Harbinger Of Glory

[Wigan U21 Gym]

”Did you see her?”

”Nah, I didn’t. She was fine, though.”

”Hey, who do we play next?”

”Anyone seen my sock?”

While these wisps of conversations flew about the room, Jake was on the bench, his face tense as he pressed up another heavy set.

The veins on his forearms stood out, his breath coming in sharp bursts.

Beside him, Ezra sat on a nearby bench, scrolling lazily through his phone, one earbud in as he kept himself busy before his next set.

Jake grunted, racking the bar back with a loud clank before exhaling deeply and then rubbing his arms.

”That’s it,” he muttered, sitting up. ”That’s the one.”

Ezra didn’t look up at first, not until his phone buzzed again, lighting up with a notification, where it showed a post from Instagram.

Jake leaned over a bit, curiosity getting the better of him.

On the screen was an image of Leo, standing on the Italian training pitch, one foot resting on a ball, the blue of his sleeveless kit bright under the sun.

The caption beneath it read: First Callup. Putting in work for the Azzurrini 🇮🇹, with an emoji of the flexed bicep beside it.

Jake squinted, then grinned.

”No way,” he said, sitting up straighter.

”This guy’s gone for just a few days and he’s already changed.”

Ezra frowned slightly. ”What do you mean?”

Jake leaned back on the bench, expression dead serious for a moment.

”He’s started learning how to flex on people.”

Ezra let out a snort, shaking his head as Jake laughed.

”You’re an idiot,” he said, shoving him lightly on the shoulder.

”Come on, though, look at him,” Jake went on, holding up the phone so Benjamin, who was a few racks down, could see.

”My guy’s out there living the dream. Senior team and all, plus the national camp now. It’s crazy.”

Benjamin, already walking over, grabbed the phone to get a closer look.

”Man... he looks proper good there,” he said, sounding half impressed and a tad bit jealous, which he made known to the players around, causing them to chuckle.

The small group of players nearby started drifting closer, drawn in by curiosity.

One by one, they gathered around, each taking a look at the photo.

A few whistled, one of them joking that Leo looked like he belonged in a Nike advert.

Jake chuckled.

”Give him a few more weeks, and he’ll forget about us peasants back here.”

”That Italian sun is really doing wonders, though,” he continued. ”Guess all you need to glow up nowadays is to get out of Manchester’s gloomy weather and into the Italian sun. ”

Ezra smirked, shaking his head again, though there was a small, proud grin forming at the corner of his mouth.

”What are you going on about?”

The group’s laughter bounced off the walls as most of the players returned to complete whatever they had going on in the gym.

Then, just as things began to settle, the gym door opened.

Coach Thompson stepped in, phone in hand, his sharp eyes sweeping across the room.

The noise dipped instantly, more out of curiosity as they tried to guess what the coach wanted, which they soon found out.

”Ezra,” he called.

Ezra looked up. ”Yeah, coach?”

”Come with me now,” he said as he turned towards the door.

Ezra, on the other hand, sighed, sliding his phone across the bench toward Jake.

”Hold that for me,” he muttered, already on his feet.

Jake caught it easily, giving him a smirk.

”You’re not in trouble, are you?”

Ezra shot him a look over his shoulder.

”If I am, it’s probably your fault.”

The other boys chuckled as Ezra followed the coach out of the gym, the heavy door closing behind them with a thud.

Jake looked down at the phone still open on the image of Leo, before slipping it face down on the bench and getting back to his next set.

....

Leo pushed open the door to his room with his keycard, the little green light flashing as the lock clicked open.

The first thing he did, like he’d done all the time that day, was check his phone, specifically watching his followers on Instagram increase.

His Instagram had gone from five hundred followers the night before to six thousand now, climbing a little more every time he refreshed the page.

Six thousand.

It still didn’t feel real.

He hadn’t posted much, just the one photo of him at the Italy U21 camp, but the comments on that and new followers kept rolling in, and he couldn’t help but grin.

”This feels nice,” he muttered as he stepped into the room, the smile fading slightly when he saw Carlo still face-down in his pillow.

The same position he’d been in since he got back from Marco’s office.

Leo sighed quietly, dropped his phone on the desk, and started rummaging through his bag for his small notebook, the one he used for tactical sessions, which was coming up soon, with the head coach coming in and all.

Just as he found it, Carlo’s muffled voice broke the silence.

”Hey, Leo.”

Leo paused, looking over.

”Yeah?”

Carlo shifted a little, his voice heavy, his accent clearly northern, Manchester through and through.

”You got a girlfriend?”

The question threw Leo off for a second.

”Uh... no,” he said slowly, wondering where that came from.

Carlo nodded into the pillow.

”Then you wouldn’t understand.”

Leo frowned, not getting what Carlo was trying to get to, but tilting his head, he responded.

”So... what, you’re saying is anyone who hasn’t dated or isn’t dating wouldn’t get what you’re going through?”

Carlo didn’t answer.

Leo sighed, dropping the notebook onto his bed before sitting down.

”Then I guess anyone who’s never played football wouldn’t understand the game,” he said.

”And even if that was the case, which is not, that doesn’t make them useless, does it?”

Carlo groaned quietly. ”It’s not the same thing, mate.”

”Yeah?” Leo replied, raising an eyebrow.

”Try me,” he said even though he knew where this was going.

Carlo finally turned his head, his curly hair messy and eyes dull from lack of sleep.

”I only went out last night because I wanted to see her. My girlfriend. She studies in Rome. We’ve been... well, long-distance, since I’m in Manchester.”

Leo leaned back on his palms, staying quiet.

”I called one of her friends,” Carlo continued, ”told him not to tell her I was in town, just asked where she was. He said she works part-time at this boutique in the middle of the city which I didn’t even know about but I went. I thought I’d surprise her, you know?” He gave a short, dry laugh.

”Big mistake.”

Leo’s brow furrowed.

Carlo let out a breath through his nose.

”I get there... and I see her. Hands around some guy’s neck. About to kiss him. Right there.”

Leo, hearing the words almost laughed or did, causing Carlo to snap his head up, glaring.

”You laughing?”

Leo blinked, expression flat.

”Must’ve been the wind. Continue,” he said covering his mouth with his hand on his chin like he was invested.

Carlo blinked back at him, unsure whether what he had heard was real or not.

”Yeah... right.” He sighed again, rolling onto his back.

”Didn’t even confront her. Just left. And now she’s texting me like nothing happened. Like I didn’t see it.”

”Maybe nothing happened,” Leo said casually. ”Maybe you saw wrong.”

Carlo turned his head, frowning.

”Four people don’t see wrong, mate.”

”Four?”

”Yeah, Ruggeri, Ricci, Udogie, and me. We all saw it.”

”Oh,” Leo exhaled, running a hand over his face.

”Then it’s good you found out now. Better now than later.”

Carlo looked over at him.

”Later would’ve broken you more,” Leo added. ”At least now you know where things stand.”

Carlo didn’t respond.

His eyes just stayed fixed on the ceiling.

Leo got up, sliding his notebook under his arm.

”So here’s what you do,” he said simply.

”You make it. You get so big she can’t go anywhere without hearing your name. Every screen she sees, every shop window, your face, your goals, your name everywhere. Let her regret what she threw away.”

Carlo finally lifted his head from the pillow, studying Leo for a moment.

He looked half torn between sadness and a smirk.

Leo looked back at him, nodding toward the door.

”But first, maybe tell her it’s over. Or at least ask what’s going on before you start ghosting her.”

Carlo sighed, sitting up at last, his hair a mess.

”Yeah... I’ll do that.”

”Good.” Leo glanced at his watch.

”Because we’re late for the session now. And if we don’t get there soon, he’ll start thinking I’ve joined your bad influence club.”

That got a weak smile from Carlo. ”Alright, alright.”

Leo opened the door and held it for him.

”Let’s go. Maybe you’ll feel better yelling at some answers at Marco when he asks one.”

Carlo nodded, grabbing his slides and changing into them from his sneakers, before walking out with Leo.