#rinchweek21

If Harold thought John was overly protective before, he was unprepared for the shift that occurred after they'd officially become an item. John became something possessive, and fierce. He always placed himself between Harold and any perceived threat.

Part of it was left over from John's military and CIA training, but Harold knew there was more to it. John always had to be touching Harold in some way- a hand on his shoulder or his knee, ankles brushing under restaurant tables. When they were apart on a mission, John would collapse into Harold's arms when they were reunited. It caught Harold off guard, how affectionate John became when Harold gave him permission.

It was far from unwanted- Harold hadn't had any intimacy with anyone in quite some time, and it felt... wonderful, if slightly strange. He couldn't help but feel a flutter now, when John placed a hand on the small of his back, or a soft kiss to his temple. It was a frequent reminder to Harold, that John was his partner in more ways than one.

The point was really driven home when Harold was in the field. Well, "in the field" was a friendly way of saying being held at gunpoint," but Harold viewed it as a necessary evil, in order to rescue the Machine's designated number, who, as far as Harold knew, was in a safe house with John, while Harold was negotiating.

"I assure you, all of  your demands will be met, in exchange for Miss O'Brien's safety," Harold said, his soft voice echoing in the vast emptiness of the warehouse.

The mobster sneered. "Well, maybe I ain't done making demands yet."

Harold swallowed. He'd come prepared for the initial agreement and not much else. He was massively outnumbered. If the mob overestimated how deep his pockets were, he'd really be in trouble.

All at once, there was a pop, and the mobster in question fell to the ground with a shout. Two more pops brought two more mobsters to their knees.

"Was this your idea?!" one of the gunmen yelled, swinging his rifle around and aiming at Harold's head. "I swear to god I'll-"

The gunmen was dead before he could finish his sentence, collapsing at Harold's feet. Harold staggered backwards. All of the criminals had been easily dispatched, to Harold's surprise and great confusion.

From the top of a shipping container, John descended with his rifle in hand. He stormed forward with long strides, his eyes glaring and his expression dark. Dramatic shadows from the overhead lights cast harsh lines across his brow and cheekbones. And Harold knew why people looked so afraid when they spoke of "The Man in the Suit."

As John reached Harold, his demeanor changed completely. He slung his gun over his back and reached out to touch Harold, checking him over for wounds and bruises. "Are you all right?" he asked urgently, "Did they hurt you?"

Harold blinked, amazed to see John before him. "You came for me," he murmured.

John didn't seem fazed by this. "Of course I did," he said, not breaking his concentration, "You're my partner." He missed the softening of Harold's eyes when he turned, looking for approaching threats. "Let's get out of here," John added, guiding Harold with an arm around his waist, "I'll drive."

They were in the car before Harold found his voice to speak again. "I can't believe you came for me," he echoed as the warehouse disappeared in the rear view mirror.

"Before you chew me out," John started, "I left Miss O'Brien with Fusco. You can't expect me not to protect you, now that we're... you know, official."

"No, that's not it," Harold replied, "As much as I might not approve of you prioritizing my safety." John titled his head, and Harold sighed. "I spent a long time making myself invisible. In that time, I made sure that nobody cared about me, so that nobody else would get hurt."

John glanced at his partner. He knew Harold was thinking of Grace, and the life he left behind. He place his hand on Harold's thigh in a show of sympathy. Harold covered John's hand with his own before he continued.

"I did it to protect anyone I might come into contact with, but I also did it out of fear. I thought I was being selfless, but coming back from the dead was the hardest thing I've ever done." Taking a deep breath, he finished, "What I'm trying to say is that it's nice to be cared about again."

John smiled. He knew what Harold was talking about- letting someone close to him was terrifying, but being care for was worth it.

"I do care about you," John inserted, "and I won't let anything happen to you."

Harold pursed his lips. "Relationship status aside, you know that's not why I hired you."

"I'm not protecting you because it's my job, Harold. I'm doing it because I love you."

Harold gasped softly. His eyes glistened in the dim light of the passing streetlamps. "I love you, too, John," he replied. It was the first time the sentiment had been exchanged aloud, though they had both known for quite some time.

The car slowed to a stop at a red light, and John and Harold looked at each other. After a long moment, John cleared his throat. "Protecting people is what I do," he began, quietly, carefully, "If I can't keep the people that I love safe..." He swallowed, his voice thick with emotion. "If I can't do that... then what do I have to offer, to show them how much I love them?"

"Oh, John," Harold whispered, fighting back tears. Harold had always known that the impact of Jessica's death stemmed from John's unconditional love. Being on the receiving end of such ardent and unadulterated devotion was... powerful, bordering on overwhelming.

Bringing John's hand to his lips, Harold pressed a tender kiss to John's calloused knuckled, before pressing John's palm against his cheek. "You have so much more to offer," he said, his words feeling fragile in the heavy stillness, "but you are worthy of love regardless of what other stand to gain. Do you understand?"

John swallowed again, nodding silently. Harold had been quite generous with affection and they'd crossed the threshold, but John was unprepared to hear that he didn't have to earn it.

Who's running this? @argylepiratewd

Why not call it Rinch Week? It started out as Rinch Fest on The Rinch Loft on Discord, and that's what stuck.

Plus, Rinch Fest and Reese & Finch share the same initials.

What’s allowed? Complete fanworks focusing on Harold Finch and John Reese in a romantic relationship with each other. Fic, art, vids, remixes, sequels, you name it! No length requirements, no style requirements, all ratings allowed—do what you want!

Anything not allowed? Works where Finch/Reese is not the primary romantic relationship (additional ships are fine), works that are incomplete at the time of posting, and remixes or other transformative works for other people's fanworks that are done without the original creator’s permission. Anything else is fair game, as long as it’s labeled.

Also, don’t be a jerk.

What about [insert controversial topic here]? Can I make something with x?/OMG someone made something with x! Anything else is fair game, as long as it’s labeled. This includes works featuring tropes and kinks that you may not like or approve of. As long as it’s warned for, it’s fine and allowed.

Please warn for the usual AO3 warnings (Major Character Death, Graphic Violence, Rape/Non-Con, and Underage) and any subjects others may find deeply unpleasant, and clearly label any NSFW works.

What about poly? Gen? Poly and gen are wonderful, but this is a (shippy) Finch/Reese event. Sorry.

What do I do with x prompt?/Can I do [insert concept here]? Anything goes! Seriously, however you want to interpret a prompt is fine. Retirement could be happy retirement for the guys, it could be John still grappling with the CIA’s version, or something else. Pets/Animals could be Bear or a new pet, John petting Harold's hair or belly or booty, someone turning into an animal, or something else. Kids could be human children (born or unborn) or goat children. Dark could be dark concepts or literal darkness or something else. Your choice!

Do I have to make something for every prompt? No! You can if you want, but it’s not required. Feel free to skip days, combine prompts, create multiple fills for each day, anything! This is as flexible as it gets.

If it fits multiple prompts, when do I post it? Whatever day works best for you!

What if I want to do something NSFW for another prompt? Do I have to wait until Day Six to post it? Nope!

What about a multi-chapter/piece thing where each chapter fulfills one day’s prompt? When do I post that? Post an update each relevant day until you’re done! (Just make sure you can finish it by the end of the event.)

What if it doesn't fit a prompt? That's what Day 7 is for! :D

What if I need to post my fill(s) on a different day? Life happens. The AO3 collection is set to Unrevealed, so I can reveal early submissions on the right day, but if that doesn't work for you, I'm sure we can work something out.

Can I work on a previously-posted WIP? As long as it’s finished when you make your post for the event, sure! If you're just updating a WIP without finishing it, no.

Can I start working now? Absolutely! That's why I'm announcing it now—so there's plenty of time for people to make things.

Can I talk about/share previews of what I’m working on? Sure!

Wait, there's a Rinch Discord server? Do I have to join to do this? Of course not. We’d love to have you at The Rinch Loft, and it’s a fun place to hang out, but Rinch Fest is for anyone into Rinch.

If I want the Discord link… Send in an Ask, message @argylepiratewd, or ask around. It’s open to anyone who likes Rinch or Person of Interest. I’m happy to give it out to anyone who wants it.

Where do I post? On Tumblr, post to your blog and use the #rinchfest21 or #rinchweek21 tags. You are They are being watched. 👁 And maybe add @rinchfest in your post to be sure. Tumblr is as hungry as Bear and Shaw.

Submissions are also open.

On AO3, there’s a Rinch Fest 2021 collection here.

Do I have to have a Tumblr? AO3? As long as you’re on some kind of platform and can get a link to the work to me somehow so I can share it with the world, you’re welcome to play.

On October 1st, I'll make a round-up post full of links to all the shiny things people made. If I know you made it, it'll go in!

What time zone? The daily prompt posts will be going up at 12 am Central Time, but as long as it's the relevant day for your fill somewhere in the world, go ahead and throw it in!

(And if you want to sneak in some Day 7 things a little after, as long as they get posted before the Master Post goes up... 😉)

How do I post? There's an early posting guide here! Those instructions should be mostly applicable if you posting on the day that goes with your chosen prompt as well—just adjust them as needed.