Chapter Text
Jude had the ball. His heart pounded as he ran up the left side of the pitch towards the goal; he was getting close. All he needed was a member of his team to receive his pass and strike it. Jordan.
Jordan Henderson suddenly appeared in the prime position for the goal. Senegal’s defense wasn’t on him enough. They could make the goal.
Jordan had always been so good to Jude. Some had their doubts about the nineteen-year-old because of his age, but Jordan quickly took him under his wing.
Jude felt his heart swell slightly in fondness for his teammate as he quickly kicked the ball in his direction, silently praying a Senegalese player wouldn’t interfere with the nearly perfect pass.
Jordan immediately received the ball and shot it into the net, largely missing Senegal’s goalie, earning him loud cheers from the thousands of people in the stadium.
Jude cheered as well as Jordan rushed towards him. Jude’s fellow midfielder pointed at him as he approached, and suddenly advanced even closer and didn't stop until their foreheads were pushed together.
Jude had to admit he was a little confused at the sudden proximity, even for their close friendship, but he went along with it anyways.
Was Jude’s face getting warmer from the harsh Qatar heat and all the running he’d done, or was it the way Jordan stared into his eyes with a look he’d never seen and whispered his congratulations?
The two pulled apart, and Jude wrapped his teammate in a hug, but they released each other quickly as the rest of the team crowded around the two excitedly to celebrate the goal.
~ ~ ~
The rest of the game was incredible. Kane and Saka scoring 2 more goals for England, Senegal not playing as well as they could have and earning a yellow card.
The locker rooms after the match were full of excitement and cheering as the team showered and changed, preparing for a night of relaxation and celebration before they had to prepare for the game against France on Saturday.
Jude glanced across the room, his eyes scanning across his teammates, lingering on a particular midfielder. Jordan was talking to John Stones, laughing and patting the defender on the back.
Jude took a moment to admire Jordan’s profile; his rounded nose, sharp jawline, the slight quiff in his gelled hair. Jude realized with some shame that he was staring, but Jordan caught his eye before he could look away.
“Bellingham! Hey we were great, yeah?” Jordan was smiling as he approached the younger man.
Jude couldn’t stop his blushing. He had never seen Jordan as more than an older brother figure. Why was he feeling like this?
“Hah, yeah,” was all Jude could respond with as he looked at the floor.
“You ok mate?” Stones asked, having just joined Jordan next to Jude.
“Yeah, yeah, just tired, that’s all,” he said.
Jude’s face was heating up even more. He had to leave and do something to get his mind off that goddamn midfielder.
Quickly zipping up his bag, Jude scurried out the door and into walked the hallways of the stadium in search of the team’s exit.
~ ~ ~
He took deep breaths of the middle eastern night air. Jude didn’t know where he was going, but he knew he didn’t want to be around his teammates at that moment, no matter how happy he was that they were going to the quarter finals. He just needed some air.
Yeah, just some fresh air. He wasn’t avoiding his teammates because of a certain goal scorer. A goal scorer who, only some hours earlier, had pressed his head against Jude’s own, and stared into his eyes.
What would he do if Jordan looked at him like that again? Or if he went beyond just that…
Jude shook the thought from his mind. He was just being stupid. All he needed was a good sleep, maybe a bath. Then more training would happen, and he would be back to normal.
Or so he thought, that was until he opened the door to his hotel room.
Jordan Henderson was sitting on the couch, looking very engrossed in some newspaper article. Jude’s heart started beating just as fast as it had in the locker room earlier that day.
“Jordan?”
“Oh hey, er, sorry I didn’t tell you I was going to be here. There was an issue with the thermostat or something in my room, and there’s no other rooms available so the front desk asked me if I could share with someone for tonight while they fixed it,”
Jordan just smiled his usual friendly grin, his large ears pointing up a little with gesture.
“That’s alright mate, just wished you could’ve warned me,” Jude said.
This could not be happening.
The rest of the evening went on (sort of) normally, with both men decompressing post-match by bingeing their favourite shows and chatting a little every so often.
“Mind if I take a shower?” Jordan asked during a quiet moment.
It was late, and Jude realized he should start getting ready for bed as well.
Thankfully he wouldn’t have to share with his teammate, as the hotel had provided Jude with a two-queen bedroom, so he could avoid that awfully cliché bed-sharing thing.
“Go for it,” Jude said, not looking up from his iPad.
A moment later, the shower was running. Jude heard the curtain close, a shampoo bottle open and then snap shut, and then suddenly the image of the man in his shower popped into his head.
Jude panicked a little at the thought, but for whatever reason continued to imagine Jordan’s body; all his perfect muscles and smooth skin.
The shower stopped, and Jude heard Jordan push the curtain open and step out. All of a sudden, the door of the bathroom opened, and a soaking wet Jordan Henderson wearing nothing but a towel around his waist poked his head cautiously out of the bathroom.
“Hey, sorry mate, d’you mind passing me the robe on my bed?” He awkwardly smiled at Jude, who was staring at the almost-bare figure he was only just imagining a moment ago.
Jude snapped himself out of it, muttered a ‘sure’ and retrieved the robe from the bed.
As he passed the robe to the older man, he avoided his gaze, not wanting to show Jordan the affect he was having on him.
“Jude, you alright?” Jordan said. He put a hand under his younger teammate’s chin and tipped it up towards him to meet his gaze. Jude could see something in Jordan’s eyes change.
“Oh,” was all Jordan said as Jude’s blush deepened. “Oh, mate, I don’t know what to say,”
“Just, forget it ok? I’m sorry I’m being an idiot,” Jude said. He pushed himself away from Jordan and walked around the corner where the other man couldn’t see him, trying to collect himself and think of some sort of explanation for his recent behaviour.
“Jude, come on you didn’t- I mean listen, it’s ok, I’m not upset or anything,”
“Leave me alone, Henderson,” Jude walked briskly past the bathroom and out the door. He kept walking until he was in the secluded stairwell, then he let himself fully freak out.
Jude ran up and down the stairs several times until his heart and breath were fast for reasons he could understand. He’d been attracted to people before, sure, but not his 32-year-old football teammate during the bloody world cup.
The stairwell door opened a flight above the landing Jude was standing on. None other than Jordan bloody Henderson appeared. He was in some track pants and a t shirt, his usually quaffed hair flat from the shower. He took a couple steps down the stairs separating him and Jude.
“Jude, just let me say something ok?”
Jude was rooted to his spot, unable to break eye contact with Jordan.
“I’ve seen the way you look at me, ok, and- god I don’t know how to say this I mean you’re practically just a kid but, well, you happen to be my favourite team member. If, um, you know what I’m getting at here,”
Jude couldn’t help but smile. He took a few steps up the stairs until there was just one separating him and Jordan.
“I know what you mean,” Jude mumbled, now grinning like an idiot.
An awkward silence passed between them, and then Jordan was tipping Jude’s chin up towards him again, and putting his arm around his waist, and placing a soft kiss against his lips.
Jude smiled against his teammate’s mouth, reciprocating the kiss and placing his hands on Jordan’s face.
They stayed like for a moment, the hotel stairway thankfully offering some seclusion from the rest of the world, until they broke away, and Jordan leaned his forehead against Jude’s, just like on the pitch at Al Bayt Stadium earlier that day, and Jude welcomed the gesture with a gentle smile.