Archive of Our Own

Yeah, everyone has been sending it to me

Oh really? Have you seen any of the other videos then?

Nah, I'm not interested in whatever the internet has taken a liking to right now

They're actually pretty good and ngl man it looks pretty convincing

You sure you don't have anything to tell me? Lol

Stop playing on my phone, bruv.

Jude swiped off his messages, rolling his eyes at what his brother said but also feeling a twinge of curiosity in his chest. He knew he was going to regret it as he swiped back on TikTok and clicked on the search bar, which read "Haalingham. " Was that supposed to be their names combined? “What a silly duo name," he thought as he clicked on the first video.

It was a video comparing him and Erling to anime characters. Was this supposed to be a good thing? He didn't know, but everyone in the comments had unanimously agreed that it was so accurate that he could only raise an eyebrow and move on to the next video.

Another edit, but this time the screen displayed clips of him with the word “Omega” plastered over them, and then it switched to clips of Erling with “Alpha” over it. He wasn't exactly sure what "Alpha and Omega" meant to these people, but he knew it couldn't have been a good thing.

He frowned and opened the comment section, curious to see if once again everyone unanimously decided the 6'1", 160-something-pound man was the so-called "Omega," and it turns out they damn near did.

“Haaland makes him look so small TT”
“Only an alpha can handle HIS omega”
“I love their size difference” with a picture of Erling carrying a smiling Jude attached.

“You lot have got to be kidding me,” he said, throwing his phone back down on the hotel bed. “God forbid I'm not as big as a literal Viking," he yelled as though the commenters could hear him from his suite.

His phone buzzed, and he was somewhat expecting it to be another person sending him the same Katy Perry edit he seemed to be haunted by, but instead it was a text from the topic of the conversation, Erling Haaland.

Jude took a second before replying, his head still fuzzy from all the videos.

Jude didn't answer for what was probably a considerably long time given Erling’s chat bubbles appeared and disappeared twice.

Jude groaned. "Don't say that," he whispered to himself, burying his face in his hands. Something that used to be so normal between them now felt clouded with different feelings because of the videos he saw. He simply replied with “lol” and sent his hotel information.

Jude knew he should be getting some sleep at this point; it was getting late, and if he was planning on hanging out with Erling, he should get plenty of rest, but instead the curiosity lingered, and despite his better judgement, he opened TikTok back up and scrolled through what he thought was every video under the “Haalingham” tag.

He doesn't know why he finally decided to indulge in curiosity. Was he tired of being sent the same video by everyone? Was he hoping to find answers? Some reasonable explanation for why the whole internet had taken a liking towards their normal friendship? This is why he stayed off social media as much as he could; none of it ever made sense. This isn't to say that he was some completely off-grid technophobe, but it did mean that early into his career he learned real quick to avoid searching his name, as it was almost never going to lead to something positive.

What he hated to admit was that most of the edits were actually good; they were intriguing, and he could unfortunately understand why people were hooked on them. He still thought they were crazy, but there would sometimes be a video where he shook his head and said, “I see why that looks weird." This thought process continued until he realized it was about 1 A.M. and his head was throbbing from exhaustion. He put his phone down and finally went to sleep; he wouldn't bother acknowledging it, but he slept unusually warm that night.

By the time he woke up, it was already late morning and uncomfortably close to when Erling agreed to come over. "Crap," he told himself as he rushed into the shower, cutting his routine down by half in hopes of being out before his tall friend knocked on the door, but of course Jude Bellingham couldn't have been so lucky. A heavy knock was heard from the door as Jude opened the bathroom door, one that could only be achieved by a 6’5", 205-pound Norwegian.

Jude sighed, wrapping the towel around his waist tighter. Erling was his longtime friend who had seen him naked countless times—not on purpose, of course, but that's how locker rooms work, and when they would stay at each other's dorms, it just happened; it was normal, but Jude felt an unfamiliar sense of awkwardness in his chest. Was it the videos? Jude shook his head, refusing to even entertain the thought of strangers online affecting the relationship he has with his friend of 6 years.

He opened the door and let out an awkward but genuine smile. “Hey buddy!”

“Hey, Bellingham," the Norwegian smiled, his eyes glancing down at the half-naked man in front of him.

The brunette flushed as he brought a hand to cover his abdomen, suddenly embarrassed at being perceived, which was ridiculous considering he just spent the last 30 seconds trying to convince himself this was normal. “Come in." He opened the door wider, allowing the blond to slip past before shutting it again. “Sorry, I slept in and rushed to get ready," he slightly chuckled, watching his friend make his way over to the couch. Jude went to grab his clothes from his suitcase, unsure whether to get changed in front of the blond like the old days or go change in the bathroom.

“You seem different," Erling said, once again looking him up and down before returning his gaze to Jude's eyes, staring into them as intently as he always does.

“Do I?” he chuckled slightly, bringing his hand up to scratch at the back of his neck. Could Erling really read him that easily, or was he painfully unaware of how much of a trainwreck he looked like?

The Norwegian simply hummed in return, turning his body inward to face away from the shorter one. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he heard Jude shuffling behind him to get dressed, deciding to throw on a white tank and some sweatpants. “So how's life, Bellingham?"

"Oh, you know, can't complain," he answered, finally walking over to his friend, resting a hand on his shoulder and offering a smile. The Norwegian looked up, returning the smile; he grabbed the other’s hand and seemed to be guiding him over to sit on his other side. He once again looked him up and down, adjusting himself in his seat, as Jude finally sat down beside him.

Did Erling always look at him like that, or were those godforsaken videos actually making him go mad?

“Why so quiet Bellingham? This is not the guy I know." Jude punched the taller one's shoulder. “You calling me a loudmouth, mate?” flashing his usual charismatic smile, receiving a genuine bright smile from Erling, one that he hadn't seen in person in far too long.

The unfamiliar awkwardness didn't last as long as Jude feared. Somewhere between catching up, arguing about what to order for lunch, and Erling completely demolishing Jude at every video game they played, Jude's chest had finally begun to settle. By late afternoon, they had gone back to the familiar rhythm they had always shared, lying side by side, watching their own phones, occasionally peeking over at the other's phone to share their thoughts.

Jude opened his TikTok, completely forgetting that he didn't switch back to his public account, but by the time he realized, it was far too late. Of course, the first video to pop up was an edit that opened with Erling talking about him with none other than freaking Katy Perry in the background once again. Jude was only ever lucky on the pitch; why did he think now would be any different?

“You watching videos of me, Bellingham?" Erling smirked, catching a glimpse of his friend's phone, before the shorter one quickly turned it off.

“Course not, mate," he chuckled, trying to get up to find an out of this conversation. “Really? Can I see then?” Erling said, analyzing Jude's face as he reached for his phone. Jude pulled his phone closer to himself, shaking his head. That only seemed to make Haaland more curious as he then threw his arms over Jude's body, caging him inside.

The brunette tried to wrestle his way out of there, but who was he kidding? He was never beating Erling in the strength department. He laughed as Erling tickled him, clutching his phone closer to his body. Eventually the blond stopped and just stared at his friend; this seemed to have made Jude realize just how close they were.

Christ, Erling was close now, close enough that Jude could feel his breath. When has that ever mattered, though? His heartbeat answered before his brain could, and as they locked eyes, Jude decided he simply couldn't bear it, quickly averting his gaze. Suddenly he felt a cold hand placed on his chin, forcing him back into eye contact.

"What are you hiding?” The blond stared deep into the brown eyes before him, his smile refusing to falter, almost as though it were an invitation for Jude to be honest with him.

“You know they ship us, right?” the brunette finally gave in. If there was one thing he knew about his friend, it was that he was what people would call "chronically online"; he liked to stay up-to-date. The problem wasn't whether or not he knew, though; it was whether or not he disliked it, and for some reason, the thought of him hating it made Jude's stomach twist in ways he never knew possible.

“Ship? To where?” The Norwegian's smile dropped as he tilted his head slightly, brows furrowing together.

Jude's eyes widened, and the ends of his lips began to curl in a smile he so desperately tried to avoid. Now was not the moment for a laugh; he didn't know why, but this was serious, he thought. He sighed away a laugh before explaining, "No, like they think we’re dating or should date…I don't know." He shook his head, biting the inside of his bottom lip.

"Oh, is that what they call it now?” Seriously, that's it? That's all he had to say? Did he not understand what he said?

"You've seen the videos, right?” Jude should've just left it at that; he should've just nodded his head and pushed the big man off him. He knows he should've, but for some reason he couldn't; maybe it was the adrenaline, or maybe it's called stupidity; who knows?

“Yes, the team has been sending me each one they see." The brunette had to stop his eye from twitching in annoyance. "Seriously, mate? You're really making me work for it, huh?” He couldn't help but think to himself.

“And what do you think about them?” he averted his gaze before peaking back up to find the man in front of him twisting his mouth and humming.

"Hmm, some are good, I think." His tone was genuine, and he nodded his head as though it were obvious. “That's it?”

“What do you want me to think, Bellingham?" Great, 6 years of speaking with the guy, but suddenly hearing his voice deepen this close to his face was enough to make Jude shiver.

"You're telling me the whole internet thinks we’re in love, and the only thing you care about is how well the videos are made? You serious?”

“Some people are very talented," his usual smirk returned to his face.

"Erling," he sighed, “be serious…it's a tad interesting, innit?” he said, searching for any hint of disgust in his friend's face, and while he did that, Erling seemed to be analyzing him back. For what? Jude couldn't be quite sure.

“You don't actually care about the videos,” Erling finally says.

Jude blinked. What could he possibly be getting at here? “What?”

“You care what I think,” he answered, plainly. Jude couldn't think of anything to say; his eyes simply darted around Erling's face, visibly confused. “You don't actually care that people sit and make those videos; you care whether I think it's weird or not, right?”

Jude would never admit that he got one-upped, but boy did he certainly feel as though he just got read to filth. “Can you blame me?” Erling doesn't answer, the silencing making the shorter one exceedingly more nervous. “I mean imagine if you thought it was weird? I’d never hear the end of it. It'd make things weird, yeah?”

“Would it?”

“What?” Jude frowns.

“Would it make things weird?” Erling pauses, making firm eye contact. “Or would it hurt your feelings?”

Jude scoffs slightly. “Mate! You're reading into this too much."

“Am I?”

And for a beat, no one even dared to move.

“Then…what do you think?" Boy, making eye contact is unusually difficult today.

“I think…” Erling says quietly, finally letting go of Jude's chin and leaning back, forcing space between them. “...that if you thought they were ridiculous, you would've laughed at them. You would've sent them to me and we would've laughed at them together.”

"…But instead you're asking me what I think."

Jude's mouth opens slightly, but he can't seem to get anything out.

“You wanted to know if I would hate the idea of…us."

"...yeah," his lip quivered.

“I don't think it's weird."

“Actually… I had already seen some videos months ago. I guess I thought maybe they were funny."

“Funny?” he propped himself up on his elbows, closing some of the distance between them.

“Turns out, I look at you a lot."

Jude's lips twisted into a small smile.

“When I first saw one, I thought, 'How did they figure it out before I did? '... I guess people on the internet aren't as clueless as me," he chuckled.

“Figure out what?”

“That I'm in love with you."

Jude's breath hitched and his head became fuzzy. Was he hearing things? Had he finally gone mad? “Mate…are you joking?”

Erling shook his head softly. "I've known since I left Dortmund." He paused, waiting to see if Jude would tell him to stop before there was no going back. When that never came, he continued.

“The only regret I had was not taking you with me."

Jude can't seem to do anything but stare. His heart had been loudly pounding ever since Erling pushed him down on the bed; he blamed the proximity, the conversation, and then the out-of-nowhere confession, but looking into those impossibly blue eyes, what he failed to realize was that his heart had been pounding the moment he opened the door.

Jude plopped back down on the bed, covering his face with his hands. "You've got to be kidding me." Erling could only watch him in return.

“No, because actually…!” he continued, flying back up before ultimately getting up and pacing the room. “That explains so much."

“I spent all bloody night convincing myself those videos were crazy," he scoffed. "Turns out…you're just an idiot."

“Me?” Erling blinks.

“Yeah, you!” he laughed again before continuing. "How do you look at someone like that and not say anything?”

Erling paused, deciding what the best answer would be. "I didn't know."

Neither of them said anything; Jude simply ran his hand over the top of his head, letting out a long sigh. “I guess...neither did I…”

Erling's eyes widened; Jude watched as an annoying smile formed on his face. "So...?"

“C’mon, mate, don't make me say it." The brunette quickly covered his face with one hand.

“Say what?” Jude could hear the teasing tone in his voice as he got up and stepped closer to him.

“You know what.” Jude never had trouble telling an attractive woman that wanted him how he felt, but the current situation was so unfamiliar to him, he wanted to scream out into the world out of embarrassment.

“I want to hear you say it, Jude." He grabbed his wrists and pulled them away from his face.

Jude didn't think that hearing his friend call his name would ever make his heart do flips, but boy was he wrong. "You're unbearable."

"Yeah."

Jude paused, taking in the sight before him. “I think I might just be in love with you too." The words carried his usual casual tone, but both knew it was anything but.

“Oh wow," Erling said, taking a step back before putting his hands on his knees and looking down. He took a breath so deep an outsider would've thought he was hyperventilating. Erling laughed, shaking his head this time almost as though he were trying to shake himself awake.

Jude watched him for a second before laughing too. This was still the erling he knew. The cool, collected, but still goofy Erling he knew from 6 years ago.

"What's so funny?

“Nothing”

"You're smiling."

“Can you blame me?”

No one answered; instead, they shared a soft smile before Jude took it upon himself to close the distance again.

The Norwegian's eyes darted around the room, refusing to look beneath him. For once Jude was the one looking at Erling, and he had to admit that he enjoyed this dynamic too.

“You keep looking away."

“Do I?”

Jude hummed. “I thought your whole thing was looking at me?”

Erling's tongue pressed against his own cheek, swallowing a laugh before looking down at Jude and offering a smile that reached his eyes. “Can I kiss you?”

Oh god. His heart was doing god knows what in his body, and Jude felt the weight of 6 years of friendship resting in his chest, but still his face betrayed him, and he, of course, was grinning ear to ear. “Mate…”

“Is that a yes?” he laughed.

He rolled his eyes, but before he knew it, he grabbed Erling by his shirt, and their lips were clashing together.

They've both kissed plenty of women before but not one man, and especially not one they've been best friends with for over half a decade. It was admittedly awkward; if this was anyone other than Erling, Jude would've told them to stop. They bumped noses, making Jude laugh into the kiss.

"Don't laugh," Erling said, laughing back.

"I'm trying not to mate."

"You're terrible at this."

"Oh, shut up."

They kept accidentally trying to lead at the same time, laughing every time they bumped into one another before diving back in. Somewhere between the awkwardness and the laughter, the kiss stopped feeling uncertain. It became hungrier and more confident until neither of them could remember why they'd been nervous in the first place.

Haaland rested a hand on Jude's waist, gently pulling him closer into his body. In return, Jude smiled into the kiss before ultimately pulling away.

“That was good, yeah?” he said, his tone clearly teasing, but what he was trying to hide was that had it gone on for just a little longer, the feeling in his stomach would've been from something other than butterflies.

He walked back over to the bed, jumping on and patting the side next to him before lying down, clearly an invitation for Erling to lie next to him and, unless he was getting ahead of himself…maybe even stay the night. And Haaland, of course, walked over accepting the invitation.

“Hey, do you watch videos of us for fun?” Jude teased, but beneath it, he wanted confirmation that he wasn't the only one who was dragged into the rabbit hole.

“Never”

“Liar,” he laughed, lunging towards the blond, wrestling for his phone. They ended back in the familiar sound of giggles.

Maybe, just this once, the internet had gotten something right.