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They were rivals today.
Somehow it was still weird to Jude to see Erling so far from him in the pitch, wearing that unfamiliar light-blue jersey and defending a different team.
Like he was untouchable.
Unknown.
They decided, this morning, none of them were going to lose, while on bed between kisses, laughs and soft stares.
‘l will score and dedicate to you, l might even blow you a kiss’ Erling whispers as he looks down to meet Jude’s eyes under him, with that fondly look that could drive the big guy insane.
Jude smiles, while he feels the unruly blond touches against his cheeks and stares at Erling’s face while the other man provokes him about today’s game. The blonde talks and talks and talks, he is so close to his face that he can see his eyebrows that are almost invisible, if seen from afar when contrasted with his pale skin tone. Jude lifts his neck slightly and interrupts his boyfriend's ramblings with a kiss, he was dying for his morning kiss.
It was longer than Jude expected, when he slipped his hand under the blonde's shirt to remove it and touch his toned abdomen - that he would admit it made him weak- Erling brought him back to reality.
‘’We do not have time, love’’ Haaland said gasping, pulling their mouths apart with difficulty, getting up and pulling a lazy Jude with him. ‘’Later, when Mancity wins, to celebrate’’ he says playfully.
‘In your dreams darling, l won’t lose’’ Jude declares while being pushed into the shower ‘’Come with everything you have big man’’ touching Haaland’s chest in a challenging attitude.
‘‘l will’’ Haaland answers in an incredibly determined tone.
Jude couldn’t help but smile remembering their sweet morning while waiting the starting whistle, he was about to keep his promise, he was going to defend the yellow and black with everything he had.
The game begins, the first minutes his teammates were tense, the pressure was all on them, they were clearly the underdogs, but with the passing of minutes, and instructions often given by the captain, they settle. They could win, they were doing a good job holding Haaland, creating chances, Bellingham even had a chance with a shot on goal, but their goalkeeper was quicker.
0x0
End of the first half, Jude wasn’t satisfied with their performance, but at least they didn't start by losing.
*
In the second half things were starting to get difficult for Dortmund, Haaland’s team was starting to pick up the pace of the match, the movement was crazy in the large area, when the big guy finally had his first chance to score, the goalkeeper came to catch the ball and knocked the blond man down after accidentally giving him a strong bump in the face, without balance he hits his head even harder on the ground and stays there for a moment.
When he sits, he feels confused and a bit dazed with the amount of people around him, he looks down at his white shorts and sees red drops forming a small puddle - what happened?
He thinks as he tries to stand and his body feels too heavy, some of his teammates hold his arms to give him balance. They are saying so many words, but Erling can’t understand because of the buzzing on his head, the buzzing that makes him keep his eyes closed tightly, his head hurts so bad, he thinks about how much he want to lay down as they walk him out of the pitch to the ambulance, when he when he lies down inside the vehicle his body's strength is gone and he faints.
*
‘’They are saying he passed out on the ambulance’’ Reus briefly informs his mates since they were all worried with the big fella. And then turns to Jude
‘’Jude’’
‘’Jude’’
‘’JUDE’’
The dark-skinned midfielder was speechless.
He was terrified, he watched the whole scene from afar and only knew it was Erling when they were already walking him out, he saw that he was staggering and all those boys around him propping his body up.
He was tumbling. Tumbling .
'’His shorts were red with blood - Jude hears someone saying from behind, he shudders as if his body is going into a state of alert, he can’t breathe, his heart is beating so fast that he has to put his hand on his chest to calm down, his hands were shaking, he needs to leave.
‘’Jude, are you alright?’’ Reus says while touching the boy's back empathetically.
‘’No’’ Jude murmur still a little shocked.
‘’There is just 20 minutes left, l need you to focus on the match’’ Jude hears, he knows he was right, he couldn’t let his teammates down, they couldn’t lose an important piece like him, he had to play.
During the end of the match Jude was trying so bad not to freak out, and even though his team tried really much, and City’s team was a little inattentive, probably shocked by what happened nothing really happened, and the game ended with draw 0x0.
And then he runs.
He doesn’t shower or even change his kit, the captain offers him a ride – Marcos knew about their relationship more than anyone, since Erling’s Dortmund times when he caught them making out in the locker room, he understood better than anyone else the desperation of Jude.
Jude’s head is playing a very unpleasing sequel of blood-head-Erling that would never stop, he tried to count up to 100 to distract himself on the way and got to 986 by the time they got in the hospital.
He meets Haaland’s dad at the reception – oh god
‘’What-How-Can-’’ Jude can’t formulate a sentence, he was so scared to ask, so scared to know.
‘’He is going to be alright, kid’’ Alfie comes closer to hug him tight knowing very well that boy is freaking out as much as he was when he got the call. ‘’He asked for you a few times, but l think he’s sleeping now, go there to hold his hand a bit’’ He explains with a tiny smile as he signals to door 12 in the hallway.
Jude breathes heavily unable to relax, he can hear the noise of his boot against the white floor, there is a certain tension between him and the door, he opens it, he sees him.
He is sleeping just like his dad said, they have loosened his hair, he’s wearing a light-blue jumper and breathing slowly. Jude lets out a sigh of relief, grabs the little red stool, sits by the bed and grab Erling’s pale, big and very familiar hand and holds it with both of his and presses his forehead against it.
‘’Fuck’s sake Erl, don’t do this to me ever again, l won’t survive, l won’t’’ – He mumbles as he tighten harder the other man’s hand – ‘’How dare you make me love you this much, giant bastard?’’
Hey, l heard that, cannot believe you are cursing me - Erling murmurs in a hoarse and low voice with a little smile, as he interlaces their fingers and slowly opens his eyes.
‘’you fucking bastard, dumb, stupid, reckless, how dare you’’ he sobs ‘’do you have any idea-
Erling sits up abruptly putting his hands on Jude's cheeks ‘’l’m fine love l’m more than fine, look at me, whole.
‘’You better be, you fucking dumbass, there’s no me without you’’
*
The doctor said it was a concussion, he would remain a little dizzy for a couple of days, but it was nothing really serious, prescribed some medicines, and stated that he would have to stay overnight for observation. After Erling begged his dad to talk to the nurses, Jude was allowed to stay for the night, they even let him shower in the hospital since the stubborn midfielder refused to leave and was stinking and sweaty. Haaland lent him some clothes that were brought by his father:
‘’ l will never get tired of seeing you in my clothes ‘’ Haaland utters smiling and Jude just stares fondly at him in response. ‘‘Don’t look at me like this, Jesus, we are in an hospital for god's sake’’
‘’But l didn't-‘’ Jude tries but Haaland cuts him saying-
‘’Are you in love with me or something?’’ And Jude just falls down laughing, god, he loves this man so much.
At this moment all that despair, fear and pain disappears from his body, as he approaches the bed to snuggle up next to his wounded- and idiot- boyfriend, he is almost afraid to touch and break him, his hands recoil a little as he reaches out to touch the blond boy's face, he touches his cheeks, his hair, his fingers dance on the other man's features, while he stares with begging look that Jude is trying to ignore, he places their noses together before letting Erling go and lies down beside him carefully because of the machines attached to the other man’s body.
‘’You are so unfair’’ Haaland says opening his arms to welcome the smaller man’s body on his, Jude fits his head into the gap between his neck and shoulder sniffs the familiar smell.
‘’You scared the shit out of me today’’ Jude whispers while wrapping his arms around his big body.
‘Not how we thought the day would end, huh?’ Erling whispers back squeezing the other boy's tiny waist,
‘‘l thought at this point we would be having hardcore sex’’ Jude says, and Erling laughs loudly before answering.
‘’That would have been a better outcome indeed. Glad we survived today though’’ nuzzling his neck to capture the other man's lips with his own for a kiss of comfort, Jude place his hand on his cheek and when they part briefly states ‘’Glad we survived’’.