"Want me to get something?" I offered as Jude lugged three bags over his shoulder from the compartment below the coach. His stuff was right at the back so most of the guys had gone in by now.
"Nah you're alright. Come on I can literally feel myself getting eaten," he waved off some of the mosquitos that hovered around us due to the headlights of the vehicle.

"They're just not real. Like how am I suffering from bites and I haven't even left England? Easily in the top ten most depressing things," I focused on a little rock, kicking it down the path as we made our way inside.
He laughed, "Stop waffling and hurry your arse up."

"Always gotta mention the arse," I shook my head in mock disappointment as he rocked his own back with laughter.
"Who can blame me?"
"Piss off," I snorted, letting him push open the main door from behind me, holding it open as I walked inside, letting the warmth wash over me.

"You sure you don't want me to take one?" I laughed, watching as he struggled to get them all through the doorway.
"You're good man," he insisted, making me hold my hands up in surrender and stifle a laugh.

Sanch and Mason were talking at the bottom of the stairs, laughing loudly about something.
"Jude let me grab one," Mount laughed, taking a bag off the boy and walking upstairs with him, whilst I stood in annoyance.
"I literally offered six thousand times but you let him take one?"

Jadon let out a sharp breath, "He don't rate you, wouldn't have it."
I turned to face him with a glare, watching as he burst out laughing, "I'm joking! I'm joking!"
"Just your breathing irritates me man-"

"Woah, woah, woah. We're besties again now, I let you dump your water on me," he shook his hand in my face.
"Yeah, after you dumped yours on me for no fucking reason," I looked to him pointedly.
He scratched the back of his neck, "Forgot about that."

"Course you did," I laughed, hitting the back of his head and then going to walk off but feeling him shove me lightly, "You did not."
"But I did," he shrugged, starting a scrap as we tried to stay serious but every light push or slap sending the other into fits of laughter.

"You man," Bukayo kissed his teeth, chuckling as he walked past, water bottle in hand.
"Are you not gonna back me?" I looked at him incredulously, "This grandad scrapping your little sister?"

"Nah!" Jadon shook his head in disbelief, "You ain't gotta do me like that."
Kayo snorted, "She got a point but nah, Dele you on your own."
"Prick," I mumbled, although smile plastered across my face.

"My duties have been passed on," he sighed dramatically, "Your boyfriend can have the job of restraining you from everything and everyone including yourself."
"Always violating, fuck off," I laughed.

"Speaking of, where's he at?"
"Unpacking his bags in his room," I shrugged.
"Oh, he managed to find it?"
"Bukayo piss off," I stared at him deadpan as he cracked up at his own joke, making his way over to the cafeteria to fill up his drink.

"I'm cutting you lot are jarring," I waved Sanch off, walking up the first few steps.
"Oi spud me."

"Dunno where that hands been, I'm alright."
He clicked his tongue, "Don't be a prick."
"You're the king of being a pric-"
"Ayodele."
I groaned, turning around to spud the boy before heading upstairs.

"Love you Dele! Sleep well! Sweet dreams! Don't let the-" he rambled, trying to be funny whilst really just deafening me and everyone else on my floor.
"Jay I know you're getting old and hearing ain't great but you're speaking a bit loud," I whispered, nodding patronisingly.
He held back his laugh, "Piss off."
"In a bit."
"Night."

When I reached my room Jude was always laid sprawled out on top of my covers, snoring lightly. I took his shoes off for him just incase he moved and got them on the bed 'cause that shit freaks me out, before changing into just a big t-shirt and tapping his leg so I could collapse beside him.

He brought his hands down from under his head, wrapping them around my waist as he buried his head into my neck.
"I'm sorry about today my love."
"It's alright," I played with his hair, looking at the ceiling, "Wanna change quick?"

He smiled although his eyes were still shut, knowing how uncomfortable I got with 'outside clothes' in my bed, "I'm gonna in a second, I stayed on top of the sheets."
"Appreciate it," I laughed, playing it off even though I was beyond relieved he didn't find my tendencies annoying or at least if he did, he didn't voice it.

He yawned before jumping up, shaking his arms about and then wiping his face before digging through a pile of his clothes he had sitting on my desk and changing into basketball shorts, scrapping the vest top much to my delight. He dived back into the bed, eager to get under the duvet and return his arms around me, his snores meeting my ears in under the next two minutes.

I stayed with my hands in his hair, the tiredness suddenly leaving my body as soon as I had got in bed. My phone flashed on the bedside table, reminding me it was there and causing me to lean over to pick it up, seeing notifications from Jobe.

———
Fav Bellingham

everything good g?

can you answer jude when
you get the chance?

sorry i crashed out

you guys get home alr?

yeah only got in like a half
hour ago

did you answer jude's msg?

yeah

has he told u what's happened?

———

I paused, unsure whether I should know or not, it could be a sensitive topic for the younger Bellingham.

———

briefly

well i'm alr

things are alr

that's good i'm glad

shout me if u ever need
anything yeah

yeah

appreciate you

goodnight dele

night jobe

———

I sighed with relief, shaking the eldest brother lightly and whispering, "Jobe's all calm, said he answered your message."
"I'll check it in the morning if he's fine," he mumbled against my neck, "Thank you though."
"It's nothing, just glad she ain't tried nothing," I used my left hand to play with his hair whilst my right held my phone, clicking out the chat and into another with multiple notifications.

———
Kian 👎

Marcus is getting let out
in three days

Said he's stable just gotta do
a couple more scans

Have you heard from Fadi?

no

is everything calm?

Yeah but he's still moving

bookey

i'll come see you lot properly
soon

keep an eye on him

I am

And dw abt it ik ur busy
w ur man nowadays

they won today

did u watch

Yeah

Kayo's actually mad

Like I'm actually proud and
don't even know him like that

that's cute 😭😭

i'll be sure to tell him

Don't make it gay

what's wrong w being gay kian?

Everything

woah

gonna have to say see u later
cos what

I'm jokingggg

mhm

gn

I'm joking chill out

Ayodele

Fgs

Goodnight

———

I put my phone down, not so much in disbelief but just a bit disappointed. All the guys were racist and homophobic in school, just thought Kian woulda grown up a bit.

My eyes darted around the room, bored and no longer tired, instead wanting something to do as my vision tunnelled in to my wardrobe, unable to look at anything else. I craved the feeling but I couldn't. I couldn't do it. I won't do it.

Jude started to shuffle about, sitting up slightly and rubbing his eyes as he turned to look at me tiredly, "You not sleeping?"
"I just-" I paused looking from the wardrobe to him, "Just feel awake all of a sudden."
"Are you okay?" his voice sounded concerned as he watched my nervous movements.

I debated telling him, unsure if he'd get annoyed or not. Everybody just kind of expected me to be over it now.

"What's up darling?"
I fidgeted with the skin around my nail, not looking at him as I spoke quickly, "I want to smoke. Well I don't want to but I want to, you know what I'm saying?"

I scratched the back of my neck as he took a moment to take in my rambling.
"Let's go do something then, take your mind off it," he wiped his eyes before jumping up, stretching his arms as I looked at him in confusion.

"Bruv it's one am. There's nothing to do," I laughed slightly.
He shrugged, "Basketball courts don't have a lock on them." He chucked me one of his hoodies before putting one on himself, "Want joggers as well?"

"Nah I wanna go out in a thong and your hoodie," I rolled my eyes, laughing loudly as he shook his head, holding back his own.
"I meant do you want a pair of mine but they're gonna be way too big so gotta find your own," he smirked, sitting on my desk as I shoved him before going through my drawers and finding some.

His gaze didn't leave me as he stayed laid back on my desk whilst I got ready, jumping around like a twat to pull the bottoms up. I saw him bite back a smile, making me roll my eyes as I realised he was definitely laughing at me.
"Shut up."

I hesitated before shutting my wardrobe, eyes lingering on the tin. I turned to face my boyfriend who was tapping his cheeks with his hands, trying to wake himself up more.

"We can just chill here if you're ti-"
"Nope, I'm good, I'm good. Come show me up at basketball man, taking years," he rolled his eyes jokingly, no longer leaning on the wall and instead sat up straight on my desk, watching my moves carefully.

I walked towards him, hugging him around his neck as his position caused him to be smaller than me, "I love you you know?"
"I know," he smiled smugly, earning himself a shove and the pair of us to burst out laughing before creeping down the hallway.

"Fuck!" he whisper shouted from behind me, making me stifle a laugh and turn to face him.
"Boy what? Shush."
"I hit my toe man," he was bent over, rubbing his foot as I laughed at his dramatics.
"You're gonna wake people up," I waited impatiently at the staircase whilst he rolled his eyes.

"Never get no sympathy off you," he shoved me lightly before jogging ahead, down the stairs and to the big main doors, holding them for me whilst I caught up.
I shrugged as I laughed, "Just gotta man up innit?"
His jaw dropped as he looked at me in disbelief, "You didn't."
"I did," I smiled smugly, not even agreeing with what I was saying but starting silly arguments for fun. It was a problem.

He raised his eyebrows as I burst out laughing, running towards the courts with him close behind me. I reached it out of breath, rushing to close the gate behind me, watching as he got there just a second too late and was locked outside.

He tried not to laugh, catching his breath before speaking, "You got lucky."
"Mhm, like you'd do anything," I teased, fingers through the wired fence separating us.

He smiled, "I could never hurt you. Now let me in so I can hurt your ego instead."
"Boy you already know I'm winning," I laughed loudly, opening the gate so we could start a game.

We were playing into one basket, taking it out the three point line when we'd get it off the other person.
"Ladies first," I threw the ball to him as we walked towards the half way line.
He turned to me deadpan before throwing it at me, "Very funny. Let me check it."
I stood on the line, laughing to myself as I bounced it to him and he did it back, checking the ball or in simpler terms initiating the start of the game.

I crossed it behind my back as I thought of what to do, finally deciding to fake left and drive down the right, easily getting a lay up as the boy's defence was nonexistent.

"Just going easy on you you know?" he scratched the back of his neck embarrassed as I laughed, passing the ball to him.
"It's alright, if I was beating you in football this would be a whole different story."
"Pfft, like you could," he smirked, bouncing the ball under his leg as he walked back and forth, unable to get close to the net as I guarded him.
"Mhm. Shoot before I take it off you."
"Take it off me? Humblings soon comi-" he started, interrupted by my hand taking the ball as he dribbled it too far away from his body, making it easy for me to intercept it, "Fucks sake."

That's how the next forty minutes went, stupid banter as he got absolutely battered, the score no longer even being kept count. The game sort of just ended when we started to just try mad shots from way too far, making the pair of us piss ourselves whenever the ball would hit the rim and launch back at the other persons face.

I laid on the floor dramatically, looking at the stars whilst he continued to try do a lay up over and over again, the only sounds heard being my heavy breathing and his and the balls movements.
"I got it!" he shouted, "Dele look!"
I laughed, sitting up on my elbows to watch him do three in a row, "Well done, now you gotta do the left."
"Fuck off," he laughed loudly, rolling the ball to the fence before joining me on the floor.

He placed his arms under his head as he looked up at the sky, making me copy his position as he smiled down at me, "Good yeah?"
I nodded, "Thank you."
"For what?" he furrowed his eyebrows as I rolled my eyes.
"Doing this, I know you were tired."
He shrugged, "It was fun, I don't care. I'm happy you told me."

"Yeah but I feel bad. It's like two o'clock," I laughed awkwardly.
"Shut upp," he groaned, "I told you we're sorting this and so we will alright? Anything you need."

I placed my head onto his chest as his hand dropped down into my hair, "I love you."
"I love you too Dele," he kissed my forehead, "More than you know."

———

why was this chap acc cute
like usually i'd cringe
and like icl i kinda did
but it's jude so can u cringe?
idk

guys i cried over a boy today. over a man. the male species. what the actual fuck. i'm so annoyed at myself.