𑣲.𝚆𝙸𝚂𝙳𝙾𝙼 𝚃𝙴𝙴𝚃𝙷⋆˚࿔ ʲᵘᵈᵉ ᵇᵉˡˡⁱⁿᵍʰᵃᵐ ˣ ʳᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ
₊⊹ contains: fluff, established relationship, wisdom teeth removal, loopy jude, lots of banter, embarrassing moments, second-hand embarrassment, happy ending
₊⊹ summary: after getting his wisdom teeth removed, a very drugged up jude completely forgets you're already his girlfriend and spends the afternoon trying to convince his mom to let him date you.
the waiting room smells like disinfectant and peppermint. it's almost too clean. the kind of clean that makes you feel like you shouldn't touch anything. soft instrumental music hums through the ceiling speakers while a fish tank bubbles quietly in the corner.
you're pretty sure you've watched the same bright orange fish swim in the exact same circle at least fifty times. not because it's interesting. because there's absolutely nothing else to do.
you glance at the clock again. five minutes have passed. it somehow feels like fifty. beside you, denise smiles without looking up from the magazine she'd picked up nearly half an hour ago.
you laugh quietly. "i know."
you sigh. "he kept texting me all morning saying he wasn't nervous."
you pull your phone from your pocket. the last message jude had sent before going into surgery is still sitting there.
jude💗: if i say anything embarrassing afterwards, pretend i didn't.
you: that's not how this works.
you lock your phone again. "he's gonna hate this."
denise smiles knowingly. "i've seen him after anaesthetic before."
you immediately turn towards her. "...have you?"
she nods once. "he cried because he thought they threw away his socks."
you cover your mouth to stop yourself laughing. "you're joking."
before you can ask anything else, the surgery door opens. a nurse steps into the waiting room. "he's all done."
both of you stand immediately.
"he's still a little sleepy," the nurse says with a smile. "someone will need to stay with him for the rest of the day."
"of course," denise replies.
the nurse nods. "he's coming now."
you hear footsteps. slow. slightly uneven. then, jude appears. his hoodie hangs loosely over his shoulders. his hair is messier than when he went in. his cheeks are slightly swollen. there's a little ice pack balanced awkwardly against one side of his face. and his eyes, they're barely open. he looks like he's trying to understand a world that's suddenly become far more confusing than it was an hour ago.
"hi, sweetheart," denise says gently.
he smiles lazily. "you're here."
he nods thoughtfully. "...good."
the nurse lightly guides him towards the chairs. "just take your time."
he sits down carefully. staring at absolutely nothing.
you crouch beside him. "hey."
he slowly turns his head. looks directly at you. stares. for a very, very, very long time.
"...hello." his voice is slow and slightly slurred.
he keeps staring. like he's trying to place where he knows you from. his eyebrows pull together.
you bite the inside of your cheek. don't laugh.
he looks at his mom. points at you. "...who's that?"
you completely lose it. a tiny laugh escapes before you can stop it.
denise presses her lips together, trying very hard not to smile. "that's y/n."
he nods slowly. "...right." another long pause. "...she's pretty."
he keeps looking at you. completely fascinated. "...really pretty."
"thank you," you say softly.
he smiles at you. then immediately turns back to his mom. "...can i keep her?"
the waiting room falls silent. you stare. denise stares. the nurse at the reception desk definitely heard. she's already trying not to laugh.
"...keep her?" denise repeats.
he nods seriously. "yeah."
he gestures vaguely in your direction. "...her."
you cover your mouth. your shoulders already shaking with laughter.
denise raises an eyebrow. "...why?"
he looks genuinely confused by the question. "...because she's nice."
"you've only just met her."
"exactly." another thoughtful pause. "...i'm making good time."
he immediately looks proud of himself. "she laughed."
he smiles dreamily. "...good." then he leans slightly towards his mom, not quietly enough. "...i think i like her."
you have to look away. because if he sees your face right now, you'll absolutely burst out laughing.
denise nods thoughtfully. "do you?"
he looks back at you again, studying you like she's the most interesting person he's ever seen. "...pretty eyes." your heart melts. "...nice smile." you smile wider without meaning to. "...and she laughed at my joke."
denise hums. "anything else?"
he thinks very hard. "...she smells nice."
you bury your face in your hands. "oh my god."
he immediately looks concerned. "...did i say that out loud?"
"...right." he nods once. "...still true."
the nurse quietly excuses herself before she starts laughing.
a few minutes later, you're helping jude stand so you can all walk back to the car. he looks down at your hand holding his arm. then back up at you.
you choke on absolutely nothing. "what?"
he looks at you hopefully. "are you?"
before you can answer, denise beats you to it. "she's got a boyfriend."
jude's face falls. completely. "...she does?"
he sighs dramatically. "...that's unlucky."
you can't stop laughing. "i'm sorry."
he nods sadly. "...me too."
walking through the car park takes forever. mostly because jude keeps stopping. first, to wave at a pigeon. then, to tell a parked car it has "nice headlights." then, to ask if clouds ever get tired. you and denise exchange one look. neither of you says a word.
halfway to the car, he looks at you again. "...would your boyfriend be upset if i asked for your number?"
you laugh so hard you nearly have to stop walking. "probably."
"...yeah." he sighs. "respect." then, after another few steps, "...unless..." he looks at his mom. "...what if she breaks up with him?"
denise bites the inside of her cheek. "that's not very nice."
"...true." he nods. "...i'll wait."
once everyone's finally in the car, you sit beside him in the back. mostly because you know he'll probably fall asleep. he stares out of the window quietly for a minute. then suddenly turns to you again.
"what's your name again?"
his eyebrows lift. "...you do?"
you glance at denise in the driver's seat. she's already smiling. "...once or twice."
"that's nice." another pause. "...do you play football?"
"feel like i've seen you somewhere."
"...right." he nods. "...i do."
he looks strangely impressed. "...you know loads."
the drive home is only twenty minutes. it somehow becomes the funniest twenty minutes of your life. because jude refuses to let the subject go.
"...can y/n come over sometime?"
denise glances at you in the mirror. "she already does."
"because she's your girlfriend."
he blinks. looks at you. looks back at his mom. then laughs. "...good one."
he shakes his head. "nah. why would she date me?"
you immediately answer. "because you're lovely."
he stares at you. "...that's flirting."
he turns bright pink. or... as pink as someone with swollen cheeks can manage.
denise nods. "she does that."
you reach over and gently adjust the ice pack slipping off his cheek. he freezes completely. watching you.
"...could i maybe..." he hesitates. "...hold your hand?"
you look at denise. she's trying so hard not to laugh she's practically crying. you nod. "of course."
he gently threads his fingers through yours, looking ridiculously pleased with himself. "...nice."
five minutes later, he's still holding your hand. still smiling to himself. then suddenly, "...mom."
"...i'm gonna ask her out."
you press your lips together.
he nods confidently. "...timing's important."
denise almost drives onto the curb because she's laughing.
he turns towards you properly. doing his absolute best to sit up straight. which isn't very straight. "...y/n."
"...would you..." he pauses. apparently forgetting what he was saying. "...what was i doing?"
"...right." he nods. "...yeah." another pause. "...will you...hang on." he looks at his own hands. "...lost it."
you can't breathe. you're laughing so hard tears are forming. he suddenly remembers. his face lights up.
"...there it is." he clears his throat dramatically. "...will you be my girlfriend?" there's complete sincerity in his eyes. despite everything. he genuinely looks nervous.
you smile as softly as you can. "i'd love to."
his entire face lights up. "...really?"
he immediately looks at his mom. "mom!"
he squeezes your hand excitedly. "...i've got a girlfriend."
when you finally arrive at his house, helping him inside somehow takes even longer. mostly because he keeps introducing you to objects. he pats the hallway table. "...this is table."
"lovely to meet you, table."
he nods approvingly. "...good manners."
once he's settled on the sofa with another ice pack, he looks exhausted. the medication is finally starting to wear him out. his words become slower. his eyelids heavier. you sit beside him. still holding his hand. he looks at your joined hands.
"...can i ask something?"
"...how long have we been together?"
you smile. "just over a year."
his eyes widen. "...a year?"
you laugh softly. "you really did."
he looks strangely proud of himself. "...past jude's got game."
he nods seriously. "...respect."
his head slowly tips sideways until it's resting against your shoulder. you brush a hand gently through his messy curls. "...comfortable?"
another quiet minute passes. "...y/n?"
"...don't tell anyone i forgot."
you smile. "can't promise that."
he groans dramatically. "...please."
"your mom already knows."
he slowly looks across the room. denise is standing in the kitchen making him a milkshake. she waves.
he sighs. "...she's definitely gonna tell jobe."
you nod sympathetically. "most likely."
he closes his eyes. "...worst day ever."
he peeks at you with one sleepy eye. "...actually..." his fingers tighten around yours just a little. "...second best."
his sleepy smile returns. "...meeting my girlfriend."
you smile so hard your cheeks hurt.
"again." he nods lazily. "...worth doing twice."
within another minute, he's asleep against your shoulder, still holding your hand like he's afraid you'll disappear. you glance toward denise. she quietly lifts her phone, showing you the video she'd secretly taken of jude proudly announcing, "mom! she said yes!"
you laugh silently. "i'm absolutely keeping this."
denise grins. "oh, definitely."
and somewhere in the future, when jude was fully recovered, completely alert, and convinced he'd behaved perfectly after surgery, you already knew exactly what video you'd be showing him first.