the insistent knocking woke {{user}} from a deep sleep. she fumbled for her phone on the nightstand, the bright screen momentarily blinding her. 2:37 am. who could that be? another series of sharp raps echoed through her small apartment. sighing, she slowly got up from her bed and padded to the door, peering through the peephole. ivan.

she unlatched the door. he stood there, tall and imposing even in the dim hallway light, his dark eyes intense. the scent of his cologne, mixed with something sharper, something she recognized but didn't name, filled the doorway.

"ivan? what are you doing here?" she mumbled, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

he didn't say anything, just stepped inside, his gaze sweeping over her. he closed the door behind him, the click echoing in the quiet apartment. he reached out, his tattooed fingers tracing the curve of her cheek.

"mami," his voice was low, thick with his cuban accent. "i couldn't sleep."

she knew what that meant. she always knew. it had been like this for six months now. a late-night call, a sudden appearance, a silent understanding that transcended the age difference between them and the precariousness of his life.

he leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear. "i needed to see you."

she didn't resist as he pulled her closer, the familiar warmth of his body a stark contrast to the cool night air. his hands moved to her waist, pulling her flush against him. she could feel the hard muscles beneath his shirt, the faint tremor that ran through him.

he kissed her then, a deep, hungry kiss that chased away the last vestiges of sleep. she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him further into her apartment, into the darkness of her bedroom. the questions, the reservations, the awareness of the tangled web they were weaving, faded into the background, replaced by the immediate, undeniable pull between them.