064 | This-him, here, now-was more than enough.

The sun dipped low in the Barcelona sky, painting the horizon with strokes of orange and pink. Gianna sat on the edge of the rooftop terrace at her apartment, her legs swinging over the side. The warm breeze carried the faint hum of the city below. It was a rare quiet evening, one of those moments where everything felt still, like the world had pressed pause for a while.

Hector stepped onto the terrace, two glasses of iced tea in hand. He was still in his training gear, the faint sheen of a day's work visible on his skin, but his eyes softened the moment they landed on her. He walked over and placed one of the glasses next to her before taking a seat by her side.

"Long day?" Gianna asked, glancing at him with a smirk.

"Always is," he replied, taking a sip of his drink. "But worth it."

They sat in silence for a while, watching as the colors in the sky deepened. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence—it was the kind of silence that felt like home, a language they both understood without needing words.

"You know," Gianna finally broke the stillness, "this is the first time in a long time that everything feels... easy."

Hector turned to her, his brow raising slightly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," she began, gesturing vaguely at the sky, the city, and then at him, "this. Us. Life. For once, it doesn't feel like I'm running uphill. Things just feel right."

Hector leaned back on his hands, looking up at the sky. "That's because you're finally letting yourself breathe, Gigi. You've spent so much time pushing, fighting, and proving yourself. You deserve to feel at ease."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Since when did you get so wise?"

"Since I met you," he replied without hesitation, a small grin tugging at his lips. "You make a guy learn a lot about himself."

Gianna rolled her eyes, though her cheeks warmed. "That's cheesy."

"Maybe," Hector admitted, nudging her shoulder gently with his. "But it's true."

Another quiet moment passed between them, the kind that spoke volumes without either of them saying anything. The city lights began to twinkle, little specks of gold against the darkening blue.

"You ever think about how we ended up here?" Gianna asked, her voice softer now. "Like, all the twists and turns that brought us to this moment?"

"Sometimes," Hector said, his gaze steady on her now. "But I try not to overthink it. What matters is that we're here. And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Gianna turned to face him fully, her knees brushing his. "You're annoyingly good at saying the right thing, you know that?"

"It's a talent," Hector teased, flashing her a grin. "But seriously, Gigi, I'm just... happy. With you. Like this."

Her lips curved into a smile, one that felt like it reached all the way to her heart. She didn't need grand declarations or over-the-top gestures. This—him, here, now—was more than enough.

She leaned her head against his shoulder, letting out a content sigh. "You're not bad at this whole 'boyfriend' thing, Fort."

"And you're not bad at this whole 'girlfriend' thing, Guiu," he shot back, his tone playful but fond.

They sat like that for a long time, the sounds of the city blending with the soft rhythm of their breathing. No big confessions, no dramatic moments—just two people who had found something real, something steady, in a world that often felt anything but.

And for Gianna and Hector, that was all they needed.