Finn

Present day

The sky above was fading from soft gold to deep blue, and I could feel the coolness of the grass beneath me, grounding me in a way nothing else really could. I lay there, holding Lyra's hand, watching the colors shift overhead, and I couldn't help but feel like the whole world was quieting down just for us. Today had been... well, one of those days. But I wasn't about to let it get to me.

"It's been a weird day, hasn't it?" I murmured, glancing over at Lyra. Her warm smile was all the confirmation I needed that I could say anything, and she'd get it.

"Definitely weird," she replied, giving me a look that told me she was ready to listen if I wanted to say more. "But you don't seem too fazed by it."

I let out a chuckle, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Oh, I'm fazed. I just... I don't know. I like to focus on the things that make me happy. Keeps me from getting too caught up in the stuff that doesn't." I sat up, brushing a blade of grass off my shirt, feeling the comfort of her presence beside me.

For a moment, I was quiet, trying to figure out how to share what was really on my mind. "Actually, there's something I've been meaning to tell you," I began, glancing down. "It's... kind of personal."

Her fingers squeezed mine, a silent encouragement that somehow made it easier to go on. I took a deep breath, my usual grin softening. "So... you know how some days feel a little out of sync?" I said, hoping I didn't sound too vague. "Like, I'm here, and I'm me, but it's like... I'm standing next to myself instead of being myself?"

Lyra's hand never left mine, her eyes steady on me as she listened.

"Today was one of those days. My dysphoria..." I paused, letting the word settle between us. "It just decided to be extra loud. But here's the thing." I felt a little laugh slip out, as unexpected as it was genuine. "I kind of think of it as my brain's way of reminding me that I still care about being me, even when it's hard. Like, sure, sometimes it's like my body and my brain are on different pages, but that just means I've got more room to make things better, you know? To choose which parts of me I want to share with the world."

Lyra scooted a little closer, resting her head on my shoulder, the quiet weight of her bringing me a sense of calm I didn't always get to feel. I took another breath, feeling braver with her beside me.

"And the funny thing?" I said, glancing up at the sky again. "I think the days when I feel out of place just make the days when I feel like myself even better. If I didn't have those off days, I don't think I'd ever appreciate the days when I look in the mirror and think, 'Hey, that's me!' And knowing you're here, that you're okay with all of it... it just makes everything feel brighter."

She looked up at me, her eyes a little misty, which only made me smile bigger. "Finn, you're the brightest person I know. Even on your hardest days, you find a way to make it seem like a gift."

I ducked my head, feeling a warmth spread through me that made me blush a little. "Well, if I can bring a little light to the people I love, then maybe it's all worth it."

She leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to my cheek that sent a spark right through me. "You bring a lot more than just a little light, Finn."

We sat there, her head on my shoulder, my heart a little lighter, the world a little softer in the quiet dusk. And in that moment, with Lyra by my side, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.