outbound | haaland

07.

"What do you do if you're falling for your best friend?"

Erling blinked and considered it, "Say something to them?"

"Really?"

Erling sighed and stopped.  He took Christian by the shoulders, "Ask your friend out."

Christian frowned, "What if she says no?"

"What if she says yes?"

Christian winced, "I might vomit.  I don't want to lose her."

"Look, Christian, I've never been in love with my best friend.  You could also argue that I don't have a true best friend, so I'm really coming at this with a fresh pair of eyes.  If she's your friend and you're her friend and the romantic parts aren't mutual, you'll move past it."  Erling slowly released his grip on Christian.

"Was this it felt like when you asked Nova out?"  Christian whined, clutching his stomach.

Erling cleared his throat. Would he be this nervous to ask Nova out? He was very nervous about being caught having real feelings developed under the ones he was supposed to be faking. He nodded.

"Okay.  I'll just... tell her I like her.  Easy as pie."

Erling gently offered a follow up: "Be clear and concise. Leave no room for misinterpretation."

Christian threw his arms around Erling, "You're kind of awesome. You get my stamp of approval. Thank you."

Erling stared at Christian speeding off toward the other side of the gathering; a smile formed on his lips. If asked, he would be unable to explain it;  those words filled his entire body with warmth.  Someone thought he was awesome, that Erling Haaland was awesome and thought that Erling Haaland was someone worthy of approval.

He rejoined Nova's side with a smile stuck on his face.

Nova mirrored his expression. Erling grabbed her hand and pulled it into his hand in his jacket pocket.

"To keep our hands super warm," Erling promised in a whisper.

He smiled even wider.

---

When the bowl of popcorn ran out during the movie, Erling volunteered himself to make the new batch. He skirted around the edge of the packed floor of the living room and began to rummage around the kitchen, looking for popcorn kernels.

Nova's mother appeared moments later, efficiently finding and pulling out the kernels.

"You didn't need to come out; I would have found them eventually," Erling said softly, embarrassed that he was ruining part of her tradition.  Every year they had a mini-movie marathon after their evening holiday display tour.

She shook her head and patted Erling's hand, "I needed to get out; besides it seems like a good time to talk to you alone.  Everyone else is so engrossed in the movie."

Erling gulped nervously. He didn't know what Nova's mother wanted to talk about.

"How are you?"

"Great," he replied.

"Has Nova met your parents yet?"  She asked, pouring oil into the stockpot they were using to cook the popcorn.

Erling shook his head. He didn't want to lie to her. He skirted around the truth of the fact that they'd known each other for a few days and chose the explanation that would've been at play if he and Nova were actually an item.  "Um, no.  My parents live a while away, and they're inwardly focused right now and traveling a lot. I guess there hasn't been time." He cleared his throat. He thought he was a bad son; at least, he could have been a much better son.

A tear of fresh regret and grief welled in his eye, did he waste his teenage years that could've been spent with his beloved family rather than cooped up on football pitches? Could he have been living the cozy lifestyle Nova and her family seem to have if he didn't decide to follow in his father's footsteps?

Quickly wiping a hot tear away, she pulled him in a hug and began to rub his back. If he was dating Nova, he would take Nova home to his parents. He knew that much.

Nova's mother smoothed his hair with a smile before finishing preparing the popcorn.  "I'm glad Nova met you. She's very happy right now."

"I'm glad I met Nova, too."

She kissed his cheek and together they waited for the popcorn to finish.