(continued)
"Hey..."
"Hi, love, how's things going? I hope your professor isn't putting too much pressure on you, yeah."
The softened chuckles that escaped your mouth put a smile on Jude's face, something that you were afraid of not seeing, considering the heavy topic of the last call. "It's fine. Everything is, I actually just got my marks back - I passed this semester!"
Jude's obnoxious cheering and whooping on the other side of the phone brought a smile to your face, but you were worried when the screen froze. It seems like he was on his way somewhere because the surroundings kept changing, or maybe the connectivity was just bad.
"Sorry, love, where I'm at right now there's not much of a good connection but you can stay on the phone, I'll get good connection soon, yeah."
You nodded and waited for the blank screen to show your boyfriend's face again, thinking back to the last conversation you had with him.
It had approximately been two weeks since that happened and the topic hadn't been brought up since. I mean, Jude was extremely busy and he could only get this time off so it didn't have time to be talked through. But you were grateful for this period of absence from him as it allowed you to work through your feelings and the emotions you were experiencing.
You realised that you didn't want to break up with Jude; you could experience 10 years of long-distance but you didn't want to be separated from him. In no life could you imagine not being Jude's girlfriend because he means that much to you, that's how much you love him and you couldn't see a future without him.
What you didn't know was that on the opposite side, Jude was thinking the exact same thoughts. He couldn't see his life without you in it and would've packed you in his suitcase if he could. It would keep him up at night that you weren't next to him, that he couldn't wake you up with his kisses, that he couldn't go sight-seeing around Madrid with you. The broken-hearted emoji is precisely how he felt when thinking of you, in fact, thinking about the lack of your presence in his life right now.
"Okay, I'm back. I just arrived at the place, give me a few seconds and I'll be settled." His accent wafted through your laptop's speakers and you nodded. Forgetting he couldn't see you, you worded your agreement out loud and put your head on your knees.
It must have been a few seconds later when you heard a knock on your door. Trying to remember if you planned anyone coming over, you hesitantly made your way over to your door and checked the peep-hole. No way.
No way. No way. NO WAY.
Jude stood with a small suitcase to his left as he repeatedly checked his phone, his mouth moving to form words but you couldn't hear, duh, your laptop was in your room. It took everything in you not to throw open your door, jump into his arms and just... never let him go.
But you still opened the door, tears streaming down your face, looking— seeing— your boyfriend in front of you. Slowly walking forward, you touched him to make sure he was real, all as Jude stood watching you in amusement.
"Please tell me it's real, tell me you're real."
"I am, Y/N. I am." He sounded excited, like he wanted to pick you up and spin you around the narrow corridor but you were quicker.
Your body collided with his, with so much impact, that it forced him to take a few steps backward as he grabbed onto your middle. "I missed you's" were repeatedly being said as Jude began kissing you all over your face, leaving no area that he could reach, behind.
It must have been close to five minutes of you just in each other's embrace - taking in, memorising the feel of each other's bodies. Joining your lips together and then letting go to smile and wipe each other's tears. It was the epitome of a rom-com movie at the climax where the lost lovers could, finally, meet-up and proclaim their love for each other.
"Let's go in." He mumbled against your lips as he hooked you under his arm and rolled the suitcase into your apartment, closing the door behind him.
*******
The room was set in silence.
You and Jude had so much to say and yet the words refused to come out, as if they were entrapped in some sort of prison. Speaking had by-passed the moment and all you were doing was playing with his pretty hands, "I'm sorry—"
"Y/N..."
Jude encouraged you to speak but you just wanted to hear his voice again, not through your laptop speakers, not with a mechanical lint to it, just his thick Brummie accent floating to your ears.
"I know I asked you this already but the mood was kinda ruined, so, do you want to..." He sighed heavily. "...break-up?"
You shook your head, "No, no, no. I would never and now I'm sorry of scaring you back there. That wasn't what I was trying to imply." His hands grabbed onto your forearms and pulled you closer. Close enough to see the tears lining his bottom lids, "It was a mixture of stress from exams and PMS symptoms that told my brain to fixate on that specific thing and I felt so bad, getting off the phone with you."
"I felt bad that I put you in the position to doubt our relationship, I'm so so so sorry, Jude."
Your head knocked against his chest, too ashamed to face your boyfriend. Jude, however, was having it as he gently tilted your face so it was facing his, "Your feelings are valid, love, it's only natural." He kissed your lips.
"It's been almost three years since Dortmund - since I've met you and we decided to try this long-distance thing. Of course, it had taken its toll on you but you were strong - too strong I'd say - because any other person would've spoken up a long time ago."
"I just didn't know what to say without it— without it sounding like I wanted to break up with you." You gestured to your laptop or specifically, to the conversation from last time.
"It's fine, I understand." He kissed the side of your head as he wrapped his arms around your shoulders. The scent of his perfume assaulted your nostrils and the familiarity of it made you calmer, more content with his presence.
"I don't care anymore. You're here and that's all that matters to me." You mumbled against his neck, leading up to his lips, scooped up in emotions you placed your lips on his.
It was amazing.