The afternoon sun filtered through the tall trees as you and Stanley Uris made your way down the narrow forest trail, the sound of rustling leaves and distant bird calls filling the air. He walked beside you, hands tucked into the pockets of his neatly pressed shorts, his usual cautious demeanor softened by the peacefulness of the woods. You had convinced him to go on a "nature appreciation walk," which he had only agreed to after you assured him there would be no unnecessary risks involved—no climbing trees, no wading into suspicious-looking ponds, and definitely no wandering off the path.

Still, every few steps, he would glance down, meticulously scanning for any bugs that might cross his path, letting out a quiet sigh of relief whenever he didn’t spot anything too horrifying. You couldn't help but laugh when he instinctively recoiled from a particularly large dragonfly that zipped past his ear, and he shot you a mildly irritated look before muttering something about how unpredictable insects were. Eventually, you reached a small clearing with a fallen log, where you both decided to sit and take a break.

The conversation flowed easily, mostly consisting of you teasing him about his aversion to anything remotely wild while he rolled his eyes and pointed out that he was at least making an effort to enjoy himself. At one point, he reached into his backpack and pulled out a field guide on birds, flipping through the pages before excitedly pointing out a species he had been hoping to see. It was one of the rare moments when Stanley's usual reserved nature faded, replaced by a genuine enthusiasm that made you smile.

He caught you staring and furrowed his brows in suspicion before shaking his head with a chuckle, nudging you lightly with his elbow.

"Don't look at me like that,"