"Just like it felt before," Leo said with an infectious grin as he jogged over to the opponent's penalty box.
"Oi, what are ya doing here?" James McClean said as Leo got there, but Leo waved him off like he had always done before, while the others around offered him fist bumps and pats on the back, with the opponent captain even giving him a slight nod.
Then Ezra broke from the small cluster near the edge of the box and came straight for him, arms open, and pulled him into a hug that had clearly been waiting since the final whistle of whatever game Leo had last played.
"Welcome back," Ezra said, directly into his ear while Leo patted his back twice and pulled away.
"It's okay, no need to get sobby, or Jake might not let you hear the end of it when he gets back," Leo offered before shoving Ezra away slightly.
His gaze, though in the next moment, aligned with Will Keane's, with the veteran forward standing with the ball tucked under his arm at the penalty spot.
