Javi was there.

Anne was there.

But they weren’t alone.

Marco.

Sitting comfortably on the couch like he’d been there for a while.

Lukas blinked once.

Then again.

"Okay..." he said slowly, stepping further into the room. "What’s going on?"

Marco stood up immediately, a small smile already on his face. "Morning."

"Morning..." Lukas replied, still trying to piece it together. "You’re here early."

Javi chuckled lightly from the side. "He’s been here."

"Since?" Lukas asked, glancing between them.

"Long enough," Marco answered.

Marco’s "long enough" hung in the air for a second.

Lukas let out a small breath and finally moved, dropping into the armchair opposite the couch, leaning back as he looked between them. The surprise was still there, but it had softened into something more curious now.

Marco studied him for a moment, then smiled slightly, easing into the moment. "I see you’re still riding the high," he said. "How are you feeling after... everything?"

Lukas let out a short laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah... it’s still kind of crazy, to be honest. Doesn’t really feel real yet."

Marco nodded, amused. "I saw the clips."

Lukas raised an eyebrow. "What clips?"

Marco gave him a look. "You. With the beer."

Javi chuckled quietly from the side.

Lukas shook his head, already knowing where this was going. "Oh, come on..."

"You’re not lightweight are you?" Marco asked, smirking. "I’m guessing that was your first time, right? After the final?"

Lukas paused for the smallest fraction of a second, then nodded casually. "Yeah... First time."

He wasn’t about to explain anything beyond that.

Marco leaned back slightly. "Didn’t look like it."

That made Anne laugh softly.

Lukas shrugged, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "It was just... chaos. Everyone was just pouring it on everyone."

Javi raised an eyebrow. "On everyone?"

Lukas nodded. "Yeah. Literally. You couldn’t stand still for more than five seconds without someone coming up behind you with a bottle."

He huffed out a laugh, the memory playing back clearly now. "Adeyemi and Musiala got me the worst. I didn’t even see them coming."

Marco leaned forward slightly, interested. "Musiala was there too?"

"Yeah," Lukas said. "He wasn’t in the squad, but he was on the pitch after. At some point, Rüdiger had his arm around me, talking, and then out of nowhere—" he made a quick motion with his hand, "—boom. Both of us drenched."

Anne laughed again. "I think I saw that one."

"It’s everywhere," Javi added. "Different angles too."

Lukas shook his head, smiling despite himself. "Yeah... it was fun."

For a moment, the room felt light again. Easy. The kind of quiet aftermath that comes after something big, when everyone is still half inside it.

Then Lukas leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees, looking directly at Marco now.

"So..." he said, the tone shifting just a little. "What’s going on?"

He glanced briefly at Javi, then back at Marco.

"Why are you here so early? Everything alright?"

Marco exhaled, like he had rehearsed this part but still didn’t quite know how to say it casually.

"First," he said, raising a hand slightly, "I need you to get ready."

Lukas tilted his head. "What for?"

"I’m sorry about the suddenness," Marco continued, ignoring the question for a second. "But we have to go meet someone."

That made Lukas pause.

"Who?"

Marco looked at him for a brief moment.

Then said it.

"Pep Guardiola is in Darmstadt."

Silence.

Lukas didn’t react immediately.

Not because he didn’t hear it.

But because his brain needed a second to catch up.

"...What?" he finally said.

Marco didn’t smile this time.

Didn’t exaggerate it.

Just repeated it, calmly.

"Pep Guardiola is in Darmstadt."

Lukas let out a short breath, almost like a laugh, but not quite.

"Why?"

Marco shrugged lightly. "You tell me."

Javi folded his arms, watching his son carefully now.

Anne leaned slightly against the wall, curious.

Lukas ran a hand over his face.

Shook his head once.

"Wait—he’s here? Like... right now?"

"Yes."

"In Darmstadt."

"Yes."

"For me?"

Marco didn’t answer directly.

He just gave him a look.

And that was enough.

Lukas stood there for another second.

Processing.

Three days ago, he had been lifting a trophy.

Yesterday, he was back home.

This morning—

Pep Guardiola was in his city.

Waiting.

He let out another breath.

Then nodded.

"Okay."

And just like that—

Everything shifted again.

* * *

Meanwhile, over at the Jackson apartment in Manchester.

The apartment felt different — neither loud nor chaotic, but hurried.

Drawers opened and closed in quick succession. A suitcase rolled across the floor with a soft thud. Zippers pulled, footsteps moved back and forth, and there was that quiet urgency that always filled a place just before a trip — when everything was technically under control, but nobody quite trusted it.

Jane stood by the door, already dressed, already ready. A small suitcase rested beside her, one hand gripping the handle as she glanced toward the hallway for what felt like the tenth time in the last minute.

"Roger," she called out, impatience slipping into her voice, "we need to go."

From deeper inside the apartment came his calm reply. "We’re not late."

"We will be," she shot back immediately. "You know how traffic gets on the way to Manchester Airport. I’m not missing this flight."

There was a brief pause, then the sound of footsteps approaching. Roger appeared from the hallway, one hand pulling his suitcase behind him, the other adjusting his jacket. He looked at her, then at the door, then back at her again.

"Jane," he said, almost amused, "the flight is in five hours."

"And?" she replied, raising an eyebrow. "Things happen."

He exhaled, shaking his head lightly. "You worry too much."

"And you don’t worry enough."

Before he could respond, another door clicked open and Lexi stepped out. Seventeen, half-dressed for the day, hair loosely tied back, phone already in her hand, she leaned against the wall for a moment, watching the scene with mild amusement.

Jane’s expression softened instantly. She stepped away from the door and walked up to her. "Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?" she asked, her voice gentler now.

Lexi frowned slightly, like the question didn’t even make sense. "Why would I want to go to Germany for a week?"

Jane opened her mouth, but Lexi continued. "My friends are here. We’ve got plans. Everyone’s travelling next week anyway, so I’m just staying."

Jane nodded slowly. "Alright. Just... take care of yourself."

"I always do."

"And don’t throw any wild parties while we’re gone."

Lexi’s head snapped up immediately. "Me? I don’t throw parties."

Jane gave her a look. "Mm-hmm."

"I don’t!"

"Of course you don’t."

Lexi rolled her eyes.

Jane stepped closer then and, almost instinctively, leaned in to kiss her on the forehead. "I love you."

Lexi blinked, paused, then tilted her head slightly. "...Okay," she said slowly. "That’s new."

Jane pulled back, confused. "What do you mean?" 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"You’re being weird," Lexi replied bluntly. "Why are you being so... affectionate?"

Jane let out a small laugh, trying to brush it off. "I’ve always been like this."

Lexi narrowed her eyes. "No, you haven’t."

Jane waved a hand dismissively. "You’re imagining things."

"Am I?" Lexi muttered under her breath.

Roger stepped in before it could go any further, rolling his suitcase up beside them. "Alright," he said, looking at Lexi, his tone more direct now. "Stay safe."

"I will."

"And don’t go anywhere you shouldn’t."

Lexi sighed. "I won’t."

"No late-night nonsense."

"Dad—"

"I’m serious."

She raised both hands in surrender. "Okay. Okay. I get it."

Roger studied her for another second, then nodded. "Good. We’ll be back in a week."