Chapter Text
The tremendously loud noise of an excited crowd was ringing in Jude’s ear. He knew that his team was good, but the nerves were still getting to him. At least they had an opponent that would be playing fair and without too much aggression. Because aggression from the other team would set him off. Today he would keep his cool though. The other thing that caused his heart to race was the thought of his favourite Norwegian striker, whose face would appear any minute.
***
Jude’s mind went into total focus, as soon as the referee gave the starting signal. At the end of the first half, the score was 1:1. He headed to the changing rooms with his team. He was kind of hoping for a message from Erling - to his delight, there was one.
you’ve been looking great. how are the nerves?
Jude smiled at the message, but he also had a question in mind.
calmed down a lot tbh. I've been looking great?
Erling realized that the wording of his first text sounded like he was referring to Jude’s looks, which to be honest he wasn’t not doing that entirely, but what he meant to say was that he looked good because he played well.
i meant like the way you’ve been playing looks great
A short pause.
actually you also looked quite great
Jude silently gasped. His ears turned pink at the thought of Erling thinking that he looked good. He decided to just act cool, and play into it like it was a joke, which it probably was to Erling and it should be to him as well.
not as good as you. real eyecatcher if you ask me
stawp you’re making me blush idiot
oh am I?
totally.
Jude was staring at the screen. “Did he actually mean that?” Any way of replying to that just sounded stupid in his head. The chat went quiet for a whole minute. Then he decided to just ignore what Erling wrote, - or potentially meant with that.
good luck for the second half. dont play too well tho
For some reason Erling felt disappointed that Jude hadn’t added onto his last message. He enjoyed their banter. “Was it weird what I said?” He didn’t have time to think about that right now. It really shouldn’t matter that much anyway.
yeah, you too
The second half would start in a few minutes. Jude didn’t know what came over him, but he sent one last text.
and save the blushing for the pitch
Erling would, if he could. But at the sight of that message, his cheeks turned pink. Something inside of him settled, another thing suddenly started to feel nervous. And his gut told him that the nervousity didn’t come from the game.
***
The game ended and Jude was on a seemingly never ending rush of euphoria. England had won and he scored the winning goal. Wonderwall was blasting from the speakers and the mouths of the crowd. It felt like everything was happening in slow motion. Arms wrapped around him, congratulating words were being told, laughter was all around. The team was making plans on how to celebrate tonight the second they reached the changing room. Jude would normally not get drunk during a tournament, but tonight he would be too consumed to think of any duties.
His heart was filled with so much joy, but there was a place in it that felt sad for Norway - most of all for Erling. Erling himself didn’t seem that bothered, which was probably an act on some level, but he seemed genuinely happy for the English team.
That was just the type of guy he was. He never took anything too seriously. And that was something Jude adored so much about him. He himself would often get caught up in his emotions and things he couldn’t change anymore, Erling would be there to ground him, to show him that nothing was the end of the world, until the world actually ended.
God he missed him right now. How wonderful would it be if they could have celebrated this together, just how they used to, back when they played together. He desperately hoped that Erling would actually show up tonight. He wanted to tell him in person how well he played, how much Norway would have deserved it as well.
But for now he would go celebrate, make stupid decisions, probably embarrass himself by doing things only a way too drunk person could think of and be completely reckless for just one night. Life tasted sweet right now, the bitterness would return later.
***
It was almost 4 am and Jude had just arrived at his hotel room. He was severely drunk but also severely happy. His memories were kind of a blur at the moment, he remembered songs being sung, a lot of drinks being poured and people dancing on tables. Was he dancing on a table as well? He honestly couldn’t tell.
The English fans were celebrating everywhere. As Erling predicted, the streets were full of loud fans. Thinking of Erling, didn’t he want to come over? “I hope he’s not sleeping already”, Jude mumbled.
He pulled out his phone and called the Norwegian. A photo of a mop with Erling’s face on it came up. It was another one of the memes that a fan had made. Jude laughed at it drunkenly.
The second that Erling picked up Jude’s smile widened.
“Hii”, Jude giggled.
“Hey”, Erling answered with a slightly sleepy voice, as he realised that Jude was very drunk.
“You’re awake! I was so so worried you were asleep, but since you're not… Come see me.” You said I looked good... I think so too.” Jude giggled again. “No…I think you look good too.
I really wanna see you.”
Erling laughed. This was surprisingly entertaining.
“Fine, I’m coming over”, he said while still smiling.
“I knew you would”, Jude mumbled.
***
It took Erling almost an hour to get to the hotel. During that time jude had sobered up a bit. He took a shower and changed into joggers and a t-shirt. His head was pounding and his voice was a bit hoarse from singing.
Finally he heard a knock on the door. He jumped up immediately and was faced with a grinning, blonde, Norwegian after he opened the door.
“You said you wanted to see me, so here I am”.
“I did say that, didn’t I?", he said with a fake annoyed expression.
“I mean who could blame you for wanting to see all of this”, Erling replied as he made a dramatic gesture towards his body.
A slight smile crept onto Jude’s face. The alcohol was definitely still getting to him because what he was about to say would normally stay in his head and not actually come out of his mouth.
“Couln’t resist that smirk.”
Erling’s eyes widened slightly. Jude usually wasn’t the one who made jokes like that. But he also didn’t look like he was joking. He was looking up at him with a playful smile that looked like a dare. And Erling was in for the game.
“Well I couldn’t resist seeing that body”, he replied with that same playfulness.
Jude quickly took his gaze off Erling, to hide the way his ears turned pink at that comment.
Erling decided that it was enough of the teasing for now. He wanted to actually talk to his friend.
“You all got drunk tonight?”
“Yeah, it was loads of fun. But you guys played amazing tonight. It could have gone to either of us really”
“Yeah, could've." But it went to you guys and you definitely deserved it. I mean that goal of yours was incredible.”
Their conversation quickly erupted into an analysis of the entire game. Both were complimenting each other’s team and their performance.
They were sitting on the end of Jude’s bed, when Erling suddenly leaned back to lay on his back. He casually put an arm around Jude’s waist, while still listening.
Jude felt his heart’s rhythm speed up at the touch. The alcohol had left his body almost entirely, because he was back to losing his mind over every small thing Erling did.
And the next thing he did was tug at Jude’s shirt so he fell onto his back as well. Now they were both laying down next to each other.
Erling laughed at the surprised expression on the brunette’s face.
“I am too tired to keep this conversation going whilst still sitting up. Almost fell asleep during your five minute rant about how you could have played better.”
Jude put on a dramatic offended expression and threw a pillow at Erling’s face.
“Oh you wanna do that? You don’t know what you're in for”, he said with a mischievous grin as he sat up to tackle Jude.
"You won’t catch me”, Jude laughed while using the pillow as a shield. They were acting like kids, but it was too fun to be embarrassed.
Erling was laying on top of Jude when he managed to snatch the pillow from his hands. He threw it in his face, giggling like a child.
Jude removed the pillow from his face, when he realised that a tall and muscular body was hovering over him. He looked up into blue eyes.
The room suddenly felt a lot hotter. Erling didn’t move. He just stared at the face below him. “When did he become so handsome?”, he asked himself. “I guess he always was. But right now he looks a little too handsome.”
Suddenly Jude sat up. Not meeting Erling's eyes he said: “It’s really late, we both need to get some sleep. I think you should leave.”
The Norwegian was confused at the sudden shift of mood, but he decided that Jude was probably right. “Ok, sure. Have a good night in that case.”
“Yeah you too.”
Only when Erling was out of the door Jude fell face first into the bed and let that moment, before he ruined it, go through his head again.
The way Erling had looked at him. Oh god.
There was no denying it anymore. He liked Erling.