Chapter Text
The rain had finally cleared, leaving the private Mayfair gated playground damp, green, and completely empty.
Harry walked along the woodchip path, holding his tactical clipboard under his arm. He kept a close eye on Theo as the boy sprinted toward the miniature wooden slide, while Sylvie trotted along beside them in her tiny pink boots. A few paces behind them, Jobe jogged slowly with a takeaway coffee in hand, looking thoroughly entertained by the afternoon's developments.
"Right, stay within the perimeter boundaries, kids," Harry called out, checking his watch. "We have twenty minutes of recreational sliding before the transition to snack deployment."
"I go wheee high up!" Theo yelled, scrambling up the plastic steps with explosive toddler energy.
"Do it, kid, show the gravity who's the boss," Jobe cheered, leaning against a green park bench and taking a slow sip of his latte. "Honestly, Harry, if he clears the fence, you officially win Dad of the Year."
"He is not launching anywhere, Jobe, he is staying strictly within safety guidelines—"
Harry was cut off as a massive shadow suddenly fell over the woodchip path.
The heavy wrought-iron park gates squealed open, and Erling burst through like a rogue battering ram. His blonde hair was wildly disheveled, his jacket collar flipped up, his eyes bloodshot, and his broad chest heaving as he closed the distance, stopping five feet away from Harry.
"Kane," Erling rasped out, his voice shaking with unhinged, raw desperation.
Harry stopped dead in his tracks, blinking in absolute disbelief as he stared at the giant Norwegian. "Erling? What are you doing here? I thought you went home after you practically fused yourself to that velvet menu at the cafe!"
"I didn't go anywhere," Erling breathed heavily, glaring daggers at him. "I waited outside. I watched you. I saw how you care for the twins in the cafe."
"You... you stayed outside and stalked us across Mayfair?" Jobe chimed in lazily from the bench, waving a hand with a grin. "Must say, Haaland, the breathless stalker aesthetic really works with the designer leather jacket."
"Shut up, Jobe," Erling snapped, not even sparing the midfielder a glance as his furious blue eyes locked back onto Harry.
"Why are you raising Jude's secret family?! Why were you wiping their faces and fixing her hair like you've been doing it for years?!"
Harry stared at Erling for five full seconds in total, stunned silence settling over the damp playground.
"Mate, what on earth are you blathering about?" Harry finally asked, his tone flat.
"Don't play dumb with me!" Erling demanded, his voice cracking loudly as he stepped closer, towering over Harry with his hands clenched into tight fists.
"I saw how gentle you were with them! I saw how they trusted you! What is this, Harry?! Did Jude... did you and Jude—"
"Are you genuinely asking if I secretly married Jude and popped out a pair of pre-rendered toddlers behind your back?" Harry interrupted, raising an eyebrow so high it nearly vanished into his hairline.
"Well, you both play for England , you both live abroad, it’s a logistical nightmare, but you're terrifyingly good with a schedule!" Erling fired back defensively, his voice pitching higher, his chest rising and falling beneath his leather jacket.
"What else am I supposed to think when I see another man handling Jude's kids with that kind of care?! You are an Alpha and he is an Omega, Kane. It does make sense!"
"You're supposed to think with the brain inside your skull instead of your panic glands," Jobe laughed, tossing an empty coffee cup into a nearby bin.
"My brother has been holed up in Madrid for three years, you absolute donut. You really think he snuck into London to have Harry's kids?"
Erling shook his head frantically, taking another step forward, refusing to drop it. "No, no, no. Answer me, Harry. Whose kids are they? Are they Jude's? Why are they here? Why are you the one babysitting them? Did Jude send them to you? Are you hiding him? Is he in London? Tell me right now!"
"Erling, stop interrogating me like I'm a corner shop clerk," Harry groaned, rubbing his temples.
"No! I won't stop!" Erling pressed, his voice rising in panic. "Look at the little boy! He has my eyes! And the little girl... she has my eyes too! How is that possible if they aren't—tell me the truth, Harry! If you don't tell me right now, I swear I will pick up this entire playground and throw it into the Thames!"
"You wouldn't dare, the council fees alone would ruin you," Jobe snorted.
"Harry, please," Erling pleaded, his tough facade completely shattering as his voice broke entirely. "Just tell me. Are they mine? Are they mine and Jude's?"
Harry stared at the giant striker, watching the sheer, agonizing desperation bleeding out of him. Harry opened his mouth, closed it, and let out a long, defeated breath.
"For Christ's sake," Harry muttered, throwing his hands up in surrender.
"Yes. They are yours, you absolute idiot. They are yours and Jude's. Now will you shut up before Theo tries to eat another sugar packet off the floor?"
Erling froze. The world around him completely stopped spinning. His jaw went slack, his breath catching entirely in his throat as the words echoed in his ears. They are yours. Yours and Jude's.
Before Erling could even process a single syllable, Jobe burst out laughing, slapping his knee as he pointed a finger straight at Harry.
"Are you mental?!" Jobe cackled, shaking his head in absolute disbelief. "You actually just told him! You absolute idiot, you just spilled the entire secret like you're reading off a grocery list!"
"I couldn't take another second of his non-stop screaming, Jobe! He threatened to throw the swings into the river , the three of them are headaches .You are really their father!!!" Harry yelled back defensively looking from Jobe to Erling.
"Oh, this is brilliant," Jobe laughed, wiping a tear from his eye as he crossed his arms, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"God, I am so glad I stayed. I'm just here for the chaos now.But I honestly wanna see my brother's face when he finds out you walked right up, broke all his carefully planned rules, and dumped the truth on his past lover in a children's park."