#everyone starts with football

[motogp-museum]

If you are now a motorsports blog, I hate to break it to you, but you will inevitably become 1 of 2 things

- a kpop blog

- or a ski jumping blog

I'm sorry, it's just science. We all eventually morph into one of them. I've seen it happen hundreds of times

[hendolish]

————

declan rice/anthony gordon - dazed

————

The stadium is electric, the crowd roaring in elation as England secures their place in the Euro 2024 final with a last-minute goal.

The energy is palpable, a living, breathing thing that pulses through every player, every fan, every corner of the stadium. Anthony stands amidst the chaos, his heart pounding with exhilaration. The team is a mass of jumping bodies, hugging, cheering, shouting in triumph.

Anthony’s eyes can't help but follow Declan, who’s caught up in the euphoria, going around and celebrating with everyone, despite the two of them never really spending anyone one-on-one time together.

But Dec is currently the epitome of joy, his face alight with a dazzling smile. Anthony watches, bemused, as Dec plants a sloppy kiss on Luke’s cheek for the cameras, making Luke laugh and push him away playfully before he's moving onto the next victim of his jubulation.

Dec’s joy is infectious, and as he approaches Anthony, Anthony can’t help but grin. He feels it spring onto his cheeks as he says something congratulatory. He must have, becuase Declan is beaming at him like the sun in an English heatwave. Overwhelming and unstoppable.

But Anthony’s words almost feel like background noise, because Dec has this dazed, far-off look in his eyes, like he can’t believe he’s awake and not dreaming right now. It’s ridiculously intoxicating to see so closely and Anthony’s own heart swells with the shared thrill of their victory.

Dec might say something in return, but Anthony can’t focus on the words, too captivated by the sheer wonder in Dec’s expression. Instead, he squeezes Dec’s shoulder in silent communication. In this moment, words seem unnecessary.

Before Anthony knows it, Dec is being tugged away by another teammate, their connection breaking as Dec is swept back into the celebration. Anthony’s gaze lingers for a moment longer before he turns back to the jubilant chaos around him, his spirits soaring with the collective joy of the team.

The dressing room afterward is a riot of noise and excitement. Everyone is still buzzing, the air thick with triumph. Dec is at the center of it all, as always, his laughter ringing out as he shares the moment with their teammates. Anthony hangs back a bit, content to watch for now, absorbing the happiness around him as Adam wraps an arm across his shoulders.

It’s not until they’re all winding down, the initial frenzy easing into a more subdued, yet still vibrant, atmosphere, that Anthony finds himself next to Dec again. This time, they’re in the hallway outside the dressing room, where it’s a bit quieter, on their way back to the coach.

“You had such a good game, mate,” Anthony says, more composed now but no less sincere.

Dec turns to him, his smile still wide but his eyes more focused as he answers through a laugh. “Thanks, we must’ve all played our hearts out. I've got nothing left in the tank at all.”

There’s a pause, a moment where they just stand there, the weight of what they’ve achieved settling in. Anthony feels the sense of... something from earlier lingering in the air. He cocks his head in interest as Dec goes to speak again.

His voice is softer now, more introspective. “Can you believe it? We’re actually going to the final.”

Anthony shakes his head, a smile tugging at his lips. “It feels unreal.”

Dec’s gaze is intense, his eyes reflecting the same disbelief and wonder that Anthony feels. “We’ve worked so hard for this. It’s… it’s everything.”

Anthony nods, feeling the truth of Dec’s words deep in his bones. “Yeah, it is.”

They fall into a comfortable silence, the noise of their teammates still audible but distant. In this moment, it’s just the two of them, standing side by side, sharing the enormity of what they’ve accomplished.

Anthony's lying in bed at the hotel that night when he feels his face split into a grin after he sees what Dec has commented under his Instagram post about the win: "Together ❤️".

Then, he thinks, "Oh fuck."

He brings his phone to lie flat against his chest, stares up at the dark ceiling and then wonders, when the hell did that start happening? That swoopy feeling in the pit of his stomach staring at Declan's Instagram handle of all things. And, more importantly, when did he get so ridiculous?

This is a problem, Anthony thinks.

If he can't even read Declan's social media messages without his heart skipping a beat, how on earth is he expected to spend the entire day with him training tomorrow?

Anthony calms a little after remembering that they never really talked all that much before.

It'll probably stay the same, right? Dec was just swept up in post-match emotions, he probably was himself too, thinking about it. There's no reason to make a big deal out of all of this.

But when Anthony answers the knocking on his hotel room door the next morning to find Declan standing there and Anthony feels his stomach drop, he starts to think that maybe there is.

"Um, hey?" He says, half in greeting and half in question, wondering in the back of his mind if Dec had really intended to knock on his door and not, like, Luke Shaw's or Harry Kane's or anyone else's really. He smiles through the confusion anyway, belatedly wondering if his hair looks like a complete mess just to add to all of this.

"Hey," Declan sounds as cool and as calm as ever, his teeth shining through his grin as his gaze jumps to where Anthony is now attempting to tame his bed hair. Great.

"Was just wondering if you wanted to grab breakfast together."

His words take far too long to register with Anthony, who's still blinking sleep out of his eyes. Declan waits patiently anyway, seemingly bemused by the transparent fact that he's only just awoken.

"Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah sure. Just let me-"

Shuffling back into his room, Anthony exchanges the hotel slippers for his Adidas sliders and starts slipping off the old U21s training shirt he sleeps in for luck in exchange for the team gear, only he hadn't expected Declan to take his awkward fumbling for words as an invitation into his room at all.

"Wow, it’s well clean in here."

By that, Anthony just assumes he's referring to the lack of clothes littering the floor often found in most of their teammates rooms. He huffs a laugh as he admits, "Didn't unpack that much, really."

Belatedly, he remembers to pull the shirt clutched in his hands over his head. If Declan notices he pulls it on back to front the first time he tries, he doesn't make any comment.

"And that's the neatest suitcase I've ever seen at an England camp too."

Anthony smiles shyly as he shrugs. He likes to know where everything is; it makes him less stressed, but he forgets not everyone here knows that about him.

"Alright?"

He asks after a moment of silence and Declan doesn't make any movements back towards the door like Anthony had been expecting him to. He rocks back on his feet as he watches Dec's eyes drift out of the window and then back to him.

"Yeah," Dec reassures him before going on, but his words feel distant. Like his mind is elsewhere, "Yeah, I just... about yesterday..."

After stopping there, Anthony isn't really sure what he's reffering to. The game? Their win? Their... whatever it was? He opts for a silent nod instead when Dec doesn't go on for a while, seemingly mulling something over in his mind. Anthony isn't one to push when he doesn't like to be pushed himself.

"There's something I want to..." Declan sounds unsure for once in his lifetime, "I mean... can I?"

Anthony isn't sure that Dec is aware that he hasn't really asked him a question. Confused, he repeats slowly, "Can you..."

His eyes widen when Declan comes closer. They weren't too far apart to begin with really. Now they're practically face-to-face, and Anthony starts to feel as though they aren't talking about the game.

Dec's got that dazed look on his face again, like there's something to get lost in in Anthony's eyes, before his gaze darts down to his lips, long eyelashes fluttering as he asks, "Can I kiss you?"

The thumping beat in Anthony's chest increases tenfold. The answer's out of his mouth before he thinks about it too hard, swiftly followed by Declan's lips meeting his own.

It's soft at first. The kiss. Nothing more than a press of lips against his own. But then he feels it at the same time Declan gasps against him and grabs one hand at his waist, drawing him closer.

Sparks. Like a fire has finally caught on to its kindling in his heart.

Like it's always been there, waiting.

Anthony's arms wind their way upwards until they're looped around Declan's neck, pulling the taller man closer to him as he opens up his mouth into the kiss, gasping out a breath he didn't know he was holding when Dec squeezes a hand at his waist again.

The other soon finds its way into Anthony's hair, and thank god it was already ruined because Dec does a good job of mussing it up in holding Anthony against him. The thought makes Anthony crack a grin and soon Declan's doing the same, that ever-so-familiar chuckle breathed out against his cheek.

"What?"

"Nothing." Anthony shrugs. Although he can tell Dec doesn't believe him, he lets it go in favour of planting another kiss to his lips.

"That was good, right?" Declan feels the need to check after a couple of seconds, pulling back slightly despite the hand he still has in Anthony's hair, "You liked that? We're cool?"

Chuckling at his choice of words, Anthony pulls him back to him, his arms still looped around the other's neck, "Yes, we're 'cool'."

Dec ducks his head as he laughs, "Good. I'm, uh. It's just I've never really had this, you know. With a guy before, so I don't... don't really know how it goes."

Anthony smiles at Dec when their eyes meet again. He can still feel that excitement from before curling in his belly; the way he felt on the pitch.

"It goes however we want it to." He tells him softly, and that seems to calm Declan a bit, he shoulders relaxing under Anthony's forearms as a grin tugs at his lips again.

"That mean I can kiss you again, then?"

Anthony's laughing as he tugs him back down for their lips to meet.

♡

[agnesandhilda]

haha wow when I acknowledge that everyone around me has a rich inner life with their own individual histories and motivations, I can find out how their perspective ("protagonistdom") limits them, and exploit it! which, of course, makes me the protagonist! surely this will never backfire

[jamiesfootball]

Always lowkey simmering a Leverage AU in the back of my head hear me out:

Ted is an ex-insurance investigator who was able to get his son life-saving medical treatment because his first, original Crime Pal Beard was like ‘Ted if your company doesn’t come through with the coverage, we’re doing things my way.’

The company did not come through. The company did let him go due to suspicion of Ted’s involvement in the incident, but Ted will happily remind folks that no charges were formally pressed. Henry is alive and healthy and living with Michelle, who divorced Ted shortly thereafter (not just because of pre-existing marital problems, but because Ted wouldn’t tell her anything about why the doctors “””suddenly decided to do the procedure for free”””). Shortly thereafter, Ted fled the country.

What Ted learned from the whole experience is that there’s a lot of people out there, good people just trying to live by the rules, but sometimes things happen that are just out of their control. And well- if we’ve got the means to help the good people out when no one else will, then shouldn’t we try?

“We’ve got means,” Beard agrees. “And motives.”

They do things Beard’s way now.

[hearty-an0n]

I'm Not Him, I Never Will Be, by Ezra Wilder.

Pittsburgh Penguins/X, Cooper Neill, Darren Yamashita, Jamie Sabau, Jay Biggerstaff, Joe Sargent, Michael Longo, Dave Sandford, Frank Franklin II, Matt Freed

[quiescentdestiny]

Sometimes I sit and argue/think "yeah but Neil, Kevin and Andrew would be famous by now" when I read fics or even just think about post-canon. (esp with court.)

then I remember that, I as a human being, know like.... 4 Olympic athlete's names total. over all sports. so like, they would but they really wouldn't be.

[campbyler]

im at my dads work barbeque and THEYRE PLAYING INTO YOU ON THE SPEAKERS AND IM LIKE 🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏THIIIISSSS CLOSE TO JUST SCREAMING YOU GUYS ARE RUINING MY BRAIN (but like in a good way ofc)

THIS SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED TO ME YESTERDAY GENUINELY I JUMPED

[monstermoviedean]

hi us friends i hope you have a rejuvenating and low-stress weekend ahead of you! if not, might i suggest turning on the national dog show? on tv and streaming at 12 pm eastern on thursday the 24th. i can't promise it'll work for everyone but i've found it to be an uncontroversial and uncomplicated crowd-pleaser at family events.

[crossbackpoke-check]

re last answer: please don't stop, being very unhinged about these two pretty white boys is helping distract me from the sharks losing streak rn so bring it on

https://www.tumblr.com/bondedpairs/764566430180147200?source=share

(sideblog woes but there's the link for you) anyway in the vid they talk about going over to each other's houses to have dinner and things and while that is a delicious example of their codependence i love it bc through an rpf lens there is definitely some old man ******* going on. they can have the dilfs and each other.

(someone else mentioned kept boys which i could write an essay on but i fear being Perceived™️)

anyway if you have anything to add to this please do, if not ignore me and i will hide under a rock until the stress-related insanity has worn off and i am a functioning member of society once more 😂

- @bondedpairs

ty for the video!!! and please, WRITE THE KEPT BOYS ESSAYYYY i promise i will read it with my hands over my eyes if you don’t want to be perceived. do it scared!! do it anyway!! we’ll all love you for it!!!

[longlivetv]

The only thing Ohio guys like more than meeting another Ohio guy is having a conversation about THEE Ohio Guy, Lebron James.

(idk i know someone from Columbus that is obsessed with Lebron so I don’t think it’s only Cleveland).

Oh yeah, no Lebron is a big deal everywhere in Ohio. I’m from Columbus and my dad was excited to watch him play in the OHSAA (High School) State Tournament back in the early 2000s. (My dad went to the OHSAA Tournament every year with his brothers until my parents moved to Florida.) However, those of us from Columbus only use THE for THE Ohio State University, lmao. We’re very specific about it, the university actually has it trademarked. It’s a whole thing where I’m from.

[athleticbilbao]

My dad is convinced Dí María will "retire" by going back to Rosario Central

[honeylemonbutte]

WIP Whenever

@grapecaseschoices tagged me to post a WIP - here's a sketchy comic I will probably never finish. I got the original idea last year and never finished it up, so this one is more like WIP abandoned.

Maelle InfamousIF doesn't want to be reminded seven anymore.

File this one under: jokes with one intended audience (me)

Warning this joke requires knowledge of american football and san diego chargers team movements

Also, this is canon for Maelle, so she constantly lies directly to people's faces, saying that she's a chargers superfan.

P.S can you imagine seven's reaction to seeing Maelle's "new" SD Chargers tattoo and hearing her say she looooooves the chargers. Maelle is so fake, CONFIRMED. 🤣🤣🤣

[gladiatorcunt]

about to project all my beef with hyper christian southern small towns onto cowboy anakin

[bueris]

rant post because I hate british tourists as much as the rest of the world 🫶

okay gonna be so fucking honest I genuinely despise british tourists that go to other countries and just drink and make an entitled nuisance of themselves. first of all it's so disrespectful that they think it's okay to act so disruptive and down right disgustingly in public let alone a whole other country that has absolutely no reason to tolerate them, second of all they're national fucking embarrassments like seriously do you know what you look like? bumbling down city streets drunk with not so much as a lick of self awareness, you don't look like you're so cool for having a good time, you look like a prick with no self control, it's embarrassing to hear what the people I loath to call fellow brits get up to you make my country look more like a joke than it already is. know your place. third of all the entitlement is insane, you blow off to a whole other country and expect all the social norms to be the same? fuck off you twat, the world isn't yours and your complete disregard for the way other people live their lives makes you an absolute cunt, no excuses.

on top of that, this makes me genuinely despise british drinking culture, so much shit revolves around alcohol it's ridiculous. I know this country is shit, I know it's about coping but have you ever thought for a second that maybe, just maybe, we could make things better if our first reaction was to try and change the government instead of drinking? even outside of that it's so difficult to enjoy parties and social events because of drinking, you're either pressured to drink or you end up watching people get so drunk they completely fly off the handle. it's funny to make a joke about but it's an actual problem. every friday night is a fucking nightmare because it's always ends up with shattered glass in places literal children (and everyone else mind you) could go and hurt themselves on. the fact that people think it's acceptable to trash public spaces and act like absolute bellends in bars, pubs and wherever else you might like to get drunk is absurd and horrendous, if you think it's okay or "in the name of good fun" I don't fucking like you, I genuinely wish you the worst.

I'm not a puritan, drinking is a personal choice, I just urge you to fucking think about how much you're drinking and have some consideration for where you are and how much you drink. don't be a cunt, it's easier than you think. you get overly excitable when you drink? either limit yourself or do it at home I'm so sick of being scared and embarrassed about drunk people.

[pedripics]

you didnt have interest before the world cup , on your other tumblr you didnt post barca before?

because i used my personal blog to post about mainly f1 and long before to post about that one direction???