018 | the entrance of cienna

It was a rare kind of quiet afternoon in Gianna's apartment, the sort of moment that felt like the world was holding its breath. She was curled up on the couch, her head resting in Hector's lap as he absentmindedly played with her hair. Her breathing had deepened, a soft sigh escaping her lips as sleep had claimed her in the comfort of his presence. The room was peaceful, the low hum of the city outside barely audible through the thick walls of her apartment.

Hector glanced down at her, a fond smile tugging at his lips as he continued to run his fingers through her hair. He hadn't meant for her to fall asleep in his lap, but it seemed to happen so naturally. Gianna had been exhausted lately-between recovery, training, and everything in between, it was easy to see why. And Hector, well, he found himself enjoying this rare, calm moment with her. The soft rise and fall of her chest, the stillness between them, felt almost sacred.

He let out a breath, looking at the door to the apartment, wondering if it would be a few more hours before they had to face the world again.

Then came the unmistakable sound of footsteps, quick and light, approaching the door. Before Hector could even register it, the door swung open with an almost comically dramatic flourish.

"Hellooo!"

The loud voice of Cienna rang through the apartment, followed by the unmistakable sound of her boots stomping into the entryway. "Is anyone alive in here, or have you two turned into zombies?"

Hector groaned inwardly as the silence shattered. Gianna stirred in her sleep, mumbling something under her breath, her brow furrowing as the noise reached her ears.

"Ugh, Cienna, can you be any louder?" Hector muttered, his voice half-amused, half-irritated as he glanced at the door where Cienna was now standing with an overly dramatic pose, hands on her hips.

Cienna grinned wickedly, her eyes sparkling with the mischief that only she could carry off. "Sorry, sorry," she teased, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't realize I was interrupting the world's most peaceful moment." She crossed her arms, giving Hector a playful look. "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to keep her all to yourself. You're practically her human pillow at this point."

Hector didn't even bother to respond at first. He simply tilted his head back, closing his eyes for a moment, knowing that if he gave Cienna an inch, she'd take a mile. He looked down at Gianna, who was now half-awake, her eyelids fluttering as she adjusted to the change in noise.

"Gianna?" Cienna's voice softened as she approached, though it still carried that playful lilt that was so uniquely hers. "You still alive over there, or did Hector suffocate you with his charmingly huge ego?"

Gianna's eyes cracked open, and she groaned groggily, still half in the world of sleep. "Cienna, please... I was sleeping."

Cienna grinned at her best friend's response. "Uh huh. You mean, Hector's lap was making you sleep, right? Not my fault you look like you're in a trance over there."

Gianna squinted up at Hector, still leaning on him as though nothing could make her move. She half-smiled, too sleepy to put up much of a fight. "I'm not sure if I want to be awake with you two fighting over who's winning the 'Best Friend of the Year' award," she mumbled, a yawn escaping her.

Hector chuckled softly, his hand still in her hair, though now he gently nudged her awake, as if coaxing her back into the present. "You've got two options, Gigi. Either you wake up and face Cienna's chaos, or you keep pretending you're dead asleep."

"Great," Gianna groaned, her eyes finally fluttering open. She rolled her eyes, though there was a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Can't even get five minutes of peace, can I?"

Cienna, who was now sitting at the edge of the couch with her legs crossed, leaned in dramatically, as if to impart some very deep wisdom. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you two are practically attached at the hip these days."

Gianna, now fully awake and pushing herself up to a sitting position, looked between the two of them. "We're not attached at the hip," she said, her voice still slightly hoarse from sleep. "We just... like to hang out sometimes."

Hector shot her a knowing look, a subtle smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Uh huh. Just hanging out. Got it."

Cienna burst out laughing, loud and unrestrained. "That's cute! Keep telling yourselves that. But seriously, you two should have your own reality show at this point. Just endless hours of Gianna napping on Hector's lap and Hector looking at her like she's the second coming of football."

Gianna couldn't help but laugh along with Cienna's teasing. "Oh, please. Can't you see I'm just trying to heal here? I need my beauty rest!"

"Oh, I've noticed," Hector quipped, shooting her a mock glare. "You've been napping for like an hour and a half. At least pretend you're going to do something productive."

"Excuse me for needing sleep to recover from the trauma of being on crutches," Gianna shot back, but the grin on her face betrayed her sarcastic tone.

Cienna rolled her eyes, clearly enjoying the banter. "You two are such an old married couple. Honestly."

At this, Hector couldn't help but burst into laughter, his hand coming to rest on Gianna's shoulder. "We've been friends forever, Cienna. You should know by now we've perfected the art of bickering. It's practically a pastime."

Gianna leaned back against the couch, still half-smiling as she let the conversation wash over her. It was moments like this, when they were all together, that reminded her of how lucky she was to have such people in her life. Even with her injury, even when things felt overwhelming, her friends-her family-were there. They kept her grounded, reminded her that she wasn't alone.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm starving," Cienna announced, as if her loud entrance hadn't already disrupted the peace enough. "Let's go get food or something."

Gianna sat up a little straighter, glancing at Hector with a sly smile. "You know, I'd love to, but... I think I'm going to need to be carried. It's either that, or I'm not moving."

Hector raised an eyebrow. "You know, I think you could manage on crutches just fine. But if you want me to carry you..." He paused, teasing, "I suppose I could make an exception."

Gianna shot him a playful look. "Only if you promise not to drop me."

"Ha, trust me, I'm stronger than you think," Hector replied, his grin widening.

"I'm still not carrying you across the street, though," Cienna added with a wink. "I'd be too busy laughing at how dramatic you two are."

The three of them shared a laugh, the laughter lingering long after the words had faded. It was a familiar, comfortable sound, one that Gianna would never get tired of hearing.

In the end, Cienna's entrance had shifted the energy, but it didn't ruin the moment. If anything, it made it all the more real. Even in the chaos of their friendship, it was moments like these-simple and full of warmth-that reminded them why they had each other. And that, Gianna knew, was everything.