Harbinger Of Glory

Like clockwork, morning came quietly to Vittoria’s apartment, and Leo rose to it.

He squinted, adjusting to the new stream of light, trying to push away the curtains blocking its path.

For a few seconds, he didn’t move.

He lay there, staring at the ceiling while the warmth of the bed slowly registered around him.

Vittoria was tucked against his side, her head resting near his chest with one arm loosely across him as she breathed steadily in her sleep.

Leo turned his head, and she looked completely different like this.

The woman who had spent the previous evening moving confidently through a room full of important people, greeting guests, and making sure everything ran properly was nowhere to be seen.

Her hair had fallen loose around her face, and the slight crease in the pillow had left a faint mark against her cheek.

Leo smiled and then leaned forward.

”How are you this perfect while you’re sleeping?”

Vittoria squirmed, but there was no response as Leo turned and then carefully reached for his phone from the bedside table before checking the time.

6:34.

When he saw that, Leo’s brow raised a bit and went on to stare at the screen for longer than he should have.

It had only been a little over three hours.

Considering everything that had happened, he was surprised he didn’t feel worse.

He had played ninety minutes against Chelsea, rushed through the post-match routine, flown to Milan, made his way to the Villa, spent the evening at the charity event, and then disappeared into the city with Vittoria for the rest of the night.

And somehow, he still felt fairly fresh.

He placed the phone back down and then shook his head.

”Still early.”

Leo settled back into the pillow, and within minutes, sleep took him again.

It lasted considerably longer than he had intended.

Almost three hours later, Vittoria shifted against him, and that was what got him kicking again.

She moved closer without opening her eyes, then slowly woke with a small yawn.

Her eyes opened halfway and kept staring at Leo.

A smile appeared on her face, and Vittoria leaned closer until her lips were just above his.

”Good morning.”

She whispered it against his mouth, and Leo hummed in response, though his eyes remained firmly closed.

Vittoria smiled but didn’t stop there.

She reached up and brushed her thumbs gently across his lips before giving him a few soft kisses.

Leo endured it for several seconds before finally opening his eyes to a smiling Vittoria.

”You’re awake.”

”I was trying not to be.”

She laughed quietly and leaned closer again.

Leo eventually slipped an arm more firmly around her and pulled her towards him, keeping her close as they kissed.

The morning seemed to disappear almost as quickly as the night had.

It was only when Vittoria’s phone reminded her about a grocery delivery downstairs that reality finally caught up with them.

She reluctantly pulled herself away, then tossed on a skirt.

”I have to get that.”

Leo opened one eye and then nodded.

”Go.”

”How supportive of you,” Vittoria said, receiving a wave from Leo in return before she made her way out of the room.

A little while later, she returned with the groceries.

And by then, Leo had already changed into a shirt and was standing in the kitchen, rolling the sleeves towards his elbows while looking through what she had brought back.

”What are we eating?”

Vittoria dropped the bags onto the counter.

”I don’t know.”

Leo looked at her and then started unpacking the groceries.

Vittoria watched him for a moment and then picked up her phone, but she had only gone so far when her eyes widened.

”Oh, my God.”

Leo looked over and set the knife he had in hand down.

”What?” he asked eagerly as Vittoria’s grip on her phone tightened.

”I knew we were careless last night.”

When she said that, Leo stopped what he was doing entirely and began making his way towards her.

”What happened?”

Vittoria turned the screen towards herself, and her expression quickly changed from surprise to embarrassment.

Her mother had sent her a series of photographs, and underneath them was a message.

My damsel in love.

Vittoria stared at it as Leo leaned closer to make out the words from Vittoria’s shaky hands.

He finally managed to read the message, but when he did, a smile slowly appeared.

”Your mother is funny.”

Vittoria groaned and scrolled through the pictures, while glancing sharply to silence Leo, who just laughed.

The first picture from her mother showed the two of them walking through the streets.

Another had caught Vittoria eating ice cream while Leo stood beside her.

There were several more.

One showed the two of them sitting on the bench.

And another had caught them kissing.

But the one thing that irked Vittoria in the whole scenario was that none of the photographs gave away Leo’s face properly.

Most showed his back or only the side of his head.

In one of the ice cream pictures, his face was completely hidden.

The photograph of them kissing was even less useful.

Only Vittoria’s outline was clear enough, but Leo’s face was turned away, with the only obvious feature being his hair.

And even that would probably mean very little to anyone who didn’t already know him.

Vittoria sighed and then set her phone down before picking it right back up.

”They always get my face.”

Leo glanced at the pictures. They never get yours.”

She turned towards him.

”How is that fair?”

Leo smiled and then folded his arms.

”Then I should be thankful.”

Vittoria gave him a look but then continued scrolling.

Eventually, she opened the articles herself.

The photographs had already made their way onto several entertainment and society pages, and just like it always was in instances like this, the comments were moving quickly.

I just woke up; one comment read, citing the absurdity of the whole situation just one morning after New Year’s Eve.

Another read:

The lady of the D’Averna house really acts like every other girl in love, and I love her for that.

Further down, someone had written: Forget Vittoria. Who is the man?

Another followed: Does anyone here have an expert who can identify him?

When Vittoria read that, she couldn’t help but snort.

”An expert?”

As she muttered that, Leo leaned over her shoulder.

”They’re serious.”

”This was just how they acted the first time.”

He looked at another comment as Vittoria scrolled further.

A few people were trying to identify him from his clothes, while others were debating his height and build from the photographs.