🪽

The curtains were still mostly drawn, leaving the bedroom dim except for the thin strip of sunlight sneaking through the middle. Your phone sat untouched on the nightstand, just far enough away that you had to stretch to reach it.

You barely made it an inch.

The arm wrapped firmly around your waist tightened before you got very far, pulling you right back into the warmth behind you.

Jude made a quiet sound of protest, still mostly asleep, and tucked you closer until your back was pressed against his chest again.

“Where are you going?” His voice was rough with sleep, muffled slightly by the pillow.

“Just checking the time, baby.”

That seemed to be an acceptable enough reason for him to loosen his hold, although only barely. You leaned across the mattress and grabbed your phone, squinting when the screen lit up far brighter than you were prepared for.

It was still early. Not that it really mattered. Neither of you had anywhere to be today, which was rare enough that you’d both agreed the night before not to make any plans.

You dropped your phone back onto the nightstand and sank into the mattress again, turning beneath his arm until you were facing him.

Jude immediately closed whatever little space you’d created.

His eyes were still shut as he pulled you against him, tucking his face into the curve of your neck like he’d been waiting for you to get comfortable again. One arm settled securely around your waist while the other disappeared beneath his pillow.

You smiled to yourself and slipped your fingers into the short hair at the back of his head, scratching lightly at his scalp.

“Still tired?”

“Mhm.”

“You slept for like ten hours.”

There was a pause before his answer, long enough that you wondered if he’d already fallen asleep again.

“Could sleep more.”

“I can tell.”

His lips pressed lazily against your neck.

Once.

Then again, slightly higher.

There was hardly any intention behind the kisses. He seemed half asleep still, pressing them wherever his lips happened to land while keeping his eyes firmly shut.

His nose brushed against your skin and you instinctively tipped your head away, a quiet laugh escaping you. “That tickles.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

He made absolutely no effort to move.

Instead, another kiss landed beneath your jaw.

You smiled, fingers still moving slowly through his hair. “You don’t seem very sorry.”

“I’m not.”

That earned another quiet laugh from you, but you let your eyes fall shut again and relaxed into him.

For a while, neither of you said anything.

There was no reason to fill the silence. No alarm waiting to go off, no training he needed to rush to, nowhere either of you had promised to be. Usually, even the mornings you got together came with some sort of countdown hanging over them. One of you eventually had to get dressed, find your keys, check the time and leave.

Today, there was nothing.

Jude seemed determined to take full advantage of that.

At some point, his hand had found its way beneath the hem of your shirt. It rested against the bare skin of your waist, warm and heavy, his thumb moving back and forth in a slow pattern that had you drifting dangerously close to sleep again.

Then he moved.

You felt his head lift from your neck and cracked one eye open to find him propped slightly above you.

“What?”

He didn’t answer.

He was just staring at you, his expression still softened by sleep.

Your other eye opened. “What, you weirdo?”

A grin started pulling at your mouth when he continued looking at you without saying anything.

Finally, a sleepy smile tugged at his.

“You’re really pretty.”

The teasing expression on your face softened before you could help it.

His eyes were properly open now, though still heavy with sleep, and they wandered over your face as if he had all the time in the world to look at you. His hand stayed beneath your shirt, thumb continuing its absent movement over your waist.

“You’re so pretty,” he repeated, quieter this time, almost as though he’d forgotten he’d already said it.

Your smile grew. “You already said that.”

“And I’ll say it a thousand more times.”

Before you could come up with anything to say to that, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to your cheek, followed by another closer to your temple.

A small laugh escaped you as you nuzzled further into him. Jude took the movement as an invitation, tightening his arm around you until there was hardly any space left between your bodies.

His face disappeared into your neck again, and you felt the faint curve of his smile against your skin before another lazy kiss followed.

Your fingers returned to his hair while his hand slid from your waist around to your back, holding you comfortably against him.

“You’re clingy today,” you murmured after a moment.

“Only today?”

The answer came so quickly that you laughed, your fingers pausing against the back of his head. “At least you’re self-aware.”

Jude lifted his head just enough to look at you, though he didn’t bother moving the rest of himself. His arm remained firmly around you, one leg tangled between yours beneath the duvet.

“You complaining?”

“No.”

“Good.”

Apparently satisfied, he dropped his head back down.

You smiled at how quickly he’d settled the matter and went back to tracing your fingertips along the back of his neck. Another minute passed before you glanced toward the bedroom door.

“What if I wanted to get up?”

“You don’t.”

His answer was immediate.

You looked down at him. “What if I did?”

“Why would you?”

“I don’t know. Breakfast?”

“Later.”

You started listing things just to see how long he would keep it going.

“Coffee?”

“Later.”

“Pee?”

“Later.”

That one made you stop.

You pulled back enough to see his face, though Jude tried following you at first, clearly displeased with the sudden loss of his human pillow.

“Jude.”

“What?”

“I don’t think that one can be later.”

“It can.”

He said it with such sleepy confidence that you stared at him for a second, trying not to laugh.

“So you want me to piss the bed?”

That finally got both of his eyes open.

He looked at you, then briefly at the bed, like he was actually weighing his options before giving a reluctant sigh.

“Fine… you can go.”

“Thank you.”

“But come straight back.”

You laughed as you started untangling yourself from him. It was harder than it should’ve been considering he’d somehow managed to wrap both an arm and a leg around you in the last few minutes.

“Jude!” You laughed.

Jude reluctantly lifted his arm with a small smile, letting you slide out from beneath the duvet, but just as your feet touched the floor, his fingers wrapped around yours.

You stopped and looked down.

He was still lying on his stomach, cheek pressed into the pillow, holding your hand with his eyes closed.

“Jude.”

“Be quick.”

The seriousness in his voice made you shake your head. You squeezed his fingers once before pulling your hand free.

“You’ll survive two minutes.”

“Debatable.”

You were still smiling when you disappeared into the bathroom to pee and brush your teeth.

A few minutes later, you came back to find him exactly where you’d left him.

He was sprawled across the middle of the bed now, one arm stretched into the empty space where you’d been lying. His eyes were closed, and for a second you genuinely thought he’d managed to fall asleep in the short time you’d been gone.

You stopped beside the mattress.

“Asleep already?”

One eye opened.

“No.”

“You look asleep.”

“Was waiting for you.”

Something about how miserable he managed to sound after being left alone for all of three minutes made you smile.

You lifted the duvet and climbed back underneath it.

That was apparently all the invitation he needed.

Before you’d even settled onto your pillow properly, Jude’s arm hooked around your waist and dragged you across the mattress. A surprised laugh escaped you as you slid toward him, ending up tucked against his chest exactly where you’d been before.

“There.” His eyes closed again as he settled his chin near the top of your head. “Better.”

You laughed, resting your hand against his chest. “Yay, you survived.”

“Barely.”

“Longest two minutes of your life?”

He let out a dramatic sigh, his hand moving lazily along your back. “It was so awful. Never do it again.”

You laughed against his chest, feeling it rumble beneath your cheek when he started laughing too.

The room fell quiet again after that.

You didn’t close your eyes this time.

Instead, you found yourself looking at him.

His hair was flattened slightly on one side from hours against the pillow, a few pieces sticking up at the back despite your earlier attempts at smoothing them down. Sleep still lingered across his face, his features relaxed in a way they rarely were once he was properly awake and moving around.

Without really thinking about it, you lifted your hand from his chest.

Your fingertips traced lightly along his cheek, making his eyes open almost immediately.

For a second, he simply looked at you. Then the corner of his mouth slowly lifted.

“Now who’s staring?”

You didn’t bother denying it. Your fingers continued along his cheek before brushing over the short hair near his temple. “Maybe you’re pretty too.”

Jude’s smile widened for half a second before he suddenly tucked his face back into your neck.

You smiled at the reaction, your hand slipping around him until your fingertips rested against his back. He shifted closer, if that was even possible anymore, and you felt his lips brush your skin, then, muffled against your neck, he murmured, “Love you.”

It was so quiet and casual that your smile grew before you could stop it.

Your fingers traced slowly over his back, following no particular pattern through the thin fabric of his shirt.

“I love you too.”

His arm tightened around your waist in response as he settled into you, perfectly content with your hand moving lazily over his back and his face hidden against your neck.

You let yourself enjoy it for a while.

The bedroom was still quiet, the sunlight coming through the curtains a little brighter now than it had been when you first woke up. Every so often your fingers would reach the back of his neck, brushing lightly over his skin before wandering down again. Jude hadn’t moved in several minutes beyond the occasional slow stroke of his thumb against your waist.

You could’ve easily fallen asleep again.

And judging by how heavy he’d become against you, he was well on his way to doing exactly that.

You sighed softly.

“You know we can’t stay in bed all day.”

“Why not?”

The words were mumbled directly against your neck.

You looked down at him. “Well, for starters, I’m hungry.” You paused, narrowing your eyes slightly. “Are you okay with your girlfriend, the love of your life, starving?”

Jude went quiet.

For a few moments, he didn’t move at all, and you assumed he was going to ignore you in hopes that you’d eventually give up and let him go back to sleep.

Then his arm tightened around your back.

Before you could question it, his other arm slipped beneath your knees.

Your eyes widened.

“Jude—”

He lifted you from the bed in one smooth movement.

A startled gasp left you before immediately turning into laughter, your arms instinctively wrapping around his shoulders as he stood.

he smiled at the sound your laughter, adjusting his hold on you before walking toward the bedroom door, you rested your cheek against his shoulder. Apparently, asking your clingy boyfriend to get out of bed hadn’t meant he’d actually have to stop holding you.

The apartment was quiet as he carried you through it, the morning light much brighter out here than it had been behind the bedroom curtains. Jude wandered toward the kitchen in nothing but his boxers, He set you down carefully on the counter beside the coffee machine, keeping one hand at your waist until he was sure you were settled.

Then he leaned in and pressed a kiss to the side of your head. “Put on the coffee. I’ll just tinkle and brush my teeth.”

you smiled as you watched him walk back toward the bedroom.

And, God, you hated to see him go, but you loved to watch him leave.

Your eyes dropped almost automatically to his back. It had always been one of your favorite things about him. The broad line of his shoulders, the muscles shifting beneath his skin with every step, tapering down toward his waist..

You caught your bottom lip between your teeth without even realizing it.

Jude disappeared around the corner but You still stared at the empty doorway. It took another few seconds for your brain to catch up.

Coffee.

Right.

You blinked and turned back toward the machine, reaching for one of the capsules.

You popped it in and placed a mug beneath the spout, pressing the button before hopping down from the counter to grab another cup for yourself.

machine had just finished filling the second mug when you heard Jude coming back.

You glanced over your shoulder to find him walking into the kitchen, looking considerably more awake now. He’d splashed some water over his face, his hair slightly damp around the edges, though he’d apparently decided getting dressed could wait.

He came straight toward you.

Of course he did.

His hand found your waist as he passed, giving it a small squeeze before he reached around you for his coffee.

“What d’you want to eat?”

You didn’t even have to think about it.

“Pancakes.”

“Pancakes?”

“Mhm.”

Jude nodded like he’d been given a perfectly reasonable task and set his mug down on the counter.

You kept the rest of your thoughts to yourself.

Pancakes weren’t necessarily what you’d been craving. They were just one of the very few things you’d witnessed Jude make successfully.

Your mind immediately went to the eggs he’d made a couple of weeks ago.

You still weren’t entirely sure what he’d done to them.

They were eggs. Arguably one of the easiest things a person could cook, yet somehow he’d managed to make them simultaneously rubbery and watery. You hadn’t even known that combination was possible until then.

How does one fuck up eggs that badly?

“Stop thinking about the eggs.”

Your eyes snapped up to him in surprise.

Jude wasn’t even looking at you. He was busy opening one of the cupboards, searching through it for whatever he needed.

“How’d you know I was thinking about them?”

He glanced over his shoulder. “You’re making the same face you made when you ate them.”

A laugh escaped you before you could stop it. “I made a face?” she asked.

“Yeah it’s that one expression where you’re trying really hard not to tell me something’s shit.” He smiled.

Your laugh grew louder. “I never said they were shit!”

“You didn’t have to, Your face did.”

You watched him pull a bowl from the cupboard and set it on the counter.

“They weren’t that bad.”

Jude gave you a look.

You pressed your lips together, attempting to keep a straight face.

“Okay, fine they were pretty bad.” You said, making him chuckle as you moved over to sit on the counter beside the bowl he’d placed down, pulling one leg up slightly as you watched him rummage through another cupboard.

A moment later, he came back with a box of pancake mix. You watched him read the instructions on the back of the box, his eyebrows pulling together slightly in concentration. That alone nearly made you laugh again. “You’ve made these before, haven’t you?”

“Course I have.”

“Then why are you reading the instructions?”

“Making sure.”

“Making sure of what?”

He looked at you. “Do you want another egg situation?”

You immediately shook your head. “Read away.”

You reached for your coffee while he measured everything out, taking a sip as you watched him work. For someone who spent half his life looking completely at ease in front of tens of thousands of people, he took boxed pancake mix remarkably seriously.

When he caught you watching him again, he narrowed his eyes.

“What now?”

Instead of answering, you set your mug down on the counter beside you and reached for him. Your hand settled against the side of his neck, fingers curling gently around the back as you pulled him toward you.

Jude went easily, stepping between your knees with a confused little smile still lingering on his face.

“You are so cute,” you murmured.

You leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips, lingering there for a second before pulling back.

The suspicion on his face disappeared almost immediately, replaced by a smile he clearly couldn’t help.

“What was that for?”

“Nothing.” Your thumb brushed lightly along the side of his neck. “Just think you’re cute standing here taking your pancake mix so seriously.”

His hands came to rest on either side of your thighs. “You’re hungry I want to make sure they turn out good”

Your expression softened immediately. You smiled, pulling him in to press another kiss to his lips. “They’ll turn out great, don’t worry”

And, for the most part, they did.

The rest of breakfast came together surprisingly smoothly. Jude took over the stove while you stayed perched on the counter beside him, occasionally passing him whatever he needed and stealing sips of your coffee in between. The first few pancakes came out perfectly golden, which had him looking far too pleased with himself.

There was only one casualty.

You’d distracted him somewhere around the fourth pancake, pulling him toward you for a kiss that quickly turned into a heavy makeout session neither of you expected. By the time either of you remembered there was something cooking, the faint smell of burning had already filled the kitchen.

Jude pulled away first, his head snapping toward the stove while you burst out laughing.

The pancake was completely unsalvageable.

It went straight into the bin, and after that, Jude made you stay far enough away that he could supposedly “concentrate,” although that lasted less than two minutes before he wandered back over to you himself.

The pancakes turned out better than you’d expected. Much better, actually, though you made sure not to sound too surprised when you told him so.

You’d barely made it to the table before Jude decided sitting across from you was apparently too far away. Somewhere between bringing over the plates and grabbing the syrup, he’d pulled you onto his lap instead, one arm settling loosely around your waist as if that had been the obvious seating arrangement all along.

You ate like that, occasionally reaching over to steal a piece from his plate despite having your own right in front of you. Once breakfast was finished, the plates were pushed toward the middle of the table and your usual morning Sudoku replaced them.

Jude had absolutely no interest in helping.

He rested his chin against your shoulder instead, watching over it for all of thirty seconds before getting bored. His attention quickly shifted to you, his lips brushing against the back of your shoulder every so often while you tried to work out which number belonged in an empty square.

The kisses were distracting enough. The arm around your waist tightening whenever you leaned closer to the page made it worse.

Still, you somehow managed to finish the puzzle with him attached to you the entire time.

Eventually, the two of you managed to accomplish the monumental task of actually getting dressed. Breakfast was cleaned up, your coffee mugs abandoned in the sink to deal with later.

It wasn’t long before you ended up exactly where you probably would’ve spent the day anyway.

On the couch.

You stretched out along one end while Jude grabbed the remote and found the show the two of you had been slowly making your way through. He dropped onto the cushions beside you, and within seconds, whatever space had existed between you disappeared.

You settled against him as the opening credits began, your legs tangled together across the couch and his arm draped comfortably around you.

For once, neither of you had anywhere else to be.

And apparently, Jude had every intention of spending every second of it as close to you as humanly possible.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖

author’s note: hi hi hi this is a pretty long one but I really enjoyed writing it! Thank you wentworthmillerismyboo09 for the request ily and your cute little replies to my way :’)

⭑ click here for my jude bellingham master list

Tokyo still didn’t feel entirely like hers, but it was getting there.

Work helped.

The first few days at the rink had been overwhelming in the way every new job was. New names, new schedules, new equipment rooms she kept getting lost trying to find. But after nearly two weeks, she had stopped checking the building map every five minutes, and she’d gotten comfortable enough with everyone that she no longer spent her lunch breaks quietly pretending to be busy on her phone.

Bea had helped with that.

She had also, much to Jude’s apparent irritation, climbed considerably higher in the friendship rankings.

Aven had informed him of this twice.

He had refused to acknowledge it both times.

Their calls had become something of a habit since that first night in her apartment.

There was never really a plan for them. No call me at eight or are you free tonight?

They just… called.

Sometimes Jude would ring while she was walking back from work and stay on the phone while she wandered through train stations, or sometimes she’d call him while she was grocery shopping and he’d just stay on the line while she got all the stuff she needed.

Sometimes Jude would even call her while she edited and he’d play FIFA, leaving his phone propped beside the television for nearly an hour while she listened to him complain at the screen

Neither of them had questioned it.

It had simply become normal.

At nearly eleven o'clock on a Thursday night, Aven didn't hesitate before tapping his name on her screen. The phone rang twice before Jude's face appeared.

"Hey," he said.

Aven smiled automatically. "Hi."

She noticed right away that he wasn't in his bedroom. He appeared to be stretched out lazily on a sofa, with a television flickering in the background and muffled voices overlapping just off camera.

Aven frowned. "Where are you?"

Jude glanced around casually, as if the answer should have been obvious. "Living room."

Someone laughed loudly in the background, making Aven's eyes widen. "Are you with your family?"

"Yeah."

"Jude!"

His eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "What?"

"Why did you answer?" she whisper-yelled.

He stared right back at her through the screen. "Because you called me?"

"You're with your family!"

"And?"

"Hang up, I'll call you later!"

Jude looked genuinely baffled by her sudden panic. "Why?"

"Because you're spending time with your family!"

"I've been spending time with them all day."

Before Aven could end the call, a cheerful woman's voice chimed in from somewhere behind him. "Is that Aven?"

Aven's finger froze a mere half-inch from the red disconnect button. Her eyes slowly drifted up toward Jude as she watched him nod. His mum leaned slightly into the frame with a warm, easy smile. "Hi, Aven."

"Oh—hi," Aven stammered nervously, quickly reaching up to fix her hair.

Jude burst out laughing, earning a sharp, warning glare from Aven before she sat up straighter against her pillows. "It's really nice to meet you."

"You too," his mum replied warmly, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I feel like I already know you. Jude talks about you all the time."

Aven's eyebrows shot upward in surprise. Jude's head snapped instantly toward his mother. "Mum."

"What?"

Aven slowly turned her attention back to the screen, pressing her lips together to hide a growing grin. "Good things, I hope?"

"Of course," his mom smiled. "You're such a brilliant photographer as well. We've actually got that photo you took of Jude framed in the living room."

Aven blinked in astonishment. "You do?"

"Yes, the lovely one you took near the corner flag."

Aven immediately recognized the memory. She remembered Jude mentioning on a flight to Munich months ago—back when they borderline wanted to strangle each other—that his mum loved that particular picture. It remained one of her absolute favorite shots.

Aven's smile softened gently. "That's so nice. Thank you so much." Though she had always struggled to accept compliments gracefully, she desperately wanted his mum to like her, the approval of her best friend’s mom was really important to her.

"Of course, darling," his mum said kindly. "Anyway, I'll leave you two to talk. Enjoy your night."

"Thank you so much, it was lovely meeting you," Aven called out quickly.

"You too, sweetheart," she replied, waving before walking out of the room.

Jude waited until his mum was completely out of view before looking back down at the screen with an amused smirk. "Wow, Cross."

Aven narrowed her eyes playfully. "What?"

"That might be the most polite I've ever seen you be."

She let out a bright laugh. "Shut up."

"No, seriously," he said, pushing himself up from his sprawled position on the sofa. "'Thank you so much, it was lovely meeting you.' Who even was that?" he mocked in a high pitched voice.

"Jude."

"I didn't even know you could speak like that."

"Oh, my God." Aven covered her face with one hand, laughing despite herself. "I wanted your mum to like me!"

"She already liked you."

"That's not the point."

"What is the point?"

"The point is—" Aven stopped midsentence, realizing she had no actual defense. She huffed out a breath. "Just shut up."

Jude laughed, looking far too pleased with himself.

Sinking farther underneath her blanket, Aven muttered, "Just call me when you're in your room. Go spend time with your family."

"I'm heading up anyway."

"You don't have to just because I called."

"I'm not." He stood up from the sofa, and suddenly the camera view tilted sharply toward the ceiling as he grabbed his things. "I was going up before you called."

"Sure."

"I was."

"Mhm."

Jude switched the camera back to his face as he pushed open his bedroom door and tossed his phone onto his nightstand, lying back comfortably against the mattress.

Aven pulled her blanket higher over her legs and settled against her headboard. "Your mum's really nice."

"Yeah, she is."

"You also never told me I was apparently a regular topic of conversation."

Jude groaned instantly, throwing an arm over his eyes. "We're not doing this."

"Oh, we absolutely are."

"No."

"So," she started, fighting back a triumphant smile, "I'm a frequent topic in the Bellingham household?"

"Don't flatter yourself."

"Your mum literally said you talk about me all the time."

"She exaggerates."

"Right."

"She does."

Aven hummed dramatically, clearly unconvinced. Jude rolled his eyes, though a genuine smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he shifted onto his side.

"So, what did you do today?" she asked after a moment of quiet.

"Didn't do much. Went out with Jobe earlier, came back, ate, sat downstairs."

"Very productive."

"What about you, Cross? How was your day?"

Aven exhaled softly, sinking deeper into her pillows. "Work, mostly. Bea made me stay late because she wanted help picking photos for something."

Jude's expression flattened just a fraction. "Of course she did."

Aven grinned broadly. "Actually, speaking of Bea... I think she thinks you're a girl."

"What?"

Aven pressed her lips together, trying desperately to hold back her laughter. "I'm serious."

"How the hell does she think I'm a girl?"

"I don't know!" A giggle escaped her lips. "I've never actually told her who you are. Today my phone kept buzzing while we were going through photos, and she asked who kept texting me."

"And?"

"And I said, 'My friend, Jude.' And then later you called, and I declined it because we were working—"

"Oh, wait, that's right. You declined my call? What the hell?"

"Focus."

"I am focused. Why'd you decline my call?"

"Because I was at work!"

"Could've answered."

"And said what? 'Sorry, Bea, give me a minute, number one's calling'?"

Jude's mouth twitched with amusement. "At least you've finally accepted it."

"Anyway," she continued pointedly, "after I declined it, Bea went, 'She really misses you, huh?'" Aven burst out laughing.

Jude blinked, stunned. "And you didn't correct her?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I didn't realize what she said until like ten seconds later! And then it felt weird to randomly go, 'By the way, Jude's a guy.'"

"It would not have been weird."

"It would've sounded weird!"

He rolled his eyes, resting his head against his hand. "So what were the photos for?"

Aven paused. "What?"

"The ones you stayed late picking."

"Oh." She thought for a second. "They're doing some campaign thing for the start of the season. Bea wanted another opinion because apparently I'm useful now."

"Look at you."

"What?"

"Two weeks ago you were getting lost every five minutes."

"I was not getting lost every five minutes."

"You called me from a stairwell because you couldn't find your office."

“Okay in my defense that building is practically a maze” she pointed out.

Jude let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. "A maze. Right. That's definitely the excuse you're going with."

"I'm serious!" Aven protested, though a warm smile broke through. "It's like a huge massive maze in there. All the hallways look exactly the same."

"Sure they do," Jude teased, his eyes bright as he watched her through the screen.

"Shut up," she muttered playfully, pulling a pillow closer to her chest. She glanced over at the digital clock glowing on her nightstand. "I should probably try to get some actual sleep tonight, considering I have to wake up early tomorrow and edit."

"Night, Cross. Sleep well," Jude smiled softly.

"Night, Bellingham," she grinned.

・・・・・

author’s note: hi guys I’m really enjoying my trip it’s been so fun so far :D but dw I didn’t forget you guys !! here’s this cute short chap I hope you guys enjoyed reading <3

⭑ click here for the series master list

“as much as I want you to as well, it’s just-better if you don’t” she sighed.

He closed the boot a little harder than necessary before turning to face her completely. “I’m serious, cross-c’mon”

“So am I, Jude.” She offered him a small, tight smile, hoping it would soften the stubborn expression settling across his face. “If you come to the airport with me, someone’s going to recognise you.”

“I’ll wear a cap.”

She let out a quiet, disbelieving laugh. “A cap isn’t exactly an invisibility cloak.”

He opened his mouth to argue back, but she cut him off. “And then they’ll wonder why Jude Bellingham is saying goodbye to some random girl at departures.”

“You are not some random girl.”

The words came out so fast and certain that the air between them went completely still for a second. Jude froze, his hand coming up to rub self-consciously at the back of his neck. “You know what I mean.”

“I do.” she nodded with a small smile, leaning against the car. “It’ll just.. make things harder.”

His shoulders dropped in reluctant, heavy defeat. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the only sound heard was the car’s engine next to them.

“So…” she murmured.

“So.”

She managed a small smile despite the lump in her throat. “You really are rubbish at goodbyes.”

“Says you.”

“I never really claimed I was good at them.”

A soft, breathless laugh escaped him. Before she could overthink it, she stepped away from the car and began walking towards him, stepping right in front of him and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. He hugged her back immediately, his arms coming around her as she buried her face into his chest.

“I’ll text you when I land,” she whispered against him.

“You better” he muttered.

It had been four days since that goodbye at the parking lot of her old apartment complex.

Tokyo was incredible, buzzing with life and neon lights, but it still didn’t quite feel like home yet. She had spent the first day at the Japanese skating federation meeting the local team, and to her immense relief, she had instantly clicked with a girl named Bea. They had gone out for dinner that night, and Bea had shown her around the city, making her feel infinitely more welcome in a foreign place.

Now, though, she was back alone in her quiet apartment, staring down at the tower of cardboard boxes she still hadn't found the energy to unpack. A single lonely mug sat in the kitchen sink. Despite the city outside, the apartment felt empty, and it still didn’t feel like home.

Aven wandered barefoot across the hardwood floor, absentmindedly pausing by a taped-up box before deciding she didn't have a single ounce of energy left to deal with it. Instead, she let herself fall backward onto the couch with a tired sigh, staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling.

Suddenly, the sharp buzz of her phone vibrated against the cushions beside her.

She reached across the couch and picked it up. A familiar name lit up the screen that instantly made her smile.

Jude: finished training. what r u doing?

Aven: ignoring my boxes that I still haven’t unpacked..

Jude: it’s been 4 days cross..

Aven: I know it’s just so boring I hate unpacking

Jude: how about we face time and you unpack while I provide you with free entertainment

Aven: just say you wanna see my face Bellingham…

A few seconds later, her phone screen flashed, the familiar ringing of a FaceTime call replacing her messages.

She swiped to answer.

Her screen lit up with his face. He was laying in bed, looking cozy and nuzzled right into his soft sheets.

“Did you call to entertain me or call to have me tell you a bedtime story?” she squinted.

“First of all, it’s 3pm here, you keep forgetting we’re in different time zones,” he said, “Second of all, get up and unpack your shit, you can’t keep procrastinating.”

Aven groaned, not wanting to move an inch. “Ugh, but I wanna be in bed, it’s my bedtime. Can’t I get in bed and you tell me a bedtime story?” she groaned.

“Absolutely not.”

“You’re no fun.”

“I’m loads of fun,” he replied, shifting slightly until his head disappeared further into his pillow. “I’m just not enabling your laziness.”

“You’re in bed at three in the afternoon,” Aven said, pointing a finger at the camera. “And somehow I’m the lazy one?”

“I just finished training, I’m allowed to rest,” he shot back, a smug grin spreading across his face. “You’ve been staring at those boxes for days.”

She let out a dramatic sigh, shifting her weight on the couch and letting her arm drop lazily against her stomach, holding the phone steady just above her face. “They have cooties. If I touch them, I’ll disintegrate and die”

Jude laughed, the sound warm and low through the speaker. “Come on, Cross. Just open one box. Take out like, three things. I’ll stay on the phone the whole time and keep you company.”

Aven bit her lower lip, looking over at the tall stack of boxes near the door. The idea of moving still sounded awful, but having him talk to her while she did it made it feel a little less lonely in the big, quiet apartment.

“Fine,” she muttered, slowly pushing herself up into a sitting position. “Only because you begged.”

“I definitely did not beg,” he said with a laugh, shifting his phone for a second before his face popped back into view.

“Mhm sure” She propped her phone against one of the unopened boxes before lowering herself onto the floor cross-legged. With an exaggerated sigh, she peeled back a strip of packing tape.

“So,” she said, reaching inside, “I thought you said you were going to entertain me”

“I am.”

“You’ve got a funny definition of entertainment.”

He smiled. “Well, last day of training was alright, we just did some light work, though the best part of my day was definitely lunch. The chef outdid himself today”

Aven paused, holding a spatula in mid-air. "Oh yeah? What did he make?"

"he made this slow-cooked beef brisket with some type of delicious glaze," Jude said, his tone turning dramatically appreciative. "I'm telling you, Cross, it was genuinely the most delicious thing I have ever eaten in my entire life. Melted right in my mouth. Unreal."

Aven let out a mournful groan, dropping her face into her hands. "I hate you... I’m so fucking hungry right now."

"You haven’t eaten?" Jude asked, his tone shifting to concern.

"I’ve eaten." She gestured vaguely toward the kitchen. "If you count instant ramen as a meal."

He frowned. "Aven."

"What?"

"You’ve been living off ramen?"

"I’ve only been here four days."

"So?"

"I haven’t found anywhere decent yet."

"You’re in Tokyo."

"I know…”

"There are about ten million restaurants."

"I don’t know where to start!" She tossed another sheet of newspaper into the growing pile beside her. "I’ve walked past like fifty places and they all look amazing, but then I panic and end up buying ramen from the convenience store."

Jude laughed. "You’re hopeless."

"I know." She reached for another plate before suddenly freezing. "Oh my god, you know what—I should ask Bea for recommendations."

The line went quiet for a beat. Then, in a flat, completely unbothered tone, Jude said, "Yeah... Bea."

She looked at him for a second, a slow smile spreading across her face. "You jealous Bellingham?”

He let out a scoff. "I’m not jealous."

"No?"

"No."

"Mhm…”

"I’ve known you for months, by the way." he stated.

"And?"

"She’s known you for like 3 days."

"What’s your point?" A laugh escaped her.

"I’m just saying she shouldn’t be climbing the friendship rankings so fast."

"There are friendship rankings?"

"There are now."

"And where are you on these rankings?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I think that’s pretty obvious." She smiled to herself, shaking her head before looking back down at the box in front of her.

"Wait, where do you think I am on the rankings?" he asked.

"I’ll let you keep number one... for now."

Jude let out a low huff. "For now?

“one more bad joke and bea might just steal the crown” Aven teased, opening another box.

"Bea shouldn't even be in the running if she let you starve on convenience store noodles for four days," Jude pointed out. "That's neglect. I'm practically your emergency lifeline."

Aven shook her head, her fingers pausing over the bubble wrap. The empty Tokyo apartment suddenly felt a little less overwhelming with him on the line.

"Well," she murmured, looking at the box. "Maybe my emergency lifeline should book a flight out here sometime soon..”

The line went quiet for a second.

"Is that an official invitation?" Jude asked, his tone shifting.

She gave a small, innocent shrug. "I don't know, you tell me. When does your World Cup training start anyway?"

"In three weeks," Jude said.

Aven shrugged again, keeping her voice light. "Oh. Well, then I don't think there's time” she pouted.

He was quiet for a moment, the playful edge completely leaving his voice. "If you want me to come, I will."

She shook her head with a small smile. "No, you should rest up and try to do absolutely nothing for the next three weeks."

"Are you still feeling homesick?" he asked softly.

She shook her head. "No I’m okay now. I guess it was just those first two days. You know what's crazy? Madrid really has grown to be a home to me. I didn’t feel homesick leaving my parents' house, but I felt homesick leaving an apartment I lived in for eight months."

“Eight months is a long time,” he said. “Long enough for a place to stop feeling temporary.” He paused for a second before adding, his voice lighter, “Besides, your favorite part of Madrid is just a phone call away.”

Aven stared at him for a beat before a grin spread across her face as she rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’s it. Bea’s taking first place.”

“Nooooo,” Jude groaned, laughing as he dragged the word out.

A laugh escaped her too. “That line just cost you the top spot.”

Three hours slipped by without either of them noticing. They talked about everything and nothing and before Aven knew it, every box had been unpacked.

・・・・・

author’s note: hiii long chapter today! I think my posting schedule might change a little over the next 3 weeks because I’m on a trip :’( but I promise I’ll continue writing !!

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When the front door clicked open and Jude walked in after training, she forced a thin, practiced smile onto her face and turned away from the counter.

"Hey, sweetheart” she murmured, her voice a little too quiet.

Jude dropped his bag by the door and walked straight toward her, his dark eyes softening the second they landed on her, he stepped up behind her, wrapping his warm arms securely around her waist. He pressed a soft, lingering kiss to the shell of her ear, letting out a tired sigh of relief just being home.

"really long day, today” he mumbled against her skin, before pulling back slightly. "You know what sounds unreal right now? That pizza place down the street, with the extra garlic crust, What do you say?”

She hesitated, her shoulders instantly tightening. She looked down at the marble countertop, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Ah... I don't know, Jude. I'm not really that hungry tonight."

Jude froze. He pulled his hands back just enough to look at her, his brows knitting together in that familiar look of concern. He had seen that exact hesitation too many times lately. Without a word, he stepped closer, sliding his palms firmly over her hips and turning her around to face him.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice dropping to a low, tender murmur. "What's wrong, sweetheart? Talk to me."

She let out a shaky sigh, her gaze dropping instantly to the space between them, refusing to meet his eyes as shame pricked behind her eyelids.

Needing to see her face, needing to break through whatever invisible wall she had built around herself, Jude slid his hands up to her waist and effortlessly lifted her, setting her back against the cool surface of the kitchen counter. He stepped right between her thighs, closing any remaining distance between them until there was nowhere else for her to hide.

“C'mon, baby,” he murmured, his voice dropping an octave, thick with a quiet, aching plea. “You know I hate seeing you like this.” With fingers that were gentle yet impossibly steady, he reached up, letting his warm palm cup her jaw, tilting her chin up until she had no choice but to look at him. “Look at me,” he whispered, his thumb brushing softly across her cheekbone. “Tell me what’s bothering you. Talk to me... and I’ll fix it.”

She swallowed hard, lifting her chin higher and leaning her face further into the warmth of his hand as a quiet shudder ran through her. Reaching up, she wrapped her fingers around the back of his, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to his palm.

"I'm fine, Jude. Just a bit tired is all," she whispered, her voice barely carrying over the hum of the fridge. Even now, even with her chest aching and the sting of cruel internet comments burning behind her eyelids, her first instinct was to shield him. She knew how demanding training had been, knew the pressure he was under with matches coming thick and fast. She didn't want him carrying her burdens onto the pitch, didn't want a single ounce of his focus pulled away from his game because of her.

Jude’s expression tightened, the soft plea in his eyes shifting into something sharper, etched with a raw, protective frustration. He didn't let her hand go, keeping her locked in place.

"C'mon, Y/N," He said, his voice dropping into a soft, steady tone, "You think I haven't noticed how down you've been? How you've been barely eating lately?"

He searched her face, tracking every micro-expression of guilt and exhaustion.

"Please, baby—stop pushing me away," he murmured, his thumb smoothing over her cheekbone again, pleading with her to let him in. "Talk to me."

She let go of his hand, her fingers sliding away before she gently cupped his jaw instead, pulling him an inch closer. She pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his cheek, trying to mask her sadness.

"I'm okay, Jude, I promise," she whispered against his skin, insisting with a tired smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I just... I feel like I need to lie down."

She pressed one last fleeting kiss to his lips, murmuring for him to go ahead and order the pizza himself. With a quiet sigh, she hopped off the counter, slipping past him and heading upstairs toward their room. She just didn't want him to see her sad anymore, didn't want to burden him with the ugly mess living in her head.

But Jude knew his girl. He knew every shift in her posture, every micro-expression, and he knew damn well she was lying.

He stood alone in the quiet kitchen, his mind racing as he tried to piece it together. Did she have a falling out with her best friend? No, that couldn't be it—her friend had just been over a couple of days ago, and everything had seemed fine. Had something happened online?

A heavy knot formed in his stomach. Slow and hesitant, he pulled out his phone, unlocking the screen and typing her name into the search bar on TikTok. The autocomplete and top results hit him like a physical blow: her name, paired instantly with words about her weight.

It clicked. God, he was an idiot.

Looking back, it was so obvious—from the way she had quietly tapered off her eating habits to the oversized hoodies she practically lived in lately, hiding herself away. How had he not put the pieces together sooner?

It bothered him down to his core because she was absolute perfection to him. She was the most gorgeous human being on planet earth, and the mere thought of her feeling so down about herself, letting internet strangers chip away at her light, made him completely miserable.

Locking his phone screen, he left the kitchen untouched and walked up the stairs. He peeked through the slightly open door of their bedroom to find her curled up under the covers, staring blankly at her phone screen.

Stepping inside, he quietly shed his hoodie and pants before crawling into bed behind her, wrapping an arm securely around her waist to pull her back against his chest.

“I know you’re tired, sweetheart, and I promise I won’t push you to talk about how you’ve been feeling if you don't want to," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder. "I just want you to listen to me, okay?”

He heard her let out a shaky breath in the dark. Slowly, she shut her phone off, turning around in the bed to look up at him, her dark eyes swimming with exhaustion.

"I... I know what's been upsetting you," Jude continued, his voice steady, "And I need you to listen to me, yeah? What’s being said about you online is just mindless hate that means absolutely nothing. They don't know you, they don't see how incredible you are, and people are just looking for a reason to hate. When it comes to a beautiful woman like you, they'll just zero in on her body because that's all they know how to do—they're just really miserable lifeless people”

Tears stung the corners of her eyes, hot and heavy, threatening to spill over as the raw vulnerability she’d been burying finally broke through. She looked up at him in the dim light of the bedroom, her bottom lip trembling.

Jude didn't give her a chance to pull away. He shifted closer, his hands coming up to cradle her face, his thumbs gently wiping away the first tear before it could fall.

“Listen to me, baby, You are so breathtaking, so completely and utterly stunning, I love every single inch of you.” he murmured softly, his voice thick with emotion.

“do you remember when we first met? all I could think was how a beautiful woman like you was talking to a dimwit like me,” he whispered, his eyes softening at the recollection. A wet, breathless laugh slipped past her lips, the genuine amusement breaking through her tears.

“It’s true!” Jude insisted, letting out a soft chuckle of his own as he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “Do you remember? I was a stuttering mess when I met you. You’re so breathtaking you legit knocked the wind right out of me-I couldn't piece together a single proper word, I was just completely in awe of how beautiful you are.”

She let out another laugh followed by a small sniffle, the tension finally breaking as she leaned forward and buried her face against his chest.

Jude wrapped his arms completely around her, holding her flush against him, pressing gentle, grounding kisses into her hair.

"I mean every word," he murmured against her, “don’t let mindless idiots on the internet fool you into thinking otherwise”

She nodded against him, a deep sense of relief settling into her bones as the heavy cloud over her finally began to lift. Safe in his arms, surrounded by the warmth and certainty of his love, she knew the noise outside didn't matter anymore.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

author’s note: thank you nico for the request 🤍

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