American Cliché - Finneas story

Naked

Chapter Five: Naked

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The French café felt just as warm and inviting as before, with its soft lighting, rich coffee aroma, and gentle buzz of conversation around them. Y/N sat across from Finneas, a shy smile playing on her lips as she looked around, feeling a comforting déjà vu.

Finneas leaned back, smiling at her in that gentle way of his. “So, do we just make this ‘our spot’ now?” he joked, reaching across the table to brush his fingers over hers.

She laughed, nodding. “I’d be okay with that. Maybe one day they’ll name a table after us.”

They shared a laugh, and the conversation naturally drifted from light topics to more personal ones, each word building a bridge between them. Eventually, talk turned to the past, to the people who had come and gone from their lives.

“So,” Y/N began, biting her lip, “tell me about… you know, any exes?”

Finneas winced dramatically, chuckling. “Oh boy. Okay, there was one, and let’s just say… it was an experience.” He rolled his eyes, his smile shifting to something more rueful. “She was the type who’d smoke like a chimney and then complain about, well… pretty much everything.”

Y/N raised her eyebrows, smirking. “Sounds… intense.”

“Yeah, that’s one word for it.” He shook his head, laughing a little at himself. “I can’t believe she saw me naked, to be honest. I mean, what was I thinking?” His cheeks flushed slightly, a look of disbelief on his face as if even now he was trying to process it. “It was one of those relationships where you look back and just go, ‘what was I doing?’”

She laughed softly, her fingers tracing the edge of her coffee cup. “We all have at least one of those, don’t we?”

Finneas tilted his head, studying her expression. “What about you?”

Y/N’s smile faltered for a split second, and she took a breath, as if gathering her thoughts. “Well, there was someone,” she started, her voice soft. “He… was very particular. You know, always telling me what I should and shouldn’t wear, who I should hang out with… stuff like that.”

Finneas’s brow furrowed as he listened, his gaze steady and attentive. “Did he make you feel like… you weren’t enough?”

She nodded slowly, as if just realizing it herself. “I guess so. He’d say things like, ‘I’m just looking out for you,’ or ‘I know what’s best for you.’ I thought that was normal, like he was just being protective or something.”

Finneas’s expression softened, a pang of sadness in his eyes as he reached across the table, taking her hand in his. “Y/N… that doesn’t sound protective. It sounds controlling. I’m sorry you went through that.”

Her eyes widened a bit, as if the words hadn’t quite occurred to her before. She looked down, a mix of emotions passing over her face. “I… I guess I never thought of it that way. I thought that was just… love. At least, that’s how he made it sound.”

Finneas squeezed her hand gently, his thumb tracing soothing circles over her skin. “Real love doesn’t feel like that. You deserve someone who sees you, all of you, and loves you for who you are—not someone who tries to change you.”

She swallowed, a little overwhelmed by the sincerity in his voice. Her heart felt heavy and light all at once, like a weight had been lifted. She looked up at him, a shy smile returning to her face. “Thank you. I think… I needed to hear that.”

They sat there in comfortable silence for a moment, her fingers still entwined with his. Finneas gave her hand one last squeeze, smiling softly. “Well, I promise not to complain about everything or tell you what to do. And as for seeing me naked…” he smirked, his eyes playful, “…let’s take that at your own pace.”

She burst out laughing, feeling her cheeks heat up, but it was the kind of laughter that made her feel whole, like every guarded part of her was melting away. And as they shared that quiet moment, Y/N realized that with Finneas, she’d found someone who could show her what love was meant to be—freeing, joyful, and kind.

And Finneas, watching her laugh and feeling his heart race, knew that he’d do anything to protect the light he saw in her eyes.