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The restaurant is already loud when they arrive.
Not raucous, not chaotic. Just full. Warm with voices layered over one another, glasses clinking, the low hum of a place that has been claimed for the evening by people who know each other well enough to talk over one another without apology. A long table has been pushed together in the back, plates half-finished, bottles already opened. The inner circle has gathered early, as they tend to do.
Finn and Noah slip in a little late.
They don’t sneak. They never really do. Finn opens the door and scans the room out of habit, quick and efficient, then steps aside to let Noah in first. Noah pauses immediately, eyes bright, face still lit with that soft afterglow he gets when something has genuinely delighted him.
“Sorry,” Noah says cheerfully, already grinning. “We got distracted.”
Gaten looks up first.
He takes one look at them and bursts out laughing.
“Oh my god,” he says. “You look like Victorian lovers who just escaped a greenhouse.”
Finn sighs. “We were at the aquarium.”
Millie perks up. “You went to the aquarium.”
Noah lights up instantly, words spilling out before Finn can stop them. “It was so cool. The jellyfish room was insane, and there was this tunnel where the sharks go over your head, and Finn pretended not to like it but he stood there for like ten minutes.”
Finn mutters, “I was reading the plaques.”
Caleb smiles into his glass.
Joe squints at them. “You’re glowing.”
Noah beams. “I am.”
Gaten leans back in his chair, delighted. “Of course you are. Look at him. He’s vibrating.”
Noah slides into the seat beside Finn without thinking, shoulder pressing into his arm. Finn’s hand settles at Noah’s back automatically, fingers splayed like a quiet claim. He pulls the chair in for Noah with his foot, practiced, unconscious.
Natalia watches, amused. Sadie’s mouth curves in a small smile. Maya tilts her head, studying the dynamic like she always does, fascinated rather than surprised.
Caleb shifts his chair to make room as Finn sits, calm and steady, body angled toward Noah. The movement goes unremarked. It doesn’t need to be remarked.
“So,” Millie says, leaning forward. “Aquarium date.”
Finn exhales. “It wasn’t a date.”
Everyone laughs.
Noah turns, offended. “It was absolutely a date.”
Finn raises an eyebrow. “You called it an educational outing.”
Noah scoffs. “That was sarcasm.”
Finn meets his eyes. “You bought a plush manta ray.”
Noah defends himself immediately. “It was ethically sourced.”
Gaten slaps the table. “Oh this is already incredible.”
Noah launches into it fully then, the way he does when he’s been holding onto excitement and finally finds an audience.
“The colors,” Noah says, gesturing wildly. “And the coral. And there was this octopus that kept opening jars, which is objectively terrifying but also impressive.”
Finn watches him talk with that soft, focused attention he never hides anymore. He nods at the right moments, murmurs agreement, occasionally corrects a detail with fond precision.
“And I took pictures,” Noah continues proudly. “I got some really good ones.”
Gaten squints. “Of the fish.”
“And Finn,” Noah adds immediately.
Finn’s ears go slightly pink.
Joe grins. “Of course you did.”
Noah scrolls through his phone and holds it up, shoving it under Millie’s nose. “Look.”
Millie gasps. “Oh my god. Finn.”
Finn groans. “Don’t.”
“It’s a candid,” Noah insists. “He didn’t know.”
Finn glances at the photo despite himself. He’s standing in front of a massive tank, blue light washing over his face, expression intent and thoughtful, completely unguarded. He looks like someone who has forgotten he’s being watched.
Finn looks away. “Delete it.”
Noah’s smile is wicked. “Absolutely not.”
Gaten clutches his chest. “The way you photograph him like he’s a rare species.”
Noah nods solemnly. “He is.”
Finn shakes his head, but his hand tightens at Noah’s back, betraying him.
Caleb clears his throat lightly. “You should’ve seen him when Noah went to the gift shop.”
Noah turns. “What.”
Caleb smiles, innocent. “He hovered.”
Finn’s jaw tightens. “I did not.”
Gaten lights up like he’s been waiting for this exact opening. “Oh my god. We’re telling stories.”
Noah’s eyes widen. “What stories.”
“Stories,” Gaten repeats gleefully, “about Finn’s lifelong commitment to being the Noah Protection Unit.”
Noah looks between them, bewildered. “What.”
Finn exhales slowly. “You don’t need to do this.”
Gaten grins wider. “I absolutely do.”
Caleb leans back, arms crossed, fond and amused. “You remember the first season table reads.”
Noah squints. “Yeah.”
Caleb continues, calm. “Whenever someone sat too close to you, Finn would suddenly need to sit there instead.”
Noah blinks. “No he didn’t.”
Finn mutters, “I was just moving around.”
Gaten jumps in. “He did it during lunch breaks too. You’d wander off and Finn would just. Appear.”
Noah stares at Finn. “Is that true.”
Finn meets his gaze evenly. “You wandered into cables.”
Noah laughs. “That’s not a reason.”
“It is,” Finn replies seriously.
Millie chimes in, smiling. “He used to volunteer to walk Noah back to his trailer even when it made no sense.”
Noah’s eyebrows shoot up. “You did.”
Finn shrugs. “You were small.”
Noah scoffs. “I was not small.”
Caleb raises a brow. “You were.”
Gaten nods vigorously. “Tiny.”
Noah laughs, incredulous. “You all are lying.”
Joe raises his glass. “Buddy. We are not.”
Sadie finally speaks, voice dry but warm. “You were the only one who didn’t notice.”
Noah stares at the table, then back at Finn. “You thought you were subtle.”
Finn pauses.
Then, with complete sincerity, “I was subtle.”
The table erupts.
Gaten wheezes. “Victorian husband behavior.”
Finn glares. “What does that even mean.”
Gaten gestures broadly. “Pining. Hovering. Protecting the beloved from imaginary dangers. Writing letters you never send.”
Noah’s eyes light up. “Did you write letters.”
Finn says flatly, “No.”
Caleb smiles faintly. “He wrote notes.”
Noah’s breath catches. “You did.”
Finn looks away. “They were not letters.”
Noah grins, delighted. “That’s worse.”
Gaten pounds the table. “He kept snacks in his bag specifically for Noah.”
Noah’s mouth falls open. “You did not.”
Finn finally snaps, but it’s half laughter. “You forgot to eat.”
Noah laughs so hard he has to wipe his eyes. “I forget to eat now.”
Finn’s voice is gentle but firm. “You still do.”
Noah looks at him, something warm settling behind his eyes. “You take care of me.”
Finn answers simply. “Yes.”
The table goes quiet for half a beat.
Not awkward. Just full.
Then Joe breaks it. “Wow. Okay. Romance.”
Millie smiles softly. “You two are disgusting.”
Noah leans into Finn’s side, pleased. “Thank you.”
Gaten points at them. “Old married couple energy.”
Finn raises an eyebrow. “We are not married.”
Gaten smirks. “Yet.”
Noah grins, eyes bright. “He carried me out of karaoke.”
Caleb nods. “Bridal style.”
Finn groans. “You promised not to say that.”
Noah laughs, unabashed. “I did not promise.”
The teasing continues, fond and relentless. Stories pile on.
The time Finn insisted on sitting between Noah and a rowdy group at a premiere. The time Finn “casually” redirected a conversation that had made Noah uncomfortable before Noah even realized it. The way Finn always seemed to be exactly where Noah needed him to be, without asking.
Noah listens, stunned and delighted, covering his face at one point.
“I had no idea,” he says, laughing. “I thought you were just… around.”
Finn’s voice is low and sure. “I was around.”
Noah looks at him then, really looks, warmth blooming across his face. “You’ve always been like this.”
Finn meets his gaze. “You’ve always been worth it.”
Noah’s smile turns soft and unguarded. He leans in and kisses Finn’s cheek without thinking.
Gaten groans dramatically. “Stop. I can’t handle it.”
Finn wraps an arm around Noah, unapologetic. “Don’t look.”
Caleb watches them, heart full, and thinks about how some stories don’t change. They just get clearer.
Dinner winds down slowly. Plates empty. Wine bottles lightened. The conversation drifts to nothing and everything. Plans. Memories. Inside jokes that don’t need explaining.
Noah stays pressed close to Finn the entire time, happy as a clam, exactly where he wants to be. Finn does not let go once.
When they finally stand to leave, Noah tugs Finn toward the door, hand firm in his.
“Thank you for dinner,” Noah calls back.
Millie waves. “Go be in love somewhere else.”
Gaten adds, “Guard your treasure.”
Finn doesn’t respond. He just pulls Noah a little closer and smiles.
Outside, the night air is cool and clean. Noah exhales, content.
“That was fun,” Noah says.
Finn nods. “They like you.”
Noah laughs. “They like you.”
Finn glances at him, expression soft and certain. “They always have.”
Noah squeezes his hand, eyes shining. “I always have.”
Finn leans in, pressing his forehead to Noah’s briefly, a quiet punctuation.
The world can tease. The world can watch.
They know exactly what they’re doing.
And they’re not subtle anymore. Turns out, they never have been.