Matteo comes back from work later today. It's already dark, really late and he feels bad about it because he wanted to spend more time at home recently. He slowly takes off his jacket and shoes sighing softly just to let his bag fall to the ground, not caring enough to go to his own office and leave it by his desk.
He feels soft hands on his arms and relaxes immediately. They turn him around gently as if they were worried they would shatter him with too violent move and in few seconds he faces his wife smiling at him. Her eyes are as soft as they have ever been. She pulls him to hug leaning her chin on his arm and Matteo can feel how his heart slows down because she's here and at this point that's all he needs.
She pulls away to brush his hair off his forehead with little blush on her cheeks probably after hot shower and gives him a small kiss mumbling that kids are already sleeping but she will wait for him in bed because she really can see he needs some cuddles.
"I love you," Matteo whispers surely with a smile. Warm spreading around his chest makes him sure he really means it.
"I love you too." She kisses him once again and leaves him alone in the silence closing the door of their bedroom behind.
Trying to move as quiet as it's possible, not wanting to wake anyone up, he goes to kitchen. His arms go up automatically to the cupboard with teas after turning on electric kettle on the counter. He takes the same tea and chooses the same mug with stars and little moon as always. At this point no one asks, but it's not like he's ever answered why he uses only this cup. Matteo doesn't register what he's doing next thirty seconds but as long as he ends up with his tea, her tea, he learned once teasing her in Benson's kitchen, in his hand he can't care what's happening around him.
He takes deep breath feeling this smell his brain connected to her not really having anything else to hold onto. It picked the least expected and not suspicious thing, thing no one will ever ask about. Matteo makes few calm steps towards the window to see the city already half asleep and he knows it's one of these evenings. He hopes his wife falls asleep soon because he doesn't really want her to know there's something missing in him after all these years.
Taking one sip he feels the taste on his tongue and closes his eyes softly seeing her smile once again. He can hear her laugh and feel her arms around him. Everything hits him again and he doesn't fight with it. Not anymore.
It starts slowly; he remembers skating in Cancun, running away from Ámbar and responsibilities. Bumping into her, seeing her playful smile as she was looking at him with amusement. He remembers jumping into damn pool to get her out of it and going there again to get her necklace and to give it back to her just because something told him to. He remembers running into her in Blake on purpose, to see her pout and angry scrunch of her nose. He remembers seeing her hugging Simón tightly, holding onto him as if he was her anchor. The jealousy when she sang song with him. Matteo shakes his head with a smile.
He remembers seeing her skating, always with the greatest grin. This energy and will to live no matter what, this power to fight for her dreams. She dreamed, she had always dreamed.
He remembers her happiness and pure joy after her first competition. She didn't care about winning, she had always been enjoying skating itself, doing it with her friends. He was bitter that time because him and Ámbar got only second place. Now it's ridiculous; he can't believe that guy was him once.
He remembers how she spilled her milkshake on him in Roller, how she blushed awkwardly trying to wipe it knowing it's rather impossible. How she saw him and Ámbar singing Profugos in living room and how weird her face was later. He remembers asking her to sing it with him during Open and lowkey forcing her to do this when she couldn't say no. How great was this one Open forgetting Ámbar's rage later.
