An unexpected visit

The next 4 days, they spent mostly together in Hans house, before they would have to separate for some time, since Miley had planned to travel to Nashville where she was supposed to have a couple of performances together with Dolly Parton. She was already pretty excited, it would be the first time in a long while that she would perform together with her godmother and play some country music. Additionally to this, she would also shoot some videos that included some old hits like Jolene.

They didn't made their relationship public yet, and Hans agreed with Billy Ray that they should still wait a little bit. Everything still felt new, and every single day, Hans discovered something new about his girlfriend and fell in love a little more. Tonight was their last evening together before they would be apart for 5 days, and Hans finally kept his promise and told Will that they would come over to his house for dinner. It would also be the first time that Miley would stay for the night, which, considered her wild years, took surprisingly long. But also Miley didn't want to rush anything, and she realized that Hans had raised some feelings inside her, that she thought she would never be able to feel again. She felt like living in a cloud, and she knew exactly that, revealing this relationship to the public, would cause an earthquake. Whether this would be good or bad, she had no idea, all she knew was that she wanted to enjoy this quiet time with her boyfriend for a little more.

She arrived at 6 pm at the house and dropped off a few personal thinks before they were heading over to the Smith family. The young girl seemed to be somewhat nervous, so Hans asked her:

"Is something wrong? You're so…restless…"

"Well, it's the first time that I'm meeting one of your friends, and this friend is nobody less than Will Smith"

"Haha, come on, you're used to meet famous musicians or actors all the time anyway, that's not new to you"

"Not really. But this is Will Smith, that's Hollywood's absolute elite. I'm miles away from his class, and people like him usually don't spend time with underclass artists like me."

"Don't worry, Will's a great guy, and besides, he wants to get to know you, not the other way around. Everything's gonna be fine. You'll see."

A little later, they arrived at the door which was opened by Will himself.

"There you are, it's about time, Jada's already starting to lose patience"

He gave Miley a warm hug and said to her:

"So you're the girl that finally managed to put this guy on a leash. You really have to tell me how you managed to do that" And with this simple but warm welcome, Will managed that Miley calmed down and felt at ease from the start.

Jada was also the perfect host and she really seemed to care about Miley. Hans was touched by how much they tried to make Miley feel welcome, and it wasn't the first time that he asked himself why Hollywood's most popular family seemed to care so much about his well-being.

After they finished their dinner and were having a drink, Jada suddenly started to talk about a more serious subject:

"Have you already thought about when you're going public with your relationship?"

"Well, we thought we'd still wait a little bit. I mean, we haven't realized it completely yet, so we want to spend some more time together first and get to know each other better" Hans said.

"Sounds reasonable. If you're open for an advice, do it yourself, and don't let any paparazzi catch you beforehand. If it comes out like that, people will be convinced that it's staged and all PR"

"I suppose you're right. But since we've started this subject anyway now, you have about 30 years of experience of living your relationship in public, you got any other important advice?"

This time it was Will who answered:

"I only got one. No matter what happens in public, or is written in some kind of article or social media, if you have a problem, which is only normal, every couple is going through some tough times at one point, take your time to sort it out and ignore everything that's written or said by anybody else. Jada and me let it go too far once, and almost let the media tear us apart, and after that, we made a vow to never let this happen again. If there's an issue, talk to each other, and remember that the only one you're accountable to is your partner. Most importantly, don't leave any unsolved problems behind if one of you has to travel to Europe, go on tour, do a shooting or whatever. There's nothing more dangerous for a relationship than unsolved issues that keep nagging on you for weeks"

Later, when they said goodbye, it was Jada who took Miley a bit apart to talk to her:

"Look, Will and I know that the past couple of years haven't been easy for you. So, if you have to stay in LA on your own for a couple of days and you're afraid of drifting back into old habits, or your so-called friends want to take advantage of Hans absence to pull you back into their party-life, just call me or Will. We will be there for you, especially Will will be able to help you, since he went through a similar phase years ago"

She gave Miley, who had to wipe a tear from her eye, a big hug. The young girl didn't know how to thank Jada, but she asked her:

"Why are you so nice to me? I somehow feel shabby because I really don't think that I deserve any of this"

"Well, foremost because of Hans. He's a great guy, and he has become Will's best friend. You know, when they stopped The Fresh Prince, he was also having this period of self-destruction and self-hatred. He managed to get back on his feet by himself, even more, he made it all the way to the top. But he had to learn the hard way, that real friendship is something that's not to be found easily in Hollywood. I can tell you, there's nothing harder than seeing your husband losing his smile every day a little more. And just when I was convinced that we've reached the lowest point possible, this former basketball player moves in next to us, comes over with a basket full of stupid presents and the most unexpected thing happened. Will found his soulmate, and I will be forever thankful that he made my husband smile and enjoy his life again. But if you ever gonna tell him this, I will kill you"

"Haha, don't worry, your secret is safe. But you're right, it's very hard to feel depressed in his presence"

"True. But that's not the only reason. Even though I only know you for a couple of hours, I can already tell that you're an amazing young woman Miley, and don't let anyone tell you anything else. I know how brutal and fake this entertainment business can be, and you're still so young, even if it feels like you're in it for ages. So, whenever you have a problem, or just need a friend to talk to, you know where to find me"

After these kind words, Miley and Hans said their goodbyes and headed back home. They both took a shower (in different bathrooms) and went straight to bed, since Miley had to catch an early flight. She rested her head on his chest and they were talking about the evening and the last days. Miley still hadn't realized how completely her life had turned around since she met Hans during this PETA event, but she knew that she would definitely miss him like crazy over the next days. And she was also a little scared, because it would the be the first time since they met that she had to make it through the week without his support. But at least her father and godmother would be there with her.

"I really don't know how I'm supposed to survive these next days without you" she said in a sad tone.

"Oh come on, you're gonna be fine. You can always call me, and you have your family with you"

"True. But I suppose that's something we gonna have to get used to. I have to travel a lot, you as well…there will always be some periods of time where we won't be able to be together."

"Well, I suppose that means that we must use the time we have in the best way we can" Hans answered and looked deep into Miley's shiny eyes.

Later that night, when Hans was still awake, lying in bed with Miley in his arms, he thought about what just happened. It was pretty unusual nowadays that it took them so look to sleep together for the first time. And it was completely different than Hans would have expected. He didn't expect her to be so tender and sweet, but more that her craziness would also be part of her sexual life. But this wasn't the case at all, at least not tonight. They took forever to explore and enjoy their bodies, and again, every time Miley touched him, Hans felt like he was struck by lightning. He, on the other hand, spent a lot of time discovering her many tattoos and every single part of her body. In other words, it was the best night of his entire life.

The next morning, he had a very hard time to say goodbye to Miley. About two weeks ago, he couldn't even imagine anything like this, but he had really found that girl that made him happy, and letting her go for 5 days now wasn't easy. But having a relationship with an international pop star, that was probably one of the things you had to accept.

"And you'll behave, alright? If anything should happen, you call me and I'll be on the next flight to Nashville"

"Don't worry, I somehow don't feel at all like provoking any new scandals. I'm gonna miss you like crazy though"

"Same here. But you should head to the airport now, I don't want you to miss your flight"

"It's a private jet, it won't leave without me"

"Right. I still keep forgetting which family I got myself into"

"Haha, you better don't. I'll see you on Saturday"

"Saturday" Hans replied and kissed Miley. And just as she turned around to go to her car, he called her name again.

"Miley"

"Yes?" she asked surprised.

„I love you"

There, he said it. For the first time in his life, he said this sentence to a woman, and the effect of these 3 simple words on Miley were astonishing. Her cheeks blushed, her heartbeat accelerated and her eyes got watery.

She whispered: "I love you too", kissed Hans one more time and headed off to the airport.

He watched as the car left through the gate and tried to realize what had happened to him…just a week ago, he was single by choice, planning to enjoy his life to the fullest, and now he felt bad because his girlfriend was gone for about 2 minutes. He still couldn't believe it though…Miley Cyrus was his girlfriend. One of the things that people liked so much about Hans was the fact that he was walking through Hollywood like Charlie through the chocolate factory. With shiny eyes, beating heart and completely amazed by the fact that he was allowed to meet all these famous people and do all these amazing things, completely forgetting that he was a superstar himself that a lot of VIPs tried to befriend.

Later in the day, while he was trying to keep himself busy, he got a text from one of his friends from Luxembourg. He and his girlfriend had just arrived in the United States, planning to spend the last days of their trip in Los Angeles, so he asked if it Hans had time to meet and catch up, since they hadn't seen each other for some time.

Hans had spent the last few months in Luxembourg, working on his rehabilitation after that horrible knee injury. During this time, he visited the practices and games of the small basketball club in which his brother was still active as a referee as much as he could. It wasn't the club they had grown up in (he went to the US and his brother had major issues with some of the board members), but he fell in love with this club from the moment he stepped in the gym, and you could say that he made some very close friends there. That's why he sent this text back:

"Great idea. I'm just a bit offended you didn't tell me earlier. Anyway, if you can still cancel your hotel booking, do it, I got lots of free rooms"

"Haha, thanks, that sounds great. We didn't want to bother you too much, since we're staying 4 days in LA. But if you insist, we'll gladly accept your offer"

"I do insist. Where are you now anyway?"

"Colorado. We stay for another 2 days in Denver, after that we fly to Las Vegas for 3 days and to finish up, LA"

"Not bad. But call me before you leave Vegas, I'll pick you up at the airport. So, Saturday, my girlfriend comes back and on Sunday the two of you. Sounds like fun"

"Wait, you have a girlfriend? How did that happen?"

„Long story which is better told with a few drinks. But why are you surprised that I have a girlfriend?"

"No idea . See you on Sunday"

Now that was a surprise, but he was looking forward to introduce Miley to some of his Luxembourgish friends. He was hoping they would be able to regularly spend time in this small country between Germany and France, and knowing some people from there might already be a good start. But now, he still had 4 days to kill, and he slowly started to have some ideas what he could do about that.

He spent the first day entirely in his company to get the latest updates, and the news he got from his managers were very encouraging. They would end the year with a net profit of at least 60 million US dollars. Hans thought this was a bit of irony right here. He bought the company mainly because of tax reasons, and now it turned into a real gold mine. That's why he asked one of the secretaries to prepare a document which stated that fifty percent of the profit would be given to his employees as a yearly bonus. They did most of the hard work, so they should be rewarded.

The following day was dedicated to the study of some movie scripts that one of his assistants had selected for him. He always wanted to check the scripts with the most potential by himself, which was more of a pleasure to him than real work, because he loved reading books and scripts.

The title of the script that managed to fascinate him the most was Suicide Squad. The story played in the DC universe, but didn't focus on the super heroes. In the storyline, the Government tried to set up a special unit, consisting of the most feared criminals in the US. The description of the characters was very detailed, and Hans already had some ideas for the cast.

A little bit later, Miley called him to talk about everything she had done in Nashville till now. She spent a lot of time with her godmother, who was amazed about how Miley seemed to have changed, and couldn't wait to meet Hans in person. His girlfriend would also send him a video she wanted him to see. It was a remake of Dolly Parton's biggest hit, Jolene. It was the first title of a video series called "The Backyard Sessions", which consisted in Miley, together with a small country band, playing some of her godmother's greatest hits (and also a few other country songs) in the backyard of her family's farm house.

After seeing the video, he only texted back one sentence:

"My God, you're amazing"

"That means you like it?"

"Sexy, unbelievably talented artist, great song…what more could you ask for?"

"Haha, thanks for the compliments. How is LA?"

„Good till now. I spent most of the time in the office, reading through new projects and scripts, and at least one of them is really promising. Oh, and one of my friends from Luxembourg called me, they gonna arrive in LA on Sunday and stay for 4 nights. I offered them to stay at my house, and I thought you might want to meet them. If that's ok for you?"

„Sure, I would be happy to meet some of your friends from Luxembourg"

After this, they kept talking for a couple more minutes before Miley had to head back to work.

The next two days were dedicated to his fitness program. Although he didn't had any plans to restart his NBA career, he still felt the need to keep his body in shape. Especially now that he had a girlfriend who was 8 years younger than him, he had to make sure to look good for her. He met up with Kobe Bryant in the training facilities of the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe resigned a bit more than a year ago, but other than Hans he did it voluntarily and on his own terms. At the beginning of Hans career, they didn't really get along, but they always respected each other. Hans was able to reach the NBA finals with his team, the Orlando Magic, once but lost the best of 7 series against Kobe and his Lakers team 4-2. Especially the last game of the series became legendary. The Lakers won 110-107 and crowned themselves as NBA champions. Kobe scored 58 points, the most points ever recorded in a game of the finals. Hans wasn't much worse and was able to put up 53 points. For the whole game, they went at each other with no mercy, and fans all over the world agreed that there has never been such a duel in a final game. After Hans had to leave the court after committing his 6th foul about 5 seconds before the end of the game, for the first time in the history of the Staples Center, the fans got up from their seats to give a standing ovation to a player from the opponent team. Later, Hans admitted that this was his hardest, but at the same time sweetest defeat in his career. What gained him a lot of respect was the fact that he, unlike most superstars and sadly also most of his teammates, didn't head to the locker room as fast as possible, but congratulated every single one of the Lakers players, applauded during the title ceremony and all at the end, still with tears in his eyes, even thanked the fans as he finally left the court. From this day on he had a special relationship with this city, every time the Magic played here, he got a warm welcome from the fans, and the Lakers management tried more than once to sign him, but his loyalty to the Florida franchise never made a deal possible.

Also his relationship with Kobe got better and better over time, and during the Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro where they were able to bring home the gold medal (after the Dream Team got destroyed 4 years ago by a couple of teams, only finishing in 5th place, Kobe and Hans were the only All-Stars ready to take on the challenge), they became very close friends. Until today, people loved them for being ready to lead a bunch of college kids and even managed to beat teams like Argentina, Spain or Serbia.

More and more people gathered around as they went through their workout, and also a couple of young Laker players were amongst the spectators. And with Kobe being Kobe, they got challenged to a 2 on 2 tournament, where they painfully learned that they still had a long way to go to make it to the top of the NBA.

After they were done with practice, Kobe and Hans went to a restaurant which belonged to the UCLA training center to have lunch, and after a couple of minutes, Kobe said:

"Looks like you recovered pretty well from your injury, 1 or 2 weeks of training camp, and you would be back in shape"

"Yeah, I'm definitely surprised about how well it has recovered. In the beginning, I really thought I would never be able to fully use it again. But thanks again for all your help and advice, I don't think I would have made it this far without it."

"Well, I still knew from my torn Achilles tendon how hard this is, physically and mentally. I was 32 at the time, and getting yourself motivated for rehab was the hardest part. And my goal was to play for a couple more seasons, while you were only focused on being able to have a normal life. But since you're back in such a good shape, how about giving a comeback for the Lakers for, say…2-3 years?"

"Haha, no thanks. You know it just wouldn't be right. Even though the Lakers are the only franchise that might have been able to lure me away from Orlando towards the end of my career. But I'm done with the NBA for good. The only thing that bothers me a bit is that I never really had the opportunity to say goodbye."

"True. Having this one last game is always something special", Kobe said and looked at Hans. "You have any plans for the weekend? We could go to a game and talk about how everything was better in our times"

"Hm, sorry, not this weekend. My girlfriend comes back from Nashville on Saturday, and on Sunday some friends from Luxembourg"

"Wait. YOU have a girlfriend?"

"Yes. I have a girlfriend. I really don't know why everybody is so surprised about me having a girlfriend?"

Kobe preferred to not say anything to that, but asked with a big smile:

"And who's the happy girl?"

"Miley Cyrus…"

"Miley Cyrus? Seriously? That's…surprising…she doesn't really represent the type of girl you're usually dating"

"Tell me something new. But I don't know…somehow she just flashed me"

"Haha, who would have thought? The most wanted bachelor of the US gets caught by a former teen star. But I suppose it's not official yet? I probably would have heard about it."

"No, we don't want to rush anything. Miley had a pretty hard time over the past years, and I think it's more important to get her back on her feet first"

"Yeah, I could follow a bit of her through the media, she really did it all. But I wish you only the best, I hope she's the one for you…I mean, you're not really getting any younger…"

"Well, thanks a lot" Hans grumbled.