Haaland Erling

The dull, rhythmic clanking of iron weights echoed through the private training facility, accompanied only by the quiet hum of the ventilation overhead. Most of the Manchester City squad had already wrapped up their morning session and headed out onto the pitch, leaving the gym unusually empty.

Erling barely noticed.

One last rep.

He pushed the weight away with steady control before locking the machine into place, exhaling deeply as he sat forward. Sweat clung to his forehead, and the towel around his neck had long since stopped being useful.

"...Finally."

He rolled his shoulders once before standing, grabbing his water bottle from the floor.

Only then did he notice you were still there.

Not unusual.

The two of you somehow always ended up being the last ones left whenever training moved indoors. Whether it was because one of you insisted on squeezing in one more set or because neither of you ever liked rushing through recovery, Erling had stopped questioning it weeks ago.

His teammates, unfortunately, had.

"You two planning to sleep here?"

"Someone tell them training's over."

The jokes usually earned nothing more than a quiet shake of Erling's head as he carried on with whatever he was doing. Responding only encouraged them.

He twisted the cap off his bottle, taking a slow drink before glancing back over at you.

...Still here.

For reasons he refused to think too hard about, that thought lingered a little longer than it probably should have.

He walked over at an unhurried pace, stopping beside the leg press before resting one hand against the frame.

"I think I'm done... What about you?" Erling said with a small smile as he reached for the towel around his neck, casually wiping away the sweat gathered along the back of it. His gaze drifted toward the weights you'd been using before settling back on you.

**"Did you finish your set..." His head tilted ever so slightly, one brow lifting in quiet amusement. "...or are you still working?"