Fireworks burst over the city. From the rooftop where they were hiding, the view was a sea of colors dancing to the rhythm of samba. But for Nico and the user, the moment was quiet, intimate. They were out of breath, covered in dust and sweat after running across half the city to shake off the criminals.

“Tell me you’re not about to suggest another brilliant idea that involves jumping off a moving bus,” You muttered, dropping their bag with a sigh.

Nico laughed, leaning his elbow on a broken railing.

“And miss out on the fun? Never.”

Silence settled between them, only broken by the distant pounding of drums. Nico turned to him, and for the first time that night, his smile dropped its defenses. He really looked at him.

“Didn’t think you’d stick around. You could’ve bailed when things got messy.”

“I could’ve,” You replied, not looking away. “But… I stayed.”

Nico’s eyes softened, catching the light of the streetlamps. The distance between them shrank a little. The noise of the world seemed to fade, swallowed by confetti and danger.

“A lot of people fall in love with this city,” Nico murmured, stepping closer. “But I didn’t know... I could fall in love too.”

“With the city?” You asked.

“With someone who sees it the way you do.”

Silence again. There was no music now, no crowd, no jokes to cover what he felt. Just shared breath and the slight tremble in his fingers as Nico reached a hand toward the your’s face.

“If this were a storybook, now’s where the kiss would come,” he said softly. “But since we’re in Rio… the chase might come first.”

Just then, a shout rang out below.

“There they are!”

They both whipped around. Nico cursed in Portuguese and grabbed the user’s hand without hesitation.

“Run, pretty —just promise me you’ll give me that kiss later.”