Peace - Erling Haaland Fanfiction

Chapter 8

My eyes gently fluttered open as I caught a whiff of an alluring masculine scent. I attempted to move, but found myself restricted, taking a moment to realise that I was still ensconced in an embrace, resting on Erling's broad chest. Halting my efforts to move, I glanced up at his face, trying to discern if he was awake. His lips were slightly parted, eyes shut, features relaxed as he continued to sleep peacefully. For some inexplicable reason, I found myself drawn to him, unable to tear my gaze away from his softly featured face. I longed to caress his cheek, trace his chin, and run my fingers through his hair. Shaking myself out of these thoughts, I recognised how absurd I sounded and cleared my throat, hoping to wake him from his slumber.

His eyes slowly opened, and he focused on me. He winced, likely due to his sore arm from holding me for so long, so I tried to rise, but he gently pulled me back. "Sleep a little longer," his groggy voice was filled with concern as he drew me closer to him.

"It's late, I have to get home," I insisted, attempting to release myself, but I couldn't break free from his strong grasp.

He eased my discomfort by running his fingers through my hair, his action sending tingles across my skin. "Don't worry," he reassured me, "I responded to Tilly's text on your phone, explaining that you've taken the night shift."

"You took my phone?" I asked, feeling a bit annoyed.

"She was spamming you with text messages. If you don't want someone to look into your phone, put a passcode next time," he replied, his tone tinged with vexation and exhaustion, yet he held onto me with such gentleness.

As much as I enjoyed the moment, I knew I had to snap out of it. Summoning my resolve, I exerted force and freed myself from his embrace, sitting up straight on the couch. He also sat up straight, narrowing his eyes as he looked at me. "For how long was I asleep?" I inquired.

"Over five hours," he glanced at his phone before responding. "Did you sleep well?"

When he asked that, I recalled the serene sense of peace that enveloped me as I drifted off to sleep. I had no visions or nightmares either, and all I could remember was calmness. "I did. It was a restful sleep."

He seemed relieved by my response, a grin spreading across his face as he settled back on the couch. "It's 11 PM. Do you want me to drive you home?"

His offer was tempting given that the buses had already stopped running. Nonetheless, I hesitated to impose such a request on him, so I declined, stating, "I can walk home; it's not too far."

"Are you sure?" He asked, to which I affirmed with a nod, rising up from the couch. "Okay, get home safe," he said with a yawn, he was visibly tired.

"Goodnight," I made my way out of the room, but before leaving, I stole a glance at him as he stretched. Although I was grateful to him, I hesitated thanking him because I feared appearing too dependent. He turned around and met my gaze, but I averted my eyes and rushed out of his apartment.

The cool, breezy night made for a pleasant walk, and the absence of running buses no longer bothered me. Walking in such weather felt like a blessing. Maybe it was because I was well-rested, but everything seemed brighter to me. Regardless, the night felt pleasant, and I wanted to savor it for as long as possible.

While waiting at a pedestrian signal, I noticed a group of masked men approaching from the left, which made me nervous. Despite my unease, I brushed it aside, hoping they would simply pass by. However, I should have fled when I had the chance, as one of the men drew a gleaming silver knife from his jacket as he drew closer to me.

"Shush lass, just give us your money and phone, and we'll be on our way." He commanded, pointing the knife in my direction, and horror engulfed me. I began trembling uncontrollably, from head to toe, as my eyes frantically scanned the surroundings, but I dared not utter a sound. "Hurry up!"

A familiar red car screeched to a halt next to us, and Erling emerged from it wielding a baseball bat. "Pick on someone your own size," he growled angrily.

The masked men scurried away at Erling's sight and disappeared into thin air, but I was deeply shaken. Sweat beaded on my forehead, and I realised I had been holding my breath, so I gasped for air before breaking down into tears. It was my first experience being a victim of knife crime, despite knowing how prevalent it was. No matter how I viewed the situation, it was clear that if Erling hadn't intervened, I would have suffered a great loss. I owed him a debt of gratitude beyond measure.

He hurried to my side, enveloping me in his embrace before guiding me into the passenger seat of his car. Taking the driver's seat, he didn't immediately drive. Instead, he reached for my hand, gently stroking it as he reassured me, "It's okay, you're safe now. They're gone."

For some reason, my tears wouldn't stop. I was gripped by fear, yet overwhelmed with gratitude and guilt towards Erling. The combination of emotions kept the tears flowing, and he patiently allowed me to cry for as long as I needed. Once my tears turned into sobs, Erling started the engine and began driving, slightly lowering the window to welcome the refreshing breeze into the car. Although I didn't know our destination, he appeared to have a clear plan in mind as he drove, navigating the route with confidence.

Before long, we pulled up in front of a corner shop. Erling quickly exited the car and returned with a pint of ice cream and spoons, which he handed to me with a reassuring smile. "This will make you feel better," he said kindly.

I eagerly grabbed the tub of ice cream and began devouring it, realising how hungry I was as I almost polished off half of it in no time. Erling watched me with fascination as I ate. In an attempt to shift the focus away from myself, I started asking questions. "How did you happen to arrive there?"

He pulled out my phone from his jacket and held it up. "You left this at my place," he said, offering it back to me.

I couldn't believe how careless I had been for leaving my phone behind, although I had rushed out of his apartment in a hurry. "I owe you a lot," I admitted gratefully.

"Maybe next time, don't walk alone at night. I don't care what you say, I'll make sure to drop you off whenever it gets late," he said firmly, his voice filled with concern. His words surprised me, as he indicated his belief that I would visit him again.

"What do you mean, 'next time'?" I asked, tilting my head to get a clearer look at him. I noticed a light shade of red coloring his cheeks.

"Won't you come again?" He asked eagerly, as he attempted to avert his gaze.

"Erling," I began, closing my eyes briefly to gather my thoughts before continuing, "I'm incredibly grateful to you. You've helped me sleep, offered protection against those thugs, and even given me ice cream. But I can't keep relying on you to solve my problems, especially not with my sleep issues. What if your girlfriend finds out you're helping another girl by hugging her every other day?"

He swiftly turned his head to look at me, as if my words had struck a nerve. "She won't say anything, even if she finds out," he stated firmly.

"It's still not right, and I don't intend to rely on you. You're still very much a stranger to me," I asserted, my voice steady despite the uncertainty in my heart. I couldn't help but wonder if I had said the right thing to him.

He took a long pause before speaking. "So what are you going to do about your sleep issues? Just stop sleeping altogether?" he asked, his tone coloured with concern.

"I'm sure there are other solutions. I'll go see my doctor again; it's not like I haven't tried before. Maybe he'll recommend something different—" Before I could finish my sentence, he let out a loud sigh.

"If you've already tried seeing a doctor, then don't bother," he said coldly as he restarted the car. "Just say that you don't want to see me. Anyway, where do you live? I'll drop you off now," he added, his tone distant.

I felt a pang of regret wash over me as I realised I had ruined the moment. His cold demeanor and distant tone were undoubtedly my doing—I had pushed his nerves too far. I hadn't meant to be selfish, but I feared I had made him feel small. Yet, I couldn't comprehend why he was so insistent on seeing me. At first, it seemed like he was playing with me, but now, it felt like there was something more beneath the surface.

He drove me to my house in silence, neither of us uttering a word during the journey, and as soon as we arrived, I stepped out and headed towards my house. When I glanced back, he drove off immediately, without a word of goodbye. A pang of sadness washed over me as I watched his car disappear into the distance.