Friday, October 28, 2022

Demien's Apartment, Bergamo

12:58 AM

The apartment was quiet when they returned from Blue Moon, and the silence felt different from the club's chaos—intimate rather than empty—and Demien closed the door behind them while Sophia kicked off her heels with a soft sigh of relief that made him smile despite the exhaustion settling into his legs.

"I'm going to shower," she said, and her voice carried that particular tiredness that came from dancing for hours in heels and makeup. "Give me ten minutes."

"Take your time," Demien replied, and he walked toward the kitchen to grab water while she disappeared into the bathroom, and the sound of the shower starting reached him moments later as a steady rush of water against tile.

He sat on the couch with his phone face-up on the coffee table, and the screen stayed dark because he hadn't checked social media since before leaving for the club, and right now the only thing that mattered was tomorrow morning's training session because Gasperini expected sharpness regardless of what players did on their Friday nights.

The shower shut off after exactly ten minutes.

Demien heard the bathroom door open, and footsteps moved across the hallway floor with that particular softness that came from bare feet against hardwood, and when he glanced up his breath caught in his throat completely.

Sophia stood in the bathroom doorway wearing black lace lingerie that left very little to imagination, and water still beaded on her shoulders while her damp hair fell loose around her face, and the light from the bathroom behind her created a silhouette that made his pulse kick up immediately.

Her eyes locked onto his with an intensity that wasn't playful or teasing but something deeper and more deliberate, and she didn't speak while she walked slowly toward him, and each step felt intentional rather than casual as the distance between them closed.

Demien sat completely still on the couch while his mind went blank except for the immediate reality of Sophia moving closer, and his heart hammered against his ribs while his hands gripped the couch cushions without conscious thought, and when she reached him she didn't stop or hesitate.

She pushed him backward with both hands against his chest—not rough but firm and decisive—and he fell back against the couch while she climbed onto his lap in one fluid motion, and her knees settled on either side of his hips while her weight pressed down against him.

Her face was inches from his now, and her breath was warm against his lips while her hands moved to frame his jaw, and when she leaned in to kiss him the world narrowed to just the two of them and nothing else mattered.

The kiss was deep and urgent, and her lips moved against his with hunger that had been building since she'd surprised him hours earlier, and his hands found her waist instinctively while she pressed closer, and—

***

Saturday, October 29, 2022

Demien's Apartment, Bergamo

6:15 AM

Demien's alarm buzzed at quarter past six, and the sound cut through the quiet apartment like a knife while morning light filtered through the curtains in soft grey tones, and his body felt heavy and tired in a way that was different from post-match exhaustion—relaxed rather than depleted.

He reached over to silence the alarm without opening his eyes, and the movement made him aware of Sophia sleeping beside him with her breathing slow and even, and for a moment he just lay there listening to the quiet while yesterday's memories played behind his closed eyelids.

Then training reality kicked in.

He sat up slowly while being careful not to disturb her, and his muscles protested slightly as he swung his legs off the bed, and the cool air against his bare skin made him shiver once before he stood and stretched his arms overhead.

The apartment was silent except for the faint hum of traffic outside, and he moved through his morning routine on autopilot—shower first, standing under hot water until his shoulders loosened, then dressing quickly in Atalanta training gear while his mind shifted fully into preparation mode.

His phone sat on the nightstand where he'd left it last night, and he glanced at it once before deciding not to check anything because social media and messages could wait until after training, and right now the only thing that mattered was being sharp for Gasperini's session.

He grabbed his keys and training bag from the living room, and before leaving he wrote a quick note on the kitchen counter—Training. Back around 1. Coffee's ready.—and then he was out the door while the building's hallway was still empty and quiet.

The walk to Centro Bortolotti took twenty-five minutes through Bergamo's early morning streets, and Demien kept his headphones in though no music played because the silence helped him focus, and by the time he reached the training complex gates his mind was completely locked into football.

***

Saturday, October 29, 2022

Centro Bortolotti Training Complex

7:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Training started at seven sharp with dynamic warm-ups on the main pitch, and the squad moved through activation drills while morning fog still hung over the grass, and Gasperini stood near the center circle with his clipboard watching every movement with eyes that missed nothing.

Demien fell into the rhythm immediately—jogging, stretching, ball work—and his body responded well despite only five hours of sleep because adrenaline and professional discipline overrode fatigue when it mattered.

The session progressed through tactical patterns focused on Inter's defensive shape, and Gasperini organized pressing sequences that required full-speed runs and immediate transitions, and the intensity built steadily as players worked through scenarios they'd face tomorrow at GEWISS STADIUM.

Demien operated centrally during buildup drills, and his touches were clean while his movement created space for teammates, and Koopmeiners complimented his positioning during one sequence before they reset for another repetition.

By eleven-thirty the session ended with conditioning work—repeated sprints that left everyone breathing hard—and when Gasperini blew the final whistle the squad walked slowly toward the locker room while conversations resumed in low voices.

Demien grabbed his phone from his locker for the first time since arriving, and the screen lit up with notifications he'd ignored all morning—three texts from his mother, two from Marco, one from Luca—but he scrolled past them without reading because his priority was showering and getting food before checking anything serious.

***

While Demien trained, the internet moved fast.

At 8:47 AM, an Italian entertainment blog called Vita Glamour posted a gallery of photos taken outside Blue Moon the previous night, and the headline read: "Sophia Bianchi spotted in Bergamo—mystery man on her arm."

The article's opening paragraph focused entirely on Sophia's profile rather than speculation:

"Model and fashion entrepreneur Sophia Bianchi was photographed Friday evening entering Bergamo's exclusive Blue Moon nightclub alongside an unidentified male companion. Bianchi, 24, is best known for her successful modeling career and her recently launched activewear brand Sophia Athletics. The daughter of prominent Italian businessman Antonio Bianchi, she has maintained a relatively private personal life despite her growing public profile."

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