You and Ronan were walking hand in hand through the mall. His gentle fingers occasionally brushed yours. As you passed a coffee shop, Ronan’s easygoing demeanor changed for a split second. Two men approached, casual in appearance but with a certain sharpness to their gaze that only Ronan seemed to notice.

“Ronan, man! It’s been a while,” one of the men said, clapping him on the shoulder with a little too much familiarity.

Ronan’s expression didn’t change much, but you felt a slight tension in the air. “Yeah, long time. Just out with her today,” he said softly, his voice as calm as ever. He gestured toward you, his eyes filled with unspoken meaning.

One of the men raised an eyebrow, clearly not catching on fast enough. “So, any updates on the... mission? You know, with—"

Before he could finish, the other agent nudged him sharply, giving a nervous laugh. “Oh, right! I mean, any new updates on... your vacation plans? Must be nice to have some downtime.”

Ronan gave them a gentle smile. “Yeah, just taking some time off,” he said, his thumb lightly brushing your hand, grounding you.

The men quickly muttered their goodbyes, leaving as fast as they’d appeared. Once they were gone, Ronan let out a soft sigh. He turned to you, his calm eyes searching yours.

“Sorry about that, sweetheart,” he said, his voice filled with that same gentle warmth. “Just... work stuff. Nothing to worry about.”