrow, do you hear me?" Hacker stated firmly, Finch nodded. The room felt quieter, the tension slowly dissipating as the atmosphere lightened. At the lack of another response, Hacker finally let Finch’s shoulder go and gently guided him towards the bed, recognizing the likelihood that Finch hadn’t rested during that entire ordeal.

Finch, caught in the undertow of exhaustion, managed a low but affirmative murmur. The events of the past week, the stress he had been carrying, all felt a little more distant as He lowered himself onto the bed holding onto the other for some support. He was still fully clothed, staring at the ceiling. In any other situation, Hacker may have joked about that, Finch willing to lay down in his work clothes and risk them getting ruined, but it didn’t feel like the time to (that didn’t mean he wouldn’t in the morning, though).

Hacker lingered by the bedside for a moment before going to turn off the lamp he switched on moments ago. He didn’t hesitate to get into the bed next to his beloved right after, he earned the right to some cuddles at the very least after all of that, Finch should have heard all he told Blue during this absence! He was so miserable on his own.

Finch didn’t protest, if anything he pulled himself closer to the other’s embrace having not felt this safe in days. He didn’t know why it felt that way, not like Hacker was capable of fighting someone off if the house was for example broken into.

Regardless, it was nice. He didn’t mind it.

Shockingly, despite his fatigue, Hacker was the one who fell asleep first. Finch only realized it when he tried to turn to his side but got pulled closer instead.

He didn’t try again, letting the sleeping Hacker do as he wished. The other was a heavy sleeper, he didn’t have to worry that much about waking him.

“You worry too much for me” he muttered, a weight setting back in his chest.

“This is why I feared accepting your advances, it’ll be the death of you. I’m not worth all of that” he sighed, though a smile didn’t leave his face.

Finch bowed down after entering the office, only straightening up when Dream told him to. “You wanted to see me, my Lord?” The latter nodded, this time surprisingly alone.

Although Finch had little doubt that Blue somehow had his eyes on them.

He always did.

“Yes, I’m planning to move the recent prisoners to the abandoned warehouse.” He explained, letting go of his pen after having held onto it far longer than a human hand was supposed to. “I need someone to keep an eye on them in case they have the foolishness to try and escape. Would you mind taking that role?”

Finch shook his head. “Not at all, it’s an honor for you to entrust me this task.”

Dream smiled. “Reliable as always, thank you for your service, Finch. I will send someone to switch with you this evening, you are dismissed.”

He bowed in respect before making a bee line for the door.

He opened it and came face to face (well, that was a bit of stretch, he was taller than him by a few inches) with Blue himself, almost slamming the door on his face by accident.

Of course, when he noticed that he freaked out. “My most sincere apologies, are you alright? Did I hurt you?”

Blue laughed before he stepped back out of harm’s way. “I am yes, there is no need to apologize. Although you have made your move right on time, be sure to check your texts later!” Before Finch had the time to answer, Blue skipped away inside Dream’s office.

“Angel boooy” He vaguely shouted in a sing-song voice, the last thing Finch saw before the door closed being Dream burying his face in his hands, slightly red.

He was not even going to bother questioning why or how Blue had his number, he did not need another headache.

He walked away, deciding to ignore whatever plans of mischief the man had made until he could not ignore it anymore. Besides, he had more important things to think about. Such as work.

***

“Do you always have to greet me this way?” Dream asked, his face still buried in his hands. Only this time, he had his boyfriend’s arms draped over his shoulders and locking him into a hug.

“Of course!” He giggled, gently yanking one of his hands down. “We both know you’ve grown accustomed to this nickname anyway, I would even dare say that you like it.”

Dream grumbled before he let his other hand fall onto his lap. “I do not. I am not an angel.”

“Oh, would you prefer a devil then? I mean, I guess that would not be too far off either. The way you make me feel is nothing short of devilish, I am sure even the demon of Lust is impressed.” He winked and Dream started to question why he fell for him in the first place.

He shook his head. “Do you never get tired of flirting with me? We are already together, there is no need for you to keep seducing me.” He turned to look at Blue and by the way a smirk started to spread across his lips, Dream knew that he was about to bitterly regret saying it.

“No, I do not.” he whispered, before moving and spinning Dream’s chair around so the latter would be facing him. His fingers hooked themselves on his chin and he tipped his head upward this way, forcing Dream to look at him in the eye. “You know how greedy I can be when it comes to you, I don’t think I’ll ever have quite enough.”

Dream flushed before he escaped from Blue’s piercing gaze, returning to his paperwork in the hope that it will be enough to wash away the embarrassment from his face.

Blue merely smiled, all according to plan. “Anyway, as much as it delights me to see you like this, it wasn’t what I came here for.”

Dream arched an eyebrow as he turned back to look at him. “Oh, did you need my assistance for anything?”

“No, it’s more like you needed to be reminded of an issue.” Dream looked confused for a moment, racking his brain over any conflict he might have overlooked while working on other things.

Nothing matched his definition of a problem.

“I’m not quite sure what you may be referring to.” Blue chuckled.

“Well, you have cornered the criminals, but what will you do with Hacker? Just returning him to the dungeons once he recovered might be too utopic, wouldn’t you think?” Dream opened his mouth to object, but no sound came out of him.

Suddenly, he collapsed on top of his desk. “Darn it.”

***

A few hours later, when Finch had just gotten to the warehouse, his phone beeped, signaling a new text had been sent to him. He flinched at first before frowning and taking it out to see who it might have been.

An unknown number.

“Randy and Bobby will arrive shortly, welcome them warmly!” Oh right, Blue did say that he would send him a text earlier. Though, he did wonder what that last part was supposed to mean.

That is when his ears started picking up... oddly loud stomps. He looked up from his phone slightly confused and almost dropped the device on the ground when he noticed a 6’6 beast with giant and sharp as knives claws slowly approaching, eyes filled with the blackness of hatred, sharp red slits as pupils.

If not for his blond hair and the familiar green blouse, Finch must have mistaken the man for a demon. He did now understand why he was wanted.

In front of him, a little boy no taller than 5’4 was quietly walking toward him, arms crossed and a nervous frown. Both of them finally came to a stop in front of Finch, Bobby twiddling his thumbs a bit from nervousness.

“Are ‘they’ in there?” The terrifying version of Randy asked, his voice a low growl that seemed to echo at the end of his words. Quite the nightmare fuel. Finch, however, did not let that get to him and nodded.

Before he could say anything else, Randy turned toward Bobby. “Son, don’t give them a hard time.” His tone softened just ever so slightly, but that could just be Finch’s imagination. “You go talk to Hacker first, I’ll join you two soon, okay?”

Bobby nodded and then Randy phased through the wall with a trail of dark red mist behind him under Finch’s bewildered gaze. Freaked out screams came from within the warehouse as the wound of heavy footsteps just grew louder, the impact becoming stronger until those from outside the building could feel the ground under them vibrate ever so slightly.

Just as Finch was about to attempt to stop Randy from drenching the warehouse in a bloodbath of guts and gore, Blue suddenly crept up from seemingly nowhere almost ending up with Finch’s fist in his face again.

When will this man learn not to spook people out of their skin?

“Hey Finch, long time no see!” Blue smiled, ignoring the screams of terror and agony that escaped the confines of the warehouse. Torture probably was too weak of a word to describe the kind of atrocity Randy was doing in there.

Best to make a mental note not to make the man mad.

He deadpanned as he crossed his arms around his chest. “We spoke this morning.”

“But that encounter was so short, it doesn’t count!” Blue argued before a small cough came from the third party. Their eyes fell on an awkward Bobby, who seemed to feel uneasy by staying there... or perhaps it was because of the loud clatter within the walls that was soon followed by a wail of rage from his father.

“Can we go see Hacker already?” Bobby frowned. “I don’t want to stay here.”

“What a roundabout way to say that you’re worried about him.” Blue remarked, an amused smirk on his lips. “But you do have a point, we are wasting time. Are you going to come with us, Finch?”

The latter shook his head. “I was stationed there; I can’t just walk away from my duty like this.”

Blue shrugged. “Your loss. Alright, Bobby, come with me.”

The teenager had been unusually quiet and obedient this whole time. He nodded, trailing after the man with the scarf not without turning back and eyeing the warehouse.

***

“Wow, you look like shit.” Hacker opened his eyes at the sentence, eyebrow raised. Even with his blurry vision, he would recognize that mass of messy hair stuck to a small head from anywhere. He sighed.

“And you’re as disrespectful as ever, Bobby.” The latter scoffed; his worry hidden behind a fake layer of annoyance. If Hacker were not pretty much blinded by his blurry vision, he probably would have noticed the slight glint of concern in Bobby’s eyes.

One thing for sure, Blue noticed it.

“How the fuck do you always gets yourself into those kinds of situations anyway?” Hacker attempted to roll his eyes but that only had the effect of making him even dizzier than he was seconds prior. ‘No rolling eyes’ rule has been implemented into his memory.

“What can I say? Danger finds me really hot.” He attempted to laugh but it only came out as a pathetic fit of coughing. Bobby’s façade faded as he finally allowed his facial expression to fit his current emotions.

“Are you okay?” Hacker’s smile did little to relieve him.

“I’ll live.”

***

His subordinate arrived a few minutes later, eyes wary as they eyed the warehouse’s walls where terribly breathy screams echoed within. “Uh, sir? Is... everything okay in there?”

“Yes. Keep guard and do not let anyone near this area. The only person you are allowed to let out of this place is the blond man in a green blouse that will come out shortly. Do you understand?” Finch crossed his arms as they nodded, still looking quite worried.

“Good, I’ll be taking my leave then.” Finch would have normally felt bad about leaving without much of an explanation, but he was honestly exhausted and quite eager to get away from all the noises.

Besides, he had more important things to do.

***

“You wish to know what we will be doing with Hacker after he’s discharged?” Finch nodded as Dream scratched his chin in thought, Blue already mentioned the subject before but since that time, he still did not really produce anything.

“If it would not bother you to tell me, yes. I wish to make early preparations if he were to go back to the dungeons.” He explained, keeping his tone calm. Personally, he thought that sending him back to the cells would be an awful idea but if it were what his lord wanted, then he would not oppose him.

“This situation is quite a complex one, so I have not come up with a concrete course of action yet. Though, I do know that a transfer is necessary, we cannot keep him in the dungeons forever, that would just make conflict arise.”

As he spoke these words, his earlier conversation with Blue came to head.

“So, the most practical solution would be to have him kept in another place where you could monitor. You cannot exactly release him from prison completely, yet you also cannot have him stay in the dungeons. What do you say?” Dream looked away.

“... I’ll mull it over later.”

Unknown to him, it seems like Blue has conversed about the topic with Finch too.

“Being guarded by someone he is familiar with is bound to make him feel more at ease than not. Besides, I do not think an environment like a regular prison would either, it is bound to make him relive some kind of bad memory at some point.” Finch’s narrowed his eyes to him.

“And why are you telling me this?” He could not be trusted.

He smiled. “It could come in handy.”

“...” Finch looked away. “Maybe he could stay in my house.”

It was only when Dream let out a bewildered ‘what?’ that Finch realized that he had said that aloud. He cursed inwardly.

But now that he had introduced the solution on the table, he might as well commit to it before he made a complete fool of himself.

He could not allow that, especially not in front of Dream.

“I don’t use it most of the time and I have cameras placed all over the place, it would be easy to monitor him.” He explained, taking a brief pause to sort out his thoughts. “Since no other criminal or officer would be posted there, it might lessen the chance of him being sabotaged again too. Of course, if you wish to, I could always make some arrangements so that you may also be able to watch--”

Dream held up his hand, Finch closed his mouth. “There is no need to say much more. You will not need to give me access to your personal cameras, that would be a breach of privacy, but do remember to update me.”

Finch looked surprised but nodded, nevertheless.

“Understood, my Lord.”

From the security room, Blue smiled.