Kenny gently held Dawn's hands, looking at her with soft eyes. "I promise, I’ll try to make it as painless as possible," he said, his voice low and soothing. But despite his words, Dawn’s stomach twisted in knots.

"Just… just be careful," she whispered, her voice shaky. Her pulse quickened as Kenny prepared the tools again, and she squeezed her eyes shut tighter.

Kenny took a slow, deep breath, then carefully guided the tools back into her mouth. "You’re doing great, Dee Dee," he murmured, his hands steady and confident. "Just a little pressure, okay?"

Dawn barely nodded, but the moment Kenny began to adjust her tooth, she couldn’t hold it back anymore. The sharp pain shot through her, intense and sudden, as though every nerve in her jaw was alive with discomfort. She gasped, squeezing her eyes shut even tighter.

"Oh, God, Kenny, that hurts!" she cried, her voice muffled from the tools in her mouth.

"I know, I know," he said quickly, his voice filled with regret. "I’m sorry, Dee Dee, just a little longer. I’ll be quick."

Dawn’s hands trembled in his, and she gripped his fingers as if they were her lifeline. The pressure on her tooth seemed never-ending, and each adjustment made her entire body tense up in pain.

She whimpered, her breath shallow, and her stomach churned. "Please… stop… I can’t, Kenny… it hurts so much!"

"I’m so sorry, Dee Dee," Kenny said, his voice thick with concern. He paused for a moment, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand before taking a deep breath. "I know this is hard. I’ll finish in just a second, okay?"

Despite her fear and the pain flooding through her, she nodded weakly. She knew Kenny would never do anything to hurt her on purpose, but that didn’t lessen the ache in her tooth.

Kenny carefully adjusted the tools one final time, and with a soft click, he eased them out of her mouth.

Dawn let out a shaky breath, feeling the tension in her body slowly ease, but the pain still lingered.

Kenny looked down at her, his brow furrowed with worry. "How are you feeling?"

She didn't immediately answer, her jaw still sore, her body stiff from the tension. But when she opened her eyes and saw his face, her heart softened. "I… I’m okay," she said, her voice small. "It just… hurt more than I thought it would."

"I’m sorry," Kenny repeated, taking her hands again. "I should’ve warned you it would hurt that much. But I’m glad we caught it before it got worse."

Dawn sighed, feeling a mixture of relief and lingering discomfort. "You’re… you’re really good at this, you know? Even if it was a little painful…"

Kenny smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. "I just wanted to take care of you, Dee Dee. I hate seeing you in pain."

Dawn blinked up at him, feeling the deep affection she had for him swelling in her chest. "I know. And… I trust you more than anyone."

Kenny’s smile grew, and he leaned down to kiss her forehead gently. "Good. Now, just rest, okay? We’ll get you some ice for that tooth, and you’ll be good as new."

Dawn nodded, feeling the warmth of his care washing over her, the pain already starting to dull in her heart more than in her tooth. "Thanks, Kenny," she whispered, her voice softer now.

"Anytime, Dee Dee," he replied, settling beside her and wrapping his arms around her. "You’re the best."

And with that, she finally allowed herself to relax into his embrace, knowing that as long as he was by her side, she could handle anything.