Chapter Text
Yes, okay, Erling’s chronically online. Everyone’s been saying it, and the last post he left a comment on, it read: IG is cool because we can post Erling’s Fantasy price and he’ll comment nice
And what do you know, he did. That was 20 minutes ago. Now, he’s on his private account, one without the algorithm constantly feeding him reels about himself, and although there’s a fair amount of football reels still, they’re more scattered, reflecting all angles of the World Cup.
He comes across a compilation reel of Jude moments and snickers to himself, having seen something similar before. He anticipates the same set of clips, but when one of them is different, he sits up straighter as his finger goes to pause the screen. It’s a stolen video from their days at Dortmund, showing Jude exiting through the back door of an apartment building with a hoodie that looks about two sizes too big on him. The weather isn’t exactly calm outside, and as he turns the corner, the wind blows the hood off, and his face is all but on clear display to the person recording, even if it’s just for a split second before he hurriedly pulls it back on.
A second look at the hoodie confirms that yes, indeed, this is the hoodie Erling thought he lost five years ago, and never wondered where it went because it wasn’t one he used very often. In fact, he remembered telling Jude once that it was a little too small for him, and that he’d probably donate it the next chance he got. He remembered Jude’s answer too.
“Shame, that. It’s quite comfortable, innit?”
“You can have it then,” he’d replied.
“Nah,” Jude had said. “Even the ones too small for you are too big for me.”
“Suit yourself,” Erling had told him, before shoving the hoodie into the back corner of his closet. They hadn’t talked about the hoodie after that, preferring to occupy their limited time with other activities.
He opens the comments, and to no surprise, sees at least 3 comments mentioning the hoodie clip, two of them wondering if it’s his, one of them with an eyebrow-raised GIF. Erling contemplates just leaving it, but it’s a perfect opportunity to tease Jude, especially since they hadn’t texted since the World Cup ended and he’d congratulated Jude for winning third place.
That was less than a week ago, but to Erling’s 2AM brain, it might as well have been a month.
He sends the reel from this account to Jude’s private account, with the words: Remember this?
He doesn’t expect Jude to immediately see it, let alone answer, because it’s also 2AM in Madrid and he expects his boyfriend to be asleep by now, but two reels later, a notification appears at the top of his screen. It’s Jude, with the text: ????
lyng 🤍: What?
Judy ⭐: ive seen that before
lyng 🤍: And the hoodie part?
Judy ⭐: 🤐🤐🤐
Judy ⭐: dont know what ur talking abt
lyng 🤍: Jude
Judy ⭐: erling
lyng 🤍: Is that my hoodie?
Judy ⭐: …no
lyng 🤍: Jude
Judy ⭐: u got my name right the first time mate
lyng 🤍: How long have you had it?
Judy ⭐: had what?
lyng 🤍: I was looking for it y’know
Judy ⭐: oops
Judy ⭐: sorry babe
lyng 🤍: So you admit it?
Judy ⭐: admit what?
lyng 🤍: You’re so infuriating
Judy ⭐: love u too 🤍🤍
Erling sets his phone down with a sigh, rubbing his eyes with his hand. It’s late, and his eyes sting from being on his phone for so long, but it’s worth it if Jude’s answering. They really don’t get to see each other much outside of matches where they play against each other, because of the location differences, and therefore time zone differences, which limit how much they can talk and call.
As much as he knows he made the right choice, part of Erling misses when they were in Dortmund together. When they played on the same team, could have sleepovers and hangout whenever, when they talked every day and their relationship had never been stronger.
The first time he asked Jude out, Jude hadn't believed him. Granted, he was a little drunk, and the confession had slipped out without him meaning to. Jude had sighed, thinking he was joking, and Erling had fallen asleep before he could clarify. But he asked again the next day, head clear and awake, and Jude had almost teared up saying yes, among other things.
His phone buzzes again, drawing him out of the memory, and Erling clicks back into his and Jude’s chatbox.
Judy ⭐: actually ive never seen that clip b4
Judy ⭐: if u want it back i can ship it over
Judy ⭐: or u could wait until we see each other again 😉
Judy ⭐: erling u there
Judy ⭐: im sorry for taking ur stuff
lyng 🤍: It’s okay
lyng 🤍: I’m not mad
Judy ⭐: u scared me 😭😭
lyng 🤍: Why didn’t you tell me though?
Judy ⭐: dont ask me incriminating questions 💔
lyng 🤍: ?
Judy ⭐: ill tell u next time
lyng 🤍: Jude :(
Judy ⭐: just means youll have to schedule a date soon hm?
lyng 🤍: If you wanted to see me you could have just asked <3
Judy ⭐: but wheres the fun in that 😛
Judy ⭐: i know youre not busy rn
Judy ⭐: “reacting to my memes” or some shit
lyng 🤍: You watch my youtube videos?
Judy ⭐: duh
lyng 🤍: What did you think?
Judy ⭐: pretty good
Judy ⭐: this ur backup career?
lyng 🤍: Yup
lyng 🤍: To promote my rapper career actually
Judy ⭐: ah yes
Judy ⭐: kygo jo 🗣️🗣️
lyng 🤍: So you’ve seen that too?
Judy ⭐: whole bloody worlds seen it mate
Judy ⭐: is it true btw?
lyng 🤍: What’s true?
Judy ⭐: u became a footballer to promote ur rapping career
lyng 🤍: You’ve been on the internet too much
lyng 🤍: Gotta get off your phone Judy
Judy ⭐: classic nonanswer
lyng 🤍: I’ll tell you next time
Judy ⭐: 🖕
lyng 🤍: Go to sleep Judy
lyng 🤍: Sweet dreams
Judy ⭐: gn babe
Erling closes his phone, sets it on the nightstand to charge, and turns to the ceiling. At this rate, he actually might have to book the next flight to England, and then get a codependency diagnosis, because missing someone this much shouldn’t be allowed. Sleep takes him fast, since he’s already a little drowsy, but his dreams are plagued with Jude’s laugh, Jude’s smile, the way he lit up any space he entered, the version of Jude that no one else got to see, and he wakes up the next morning with an indescribable ache in his heart. That morning, he checks for flights to Madrid and books the nearest one he can make, at 9PM that night. He’ll be in Spain by the next day, and will be able to see Jude again.
Just the thought of it makes his heart flutter, and for a moment, he feels 20 again, perking up whenever he hears Jude’s name like a child with a very obvious crush. Honestly, it’s a wonder their relationship never got leaked, what with how scrutinizing the media was and how careless they were back then.
—
His phone buzzes at past 2AM again, and Jude rolls over to pick it up from the other side of the bed. He’s watching one of Erling’s vlogs on Youtube, the one about his trip to Texas, for about the third time today. Really, there’s not much else on the internet that interests him, other than scrolling reels that inevitably come back to the edits shipping him and Erling together.
It’s Erling who’s texting, asking him if he’s awake. He types back a quick reply:
lyng 🤍: You awake?
Judy ⭐: yea
lyng 🤍: Should be sleeping
Judy ⭐: im sorry should i have not answered 😒
lyng 🤍: No
lyng 🤍: I miss you
Judy ⭐: me too
lyng 🤍: What are you doing right now?
Judy ⭐: watching yt
Judy ⭐: did u get me anything from texas?
lyng 🤍: No
lyng 🤍: I did not know you wanted something
Judy ⭐: im js teasing babe
lyng 🤍: Do you want a surprise though
Judy ⭐: ?
lyng 🤍: Look out your window
Judy ⭐: YOU DIDNT
Jude all but leaps to his window, suddenly glad that his room has one facing out towards the main gate of the house. There, through the dark, he can barely make out a tall figure standing outside his gate, shifting from foot to foot. Coincidentally, he’s wearing the very hoodie they were talking about just a day ago—okay, not coincidentally. He’s wearing it because they were talking about it, and even though it’s the middle of summer, his house’s AC is set low enough that it’s not absurd.
“Erling?” he calls from inside the gate, and for a split second, is worried that whoever’s out there isn’t Erling and will take what he just said and run with it, but his boyfriend waves to him in that adorable way, grinning as Jude shines his phone flashlight on his face, and Jude quickly lets him in.
“How’d you get here so fast? I thought there’d be a conversation—nevermind that. You’re mental, mate,” Jude says as he drags Erling into his house, away from the prying eyes of whoever might be down the road and awake.
“You’re not mad I’m here, right?” Erling asks, slowing to a stop once they’re past the door and Jude has locked it shut.
“Mad? Why would I be mad?” Jude asks like it’s insane to even begin to think about being mad at him.
“For showing up…at 2AM…out of the blue like this,” Erling says, and Jude bursts into laughter. He cradles Erling’s face with his hands and drags him down, pressing a joyful kiss onto his lips.
“Never,” he breathes, pulling him into a hug. “I’m surprised, but I’d never be mad about you showing up.”
“Good,” Erling mumbles, staying in the embrace and breathing in the smell of Jude. His hands travel over the fabric of what Jude’s wearing, and he pauses, a small smile growing on his face.
“That my hoodie?” he asks, and Jude groans like he knew this was gonna come up.
“...no? What makes you say that?” Jude asks, burying his face deeper into the crook of Erling’s neck. Erling sighs in fondness, rolling his eyes.
“Yeah? It’s a nice hoodie, Jude. Top top. Where’d you get it from?”
“Nowhere. Found it in the dumpster.”
“That’s what we’re calling my closet now?”
“Shut up, mate,” Jude grumbles. “‘M tired, Lyng, ‘s 3 in the fucking morning, quit interrogating me.”
“Okay, kjæreste. Come on.”
Jude doesn’t let go of him as he drags Erling up the stairs and to his bedroom, where the video is still paused exactly as he left it.
“Don’t,” Jude warns him, and Erling snickers.
“I wasn’t gonna say anything,” he tries to defend himself.
“Right.” Jude nods disbelievingly. He climbs into bed, snatches the TV remote before Erling can get it, turns the TV off, and then the lights. Beside him, he feels the bed dip, and moves over so Erling can get comfortable. They slot in beside each other like they’ve done countless times before, and with his boyfriend by his side, Jude finds falling asleep much easier to manage.