The movie opened with a fight between warring gangs, culminating in a very large and very loud explosion. Elena sighed. “Good lord. Great pick, mijo. You really picked a family-friendly one.”
“Well, I for one, hope that Batman flies in and puts an end to all of these explosions in Gotham,” Finn offered.
Miguel lit up with laughter at Finn’s words.
As the movie went on, Miguel mused about justice. He argued Batman should just kill the Joker, while Elena said that the good guys shouldn’t execute people. Halfway through the film, Elena noticed Miguel's commentary growing less frequent, his posture slumping as fatigue caught up with him.
When the movie ended, Elena carefully extracted herself from Miguel's weight. "I should get him to bed," she whispered. Elena nudged Miguel awake and then guided him to his bedroom. When she turned on his nightlight, she could already hear his quiet snore.
When she returned to the living room, Finn was collectingtheir empty glasses and the popcorn bowl. "You don't have to clean up," she said softly.
"I don't mind," he replied, straightening a cushion that had fallen to the floor. "It's the least I can do after you let me destroy your son's sleep schedule and nutritional plan in a single evening."
Elena leaned against the doorframe, watching him with amused affection. "Well, I learned one thing tonight," she said, her tone playfully accusatory. "You are an absolutely terrible babysitter. Mountain Dew and zombie explosions? What the hell, Finn?"
He looked up with a sheepish grin. "In my defense, he's very persuasive. And I may have gotten... caught up in the moment."
"I noticed," Elena said warmly. "I've never seen you like that before. So... relaxed."
Finn's expression shifted, becoming more thoughtful. "It's easy with him. With both of you."
Elena felt butterflies flutter in her stomach. Butterflies she’d forgotten she could feel. Finn gathered his jacket from the back of the couch, a signal that the evening was coming to its inevitable end. Elena followed him to the front door, both moving slowly, as if reluctant to break the spell of the evening. In the doorway, with the porch light casting a soft glow around them, Finn paused.
"Thank you again," Elena said, "for tonight, for Miguel. He had such a good time."
Finn looked at her with concern. After a moment, he asked, "How was the date? Really?"
The question was gentle but direct, and Elena felt her careful composure wavering. She considered how to respond. "It made me realize what I really want," she said finally, her eyes meeting his with an honesty that surprisedeven her.
Something tender crossed Finn's face, a vulnerability she'd only glimpsed before. "I hope you know you deserve the best. So does Miguel."
The simple kindness in his words, the way he included her son in his care, made Elena's eyes well up with unexpected emotion.
Finn reached for her. The hug started as comfort, but as Elena melted into his arms, fitting against him perfectly, it became something deeper. His hands settled on her back, holding her close, and she could feel the rapid beat of his heart against her chest. She felt so small wrapped up in his embrace, enveloped by his warmth.
The embrace stretched longer than it should, charged with all the feelings they'd been trying to ignore. "What are we doing, Finn..." Elena whispered against his shoulder.
"I don't know, but I can't keep fighting it," he breathed, his arms tightening around her.
When she pulled back to look at him, their faces were inches apart, and the careful distance they'd maintained finally collapsed. She had to rise on her tiptoes to reach him, her hands gripping his broad shoulders for balance as she kissed him first. His lips parted beneath hers, and he pulled her in closer.
His mouth moved against hers with increasing urgency, and Elena felt months of restraint dissolving. One of his hands slipped to the small of her back, supporting her as she stretched up to meet him, while the other tangled in her hair. The height difference made her feel delicate and protected all at once, completely surrounded by him as he bent down to deepen their kiss.
When he pressed closer and eliminated the last centimeter left between them, Elena made a soft sound against his mouth that seemed to drive him wild. His arms tightened around her, lifting her slightly so she didn't have to strain to reach him, andthe gesture was so simultaneously tender and desperate that it made her heart race even faster.
The passion built between them, Finn's kisses becoming more desperate, more demanding. Elena found herself backed against the hallway wall, his body pressing against hers as his mouth moved from her lips to her neck. She gasped at the sensation, her hands clutching at his shirt, pulling him closer?—
Bang. The framed photo beside them crashed to the floor.
They froze, both breathing hard, suddenly remembering where they were.Miguel. Miguel was sleeping just down the hall. Elena's eyes went wide as reality crashed back over them. What were they doing? What had they almost done?
"I should go," Finn said, though he made no move to release her.
Elena nodded, stepping back.
He moved to leave, then paused, turning back to her with an expression that was both tender and possessive. "Promise me," he said softly, his thumb tracing her cheek, "the next time you wear that dress, it will be for me."
The request sent a shiver through her that had nothing to do with the cool night air. All she could do was nod.
