hard feelings - an erling haaland story

thirty

"E, what are we doing? Why do you need to cover my eyes?" Her constant questions were starting to irritate the blond but he shrugged the questions off and continued to lead her through the busy terminal.

"'cause I don't trust you to keep your eyes close, kjæreste, we're here now." He removed his hands from her eyes, instantly being greeted with the sight of her father holding her sleeping brother in his arms and her mother pushing their luggage along. Her excited squeals drew the child from his slumber, his eyes still heavy from his sleep, but despite this, he looked enthralled to see his older sister and her friend. Amelia instantly engulfed Erling into an embrace, squeezing him tightly.

"Oh my god, E. Why did you do this?"

"I don't think I can last without being in your presence for longer than three hours maximum. " He whispered into her hair, planting a gentle kiss atop of it. "Also, I wanted to celebrate Christmas with you."

Fear filled her as she remembered her family had yet to be informed of her new relationship, yet here they were showing off the most amount of PDA they have ever shown. She had plans to tell her family, and ask her younger brother for approval, though his response would likely be ignored, when she had landed in her home country the following week. Though her plan now fell through after Erling's surprise. She glanced over at her parents, their faces looking unfazed. She had thought they would be upset or hurt to be kept in the dark about a new relationship but she had thought wrong.

"Erling, is your dad in town? He owes me money." Her father spoke, earning a nudge from Amelia's mother. "What? I said before the end of the year and I was right."

Amelia squinted at her father before looking back at Erling, a smirk on her face. "Better give me half of whatever Alf owes you or I'll break up with E." She teased, earning a laugh from the tall man next to her.

"I expected this from Gabbie and Astor not from Pappa and you, Danny." He chuckled, taking the trolley from her mother and pushing it along, in front of him. He glanced over his shoulder watching the two siblings trailing behind the three of them, the young boy laughing happily as he held hands with his older sister. It was truly a sight he never expected to see, with most of their youth spent with Amelia being an only child. Yet despite spending most of her life not knowing the pleasures of having siblings, she seemed to adjust to it well.

His fingers ran gently against her back, the hairs on her arm standing up at the sudden contact. They had been sat in silence for the entirety of the film that had been playing, Erling unaware that the woman had fallen asleep on his lap. He had been so caught up in his own thoughts that he hadn't realised the film had come to an abrupt end. He sat questioning everything he had done, wondering at one point he got so lucky in his life to be where he was. Though he had some doubts about whether it would work if he were to up and relocate or would she be willing to move with him. Albeit, it was still too early in their relationship to even think about the possibility of living together in a different country.

His mind flashed back to their younger years, the brunette and the blond had lay tangled in his bed, using each other's warmth to keep them shielded from the bitter weather outside that penetrated through the exterior structure of the building. It was no wonder that the inseparable duo developed an innocent crush on the other. He stared at her knowing that within the next twenty four hours, he would lay on that same bed fighting the tears forming in his eyes, as the spot she had occupied for two weeks would lay empty. Erling often found himself staring at her when she wasn't looking, unaware that she returned the gesture. Her small voice broke the silence, she was cold, the slight quiver giving it away. "I love you, E, but I can't wait to be back in the warmth. When you start playing footy professionally, you better pick a team somewhere warm. I don't want to live somewhere cold." As irony would have it, she ended up in a city that barely saw the sun, but she loved it nevertheless.

"Are you really going to move wherever I go?" He asked gently. He didn't want to show his eagerness at the idea but he could not wait until they would be of the right age to make their own decisions and move from out of their parents homes. He would love to spend every waking minute with his Australian counterpart.

"Mhm." She nodded, shifting her eye line to look him. Their eyes staring at each other, a smile appearing on her face as her eyes met his blue ones. "I'll live out of a suitcase if I need to. Wherever you go, I'll be right by your side. Forever. You can't get rid of me, E. You're my best friend and I love you." Little did she know that three months after their conversation, the dynamic of their friendship would be changed for the worst.

He found himself blushing at her words, something he had never done before. It was foreign territory to him, he was unsure as to why his body had reacted to meaningless words in that manner. He looked over at her briefly, watching her stare out of the window as the snow poured from the sky, embracing every strand of grass, the ground welcoming the small, unique ice droplets like a familial figure that they had not seen for months. "And if I end up staying in Bryne, I guess we'll have to find a way to keep you warm."

She giggled, shuffling closer to him. Her head now on his chest, her arm around his torso. Erling found himself holding his breath at their extreme closeness. He was hyperaware that she could hear every single breath and heartbeat of his in their current position. He wrapped his arm around her tightly, not wanting to let go of her, he wasn't ready for his best friend to leave so soon. "I love you, Mia. I wish you could stay forever, now."

His thoughts were disturbed by the same woman who had occupied them, her face grinning at him after she had laid a gentle kiss on his cheek. "You alright, E?"

The blond nodded his head. "Of course, kjæreste, I was just thinking about something. Do not worry." He returned her smile, his heart panging as he looked at her. Worry filled him, he was no longer willing to lose the woman in front of him. He knew that the fact would never change, whether they were three hours into their relationship or fifty five years, he wanted to be with her at all times.

Amelia may have fallen first but Erling had fallen harder.