Sera’s cheeks warmed at the gentle kiss, her smile blooming as they rounded the corner and the little ice cream shop came into view—painted in soft pastels with a bell over the door that jingled faintly as someone walked out.

She looked up at Finn, heart swelling all over again. “Well, just so you know,” she said playfully, tugging gently at his hand as they neared the door, “you’re making it really hard for me to keep pretending I’m the responsible one in this relationship.”

The bell chimed as they stepped inside, the cool air wrapping around them with the sweet scent of waffle cones and vanilla. Sera scanned the case of colorful flavors, her eyes wide with childlike wonder. “Okay, you’ve officially made this the best day ever,” she whispered, leaning against his shoulder as she peered in.

She glanced up at him with a grin. “What are you getting? And no pressure, but your flavor choice might reveal a lot about your character, so choose wisely.”

Sera had been grinning just moments before, eyes still fixed on the swirling colors of ice cream and sorbet—until she felt the shift in him.

His hand tensed slightly in hers. His voice had lost its warmth.

She turned to him, her heart sinking the second she saw the change on his face. Not just the smile, but the kind of smile. The one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. The one she’d come to recognize all too well.

She caught the way the other customers had looked. The way they stared. Her stomach twisted with anger—not at him, never at him—but at the world that had the audacity to look at someone she loved like that.

Sera stepped in closer, lifting her hand to gently tug his hood back down. “No,” she said quietly, just for him. “Don’t hide.”

Her voice was soft, but certain. Steady. She touched his cheek, the scarred side, with the same tenderness as she always had. “You don’t have to cover yourself up for me. Not ever. You’re beautiful, Finn. And screw anyone who can’t see it.”

She looked into his eyes, searching. “But if you need it up for you, I’ll understand. Just… don’t do it for them.”

Sera saw it in his eyes before he even said a word—how tightly he clung to the hood, how his body shrank in on itself despite his best efforts to seem unfazed. The message was loud and clear, and it made her chest ache.

She didn’t try to convince him again. Not now. Not here.

Instead, she gently reached for his hand, giving it a soft, grounding squeeze as her other hand subtly slid to his back in silent support. She turned her body slightly, angling herself between him and the nearest onlookers like a quiet shield.

“Lemon sorbet,” she told the worker behind the counter, her voice calm, steady, protective. “And I’ll take the chocolate caramel, please.”

Once they had their cups, she nodded toward the exit. “Come on, baby. Let’s go find someplace quiet—just you and me.”

She didn’t care that they were leaving faster than planned, or that she hadn’t even taken her first bite yet. All that mattered was getting him out of that space, out of those stares, and into a place where he could breathe again.

They’d have their moment—just not here. Not under someone else’s judgment.

Sera walked close beside him, her shoulder nearly brushing his as they stepped outside, the door swinging closed behind them with a soft jingle. The noise of the shop faded, and the warmth of the sun met them again. But even that didn’t soften the way he held himself.

She didn’t say anything at first.

She just stayed near, her own cup of ice cream held loosely in one hand, the other still occasionally brushing his—offering her presence like a quiet, steady anchor.

Once they were a few blocks away and the noise and people were gone, she finally spoke, her voice gentle. “There’s a bench just up ahead,” she said softly, not forcing, just offering. “No one around. Just trees and sky and us.”

She glanced over at him, her heart aching at the way he kept his head down. “You don’t have to talk,” she added. “Not unless you want to. I just… I’m here. That’s all.”

And she meant it—every word. She didn’t need him to smile. She didn’t need him to pretend. She just wanted to be by his side, no matter what kind of day it was.

Sera sat beside him without a word, letting the quiet settle like a blanket over them. No pressure, no expectations—just the soft sounds of birds overhead, the distant hum of the town, and the faint clink of plastic spoons against paper cups.

She glanced over at him every so often, not staring, just… watching. Making sure he was okay. Or at least, as okay as he could be right now.

Her heart ached at how small he looked, like he was trying to disappear into his hoodie. And yet, here he was—still beside her. Still breathing. Still trying. That alone was everything.

After a few bites of her own ice cream, Sera nudged his knee gently with hers. “You’re doing really well, you know,” she said softly, eyes still on her cup. “Being here. Even when it’s hard. Even when it hurts.”

She paused, then turned her head to look at him fully. “I’m proud of you, Finn. And I love you… so, so much.”

Then, quieter still, she added, “We don’t have to stay long. Just as long as you need. I’m not going anywhere.”