Chapter Text
April 2022
Jude had learned quickly that there were two versions of Erling Haaland.
The first was the one everyone else knew.
The unstoppable striker.
The player who walked onto the pitch believing he could score from anywhere, who celebrated goals like he expected them, who carried himself with a confidence that bordered on arrogance.
The second version was the one most people never saw.
The one who stayed behind after training to practice finishing alone.
The one who got annoyed when he missed a chance by inches.
The one who quietly cared more than he ever admitted.
And somehow, over the year and some months, Jude had become familiar with both.
They had decided to get some extra reps in on their off day. Dortmund had a game coming up against VfL Wolfsburg in a few days, and both of them knew that small improvements could make the difference between a good performance and a great one.
Jude would help Erling with finishing first-time shots, sending in crosses and passes from different angles while Erling worked on timing his runs and adjusting his body before striking the ball.
In return, Erling would help Jude improve his through balls, constantly reminding him to trust his instincts and play the pass before the opportunity disappeared.
“Stop thinking so much,” Erling told him one afternoon after Jude hesitated on another pass.
Jude looked over, unimpressed. “That’s easy for you to say.”
“It is.”
“That wasn’t supposed to agree with me.”
Erling laughed.
“You’re too focused on making the perfect pass,” he explained, walking closer. “Sometimes you already know where the ball needs to go before you even receive it.”
Jude looked down at the ball between his feet.
“You make it sound simple.”
“It is simple.”
“For you, maybe.”
Erling shook his head, a small smile appearing.
“No. For you too. You just don’t believe it yet.”
Those were the moments Jude noticed most.
Not the goals, not the attention, and not the way everyone talked about Erling Haaland like he was some unstoppable force of nature.
It was moments like this.
The way Erling paid attention.
The way he remembered small details about his game.
The way he believed in Jude even when Jude was still trying to convince himself.
Over the time they had spent together at Dortmund, Jude and Erling had become particularly close. What started as extra training sessions slowly became something neither of them questioned anymore.
They trained together whenever they were able.
Sometimes it was for football. Sometimes it was just an excuse to spend more time together.
Their teammates noticed, of course.
Jadon was the first to point it out.
“You two are basically attached at this point,” he joked one day after training.
Jude immediately shook his head.
“We’re not.”
Erling looked over, amused.
“No?”
“No.”
“You spend more time with me than anyone else.”
Jude opened his mouth to argue but stopped.
Because he wasn’t wrong.
Erling grinned, clearly enjoying the rare moment where Jude had no comeback.
“Thought so.”
“Don’t get too confident,” Jude muttered.
“Too late.”
That was the problem with Erling.
He was always confident.
Always teasing.
Always pushing just far enough to make Jude wonder if there was something more behind his words.
And maybe that was the problem with Jude too.
Because he never told Erling to stop.
Not really.
He liked their little moments.
The conversations after training when everyone else had already left.
The way Erling would sit beside him on the team bus instead of with anyone else.
The way they seemed to understand each other on the pitch without needing words.
It was easy.
Too easy.
And maybe that was what scared Jude the most.
Because somewhere along the way, Erling had stopped feeling like just a teammate.
He had become someone Jude looked for first.
Jude rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t stop the smile that appeared on his face. Moments like this had become normal.
The teasing. The arguments. The constant challenge between them.
Somewhere along the way, Erling had become the person Jude looked for whenever he stepped onto the pitch. The person he trusted to make the run before anyone else even saw the opportunity.
And Erling had noticed.
He noticed everything about Jude.
The way he always stayed after training to perfect something he wasn’t satisfied with. The way he refused to back down from anyone, even players twice his age. The way he carried himself like he had something to prove, even when everyone else already knew how talented he was.
Maybe that was why Erling found himself paying attention more than he should.
Because Jude wasn’t just the kid from Birmingham anymore.
He was Jude.
And somehow, that meant something different.
April 30, 2022
The atmosphere inside Signal Iduna Park was electric. Fans shouted from every corner of the stadium. At this point, both Jude and Haaland had the majority of the fans in with their names on their backs.
Dortmund needed a win today.
Every player knew it. Every fan knew it.
The match against VfL Bochum had become more intense with every passing minute, and neither side was willing to give an inch.
Jude had the ball near midfield when a Bochum player came flying in with a late challenge.
The contact sent him stumbling to the ground.
The referee’s whistle never came.
Jude looked up in disbelief. No yellow card let alone any actual foul was absurd.
Before he could even get back to his feet, Erling was already there.
“You alright?” he asked, pulling Jude up by the arm.
Jude nodded. “Yeah.”
But Erling wasn’t looking at him anymore.
His eyes were locked on the opponent.
“What was that?” Erling called out angrily.
The Bochum player turned around, smirking. “Oh it was nothing.”
Erling took a step forward.
“Nothing?”
The confidence that usually came with his jokes was gone.
This was different.
“You went studs up, that was dirty and you know that. Do it again and see what happens.”
The other player scoffed. “Tell your buddy to hit the weight room then, yeah?”
Erling’s jaw tightened.
“Weight room? You about took out his fucking ankle!”
A few Dortmund players moved closer, sensing the tension, but Jude placed a hand on Erling’s arm.
“Erling.”
That was all it took.
The striker looked down at him, immediately calming.
“Ankle good?”
Jude nodded.
“Yeah. I can play on it.”
Erling held his gaze for a second longer than necessary before finally stepping back.
But Jude noticed.
He noticed the way Erling had reacted.
The way he didn’t even think before defending him.
And for some reason, that affected him more than it should have.
It was now late in the second half and it was tied 1-1. The game was so back and forth, whoever scored next was likely to take the win.
Jude was growing more agitated by the minute. He just wanted the ball, the other team practically always had two people on him at all times. He was flattered at how seriously they took him but he just wanted the damn ball.
With a quick change of acceleration, Jude ran towards his teammate to call for a pass.
He was able to finally get the ball but now he had to get around the guys already sprinting towards him.
Easy. They weren’t coming after just anyone, they were sprinting at Jude Bellingham.
In a flash, he slid the ball in between the legs of the first guy rushing towards him and then pushed the ball effortlessly to the right of the second guy.
He broke free.
He immediately heard Erling calling for the ball. The only issue was that we was basically sandwiched between two defenders. He looked the other way but was forced to look back at Erling when he shouted again.
For some reason, he decided to play the difficult ball over the heads and watched as Erling impressively jumped higher than the defenders to trap the ball with his chest. He then hit the ball first time as it came down, volleying it towards goal.
The whole stadium went quiet as the ball went shooting towards the goalie.
Everyone watched as the ball curved just above the keepers hands, heading right for the top corner and hitting the back of the net.
The stadium erupted in cheers as Erling searched for the one that assisted his goal.
Their eyes locked and Jude ran up to Erling and hopped on his back to celebrate.
Jude leaned down to his ear, a grin spreading across his face as the noise of the stadium surrounded them.
“I’m still shocked you got that.” he teased.
Erling laughed, the sound vibrating through Jude as he adjusted his grip and carried him a few more steps before finally letting him down.
“Do you know who you’re talking to,” Erling replied, releasing him and turning around to face him. “I score everything.”
Jude raised an eyebrow. “Right.”
Erling shook his head, still smiling. “Cmon I think there’s still a few minutes of the game because of added time.”
”Yeah, hopefully it’s not much.”
The rest of the game ended with Dortmund time wasting and keeping possession. The final whistle sounded and the team celebrated together before retreating to the locker room.
The walk to the locker room was short and consisted of chatter about the game. They entered and immediately started undressing from their sweaty uniforms.
Jude’s eyes immediately went to Erling’s body when he tugged the uniform off his body. He couldn’t help but stare at the impressive body of his teammate.
He wasn’t stupid, he knew he was attracted to him but in the current world, it’s not like he could ever do anything about it. He turned around and started undressing himself from the dirty uniform.
Unbeknownst to Jude, a certain tall blond was eyeing him from across the locker room.
They were the last two left in the locker room when Erling approached him.
”Come over to my place tonight? I already asked the coaches and we have tomorrow off.”
Jude looked up from tying the drawstring of his shorts, surprised to find Erling standing so close.
“Tonight?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
Erling shrugged, though there was a hint of uncertainty behind his usual confidence.
“Yeah. We can order food, watch a movie… or not. Just figured it’d be nice to hang out without everyone else around for once.”
Jude studied him for a moment. They’d spent countless hours together on the training ground, on team buses, in hotel lobbies before away matches—but never like this. Never just the two of them.
“You sure you won’t get sick of me?” Jude joked, hoping Erling couldn’t hear how fast his heart had started beating.
A small smile tugged at Erling’s lips.
“I spend almost every day with you already.”
“And?”
“And I haven’t gotten sick of you yet.”
Jude laughed quietly, shaking his head.
“I guess that’s a fair point.”
“So… is that a yes?”
There was a brief pause.
Jude nodded.
“Yeah. It’s a yes.”
For just a second, Erling’s grin widened into something softer, almost relieved, before he caught himself.
“Good.”
He reached into his locker and grabbed his hoodie, pulling it over his head.
“I’ll drive.”
Jude watched him for a beat longer than he meant to before forcing himself to look away. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this invitation meant something more than a movie and takeaway.
The drive didn’t take too long, they mainly spent time taking turns playing their favorite game day songs.
They pulled into Erling’s place, it was big but not too big. It was a nice house in a calm area of the city which was pretty fitting. They got out of the car and entered through the front door.
“So this is my place,” Erling said, dropping his keys into a bowl by the door. “Nothing too special, but it’s cozy.”
Jude looked around, taking in the warm lighting and the clean, modern furniture. It wasn’t flashy like he’d expected from one of Europe’s biggest football stars. It actually felt… lived in.
“I like it,” Jude admitted.
Erling smiled to himself.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
He shrugged off his hoodie and tossed it over the back of the couch before disappearing into the kitchen.
“You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Good. I was thinking pizza.”
Jude laughed. “I was expecting some athlete approved meal.”
Erling poked his head around the corner with a grin.
“I scored today. That earns me one cheat meal.”
“You only scored because of my pass.”
“Oh?” Erling folded his arms dramatically. “Is that how we’re telling the story now?”
“It is if you want me to assist you again.”
Erling let out a laugh, shaking his head as he grabbed his phone.
“Fine. Mr. Assist gets to pick the toppings.”
“That’s a dangerous amount of power.”
“I know.”
As Erling ordered the food, Jude wandered toward the living room. A few framed photos sat on a shelf: family, holidays, a couple from Dortmund celebrations. There were medals hanging neatly on a wall and a football with signatures scattered across it.
“You actually keep this stuff out?” Jude asked.
Erling glanced over.
“My dad says I should remember where I came from.”
Jude nodded slowly.
“That’s… nice.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The comfortable silence settled over the room without feeling awkward.
Erling set his phone down.
“Forty minutes.”
“For the pizza?”
He nodded.
“So…” Erling leaned against the kitchen counter, looking at Jude with a small smile. “We’ve got forty minutes to kill.”
Jude met his eyes.
“And what do you usually do when you’re not scoring impossible volleys?”
Erling chuckled.
“I was hoping you’d help me figure that out.”
Jude felt the corners of his mouth lift despite himself. Somehow, the stadium with eighty thousand people had been less nerve racking than standing alone in Erling’s living room, trading quiet smiles.
For the first time all day, there wasn’t a crowd watching them.
It was just the two of them.
“Watch a movie?” Jude suggested.
“I suppose I can do that, what genre?”
”hmmmm… horror”
”I mean if you insist, you honestly didn’t strike me as a horror guy.”
”I like to surprise people I guess.”
The two headed towards the couch and scrolled through the genres until finding the horror section. They scrolled for a while, not agreeing on anything until Jude pointed one out.
”You ever seen IT?”
”The clown movie? Nah I just never got to it.”
”It’s decided then.”
Erling got up to get a blanket from the cabinet, he liked to keep it cool in his house. Being cold was always better than being hot. He took a seat next to Jude and spread the blanket across their legs.
Jude noticed that he sat down closer than he had to, he wasn’t really complaining though.
Jude tried to keep his attention on the screen, but he became acutely aware of the warmth beside him.
Five minutes into the movie, Erling casually draped his arm across the back of the couch, his fingers resting just behind Jude’s shoulder. It looked effortless, almost absentminded, but it closed the distance between them even more.
Jude’s heartbeat picked up.
Was he reading too much into it?
Probably.
Still…
The couch suddenly felt much smaller than it had a minute ago.
They sat in comfortable silence until a figure suddenly lunged across the screen.
“What the fuck is that?” Erling blurted, his face twisting in disgust.
Jude laughed. “That’s Pennywise.”
“Okay, whoever made this movie has some serious issues.”
“Oh, come on.” Jude nudged him with his shoulder. “Shut up and watch, you baby.”
“I’m not a baby.”
“You jumped.”
“I did not.”
“You absolutely did.”
“I was caught off guard.”
“Mhm.”
Erling turned his head toward him, an amused smile tugging at his lips. “You seem pretty confident.”
Jude met his eyes. “Because I’m right.”
For a second, neither of them looked back at the TV.
The room seemed quieter than before, the movie fading into the background.
They were closer than Jude realized. Close enough to make out the flecks of blue in Erling’s eyes. Close enough that if either of them leaned forward even an inch…
Jude’s breath caught.
Erling didn’t move away.
Neither did Jude.
Erling hesitantly leaned closer, slow enough that the other could easily back away if he wanted.
To Erling’s surprise, the other started leaning in too. Jude breathed in, sharp, before closing his eyes.
Satisfaction and pleasure sank deep and fast and Erling slid his hand past Jude’s cheek and into his hair, cupping the back of his head and urging him another bit closer because he really liked this. His chest felt like it was constricting and he was breathing harder than he should.
Erling shifted and pulled away for a second as he repositioned himself to face Jude better. Jude was starting to open his eyes, getting ready to speak—but he was cut off. Erling made space for himself, nudging Jude’s legs a little further apart.
Jude reached for his waist and tugged him closer, moaning lowly into Erling’s mouth.
Then it was all happening as if on fast-forward, Jude on his back and Erling breathing hard above him, lips a shade darker from kissing him. A little smile slipped onto Jude’s face and made Erling pause above him.
”What’s up?”
”If I’m not mistaken, you ordered pizza yeah?”
”Shit! I totally forgot about that.”
May 9, 2022
Erling had faced packed stadiums, title races, and Champions League nights.
None of them had made him as nervous as the conversation he knew he couldn’t put off any longer.
The contract had been signed. The medical was done. By tomorrow, everyone would know.
But there was one person who deserved to hear it from him first.
Jude.
He’d rehearsed the conversation a dozen times over the past week. Every version sounded wrong. Too formal. Too detached. Too much like he didn’t care.
Because he did care.
More than he probably should.
Ever since the night Jude had come over to Erling’s house— the night that had ended with a kiss that neither of them had planned— something between them had shifted.
Not in a bad way.
If anything, they had grown even closer.
They’d agreed to keep what happened between them a secret and leave it at that, at least until the season was over. There was already enough pressure surrounding the team without adding whatever this was into the mix. They would figure it out later, when there was less noise and fewer eyes watching their every move.
That didn’t stop Erling from leaning in during training to murmur a teasing comment in Jude’s ear before jogging away with a grin.
Or the way Jude would brush past him just a little closer than necessary, hiding a smile whenever Erling’s shoulder bumped his.
Neither of them regretted that night.
If anything, that was the problem.
The final weeks of the season only made it harder to pretend everything between them was strictly platonic.
After training wrapped up, Erling spotted Jude collecting his bag near the lockers. He took a steadying breath before making his way over.
“Hey, Jude.”
Jude looked up, immediately noticing something was off. “Oh, hey. What’s up?”
Erling hesitated. He’d spent the entire session trying to think of a believable excuse to get Jude alone before tomorrow. Nothing sounded convincing.
Finally, he settled on the best one he had.
“Would you be able to meet up later this afternoon?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. “I… need some advice.”
Jude studied him for a moment. “I’d love to, but I promised my family I’d see them tonight. I bailed on my brother the last time we made plans, so I kind of owe him.”
For a split second, disappointment flickered across Erling’s face before he quickly masked it with a nod.
“Oh… yeah. Of course.”
“You alright?” Jude asked, narrowing his eyes.
“Yeah,” Erling lied with a small smile. “It’s nothing urgent.”
Tomorrow.
He’d just have to tell him tomorrow. Before it got out.
The thought made the knot in his stomach tighten.
If he waited much longer, Jude might hear the news from someone else.
May 10, 2022
The next morning started like any other.
Jude rolled over in bed, blinking against the sunlight creeping through the curtains. Still half-asleep, he reached for his phone on the bedside table.
His screen lit up with a flood of notifications.
Messages from teammates.
Missed calls from friends.
Dozens of texts.
Confused, he opened the first one.
Have you seen the news?
His stomach tightened.
He tapped on a sports app, and the headline immediately filled his screen.
Manchester City agree deal to sign Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund.
For a moment, he just stared.
No.
His thumb hovered over the article before opening it anyway. Every sentence made the knot in his chest pull tighter.
The transfer had been agreed.
It would become official in the summer.
The announcement was already everywhere.
Jude read the headline three more times, hoping he’d somehow misunderstood it.
He hadn’t.
His mind immediately jumped to yesterday afternoon.
“Would you be able to meet up later this afternoon? I need some advice.”
The advice.
It hadn’t been about football.
He’d wanted to tell him.
A wave of guilt washed over Jude, only to be replaced by something that stung even worse.
He hadn’t found out from Erling.
He’d found out from a notification on his phone.
Jude locked the screen and tossed it onto the bed beside him, dragging both hands down his face.
It wasn’t that Erling was leaving.
Deep down, he’d always known this day would come. Players like Erling didn’t stay in one place forever.
It was the fact that, after everything that had happened between them over the past few months, he’d learned about it the same way millions of strangers had.
His phone buzzed again.
Erling.
Jude stared at the name lighting up his screen.
It rang until it stopped.
A few seconds later, another notification appeared.
—I’m sorry.
Then another.
—I tried to tell you yesterday.
Jude swallowed hard, his thumb hovering over the conversation.
He knew Erling had tried.
That somehow only made it hurt more.
That Night
The knock came just after sunset.
Jude already knew who it was.
He opened the door anyway.
Erling stood on the other side, hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie.
“I’m sorry,” he said before Jude could speak. “I tried to tell you yesterday.”
“You asked me for advice.”
“I couldn’t exactly tell you in front of the whole dressing room.”
“You could’ve said it was important.”
“It was.”
Jude let out a humorless laugh.
“Apparently not important enough.”
Erling’s jaw tightened. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Act like I didn’t try.”
“You asked me to hang out.” Jude shook his head. “You didn’t say, ‘Jude, I’m leaving the club tomorrow.’ You didn’t say, ‘Hey, maybe don’t find out through a headline like everyone else.’”
“I was trying to tell you in person.”
“And when that didn’t work?”
Erling opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
“Exactly.” Jude’s voice was quieter now, but somehow it hurt more. “You let me wake up and find out with the rest of the world.”
“I didn’t let that happen.”
“You did.”
Silence settled between them.
Finally, Erling spoke again.
“I didn’t know how to tell you.”
Jude looked at him for a long moment.
“You know what the worst part is?” he asked.
Erling stayed silent.
“I would’ve understood.”
The words landed harder than anything else Jude had said.
“I know your career comes first. I know this is the move you’ve worked your whole life for.”
His eyes met Erling’s.
“But after everything that’s happened between us…”
His voice caught.
“…I thought I meant enough for you to figure it out.”
Erling took a small step forward.
“You do.”
“Then why am I hearing it from my phone?”
Neither of them had an answer.
Jude looked away first.
“I think you should go.”
“Jude—”
“I said go.”
Erling stood there for another few seconds, hoping Jude would change his mind.
He didn’t.
With a defeated nod, Erling turned and walked away.
The door clicked shut behind him.
Neither of them realized it would be the last conversation they’d have for some years.
4 years later…
Four years had passed since that conversation outside Jude’s apartment.
Four years since Erling had walked away from Dortmund.
Four years since either of them had spoken.
Life had moved on, whether they wanted it to or not.
Erling made the move to Manchester City that summer and quickly established himself as one of the best strikers in the world. Goals, trophies, individual awards— it seemed like there wasn’t much left for him to accomplish.
Jude left Dortmund a year later, fulfilling his own dream move to Real Madrid. He developed into one of the world’s brightest midfielders, becoming a leader on and off the pitch.
Their careers flourished.
Their friendship didn’t.
Whenever Manchester City and Real Madrid were drawn against one another, they kept their interactions brief and professional. A handshake before kickoff. A nod after the final whistle. Nothing more.
The media chalked it up to football taking them in different directions.
No one knew the truth, no one knew about the night on Erling’s couch, no one knew about the kiss that neither of them had regretted, and no one knew that their friendship had ended with words neither of them could take back.
Neither of them ever reached out, both too consumed with their careers
As the years passed, the silence became easier to live with, but never easier to understand.
Now, four years later, fate had brought them back to the same place.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The hotel corridors were almost empty, most of the players already back with their national teams.
Jude rounded the corner, glancing down at his phone.
Thud.
He walked straight into someone.
“Sorry, I wasn’t—”
His words caught in his throat.
Erling.
For the first time in four years, they stood face to face.
Neither of them spoke.
Neither of them looked away.
“You’ve gotten slower,” Erling said eventually, a familiar smirk creeping onto his face.
Jude couldn’t help rolling his eyes.
“Still think you’re funny, then?”
“Sometimes.”
A silence settled between them. It wasn’t comfortable, but it wasn’t hostile either. It was four years of unsaid words hanging between them.
Jude folded his arms.
“So… Norway finally made it.”
“They did.”
“About time.”
Erling chuckled under his breath.
“I was going to say the same about England finally having a chance.”
Jude raised an eyebrow.
“Confident.”
“You’ve seen my record.”
“I’ve seen mine too.”
For the first time since bumping into each other, they both smiled. Erling broke the silence again.
“If we both win our groups…”
Jude followed his gaze.
“…Quarterfinals.”
Erling looked back at him.
“I hope you make it.”
Jude smirked.
“So you can knock us out?”
“So I can finally beat you.”
Jude took a step closer, matching the competitive grin on Erling’s face.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
Erling laughed.
“I’ll see you on the pitch.”
Jude held his gaze for one last second.
“Yeah, see you.”
Without another word, they headed in opposite directions.