Harbinger Of Glory

”You know,” Jake started again after the laughter had died down, tossing a stress ball from hand to hand, ”if you keep playing the way you are, you won’t last long in the Championship.”

Leo glanced up from where he was sitting, pulling a loose thread from his shorts.

”What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jake shrugged, still tossing the ball.

”I mean, some club’s gonna come swoop in and grab you. Wigan won’t hold onto you forever.”

Ezra raised his brows.

”He’s got a point. You’re already getting mentions on the Championship highlight shows, mate. ’The boy from the bench who changed the game.’ That’s how it starts.”

Leo chuckled lightly, shaking his head.

”Come on. I haven’t even done that much here. Four games off the bench, one goal, two assists, that’s hardly world-class. Plus, I haven’t shown anything that suggests this could be consistent as opposed to a good run of form.”

Jake laughed.

”You’d be surprised. Clubs these days don’t look at what you’ve done. They look at what you could do. Potential sells faster than performance.”

He set the ball down on the floor, his expression growing a bit more thoughtful.

”Look at Todd Boehly over at Chelsea. Took over not even half a year ago, and he’s already hoarding every promising kid he sees. Doesn’t matter if they’ve played ten full matches or just shown flashes. If you’ve got a spark, someone will buy you.”

Leo tilted his head, half-smiling.

”So what, I score one goal and suddenly Boehly’s gonna throw a contract at me?”

Jake grinned.

”Wouldn’t put it past him. I mean, look at the players Chelsea are buying. If you keep it up for a few more games, you won’t be very far off from them.”

Leo leaned back, resting on his palms, the light from the window hitting his face.

”If that’s how football works now,” he said quietly, ”then explain why United let me go. Apparently, I didn’t have enough potential, even though they never gave me a proper chance to show it.”

That made both Jake and Ezra fall silent for a moment.

The air in the room softened a little, less playful now.

”Maybe they just couldn’t see it,” Ezra said finally. ”Doesn’t mean it wasn’t there.”

Leo nodded slowly.

”Maybe. But I don’t want to jump ship again. I need to do something here. Something real. Maybe a promotion, maybe a proper season leading the team... something that actually means something before I even think about moving on.”

He bent down, picked up a crumpled T-shirt from the floor, shaking it out.

”That could take years, though.”

He looked at the two of them, Jake lounging, Ezra on the beanbag, with a faint grin that crossed his face.

”Besides, the three of us haven’t even played for the first team together yet. How am I supposed to leave before that happens?”

Jake chuckled. ”So that’s the plan now? The three musketeers, Wigan edition?”

Leo shrugged, folding the shirt and tossing it on the bed.

”Actually, it’s four if we add Ben, but yeah, something like that. Just don’t make me wait too long, yeah?”

He turned, walking toward the small bathroom to his right.

The door creaked as he pushed it open, and just before it closed behind him, Ezra called out from the beanbag, voice dripping with mockery.

”Oi! That line wasn’t as cool as you thought it sounded, by the way!”

Leo’s muffled laugh echoed from behind the door, followed by the sound of running water.

Jake smirked, leaning back again.

”He’s definitely thinking it was, though.”

Ezra snorted. ”Yeah. Hundred per cent,” as the room fell into easy silence.

”FIFA,” Jake suggested, nodding at the PlayStation 4.

”You read my mind,” Ezra said as Jake took one of the controllers and tossed it at him on the bean bag.

Jake leaned forward on the couch, eyes squinting at the screen, thumb lazily flicking through the PlayStation menu.

”Oi, Leo,” he shouted toward the bathroom.

”Did you ever update the squads? Or download that new title update?”

From behind the closed door came Leo’s voice, muffled by the running water.

”No! Haven’t touched it for the past week!”

Ezra sighed dramatically, falling back onto the beanbag.

”Great. No updates, and half the faces look like they’ve been drawn by someone’s uncle.”

”Yeah,” Jake muttered, picking up his controller again.

”Feels like we’re playing Championship 2012, not 2023.”

They still went ahead with a quick match, though it was more habit than interest.

Passes felt sluggish, the commentary bugged out twice, and when a player with a generic name scored, neither of them even celebrated.

By the 70th minute, Jake paused the game and stared at the screen in silence.

”Boring,” he said flatly.

Ezra nodded. ”Unlicensed misery.”

They both set their controllers aside at the same time, a wordless agreement as the room filled with the hum of the console’s fan and the faint sound of Leo moving around in the bathroom.

A few minutes later, the door opened, and steam spilt out into the small space as Leo stepped out, towel around his neck, hair damp.

He glanced at the paused game, saw the dull screen, and chuckled under his breath.

”Didn’t even finish it?” he asked, grabbing a shirt from the bed.

Jake groaned.

”Mate, the game’s dead. Outdated, slow, half the teams don’t even have real kits.”

Leo smiled to himself while pulling his shirt over his head.

”Hmm. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.”

”Not a bad thing?” Ezra muttered, scrolling on his phone.

”We just wasted time watching your unlicensed Sunderland beat fake Wigan.”

Leo chuckled again, tying his sneakers.

”Yeah, well. I think it’s time for a change.”

Jake looked up. ”Change?”

Leo finished adjusting his hoodie, brushing a few droplets of water off his forehead.

”Yeah. I’m going out for a bit.”

Ezra raised an eyebrow. ”To get what?”

Leo looked between them, that small, knowing grin tugging at his mouth.

”Something you both are going to like very much.”

Jake shot a glance at Ezra, suspicion flickering into excitement. ”Wait... is it—”

Leo nodded before he could finish, and the room lit up with energy as Jake clapped his hands together once, loud enough to make Ezra laugh.

”Finally!” Jake said, springing up.

Ezra grinned, grabbing his hoodie. ”You serious, Leo?”

Leo nodded again, already heading toward the door. ”Yeah. But grab the PS4, Jake. We’ll need it.”

Jake blinked. ”Wait, what for—”

”Just bring it,” Leo said, still smiling.

The three of them left the room together, Jake carrying the PlayStation carefully under one arm, the controllers dangling by their wires.

A short while later, they stood in front of a modest building with bright posters on the glass windows: Get Well Gamers UK – Bringing Smiles Through Games.

Inside, a few volunteers were setting up consoles for children in hospital wards.

A woman at the desk looked up as they entered, her expression brightening.

”Hi there! Can I help?”

Her eyes widened slightly, trying to place the face, but after squinting hard and still not remembering, she gave up.

”You’re,”

Leo smiled politely, placing the PlayStation on the counter.

”I’m Leo. Yeah, just wanted to drop this off. It should still work fine. It’s seen better days, though.”

The woman’s eyes softened, gratitude replacing surprise.

”That’s incredibly kind. Thank you so much.”

Leo nodded, glancing back at Jake and Ezra, who stood quietly behind him.

”No worries. Figured it’d get more use here than with us.”

As they turned to leave, Jake nudged him lightly.

”So,” he said, smirking, ”this is why you wanted us to tag along.”

Leo shrugged with a small grin. ”Pretty much.”

Ezra looked at him, confused for a second. ”So what now?”

Leo pushed open the door, sunlight spilling in from outside. ”Now,” he said, ”we get an upgrade.”

.....

The new PS5 box sat on the wooden floor like a prized jewel, its plastic wrap already torn apart in their excitement.

Jake crouched near the TV, fumbling with the HDMI cable while Ezra flipped through the quick-start guide that nobody really needed but still pretended to read.

”Careful with that,” Ezra said as Jake yanked the plug out of the socket.

”I am being careful,” Jake replied defensively, holding the console up like a newborn.

”It’s not like I’m gonna drop it.”

Leo raised a brow.

”You said that about your phone, and now it’s living with a cracked screen.”

”Yeah, well,” Jake muttered, ”this one’s different.”

They laughed lightly, and within minutes, the PS5 logo lit up the television in glorious silence.

A brief moment of awe passed through them before Jake immediately started navigating the menu, heading straight for the PlayStation Store.

”Right,” he said, tapping away. ”FIFA 23. The last one before EA and FIFA divorce.”

Ezra leaned over his shoulder.

He clicked download, and the console began to hum, the progress bar creeping forward.

”Beautiful,” Ezra murmured as Leo leaned back on his bed, stretching.

”Now it’s official. New console, clean start.”

Just as Jake opened his mouth to reply, Leo’s phone buzzed against the nightstand.

He glanced at it, frowned slightly, then stood up and picked it up.

”Yeah?” he said into the phone, stepping toward the door. ”Uh-huh... now? Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”

He hung up, sliding the phone into his pocket.

Jake turned, one eyebrow raised. ”Who’s that?”

Leo slipped into his slides, swapping them for the sneakers by the door.

”It’s Nolan,” he said simply.

Ezra tilted his head. ”Everything okay?”

Leo nodded, tugging his hoodie on.

”Yeah. Just needs me for something.”

Jake gave him a grin. ”Tell him to promote us next while you’re at it.”

Leo chuckled, shaking his head as he reached for the door handle.

”Sure thing. In the meantime, enjoy the game before you two crash it.”

”Oh, we will,” Ezra and Jake said simultaneously ass Leo exited the room.