JOBE BELLINGHAM- DIGI CAM âËâĄ
đź â.Ë đ đ đĄâ.Ë đź
Synopsis .âď¸ ÝË-you just wanted one picture with Jobe Bellingham during your family vacation. No big deal. Just a cute memory to look back on. One viral post later, and your life is turned upside down you definitely didn't expect the entire internet to think you're a couple. Now the picture is everywhere,and a certain Birmingham boy found it and from that moment led to another unforgettable memory.
Genre .âď¸ ÝË- Fluff/ family fluff, and a bit of rom com vibes, Fem!reader
Warnings .âď¸ ÝË- none
You gave your reflection one final, critical in the full-length mirror. The soft, flowy skirt youâd thrown over your bikini swished around your thighs, and the top caught the light in just the right way. It was perfect. You grabbed your trusty digital camera, the one that had documented every family holiday for the past five years and slung the strap over your shoulder.
âY/N! Weâre leaving without you!â your cousinâs muffled voice echoed from the hallway outside your hotel room.
âComing!â you yelled back, but by the time youâd slipped on your sandals and opened the door, you heard the distant ding of the elevator doors closing. Classic. You were always the last one ready.
You sighed, a small smile on your lips. It was fine. Youâd been to this resort twice before with your family; you knew the layout like the back of your hand. The walk to the fire-pit near the beach was only two minutes, a path lit by tiki torches and the fading glow of the setting sun.
As you stepped out of the elevator and into the open-air lobby, you felt eyes on you immediately. A few resort staff members and guests glanced your way, and one of the female staff, holding a tray of welcome cocktails, gave you a warm smile. âYou look very lovely this evening, miss!â she said as you passed.
âThank you,â you replied, a blush creeping up your cheeks.
The moment you stepped onto the sandy path leading to the beach, you noticed it: a commotion. A large crowd of people had gathered near the resortâs beachfront bar, phones held high, a chorus of excited shouts and camera clicks filling the calm evening air. You couldnât quite make out the who or what was causing the stormÂ
And then, a figure detached himself from the chaos.
He was tall, with a familiar build and a head of dark curls that youâd recognise anywhere. He backed away from the crowd, his mother,Denise, laughing softly at his side as he watched the scene unfold. It was a scene youâd only ever seen on social media: Jude Bellingham, engulfed by fans, and his girlfriend caught in the whirlwind. But your eyes werenât on Jude.
They were fixed on his younger brother.
Your stomach dropped, a strange mix of nerves and excitement flooding your system. Your feet felt like they were glued to the sand. âShould I ask for a picture? âa frantic voice screamed in your head. âOr should I just walk past him like I havenât just memorised every goal heâs scored this season?â
Your heart hammered against your ribs. This wasn't a scenario you'd ever rehearsed. You were on a family holiday, in a flowy skirt and a bikini top, clutching a digital camera like a tourist. And he was Jobe Bellingham, looking effortlessly cool in a simple t-shirt and shorts, a soft smile playing on his lips as he watched his brotherâs fame unfold from a safe distance.
Your body moved before your brain could catch up. You walked towards him, your steps feeling both too loud and too quiet on the soft sand. He turned his head, his gaze shifting from the crowd to you. He looked at you, his expression momentarily stunned, as if he wasnât used to people approaching him first.
Say something, you idiot!
âUm, hey, Jobe?â you managed, your voice a little higher than youâd intended. You forced a pleasant smile, hoping it looked more confident than you felt. âIs it okay if I ask for a picture?â
For a split second, he didn't say a word. He just blinked, his dark eyes scanning your face with an unreadable intensity. Then, a small, surprised smile tugged at his lips. He glanced at his mom, Denise, who was watching the interaction with a curious, knowing glint in her eyes. He looked back at you, a quiet chuckle escaping his lips.
âUh⌠yeah, sure, sure, of course,â he said, his voice laced with that soft, melodic Brummie accent that made your insides flutter. It was deeper in person, more real.
You were half-expecting a polite ânoâ or a âsorry, Iâm busyâ. The fact that heâd agreed so readily, so genuinely, made a wave of pure joy crash over you. âOh!? Oh my god, yes!â you squeaked, your tense expression dissolving into a wide, beaming smile.
You fumbled with your phone, unlocking it and opening the camera app. You angled it up, trying to find a good shot, but you could see in the viewfinder that the lighting was off, and the angle was awkward. You were just about to settle for it when Jobe noticed your struggle.
âHere, lemme take it for you,â he offered, holding out his large, tanned hand. You placed your phone in his palm, your fingers brushing against his for a fraction of a second. A jolt of electricity shot up your arm, and you were certain he felt it too.
He stretched his arm up high, and you shuffled to stand beside him, very aware of the significant height difference. You looked up at the camera, feeling like a total dwarf next to him. Denise watched with a soft, maternal smile, her gaze flickering between you both.
Just as Jobe was about to lower the phone, you caught a glimpse of the sky behind him. The sun was dipping below the horizon, painting the sky in breathtaking shades of orange, pink, and purple. It was a perfect, impossibly romantic backdrop.
âNO, JOBE, WAIT!â you burst out, your hand instinctively flying to his shoulder to stop him. Your fingers gripped the soft fabric of his t-shirt, your excitement getting the better of you. You were talking to him like he was an old friend, the celebrity status completely forgotten in the face of the stunning sunset. âI need one on my digi camera! This sunset is amazing! I need this.â You gestured wildly with your other hand towards the sky, your eyes wide and pleading. He looked down at you, your hand still resting on his shoulder, your face lit up with the golden hues of the sun, and let out a low, amused chuckle. His expression softened, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He didnât look away from you, not even for a second. He was captivated.
âOh, yeah, that would be sick, mate,â he said, his accent thickening slightly. âLetâs do it.â
He turned to his mother. âMom, can you take these for us?â He asked, holding out your digital camera.
Denise walked over, a knowing smile on her lips. She took the camera from you, her fingers brushing yours. She looked between you and her son, a silent understanding passing between them.
You and Jobe stood side-by-side, facing Denise. You were so caught up in the moment that you didnât even realise what was happening. His arm naturally found its way around your waist, his large hand resting on the curve of your hip. You instinctively leaned into him, your head falling gently against his shoulder, your hand coming to rest on his solid waist. You felt the warmth of his hand through your thin skirt, his fingers caressing the fabric gently, almost absentmindedly. It felt so natural, so right.
Denise raised the camera. â1⌠2⌠3âŚâ
The flash went off, and you both blinked rapidly, the bright light leaving spots in your vision. You pulled away slightly, still rubbing your eyes, and walked over to Denise.
âThank you so much, Momma Bellingham!â you exclaimed, grinning as you reached for your camera.
Denise chuckled, a warm, genuine sound. âIâve never heard that one before,â she said, amused by the unexpected nickname.
You and Jobe continued to chat for a few minutes as Jude started to wrap things up with the last few fans. He seemed in no rush to leave your company.
âSo⌠um, I hope youâre doing better after that injury you got last game,â you said, looking up at him.
He tilted his head, a curious expression on his face. âAy, howâd you know about that?â he asked, his tone genuinely intrigued.
âI watch all of your games, silly,â you said, a soft smile on your lips. Great, now I sound like a stalker (you thought to yourself after your remark).
His expression melted. The playful curiosity was replaced by something deeper, something softer. He couldnât seem to take his eyes off you. âIs that so, huh?â he breathed, his voice low. âWell⌠I really appreciate that, mate. I donât think you truly know how much that means.â
You knew your face was flaming now, but you didnât care. The sincerity in his voice hit
you right in the chest. âI even got tickets for the next upcoming game next month,â you quickly added. âItâll be my first match Iâll watch in person. Hopefully, youâll be playing.â
âCâmon, you know Iâll be there!â he said, grinning. He started to tell you about the new training drills heâd been working on, and his excitement was palpable. But you were lost. You couldn't concentrate on a single word he was saying.
He was even more handsome in person., the straight, white flash of his smile, the sheer breadth of his shoulders⌠he was even taller than youâd expected. Your gaze traced the line of his jaw, the small mole near his eyebrow, the way his eyes lit up when he talked about football.
You were so obviously checking him out that you didnât even realise youâd started looking down, a shy smile playing on your lips, trying to avoid his gaze. The air between you both crackled with unspoken electricity.
Denise watched everything, her eyes sharp and analytical. Sheâd seen that look before, in her husbandâs eyes, in Judeâs eyes. She saw the way her sonâs hand had lingered on your waist, the way his voice had softened, the way he was hanging on your every word. She knew. And the knowing smile that touched her lips was undeniable.
A few moments later, Jude and Ashlyn finally made their way over. The reality of the situation crashed back down around you.
âI better get going now,â you said, a little abruptly, cutting off Jobe mid-sentence. You hadnât even heard his last question.
You turned to leave, but Jobeâs hand shot out, his fingers wrapping gently around your wrist. His touch was warm, sending another shockwave through your system. Your heart hammered as you turned back, your eyes wide.
âHey, wait,â he said, a soft, almost hopeful smile on his lips. âYou didnât give me your name?â
It was once again another shocker. You blinked, your brain scrambling to catch up with reality. You hadn't even registered he'd asked such a question during his rant about training drills and upcoming fixtures.
"Oh, sorry," you said, letting out a breathy laugh. "I didn't even know you asked that, Jobe."
You gave him your name, your voice barely above a whisper. Part of you wondered why the hell he would even need to know it. You were just another fan, another face in the crowd. Tomorrow, he'd probably have a hundred more people asking for pictures, and your name would slip from his memory like water through fingers. You'd probably never see each other in such a moment again. Before parting ways, you couldn't help yourself. A playful smirk tugged at your lips as you looked him up and down, taking in his tall frame one last time.
"Not like you'll remember my name by next month anyway," you teased, your tone light and airy. Jobe's eyebrows shot up, a look of mock offense crossing his handsome face. "Watch!" he called after you as you started to walk away, his voice carrying that warm Brummie lilt. "I wouldn't... hopefully I will see you at the game, yeah?"
You glanced back over your shoulder, catching his eye one last time. He was still watching you, a small, lingering smile on his face. Denise was beside him, whispering something in his ear that made him duck his head and laugh.
You forced yourself to turn around and keep walking.
Don't look back again. Don't look back again.
The night went back to normal after you both parted ways. The festival music pulsed through the warm beach air, the fire crackled, and your family's laughter filled your ears. But yet, every single interaction you'd had with him kept replaying in your head on an endless loop.
The way his hand had felt on your waist.
The way his eyes had softened when you said you watched his games.
The way he'd said your name back to you, testing it on his tongue like he was committing it to memory.
You found your cousins near the fire-pit, huddled around the warm glow of the flames. They were all laughing, drinks in hand, clearly having the time of their lives without you. "Finally!" your cousin Mia shouted as you approached. "We thought you got lost!"You flopped down onto the log next to them, pulling out your phone. "You're never going to believe what happened to me." "Did you get hit on by the pool boy again?" your cousin Leah teased. "No," you said, a giddy smile spreading across your face. "Worse. Better. I don't even know." You opened your camera roll and shoved your phone in their faces. There it was. The picture Jobe had taken of you both. The one where the obvious height differences showed as you leaned up looking at the camera. The reaction was immediate.
"OH MY GOD!" Mia shrieked, grabbing the phone from your hands. "IS THAT JOBE BELLINGHAM?!"
"Wait, wait, waitâ" Leah leaned in closer, her eyes wide. "You met JOBE? Like, the Jobe Bellingham?!"
"And Jude," you added nonchalantly, trying to play it cool. "He was there too. But Jobe was the one I talked to."
"Great!" Mia threw her hands up. "The ONE moment I leave you behind, you meet freaking Jobe Bellingham... heck, even Jude!"
"I'm so jealous right now," Leah groaned, dramatically clutching her chest. "This is actually so unfair."
Your oldest cousin, Melanie, had been quiet, studying the picture with an analytical eye. She zoomed in, tilting her head, a slow grin spreading across her face.
"You both would look so cute as a couple," she said finally, her voice dripping with teasing. "Now that I'm looking at the picture properly... I mean, look at the way he's holding you. That's not just a picture, Y/N. That's literally a moment."
Your cheeks immediately flushed. The thought of it, of you and Jobe Bellingham, togetherâmade your stomach do a full somersault. You snatched your phone back, staring at the picture again.
"Ugh, I wish," you said, flopping yourself backward onto the sand, staring up at the starry sky. You felt utterly defeated. "You guys think he's still thinking about everything right now? Like... I can't just be ME, right? I'm just some random girl."
You sat up abruptly, your eyes wide. "I mean, I know he's famous and all," you continued, your voice gaining momentum. "But I swear, it felt like he was a little interested. If only youâd see the way he looked at me? That wasn't just a fan picture. That wasâ"
"You're a beautiful girl," Melanie interrupted, her voice firm and reassuring. "Even I wouldn't pass up a face like yours."
"Exactly!" Mia chimed in, nodding enthusiastically. "Oh, he's probably trying to find your social media as we speak. Like, why else would he want to know your name? If you were just another fan, he would've taken the picture and moved on. But he ASKED. That means something."
"Maybe he's already googling you," Leah added with a mischievous grin. "He's probably scrolling through your Instagram right now, trying to figure out how to slide into your DMs."
All these back-to-back remarks made you laugh. Hard. Your cousins sure knew how to support your delusions. They had you believing that maybe, just maybe, something had actually happened between you and Jobe Bellingham.
But you didn't want to spend the whole night talking about a boy. You were on holiday with your family, surrounded by warmth and love and the sound of the ocean. You decided to forget that whole thing had happened for a moment.
"Alright, enough about Jobe," you announced, standing up and brushing the sand off your skirt. "Who's ready for some more pictures?"
You pulled out your digital camera, the one that had started this whole mess, and spent the rest of the night capturing moments. Your cousins goofing off. The sunset finally disappeared into the dark ocean. The fire crackled. Your aunt attempting to dance and almost tripping over a log.
You laughed until your stomach hurt. You sang along to the festival music. You ate too much s'mores and got sand absolutely everywhere.
But in the back of your mind, one thought lingered.
Jobe Bellingham asked for my name.
It was stupid. It was delusional. It was absolutely, positively nothing.
Coming back to your hotel room, you could hear the muffled sounds of your family getting ready for bed in the adjoining rooms. The festival had worn everyone out, and the distant crash of waves was already sending the resort into a peaceful silence.
You showered quickly, the warm water washing away the salt and sand from the evening. Wrapped in your comfiest pajamas, you pulled your laptop out and sat cross-legged on the plush hotel bed. Your digital camera was still heavy with memories from the night, and you couldn't wait to see how they'd turned out.
You transferred the pictures from your camera to your laptop, then from your laptop to your phone. The familiar process was almost meditative. Once everything was transferred, you opened your camera roll and began going through the moments you'd captured at the fire pit on the beach. You slid through each picture, critiquing every angle and lighting. Your cousin's mid-laugh. The fire crackling. Your aunt's disastrous dance moves. Each one brought a smile to your face.
You slid right once more.
And then you landed on it.
The one Denise had taken of you and Jobe.
Your hands flew to your mouth immediately, muffling the scream that threatened to escape. Your eyes went wide, practically bulging out of your head.
"This is THEE vacation picture," you whispered, your voice trembling with immense excitement.
You stared at the screen, unable to look away. The sunset behind you both was absolutely breathtakingâswirls of orange, pink, and purple bleeding into the darkening sky. But that wasn't what had you frozen.
You were both smiling, looking so natural and comfortable with each other. Your head was resting against his shoulder, your hand placed casually on his waist. And his arm was wrapped around you, his large hand resting firmly on your hip.
You zoomed in, your breath catching in your throat.
"WHAT THE HECK?" you whispered, your voice pitching higher. "How did I not blow up in the moment when that happened?"
You zoomed in further, examining the way his fingers curved around your waist. His hand was massiveâone hand was literally covering most of your waist. Only ONE hand. The warmth you'd felt in that moment came flooding back, and you could practically feel his touch again.
"His hand is literally covering most of my waist," you repeated, your cheeks burning. "We literally look like a couple."
You stared at the picture for what felt like hours, zooming in and out, examining every detail. The soft smile on his lips. The way his eyes crinkled at the corners. The way you looked so safe in his arms.
You couldn't wait to go home and post these pictures after your vacation. You already knew which one would be first.
It had been two days since you'd come home from vacation. The post-holiday blues had hit hard, but you'd finally unpacked, done your laundry, and settled back into your normal routine. And now, sitting in your childhood bedroom surrounded by the familiar comfort of your things, you felt like this was the best time to post your vacation dump to Instagram.
You opened the app, your thumb hovering over the upload button. You'd carefully curated the perfect slideshow, making sure to put the picture of you and Jobe first. It was the crown jewel of your entire tripâthe moment that had replayed in your head a thousand times since that night.
Like last time, you were freshly showered, sitting in bed in the dead of night. The soft glow of your phone screen illuminated your face as you gave your pictures in the slideshow one last look through, seeing if you needed to add or remove anything before posting.
âShould I post it?â a nervous voice whispered in your head.â What if people think it's weird?â â What if it comes off as obsessive?â
But then you looked at the picture again. By the way Jobe was holding you. At the genuine smiles on both your faces. It wasn't obsessive. It was a beautiful moment captured on camera.
"AND POST," you announced to no one, pressing the button immediately and placing your phone face down on your nightstand to avoid seeing any notifications.
You didn't want to obsess. You didn't want to refresh the page every five seconds waiting for likes.
Slowly, you dozed off to sleep.
The next morning, you woke up to the surprise of your life.
Your eyes fluttered open, the morning sun streaming through your curtains. You reached for your phone, still half-asleep, and your thumb pressed the home button.
Your Lock Screen was filled with notifications. They were never-endingâevery time you scrolled, more appeared at the bottom. Your heart started pounding as you unlocked your phone and opened Instagram.
The picture had gone viral overnight. Slightly viral, at least. You'd gained 130k likesâthe most you'd ever gotten in your entire life. Your notifications were flooded, your DMs were overflowing, and your comments section was an absolute frenzy.
You scrolled through the comments, your eyes growing wider with each one:
"Are you two a couple?"
"Very beautiful couple đ"
"I'm a new fan of his,is this Jobe's girlfriend?!"
"This picture is so Pinterest coded omg"
"The way he's holding her... I'm crying"
"Wait, is this real???"
And then you saw one from your cousin, mia:Â
"YOU NEVER SHOWED ME THIS PICTURE OMG SO GORGEOUS YOU BOTH ARE!"
"You're famous now :)"
This was all so much to process. You felt a bit overwhelmed by the sudden attention brought to your account. You'd posted vacation photos beforeâyou'd never gotten more than a hundred likes. And now, hundreds of thousands of people were looking at you.
Soon after, you saw messages from your family members coming in. You clicked on the one from your older uncle, who was a crazy football fan:
"Scrolling on Facebook and I saw this picture of you and the Bellingham brother. Is this real or AI?"
Then from your cousin chat:
"GIRL, you're currently trending on Twitter with that damn picture. It's literally everywhere."
You placed your phone down, just staring out the window for a while. Your heart was racing, your mind spinning.
"This feels so weird," you said aloud, your voice barely above a whisper. "So this is how it feels to go viral overnight, huh?"
But despite the overwhelm, you couldn't stop the smile that spread across your face. You'd been bubbly the whole morning since that moment. Every time you checked your phone, the likes and followers kept climbing on your picture. It was surreal. And as the hours went by, as you did your daily routine, the numbers just kept growing. It was a matter of time until it stumbled upon Jobe's feed.
Across the country, the final whistle for training blew, and Coach called today's session to an end.
Jobe walked over to the locker room, his shirt drenched in sweat, talking to one of his teammates and good friend off the pitch, Carney.
"Finished earlier than expected today, huh?" Carney laughed, tossing his towel over his shoulder.
"Coach probably has a babe to meet at 6pm sharp," Jobe replied with a grin.
Both Jobe and Carney let out obnoxious snorts of laughter, causing the other mates to look their way. They weren't surprisedâit was always them making the noise.
The atmosphere simmered down as they reached the locker room, and Jobe sat down on the bench, peeling his shirt off. He pulled out his phone, scrolling mindlessly at first, just doom-scrolling through his feed.
Your picture appeared on his feed.
His thumb froze over the screen. His heart gave an unexpected lurch in his chest.
It was the picture. The one his mom had taken of you both at the resort. The one where his hand was resting on your waist. The one where you were both smiling like you'd known each other for years.
He read the caption, then scrolled to the comments. His ears grew redder by the moment as he read what was being said about you both:
"He would look amazing with you"
"Are you his girlfriend?"
"Beautiful couple đ"
"How does it feel to live my dream?"
"Jobe needs to wife her up immediately"
He zoned out mid-way, his mind drifting back to that night on the beach. The way you'd walked up to him so confidently. The way your eyes had lit up when you talked about the sunset. The way you'd said you watched all his games. That kind of support you showed, that's the kind of support he wanted from someone dear to him. Someone who saw him for more than just a Jude Bellingham's little brother. Someone who genuinely cared.
And your eyes. Your smile. The way you'd looked at him like he was just a normal guy.
He wished he could go back to that moment again. He wished he could relive it.
He snapped out of his thoughts, looking up to find Carney staring at him with a suspicious expression.
"Dude, I'm talking to you," Carney said, tilting his head. "What has you so down in that damn phone, man?"
Jobe turned his phone off quickly, adjusting his voice, trying to sound casual. "What'd you ask,mate?"
Carney gave him a slow, side-eyed look. He knew Jobe was suddenly acting a bit funny, his face visibly super flustered all of a sudden. But he tried not to question it too much.
"...I said if we're still on for the game with the boys later?" Carney repeated slowly.
"Yeah, yeah, course we are," Jobe replied, his voice a little too quick. "Wouldn't miss it, lad."
Carney just nodded, still side-eyeing him, but let it drop.
Later that night, back at home away from the world, Jobe finally settled into his bed. The house was quiet, the only sound was the distant hum of traffic outside.
He pulled his phone back out.
He went back to your account.
Just to watch it once more. Just to reminisce on the moment with you again. He scrolled through the pictures you'd posted. You with your family. You laughing at the fire pit. You looking beautiful in the golden hour light. And then the picture of you both, staring back at him like a reminder of something he couldn't quite let go of.
Finally, his thumb hovered over the like button.
*Jobe Bellingham liked your post*.
Little did he know, something so small was about to add even more fuel to the raging fire over this picture that was already sending the football world into a frenzy.
Soon after, he went through your previous highlights, looking at pictures of you and the other moments you'd shared on social media. Your smile. Your laugh. The way you seemed so genuine and real.
It was taking everything in him in that moment to not DM you.
To not type out a message and send it into the void.
To not tell you how much that moment had meant to him.
But he held back. For now.
Back on your side, the moment THAT like came in, your phone buzzed with a notification.
"user Jobe Bellingham liked your post."
You stared at the screen, your mouth falling open.
He found your account at last.
This was the night everything changed for your life. And subsequently, Jobe's own too.
author's note .âď¸ ÝË- first story on Tumblr kinda nervous đŹ