hard feelings - an erling haaland story

seventeen

She stirred in her sleep, as he leant against the cold wall, finding it difficult to get comfortable. Italian beds weren't exactly made for someone of his grandeur. The slight brightness from his phone made him grumble, his eyes not expecting it. He found himself scrolling through her social media trying to decipher where everything went wrong for her. He scrolled far enough to see when she moved from Australia, she had been crying in the photo as she held on to her little brother. A moment that, he was sure, was bittersweet for her. She looked so much younger than she had currently. A look of innocence and hope plastered on her face. The same brightness that shone in her eye had faded and dimmed. He wondered whether it was just due to the hardships she faced or her career. A career she tried to convince herself was rewarding and benefited a lot of people, including herself; a career that left her feeling drained, exhausted and burnt out. He wanted to tell her that she didn't need to work, he'd take care of her, to make up for everything that had happened between them. No amount of time and actions could equate to the guilt he felt and the time they lost together but Erling knew that her friendship couldn't be brought.

"Are you alright, E?" Her voice was groggy, sleep intertwined with it.

"I am okay but I can not sleep, it is fine, Mia. You go back to sleep."

She let out a yawn, pushing herself up against the wall, bringing her knees to her chest. "What time is it?"

"Four in the morning. You should go back to sleep."

He watched as she slowly shuffled over to sit next to him. She had put her glasses on when he wasn't observing her, a rare moment when they were together. He always found himself observing her and her actions, noting every little quirk, much like he had when they were younger. He was taken aback at the sight of her wearing glasses, something so simple but meaningful to him. A reminder of their youth. A sight he saw so frequently, now just an infrequent wonder that she shared with very few people.

Her hair had fallen into her face, covering her like she was hiding behind it. A barrier between him and her. Despite his attempts to fight the urge to act upon his thoughts, he found himself brushing her hair back behind her ear, away from her face. From the dim light radiating from his phone, he noticed her cheeks flush at his action. "You look tired, Amelia."

"So do you, Erling."

After their early morning conversation, Amelia had almost become cold, only interacting with him in front of her grandmother, who made a lot of fuss over the blond boy. For the first time in a while, he felt the pressure of the world off his shoulders, relaxed, away from prying eyes. He eyed her carefully as they ate lunch, her grandmother asking him questions about his life. Amelia's grandmother was a stereotypical grandmother, who would overfeed you and take it as a personal offence if you were turn her food down. The grandmother and granddaughter exchanged a few words in Italian, Erling watching on in confusion.

"She says I should take you to this restaurant near the sea front this evening but I told her you have to leave tonight."

"I can stay." He burst out. He hadn't even thought about it, he knew he would miss training but he had already accepted being fined for doing so. "I can leave tomorrow morning, I might still make training if I leave early in the morning."

"What are you gonna do? Charter a private jet?" Amelia joked. The blond shrugged, actually contemplating about whether to do just that. It would save him trouble with the boss and it would mean he got to spend more time with the woman. The look on Amelia's face was a mixture of shock and amusement as he nodded and shrugged at her question. "You're not actually thinking about it are you, Erling?"

"No! Of course not!" A lie that he knew Amelia was able to pick apart but she chose to say nothing, laughing at him instead. "Where are we going tonight?"

This question made her grandmother clap her hands in excitement, exclaiming happily "I miei amori!" causing the two to look at each other, a small smile on her face, to which Erling replicated.

It was nearly sunset when she finally emerged from the room that both of them were forced to share. He remembered the place looking much bigger than it had now, questioning whether it was due to his massive growth in height or whether her grandmother had just downgraded. He barely fit through the doorframes, having to duck to fit through. She tapped him on the shoulder, bringing him out of his daydream. "Come on! We've got a sunset to catch!"

Erling couldn't help but stare at her as she sat with her head turned towards the coast. "It's so beautiful, makes me wonder why nonna and nonno ever left for England."

"We spent many summers here if I remember correctly." Erling commented. "Though, the house seemed much bigger than it is now."

She looked almost nostalgic at his words, reminiscing on their shared memories. "Yeah, we still have the house but when my nonno passed away, nonna found it quite difficult to be alone in such a big house so she moved to the little apartment so she didn't feel as  lonely."

He turned to look at the view, the sun had begun to set, the sky a shade of pink. "It is very beautiful, almost as beautiful as you are." 

Her cheeks flushed at his words. She still hadn't met his gaze, her eyes fixated on the setting sun. Her eyes looked similar to the setting sun, a shade of blue mixed with an orange haze. "Thank you, E."

They chatted away, the past few weeks seeming to melt away, there was no awkwardness, no tension. It felt like it had been a normal conversation before the events that had unfolded. They laughed, frowned and exchanged memories. Erling felt lighter and happier, like the past eight years never happened. They were suddenly fourteen, filled with adrenaline, hiding under a duvet so they could continute to talk about everything and anything. It was bliss. He had his best friend back, his Mia.

As the day faded into night, the Australian and the Norwegian found themselves in a niche little bar that had live music. He sat at the table, watching as she danced with strangers, singing along to whatever song was being performed. He watched her hips sway as she walked towards him, her hand outreached to him. "Come dance with me."

He shook his head. "No I can't. I don't have any rhythm in my hips. I am too big."

She laughed, pulling him up. "I'll do the moving, E, just dance with me!" A sigh of defeat escaped his lips, a smile growing on his face. He pretended to hesitate, knowing that he was always going to join her. 'When I'm Sixty-Four' by The Beatles playing as she sang along with it. He felt overwhelmed as he listened to the lyrics playing. 'And if you say the word, I could stay with you.'

His eyes followed every bit of her movement. His cheeks hurting from smiling. Everything seemed to tune out, tunnel vision on the woman in front of him, their hands intertwined. "What do you reckon, E, will you still need me when we're sixty-four?"

He nodded. "More than ever."