football imagines

j. bellingham

time was truly a weird concept. sometimes it rushed past you, a minute turning into an hour and next thing you knew a whole year was over. however, there were also days or weeks that seemed to stretch on for forever and you couldn't wait until that period finally ended.

it was something you were way too familiar with, maybe a bit too much for your own liking. but that was a problem that probably came with every long distance relationship. the weeks spent at home on your own, waiting to see your loved one again seemed to turn longer after each time you had to say goodbye to them. however, when the period was finally over and you could go and visit your significant other the time spent together rushed past you and before you had the chance to properly settle in you had to leave again.

it wasn't anything new to jude and you. the constant waiting and yearning for the time spent together while the two of you were living your own lifes. the weeks or months you had to spent alone because your current situations wouldn't allow that the two of you moved in together were hard, though, once you were back in the arms of your lover the waiting was worth it. because when you were together everything was perfect, though, sometimes even the best times had to come to an end.

a sigh scraped your lips as you rummaged through the drawers of jude's kitchen. since his mother was staying in england for a few days, catching up on some time with the rest of the family, jude and you had the house to yourself. even though, you adored his mom and she had played a major roll in helping him settle in to this new environment it was still nice to be alone, knowing you had your boyfriend all to yourself for the last few days that you were staying in madrid.

it felt surreal how fast the last two weeks had gone by and how little time you had still left with jude before you were leaving again. yet the footballer had kept his promise of making your time here worth it. although, training was already in full swing, with the season right around the corner he made sure to spend every free minute with you. it was your first time visiting him in madrid after his transfer and the preseason tour so everything was still new to you. however, his mom had made sure to show you around the city whenever your boyfriend was preoccupied with football, taking you to a few good spots she found in the few weeks they had been here.

due to the move you were still a bit lost, hence why you were looking through the kitchen drawers in search for plates. while jude was still sleeping upstairs you had woken up half an hour ago, deciding to surprise him with breakfast. though, now that you were standing here you noticed that you had overestimated your knowledge.

before you had the chance to reach for yet another cupboard two arms snaked around your waist and pulled you backwards, flush against a firm chest.

"i thought we're sleeping in today", jude mumbled against your shoulder, his voice still raspy from the previous slumber.

"sorry, i couldn't sleep anymore and thought i'd make us some breakfast." you told him, trying to turn around in his arms. your boyfriend seemingly noticed your attempt and loosened his grip, so you could look at him.

once your gaze met his, a smile grew onto your lips. his eyes were still droopy and the imprint of his pillow on the left side of his face made him look even cuter. it was moments like this one – where he simply could be himself and look so vulnerable – that you thought jude was absolutely beautiful. you reached out and caressed his cheek, unable to keep your eyes from him for even a second.

"hey", you whispered.

"mornin'." jude mumbled just as quietly, returning your smile with a tired smirk. leaning forward, the two of you shared a short kiss before you turned back around to get back to what you were doing earlier. you frowned upon looking at all the different cupboards, feeling the footballer's head nestle in the crook of your neck.

"i thought we were staying in bed today." he told you, bringing up the plan you two had made last night for his free day. "i know", you mumbled and closed your eyes at the feeling of his lips against your skin. "i just thought i could surprise you with breakfast, but looks like that plan failed."

jude pressed one last kiss against your neck before he loosened his arms around you and stepped back. "sorry, i didn't mean to. i guess i'll leave you to it then."

the sudden loss of contact made you snap your eyes open. "no, wait!" you exclaimed, turning around only to be met with your bemused looking boyfriend.

"yes?" he raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. you shifted under his gaze, suddenly feeling embarrassed about your request. 

"um— i couldn't find the plates and cups." you revealed, tugging at the hem of your shirt as you watched his reaction closely. instead of laughing at you – like you had somehow expected him to – jude's smile only widened in return. 

"you're so cute." he chuckled and walked over towards you. heat spread out onto your cheeks as you watched him open a cupboard to your left, where he pulled out a set of plates and cups for you two. "thank you", you mumbled, making a mental note to try and remember for the next time. 

"since i'm already awake i'm just going to help you with that", jude pointed over to the variety of groceries spread out onto the countertop. "the faster we're done with that, the faster we can go back to bed."

laughter scraped past your lips at his eagerness and intensified at the confused expression he wore. "what?" your boyfriend asked, chuckling slightly.

"nothing", you shook your head. "i just— love you." 

his smile widened before he pressed a soft kiss against your temple. "i love you, too." he replied. as the two of you started preparing your breakfast a comfortable silence wrapped around you. while jude made your drinks and set the table you cut up some fruits that the two of you had bought yesterday. you couldn't help but let your eyes wander every once in awhile, looking over and watching him for a few seconds before you got back to your own task. it was truly a sight you could have gotten used to. your boyfriend standing just right across the room, instead of being seperated by a few hours of traveling distance. 

it were these days or weeks that you were staying together, which gave you enough strength for all those months you couldn't see each other. you knew, it was only a matter of time until your long distance relationship would end and you would move in together. though, until this would happen jude and you cherished every single moment you had with the other, knowing all of it – the stress, sadness and anxiety – was worth the wait.