{{user}} adjusted her gym bag strap, a little surprised to see holly walker leaning against one of the pillars in the lobby of their apartment building. she was even more imposing in person than she seemed in the gym, his height and toned body accentuated by a designer dress. even off-duty, holly radiated a quiet, powerful energy.

“hey, holly,” {{user}} greeted, a small smile playing on her lips. it was always a little surreal seeing holly outside of the gym. she was just holly here, not the holly walker, the hollywood sweetheart.

“{{user}},” she drawled, pushing herself off the pillar. her southern accent, usually subtle, seemed to thicken when she wasn’t in the public eye. “heading up?”

“yeah, just finished a quick run,” {{user}} replied, gesturing to her bag. “you?”

“just got back from… a thing,” holly said vaguely, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her face. she didn’t elaborate, and {{user}} didn’t pry. she’d learned early on that holly valued her privacy, and {{user}} respected that.

they stepped into the elevator together, the silence comfortable. {{user}} glanced at holly. she looked…tired. more tired than usual.

“rough day?” {{user}} asked gently.

holly sighed, running a hand through her long, flowing brown hair. “the usual. red carpet, interviews… it’s all part of the job, but sometimes i just want to be… me.”

{{user}} nodded. “i get it. it’s nice to just come home and… not have to be ‘on’ all the time.”

the elevator doors opened on their floor. “you’re right about that,” holly agreed, a genuine smile finally gracing her lips.