There were many kinds of smiles. Those that mean happiness, those that mean insult, those that make you fear and those that are just there to hide a person's true emotions.
The marksman of the Storm Hawks knew them all well. He had given some people an insulting smile, but only to those, who had been mean to his closest persons. He once gave a smile that scared a childhood friend of his. Mostly he smiled out of happiness. He loved life, even if life always didn't like him that much. But whatever was the case, he would still smile, spreading his joy to the others. He really loved it.
But there were times, when he just smiled. Not because of happiness, but to hide the true feeling under it. There was barely no-one, who could tell the fake from the real one. It was like the blonde really had no worries in his life. But that's what he wanted, anyway. To hide behind the mask and not make the others worry.
"Hey, Finn!" He heard his wallop friend shouting from the hallway, while he was in his own room, playing quiet songs with his guitar. The mechanic arrived at the door, smiling at his friend happily. "Sorry to bother you, but..." He blushed a bit, looking down in embarrassment. "...just wanted to say thanks." He chuckled weakly, making the blonde force a small smile on his lips.
The wallop had lost few of his important gadgets and such, which had made him very upset. Of course, helping him was just a must-do for the marksman. If his friends were upset, he would help them. "It's nothing. Anything for you, Junko." He said with his usually bright voice, making his friend grin in happiness. He gave his gratitude one more time, then leaving from the room.
Not much time after that, the navigator of the crew appeared on the door, giggling happily. "Oh, Finn! Thank you again for getting that crystal for me! You don't even know how much it means to me!" The dark female looked even happier than the wallop had. Then again, there had been this one crystal that she just wanted so badly. The marksman had gotten it to her in a rather difficult way, but to save some time, it shall be forgotten.
"It's nothing really..." The blonde just muttered, blushing a little and looking down at his guitar. His lips still held the fake smile. "Anything for you, Piper." She bowed gratefully, saying her last 'thank you', before running off again, smiling brighter than ever before.
The blonde sighed. He kept playing his guitar, humming along with the song. After a moment, the leader of the crew appeared on the door, looking very shy and nervous. "Finn..." He was rubbing his right eye and then he caressed his temple a bit. The red-head's eyes were pretty red, since he had been crying so much earlier. His closest friend, Radarr, had fallen ill and it had made the boy so upset and worried that he actually started crying. Of course, he needed a shoulder to cry in. "...thanks again for the earlier. And... Sorry for being such a... Brat..."
A chuckle escaped from the blonde. Seeing the younger boy so embarrassed was kind of amusing. "It's nothing." He widened his fake smile, as if he was any happier than before. "Anything for you, Aerrow." The boy smiled, thanked twice and left.
The sad song was echoing in the room, like it was desperately trying to summon someone in the room and make the fake smile a real one. The blonde chuckled sadly at his thoughts, biting his lip and feeling a strange itch in the back of his eyes.
"Finn." He heard another voice from the door. He swallowed, slowly looking up, his fake smile vanishing from his lips. He watched him blankly, not really knowing what to say. "...Stork." He just muttered, making the merb smile slightly. He walked over to the blonde, taking away his guitar and placing it on the bed. "You're such an idiot, Finn..." He chuckled, wrapping his arms tightly around the blonde. "It's okay to cry."
It was unknown to the marksman, how the merb always knew of his real emotions. Even if he was upset, he would still act cheerful. Maybe he really was able to see, what smiles were fake and what were not.
He started to cry. He hugged back the pilot and he cried. His head was being petted and a soft smile was playing on the pilot's face. "Everything's fine. I'm here for you. Okay?" The younger boy nodded, clinging onto his lover tightly and crying his stress out into the merb's chest.
The mask was gone and the true feelings were shown by the human. Sorrow and tears. But just like always, the merb would hold him and let him cry as long as he could. He wouldn't speak to him or make any kind of noise. He was just there for him.
And when the tears would stop falling, a bright smile full of happiness would glow on the human's face. Just like a bright sun after a big storm.
Indeed, there were many kinds of smiles.