Cruel Summer

Chapter 4

Fifa World Cup 2018... 

What starts out as an energetic, optimistic game quickly becomes one the longest, most tiresome 90 minutes of Dele's life. He likes to think he's had a fair amount of match experience, despite his age, but he's never experienced anything like this.

Considering England are 1-0 up, it feels like Colombia are absolutely hammering them.

Dele has been pushed, shoved, tripped, barged into, and thrown to the ground more times than he can count, and it's really starting to take a toll on him. He can feel himself losing focus on the ball, losing pace, losing his position on the pitch. His surroundings are becoming a blur because he's just so tired from trying to keep himself upright.

The ref blows his whistle and the game comes to a halt. With a quick glance down the pitch, Dele sees that the clock is at 80 minutes. He feels a brief sense of relief that he only has to last another ten minutes of this.

Somewhere across the pitch, a Colombian player is being booked for another foul. Dele takes a moment to wipe the sweat off his face and catch his breath.

Harry suddenly runs up behind him, panting. "You okay?" He asks. There's mud on his knees, his elbows, and up the side of his face. Dele has a sudden urge to reach out and wipe it off his cheek.

"Yeah, good," he replies, nodding. Harry puts his hand on the small of Dele's back, gives it a quick rub, and then sets off back to his position. Dele watches him bounce across the pitch and marvels at his seemingly unlimited energy. Where he gets it from, Dele will never know.

Maguire argues with the ref for a while and Dele just stands and watches, using the time to recover some energy. As he's watching John kick up some grass, it suddenly occurs to him that Harry actually just ran across the pitch simply to check that Dele was okay. 

England won after the game went to penalties. After THAT iconic save from Jordan Pickford,  and finally Eric Dier's epic last penalty,  And once again the energy from the fans, and in the changing rooms is electric. 





... 





Dele and Harry duck the celebrations when back at the hotel, which is everyone dissecting the game, and drinking coke. Harry opens the room to his hotel room, which, of course, is ten times bigger than anyone else's. "Skipper Perks?" Dele asks sitting on the edge of the bed. 
Harry smiles at him from the doorway before clicking the lock, and walking to Dele in a fast motion and kissing him, whilst straddling him on the bed. "I think I am falling in love with you, Bamidele Jermaine Alli," Harry surprises Dele by saying into his ear, and also using his full name, no one ever does that. 










Present Day 2019...

Dele stands with his arms folded as Harry sits on the edge of the bed, "What did you wanna talk about?" Dele asks as the tension in the air grows thick and uncomfortable. "I know I fucked up, Del! I-I know I wasn't there for you after you came out. It's just..." Harry pauses and runs his hands through his hair and puts his head in his hands. "I don't know how to do this, football I can do, I can do that in my sleep! but this" He gestures with his hand between himself and Dele, "This is unknown to me, I'm not ready to come out, but that doesn't excuse me being a total prick to you!" Dele swallows and processes Harry's answer, before answering himself,
"I never asked you to come out Harry! I would never push or rush you, I just thought we had something last summer, I am starting to believe I was wrong?" Dele says and Harrys head snaps up to look at him. "How can you say that!" Harry commands attitude totally changing, he is angry now. "Last summer was great! not just for the football!" Harry says back with confidence, and Dele asks the question he has thought from last summer to this very moment but never got up the courage to physically ask Harry, until now. "Do you blame me?" Harry's body goes stiff and his delayed response the way his lip quivers is enough an answer for Dele. "You do, don't you, I knew it!" Dele says wiping tears that are now falling on his cheeks. "Please leave," Dele says and Harry stands up. "Dele, come on. I-I." Harry says stepping forward towards Dele, but even still, it wasn't what Dele needed to hear. Dele walks to the door and opens it looking into space even when Harry is in front of him. "I'm sorry," Harry says as he walks through it and Dele slams the door before sinking behind, and crying. He knew it, he always knew it, Harry blames him, and that realization hurts.  So without really thinking about it, he rings his agent. She answers on the 3rd ring. "Tell Liverpool I will consider the offer. Get back to me when you can." Dele says before hanging up. Maybe it is out of spite, anger, or acting irrational, but Dele Alli is gonna show everyone why he's motherfucking Dele Alli.