"Hey, everything okay?" Robin said into the phone while racing up the stairs to the safety of his bedroom.

     "Yeah, all good. Just, yanno, thought I'd call." Yohan's voice crackled on the other end. 

     They'd never spoken on the phone before, and the unfamiliarity made Robin's chest tighten. Was this something serious? Something Yohan couldn't just text about? His voice sounded different over the phone—softer, more melodic, with that tinny speaker quality that made it feel like he was closer than he actually was.

     "Oh, uh, okay. Hi," Robin replied, more awkwardly than he he hoped.

      "Hi. Sorry, am I interrupting?"

       "Nah, just watching some film with my sister. Seen it loads before." Robin said as he flopped face-first onto his bed. Not before slamming the door behind him, perhaps a little louder than he'd meant to.

     "Cool. Tell Kate I say hi," Yohan said, pausing. Robin could hear him fidgeting on the other end. 

     "What are you calling about?" Robin said to fill the silence.  

      Yohan didn't answer straight away, until he finally said, "I just... I feel like..." Another pause. "I'm sorry. It feels like we haven't really talked about... everything. And I haven't been a great—um, well, boy—I mean, friend recently. So, yeah. I thought maybe we could, I don't know, talk about it?"

     Robin blinked, staring at the blank wall in front of him. His chest felt tight again. "Oh," was all he could manage at first. "Well, yeah, you've been a bit... distant and stuff, and, yeah, it's been kind of shit with, well, everything."

     "I know, I'm sorry," Yohan said, and Robin could hear him shifting, like he was repositioning himself, trying to get comfortable with the conversation. "I'm just not great with this kind of stuff. Difficult situations. I'd rather pretend they didn't happen, yanno?" He paused again. "But I don't want to be like that with you. I know you've been stressed with exams, and the whole thing with the girls... that's on me. I don't want to be the reason you lose important people. So... yeah, I'm really sorry."

      "It's okay!" Robin practically jumped with his words. "I mean, it's not all your fault. I could've told people sooner; maybe come out to my parents and then—"

     "Robin," Yohan interrupted gently. "It's my fault, not yours. Let me take responsibility for this, please."

     "But—"

     "No buts," Yohan's voice was soft but firm. "This is on me. But, um, back to why I actually called—are you okay, Robin? Like, really?"

     Robin wasn't sure how to answer. Was he okay? Sort of. Maybe. Sure, he'd snapped at Kate earlier, and losing his friends had sucked, but at the same time, this past week he felt like he was able to stay more on top of things without the distractions of the group. And now that Yohan was talking to him, all he could feel was his heart beating in his chest for a reason that wasn't anxiety for once. 

     "I'm okay," he said after a moment. "Been getting on top of my studying, so that's something. And apart from, you know, what happened at the end of our... um... date, I had a lot of fun."

     "Me too," Yohan's voice drifted through the speaker, and Robin could hear a smile in his voice: "Sorry again. I didn't think we'd run into anyone there. But, hey, looks like Jemma's kept quiet. I haven't heard any rumours, so I think we're safe. For now."

     "Yeah, for now," Robin echoed.

      "And now, for the second reason I called, I had an idea," Yohan said with a slight air of nerve to his voice. "For our next date, next month."

      "Oh?"

      "Well, I know you're going to be buried in revision over Easter, but we have study leave after, so I was thinking maybe one of the weekends we could, like, go on a little trip?"

     "A trip? What kind of trip?" Robin asked curiously, a smile creeping across his face.

     "Camping, unless you hate that sort of thing."

      "I haven't been camping since I was in the scouts, but yeah, that sounds nice. Where were you thinking?"

     "Maybe somewhere in Wales?"

     "How the hell are we getting to Wales?"

      "Driving, obviously."

      "Who's driving?"

      "Me." 

      "Yohan, since when can you drive!?"

       "Since this morning," Yohan laughed. "Passed my test, thank fuck."

      "Why didn't you tell me? How long have you been learning?"

     "A few months now. Didn't wanna jinx it in case I failed." He paused. "But since I passed, if my grandad's cool with me borrowing his shitty little car, we could go. I think we've got some old camping gear lying around. So... what d'you reckon?"

     Robin mulled it over for a second. "Umm, okay. Yeah, let's do it. But only one night. I really need to get back to revising after."

     "One night it is."

     "I'll just have to convince my parents," Robin said, chewing his lip.

     "Mate, they love me. Just tell them you're going with your secret lover," Yohan teased.

     "Shut up," Robin said, but he couldn't help the giggle that escaped.

     "Plus, camping in the middle of nowhere, I think it highly unlikely anyone we know will be about."

     "You never know, Jemma might have secret powers and can teleport whenever she knows we're together."

     "I wouldn't be surprised." 

     "Anyway, I better go," Robin said, glancing at his phone. It was already creeping up on 9 p.m. "Thanks for calling,"

     "Of course." Yohan replied. There was a brief pause, just the sound of Yohan's quiet breathing on the other end. Robin waited, feeling like there was more Yohan wanted to say.

     "I—" Yohan started, then hesitated. "I'll see you on Monday."

     "Yeah, see you," Robin echoed, hovering his thumb over the end call button. But Yohan beat him to it as his name disappeared from his screen, ending the call. 

     Monday morning rolled around again, and Robin wove through the crowd of students heading toward the school entrance. His Sunday night had been spent revising—something he knew would become the norm for most weekends now. But it wasn't just the workload that weighed on his mind. Coming back to school meant facing the reality of being ignored by his friends and having to pretend he wasn't falling insanely fast for the guy that was the reason his friends weren't speaking to him. 

     He sighed as he reached the doors, trying to shove the thoughts away. For now, he'd just have to get through the day.

     The morning dragged on as usual. Form room with Yohan, where Robin barely had the chance to speak to him—especially with Jemma sitting just a few seats away. Then there was double psychology, where the awkward tension was even worse. Jemma had thrown him a few dirty looks last week whenever they were unavoidably close, but today? Today, she didn't even glance his way. It was as if he didn't exist at all, and somehow that felt even worse.

     By the time lunch rolled around, Robin was desperate for an escape. He headed straight for the politics classroom, where he could retreat into solitude for a bit. The constant presence of Jemma all morning had left him feeling like his heart was about to leap out of his chest every time they were in the same room. It was exhausting, like he was holding his breath, waiting for the next look or the next cold shoulder. At least here, away from the crowd, he could breathe again—if only for a moment.

     He made his way down the winding halls to the familiar classroom, pushing open the door. 

     The sharp contrast between the dim corridor and the brightly lit room, with its large windows, always took a moment for his eyes to adjust. Blinking, he spotted a figure standing in his usual corner of the room. He blinked again—two figures.

     They both turned at the sound of the door. Not only was Yohan there, but Lucy too. 

     "Lucy—oh, hey. What are you doing here?" Robin asked, stepping further inside.

     "I need to talk to you," they replied, their tone stern and steady as usual. "Both of you."

     Robin shot Yohan a quick glance, hoping for some kind of clue. But Yohan's just looked back and shrugged. 

     "Uh, okay," Robin muttered, moving toward them. Lucy leaned against one of the tables, and Robin slid in beside Yohan.

     "So," Lucy began, their eyes flicking between the two of them. "Jemma told me she saw you two... on a date."

     "She told you?" Robin's stomach dropped, panic rising in his voice. "Did she tell anyone else?"

     "No, don't worry," Lucy said, waving off his concern. "As far as I know, she's only told me. But, I am going to have to tell Amber and Isha at some point—because they won't shut up about what happened between you and Jem." They raised a hand, palm flat. "But as a fellow gay, I am sworn to secrecy when it comes to other people's sexualities." Their hand dropped again. "Though, I swear, I don't know how much longer I can keep that promise."

     "I appreciate it, Luce," Yohan said quietly.

     "Yeah, well," Lucy let out a dry, almost eerie laugh. "You should be thankful I have morals because—seriously—you two have royally fucked this up. Especially you," they added, pointing sharply at Yohan.

     "I know, I know," Yohan sighed, a hint of defeat in his voice. 

      "You couldn't just keep your dick in your pants a little longer before breaking up with Jemma? Or—and here's a wild thought—maybe don't date her at all if you didn't even like her?" Lucy shook their head, exhaling loudly. "But that's beside the point. Now she's not talking to me either."

     "What? Why?" Robin said, not quite shouting, but close.

      "When she told me what she saw, she managed to get it out of me that I already knew." Lucy paused, looking away for a second as if gathering their thoughts. "Well, less 'got it out of me' and more like, I wrongly assumed she'd understand why I didn't tell her, considering my own history and all." Another pause, this one heavier. "But, basically, I'm here to ask—and trust me, I don't ask this lightly—can I please tell Amber and Isha about you two? Or at least, can you speak to them, Robin? Because—" Another eerie laugh. "Fucking hell, I am not built to be the manager of some weird fucked-up love triangle that has messed with our whole friendship group."

     Robin could hear Lucy's words, but the thudding in his chest was starting to grow louder in his ears. He started picking at his thumb with his index finger. 

     "I'm a big advocate for queer love, you both know that," Lucy said, their voice softening a little, perhaps from noticing Robin's panic. "And yeah, the way you two went about this? Pretty piss poor. But I get it. It's not like you can just announce you like someone of the same sex and carry on like nothing's changed. It's complicated. But the thing is," they glanced pointedly at Robin. "It's going to come out eventually. Especially since, let's be honest, you two aren't exactly as sneaky as you used to be."

     "I'm fine with you telling them," Yohan cut in quickly, before Robin could even process the warning. "But if they ask if I'm gay, I'm not." He turned to Robin, his eyes wide and slightly panicked. "Not that there's anything wrong with being gay! It's just... it doesn't fit me. I'm not gay, is what I'm trying to say."

     The thudding in his chest started to grow quieter, and Robin couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips.

     "I know. It's okay," he said, commencing his picking and gently brushing his hand against Yohan's on the table instead. "And yeah, I'm fine with Lucy telling them too. Just, you know..." He turned back to look at Lucy. "Ask them to keep it to themselves? For now, at least."

     Lucy's eyes flicked down to where their hands touched, but they didn't comment on it. Instead, they gave a small nod.

     "Alright. I'll keep it as contained as possible." They turned to Yohan with a raised eyebrow. "So, what do you want me to say then? Your Bi? Pan? Queer?"

     Yohan winced. "Non-discriminating? Robin-sexual?" His face twisted as the words left his mouth. "Jesus Christ, that was so cringe."

     Robin felt the heat rush to his cheeks, both from the awkwardness of Yohan's joke and the way it made his heart flutter. 

     Lucy smirked. "Fucking hell, you must really like him if you're going that soft." They crossed their arms, leaning back slightly. "Look, I'll figure out the wording. But you two—" Lucy's tone shifted, more serious now. "You need to figure out how long you want to keep this under wraps. Because secrets like this? They don't stay secret forever. And it's better if it's on your terms when it comes out."

     Robin felt the weight of that statement, the reality of it sinking in. The walls of secrecy they'd built were starting to crack, and soon enough, people would know. He wasn't sure if he was ready, but maybe... maybe he didn't have a choice anymore.

     Yohan gave a half-hearted smile.

     "Thanks, Luce. Really."

     Lucy shrugged but gave Robin a pointed look.

     "You alright with this, Robin?"

      Robin swallowed hard and nodded.

     "Yeah... I'll be okay." His voice was quiet, unsure, but he was trying to believe it. Trying to believe that it wouldn't all come crashing down once people found out.

     Lucy sighed, standing up straight again.

     "Alright, I'll tell them today. But if things get messy, you two need to be ready." They slung their bag over their shoulder, pausing at the door, eyes flicking between the two of them. "For what it's worth... you guys look good together."

     With that, Lucy walked out, leaving Robin and Yohan alone in the room once more. It felt bigger than usual, emptier. Yohan exhaled slowly.

    "Well... that was intense."

    "Yeah," Robin murmured, "I've got sociology homework to do." He didn't really want to discuss it anymore. Yohan nodded.

    "Okay, well, are you okay?"

     "Yeah, fine." He said, sliding into one of the seats at the desks and retrieving his sociology text book.  

A/N: As of uploading this chapter, I am happy to inform you all that I have finished Robin and the Crow! Don't worry, this isn't the last chapter haha, but I have just finished writing Chapter 53... I will still be uploading one chapter, weekly as my friend who edits my chapters for me has some catching up to do hehe. But I just wanted to let you all know!

I know I say it loads, but that you again so much for reading <3 it means the absolute world to me! Now... I'm off to start book 2... hehe <3