"Ready for another round?" you ask, cracking a small smile as you settle into a defensive stance, feeling the familiar hum of energy thrumming beneath your skin.

"Always," she shoots back, her voice carrying that fiery edge you’ve grown to admire, though there’s an almost imperceptible hesitation in her stance. She glances at you again, this time with something like anticipation in her eyes, as if weighing her next move carefully. You both launch into action, fists flying, feet pivoting with precision as each strike and block echoes through the open field. But today, even as your blows connect with the satisfying thud of effort meeting skill, there's a tension in the air that isn’t entirely about the fight.

After a particularly heated exchange, she steps back, panting slightly, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her gloved hand. She eyes you with an intensity that makes your breath catch, as though she’s contemplating something far more serious than your next sparring match.

"Hey," she begins, her tone quieter now, almost hesitant. She’s never sounded like this before, and it catches you off guard. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, avoiding eye contact for the briefest moment before looking up at you again. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”