It was close to one in the morning. Ever since the guests left, Daniel had remained on the balcony, staring at a photo of Júlia on his phone.

  She was wearing the red and white uniform of the Red Crows, with the team’s crimson mascot embroidered on her jacket. Surrounding her were her students, kids aged fifteen to seventeen, all posing for the picture with bright smiles.

  Daniel felt a wave of relief seeing her happy, far removed from the terrible situation he had been in. Sadness began to creep in, but it was quickly cut short by the sudden buzz of the intercom echoing through the apartment.

  He looked down at his wrinkled blue pajamas and considered changing them, but it was late—who could it be? Pushing the worry aside, Daniel crossed the apartment and answered the intercom with a grumpy voice.

  "Yeah?"

  "It’s... Dani? Can I come in?"

  "Jú?"

  "The one and only... Sorry for not calling ahead, but I really wanted to talk about some things. Can I come up?"

  "Of course, but I’m in my pajamas."

  "Seriously?" A muffled laugh came through the speaker. "That’s okay."

  He buzzed her in, unlocked the front door, and headed to the kitchen to sip some reheated coffee while he waited.

  For the next minute, a storm of thoughts clouded his judgment. Everything revolved around one question: Why did she come back? Just as he placed the cup in the sink, three knocks reverberated from the door.

  "It’s unlocked," he called out.

  Júlia entered the apartment, locking the door behind her before walking into the kitchen. She was wearing the same clothes as before. Her face gave away nothing of her intentions. Instead of bombarding her with questions, he let the conversation flow naturally.

  "Want some cold coffee?"

  Júlia nodded. He heated a cup of milk in the microwave. The appliance beeped thirty seconds later; Daniel took the cup out, handed it to her, then poured in the rest of the coffee remaining in the thermos.

  "One reheated coffee for the lady."

  "Thank you very much."

  He sat down in front of her.

  "Does Mrs. Maria know her daughter is here?"

  "She does," Júlia said. "I made up an excuse before coming over."

  She sipped the coffee slowly. A silence settled over the kitchen, but neither felt awkward about the lack of conversation. Instead, they exchanged glances, simply looking at one another.

  "It is way past time to throw those pajamas away," Júlia said.

  "Never. I love them."

  "I noticed."

  She drank until the last drop, then stood up, walked to the sink, washed the cup, and left it to dry. She paused near the counter, thought for a moment, and walked toward the living room. Júlia stopped in the doorway, looked over her shoulder, and said, "It’s a beautiful night. Want to hang out on the balcony?"

  "Great idea. Wait for me there; I just need to do one quick thing."

  She nodded and crossed the living room. The TV was still on, and as expected, another program was discussing the big revelation Anika had made that afternoon.

  Júlia slid the glass door open and stepped out, only to be assaulted by a gust of cold wind.

  "Dani, lend me a—" She was cut off as a jacket landed on her shoulders.

  "There you go," he said, gently nudging her so he could step out onto the balcony as well.

  Júlia didn’t put the jacket on right away. She pulled it around to the front, holding it with both hands to admire the gray wolf embroidered on the chest. Then, she turned it over to see the name written on the back: “Dante.”

  "This brings back so many memories."

  "Good ones and bad ones," he added.

  Júlia read the name "Dark Age" beneath the team logo with affection, and only then did she slip into the uniform.

  "So, this is how you felt," she said, looking at the three white stripes on the right arm indicating the captain's rank. "Funny how such a small detail can trigger such different sensations."

  "Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll wear the captain’s uniform for Red."

  "Don’t be an idiot. I’ll never surpass Cris."

  "With that attitude, you definitely won’t."

  His words reminded her of the conversation she’d had with Cristiano during the car ride to the hotel. Júlia turned her back to Daniel and leaned against the balcony railing. The traffic on the streets had died down, though the occasional honks or shouts could still be heard.

  Daniel stopped beside her. His pajamas were so loose they fluttered with every gust of wind.

  "Anika wasn't the only one who unlocked a Legendary Class," he said, admiring the moon in the sky.

  "Really? And who’s." She stopped mid-sentence as the realization hit her. "Don't tell me you also got..."

  Daniel nodded and pronounced the class name with a satisfied smile, "The Iron Druid."

  "Incredible! How is it different from a regular druid?"

  He told her about the evolution of the bear form, which left her speechless. Then, he summarized the journey to unlock it, sparing no details when he got to the Druid Trials.

  "It was incredibly hard to beat Bjorn in a duel, but I ended up winning thanks to the poison effect on my spear."

  "That’s a great story," Júlia admitted. "Congratulations on the Legendary Class. You really deserve it, especially after everything that happened."

  "Down the road, I also intend to found my own team."

  Júlia’s eyes widened. Just a second ago, she was fascinated by the crazy lore behind the Legendary Class, but the moment she thought about the sheer effort required to build a successful pro team from scratch, her enthusiasm vanished, replaced by veiled concern.

  "Wow, that’s quite... an ambitious plan." She tried to hide the worry in her voice.

  But Daniel noticed her skepticism.

  "You can be honest. I know it’s crazy, that it costs a fortune, and the bureaucracy is a nightmare. But this is the only way for me to come back after my reputation was dragged through the mud."

  "I’ll be rooting for everything to work out for you," she said, managing a half-smile. "I’ll promise to help however I can."

  "That’s actually the crux of the matter. Let’s say I manage to found this team and put together a decent roster. Could I count on you, like in the old days?"

  She opened her mouth to respond, but judging by her expression, Daniel anticipated the problem and cut in, "I’d pay a proper salary, don't worry. You’d be treated like a top tier pro."

  She sighed in relief. "Then I would accept. But you’ll need to convince me that the team can actually compete against the others."

  "Promise?" he asked, extending his hand.

  "I promise," she said, extending her own and sealing the promise with a handshake.

  They both went back to admire the late night view of Florianópolis.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  "Cris is going to lose his mind when he finds out you promised to join my hypothetical team."

  She took a deep breath. "It feels like an eternity has passed since Worlds last year." He nodded, then she continued, "Remember the match against Dynasty?"

  "The day you punched Xin Tao in the face?"

  She laughed out loud recalling the moment.

  "It was an accident! We were talking in the hotel cafeteria and I wanted to stretch a bit. It’s not my fault he ran past me right when I threw my arms out."

  The laughter subsided, and she asked, "What’s your most memorable moment from Paris?"

  Daniel took a moment to think. His mind was flooded with memories of the days spent in the city chosen to host last year's World Championship.

  "That day we walked through the streets, eating ice cream, window shopping, and just taking in the Parisian life while acting like a couple, without being pestered by fans."

  "You’ve got to be kidding me," she protested. "That weekend we went up the Eiffel Tower and visited the Louvre, and you’re telling me walking around eating ice cream was better?"

  "Much better," Daniel admitted without hesitation. "There were too many people in that iron tower. In the museum, we were forced to listen to the guide explain every little thing. At least on the streets, we just walked, looked at the shops, the people, the scenery... everything at our own pace. And eating some damn good ice cream."

  She tried to argue that the walk could have happened anywhere in the world, while the Tower and the Museum were unique. But the memory he chose was filled with conversations, sincere laughs, spontaneous jokes, and memorable intimate moments. Then, she remembered a key part of that day.

  "The sunset on the beach!" Júlia said, snapping her fingers.

  "Exactly... I wouldn't trade that for anything."

  "Not even for winning the World Championship?"

  He sighed before saying, “Jú, come on."

  "Okay, okay." Deep down, she knew she was pushing it; the dream of the championship was an obsession they both shared. Setting that aside, she stopped to look up at the stars. "It’s a full moon."

  "We aren't in a luxury hotel in Paris, but still..."

  "It’s a beautiful night."

  He took her hand, which was resting on the railing.

  Júlia turned her face to say something, blushing as her cheeks heated up.

  "Are you trying to win me back?" she asked.

  "I am... Is it working?"

  "Mhm," she murmured, then kicked her shyness away and hugged him tightly.

  They stood together in silence, enjoying the warm embrace. Júlia lifted her face, resting her chin on his chest, then reached up to touch his cheek.

  Daniel reacted by holding her by the waist.

  They drew closer, lips touched, and eyes closed. Júlia tilted her head and kissed him tenderly, setting a slow pace to savor the moment.

  Daniel pulled her closer, taking a step to indicate he wanted to move. Júlia yielded out of curiosity and was surprised when her back pressed against the balcony railing. Her body arched slightly backward.

  Júlia touched his chest with her right hand, then slipped it under his pajama shirt, sliding her palm over Daniel's abdomen. A giggle escaped her lips. She pulled back, breaking the kiss.

  "You’ve put on a few kilos; you’re not as ripped as you used to be," she commented playfully.

  Daniel gave an embarrassed smile. "Haven't had much time to hit the gym."

  "Uh-huh, sure..."

  He retaliated by squeezing her leg, his hand sliding over the fabric. Then, with his fingertips, he lifted the hem of her skirt to touch the thigh of the girl he desired so much.

  Júlia felt that cold hand press against her well-defined thighs. Daniel kept advancing, inch by inch, as they kissed, surrendering to each other more and more. He whispered in her ear, "Jú, you’re incredible."

  Just like him, Júlia couldn't take it anymore. She rose onto her tiptoes to whisper back, "Shall we?" She ended with a giggle.

  He pulled away, took her hand, and answered the request by leading her to the bedroom.

  ***

  An hour had passed since they started making out on the balcony. The two were huddled together in bed, covered with just a thin sheet as their clothes were discarded around the room before they had sex. Their eyes were fixed on the TV screen.

  "Remember when we met?" Júlia asked, caressing his chest.

  "It was at the gym, on the sixth floor of the D.A. building," Daniel replied, stroking her hair.

  "Do you remember the exact moment?"

  "No."

  "Liar. You do remember; you just don't want to say it."

  "Fine, I admit it. I was on my last set of the bench press when you decided to use the machine next to me."

  "And then you wanted to show off by adding more weight."

  "That’s enough."

  Júlia snuggled closer and brought her face near his to stare him down. Daniel avoided her gaze, but she pinched his cheek.

  "Then, on the fourth rep, you stalled like an idiot. I ran over to help because I was an innocent rookie wanting to assist one of the team's stars. But Dani, if that happened two months later, I would have left you there with the bar crushing your chest."

  "I would have just rolled the bar down to my waist to lift it from a better angle."

  "You only say that now because you looked up tricks on how to escape such an embarrassing situation."

  He took a deep breath and launched a counterattack. "If we’re talking about embarrassing situations, how about we remember the birthday party where you showed up dressed for a wedding?"

  Júlia’s blood boiled, her face turned red, and she clenched her teeth. "You bastard, I had forgotten about that. The birthday boy was a cofounder of Dark Age!"

  "That’s no excuse. Just because someone is rich doesn't mean they live like a billionaire."

  "You’re going to pay for that!" she roared, grabbing a pillow.

  "No!" Daniel raised his voice, but it was too late.

  The pillow hit him squarely in the face. He retaliated, culminating in a brief play-fight.

  Minutes later, when things had calmed down and they were just laughing at the situation, they went back to cuddling and watching the program on TV.

  A gust of cold air entered the room from the open window to the left of the bed. Júlia gritted her teeth and pulled the sheet up, covering her breasts.

  "What does this mean to you?" Daniel asked seriously.

  "I don't know..." she admitted.

  Their eyes met; he caressed her cheek.

  "Júlia, I love you. We broke up last year because we... I mean, I..."

  She interrupted him as soon as she saw him hesitate to admit fault.

  "Both of us, Dani. We both agreed to sacrifice our relationship for Worlds."

  "But now everything has changed. We’re on different teams, living miles apart. As much as I love your smile, your jokes, and your body... I don't think a relationship like that would work. I’m sorry."

  "You don't need to apologize. I also think getting back together right now wouldn't work. I just wanted to know if we were on the same page."

  Daniel's heart clenched hearing her repeat the same arguments. He wondered if she was also shaken by his words.

  Their eyes met, exchanging sad glances. Daniel took her in his arms and pulled her closer. She accepted the gesture and hugged him tightly. Her long brown hair spilled over his chest.

  "Jú," he said.

  "Da," she tried to speak, but sobbed in the middle.

  "Are you crying?"

  "No!" she replied, her voice thick with tears.

  He prepared a joke, but nothing came out when he tried to speak, overcome by her pain. His eyes grew heavy. His chest ached.

  The girl he loved was crying in his arms. And in that instant, tears welled up in his own eyes, a pair of drops. He tried to be strong, fought to suppress them, but in the end, he surrendered.

  ***

  After crying together, they continued talking and making up for lost time, but the pain of the inevitable separation never stopped tormenting them.

  They ate dinner, watched one more interview on the Kronos program, showered together, got drunk on some actually good beer, and went to sleep after having sex and chatting once more.

  They woke up at seven in the morning, had breakfast, and prepared to say goodbye.

  Júlia stood in the doorway wearing her white shirt, black skirt, and brown sandals. For the occasion, Daniel had dressed in a red and white striped t-shirt, denim shorts, and flip-flops.

  They were holding hands.

  "I think that's it. I can't stall Cris any longer. He must be furious, waiting for me in the hotel lobby."

  She stepped closer, hugged him, and kissed him one last time, then looked away.

  "Bye, Dani. I hope everything goes well with your new team. And if I can help in any way, just let me know."

  It was his turn to say goodbye.

  "Good luck at Red. I’m rooting for you guys to win this year. And..."

  She sealed his lips with her finger, a smile that clashed with the melancholic atmosphere plastered on her face.

  "You don't need to say anything. If everything goes just right, we’ll be together on your new team. Let’s just wait until my contract with the Red Crows expires." She put a finger to her lips. "But hush! Let’s keep this between us."

  Those words were everything Daniel wanted to hear.

  "You naughty girl!" Seeing her expression, he corrected himself. "I meant that in a good way."

  "Uh-huh..."

  She kissed him one more time, said goodbye, and started walking away.

  "Jú!" Daniel called out when she had barely taken her third step.

  Júlia turned to hear what he had to say but was surprised to see him pointing his phone at her.

  "Pose for a photo," he said.

  She placed her left hand on her waist, made a peace sign with her right hand, tilted her head to the side, and smiled. A flash illuminated the hallway.

  "Thanks," Daniel said.

  "Is that going to be your wallpaper?"

  "Yes, but... I can delete it if you want."

  She hurried back to the apartment door, stole the phone from his hands, stretched out her arm, and said, "Smile."

  He obeyed. Júlia stretched her arm even further, looking at the screen to align the front camera until they were both framed in the shot.

  "Is this for today?" he asked, keeping his smile.

  She kissed him on the left cheek and immortalized the moment by pressing the shutter button. Before returning the device to its rightful owner, she checked the photo. Contrary to her expectations, it turned out great.

  "Use this one as your wallpaper. And send it to me; I want to keep it in our album."

  Daniel took the phone back. The kiss on the cheek had taken him by surprise, and it showed in the photo—his left eye was closed. But to his delight, it didn't ruin the picture. His reaction, combined with her playful expression as she kissed him, made it one of the most beautiful and spontaneous things he had ever seen.

  "Thanks," he said as he forwarded the photo to her.

  They kissed and then said goodbye, only this time, it was for real.

  |

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