Sera’s breath hitched as Finn pulled her into his arms, the warmth of his embrace both comforting and overwhelming. She pressed her face into his chest, letting his heartbeat steady her own, but the weight of everything she’d been holding inside still felt too heavy.

His words—I won’t ever leave you... I’ll never leave you...—wrapped around her like a blanket, both soothing and suffocating in their intensity. She wanted to believe him, needed to, but a part of her still hesitated, still feared that the moment she let her guard down, everything would crumble. She’d been abandoned before. Could she really trust him not to leave too?

She felt his hand on her back, rubbing in slow circles, and the tenderness of it made the tears spill over again. She didn’t want to cry like this, didn’t want to be so vulnerable, but her heart ached with a need she couldn’t explain. His touch felt like safety, but it also felt like a crack in the wall she’d spent years building around herself.

The sound of his voice—gentle but firm—cut through the storm of thoughts in her mind. Promise me you’ll try to let me in, okay?

Her body went still for a moment, and she pulled back slightly to look up at him. His face was filled with concern, his blue eyes searching hers, as though he could see the battle she was fighting.

“I don’t know if I can, Finn...” Her voice trembled, and she hated how fragile it sounded. “I’m scared of what’ll happen if I do.”

But the softness in his expression, the way he held her like she was the most important thing in the world, made her want to try. Maybe... just maybe, he wasn’t like the others.

“I’ll try,” she whispered, the promise slipping from her lips before she could second-guess it.

Sera blinked rapidly, as though trying to process the words he'd just said. Her breath hitched in her chest, a mix of emotions swirling—relief, gratitude, vulnerability—and something deeper she couldn’t quite name. She had always known Finn would be there for her, but hearing it now, in the softest voice he'd ever used, brought something new to the surface.

Her heart stuttered in her chest as he pressed his forehead to hers, and she found herself drowning in the sincerity of his eyes. Always here for me... The weight of that promise made her chest tighten, and despite the tears that still clung to her lashes, she felt a warmth spread through her, like a faint but steady light in the darkest of places.

She squeezed his hand—fingers curling gently around his—and her own pinky instinctively hooked around his, as if nothing had ever changed. As if we’re still those kids, making promises without knowing what life would throw at us...

She managed a shaky smile, lifting her free hand to rest on his cheek. She swallowed thickly, trying to steady herself.

But in this moment, with their pinkies bound together again, she realized she didn’t have to say it aloud. He knew. Finn always knew.