Stay Focused, Bellingham, Shes Not Going Anywhere!

“stay focused, bellingham, she’s not going anywhere!” ‹𝟹

word count :: 0.2

warning(s) :: none.

summary :: basketball is not your boyfriend's forte.

after receiving an invitation to join your boyfriend and his friends for a hang out, you jumped out of bed as quickly as possible.

you had no idea what jude and his friends were up to, but you certainly didn't anticipate them to be playing basketball, considering that they were all football players. however, you didn't question it; you just went with it.

as you approached the basketball court with jude, his hand interlaced with yours, his friends were eager to start the game. 

not being all that into sports, especially basketball, you decided to sit back and observe from a distance. trent was sitting alongside you, as he himself wasn't as interested in basketball. nobody listened to the poor boy's complaints, and he was compelled to come along.

the game was going well for grealish’s team, but not for the team jude was on. you shouted a few encouraging words to jude and the players he'd selected for his team.

hearing your voice, jude turned to you and flashed his typical charming smile, his attention completely concentrated on you rather than the game.

he was so enthralled by your presence that he had entirely forgotten about the game, and unfortunately for him, the ball slammed him in the face, as it was intended to be a pass to him.

the ball went out, and his teammates began complaining and chastising him for not paying attention to the game.

when trent yelled to your boyfriend, "stay focused, bellingham; she's not going anywhere!" you couldn't help but giggle.

still thinking about this yeah

࿐ ˚ . ✦ GOING AWAY. jude bellingham

summary. going away to uni wasn't as unforeseen as you thought it'd be.

cw. angst, friends-to-lovers

wc. 848

today was one of those bittersweet days. like, the last day of summer, or the last footsteps before moving houses. you’d been experiencing just that on your last day before leaving the country for school, alongside your best friend, jude.

you had no real family. for the longest time, it’d just been you two. it was complicated at home, and being around him was an escape. he made you feel numb. whenever something happened, you’d be at his window in an instant, ready to vent on his bedroom floor while he just sat and listened.

rain tapped the windshield, and you were snug in the passenger seat of his car. something on your shared playlist had been playing at twenty-something percent. this bit felt a little déjà vu-ish. but, in a good way.

“today was fun,” you blurted mid-conversation, shifting your gaze from the road to the boy next to you, behind the steering wheel. 

“i’m gonna miss this a lot, y’know.”

he hummed. his giggles from a few seconds ago quickly faded. 

you quickly realized your faults, mentioning the topic that’d been so thorny but, at the same time, imminent. it was hard to not bring it up, though. going the entire day trying to ignore it was hell. and as much as you wanted to seize the moment, time doesn’t stop.

“yeah,” he replied, quickly coughing away the tremble in his voice.

“since when did my best friend become so grown?”

you chuckled, shaking your head as you turned away to peek out of your side of the window.

“this could’ve been you too, jude. just quit football and stay with me,” you suggested, already mindful of his response.

he chuckled a bit. “or, you could just come and live with me while i work. i wouldn’t mind.”

you grinned, watching the rain as it trickled down the glass. as much as it sounded fun to never have to work or pay bills, you didn’t want your ‘independent’ persona taken away from you. maybe he just asked this question as a test to see if you’d say yes. not today, jude.

“mmm, no,” you responded. 

“let me enjoy my little parties and hookups. i don’t wanna be all professional like you at nineteen.”

he snickered, “you mean you're gonna be in your room studying all day?”

“shut up,” you rolled your eyes, watching as he turned into the airport entrance, the moment you’d been dreading all day.

opening your door as he parked, you ushered toward the trunk, quickly grabbing your luggage so the rain wouldn’t hit you so badly. 

“let me grab this,” he insisted, hovering over the bulkier bags.

your heart began to race, and your breathing was a little heavier as you paced toward the automatic doors of the entry. 

now, you two are face to face. and this is really the last time you'll be seeing him, or at least being in his embrace for a while.

“well,”

“this is it, isn’t it?” he muttered.

tears quickly welt up in your eyes, threatening to spill at any moment. the rain, harder than before, left the both of you drenched.

“yeah,” your voice cracked. the boy in front of you, who usually appeared stoic, appeared a bit antsy as he rocked in place.

“promise me you won’t do anything dumb without me there,” he pleads, a trace of uneasiness in his voice as he stares you down.

“mm, no promises,” you replied.

he clicked his tongue, silently berating you for your foreseen actions.

“i’m just kidding. i’ll be on my best behavior,” you reassured him, shooting him a smile.

“come here,” he prompted, extending his arms for a final hug.

eagerly, you slipped into his chest. his arms are tight around your waist, and you have to tip-toe up a little to reach his height. there’s no other feeling quite like this, but knowing it’s your last for a while, tears tumbled from your eyes.

your heels plopped to the floor and at this point, your faces are inches from each other—his cold breath trickling over your cheek. at once, his lips laced into yours. his hand instinctively pressed against your cheek and stayed there quite comfy. while it caught you off guard, it felt, in a sense, innate. his lips were sweet, and he kissed tenderly. his lips also tasted a little minty, and you realized he’d finally been using the chapstick you recommended to him months ago.

you pulled away slowly, whimpering as your lips left his. he seemed distraught, or maybe mesmerized by the kiss? there was a tinge of your gloss that lingered throughout his lips, which you thought was cute.

“i should get going now,” you muttered. “my flight is gonna board soon.”

“uhh, right,” he replied, your words bringing him back to reality.

“make sure to text me when you land, okay?”

“mhm.” 

“don’t miss me too much,” you smiled before walking into the building.

as you took a final look back at him, he waved at you with sanguine eyes as he disappeared into the rain.

an: so so sorry for the long wait. expect another fic really soon

sorry for the inactivity mls 😞 finally finished with my exams for now though so expect some fics rly soon ! 😗

࿐ ˚ . ✦ FAMILIAR FACE. jude bellingham

summary. you stumble across your ex at a cafe.

cw. angst, cursing

word count. 1389

you let out a big exhale into the cool atmosphere, adjusting the backpack strap that weighed upon your shoulder. a soft guitar and the low hum of a feminine voice accompanied the headphones attached to your ears.

it was finals season. you’d been studying for long stretches of time throughout the past week or so, and stress was constantly piling upon your shoulders. and if that wasn’t enough, you’d been dealing with a recent breakup.

although it was a mutual breakup, you’d be lying if you said that this wasn’t a tough time for you. honestly, you’d do anything to speed up the time, but it’s been moving slower than ever.

it’s been a month since the separation, and you've been sulking in your room. dishes were piling up on your nightstand, and dirty laundry was piling up on the floor. as much as you've tried to convince yourself that it didn't hurt, it has had an impact on you in a variety of ways, big and small. you've tried to suppress the relics and decided to take a small leap and study at the cafe near your house instead of in your bedroom, surrounded by the mess that's been progressively collecting.

the cafe door immediately chimed as you pulled on the metal handle. you took in the familiar aroma of the coffee beans before walking toward the barista at the register, ordering your ‘regular,’ in other words, a vanilla latte—which perfectly paired with the snowy day outside. you paid before scanning the rest of the building. you come pretty often, so there wasn’t much to compare to the previous visit. however, you became immediately reminiscent of the times you and jude would spend here. he'd sometimes take you before class or on a casual date, and so forth. your eyes met the booth in which you two would always sit together, and you couldn’t help but stare. all the giggles, kisses, and snuggles that you’d share in that seat felt bittersweet as you began to recall the memories.

"y/n?" the barista called, setting the paper cup on the to-go ledge. your head prompted you toward the signal when you realized your coffee was ready. grabbing the cup, you drifted toward the booth you’d previously set your eyes upon. you set your things on the cushion next to you, beginning to study in the sanguine ambiance.

from noon on, you’d be occasionally distracted. sometimes by the chimes of the door, or the bright clothing of passersby. your mind couldn’t occupy the notebook in front of you for too long before wandering toward other happenings in the cafe. while taking a break from studying, a tan figure struck your eye, and it didn’t take you long to decipher who it was: your ex-boyfriend. your heart immediately skipped a beat before you heard the door jingle. fuck. you scrambled to figure out how to disguise yourself because the table wasn't far from the entrance. you pulled the hood of your jacket on, trying to seem engaged with your schoolwork. it felt as if your heart momentarily stopped before a gust of air traveled past you. you took a silent breath, relieved of the potential outcome that could've occurred if he'd seen you.

you tried to attend to your notes for the time being, but the familiar voice behind you was daunting you more than you’d like. the echo of his voice brought a sense of nostalgia. your chest became increasingly heavy as you listened to the small talk he and the barista shared as he placed his order. his voice was soft and faint, and there were glimpses of that damn laugh that you missed too much.

his sneakers squeaked upon the tile as he said his goodbyes to the baristas. you tried looking away again, hoping that your hoodie would hide you well enough. the voice chirped toward you as the figure passed, ending your awaited relief.

“y/n?” he murmured, “is that you?”

your shoulders sank; you didn’t think that he’d be able to see you, but here we are.

your head lifted, making eye contact with the figure ahead of you, “yeah, it’s me,” you replied, gazing at the eyes that you hadn’t seen in some time. “i’m surprised you’re here,” he muttered. “mind if i sit?” he asked, pointing toward the seat in front of you. you nodded, as he slumped into the seat, setting his coffee on the table.

there was a brief pause between your last exchange of words. you fixed your stare on the wall of the cafe as he scanned the table that held your school supplies. 

“how’s school?” he muttered, breaking the silence. “it’s been fine. just stressful.” you replied as he nodded. “how’s work?” you asked, reciprocating the same concern. he let out a big sigh, “yeah, it’s been,” he paused, “a lot, too.” 

this interaction had been awkward so far, to say the least, but it was a brief reminder of why you two had gone separate ways: the lack of communication following your hectic school and work lives.

"have you been taking care of yourself, y/n?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. you shifted your gaze to him, who appeared concerned. you let out a small chuckle. "do i look that rough right now?" you replied, smiling at your cunning reply. "ah, no, not like that—it’s just, you seem tired, and we haven’t seen each other in so long, you know?" he let out a panicked reply as you laughed again.

"i know, i was just kidding, jude," you said, pausing, "i’ve been trying to keep myself together. it’s just been a little difficult, but i’m trying." he let out a hum as he nodded.

the sound of him taking small sips from his drink fell against the sequential wave of silence. 

you’d been thinking of things to say or even bring up to combat the quiet and to leave as fast as possible. you watched his face before breaking the silence, "i still have some of your things at my place if you want me to stop by and return them later to–" you said before he interrupted, "y/n, i don’t think i can do this without you." his voice cracked before his eyes darted toward yours. 

"hmm? what do you mean?" your head tilted at his sudden statement. "i just can’t," he huffed. "i can’t even explain how difficult it is to not wake up by your side anymore, or to see your face whenever i come home. it’s really weighing on me more than you think." you couldn’t help but blink at him, trying to process what he just said. judging by the look on his face, he seemed concerned—almost hopeless. "and i’m sorry if i ever hurt you. i never intended to. it pains me to see how tired you are—probably because of me."

"say something. anything," he prompted again. you tried to choke up a response, but nothing seemed to come out. your feelings before the breakup began to resurface. you were inseparable without him, and truthfully, you haven’t been yourself since the split. you tried to analyze yourself as much as possible before giving a genuine response.

"i," you paused, "i'm not sure, jude." you stammered, slightly shrugging your shoulders. you could tell he was apprehensive from your response. he looked down at his lap as you tried to come up with the right words to say. 

"you know i still love you with my entire heart, right?" you comforted him, who appeared to be upset. "and, i miss you so much, too. it’s been different since you left." you adjoined. "to be honest—i don’t think i can do this much longer without you, either, jude." you watched his head lift up, gaze fixed upon yours.

“so, what do you want to do?” you cocked your head, staring at the figure in front of you. he slightly shrugged his shoulders, “well, do you accept my apology, first of all?” he inquired, ensuing a nod from you. a smile fell on his face, “then, will you be my girlfriend…again? you swayed your head to the side, grinning at the question that resulted in some of the best experiences of your life together. you nodded your head, 

“of course, i’ll be your girlfriend. again.”

via k.mbappe on instagram