" don’t you worry, ” lake says softly, her smile still lingering as she looks down at the flowers again. “ your reputation as sedona’s grumpiest man is completely safe with me. ” when she looks up at him again she still smiling pure warmth, and it's not even because of the flowers themselves — though they’re beautiful — but hank noticed and maybe that’s the part making her chest ache and flutter. she can't get over the notion that this wasn’t grabbed thoughtlessly on the way over. this was chosen and put together and handled with care, which seems to be exactly the way he treats her.
lake laughs softly at his groan, bright and triumphant like she’s already won something the second he starts protesting. “ come on, ” she says, clutching the flowers dramatically against her chest. “ i actually refuse to believe you’re that bad. ” her grin lingers though, softer now, more affectionate than teasing. because the thing is, she doesn’t actually care if hank’s bad at dancing. she thinks she’d like this either way. the awkwardness, the playful reluctance, the fact that he’s clearly only even considering it because it’s her asking.
then she hears — ah, hell. and lake’s breath catches the second his hand reaches for hers. and god, that tiny gesture shouldn’t feel this intimate, but it does. her fingers slide into his easily, instinctively, warmth curling through her chest at the careful way he holds her hand while pulling her closer, which she can't help but give an excited giggle because she knows he won’t pull away, not at this point and especially not when he leans near her ear like that, voice low enough to send a shiver down her spine. “ one birthday exception? ” she repeats softly, smiling as she lets him tug her in closer. “ i really wore you down, huh? " but her voice has gone quieter too now, because hank’s smiling. like, actually smiling, and lake thinks that might honestly be her favourite thing she’s seen all night.
' you do realize this is exactly how you get me into trouble, '
lake tips her head back just enough to look at him properly, the string lights catching in her eyes as they sway together. the thing that started somewhere between lingering conversations, shared glances, and moments that lasted just a little too long. the thing that somehow brought them here, standing beneath string lights with his hand on her waist and her heart behaving in ways she finds increasingly inconvenient.
for a moment, her gaze drops. to where his hand rests against her side. to the easy way he's holding her. to all the reasons this should feel strange. yet, it doesn't. that's probably the problem. when she looks back up at him, that familiar flutter returns immediately.
" y'know, " she says softly, her fingers curling a little more securely against his shoulder, " i feel like i should point out that i ain't actually forcin' you to be here. " her smile grows, " you could've escaped at any point. you could've said no to the dance. you could've stopped buying me flowers. " the words are teasing, but there's something honest sitting underneath them, because for all the jokes, for all the flirting, for all the ways she keeps trying to make this feel lighter than it is — hank keeps choosing to stay.
and god help her, she notices every single time.
her gaze lingers on his for a moment longer before she leans in slightly, close enough that only he can hear her over the music. " i think, " she begins, voice quieter now, " you might be blamin' the wrong person for your trouble. " the smile that follows is impossible to hide. it's bright, fond, and just a little bit gone for him. playfully, she creates some space between them, pretending to get ready to walk away as she says with a sigh, " but if you feel so strongly about it and don't want any trouble, that's fine, i can scoot on over here and leave you be ... "