Dawn sighed in defeat, her hands trembling slightly in Kenny’s grasp. "Fine… but if it hurts too much, you stop, okay? Promise me."

Kenny’s eyes softened, and he gave her hands a reassuring squeeze. "I promise, Dee Dee. I won’t do anything that makes you uncomfortable. We’ll take this step by step."

Dawn hesitated before nodding, allowing Kenny to adjust her pillows so she could lie back comfortably. He moved with care, ensuring she was relaxed.

"Alright," Kenny said, pulling on a pair of gloves. "First, let’s take a good look at that tooth. Open up for me."

Dawn reluctantly parted her lips, wincing slightly as the cool metal of the small mirror Kenny held inched into her mouth.

"Good girl," Kenny said gently. "Just keep your mouth open for me. This won’t take long."

He tilted her head slightly with his free hand and studied the tooth in question. It was indeed crooked, pressing awkwardly against the adjacent tooth. A faint crack along its surface made Kenny frown.

"Ah, Dee Dee," Kenny murmured, pulling the mirror out. "This tooth’s in worse shape than I thought. You’ve been eating with this?"

Dawn nodded, her cheeks tinged pink. "I’ve been chewing on the other side mostly…"

Kenny sighed, setting the mirror down. "You’re lucky you didn’t hurt yourself more. I’m going to realign it and seal that crack, okay? But it might feel a bit weird."

Dawn’s eyes widened. "Weird how?"

"Pressure," Kenny explained, grabbing a small dental instrument. "Maybe a little discomfort, but I’ll be as gentle as possible. And if it’s too much, just raise your hand, and I’ll stop immediately. Deal?"

"Deal," Dawn whispered, her voice trembling.

"Good," Kenny said, offering her an encouraging smile. "Now, let’s fix that smile of yours."

He positioned himself carefully, using his tools with precision. "Alright, I’m just going to adjust the alignment here. Deep breaths for me, Dee Dee."

Dawn clenched her fists tightly as Kenny began to work. The pressure was uncomfortable, but Kenny’s calming presence kept her from panicking.

"You’re doing amazing," Kenny said softly, his voice steady. "Just a little more, and the alignment will be perfect."

A soft whimper escaped Dawn’s lips, but she didn’t raise her hand. Kenny paused immediately, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Do you need a break?" he asked, concern lacing his tone.

Dawn shook her head, though tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. "N-No… just keep going."

Kenny nodded, his movements even more careful as he continued. After what felt like an eternity to Dawn, he finally leaned back, setting his tools down.

"All done with the alignment," Kenny announced, pulling off his gloves. "Now, I just need to seal that crack."

Dawn let out a shaky breath, wiping at her eyes. "That… wasn’t as bad as I thought."

"See?" Kenny said with a grin. "Told you I’d take care of you. Ready for the last step?"

Dawn gave a small nod, her trust in Kenny outweighing her fear.

Kenny worked quickly to apply the sealant, his movements precise. "This will protect your tooth and prevent further damage. You’ll need to avoid biting down hard on it for a few days, but after that, you should be good as new."

When he finished, Kenny leaned back and gave her a proud smile. "There we go. How does it feel?"

Dawn tentatively ran her tongue over the newly aligned tooth, her eyes lighting up. "It… feels normal. Like nothing happened."

"That’s the goal," Kenny said, ruffling her hair. "You did great, Dee Dee."

Dawn smiled, a hint of relief in her expression. "Thanks, Kenny. I don’t know what I’d do without you."

"Probably keep hiding things until it gets worse," Kenny teased, packing up his tools. "But seriously, if anything like this happens again, you tell me right away. Deal?"

"Deal," Dawn said with a laugh, sitting up and hugging him tightly.

Kenny returned the hug with a chuckle. "That’s my Dee Dee."