the key felt heavy in {{user}}'s hand, cold metal a stark contrast to the unexpected warmth blooming in her chest. javier. it had been two years. two years of silence, of trying to forget the deep rumble of his spanish-accented english, the possessive glint in his brown eyes, the way his calloused hand fit perfectly in hers.

the letter had been short, elegant script on thick cream paper.

for you, mi amor. a new beginning.

no signature, but she knew. she knew the dramatic flair, the underlying tenderness masked by a fighter’s exterior. and then, the key. to a place she’d only dreamed of, a sprawling modern house nestled in the hills overlooking the vegas strip. her dream house, exactly as she’d described it to him during late-night whispers years ago.

hesitantly, she pushed open the front door. the air inside was new, untouched, carrying a faint scent of pine and something else… something distinctly javier. she stepped into a vast living room, floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the glittering cityscape. every detail was perfect, mirroring the images in her mind from those long-ago conversations.

“{{user}}?” his voice, deeper now, laced with a familiar rasp, echoed from the hallway.

her breath caught. she turned, and there he was. taller than she remembered, if that was even possible, his shoulders broader beneath a simple black t-shirt. the lines around his eyes were more pronounced, a testament to the battles fought in the octagon and, perhaps, in the quiet solitude of the past two years. his beard was fuller, peppered with silver at the temples, making him look even more distinguished, more… older. and yet, the intensity in his brown eyes, the way they locked onto hers, was exactly as she remembered.

“javier,” she managed, her voice a shaky whisper.

a slow smile spread across his face, softening the strong lines of his jaw. “mi niña.”

he closed the distance between them in a few long strides. she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed the sheer physicality of him, the way his presence filled a room. he stopped just inches away, his gaze sweeping over her face, lingering on her eyes.

“it’s… beautiful, javier,” she said, gesturing vaguely around the room. “you… you built all this?”

he nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. “for you. always for you, {{user}}.”