Time on the Run 2

A Different Kind of Nervous

Saturday arrived faster than Daniel expected, and for the first time in a long while, he wasn't nervous about a football match—he was nervous about coffee.

Training had ended, and the CF Igualada squad was slowly leaving the field. Miguel and Luis had given him knowing smirks, but they didn't tease him too much. Everyone knew Sofia was different—she wasn't just another teammate or classmate.

Sofia had gone to freshen up, and Daniel waited outside the small café near the training ground. He had been there before with teammates, but today felt… different.

When she arrived, wearing casual jeans and a sweater, he was momentarily speechless. He was used to seeing her in football gear, but here, outside the pitch, she looked—well, beautiful.

She raised an eyebrow. "Are we just going to stand here, or are we getting coffee?"

Daniel snapped out of it. "Right. Coffee."

They went inside, ordered their drinks—she got a cappuccino, he went with a simple black coffee—and found a seat by the window.

For the first few minutes, they just talked about their teammates.

"Coach Morales said we need to work on transitions," Sofia said, sipping her drink. "I think he's right."

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, the midfield isn't linking up well. We're losing possession too easily."

Then, after a short silence, Sofia smirked. "Okay, enough football talk. Tell me something about you that I don't know."

Daniel hesitated. "Like what?"

She leaned forward. "I don't know. Something outside of football."

He thought for a moment. "Well… I like watching movies."

She grinned. "Okay, that's a start. Favorite movie?"

Daniel shrugged. "I don't really have one. Maybe something with action."

Sofia laughed. "That's so vague. Come on, name one."

"Uh… John Wick?"

She smirked. "Classic. You seem like the action-movie type."

Daniel took a sip of his coffee. "Alright, your turn."

She leaned back, thinking. "I play the guitar."

That surprised him. "Seriously?"

She nodded. "Yeah. My dad taught me when I was younger. I don't play much anymore, but sometimes I do when I need to clear my head."

Daniel imagined her with a guitar, strumming a song in her room. It was a side of her he hadn't seen before.

"That's cool," he said.

She smiled. "Yeah, well, don't expect me to perform at training."

Daniel smirked. "I won't."

The Moment of Truth

As their conversation continued, Daniel started feeling more comfortable. This was easy. Talking to her, laughing—it felt normal.

But then, Sofia looked at him more seriously. "You know, you're different from when you first came to Igualada."

Daniel tensed slightly. "What do you mean?"

She tapped her fingers against her cup. "At first, you were distant. Like you were always thinking about something else, never fully here."

He swallowed. She wasn't wrong.

"And now?" he asked.

She tilted her head. "Now… you seem more present. Like you're letting people in."

Daniel hesitated. "Maybe I am."

She studied him for a moment, then smiled. "Good."

For the first time, Daniel let himself relax. For now, there were no mysteries, no threats—just coffee, conversation, and Sofia.

And for now, that was enough.