Peace - Erling Haaland Fanfiction

Chapter 13

Thanks to Erling's assistance, Mum received further treatment at a private hospital after a thorough checkup. The care she received here for her fracture surpassed what she had received at the previous hospital, which reminded me just how powerful money could be. I was prepared to use all my savings, but Erling insisted on covering the expenses. His gesture left me feeling indebted to him, and I vowed to repay him once I had saved enough. Tilly and I took turns caring for Mum, although it wasn't necessary as she had two nurses attending to her, allowing us more time to ourselves. During my free time, I focused on making deliveries and saving money. However, when I wasn't working, I found myself thinking about Erling and his generosity. I hadn't disclosed his identity to Mum or Tilly; they only knew that a friend was providing assistance.

Few days had passed since Mum was discharged, and Tilly and I brought her home, where she was warmly welcomed by Olly with kisses and hugs. Tilly took charge of meals, while I handled household chores. On one such ordinary days, after finishing my deliveries and returning home, I found Tilly and Mum watching TV, where an interview of Erling was playing. I joined them eagerly, as I missed him and hadn't seen him in a week, although we stayed in touch through occasional text messages. Seeing him on screen made my cheeks flush, and I couldn't help but admire how good he looked.

"This lad has an insane sleep routine." Tilly casually commented, "He wears blue light-blocking glasses, tapes his mouth shut, tracks his sleep with a smart ring, and is in bed by 10PM."

"He also talked about sleeping beside his match balls for motivation, and using the Champions League anthem as his wake-up alarm," Mum continued, amused by his dedication.

I found myself lost in deep thoughts. Was all of this effort truly necessary just to get some sleep? "Isn't this all a bit too much?" I voiced my thoughts, questioning the lengths he was covering in pursuit of sleep.

Both Mum and Tilly turned their attention towards me, well aware of my ongoing struggles with sleep. "Do you think he's dealing with the same issue as you?" Tilly posed the question as though she had just unraveled a mystery.

"I doubt it," I responded, dismissing Tilly's suggestion initially. However, her words lingered in my mind throughout the night. Alone in my room after everyone had gone to sleep, I found myself drawn to my laptop, delving into research about his sleep patterns. Was he truly grappling with the same sleeplessness that plagued me? Was he reliant on external aid to find rest? And if so, what kept him awake? Could his eagerness to help me stem from a shared struggle? Despite scouring the internet for answers, I came up empty-handed. It seemed the only way to uncover the truth was to hear it from him directly.

The next morning, I stood before Erling's door, clutching a pack of his favorite protein bars that I brought as a gesture of thanks for his help with Mum. However, as I pressed the doorbell, a wave of uncertainty washed over me. Maybe showing up unannounced wasn't the wisest decision. The door swung open, revealing a beautiful young woman with long brunette locks dropping below her shoulders. She regarded me with evident confusion.

"Hi," I managed to say, my breath catching in my throat. "I'm here to drop something off."

She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the door. "You can give it to me, I'll pass it to Erl," she said.

I handed the box of protein bars with a note I had written to her and quickly retreated from his apartment. What was I thinking, showing up unannounced like this? Was I forgetting that he was in a relationship? Just then, I received a text message from him which read, "Hey, I received the protein bars. Why did you leave? Come over if you're still around."

I quickly typed, "Hey, maybe some other time," and as I prepared to leave, my phone buzzed with a reply from him. "Alright, come over tonight. It's a casual dinner meetup at my place with a few friends."