The sun had barely begun to rise when the team started gathering in the hotel lobby, their bags packed and ready for the journey home. The week-long training camp had pushed them to their limits, both physically and mentally, and now exhaustion clung to them like the humid morning air. Some players were barely awake, rubbing the sleep from their eyes as they slung their bags over their shoulders, while others, like Fermín, were already chatting animatedly, clearly eager to return home.

Lucia stood a few steps away from the group, her suitcase at her side, scrolling through her phone while occasionally glancing toward the players. She was tired but relieved that the camp was over. It had been an intense week, and despite the professional distance she tried to maintain, there had been far too many moments where her attention had strayed to one particular person.

Pablo.

He was standing a few feet away, talking to one of the younger players, his expression as relaxed as ever. If he was as exhausted as the rest of them, he certainly didn’t show it. His smirk was still intact, his stance casual, his confidence unwavering. Lucia wasn’t sure how he managed to look that put together after a week of brutal training sessions.

Their eyes met briefly. He didn’t say anything, but the ghost of a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips before he turned back to his conversation. She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to focus on something else.

Soon, the bus arrived to take them to the airport. The players slowly filed in, taking their usual seats. As always, some immediately pulled out their headphones, retreating into their own world, while others continued their conversations, laughing and joking despite their fatigue. Lucia found an empty seat near the middle of the bus, plugging in her earphones in an attempt to tune everything out.

The bus ride to the airport was filled with the usual post-training camp exhaustion. The team was split between those who tried to catch up on sleep and those who were still buzzing with energy, talking about the last few days. Lucia sat by the window, her headphones in, watching the scenery blur past.

Pablo was a few rows behind her, laughing at something one of his teammates said. He hadn’t tried to sit next to her - not that he would have, not with everyone around. They had been careful, keeping their interactions normal, casual, just as they had agreed. Still, she could feel his presence, aware of him in a way she hadn’t been before.

At the airport, the team moved through security with the efficiency of a group that had traveled together too many times to count. Lucia stayed near the staff members, avoiding lingering too long in Pablo’s proximity. Fermín walked up beside her as they waited for boarding, stretching his arms over his head.

“Ready to go home?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yeah. It’s been a long week.”

He chuckled. “Tell me about it. Some people have been sneaking off so much, it’s a miracle they’re still standing.”

Lucia kept her expression neutral, just shrugging. “Maybe they’re just good at managing their energy.”

The flight was quiet, the hum of the engine and the occasional murmur of conversation filling the cabin. Lucia leaned her head against the window, closing her eyes. She wasn’t asleep, but she wasn’t fully awake either, her thoughts drifting.

A few rows back, Pablo was joking with his teammates, acting like nothing was different. It was almost impressive how easily he could switch between roles, between who he was with her and who he was around everyone else. Not that she minded. It was better this way.

Hours later, when they finally landed, everyone moved through baggage claim, waiting for their luggage with the slow, tired patience of people who had been traveling all day. Pablo caught her eye once, just for a second, before looking away.

And just like that, they were back to normal.

Lucia decided to take a taxi home.

The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden hue over the roads as the taxi rumbled along. Lucia sat by the window, resting her head against the cool glass. The past days had been exhausting, and all she wanted was to get home, take a long shower, and sleep in her own bed. The roads stretched on endlessly, and the quiet hum of the car only made her more aware of her weariness.

By the time she arrived at her apartment, the last rays of the sun were disappearing behind the horizon. She paid the driver and slowly made her way up to her place, dragging her suitcase behind her. Once inside, she kicked off her shoes and set her luggage down, stretching her arms over her head. The silence of her apartment was almost too much after being surrounded by people for so long.

She took her time unpacking, putting away her clothes and tossing the ones she needed to wash into the laundry basket. It was a routine she had done countless times before, yet somehow it felt different today. Maybe it was the lingering exhaustion, or maybe it was the way her thoughts kept drifting back to the past few days.

Once everything was sorted, she flopped onto her bed and grabbed her phone, mindlessly scrolling through notifications. A new follow request on Instagram caught her attention. Frowning, she clicked on it.

The username was unfamiliar, something generic, with no profile picture and barely any posts. But the first message in her DMs made her pause.

Unknown: "You home yet?"

Lucia narrowed her eyes, hesitating for a moment before typing back.

Lucia: "Who is this?"

A response came almost immediately.

Unknown: "Seriously? Who do you think?"

She blinked, then glanced at the profile again. Suspicion crept into her mind.

Lucia: "Pablo?"

Unknown: "Ding ding."

She rolled her eyes at his response, typing quickly.

Lucia: "Why are you texting me from some random account? What happened to your actual one?"

Pablo: "Because if I followed you from my main, it’d look suspicious. Why would I randomly follow you now?"

She scoffed, shaking her head.

Lucia: "Oh, right. Can’t have people thinking we’re suddenly best friends."

Pablo: "Exactly."

She bit her lip, debating whether to continue this conversation. But curiosity won out.

Lucia: "So, what do you want?"

There was a pause before his next message came through.

Pablo: "I don’t know. Just checking in."

Lucia stared at the screen, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. She didn’t know what to make of that. Pablo wasn’t the type to just "check in." But before she could respond, another message popped up.

Pablo: "Anyway, get some sleep. You looked dead on the bus."

She frowned at her phone, feeling a mix of irritation and something else she didn’t quite want to acknowledge.

Lucia: "Wow, thanks."

Pablo: "Anytime."

She sighed, locking her phone and setting it on her nightstand. Whatever this thing between them was, it wasn’t getting any less complicated.