Chapter Text
Less than two hours later, they’re seated in a private meeting room at Valdebebas. The PR team—heads of communications, social media strategists, and legal advisors—files in, their faces tight with concern. Everyone senses something big is coming, and they aren’t wrong.
Kylian and Jude sit side by side, hands brushing under the table as a silent show of support. Jude starts. “We’ve been seeing each other for a while now,” he says calmly, his voice unwavering. “We’re in a relationship. And we’re done hiding it.”
There’s a pause—stunned silence. The PR team exchanges glances, and for a moment, no one speaks. Then, one of the communications directors clears her throat.
“This… is big,” she says carefully. “We’ll need to control the narrative. Have you considered the backlash?”
Jude leans forward, his eyes steady and resolute. “We know there’ll be backlash. But it’s our life. We’re tired of hiding, of being scared someone else will take this from us. If it’s going to be public, we’ll make sure it’s our story.”
Kylian nods, his hand finding Jude’s under the table. “We want the announcement out today. Before any leaks, before anyone else can twist it.”
The PR head exhales slowly. “Okay. We’ll handle it. We’ll craft a statement—something respectful, clear, and to the point. Are you ready for the attention this will bring? It won’t be small.”
Jude glances at Kylian, and for a moment, their eyes meet. There’s fear, yes—but also love, trust, and the kind of courage that comes from knowing they’re in this together.
“We’re ready,” Jude says softly but firmly.
Within hours, the news drops.
"OFFICIAL: Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham confirm their relationship."
Social media erupts. News outlets scramble to report it. Fans, commentators, and critics alike are thrown into a frenzy, the announcement hitting like a bombshell across the football world.
Photos of them together, subtle but undeniable, begin circulating. Clips of their interactions on the pitch suddenly take on new meaning. Speculation, support, and backlash flood the internet.
But amidst the chaos, Kylian and Jude sit in their shared house, watching the world react from the safety of their home. Jude’s hand trembles slightly as he scrolls through the news, but Kylian takes it in his own, lacing their fingers together.
“It’s done,” Kylian says quietly. “It’s out there. No more hiding.”
Jude exhales, leaning into Kylian’s side. “No more hiding,” he repeats, a small, relieved smile tugging at his lips.
And for the first time in a long time, they both feel free.
Kylian sits in the silence of their home, the weight of the news crashing over him again. His fingers are numb as they scroll through the endless feed of media coverage, headlines screaming their relationship, but it’s the undertone of the comments, the harshness of the words, that cuts through him. The homophobic slurs, the suggestions that their teammates might not want to work with them anymore, that they’re somehow less professional, less capable because of who they love— Kylian can’t stop the flood of anxiety that rises in his chest.
Jude is beside him, his expression unreadable, eyes fixed on the screen of his phone. But kylian can feel the tension in the air, the quiet that tells him Jude is processing it all just as deeply, just as painfully.
It’s not the hate from the fans that bothers them. It’s not even the hate from the trolls on social media—it’s the fear. The fear that those closest to him, the teammates he’s shared blood, sweat, and victories with, might distance themselves from him. That the bond they’ve built, the trust he thought was unshakable, could fracture over something that was never a choice, never a decision they made lightly.
Jude’s throat tightens as he pulls his knees to his chest, his head falling to rest against Kylian’s shoulder. He doesn’t say anything at first, doesn’t know how to voice the panic that’s been mounting inside him.
“It’s not the way we wanted this to go,” he whispers after a moment. “I should’ve told them earlier. I should’ve been open with everyone. I wanted to tell Luka first, you know? So he wouldn’t have to hear it on the news. But I didn’t. And now everything feels like it’s... wrong.”
Kylian looks down at him, his expression softening. “We couldn’t control how it went down,” Kylian says, his voice calm but full of the weight of understanding. “I know you wanted to be open with them. But you’ve been carrying a lot of this on your own for so long. You didn’t want to share it with the world, and I get that. We did it our way.”
Jude nods, but the guilt gnaws at him. “Yeah, but... maybe it wasn’t fair to them. To Luka, to the guys. They deserved to hear it from us. Not from the media.”
Kylian exhales, pulling Jude closer, his arm wrapping around him. “We didn’t do anything wrong. We’re just two people who love each other. It’s their issue, not ours.”
But Jude can’t stop the doubt. He pulls away slightly, looking up at Kylian, his voice quiet but full of worry. “What if they think we’re a distraction?”
Kylian’s gaze sharpens, the protective fierceness in his eyes rising. He leans in, cupping Jude’s face gently. “They will respect us. I know these guys. Luka is your big brother and captain, and the rest? They’re professionals. They know what’s important. This will pass.”
Jude nods, “and the press is the hardest part. But we can’t change it. We can’t hide who we are. We can’t let the world tell us who we should be.”
“This will settle. We’ll handle it, together. Whatever happens, I want you to know that it’s worth it. You’re worth it. And when all of this blows over, we’ll be stronger. We’ll have each other.”
Jude nods, allowing himself to believe it, just for a moment. He doesn’t know how long it will take for the storm to pass, for the whispers and the hatred to fade, but he knows Kylian will be there beside him, and that gives him a small sense of peace.
They sit together for a while, the weight of the world pressing down on them, but with each passing minute, the heaviness feels a little less. Kylian holds him, steady and unwavering, and Jude allows himself to believe that maybe, just maybe, they can survive this storm. Together.
The locker room feels different now. The air is thicker, charged with unspoken thoughts and uncertain glances. Jude can feel the eyes on him—some curious, others guarded. He knows it’s not outright hostility, but the weight of the situation presses on him. The usual banter, the casual locker room chatter, feels off-kilter.
His close friends—Luka, Aurélien, Fede, Lunin and others are supportive, but even they seem to tread carefully, trying not to make it awkward, yet still offering the silent reassurance that they’ve got his back. It’s the others, the ones he doesn’t know as well, that make him uneasy. They’re not hostile, not overtly rude, but the way they avoid eye contact or glance at Kylian and then look away tells him everything he needs to know.
Two men, both athletes, in the same locker room, dating each other—it’s not something they’re used to. It’s not something they’ve had to deal with before.
Jude doesn’t blame them. In some ways, he gets it. He knows how people can be. It’s a locker room. A space that’s always been filled with a certain kind of brotherhood, with its own rules and expectations. And he and Kylian? They’ve just broken all those rules, shaken up the status quo. But that doesn’t make it easier.
He does his best to keep things casual. Keeps his distance from Kylian, tries not to be too touchy or affectionate in front of the others. It’s not that he doesn’t want to—god, he does. He wants to hold Kylian’s hand, kiss his lips, make the world know he’s proud to be with him. But in the locker room, it feels like the wrong time. Like an invasion of something sacred. He doesn’t want to make it harder for the others to adjust, even if it’s hard for him too.
He can’t help but notice the looks. The stares that last a little too long, the hushed whispers that disappear as soon as he turns his head. He pretends not to care. Pretends it doesn’t affect him.
In the showers, he keeps to himself, making quick work of his routine, trying to avoid any unnecessary contact with the others. When the team starts gathering to head out, he stays at the back, away from the group, silently praying that today’s practice goes by without incident.
But even as he tries to distance himself, he catches glimpses of Kylian. Every time their eyes meet, there's a flicker of something deeper, something more. Kylian’s never the one to hold back, but even he knows now isn’t the right time. So they exchange quiet smiles, small gestures, and Jude can see the understanding in Kylian’s eyes.
It's complicated. More than he expected it to be.
After practice, as they gather to head back to their respective homes, Jude can feel it again—the quiet distance between him and the rest of the team. He can feel their curiosity, their discomfort, like a tangible thing in the air. And while he wants to be strong, wants to be proud of who he is and who he’s with, he’s tired. Tired of wondering if his teammates are judging him, tired of questioning if things will ever truly feel normal again.
As he walks to the car, Kylian by his side, he catches Fede’s eye. The Spaniard offers him a small smile, one that says more than words ever could. Support, understanding. Jude returns the smile, but the ache in his chest doesn’t go away. He still wonders, when all of this dies down, will it be enough? Will they ever be able to just exist without all the tension, all the looks, all the questions?
“Do you think they’ll be okay with us?” Jude asks quietly as he gets into the car, not looking at Kylian but staring ahead at the road.
Kylian leans back in his seat, his hand brushing against Jude’s. “They’ll come around. People always do. And those who don’t? They aren’t worth our time.”
Jude nods, but the weight of the day presses on him. He wishes he could believe that fully, but for now, he just holds onto Kylian’s hand, letting his warmth seep into him, even if the rest of the world isn’t ready to do the same.
The paparazzi are relentless, as they always are. They line the streets outside their house like vultures, cameras aimed directly at them. Every time they leave or return, there’s no escape from their flashes, their lenses capturing moments of their lives, moments that aren’t theirs to take. It’s suffocating.
Jude hates it. He hates how it feels to be constantly watched, dissected. He hates how the world seems to believe it has a right to know everything about him—everything about his private life, his relationship with Kylian, like it’s entertainment. It eats at him every time they step out, every time they’re caught on camera. He never signed up for this kind of exposure, especially when it feels like it’s all just a game for the tabloids to win. And yet, here they are.
But Kylian? Kylian doesn’t care about any of that. At least, not the way Jude does. Kylian’s already been there, done that—he’s used to the attention, the photos, the rumors. He’s lived under the media’s microscope for years, built an empire out of his name, and there’s little the press can say that bothers him anymore. He’s already proved himself on the pitch, already cemented his legacy in football. What they say doesn’t change who he is or what he’s done.
But it’s different for Jude. Jude’s still carving his path, still proving himself every game, every training session. He knows the world is watching, and he knows that every single misstep will be magnified. He can’t afford to be seen as anything less than perfect. Not in a world that’s already so quick to judge him.
Kylian sees it. He sees how much it weighs on Jude—how it eats him up inside, how every rumor, every judgment feels like it’s another brick in a wall around his heart. Jude’s not the one who’s used to the spotlight. He didn’t ask for this kind of life, didn’t sign up for the kind of scrutiny that comes with being one of the best young players in the world and being in a relationship with Kylian Mbappé.
That’s why, as they pull into their driveway and the paparazzi swarm the car, Kylian reaches over to gently squeeze Jude’s hand, his thumb brushing over his knuckles.
“I don’t care about them, you know that, right?” Kylian’s voice is soft, but steady, like he’s reassuring both of them at once.
Jude doesn’t say anything at first. He just stares ahead, his grip tightening around Kylian’s hand, trying to block out the flashes outside the window. It’s not that he doesn’t trust Kylian’s words; he does. But the weight of the situation still presses on him. The constant scrutiny, the gossip—it’s exhausting. It’s overwhelming. He doesn’t know how long he can keep up this act of pretending like everything’s okay when the world won’t let him breathe.
Kylian notices the tension in Jude’s jaw, the way his eyes seem distant, clouded with the pressure. He wishes he could shield him from it, wishes there was something more he could do. He hates how much this is affecting Jude, but more than that, he hates that it’s happening at all.
“Jude,” Kylian starts, his voice low, like he’s trying to pull him back from wherever his thoughts have taken him. “You don’t have to worry about what they think. You don’t have to prove anything to them. You’re here with me. That’s all that matters. You’ve got time. We both do.”
Jude turns to look at him, his eyes softening just a little. “Every time I walk out that door, I feel like they’re watching me, waiting for me to mess up.”
Kylian sighs, “You were the one that telling me I don’t have to be perfect. LIsten to your own advice. We’re both still figuring it out. But you have to know—nothing about what anyone else says or thinks is gonna change how I feel about you. Not ever.”
Jude nods, swallowing the lump in his throat, but the tension doesn’t completely leave his shoulders. He wishes it was as easy as Kylian makes it sound.
Kylian knows that. He knows that, because even with all his achievements, all the praise, and the love he gets from the fans and the media, there’s always that part of him that questions if he’s enough. So he’s not going to let Jude carry this weight alone.
“Hey,” Kylian adds, his tone firm but gentle, “we’ll tell them together. You and me. We don’t owe them anything. Not even an explanation. This—” He gestures between the two of them, “—this is ours to keep. Don’t let anyone make you feel like it’s anything less.”
Jude lets out a shaky breath, “I know,” Jude says, his voice soft but steady now, “I just don’t want to drag you down with me.”
Kylian smiles, brushing his thumb over Jude’s lips. “Never. But right now, I want to be your shield. Let me handle the rest. All you have to do is be you.”
Jude gives a small, exhausted smile, the weight on his chest easing just a little bit. Maybe it won’t all be okay immediately, but with Kylian by his side, he feels like they can face it together. The world might watch them, might judge them, but that’s not what matters.
What matters is what they have.
And that’s enough.
Jude can't quite understand how Kylian does it, but somehow, he always seems to have a way of controlling the chaos around them. The paparazzi that once camped outside their house like vultures, ready to capture any moment of their lives, slowly begin to fade away. They start showing up less and less outside their door, and it doesn’t take long before they’re nowhere to be found.
At Valdebebas, Kylian pulls strings in a way Jude can’t even fathom. Conversations with the right people, the perfect word at the perfect moment. It’s not just their public relations team at work—it’s Kylian, with his experience, his calm, and his power. He knows how to silence the media, how to make the noise disappear, even when it feels like it’s consuming everything around them.
The first few days after the news broke were unbearable. Jude couldn’t go anywhere without being asked about Kylian. Every interview, every media appearance, was filled with questions he didn’t want to answer. He didn’t want to talk about his relationship—not because he was ashamed, but because it felt like his private life had been stolen from him. It wasn’t for the world to dissect. But slowly, those questions began to disappear, and Jude wasn’t sure if it was the sheer exhaustion of the press or if Kylian had done something to silence them for good.
Kylian’s influence, his connections, the way he carried himself with unwavering confidence—it all played a part. By the time they were into two months after the news dropped, Jude found himself sitting in post-game interviews with nothing but football questions, the usual focus on his performance, the game, the next opponent. No more invasive questions about Kylian. No more speculation about their relationship. It was as if the world had moved on—like the storm had passed, leaving them both to breathe.
But what amazed Jude most was Kylian’s ability to handle it all. To shield him from the brunt of it, to protect him without ever making a big deal out of it. Kylian never brought it up—never told Jude what he was doing behind the scenes to take care of things, to keep the world from intruding on their happiness. And that’s exactly how Kylian worked. He did what needed to be done without expecting praise or attention.
Jude noticed the little things: the way Kylian would take him aside, quietly remind him not to worry about anything outside of football, the way his presence calmed Jude when he felt overwhelmed. Jude realized that with Kylian by his side, he didn’t have to fight the world alone. They were there, as always, taking the hits and making sure their path was clear to walk.
It felt almost surreal, walking around the training ground without the cameras hovering. It felt like they had reclaimed their space—like they had finally won a small victory in the battle for their privacy. Jude could focus on football, could focus on the game, without constantly glancing over his shoulder to see who might be watching or waiting for a moment to capitalize on their relationship.
It was in those quiet moments, when Kylian would look at him with that soft, reassuring smile, that Jude realized just how much Kylian had done for them both. He didn’t just protect Jude from the outside world—he protected him from himself, from his doubts, from the anxiety that had been building up since the moment their relationship went public.
And as the days went by, Jude started to feel like he could finally breathe again. The weight of the world didn’t feel so heavy anymore. With Kylian beside him, he knew he could handle whatever came next. No matter what the press said, no matter what the world thought—they had each other, and that was all that mattered.