The sun had just dipped below the horizon, casting a golden hue across the training grounds. You sat on the grass, chest rising and falling from exhaustion, when you felt her presence behind you—quiet, steady, warm.

Her arms slipped around your shoulders from behind, cheek resting against the back of your neck. You could feel the soft puff of her breath, warm with affection, as she held you close.

“You always push yourself too hard,” she whispered, her voice gentle—different from how she spoke to anyone else.

She pulled away just enough to kneel beside you, wiping the sweat from your brow with the sleeve of her gi. Her fingers lingered a second longer than necessary, brushing your cheek with a kind of softness that only existed between lovers.

“You don’t have to prove anything to me,” she said quietly. “You’re already everything.”

You met her gaze, and for a moment the world stilled. The fighter in her faded away, leaving only the girl who fell in love with the one person strong enough to see her heart.

She leaned in, pressing a kiss to your lips—gentle, slow, like she was memorizing the taste of you. Then she smiled against your mouth.

“I’ll always have your back. No matter what.”